Quote:DevonExile
On balance I have agreed with those that have said Brabin should be given more time.It is a sobering thought however that if he is still here at the start of the season it will be his longest continuous period with any club.He was dismissed by Cambridge and Luton soon after play off failure Although he had a lower percentage of losses at both clubs than he has here. Clearly in the past other clubs have come to the conclusion that he could not build a promotion squad.This will be the first time that he will have had a club for two close seasons and it will be interesting to see if MP's faith in him is rewarded.
Quote:Kenny_Crons
The big problem is that you should really stick with a manager once the season has started, unless things are really bad. You have placed your trust and your money in the manager at the beginning of the season and he will have tried to embed his strategy throughout pre-season.
This concept of 'ten games to prove himself' is silly because then we would have to start all over again, without a pre-season phase to iron out any issues. And who would be available to take over? There may actually be no one.
Decisions should be made for the long term and if Brabin starts next season as manager, he should finish it.
Quote:Kenny_Crons
I don't disagree with changing 'in season' if it's required. I simply feel that if people are thinking of giving Brabin ten games to prove himself, he might as well go now because ten games is nothing.
Quote:Kenny_Crons
I was sort of playing Devil's advocate really!
It just strikes me as strange that a strategy of giving someone ten games would be considered.
In my naivety, I am hoping for a bit of pro-activity rather than having the same season pan out next year and then we become reactive.
Quote:TRFCJGregz
Second, STRIKERS: of the strikers he has brought in (Mangan, Norwood, Margetts, Higdon and Taylor-Fletcher) only Norwood and, to a lesser extent, Taylor-Fletcher have been a success. It suggests to me he can't pick a striker, which is worrying because at the beginning of the season Gary Johnson said you need goals, goals, goals to get out of this division. His Yeovil side scored 100 goals to win the conference a few years ago
Quote:MoanerLesser
Rob Edwards. W2 D4 L8. Definitely beggars belief.
Quote:Deadly SubmarineQuote:TRFCJGregz
Second, STRIKERS: of the strikers he has brought in (Mangan, Norwood, Margetts, Higdon and Taylor-Fletcher) only Norwood and, to a lesser extent, Taylor-Fletcher have been a success. It suggests to me he can't pick a striker, which is worrying because at the beginning of the season Gary Johnson said you need goals, goals, goals to get out of this division. His Yeovil side scored 100 goals to win the conference a few years ago
To be fair though, were there any Rovers fans who during pre-season thought that Norwood and Mangan weren't two great signings to have at this level and he then added Margetts who the fans instantly liked (overhyped in my own opinion).
That makes three decent strikers at the start of the season. The fans thought it and Brabin and his coaching staff probably also thought it - the fact it didn't work out in all cases couldn't have been predicted back then.
Then when it did seem like we needed to freshen it up on the front line he brought in Taylor-Fletcher who you yourself said has been a success of sorts and was an instant success five minutes into his debut at Forest Green??
Also what are the examples of strange substitutions out of interest?
Quote:TRFCJGregz
My point about the strikers was never about what they looked like at the beginning of the season but that they've not delivered.
One of the strange substitutions was pulling off GTF during the 1-2 home game against Welling. He was man of the match for that game. Looking at his reaction on the bench, GTF didn't take too kindly in being subbed.
Quote:TRFCJGregz
INEXPERIENCE: he has no experience of getting promoted out of this division (unlike Johnson).
NOT MANAGED HIGHER THAN CONFERENCE: he hasn't managed in the league above (i.e. League Two). Having experience managing in L2 means you know a wider pool of players personally because you've seen them play. Also you know other people personally. At the beginning of the season G. Johnson said he would have to call favours in in order to get players. If you've never managed in L2 then you haven't built up the personal relationships with L2 players and/or managers and so you have no favours to call in!
Quote:Deadly SubmarineQuote:TRFCJGregz
My point about the strikers was never about what they looked like at the beginning of the season but that they've not delivered.
One of the strange substitutions was pulling off GTF during the 1-2 home game against Welling. He was man of the match for that game. Looking at his reaction on the bench, GTF didn't take too kindly in being subbed.
But your points made in the post were under reasons why you have doubts about Brabin....
The fact they've failed to deliver isn't all down to him.
Quote:Paz
I've noticed a turn in a lot of posts.
eg. When we signed Higdon, I remember seeing posts along the lines of "He's got a great scoring record" and "finally, a striker I've heard of!"
Hindsight is a fantastic thing.
On the management front, you could say the same about Adams. Yes, Luton fans "warned us" about him, but on paper I definitely thought he was a great appointment when he was announced!
Uglybob made a good point about everyone focusing on the strikers (admittedly they will get a lot of focus due to the position they hold). We do need goals from other areas of the pitch. I think part of that problem has been Jenno & Harris being too similar. Next season I'd like to see Harris be the ball winning midfielder and give Maynard the role he was so effective in for Halifax as the attacking midfielder helping the front line. I feel that, with some more development, Mekki could be deployed more as an inside forward, cutting in and taking some shots. Likewise with Dawson if he comes back.
Quote:Paz
I meant Vale
apologies for the confusion
Quote:mattyj
I'm prepared to give Brabin another go but I'm not entirely convinced. I think if he gets a settled team from the seasons start that will definitely make a difference. Twice this season he has changed formation and or personell and it's cost us points which is not acceptable. Before mcnulty came in, defensively we were doing fine but the change coupled with the inability to find a suitable partner for him started that awful run in November. That can't happen again.
His in game management is also questionable as he very rarely makes changes that end in a positive outcome. We also need to change our attitude in home games because this also isn't acceptable.
There are two things we desperately need, creativity and goals. If he solves that in pre season then I think we will be fine. I would also like to see the fitness of the team too because we aren't fit enough and that can make a massive difference in this league.
Quote:mattyj
Twice this season.....