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I thought we were all on board with the new plan at the start of the season. You know, the one where we made unprecedented changes — those being an entire new starting XI and almost a new squad. And I repeat ‘unprecedented’ — NO OTHER TEAM HAVE DONE THIS.
Just how long did we think it would take for everything to come together on the pitch?
We’ve played just a handful of games. These players — and the boss — need time. We’ve played what’s arguably our starting back five just once this season. Our stellar signings, Morsy and Celina, have not yet featured together on the pitch — and won’t for a while. Morsy has, of course, played just once.
What do you expect when there are no partnerships formed on the pitch? These take time with SO many changes. We are not integrating one or two players into this team, but 19. NINETEEN.
Write off this season, forget it. We’re not going up. Next season, perhaps. We’ve turned into the pot noodle brigade, demanding instant gratification.
Some fans in here are even giving Cook until the end of this month if he doesn’t win a League game. Utter madness.
On the first day of this season, we drew 2-2 with Morecambe. That team featured just one player - KVY - who started the last game of the previous season.
A number of peeps in here have pointed to Morecambe as another team who have made numerous changes. As I keep pointing out, what they’ve have done isn’t to the same scale.
They had five players who started that game who also started their play-off final win of last season, (with other familiar faces on the bench).
So what am I getting at?
Well, in a nutshell, I believe Cook needs at least until Xmas before we start contemplating another new manager.
If you look at our current squad, Kayden Jackson is our top appearance maker in the League (95), followed by Woolfie (64), Norwood (58) and Holy (57), none of whom are regular starters now.
So I’d argue most our players wouldn’t know their way into town, let alone the attributes of the player in front of them on the pitch.
I feel sorry for Cook. I think we’ve turned into a version of Watford in League One, with a group of players assembled with little input from the boss.
And to even try to see what 19 players can do in a game.....he hasn't got another pre-season. It's a thankless task
But do you really think that any manager at this level would have turned us into world beaters by now? Wait, be patient.
I agree with all of this, you won't be surprised to read. My fear is that we are now being run a la the Pozzis at Watford. The top brass have a talk with the boss and then go and buy some fantastic talent. It's then left to the boss - some of whoms recommendations were taken on board - to make a team out of them. If it doesn't work, the boss gets the boot. A new man comes in and the process begins again. I just hope we give Cook a little bit of time.
It's really quite depressing that our OWN fans are writing off promotion already, as an unrealistic ambition for Ipswich Town in the third tier.
I was arguing with someone about it not long ago, that Flashing Smile or something guy, that there were fans who had such low expectations. This is yet another of those coming out of the woodwork.
I expected with the large changeover in players to see some disjointed moments in games etc. That doesn't excuse the absolutely diabolical performance of Cook from when he first came in.
That some put him on a pedestal immediately and their ego's won't let them reign that in is hardly the rest of the clubs supporters fault.
We just lost against a bunch of kids, 80% of whom won't even have a professional football career.
Why is the OP pretending that we’re the only side with massive upheaval in this league? It’s massively common for clubs to turnover huge amounts of players in League 1/2. Wigan signed 16 new players over the summer and are 2nd MK Dons signed 14 new players, lost their manager on the eve of the season, and are in the playoff zone Heck even Morecambe, they lost their promotion winning manager/captain and best player after coming up, signed 19 players ((not unprecedented!) and have a new manager and are ahead of us in the league.
These clubs haven’t signed the caliber of player or manager we have either. It’s not unreasonable to expect more than 3 points after 6 games and two embarrassing cup defeats!
"I thought we were all on board with the new plan at the start of the season. You know, the one where we made unprecedented changes — those being an entire new starting XI and almost a new squad. And I repeat ‘unprecedented’ — NO OTHER TEAM HAVE DONE THIS."
This was Cooks choice, so he owns the consequences.
The gelling excuse doesnt cover no wins in 8 matches and a 5-2 home defeat to Bolton.
Cooks has had half a season and managed 4 wins.
Cook appointed one of the most inexperienced coaching teams in the history of football.
Its OK to question Cook.
"The gelling excuse doesnt cover no wins in 8 matches and a 5-2 home defeat to Bolton."
What was I expecting? At least some indications of progress.
I was prepared for a slow start to the season, even for us to struggle to win many games in the first couple of months. I thought it would take a while to get the attacking side of things to work smoothly (that's actually gone better than I anticipated).
What I did not envisage was that the defence would be utterly broken, a shambles, letting in clumsy goals every match. Something is badly wrong at that end of the pitch and the coaching staff cannot just disregard that. I'm sure they arent, but they need to do something effective about it, even if that means sacrificing some of the offensive power. If different drills don't work, play 5-1-3-1 with three CBs and a DM in front of them, or something. Shut up shop.
If it takes so long for a defensive formation to get to know each other, why do other teams (including our own previous) not fall apart whenever there is a personnel change at the back?
Problem is, the season is rolling fast. There is no longer much time for adjustment and experimentation, no leeway to waste games on something which isn't working. Not if we want to stand any serious chance of promotion.
Why is the OP pretending that we’re the only side with massive upheaval in this league? It’s massively common for clubs to turnover huge amounts of players in League 1/2. Wigan signed 16 new players over the summer and are 2nd MK Dons signed 14 new players, lost their manager on the eve of the season, and are in the playoff zone Heck even Morecambe, they lost their promotion winning manager/captain and best player after coming up, signed 19 players ((not unprecedented!) and have a new manager and are ahead of us in the league.
These clubs haven’t signed the caliber of player or manager we have either. It’s not unreasonable to expect more than 3 points after 6 games and two embarrassing cup defeats!
I respect your opinion. I did try to explain it all in my opening post. So: Did Wigan/MK or Morecambe have just one player in their starting XI for the opening game of the season who played in their final one last season? NO Are either of those three teams waiting for their stellar signing to play? I doubt it. Are either of those three teams waiting for their new captain to play a Lg Game? Don't think so. Did either of those three teams field their strongest back five for the first time this season in their previous game? Erm, I don't know. I take on board your points. Would you give Cook more time or give him the boot now?
What was I expecting? At least some indications of progress.
I was prepared for a slow start to the season, even for us to struggle to win many games in the first couple of months. I thought it would take a while to get the attacking side of things to work smoothly (that's actually gone better than I anticipated).
What I did not envisage was that the defence would be utterly broken, a shambles, letting in clumsy goals every match. Something is badly wrong at that end of the pitch and the coaching staff cannot just disregard that. I'm sure they arent, but they need to do something effective about it, even if that means sacrificing some of the offensive power. If different drills don't work, play 5-1-3-1 with three CBs and a DM in front of them, or something. Shut up shop.
If it takes so long for a defensive formation to get to know each other, why do other teams (including our own previous) not fall apart whenever there is a personnel change at the back?
Problem is, the season is rolling fast. There is no longer much time for adjustment and experimentation, no leeway to waste games on something which isn't working. Not if we want to stand any serious chance of promotion.
So taking that argument forward, what faith would you have in a new manager fixing the issues at the back? I wholeheartedly agree with a change of system. Doubt it will happen, however.
So taking that argument forward, what faith would you have in a new manager fixing the issues at the back? I wholeheartedly agree with a change of system. Doubt it will happen, however.
That depends upon who the new manager is, should a change happen. If someone who can organise defences, then I would expect them to be able to do something about it.
While I'm beginning to despair at the lack of tangible progress, I'm not yet wholeheartedly Cook Out. I would hope, as an experienced and previously successful manager, he ought to be able to fix (or at least ameliorate) the issues himself.
Even if it was all down to Richardson before, something must have rubbed off on Cook in the years they worked together. He's been around the game long enough to have seen how it's done.
That depends upon who the new manager is, should a change happen. If someone who can organise defences, then I would expect them to be able to do something about it.
While I'm beginning to despair at the lack of tangible progress, I'm not yet wholeheartedly Cook Out. I would hope, as an experienced and previously successful manager, he ought to be able to fix (or at least ameliorate) the issues himself.
Even if it was all down to Richardson before, something must have rubbed off on Cook in the years they worked together. He's been around the game long enough to have seen how it's done.
Highly unpopular and I very much doubt he would come here, let alone in League One. Not entirely sure how effective he is, either.
Someone like Mick McCarthy or Neil Warnock would be better - not that I'd expect either of them to drop to our level (or the former to have forgiven Town fans yet).
Ordinarily, yes. We are, however, in an unprecedented situation. NINETEEN new signings - and our new back five have played once. Our stellar signing hasn't played. Our club captain has played just once - and i doubt even recognises some of the faces in the squad. Sketchy wins would have come with a bit of luck. Individual quality? Then the best squads would always win the League? Cook needs time!!!! When would say enough is enough?
"The gelling excuse doesnt cover no wins in 8 matches and a 5-2 home defeat to Bolton."
It literally does.
It doesn't when the manager actively decides to not use the cup games which our fans are already generous to take as 'free hits' as an opportunity to 'gel' the players together.
There's plenty of examples of rebuilds in league one with much lesser players and much smaller budgets doing better than us both this season and the past, well, pretty much every season.
The idea that people went into this season wanting Cook to fail is absolute nonsense. If Cook fails, we fail.
Not so much wanting him to fail but wanting to be the first to call it.
Thing is, you could slate every manager from the start and be right 90% of the time, if you're that way inclined.
I get slated regularly for 'not having football knowledge' simply for not calling it quickly enough. Fine, who cares. I've never claimed to be a football expert anyway. I will, however, always believe managers need time to get their ideas across, get in the players they want, and get them gelling.
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