| Lots of little digs at Cook but 09:35 - Feb 20 with 12127 views | Chrisd |
the clearance of the squad was very much needed and he certainly brought in players that had the potential to improve us, which KM is getting out of them now. PC might not have gone about it in the right way, but that squad needed clearing out and freshening up that was something that PC did get right. [Post edited 20 Feb 2022 9:37]
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| Lots of little digs at Cook but on 22:52 - Feb 20 with 2161 views | theinbetweener |
| Lots of little digs at Cook but on 21:00 - Feb 20 by jeera |
"I simply just don’t hold as much sentimentality as some people, to the treatment of the former deadwood"
With respect you don't seem to be taking on board what people have been saying. It's almost as though some of the replies don't exist.
No one has spoken of sentimentality as a reason to keep that squad, or even that they'd wanted that squad going forwards following that season. Pretty much everyone has said it needed to change but that's hardly some great footballing insight given the age and contract situation of several of the players.
Yet you seemed to have got bogged down in this narrative.
You are still overlooking how we were on the edge of the play-offs and as such that was not the time to be sounding off about the players and how they would be shown the door.
He was brought in to inspire the team for the final push of that season, not disarm them completely. He tried his jig and his cuppa and all the talk and the cheeky grin but that doesn't win games.
The stripping could have come later, that's the whole point of the summer!
You don't walk into a new club and treat people like that and expect results.
This shouldn't need repeating again really. |
“You are still overlooking how we were on the edge of the play-offs and as such that was not the time to be sounding off about the players and how they would be shown the door.”
Not quite. As stated in my previous reply, I’d acknowledged the fact that PC had already made failings prior to the “demolition”.
I’m sorry but as much as I admire your optimism, even if that squad had somehow secured a playoff spot, there’s not a chance in hell they’d have had the mental ability to win promotion.
Yes he was tough, yes he was a poor man manager, but I’m still glad he got shot of that bunch of soft touches. |  | | |
| Lots of little digs at Cook but on 22:54 - Feb 20 with 2156 views | Coastalblue |
| Lots of little digs at Cook but on 22:25 - Feb 20 by FrimleyBlue |
PC just comes from a line of older managers used to tough love, it's not his fault tbh, he played in an era where it was normal for managers to even punch players, swear, scream, throw sht etc. It still works at some clubs the tough love, but most players now expect more respect, more calmness and calculated discussions over loud screaming individuals. |
I don't believe that style of management has ever worked in any industry apart from perhaps with a minority of individuals.
I think you can be principled, have standards and maybe the occasional blowing off of steam without all the tough love BS. See Sir Bobby for example. |  |
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| Lots of little digs at Cook but on 00:06 - Feb 21 with 2076 views | patrickswell |
| Lots of little digs at Cook but on 22:52 - Feb 20 by theinbetweener |
“You are still overlooking how we were on the edge of the play-offs and as such that was not the time to be sounding off about the players and how they would be shown the door.”
Not quite. As stated in my previous reply, I’d acknowledged the fact that PC had already made failings prior to the “demolition”.
I’m sorry but as much as I admire your optimism, even if that squad had somehow secured a playoff spot, there’s not a chance in hell they’d have had the mental ability to win promotion.
Yes he was tough, yes he was a poor man manager, but I’m still glad he got shot of that bunch of soft touches. |
Agreed, and I say that as someone who has a lot of affection for Chambers, Skuse and Sears for their contributions during McCarthy 's peak years. But by April 2021, they and seemingly everyone else at the club had become so ground down by the culture that permeated here under Evans. The arrival of GameChanger and a proven promotion winner in Cook seemed to inspire nothing more than indifference among the squad. Who can forget their pathetic performance at Gillingham in Cook's first match? They seemed done with us, and we were done with them. They had to go.
It was only when it became clear that Cook without Leam Richardson was a bad idea and that he was both repeating mistakes and repeating criticism of the current squad with what he said about the inherited one that it became clear that he may very well have played an equal part in blowing last season as well as this one. |  | | |
| Lots of little digs at Cook but on 07:27 - Feb 21 with 1985 views | braveblue |
| Lots of little digs at Cook but on 09:43 - Feb 20 by jayessess |
Isn't the reverse coming to light? The more we get into this season, the more obvious it is that we had the makings of a decent first team already in the building.
Woolfenden, Wilson, McGuinness, KVY, Dozzell, Downes, Edwards, Parrott, Jackson, Norwood. That's 10 outfield players currently in our squad or playing for teams higher in the football league. |
But they failed miserably. | | | |
| Lots of little digs at Cook but on 08:04 - Feb 21 with 1944 views | gazzer1999 |
| Lots of little digs at Cook but on 18:20 - Feb 20 by itfcjoe |
No one was waiting to criticise Cook, 99% of fans were very happy with the appointment |
I must be the 1% then, never wanted any of the lower league wannabes. If we are moving in the right direction now it's because we have appointed above our station with a competent management team that will take us where we need/want to be.
People move on, Cook, Lambert, Hurst, Mick, jewel,'he' who should never have been here have gone. Rejoice ITFC are on the road again enjoy it whilst it lasts. |  | | |
| Lots of little digs at Cook but on 08:22 - Feb 21 with 1920 views | itfcjoe |
| Lots of little digs at Cook but on 00:06 - Feb 21 by patrickswell |
Agreed, and I say that as someone who has a lot of affection for Chambers, Skuse and Sears for their contributions during McCarthy 's peak years. But by April 2021, they and seemingly everyone else at the club had become so ground down by the culture that permeated here under Evans. The arrival of GameChanger and a proven promotion winner in Cook seemed to inspire nothing more than indifference among the squad. Who can forget their pathetic performance at Gillingham in Cook's first match? They seemed done with us, and we were done with them. They had to go.
It was only when it became clear that Cook without Leam Richardson was a bad idea and that he was both repeating mistakes and repeating criticism of the current squad with what he said about the inherited one that it became clear that he may very well have played an equal part in blowing last season as well as this one. |
We had 19 players out of contract and after a second season in League 1, there was always going to be a huge summer of change ahead.
What we ended up doing was chucking the baby out with the bathwater, and then having to do much recruitment which left us in limbo for the first few weeks of the season. We had 11 players on the first day of pre season training and of those only 7 are still at the club.
It was a mess, and was well OTT and most of that was driven by Cook's lack of man management and professionalism last season, which too many fans took so much glee from. After how badly he failed when he came in, he should have been the one on the back foot in the summer, not in that position. |  |
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| Lots of little digs at Cook but on 08:58 - Feb 21 with 1884 views | RobTheMonk |
Cook was awful.
McKenna seems good so far.
Simples. |  | | |
| Lots of little digs at Cook but on 09:05 - Feb 21 with 1870 views | tractorboy1978 |
| Lots of little digs at Cook but on 08:22 - Feb 21 by itfcjoe |
We had 19 players out of contract and after a second season in League 1, there was always going to be a huge summer of change ahead.
What we ended up doing was chucking the baby out with the bathwater, and then having to do much recruitment which left us in limbo for the first few weeks of the season. We had 11 players on the first day of pre season training and of those only 7 are still at the club.
It was a mess, and was well OTT and most of that was driven by Cook's lack of man management and professionalism last season, which too many fans took so much glee from. After how badly he failed when he came in, he should have been the one on the back foot in the summer, not in that position. |
How Cook handled it was poor but I honestly don't see how it could have been much less severe a change over of players. Downes wanted out and had done for near on two seasons. Dozzell and Wilson, yes I'd have kept. But Nsiala should have been gone in place of Wilson. After that there really isn't much of a case at all - and that has been borne out by the success of those players since leaving. | | | |
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| Lots of little digs at Cook but on 09:21 - Feb 21 with 1839 views | SamWhiteUK |
| Lots of little digs at Cook but on 11:20 - Feb 20 by Leaky |
Of those you've listed Parrott & McGuiness were on loan. Downs wanted out probably Dozzell the same. Wilson would have been worth keeping though. |
Wilson and Burgess are much of a muchness. I wouldn't want Wilson playing in our back 3. |  | | |
| Lots of little digs at Cook but on 09:30 - Feb 21 with 1812 views | itfcjoe |
| Lots of little digs at Cook but on 09:05 - Feb 21 by tractorboy1978 |
How Cook handled it was poor but I honestly don't see how it could have been much less severe a change over of players. Downes wanted out and had done for near on two seasons. Dozzell and Wilson, yes I'd have kept. But Nsiala should have been gone in place of Wilson. After that there really isn't much of a case at all - and that has been borne out by the success of those players since leaving. |
The way it was handled meant that even those we wanted to keep, like Downes and Edwards as examples, just simply didn't want to stay and had no intention of doing so,
There was always going to be huge change last summer, the club needed that refresh - but if it was handled better we might not have been in the relegation zone in September and with a start that has hamstrung us so badly that we've managed to win 7 out of 10 and still a big gap away from top 6 | |
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| Lots of little digs at Cook but on 09:38 - Feb 21 with 1790 views | WD19 |
| Lots of little digs at Cook but on 08:22 - Feb 21 by itfcjoe |
We had 19 players out of contract and after a second season in League 1, there was always going to be a huge summer of change ahead.
What we ended up doing was chucking the baby out with the bathwater, and then having to do much recruitment which left us in limbo for the first few weeks of the season. We had 11 players on the first day of pre season training and of those only 7 are still at the club.
It was a mess, and was well OTT and most of that was driven by Cook's lack of man management and professionalism last season, which too many fans took so much glee from. After how badly he failed when he came in, he should have been the one on the back foot in the summer, not in that position. |
Which babies went with the bathwater exactly?
He upset a few people in the way he did it, which perhaps could have been avoided. My view is that the takeover - and the way it was conducted - really rattled him, but he should probably not have taken that out on the departing players. However, given their general behaviour before and since I don't have much sympathy for them either. |  | | |
| Lots of little digs at Cook but on 09:49 - Feb 21 with 1768 views | itfcjoe |
| Lots of little digs at Cook but on 09:38 - Feb 21 by WD19 |
Which babies went with the bathwater exactly?
He upset a few people in the way he did it, which perhaps could have been avoided. My view is that the takeover - and the way it was conducted - really rattled him, but he should probably not have taken that out on the departing players. However, given their general behaviour before and since I don't have much sympathy for them either. |
Well Gwion Edwards was offered a new contract and turned it down so there is one.
Flynn Downes and Andre Dozzell were pushed out the door, no effort was made to keep them when had we elected to try and build team around them and treated them as such (i.e. the sort of money we are paying Morsy and respect shown to him given to Downes)
Cornell and Holy pushed out the door when one was easily good enough to be a back up L1 keeper, Kenlock sat there not registered and his replacement as a back up ends up being banished to the 23s and we end up playing Bailey Clements for 5 games.
Wilson leaves, whilst we keep Toto and subsequently sign Burgess for a lot of money on a long term deal who ends up even out of the team under Cook.
Jackson bombed out to reappear. Trying to get rid of Woolfenden (and even at AGM a couple of weeks back Ashton confirmed he'd have been going in January and now he looks superb)
A lot of if's, but's and maybe's - but ultimately Cook got a lot less out of last years squad than Lambert had prior, and then he ended up getting less out of the new squad he built than those 'failures' had done previously.
It was a totally incompetent performance as manager, and hopefully McKenna can salvage this season - but the cost of shifting all those players, and bringing some in who in some cases aren't any better but on more money, is something that could really hinder us as a football club.
Cook should have gone in the summer, and Ashton should have got someone in who fitted the new structure he had put in place - in fairness to Cook this year he was doing a totally different job to the one he signed up for so he has sympathy in that respect - but the wrecking ball taken to the club was not needed in the way it was done. | |
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| Lots of little digs at Cook but on 09:53 - Feb 21 with 1751 views | WD19 |
| Lots of little digs at Cook but on 09:49 - Feb 21 by itfcjoe |
Well Gwion Edwards was offered a new contract and turned it down so there is one.
Flynn Downes and Andre Dozzell were pushed out the door, no effort was made to keep them when had we elected to try and build team around them and treated them as such (i.e. the sort of money we are paying Morsy and respect shown to him given to Downes)
Cornell and Holy pushed out the door when one was easily good enough to be a back up L1 keeper, Kenlock sat there not registered and his replacement as a back up ends up being banished to the 23s and we end up playing Bailey Clements for 5 games.
Wilson leaves, whilst we keep Toto and subsequently sign Burgess for a lot of money on a long term deal who ends up even out of the team under Cook.
Jackson bombed out to reappear. Trying to get rid of Woolfenden (and even at AGM a couple of weeks back Ashton confirmed he'd have been going in January and now he looks superb)
A lot of if's, but's and maybe's - but ultimately Cook got a lot less out of last years squad than Lambert had prior, and then he ended up getting less out of the new squad he built than those 'failures' had done previously.
It was a totally incompetent performance as manager, and hopefully McKenna can salvage this season - but the cost of shifting all those players, and bringing some in who in some cases aren't any better but on more money, is something that could really hinder us as a football club.
Cook should have gone in the summer, and Ashton should have got someone in who fitted the new structure he had put in place - in fairness to Cook this year he was doing a totally different job to the one he signed up for so he has sympathy in that respect - but the wrecking ball taken to the club was not needed in the way it was done. |
So Wilson then. That was pretty much all I could think of too. | | | |
| Lots of little digs at Cook but on 09:55 - Feb 21 with 1745 views | Chrisd |
| Lots of little digs at Cook but on 09:30 - Feb 21 by itfcjoe |
The way it was handled meant that even those we wanted to keep, like Downes and Edwards as examples, just simply didn't want to stay and had no intention of doing so,
There was always going to be huge change last summer, the club needed that refresh - but if it was handled better we might not have been in the relegation zone in September and with a start that has hamstrung us so badly that we've managed to win 7 out of 10 and still a big gap away from top 6 |
I certainly agree it could've been handled much better, but there were many players that left last summer that PC could've resigned (if they wanted to stay might have been a different story) which would've made the promotion challenge even harder this season. Some of those players have left us and proved themselves, like Downes and Dozzell, but a lot have gone down the road to a lower level of football and now find themselves 3 points outside the bottom 2, which says an awful lot. I appreciate this is subjective, Burns for me is an upgrade on Edwards and far more consistent and he was one we wanted to keep! A clear-out was expected with the contract situation and the number of loans we had, but equally PC could've made a lot of inferior signings, but he didn't and that's my point. | |
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| Lots of little digs at Cook but on 10:58 - Feb 21 with 1692 views | Nthsuffolkblue |
Lambert had far too big a squad and change was needed.
Cook failed with that squad more than Lambert had done and the way he handled the change was a man-management disaster that saw Norwood, Jackson and Woolfenden frozen out regardless of everyone else. The fact those three are now first team squad members as we are on promotion form shows they were not handled well for whatever reasons. I am sure others amongst the squad could have offered something but it is fine for the manager to decide who will work in their system and who won't. However, Cook's system was so inflexible, even players he had developed in the past to fit it didn't seem to work in it!
Then, we needed a slimmer squad and Cook proceeded to build one nearly as fat and unworkable as Lambert had done.
I am sure Chambers and Skuse and many others were bound to leave. The way they were treated by Cook was very poor. The fact that some fans are still arguing over whether they served the club well or were slackers who cared nothing for it is entirely at the door of Cook's poor handling of them, in my book.
I am also fairly confident that when players have to move on under McKenna they will be treated with dignity. He appears already to have done this. |  |
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| Lots of little digs at Cook but on 11:04 - Feb 21 with 1679 views | reusersfreekicks |
| Lots of little digs at Cook but on 09:49 - Feb 21 by itfcjoe |
Well Gwion Edwards was offered a new contract and turned it down so there is one.
Flynn Downes and Andre Dozzell were pushed out the door, no effort was made to keep them when had we elected to try and build team around them and treated them as such (i.e. the sort of money we are paying Morsy and respect shown to him given to Downes)
Cornell and Holy pushed out the door when one was easily good enough to be a back up L1 keeper, Kenlock sat there not registered and his replacement as a back up ends up being banished to the 23s and we end up playing Bailey Clements for 5 games.
Wilson leaves, whilst we keep Toto and subsequently sign Burgess for a lot of money on a long term deal who ends up even out of the team under Cook.
Jackson bombed out to reappear. Trying to get rid of Woolfenden (and even at AGM a couple of weeks back Ashton confirmed he'd have been going in January and now he looks superb)
A lot of if's, but's and maybe's - but ultimately Cook got a lot less out of last years squad than Lambert had prior, and then he ended up getting less out of the new squad he built than those 'failures' had done previously.
It was a totally incompetent performance as manager, and hopefully McKenna can salvage this season - but the cost of shifting all those players, and bringing some in who in some cases aren't any better but on more money, is something that could really hinder us as a football club.
Cook should have gone in the summer, and Ashton should have got someone in who fitted the new structure he had put in place - in fairness to Cook this year he was doing a totally different job to the one he signed up for so he has sympathy in that respect - but the wrecking ball taken to the club was not needed in the way it was done. |
Aargh meant to do an uppie not a downie |  | | |
| Lots of little digs at Cook but on 11:23 - Feb 21 with 1627 views | ElephantintheRoom |
May I recommend a strong dose of my patent Realiy Tablets? Town were on the cusp of the play-offs before Cook destroyed the team spirit - and then the team.. As yet the current mob haven't quite got back to where Town were before they and Cook arrived.
I put it to you that a sensible manager like McKenna might have got more out of a nucleus of experienced players well used to playing with each other and a few home grown players capable of playing at a higher level (or responding to sane management) | |
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| Lots of little digs at Cook but on 11:24 - Feb 21 with 1642 views | Bluroo |
I don’t think this subject needs to be over-analysed.
Blatantly Cook is an awful manager, tactically and dynamically inept. This was clear almost immediately into his reign as his lack of tactical nouse, flexibility, nuance and planning became apparent. He couldn’t get a tune out of the squad he inherited or the one he bought. That is a sword that guarantees falling on. Frankly I’m not sure he’d have got us promoted with the Rotherham squad, he was clueless without a team than knew what they were doing around him. The buck stops with him.
Based on the KMac effect now I think it’s far from inconceivable that he could have got us promoted with the previous squad a year ago - then, just as the return to form of Jackson now, we would be looking at a number of players who had improved under him in a different light. Admittedly the squad was aging and bloated so there would have needed to be some sort of refreshment and trimming, promotion or not, and although to Cooks credit he did a decent job in the transfer market, I’m utterly confident KMac would have done even better. He might have convinced Downes to stay and he would surely have been clearer on who needed to go and who needed to arrive. But as we don’t know for sure how this alternative reality would have panned out, it’s pointless to compare apples with oranges.
It’s all water under the bridge now. The Evans era coincided with appointing 4 or 5 of the worst managers in our history. Gamechanger via Ashton have immediately appointed what might well prove to be one of the best in the fullness of time.
The speed at which the new owners/CEO/manager team are righting the wrongs and leaving the “decade of debacle” behind is the most impressive part of all. Time to look forwards. | | | |
| Lots of little digs at Cook but on 11:51 - Feb 21 with 1607 views | LeoMuff |
| Lots of little digs at Cook but on 11:24 - Feb 21 by Bluroo |
I don’t think this subject needs to be over-analysed.
Blatantly Cook is an awful manager, tactically and dynamically inept. This was clear almost immediately into his reign as his lack of tactical nouse, flexibility, nuance and planning became apparent. He couldn’t get a tune out of the squad he inherited or the one he bought. That is a sword that guarantees falling on. Frankly I’m not sure he’d have got us promoted with the Rotherham squad, he was clueless without a team than knew what they were doing around him. The buck stops with him.
Based on the KMac effect now I think it’s far from inconceivable that he could have got us promoted with the previous squad a year ago - then, just as the return to form of Jackson now, we would be looking at a number of players who had improved under him in a different light. Admittedly the squad was aging and bloated so there would have needed to be some sort of refreshment and trimming, promotion or not, and although to Cooks credit he did a decent job in the transfer market, I’m utterly confident KMac would have done even better. He might have convinced Downes to stay and he would surely have been clearer on who needed to go and who needed to arrive. But as we don’t know for sure how this alternative reality would have panned out, it’s pointless to compare apples with oranges.
It’s all water under the bridge now. The Evans era coincided with appointing 4 or 5 of the worst managers in our history. Gamechanger via Ashton have immediately appointed what might well prove to be one of the best in the fullness of time.
The speed at which the new owners/CEO/manager team are righting the wrongs and leaving the “decade of debacle” behind is the most impressive part of all. Time to look forwards. |
He clearly isn’t an awful manager, had great success at Wigan, Portsmouth and Chesterfield. Also had us in top 6 form from start of September to the end of October and was de railed by the Burns injury and a tough run of league games.
I wouldn’t swap him back for McKenna that’s for sure, and we look a far superior side in terms of organisation and resilience , but he definitely did get a tune out of this side at times just very inconsistently and let’s face it we may have struggled in some of the McKenna games without Burns he is far too good for league 1. |  |
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| Lots of little digs at Cook but on 12:43 - Feb 21 with 1563 views | Ewan_Oozami |
| Lots of little digs at Cook but on 11:23 - Feb 21 by ElephantintheRoom |
May I recommend a strong dose of my patent Realiy Tablets? Town were on the cusp of the play-offs before Cook destroyed the team spirit - and then the team.. As yet the current mob haven't quite got back to where Town were before they and Cook arrived.
I put it to you that a sensible manager like McKenna might have got more out of a nucleus of experienced players well used to playing with each other and a few home grown players capable of playing at a higher level (or responding to sane management) |
The current mob haven't got back to where the team was before Cook joined because they were starting from a very low base - this is not a stick to beat the current squad with.. |  |
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| Lots of little digs at Cook but on 13:04 - Feb 21 with 1511 views | Bluroo |
| Lots of little digs at Cook but on 11:51 - Feb 21 by LeoMuff |
He clearly isn’t an awful manager, had great success at Wigan, Portsmouth and Chesterfield. Also had us in top 6 form from start of September to the end of October and was de railed by the Burns injury and a tough run of league games.
I wouldn’t swap him back for McKenna that’s for sure, and we look a far superior side in terms of organisation and resilience , but he definitely did get a tune out of this side at times just very inconsistently and let’s face it we may have struggled in some of the McKenna games without Burns he is far too good for league 1. |
There is so much more to it than the occasional result. Even Doncaster win the odd game or have a short spell of form. I’m judging them on the full repertoire and that is most emphatically displayed by consistency on the field and the wider strategic challenges off it. On both these criteria Cook was not a good manager by any stretch of the imagination. I don’t give a damn what his credentials were pre Ipswich - he didn’t deliver for us - but the common understanding is that at previous clubs he was surrounded by good coaches, but he didn’t bring them to us. His limitations were therefore exposed. That’s on him. I’m sure KMAc would be compromised without quality staff. So he made sure he brought them. Over and above this, he lacked any resemblance of a contemporary approach to football management. The game as moved on and he hasn’t.
As you say, there aren’t many people who would prefer Cook over KMac so it’s all pretty irrelevant now anyway. We got there in the end! | | | |
| Lots of little digs at Cook but on 13:26 - Feb 21 with 1487 views | Churchman |
| Lots of little digs at Cook but on 11:23 - Feb 21 by ElephantintheRoom |
May I recommend a strong dose of my patent Realiy Tablets? Town were on the cusp of the play-offs before Cook destroyed the team spirit - and then the team.. As yet the current mob haven't quite got back to where Town were before they and Cook arrived.
I put it to you that a sensible manager like McKenna might have got more out of a nucleus of experienced players well used to playing with each other and a few home grown players capable of playing at a higher level (or responding to sane management) |
The patent reality tablet says that the squad in the last 3 seasons was awful. Some decent individuals, but also a load of players who were over the hill and/or didn’t want to know.. The reality tablet says that there was more chance of Britain getting 10 gold medals at the Winter Olympics than that shower making the play offs.
What part of losing 6 home games in 8 in the meat of the season with consummate ease have people forgotten? How about the thrill of the 0-0 draw with Northampton? Second half capitulations because the team needed oxygen after 45 mins. The odd scraped win here or there by the odd goal. There was no real team spirit. The odd half performance here and there, mediocrity ahoy.
Players downed tools when Cook turned up. Northampton and Wimbledon. I don’t care if they hated Cook, the club or Suffolk. As professionals, they spat on the badge and laughed in each other’s and the supporters faces. Everybody else’s fault. As for Downes, reality says he wanted away 12 months before he went. He’s better than this pitiful league and knew it. He needed a change and so did we. Dozzell exercised a release clause in his contract. Again, he needed to move on.
I am pleased the players who stayed are doing better and I’m pleased Cook has gone. His view of last season’s squad was right though, his way of generating change was laughably wrong. He’s cost us a season with his mismanagement. I wish he’d gone in the summer and I’m still waiting for an explanation from Ashton as to why he didn’t. Still, Cook brought in some good players for this level and we have a basis of a team.
The current squad is miles better than Lambert’s mob. If they played each other 10 times McKenna’s team would win most of them. Saying they ‘haven’t quite got back to where they were before they and Cook arrived’ is ridiculous. The last 10 games have produced 7 wins 1 draw 2 losses. Last season the exact comparable period produced 3 wins, 3 draws, 4 losses for 10 games, 7 of which were at home.
Finally, Cook’s first game was at Gillingham. We got a thrashing. He’d been there 4 days. Cusp of the play offs? Well for me that’s like saying your lot, Norwich, are on the cusp of Champions League qualification. No chance.
Anyway, none of it matters. We have a new, proper team and management and at last we have hope that the club is moving forward. I’m happy with that and for me the past 14 years can go in the bin! |  | | |
| Lots of little digs at Cook but on 17:51 - Feb 21 with 1375 views | jayessess |
| Lots of little digs at Cook but on 07:27 - Feb 21 by braveblue |
But they failed miserably. |
As did the next lot that Cook had.
I don't know how much we have to watch players like Donacien and Woolfenden thriving to work out that managers make a huge difference to individual and collective performances? |  |
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| Lots of little digs at Cook but on 22:38 - Feb 21 with 1284 views | Sharkey |
| Lots of little digs at Cook but on 00:06 - Feb 21 by patrickswell |
Agreed, and I say that as someone who has a lot of affection for Chambers, Skuse and Sears for their contributions during McCarthy 's peak years. But by April 2021, they and seemingly everyone else at the club had become so ground down by the culture that permeated here under Evans. The arrival of GameChanger and a proven promotion winner in Cook seemed to inspire nothing more than indifference among the squad. Who can forget their pathetic performance at Gillingham in Cook's first match? They seemed done with us, and we were done with them. They had to go.
It was only when it became clear that Cook without Leam Richardson was a bad idea and that he was both repeating mistakes and repeating criticism of the current squad with what he said about the inherited one that it became clear that he may very well have played an equal part in blowing last season as well as this one. |
It was a strange team that played against Gillingham. Of the 'old guard' it was only Chambers that started. |  | | |
| Lots of little digs at Cook but on 00:11 - Feb 22 with 1213 views | ArnieM |
| Lots of little digs at Cook but on 09:50 - Feb 20 by Basuco |
How can you say that? The squad that was bombed out achieved more than the new squad brought in, under PC. So how do you know that KM could not have improved what we had? That is pure speculation and cannot ever be proved, which team would perform better under KM is an interesting thought. The improvement of the current squad is outstanding and shows how poor PC and his coaching team were, tactically and motivationally. PC is very obviously struggling without the tactical knowledge and coaching ability of Leam Richardson, who is currently showing where the real brains of the partnership were. |
Whilst not intending to defend Cook here. Another reason why this new group is now better is quite likely due to the simple fact that it was ALWAYS going to take most of this season for them to bed in and become a cohesive team (See Aluko’s interview). Yes many will point the finger at Cook and say , oh he was shyte…. Was too one dimensional etc etc. yes that’s true. But so is the fact it was a completely new squad . I seriously doubt McKenna would have faired any better in those first 6 games of the season with this brand new squad , ALL of whom were trying to settle in a new area in
The country, re settle their families, get know new team mates names let alone style of play etc .
Just to clarify :
We have a much better coach now.
The squad at 3/4 way through this season is starting to really help and motor .
It was always going to take the majority of this season for these wholesale changes to settle down.
We are starting to see the benefits of these MANY changes as things bed in .
I’m many ways Cook played and integral part in this clubs transformation BECAUSE he ripped up the sad excuse of the previous squad that had underperformed for 3-4 years under Lambert. Someone had to do the demolition job. Hurst talked about it bug got no support from Evans and succumbed to an element of player power I think .. Lambert just added more deadwood and couldn’t make a decision to save his life. Cook finally ripped it up but didn’t have the flexibility or coaching back up to mould his new squad into a decent team - and certainly not in just 20 games! But he’s played his part . So maybe we should accept his part in the grand scale of this clubs transformation for what it is and get behind McKenna and see where that takes us. As Ashton has said it’s like tufnimg two oil tankers ….. so to blame Cook for everything is frankly ridiculous. |  |
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