| Come off it TWTD!! 19 new players.. many of them just arrived.. a tough league†09:50 - Sep 1 with 6741 views | unstableblue |
…. And a poor start due to errors from new players… and the refrain this morning is “If Cook doesn’t get us automatic promotion he’s a complete fraud” “there are no excuses for Cook not to secure automatic promotion”
I agree play-offs is an absolute must. But this concept that we now have some god given right for automatic promotion seems a little naive - this is league one, this is football, we are now the team everyone wants to beat and play up against.
This amount of squad flux and bedding in is unheard of in our history. It’s going to take time to get all the moving parts in synch. Rome wasn’t built in a day.
You’ve also got Sheff Weds, Sunderland, Wigan, Wycombe, Rotherham, Portsmouth. Are they going to suddenly roll over… “Ipswich squad looks strong here beat us and take the 3 points”
Plus these teams like Burton, MK they are just no pushovers.
You win games through 3 things, and we’ve only got one of those factors through having the best squad (note Sheff Weds, Wigan, Sunderland look good on paper also), you also need confidence/belief/desire/cohesion (where we look miles off currently), and system/tactics (where the buck stops with Cook)
Play offs is a minimum (and hopeful promotion through that route), in a few months starting to dominate teams and show excellence in performance is also a must, and a hope that if it clicks in time to mount a serious top two challenge.
But football is tough…. We’ve no god given right even with the obvious squad strength.
BACK THE PROJECT. This will take time.
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| Have you ever considered.... on 09:53 - Sep 1 with 3356 views | Bloots |
....decaffeinated coffee? |  |
| "The sooner he comes back the better, this place has been a disaster without him" - TWTD User (July 2025) |
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| Come off it TWTD!! 19 new players.. many of them just arrived.. a tough leagueï¿ on 09:57 - Sep 1 with 3340 views | itfcjoe |
Make excuses as much as you want - but promotion is the only show in town this year and it has to be achieved.
There are likely some scenarios where not achieving it won't be seen as a total failure and where Cook may retain his job.
No-one says we have a god given right to go up, but we have put a squad together who is capable of it, we have a manager who has been there and done it on more than one occasion.
Cook is under huge pressure now, and there will be no one putting him under more pressure than himself.
Too many fans have talked about the club settling for mediocrity - we have a proven winner in charge, an overpowered squad and the pressure is on.
Cook knows the score here, and will back himself 100%. The road won't be smooth - but if we don't improve soon then he knows he is bang in trouble.
The club isn't going to be allowed to drift like it did under Lambert in this league, and where being in contention for the play offs is seen as good enough |  |
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| Come off it TWTD!! 19 new players.. many of them just arrived.. a tough leagueï¿ on 09:59 - Sep 1 with 3305 views | BlueBadger |
Not getting promoted wouldn't be failure?
I don't think you want it enough mate. |  |
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| Come off it TWTD!! 19 new players.. many of them just arrived.. a tough leagueï¿ on 10:04 - Sep 1 with 3269 views | Mullet |
| Come off it TWTD!! 19 new players.. many of them just arrived.. a tough leagueï¿ on 09:57 - Sep 1 by itfcjoe |
Make excuses as much as you want - but promotion is the only show in town this year and it has to be achieved.
There are likely some scenarios where not achieving it won't be seen as a total failure and where Cook may retain his job.
No-one says we have a god given right to go up, but we have put a squad together who is capable of it, we have a manager who has been there and done it on more than one occasion.
Cook is under huge pressure now, and there will be no one putting him under more pressure than himself.
Too many fans have talked about the club settling for mediocrity - we have a proven winner in charge, an overpowered squad and the pressure is on.
Cook knows the score here, and will back himself 100%. The road won't be smooth - but if we don't improve soon then he knows he is bang in trouble.
The club isn't going to be allowed to drift like it did under Lambert in this league, and where being in contention for the play offs is seen as good enough |
Amazing isn't it? A shame it can only be downvoted once. In a 24hrs of snivelling excuse making this take is top of the pile.
This is everything the owners promised and now people are desperate to move the goalposts again. Same ones, who are most vocal about it oddly enough. |  |
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| Come off it TWTD!! 19 new players.. many of them just arrived.. a tough leagueï¿ on 10:05 - Sep 1 with 3249 views | Guthrum |
It's not about a 'God-given right', but an expectation given the investment in the club, the calibre of the players hired and the pedigree of the Manager in charge. It shouldn't take half the season to instill the cohesion necessary to get that lot consistently winning games - or, at least, not throwing them away in the last half an hour.
These are experienced professionals, who have spent their entire lives since childhood adapting to how an ever-shifting array of colleagues play the game. Teams are rarely identical for more than a few weeks at a stretch. They know how to fit in, quickly. Those that don't (unless, perhaps, supremely talented) are unlikely to have got this far.
Indeed, with such widespread change, you don't have the potential issue of new men having to break into existing cliques and friendship groups. Everyone is getting to know each other all at once. Partnerships can be formed from the off, rather than old ones broken and remade. |  |
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| Come off it TWTD!! 19 new players.. many of them just arrived.. a tough leagueï¿ on 10:06 - Sep 1 with 3228 views | TractorCam |
Given that I, and many, considered Lambert a failure for not getting us promoted last time with his squad, this would be a whole new level. |  |
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| Come off it TWTD!! 19 new players.. many of them just arrived.. a tough league� on 10:06 - Sep 1 with 3233 views | homer_123 |
As I have stated before, the cold hard facts are that Cooks tenure is incredibly poor.
In terms of results, it's very very poor no matter how you look at it. He'll be judged on 'results'. He got very little out of the existing squad when he joined and, so far, with 'his' squad he's equally got very little out of them.
The current squad, on paper, is incredibly strong for L1 - frankly it's a Championship squad.
Promotion was required before the season started, having now signed Walton, Celina and Morsy on top of the others, promotion is an absolute must. I'd got as far as to say that if we have a Sept like Aug he could well be gone by then.
By the by, that's not to say I don't think he can do it - with this squad and his record, he certainly should now be able to - even with the poor start we have had.
I hope he does it and hope he can then build on it.
But, his record with us so far is poor. [Post edited 1 Sep 2021 10:11]
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| Come off it TWTD!! 19 new players.. many of them just arrived.. a tough leagueï¿ on 10:09 - Sep 1 with 3181 views | Marshalls_Mullet |
Mikkel Arteta quotes are probably not the best choice.
...the main thing is, excuses end today.
No more talk of gelling etc. We need to start winning, and the team should be more than capable. |  |
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| Come off it TWTD!! 19 new players.. many of them just arrived.. a tough league� on 10:14 - Sep 1 with 3140 views | BlueBadger |
| Come off it TWTD!! 19 new players.. many of them just arrived.. a tough leagueï¿ on 10:04 - Sep 1 by Mullet |
Amazing isn't it? A shame it can only be downvoted once. In a 24hrs of snivelling excuse making this take is top of the pile.
This is everything the owners promised and now people are desperate to move the goalposts again. Same ones, who are most vocal about it oddly enough. |
What I don't get is it's all the 'mid table in the Championship/keeping Mick on/etc is accepting mediocrity' crowd who are now happy to accept failure at an unprecedented level.
Failing to get promoted with what is basically a Championship standard squad would take the Banter Era to a low that we couldn't even envisage previously. [Post edited 1 Sep 2021 18:41]
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| Come off it TWTD!! 19 new players.. many of them just arrived.. a tough leagueï¿ on 10:15 - Sep 1 with 3123 views | tractorboy1978 |
| Come off it TWTD!! 19 new players.. many of them just arrived.. a tough league� on 10:06 - Sep 1 by homer_123 |
As I have stated before, the cold hard facts are that Cooks tenure is incredibly poor.
In terms of results, it's very very poor no matter how you look at it. He'll be judged on 'results'. He got very little out of the existing squad when he joined and, so far, with 'his' squad he's equally got very little out of them.
The current squad, on paper, is incredibly strong for L1 - frankly it's a Championship squad.
Promotion was required before the season started, having now signed Walton, Celina and Morsy on top of the others, promotion is an absolute must. I'd got as far as to say that if we have a Sept like Aug he could well be gone by then.
By the by, that's not to say I don't think he can do it - with this squad and his record, he certainly should now be able to - even with the poor start we have had.
I hope he does it and hope he can then build on it.
But, his record with us so far is poor. [Post edited 1 Sep 2021 10:11]
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I don't think he's under that sort of immediate pressure. I think he has this season, but if we don't go up, he's gone IMO. We've signed two of his trusted lieutenants in the past two days and Morsy in particular will be a significant outlay. |  | | |
| Come off it TWTD!! 19 new players.. many of them just arrived.. a tough leagueï¿ on 10:19 - Sep 1 with 3071 views | The_Major |
Whilst I agree going up should be expected, and I stand to be corrected, but at the fans forum a few weeks ago, didn't all three of Ashton, O'Leary, and Cook say that if it takes more than a year, then so be it?
However, saying that, I'm assuming that they're thinking heroic failure (lose in playoffs or finish 7th on GD) rather than finish 12th. What will be, will be. |  | | |
| Come off it TWTD!! 19 new players.. many of them just arrived.. a tough leagueï¿ on 10:25 - Sep 1 with 2995 views | Mullet |
| Come off it TWTD!! 19 new players.. many of them just arrived.. a tough league� on 10:14 - Sep 1 by BlueBadger |
What I don't get is it's all the 'mid table in the Championship/keeping Mick on/etc is accepting mediocrity' crowd who are now happy to accept failure at an unprecedented level.
Failing to get promoted with what is basically a Championship standard squad would take the Banter Era to a low that we couldn't even envisage previously. [Post edited 1 Sep 2021 18:41]
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I assume it's because they got shown up as the clueless, fickle and unbelievably entitled hypocrites they now look by being so militant and dishonest this time around?
We should never even be in this league, maybe going up means they're scared of being shown up again after positioning themselves as such experts and true fans compared to the rest of us? | |
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| Come off it TWTD!! 19 new players.. many of them just arrived.. a tough leagueï¿ on 10:26 - Sep 1 with 2985 views | homer_123 |
| Come off it TWTD!! 19 new players.. many of them just arrived.. a tough leagueï¿ on 10:15 - Sep 1 by tractorboy1978 |
I don't think he's under that sort of immediate pressure. I think he has this season, but if we don't go up, he's gone IMO. We've signed two of his trusted lieutenants in the past two days and Morsy in particular will be a significant outlay. |
I'm pretty sure if we continue to not win games during Sept - serious questions would be asked and he'd go.
Do I think we'll go through Sept without winning, it's unlikely - I do think he'll start picking up results now with the squad as it is. | |
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| Come off it TWTD!! 19 new players.. many of them just arrived.. a tough league� on 10:28 - Sep 1 with 2971 views | Ryorry |
| Come off it TWTD!! 19 new players.. many of them just arrived.. a tough leagueï¿ on 10:05 - Sep 1 by Guthrum |
It's not about a 'God-given right', but an expectation given the investment in the club, the calibre of the players hired and the pedigree of the Manager in charge. It shouldn't take half the season to instill the cohesion necessary to get that lot consistently winning games - or, at least, not throwing them away in the last half an hour.
These are experienced professionals, who have spent their entire lives since childhood adapting to how an ever-shifting array of colleagues play the game. Teams are rarely identical for more than a few weeks at a stretch. They know how to fit in, quickly. Those that don't (unless, perhaps, supremely talented) are unlikely to have got this far.
Indeed, with such widespread change, you don't have the potential issue of new men having to break into existing cliques and friendship groups. Everyone is getting to know each other all at once. Partnerships can be formed from the off, rather than old ones broken and remade. |
"or, at least, not throwing them away in the last half an hour."
There's one variable that, rather surprisingly, people tend to forget - fitness and injuries. We so need to improve our abysmal record in this dept., and as I've said before, it'll take time for the new improved Sports Science dept. to be reflected in players' better stamina on the pitch, and faster, more consistent recoveries from injuries without relapses. We also need luck in avoiding injuries to key players, as do all other teams.
It'd be interesting to be a fly on the wall & observe any difference in, e.g., the current fitness level of Morsey compared with that of the players who've been in our first team since the end of last season.
*Edit - meant to also say, good point about not having to break into cliques & thus better likelihood of forming partnerships from the off. [Post edited 1 Sep 2021 10:34]
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| Come off it TWTD!! 19 new players.. many of them just arrived.. a tough leagueï¿ on 10:28 - Sep 1 with 2962 views | BlueBadger |
| Come off it TWTD!! 19 new players.. many of them just arrived.. a tough leagueï¿ on 10:25 - Sep 1 by Mullet |
I assume it's because they got shown up as the clueless, fickle and unbelievably entitled hypocrites they now look by being so militant and dishonest this time around?
We should never even be in this league, maybe going up means they're scared of being shown up again after positioning themselves as such experts and true fans compared to the rest of us? |
It think the OP prefers the term 'Technical Fan'. | |
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| Come off it TWTD!! 19 new players.. many of them just arrived.. a tough leagueï¿ on 10:38 - Sep 1 with 2890 views | FoghornGleghorn |
| Come off it TWTD!! 19 new players.. many of them just arrived.. a tough leagueï¿ on 10:25 - Sep 1 by Mullet |
I assume it's because they got shown up as the clueless, fickle and unbelievably entitled hypocrites they now look by being so militant and dishonest this time around?
We should never even be in this league, maybe going up means they're scared of being shown up again after positioning themselves as such experts and true fans compared to the rest of us? |
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| Come off it TWTD!! 19 new players.. many of them just arrived.. a tough leagueï¿ on 10:47 - Sep 1 with 2817 views | TractorWood |
First mention of playoffs. Not an achievement.
Promotion is the only aim. |  |
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| Come off it TWTD!! 19 new players.. many of them just arrived.. a tough leagueï¿ on 10:57 - Sep 1 with 2757 views | Charlie_pl_baxter |
Agree and (like it or not) I think the new owners do as well. They have been clear that while the target is promotion this year they would be okay with it taking another season, so long as we are moving in the right direction.
I am as fed up as anyone else with waiting to get out of this league but it takes time to build a high performing team. Step one is to assemble the right people, step two is to get them playing together which may take just as long. I think someone else commented on the whole Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing thing before. I would say we are still in the forming stage. |  |
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| Come off it TWTD!! 19 new players.. many of them just arrived.. a tough leagueï¿ on 11:05 - Sep 1 with 2700 views | legoman |
| Come off it TWTD!! 19 new players.. many of them just arrived.. a tough leagueï¿ on 10:47 - Sep 1 by TractorWood |
First mention of playoffs. Not an achievement.
Promotion is the only aim. |
To much "If we don't" on here, lets just go for the ride and pray. | |
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| To be clear - it is the ‘we now have a god given right for autonomic promotion on 11:08 - Sep 1 with 2674 views | unstableblue |
| Come off it TWTD!! 19 new players.. many of them just arrived.. a tough leagueï¿ on 09:57 - Sep 1 by itfcjoe |
Make excuses as much as you want - but promotion is the only show in town this year and it has to be achieved.
There are likely some scenarios where not achieving it won't be seen as a total failure and where Cook may retain his job.
No-one says we have a god given right to go up, but we have put a squad together who is capable of it, we have a manager who has been there and done it on more than one occasion.
Cook is under huge pressure now, and there will be no one putting him under more pressure than himself.
Too many fans have talked about the club settling for mediocrity - we have a proven winner in charge, an overpowered squad and the pressure is on.
Cook knows the score here, and will back himself 100%. The road won't be smooth - but if we don't improve soon then he knows he is bang in trouble.
The club isn't going to be allowed to drift like it did under Lambert in this league, and where being in contention for the play offs is seen as good enough |
That I have an issue with. The operation ‘p!ss the league’ is what is the problem here.
And play-offs is the minimum. And hopeful promotion through that route.
Joe this is FOOTBALL!! did you not get the memo that it’s a bloody lottery sometimes and very very hard to get a project to work. How many managers have had investment and failed.
And critically this is not the easy league people make out. | |
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| Come off it TWTD!! 19 new players.. many of them just arrived.. a tough leagueï¿ on 11:10 - Sep 1 with 2654 views | Ryorry |
| Come off it TWTD!! 19 new players.. many of them just arrived.. a tough leagueï¿ on 10:57 - Sep 1 by Charlie_pl_baxter |
Agree and (like it or not) I think the new owners do as well. They have been clear that while the target is promotion this year they would be okay with it taking another season, so long as we are moving in the right direction.
I am as fed up as anyone else with waiting to get out of this league but it takes time to build a high performing team. Step one is to assemble the right people, step two is to get them playing together which may take just as long. I think someone else commented on the whole Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing thing before. I would say we are still in the forming stage. |
Exactly - and there seem to be quite a few people who think football is just a question of progression based on logic - "we have a and b, therefore c must follow in d amount of time".
If only it were a mathematical formula - we'd be there already! | |
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| Have you ever considered.... on 11:14 - Sep 1 with 2599 views | BiGDonnie |
| Have you ever considered.... on 09:53 - Sep 1 by Bloots |
....decaffeinated coffee? |
Hahaaaaa! I reckon he's on the same stuff as Chrissy M! |  |
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| Come off it TWTD!! 19 new players.. many of them just arrived.. a tough leagueï¿ on 11:24 - Sep 1 with 2550 views | stonojnr |
| Come off it TWTD!! 19 new players.. many of them just arrived.. a tough leagueï¿ on 10:57 - Sep 1 by Charlie_pl_baxter |
Agree and (like it or not) I think the new owners do as well. They have been clear that while the target is promotion this year they would be okay with it taking another season, so long as we are moving in the right direction.
I am as fed up as anyone else with waiting to get out of this league but it takes time to build a high performing team. Step one is to assemble the right people, step two is to get them playing together which may take just as long. I think someone else commented on the whole Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing thing before. I would say we are still in the forming stage. |
their version of another year in L1 would be ok, doesnt mean Cook gets that extra time leeway though. | | | |
| Come off it TWTD!! 19 new players.. many of them just arrived.. a tough leagueï¿ on 11:25 - Sep 1 with 2554 views | unstableblue |
| Come off it TWTD!! 19 new players.. many of them just arrived.. a tough leagueï¿ on 10:57 - Sep 1 by Charlie_pl_baxter |
Agree and (like it or not) I think the new owners do as well. They have been clear that while the target is promotion this year they would be okay with it taking another season, so long as we are moving in the right direction.
I am as fed up as anyone else with waiting to get out of this league but it takes time to build a high performing team. Step one is to assemble the right people, step two is to get them playing together which may take just as long. I think someone else commented on the whole Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing thing before. I would say we are still in the forming stage. |
Thanks good post.
The bile and anger below in this post typifies the point I’m making - it is going to take time, this level of squad change is unprecedented, this league is difficult to get out of, there is NO ‘p!ss the league’ as much as you can scream about it.
People need a reality check.
I really hope we make automatic, we have a brilliant chance now with the quality of this squad. But to state ‘there are no excuses for not going up automatically’ sounds naive at best!!
NOW if we are not in the play-offs and by the end of the season playing extremely good and cohesive football - COOK has to go. If we have no wins this month… COOKs position is in question? If we are bottom half of table in the new year…. Cook probably has to go.
A god given right to automatic promotion- sorry that’s foolish. | |
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| Abso-bloody-lutely on 11:32 - Sep 1 with 2504 views | unstableblue |
| Come off it TWTD!! 19 new players.. many of them just arrived.. a tough leagueï¿ on 11:10 - Sep 1 by Ryorry |
Exactly - and there seem to be quite a few people who think football is just a question of progression based on logic - "we have a and b, therefore c must follow in d amount of time".
If only it were a mathematical formula - we'd be there already! |
Take one part of the formula to date…. In form Evans, solid goalie and fit Burns = winning
None of that has come to pass…. So you go back to the drawing board and try and fix it
Ridiculous this binary - “we’ve got the best squad, we’ll piss the league” duuuuh
Have Sheff Weds, Pompey, Wigan, Sunderland, Wycombe got that memo as well???
Ridiculous - football is a knife edge of fate sometimes… our team currently lacks confidence, ergo it panics, hdalky holds that header, it builds momentum…. We haven’t won a game yet!! We go into Bolton with low confidence | |
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