“The Squad isn’t good enough”

[Duffers]

The squad is good enough the attitude isn’t. There is no way that most bar Fulham and perhaps Bournemouth have better players what they have is a better attitude and in some cases more confidence.

The squad is unbalanced in central midfield but that is down to the previous managers tactics and wishes. It doesn’t excuse where we are in the league however. We are like the lazy, clever kid in class who is far more intelligent than many but wastes that talent doing just enough.

This is my point, going purely on ability alone are there many better keepers at this level than Johnstone? Are there many better centre halves Bartley/Clarke/Ajayi? As much as we complain about the likes of Grant, Grady, Robinson, etc they have all proven that they can perform and score goals at this level, both here and elsewhere.

The midfield is shite and the colossal hole left by Pereira’s departure is achingly obvious. But I still won’t be convinced this squad was not good enough for at least a playoff spot.

[HawkingsHalfpint]

For me it’s simple. If you average 2 managers a season for the best part of half a decade, while decent players retire, decent players leave without adequate replacement and the dross you deem worth keeping you gift enormous contracts to, then you end up with a side that is no-ones; and very hard to change quickly. The only real way to fix it being to swallow a very bitter financial pill in ripping up entirely and starting again; which no finance-led executive would ever countenance.

We’m fucked, basically.

[Cheshire East Baggie]

I genuinely believe that these players are mostly good enough to present a challenge at the top end of the Championship. They are either stultified by fear or completely devoid of motivation. Sam Allardyce sussed them out, he was very clear in his mind which players were no use to him. Has he shared this information with his mate Steve? Is Bruce just taking the line of least resistance?

Most weeks somewhere between 7 and 9 of the players who downed tools for Ismael and Allardyce are starting for Steve Bruce. I can't understand how anyone expects things to change. Just when will Bruce decide the overhaul can start? If he'd done it a few weeks ago we might be further up the table.

[HeavyWoollenBaggie]

I started a consultancy contract in Chesterfield in November 17, in the last knockings of Pulisball. We've finally managed to sell the business and I'm leaving at the end of April. We've had nine managers in that time. Fucking nine, and there's a something of a clamour to make it ten. As big a joke as Watford. As a club we deserve everything we get, as fans, apart from the Tourettes Syndrome booers, none of it at all.

[Tom Joad]

The squad really is not that good. Any players that have made it into the Prem have been relegated pronto or not played or sold, I'm thinking of Johnson, Grant and Robinson. Meanwhile Furlong, Bartley, Ajayi, Townsend, Reach, Mowatt have spent most of their careers at Championship or lower. The more experienced players at prem level are Phillips and Livermore. Add in the only proper no.9 we own was Zohore while the rest are either inexperienced (Kipre) or kids from the academy.
Then factor in that the squad is unbalanced and, it turns out, lazy. 
Yes, with a good run, a lift in confidence and a fair wind at their backs, it may be good enough for a play off spot. But without a proper no 9 and any discernible tenacity we were almost certainly doomed to failure. And it matters not a jot whether Ishmael or Bruce is managing, they are not good enough.

[fuzzbox]

VI changed his tactics - or at least, the players stopped playing according to his tactics, that was when the wheels well and truly came off.

You could see that the players' gradual lack of urgency, aggression and movement was becoming a problem even before we began to lose. Players stopped working hard as a team, so the press became easy to beat and when it did work there was nobody running into space for the easy forward pass. The whole strategy stopped working. We became a hybrid of the poorest elements of every style by the end.

Whether Val should have been sacked or even hired is moot. What is clear is that our players seem to think they can stroll around and win with their 'superior' footballing skills. They can't. Especially when their 'superiority' is derived from their high wages and being 'premiership players'. The reality is we are paying them far more than they're worth and they are only premiership players in as much as they got convincingly relegated without even putting up a fight.

It doesn't matter what style of football you play - you still have to be running off the ball when you have it and closing down the opposition when you don't.

If you don't, you will lose more than you win - whoever is in charge.

To me, it's as simple as that.

[Lurker#3]

So much bollocks being spouted about this group of sell outs. They are not good enough. Whether it be physically, technically, tactically or mentally (select any combation).

They haven't been good enough this year, regardless of which bloke set the cones out and haven't been good enough for 4 cone layer outers.

[TETLEY74]

VI changed his tactics - or at least, the players stopped playing according to his tactics, that was when the wheels well and truly came off.

You could see that the players' gradual lack of urgency, aggression and movement was becoming a problem even before we began to lose. Players stopped working hard as a team, so the press became easy to beat and when it did work there was nobody running into space for the easy forward pass. The whole strategy stopped working. We became a hybrid of the poorest elements of every style by the end.

Whether Val should have been sacked or even hired is moot. What is clear is that our players seem to think they can stroll around and win with their 'superior' footballing skills. They can't. Especially when their 'superiority' is derived from their high wages and being 'premiership players'. The reality is we are paying them far more than they're worth and they are only premiership players in as much as they got convincingly relegated without even putting up a fight.

It doesn't matter what style of football you play - you still have to be running off the ball when you have it and closing down the opposition when you don't.

If you don't, you will lose more than you win - whoever is in charge.

To me, it's as simple as that.

Absolutely spot Fuzz, this lot have been asked to play almost every style of football you can think of and with the exception of a half season under Bilic ( when Grady was trying to impress Moyes into keeping him and had a magician in Peierra to bail them out) have by and large failed at all of them and been woefull for the best part of the last 4 seasons. 
We keep hearing how we should get a young progressive manager blah blah, yes fine but where do we find one who will cost zero compo and will come in and identify the wasters and charlatans straight away and either move them out or bin them without a ball kicked in anger in a new season?

[Duffers]

So much bollocks being spouted about this group of sell outs. They are not good enough. Whether it be physically, technically, tactically or mentally (select any combation).

They haven't been good enough this year, regardless of which bloke set the cones out and haven't been good enough for 4 cone layer outers.

It’s bollocks to say they aren’t good enough when they have proven as individuals they can all perform at a better standard than they have this season. Technically this lot should be better than many other squads in the division going on past glories. Saying they aren’t technically good enough masks and excuses the real issue - the fucking awful mentality amongst this lot.

[Tom Joad]

Don't agree Duffers.id say their career record and the fact they have not lasted at any higher level shows they are not good enough. Take Kanu and Pereira out and we're left with a mid table championship side.