THE CONCRETE ROUNDABOUT (TCR)

https://onthedot2016blog.wordpress.com/ ... ng-robbie/

Entertaining enough as usual, and spot on.

If his "sources" are correct about discontent amongst players and him and Lewie 'having it out', then that's added worry but not surprising.

IF ODT is correct then I am disappointed at Robbie's treatment of Lewie, although didn't we win at Bury and I guess the double training sessions might be a reason we look slow. It's interesting what he said about Craig Levein, Robbo was best working with Gorman and Paul Ince with Ray Mathias . Perhaps Robbie can give them a rest before the FA cup tie and I agree with OTD the clock is ticking and to mix metaphors for Robbie the bell might toll soon.

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Disclaimer: All my comments are my opinions unless stated otherwise. I'm just a fan following my club.

I’ve wondered about the “over-training” for some time now. Glad it’s been bought up.

There was a very revealing comment from Shrewsbury’s manager a couple of weeks back about training the team very lightly. He said he had to do that in order to play the high press and high tempo they’d employed this season. They simply couldn’t expect to play the way they did if they were working too hard in training.

There’s always more than one way to skin a cat, but the energy levels are nowhere near where they should be for this team. Something fundamental isn’t right, and the training regime seems as good a place to start as any.

On the actual coaching side (with the ball) there also seems to be far less effective combinations on the pitch than we are used to seeing. No matter how much some moaned about some of the “Robbo-ball” football being predictable, it was those rehearsed and well-drilled routines that gave us a tactical platform in games. i.e. Potter drops deep and collects from Martin, then every player in our side knew where they should be at that precise moment. You then worked around individual moments of quick thinking opportunism to to put the opposition on the back foot. That someone doesn’t happen any more. No-one knowswhere teammmates are going to be and that’s led to many (but not all) of the “individual mistakes” that Robbie is putting the blame on. They’re not individual mistakes, they’re as a result of players not having the security of knowing teammates could be relied upon to be in set positions.

Is the over training a reaction to the allegedly light work load when Robbie arrived or has he failed to realise with more games comes a need to a need to temper the number of training sessions?

OTD's comment about Robbies style surprised me, mainly as IMO we don't have one, the football this season has been akin to watching my boys U10's side playing. But with less tactical awareness. And as for Brittain being in the shop window, NEWSFLASH 'all players are in the shop window!'.

Most of them Poundlands at the moment.

Excellent post. A really good read for a Sunday morning.

More so because it reflects my views exactly and puts reasoning in place especially with the usual comment around me on match days of "They look knackered before they have started"!!!

The only thing I would question is frankly whether this management can last until Xmas with the performances we have seen recently.

By Xmas we could have a bunch of completely disillusioned people that can't recover (and I could be referring to either players or fans!)

I don’t know the ins and outs of the dressing room. None of us do. But any time I’ve heard a post match interview by a player recently win lose or draw it’s not been upbeat. Just general monotone voice. Doesn’t sound like a happy camp.

Gilbey post Portsmouth looked sound up. Like the sort of wound up post dressing room argument and cba to be interviewed. Guy next to me has binoculars so he can see the movements on the bench from the East Stand and I used them at the Walsall game and Lewington looked disinterested. I could be reading too much into it but I dunno.

Just can’t ever see this guy being a guy who the players run to after a goal. I can’t see them havin a laugh with players in most match interviews etc. It’s absolutely stale.
I liken it to AVB at Chelsea. Went in with a crap attitude and tried to change too much too soon.

I’m sure he’s a lovely bloke but you have issues when you lose the dressing room of a dressing room that isn’t even a tight knit group yet. We have no players here who’d take the game at an emotional level by the scruff of the neck through experiences here. And if we were in a rut I can’t see any coherence or bonding that’ll convince me we have a second wind to get out of trouble.

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The most optimistic pessimistic person on this forum.

Apparently.

UTF

You can be sure that PW knows of the unrest if it has been reported on here. I would suspect he has had more than one chat with Lewie on the quiet. Once a manager loses the dressing room there is usually only one outcome. If it’s going to happen and I think it will then maybe the sooner the better so we can get somebody in before the next window. I really thought Robbie was the answer but you can see he seems like a rabbit in the headlights with his tactics/ man management.

Think he has to go ASAP. That will give Pete a month or so to get a new manager in, and then a month for the new manager to assess whats needed in January.

I've read and Re read the article and along with others have concluded what I have stated on other topics. The time is now for Robbie to go. May be a nice bloke and got survival last season but double training sessions every day between games is f......g ridiculous no wonder the players look f.....d every game.
He has clearly lost the dressing room and as long as Britain plays as a wing back he won't be bought this season.
PW time to act otherwise as one of Capt Mannerings men would say 'we're doomed'

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Life is like a hot bath. It feels good while you’re in it, but the longer you stay in, the more wrinkled you get.