THE CONCRETE ROUNDABOUT (TCR)

As the title says, Saturday marks the 1st Anniversary of Robbie Neilson as the MK Dons manager.
I think it’s fair to say that opinions are divided between those that have had enough of him and the style of football, and those that are prepared to give him more time and hope that he can have a good January Window that injects life into the team.
Although a few did warn of his style and questioned the appointment for varying reasons, most were in favour of the change, I just wonder if there are any that now regret the change and would have Robbo back, who you can’t argue has done a fairly good job at Charlton in the same amount of time, but possibly with more financial support.
Robbo walked into a very hostile environment at the Valley, problems with the owners, weekly protests, dwindling attendances, and the vast amount of their fan base didn’t even want him anyway, most predicted he would be lucky to escape the sack before the end of the season.
But as far as I’m aware Robbo has turned things around, the results are coming in, attendances are up, no protests, and he is held in high regard by the fans and owners alike.
So going back to our own situation, where people say Neilson needs more time, I think Robbo has proved that’s complete rubbish, Neilson didn’t have half the problems Robbo had, and Robbo has turned it round......can’t recall the words “time to gel” ever being heard in Charlton.

_________________
Read the MELTDOWN after every game, no bullshit, just giving it straight

KR has done well at Charlton as he has a team of quality players who play to his style. Just like he did well with us when we had a team of quality. When we reached the play-offs with KR, and when we were promoted, we had a team of quality players. When we had a team of lower quality players (Championship and first half of last season), his system didn't work as the team as a whole couldn't live up to his fast passing, keeping it on the ground style. No Alli, Grigg, Afobe, Lewis Baker, Carl Baker.

KR shot himself in the foot with the poor signings he made - signings that just didn't fit his style of football and weren't typical KR signings. The reason we started playing really shit in the Championship and more-so in League 1 under KR was many of the signings he made were not technically good enough to play to his style of football: JET, Revell, Church, George C Williams, Gallagher.

By the time we ended up relegated back to League 1, most of the players associated with his style of football had gone. The only ones he had left were Reeves, Potter, Carruthers and Baldock.

Even Ed Upson and Aneke who Robinson signed are not technically the type of player to play in a KR style of football team - not known for their quick, intricate passing or speed. Ironically, the only player he did sign during the windows following promotion that was technically good enough was Jake Forster-Caskey, who he then signed for Charlton.

I would only have KR back if we had players good enough to play to his style.

Right now, our football is the complete opposite of that and I doubt any of this squad would get in KR's Charlton squad. Maybe George Williams, but the rest wouldn't get a sniff when they have so much quality for this level.

As Robbo rates Aneke as the best player in League 1, I think you can safely add him to your list.

_________________
Read the MELTDOWN after every game, no bullshit, just giving it straight

He might rate him as the best, but doesn't mean he's technically the type of player that would fit a KR team. I think KR signed him because the opportunity was there, and he's performed well in L1 before and was worth taking a chance on or maybe building a team around.

I don't think Aneke would get into Charlton's best 11 unless he was played out of position or Robbo changed his formation. Charlton's midfield is probably the best in the league.

Robbo would play him up front if he had him at Charlton, They've got Magennis and Best, but nothing really after that

_________________
Cuboid of bum fluff

Walsh would play in Robbo's team

On balance, I would prefer Robbo - but there is no doubting it was the right time for him to go....I would have preferred if he had been sacked immediately after we were relegated from the Championship, as the last few months there the wheels were coming off and was plain for all to see. A new manager appointed with pre-season time at THAT point could have well meant the club would be in a very different place now.

So no regrets that Robbo was sacked. However, to be honest, I do not think RN was the right replacement. I like some aspects about him, but I can think of nothing that has improved in the past 12 months. Just feels a very "stagnant" time for MKD right now, esp after all the excitement of the promotion season.

But if PW does have any thoughts of sacking RN in the near future, I would rather he takes his time and really weighs up and decides exactly what type of manager he would like next. I just feel this is a pivotal point for the club, and the risk is that "things can go down as well as up"....

Yeah he would probably get into Charlton's starting 11, along with Williams.

Here's a question: would any of our current squad get into the strongest starting 11 of our 2014/15 promotion winning team? I can't see it myself, not even Chuks.

Think barely any of them would get into our 2015/16 Championship starting 11, apart from maybe Chuks or Agard (seeing as he was playing for Bristol City the same season).

If Robinson was available and we had a vacant managers spot I’d take him. But neither are there so it’s pointless. Karl Robinson is as much this club as you and I. He still has a part here even when he isn’t here. Weird eh. He’d get a pint from anyone if he was seen in the Red Dot Bar.

However it’s all pointless. He’s a good manager in a good job.

Neilson has his issues. It’s been an average year in charge getting progressively worse and less impressive. He “turned round our season” in some people’s cases but I said then and I say now that I have no doubts KR or indeed anyone would have got us to mid table at least in the long run. It was just “how long do you give him” and unfortunately Robinson couldn’t go on any longer. But I’m baffled people genuinely thought we’d go down. We were never going down we were just distinctly average and it felt like another long wait at a rebuild. Which we are getting now but everyone seems happy to give the manager bringing us inevitably awful football and results time. Was it right to get rid? Yeah probably. But for Karl too. He needed to go somewhere else and ply his trade and learn new things. I miss him but I definitely think he’ll be back one day.

Neilson however has built no bond with the fans and probably never will. Which is fine if results come and we feel a connection to the team. We don’t. Yet. Games like Charlton show the players care. We just haven’t had much connection to them. Maybe it’s up to us to make some songs too, to be fair.

_________________
The most optimistic pessimistic person on this forum.

Apparently.

UTF

Saturday is the 5th anniversary of something else. HoG day.

_________________
I don't need your ill-informed, half-baked, idiotic opinions. I have plenty of those myself.