Karl Robinson's post match press conference last night made uncomfortable viewing. He was clearly frustrated and more than a little embarrassed but he can't help adding gloss to the situation and talking in riddles. Given what a woeful performance it was, he acknowledged it wasn't good enough and then said we bossed the opening 45 minutes! It's been said he sounds like David Brent and I am hearing it more and more every time he opens his mouth.
In his first weeks he was bigging his squad of players up talking about the wealth of talent and how excited he was to be managing them. Yesterday he was talking about how close we are to the January window and how he needs to bring new players in.
He has also done something that I really disagree with. He's washing his dirty laundry in public by saying that he will be speaking to all of the players one-by-one looking for 'the truth.' He has said he will ask them to write down what they think is going wrong and what improvements can be made. I am not sure this works in practice and it certainly won't work better for him telling the public he's doing it. Presumably, at least part of what's not working will be stuff the individuals simply won't tell him. If any of them are disillusioned with the number of managers we get through, they probably won't want to tell him. If they don't like the cut of his jib, they probably won't tell him. If they think we have too many back room staff, they probably won't tell him. If they think he's tactically hopeless, they probably won't tell him. Given his propensity for blabbing to the media, he's likely to get a load of anodyne answers which will get him nowhere.
Prefacing the conversations with this gem is also unlikely to help the situation;
“People need to understand what it takes to play for this club. We have to be better. If people cannot accept that, then I am not the man for them to play for." You might not be Karl but they can probably hang on for another couple of months if they don't like it, safe in the knowledge they won't be playing for you.
If you want to build the players back-up, do it, don't talk about it to the press because they will see it and realise you are playing games; “It might be a bit of positivity towards them as well. To build them back up. Do not see it as a negative. I want to build them back up."
Finally, “I am straight and hopefully my players appreciate that they get told the truth.” What does this mean? That they will be grateful for being told he doesn't rate them or that their recent performances haven't been acceptable? Does he not think they experience a poor game as individuals and as a team, and that they don't see or acknowledge results and league placings?
Karl Robinson obviously hasn't hit the ground running and I suspect the added ideas and instructions from Robinson and O'Loughlin might not be giving the players a joined-up view of what's needed. When you add the arrival of Richie Barker into the mix yesterday it looks like we have too many cooks. Scrooge won't want to keep paying for this lot but who will go first? If Robinson can't get a couple of results quickly my money's on O'Loughlin getting the gig I suspect Duchatelet was content to give him but was talked out of by those closer to the frontline just a few weeks ago.
Meanwhile, following Charlton continues, almost unbelievably, to get harder and harder. All clubs suffer peaks and troughs but what have we done to deserve what's happening? Relegation, shocking football in an empty stadium, being insulted by the owner and lied to repeatedly by the Incompetent One. It's on a par with Luton and Portsmouth before us but their fans weren't driven away amidst it all. The way things are going, Daisy will preside over a further collapse in season ticket sales next season, irrespective of what division we are playing in. Given we have the single worst owner in the club's history presiding over the biggest failure in the club's history, it will not surprise me if we end up playing at the lowest level in the club's professional history next season. Unfortunately, Karl Robinson is looking like he doesn't possess the man management and motivational skills necessary to arrest the decline.
I'm just glad I won't be suffering another 'performance' until the New Year. What price Bristol Rovers, recently spanked by Kevin Nugent's carefree swashbucklers, to return and take the points from Karl Robinson's eleven?
In his first weeks he was bigging his squad of players up talking about the wealth of talent and how excited he was to be managing them. Yesterday he was talking about how close we are to the January window and how he needs to bring new players in.
He has also done something that I really disagree with. He's washing his dirty laundry in public by saying that he will be speaking to all of the players one-by-one looking for 'the truth.' He has said he will ask them to write down what they think is going wrong and what improvements can be made. I am not sure this works in practice and it certainly won't work better for him telling the public he's doing it. Presumably, at least part of what's not working will be stuff the individuals simply won't tell him. If any of them are disillusioned with the number of managers we get through, they probably won't want to tell him. If they don't like the cut of his jib, they probably won't tell him. If they think we have too many back room staff, they probably won't tell him. If they think he's tactically hopeless, they probably won't tell him. Given his propensity for blabbing to the media, he's likely to get a load of anodyne answers which will get him nowhere.
Prefacing the conversations with this gem is also unlikely to help the situation;
“People need to understand what it takes to play for this club. We have to be better. If people cannot accept that, then I am not the man for them to play for." You might not be Karl but they can probably hang on for another couple of months if they don't like it, safe in the knowledge they won't be playing for you.
If you want to build the players back-up, do it, don't talk about it to the press because they will see it and realise you are playing games; “It might be a bit of positivity towards them as well. To build them back up. Do not see it as a negative. I want to build them back up."
Finally, “I am straight and hopefully my players appreciate that they get told the truth.” What does this mean? That they will be grateful for being told he doesn't rate them or that their recent performances haven't been acceptable? Does he not think they experience a poor game as individuals and as a team, and that they don't see or acknowledge results and league placings?
Karl Robinson obviously hasn't hit the ground running and I suspect the added ideas and instructions from Robinson and O'Loughlin might not be giving the players a joined-up view of what's needed. When you add the arrival of Richie Barker into the mix yesterday it looks like we have too many cooks. Scrooge won't want to keep paying for this lot but who will go first? If Robinson can't get a couple of results quickly my money's on O'Loughlin getting the gig I suspect Duchatelet was content to give him but was talked out of by those closer to the frontline just a few weeks ago.
Meanwhile, following Charlton continues, almost unbelievably, to get harder and harder. All clubs suffer peaks and troughs but what have we done to deserve what's happening? Relegation, shocking football in an empty stadium, being insulted by the owner and lied to repeatedly by the Incompetent One. It's on a par with Luton and Portsmouth before us but their fans weren't driven away amidst it all. The way things are going, Daisy will preside over a further collapse in season ticket sales next season, irrespective of what division we are playing in. Given we have the single worst owner in the club's history presiding over the biggest failure in the club's history, it will not surprise me if we end up playing at the lowest level in the club's professional history next season. Unfortunately, Karl Robinson is looking like he doesn't possess the man management and motivational skills necessary to arrest the decline.
I'm just glad I won't be suffering another 'performance' until the New Year. What price Bristol Rovers, recently spanked by Kevin Nugent's carefree swashbucklers, to return and take the points from Karl Robinson's eleven?
Every time you think we've hit rock bottom the bloody ledge gives way and down we go again. At least pardew got the bullet, bah humbug. Merry Christmas.
ReplyDeleteDont forget, Pardew was given to us a Christmas Present before! Who's to say our owners won't give us another Big nose 👃 Christmas! The ghost of Christmas past. Bah Humbug
ReplyDeleteWhats the betting that they all wrote a transfer request!!
ReplyDeleteEvery management course you go to say the same thing. People don't leave BAD companies they leave BAD management. Also if anyone gets to meet KM ask her if the manager has a say in who we sell. I don't think so.