Why do you want to sack Tony and not Speakman?


A below average lower league manger who has almost exclusively worked at this level? (A couple of exceptions below and above).

You're talking as if these are guaranteed talents and certs to develop. They're mostly bits of kids, many of whom haven't really been exposed to first team football. His role is to give them first team exposure and some will develop and some won't- ultimately that's what he's doing. We arent now plucking good under 21s from PL sides and as such they need more time to adjust. We also arent buying young lads who are tearing up their respective leagues and to make matters worse we've done it en masse without maybe the experience and support of the right seasoned players around them.

Whilst there are certainly areas you can question Mowbray and his management, only foolish people will look at this squad, the experience of it, where players have come from and what they've cost and realistically think this is anything but a work in progress squad that will probably be lucky to finish top ten, with or without Mowbray.

As you say the worst thing that has happened is the play offs. Because just like last January when it was wide open for us, whilst expectations have grown with fans, the people at the club have trimmed the squad and added more and more possibles rather than probables to it and many fans have lapped it up thinking we've actually strengthened and we really haven't.

We've been in the top 10 all season, and that's been while dealing with anywhere from 5-10 first teamers injuries throughout that time span. Do you really think there are 10 better squads than us in the division?

This squad is good enough to compete for a playoff place. I don't really see any reason why we shouldn't be in the mix come the end of the season barring an injury crisis/Jan sales.
 
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My view is its a collective effort. That includes speakman, Harvey, and KLD. Mowbray is inevitably going to be the fall guy. And probably some justification for his criticism, but he has not been dealt a good hand with summer transfer activity. And I don't totally blame speakman for that.
 
Neither.

Like it or not these are the facts.

Speakman has overturned our squad. He’s made mistakes, but if Stewart wasn’t injury prone we’d be in the Premier League now, we were a good striker short last season.

Mowbray has done an excellent job, currently he’s performing above what we should’ve expected. He overdone where we were last season by a mile. Amad helped.

We’re a ‘cusp of the playoffs’ team who got in last year. We’re short a midfielder who can calm things and a striker who can score goals.

We can get there. Even under the current regime. Manager and Director.

People just need to stop losing their mind…
My view is its a collective effort. That includes speakman, Harvey, and KLD. Mowbray is inevitably going to be the fall guy. And probably some justification for his criticism, but he has not been dealt a good hand with summer transfer activity. And I don't totally blame speakman for that.

This, put say a Ben Pearson or even a Corey Evans in this side and we are transformed imo
 
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Not all managers get exactly what they need from day dot, that's what makes a good manager. Last season was our first season in this league and he had a quality squad at his disposal tbf.
He had no strikers from Christmas!!
I think based on his ability to assemble a squad worthy of promotion in his first season of employing his model and then assembling a squad worth of the playoffs in his second season…

Oh, while also keeping our wage structure down and selling players for profits for the first time in his knows how many years.

If I was a football club owner I’d bite your hand off for what speakman has done for us over the last two years.

The people blaming speakman when you can see how TM is setting us up with no plan b… you’re absolutely deluded to think TM would have got better transfers (Dack man…. Fml)
He has had a year to scout and find an effective striker!
 
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We used to be a joy to watch, even earlier this season. I'm not sure what's happened but it's utter garbage now. Incredibly weird.
Exactly.
Do you think we would win more games with a player who is capable of playing as a defensive midfield player? We started todays game well, moving the ball at speed, it started to go wrong when individual players started making mistakes, not being arsed tracking back and the likes of Ekwah and Neil being totally ineffectual in midfield. There are players bang out of form, Burstow is physically weak and brushed off the ball far too easily, no way on earth he is capable of leading the line. We did approve for a short period after the 3 subs were brought on but the damage was already done by then. Its a manager picking a team who in training must be doing something right but give in far too easily when things are not going their way on the pitch. We are at the point now where whatever Mowbray does will never be right, people say he should change it up, but some of those players are struggling with the basics.
I think not signing a DM is easily the biggest mistake Speakman has made this season. Easily. Doesn’t get enough attention.

I’m not sure it’s that simple with Mowbray though. He could mitigate that problem better. I mean he literally did second half of last season, so it’s not rocket science imo.

I’m not sure what he’s trying at the moment, at all.
 
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I think he was the subject of interest a couple of years ago from bigger teams. I suspect he’s gone off the boil development wise and we’ve taken a punt in case he finds form again, in which case we’ve got a bargain. If not, he’ll get moved back home for little outlay

In the meantime we are meant to accept it’s ok for him to pull on a shirt. He’s no where near good enough and I doubt ever will be.
We have had loads of experienced foreign strikers who have not made a go of it at Sunderland, what a teenage boy of his calibre is doing anywhere near first team is a joke.
He had no strikers from Christmas!!

He has had a year to scout and find an effective striker!
Before the pound shop rejects of this summer the last striker we bought was Ross Stewart, I think that was January 21.
 
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Neither.

Like it or not these are the facts.

Speakman has overturned our squad. He’s made mistakes, but if Stewart wasn’t injury prone we’d be in the Premier League now, we were a good striker short last season.

Mowbray has done an excellent job, currently he’s performing above what we should’ve expected. He overdone where we were last season by a mile. Amad helped.

We’re a ‘cusp of the playoffs’ team who got in last year. We’re short a midfielder who can calm things and a striker who can score goals.

We can get there. Even under the current regime. Manager and Director.

People just need to stop losing their mind…


This, put say a Ben Pearson or even a Corey Evans in this side and we are transformed imo

Fit LB or 2 as well.
I think he was the subject of interest a couple of years ago from bigger teams. I suspect he’s gone off the boil development wise and we’ve taken a punt in case he finds form again, in which case we’ve got a bargain. If not, he’ll get moved back home for little outlay

5 year deal - might take some shifting if he doesn't set the world alight.
 
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No Plan B gets trotted out regularly by fans of all clubs when hings are going wrong. Can anyone suggest what their plan B would be for this squad ? We play long balls up to the front for any of our striker options as all would get dominated in my opinion, due to lack of presence or know how. He's tried Hume in the holding role and its ended up with the wingers having little support from a back 3 or overlaps to create them space.

Only thing I can think of, is let the opponents have the ball, sit deep with two cdm's protecting the back 4 and wait to counter.I don't think we'd be happy watching that , although I guess it worked a treat vs Southampton.
 
It remains to be seen regarding KS but so far we've not lost money on his signings, we've made money. Such as the lad who went to SA
 
No Plan B gets trotted out regularly by fans of all clubs when hings are going wrong. Can anyone suggest what their plan B would be for this squad ? We play long balls up to the front for any of our striker options as all would get dominated in my opinion, due to lack of presence or know how. He's tried Hume in the holding role and its ended up with the wingers having little support from a back 3 or overlaps to create them space.

Only thing I can think of, is let the opponents have the ball, sit deep with two cdm's protecting the back 4 and wait to counter.I don't think we'd be happy watching that , although I guess it worked a treat vs Southampton.
bringing Pritchard off the bench and starting our most progressive player to create in the middle perhaps? leave Dack at home

Altering Clarke and Roberts to give width instead of always cutting in, and occasionally swap wings

Giving Ekwah a massive size 9 boot up the arse or telling him to stop pussying out of 50/50's

Play Hume and Huggins as Full backs, because strangely that's their position

Stop Playing out from the back or around the opposition box when its clear there's no movement to create space, so we always ending up being pressed into losing it

If none of that works, then leave us at the end of the season in 10th and we will push on under another manager, thanks for your time Mowbray
 
We've been in the top 10 all season, and that's been while dealing with anywhere from 5-10 first teamers injuries throughout that time span. Do you really think there are 10 better squads than us in the division?

This squad is good enough to compete for a playoff place. I don't really see any reason why we shouldn't be in the mix come the end of the season barring an injury crisis/Jan sales.
I think potentially yes there are 10 better squads with fit for purpose forward and midfield players .
 
No Plan B gets trotted out regularly by fans of all clubs when hings are going wrong. Can anyone suggest what their plan B would be for this squad ? We play long balls up to the front for any of our striker options as all would get dominated in my opinion, due to lack of presence or know how. He's tried Hume in the holding role and its ended up with the wingers having little support from a back 3 or overlaps to create them space.

Only thing I can think of, is let the opponents have the ball, sit deep with two cdm's protecting the back 4 and wait to counter.I don't think we'd be happy watching that , although I guess it worked a treat vs Southampton.
That’s a good one.

Wingbacks could be a different system. Going 4-3-3. Trying Hume as an outright CDM (he’s only ever inverted from fullback)

Or keeping the shape but changing how we play. Creating triangles up the pitch by getting the fullbacks high. Countering more as you say. 2 strikers. Lots of different options that we don’t do. But I’d expect the coaches to come up with better ideas.

Some posters were flagging this last season, when we were winning. It’s always been true because Mowbray isn’t a particularly good tactician. That is the case whether we win lose or draw. It’s just when you win it’s less obvious because you need the Plan B, but the issue is always there.

We’re relatively easy to sit back deep against and we concede chances on the counter
Can’t just keep sacking people every time something goes wrong
I would have sacked him after things went right last season
 
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We are at a crossroads for sure and when results start to go south as they are right now then only one outcome happens and that is the manager is replaced. I like Mowbray and feel he has his hands tied a lot for what he wants to do, so replacing him to me isn’t the answer.
 
My view is it’s a collective effort. That includes speakman, Harvey, and KLD. Mowbray is inevitably going to be the fall guy. And probably some justification for his criticism, but he has not been dealt a good hand with summer transfer activity. And I don't totally blame speakman for that.
Why do dumb & Dumber ( procter & Dodds get an easy ride on here)

there the ones who take training everyday surely there much to blame than anyone
 
Questions need to be asked now not just from the recruitment but why some of those players look like they don't give a f*ck.
If the owners don’t care about promotion this season why should they? Not many self motivating promotion quality players willing to work for the alleged wages we pay.
 
3 point off the playoffs, personally think it’s been a difficult 2nd season. Amad was sensational and got us in the playoffs last season. Speakman needs to deliver next window which of his buys have been good this season?
Because he has no idea how to get the best out of our strikers and our defending of set pieces has been awful since he became manager.
 

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