Luton Outlaws - The Avenue of Evil

Be careful what you wish for

Posted by Oldhatter on 11/11/2024, 16:18:37

I agree with Zaphod, earlier comment about Edwards inexpierence.
The manager/coach is still in his apprenticeship. This will be his 4th year, he is still learning I believe he has a high level of knowledge/ theory, but still not street wise and never had to handle adversities. He is learning on the job....of course he is going to be niave at the moment thats how we become street wise, just give him a chance to assemble his tools and gain his confidence back.
Most of his day to day working team are inexperienced, other than Paul Trollope, ( incedently whose career has had many difficult situations) ..... is this the biggest problem?.....OK we have Mick Harford, but remember he was hounded out with booing from the fans and anyway I would be surprised if he is not involved.
Like many others , I have seen 10 promotions and 11 relegations, plus all the finals, semifinals and play offs since I started supporting. I go home and away, with nearly every season some thing to fight for, either top or bottom ends of the league or cup competitions. As everyone else who goes I hate to think how much money is and has been spent... but that has been my choice . They have not been playing anything like they can....I do why, but it probably a combination of many things happening at the same time....including some who have had thier heads turned and do not want to wear the shirt anymore ....but I feel it would be a mistake to gain a bit more experience to turn it around....you can quite clearly see he cares and it's to early to assume he has not got what is required....I am sure he will get rid of those who do not want to be there

All the supporters disappointed with the
performances this season, especially with the
team we have...but you need to remember what you wish for as sometimes the grass is not greener on the other side...give him some time and support

Re: Be careful what you wish for

Posted by Rory on 11/11/2024, 22:56:46, in reply to "Be careful what you wish for"

Worse in the 2nd half Saturday hard to believe , some team talk gone on there.

Re: Be careful what you wish for

Posted by Just an observation on 11/11/2024, 16:57:28, in reply to "Be careful what you wish for"

If he is still in his apprenticeship why were so many afraid he would leave and be hoovered up by a a Premier League team in the Summer?

Re: Be careful what you wish for

Posted by ActonHatter on 11/11/2024, 17:01:37, in reply to "Re: Be careful what you wish for"

Leicester and Ipswich sounded him out

Hence the 4 year deal

Re: Be careful what you wish for

Posted by Sick Boy on 11/11/2024, 16:42:21, in reply to "Be careful what you wish for"

Whats worrying is his stubborn refusal to change. This 3 at the back kamikaze, man marking system hasnt worked for well over a year. We get absolutely carved open almost at will.
How many goals conceded per game are we averaging. At least 2 i bet. You just cannot win many games that way, especially when we look so totally disjointed and lacking any threat up top as well. It really is a dreadful combo.
If we were tearing up teams with our dazzling football whilst conceding, you could say fair enough. At least we're being entertained.

As has been stated, defeats i can take, like Sunderland, we played reasonably well. But most of them have been awful, gutless, embarassing. Thats not acceptable.

And the Taylor situation is just totally bizarre and for me, more than a little concerning. What is the point in investing in youth, sending them out to play, but never giving them a chance? I dont buy this what he see in training nonsense. Id like Edwards to explain his thinking

Re: Be careful what you wish for

Posted by Ffs on 11/11/2024, 16:40:30, in reply to "Be careful what you wish for"

See you next season in Division 1 mate.

Re: Be careful what you wish for

Posted by Earls on 11/11/2024, 16:35:16, in reply to "Be careful what you wish for"

I hate this attitude, tbh. The quality of the squad cannot play any worse than it has been. Edwards deserves credit for getting us up and some exciting football last season.
But he’s clearly lost, and he’s shown no sign of learning. His insistence on playing the same formation and sticking with players who aren’t suited to his tactics has us in a relegation battle. We can all play “I’ve been going longer than you” bingo. But we can also all see what’s been happening this season.
Plenty of fans said to judge Edwards after 12 games. We’ve had 15, we’re getting worse and Edwards himself accepts it’s probably over. The chance of a new manager with the same squad being worse is probably 10%. Just because we lost to Braintree a decade ago doesn’t mean we should now accept football with no discipline or cohesion.
I hope Edwards finds the character that got us those wins against Everton and Brighton, that he succeeds elsewhere. But I hope more that we thrive without him.

Re: Be careful what you wish for

Posted by Sick Boy on 11/11/2024, 16:47:19, in reply to "Re: Be careful what you wish for"

Agreed. We have lumps of centre halves who would be clearly better suited to a zonal 4 at the back. Who are going to better suited to having it all in front of them, not chasing around high up the pitch. Krauss and Nakamaba in front. If he can only play 20 minutes as reported (not that i believe that) then pay him off as hes not much use as a pro footballer any more
At least become difficult to beat

Re: Be careful what you wish for

Posted by m on 11/11/2024, 16:54:09, in reply to "Re: Be careful what you wish for"

I think we are all in denial really about it
We all want it to work, we all like Rob as he's a decent bloke as well
And. We know a new manager will lead to change on the pitch in terms of personal which might mean some fan faves are moved on too.

Re: Be careful what you wish for

Posted by Seriously on 11/11/2024, 16:50:12, in reply to "Re: Be careful what you wish for"

Why do you think the centre half chases up the pitch?
When does this usually happen?

Re: Be careful what you wish for

Posted by Orange Squash on 11/11/2024, 16:31:40, in reply to "Be careful what you wish for"

That is an excellent assessment, Oldhatter. I 100% agree!

I posted on Outlaws earlier, which is something I rarely do, I'm more of an observer, but I really think the fanbase needs to find a way to come together now. When we get it rocking like we did against Watford this season and Sunderland in the playoffs last season, we are a force to be reckoned with!

Heck, I remember the various relegations and promotions, too, and I don't think, at least in recent terms, there was a performance that left me as downhearted as that 7-0 pasting to Brentford back in 2019. Still, Graeme Jones was given ample time -- up until March that season -- and he had no credit in the bank.

Rob's got a lot of credit in the back. Yeah, he's making stupid mistakes, and he has to take that on the chin and learn from them.

However, and as you say, if he can get the deadwood out, play the players that want to fight for it, and start to grind out some consistency/results after the last international break of the year, this Championship season can still be salvaged.

COYH

Re: Be careful what you wish for

Posted by Lutonian on 11/11/2024, 17:51:05, in reply to "Re: Be careful what you wish for"

I couldn't stand G Jones but to be fair to him he had inherited a squad that had just come up from League One (after one season there) and had lost both JJ and Stacey.

He had bugger all money to spend and the target that season was to just try and stay up.

Edwards has the nucleus of a squad that was in the Premier League, his and the club's target was to get back there, and he has money to buy, and pay the wages, for new decent players.

I'm sorry but losing 5-1 to Boro this season is as bad, if not a worse result, than the 7-0 hammering at Griffin Park.

Losing 7-0 to a Brentford side was awful but that side had Mbuemo Watkins and Benrahma up top, Raya in goal and a host of other players that then established Brentford as a top tier side.

Boro are a middling to play off team at best.

Re: Be careful what you wish for

Posted by HH on 11/11/2024, 16:38:37, in reply to "Re: Be careful what you wish for"

Disagree tbh.

He's been here two years. He's managed over 200 games. He's not a novice or an apprentice. How can he claim naivety as a defence?

Graeme Jones was, considering the resources available and context of the club back then, doing a far better job than Edwards is so far this season.

I would also argue a lot of the deadwood and players I would want to see leave right now are Edward's signings.

I think there's a lot of people affording Edwards time he doesn't really wholly deserve at the moment. There are few silver linings.

Re: Be careful what you wish for

Posted by Orange Squash on 11/11/2024, 16:57:12, in reply to "Re: Be careful what you wish for"

He can't claim naivety as a defence. But he's not the only one messing up. The players and the board have to take their fair share of criticism, too.

Hard disagree with Graeme Jones doing a better job. It's not just about how you perform on the pitch, either, it's about how you treat the paying customers, i.e., the fans!

Jones's overpraising of injury-prone players, such as Izzy Brown, put us in a real mess, and I'll never forget his patronising clap for us away fans at Reading after he said he would never come over to the fans unless he deserved it. Where was he at Brentford? Nowhere! He ran off. Still, opinions and all that...

I wouldn't disagree with you that some of those deadwood players are Rob's signings. However, I can't think of one manager we've had who has a perfect recruitment streak. They've all managed to sign a mix of game changers and dumpster fires.

Plus, we don't actually know who is picking these targets. It could be Rob Edwards, Mick Harford, Gary Sweet, or some backroom data analyst. We don't know...

From a business perspective, if you give someone a four-year contract, partnered with the fact that we're not a firing club, I can't see him going until at least Christmas. At the end of the day, it's up to 2020, and I can't see them firing him until January. So, he and the players need to find a way to get it going regardless of what we think.

Re: Be careful what you wish for

Posted by HH on 11/11/2024, 17:02:03, in reply to "Re: Be careful what you wish for"

I'm being flippant but that seems to suggest you're happy with shite on the pitch as long as you're clapped afterwards?

The thing is, our transfer policy has been bloody brilliant until very recently. Maybe things have changed and it hasn't been great last two windows.

But this squad is way better than it's currently showing. I suspect the wages being spent are also far in excess than we've ever had at this level. He's had a lot of resources compared to literally any manager in our history.

I think if we lose to Hull then he's gone. And he can't really have anyone else to blame.

Re: Be careful what you wish for

Posted by Orange Squash on 11/11/2024, 17:23:53, in reply to "Re: Be careful what you wish for"

You are indeed being flippant, lol... And no, I explicitly stated about getting rid of the deadwood and playing the players who care, so no, I do not appreciate paying hundreds of pounds for tickets and travelling home and away to watch crap.

We have to find a way to move forward and ASAP! But people expecting the board to pay off the manager's circa. £4m+ four-year contract when we are four points off of midtable are delusional! If we lose to Hull the pressure will grow, no doubt. But this ongoing toxicity and wanting to hound the manager isn't helping in the slightest. 2020 will do what they have always done.

Ultimately, I guess I'm an optimist at heart and I think we can turn it around. Time will tell, either way...

Re: Be careful what you wish for

Posted by HH on 11/11/2024, 18:07:11, in reply to "Re: Be careful what you wish for"

Some fair points in there. Just been an incredibly frustrating season thus far....

Re: Be careful what you wish for

Posted by Luton Luton on 11/11/2024, 16:30:50, in reply to "Be careful what you wish for"

This is absolutely deluded.

Re: Be careful what you wish for

Posted by Kingy on 11/11/2024, 16:30:07, in reply to "Be careful what you wish for"

Nice wordage if you believe pretty much any manager couldn’t do better with our group of players.
Oh and you have a raw striker on your books you refuse to play for some petty reason and you’re having real problems scoring goals.

Re: Be careful what you wish for

Posted by Honestly on 11/11/2024, 16:28:26, in reply to "Be careful what you wish for"

It has F all to do with the shit show.

It’s his demeanour.

If you honestly think he is the right person to turn this round then great.

Let’s see it in action on and off the pitch but cut out the bollox. ( in my opinion )

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