Southern looks like he needs a rest for a week. If smorgasbord is back give him a rest to refresh himself.

Eureka!

You have well twisted my words you naughty man - you are quite capable of figuring out that I meant psychologically - not physically!



I'm hurting after our recent performances, but I ain't been to A&E lately!

I'm guessing you went on Sunday, 'cos you're good like that, even when you don't like what you're seeing. So I've got to ask - do you think we gave Wire a good game because we "bent and broke the rules", or do you think we gave Wire a good game because the team is learning how to play as a team? John learning how to kick was obviously a factor in keeping us in contention, and a little more umph could have won us a point, but what about the rest? There won't be that many teams that go to Wire this season and lose by a baw hair.

I didn't go I'm sorry to report - I had a prior arrangement with a friend in need - so much in need that he dragged me to St James' Park to watch some puffball whilst I followed the match on Twitter!



I think there was a combination of things - I think they are improving as a side, but I also think we have found a way to get up for certain games - Widnes being one and perhaps HKR at home, even though we were frustrated by their excellent defence. I also suspect that Wire were caught a little cold - as can happen when they believe they are playing 'minnows'. A further factor could be that the players have been told to up their games - because whilst I know that there is an underlying belief that they will get better, there is also, quietly, some recognition of the fact that they have to perform and win.

So I trust that my reply meets with your approval. I am happy to apologise when I have things wrong, and have done so on here many times before. Perhaps even you could learn something from that rather than looking for even more opportunities to twist my words around! Disappointing really!

Just one more point - well done to the lads who played - you have shown your true metal and I very much hope that we can take the positives from the display and use them to help provide the confidence that is needed to become a team of winners - i.e. a winning team!

Well predicted les goose your are a tea cup reading gypsy and I claim my £5

I asked for your opinion. It doesn't require my approval - I'll argue against you if I think you're wrong. Nor have I twisted your words around. You've clearly stated that you think allowing players to "bond", "gel", call it what you want, is baloney, and that the missing ingredient is a bit of well-timed thuggery. You think the players haven't put the effort in in previous games, and are happy to ignore any other mitigating circumstances. You started the thread. I'm asking what you think now. Sad, really!

I don't see that at all - to me, they've looked up for every game but couldn't unlock defences due to some clunky attacking options; that can be attributed largely to a brand new half-back combination who haven't quite been able to direct play at the end of a set.

For me there is no lack of effort, just a plain old disparity between efficiency and effectiveness; they were doing the right things, but they weren't doing them right - that will change as time goes on and Sunday could well have been the start of that change.

We've yet to be smashed, whilst the clubs we expected to be contending with have been on the end of some massive towellings; on top of that, we beat Wire on Sunday, despite what the final score said. I'm more than encouraged.

Agree, I'm still taken back that one or two fans still don't believe that a side of 17 new players need time to gel and learn each others strengths and weaknesses.

What I object to is the implication that by having such opinions I am somewhat anti-club, or rather anti Glover and Elston. Were that to be the case I would have let it be known as such, but I continue to represent SWAG and I still sit on the Supporters Trust - which last night sat down with those 2 gentlemen to discuss various matters.

Yes, I asked for them to be a bit 'rougher and tougher' but this is nothing we don't see in all of our top sides in this country. I also believe that they have / had some mental hurdles which I felt would be better being more directly addressed than they were. It's all horses and courses - sometimes the arm around the shoulder is the right way, sometimes a right old rocket - which is what I felt was the case after the Hudds game, but not after this week. Players are the same, some sulk - some don't, I wouldn't suggest for a minute that I would be able to get all of these calls right all of the time, but that was my opinion and I still believe we need a bit more 'steel' mentally in the middle.

My main gripe is your suggestion of me being anti-club - I can live with the rest and I get that we're poles apart on most subjects, but this is simply not true.

Do you think your attitude and general outlook has changed in the last 12 months?

Seems to be that you are criticizing (all be it pretty constructively) exactly the sort of thing you spent literally hours and hours defending to the hilt until the regime changed. It's a fair suggestion that either your anti glover/ellston stance or your previous pro richardson/kear stance is/was clouding your judgement.

Agree Tommy.

Anyone who criticised anything under the last regime was called on here by the very same people

The only thing I've criticised you for on this thread is your dismissal of the idea that a new team needs time to learn how to play effectively as a team. I don't accept that, nor do I see why challenging you on it means I'm suggesting you're anti-club. What I'm suggesting is that your interpretation of why we haven't won in 5 games is flawed. My arguments are based on what I believe to be common sense. Nothing more.

I assumed you'd gone to the Wire game because you've always followed the team home and away in the past. That's actually a compliment, but you can read it as a dig if you like. I wanted to know if, based on what you'd seen, your opinion had changed.

I'm critical of the team (or was) and some of the tactics employed by them and the coaching staff - not of the club or the management.

No clouded judgement, just frustration at the performances / results and the desire to see us back up on the pitch the good work done off it.

Apologies again - you have questioned my support for the club management, but perhaps not on here.

You did twist my post into trying to make it sound like all I was after was a mass brawl, which clearly I do not want - all I wanted was a tougher attitude from the players and it seems that is what we got on Sunday.

I will accept your comment re. the Wire game was genuine and only wish I could give you the answer you were after.

Here goes

TRB may be right. However I'm not sure anyone can tell at this point.

I've been involved in a number of start up companies in the past and I don't see a RL team being any different in this case. In all cases it takes time for the team dynamic to form and 3 month which is pretty much what it is is way to soon for that to have happened. There will be those who will grow as time goes on, others will fall away after the initial rush and the real dynamic will form. I can't see this being the case until the close season tbh.

By mongrel I guess you mean the sort of players who give 100% every game and thus perform consistently and provide the backbone of the team. We probably already have those players it's just that no one including themselves know who they are. It will happen so long as Agar does not allow rifts in the camp.

Only thing I will question is the lack of commitment? I have seen nothing to suggest this, in fact the opposite. I feel the reason we have lost some games is dues to panic football brought on by an over desire to please.

Just my opinion.

In defence of TRB it must by nice for him after years of having on occasion to be far more positive than he actually was to be a little negative for once - everyone else has had their go so cut the guy some slack.

That's probably a fair summation of my OTT comments - but you got the gist.

Happy to leave it there!