So at what point is breaking point, i.e. where blind faith is taken over by common sense?
There's a lot being said (rightly), about SE getting us here, but just like Revell, Agard and all the others when, if it applies to the players, when do we start to (rightly?) question what SE can do at this level?
If we keep living in the past, and 'accepting' the learning curve at what point does the damage done by this become irreversible for them & takes new personnel time to unravel then sort out (pretty much like an election!).
Me personally I don't like managers being sacked during a season and think it should be banned. However SE's problems this season have not come from a 'learning curve'. Someone excellently put that SE is a manager used to good budgets, he is NOT a coach hence the utter panic stricken things he's done this season. The way he's gone about things this season for me have been 2 steps forward & 1 back. If for some miracle we start to find the goal more frequently than 50% of our league matches and stay up I wouldn't batter an eyelid if he was released in the summer. At this level we need a coach, a tactician, a thinker with a long term plan. One which involves using a core squad which is SUPPLEMENTED by loans not decimated by it (as someone else said the icing on the cake). How can we get an attachment with our players if they're either discarded like old socks or being replaced with players that are, and never will be our own. This is not a team I recognise and will only spell disaster in the end.
I think do what ever is necessary to keep us in the championship then assess whats happened at the end of the season. Tony Stewart isnt daft and im sure he will look at all the restraints that have held the Millers back this season and decide whats best for the Club.
I still maintain that the biggest issue facing rufc is resources not personnel.
Our competitors have mainly got double our crowds or parachute payments. We are now a very small fish in a big pond.
To put a context on it, we were probably about the 50th highest supported club in the 92 and we gained promotion. We are probably something like 48th now. That's how big the gap is between the championship and league 1. As the owls would say...massive.
I don't see the evidence at present to suggest SE has got it wrong. We are overachieving historically and even on the basis of the new structure we are still overachieving.
As Kevin says, survival is the pinnacle of success this year. Next year would be the pivotal season in defining his credentials in terms of ability to build.
I'm with TS when he allegedly said (according to SE) that he (TS) would stick with him even if we go let relegated this year.
I am sure that SE has made mistakes but he is still outperforming his resources. Could someone do better? Of course they could, but who? There are many wonderful knowledgeable pundits and tactician s out there who have done ****** all compared to expectations.
SE is doing ok and deserves the entire season at the helm.
If we got rid of Evans now we would go down no question in my mind. At least with him at the helm we stand a chance as has been said with our resources and budget we should finish in the bottom two, if we avoid relegation it will be Evans's biggest achievement to date.
If we got rid of Evans now we would go down no question in my mind. At least with him at the helm we stand a chance as has been said with our resources and budget we should finish in the bottom two, if we avoid relegation it will be Evans's biggest achievement to date.
I agree, we need to scrap and scrape our way to 4th bottom this season, the future after that, realistically we need someone with a pot full off cash to bank roll it, ala Bournemouth and Brentford to be able to fully compete in this league. That may sound a tad pessimistic to some, but that's the reality of football these days.
Having said that, Bournemouth seem to have a long term plan regarding their squad, they're still paying a lot in wages, and their manager is one of the best around in my view.
We need to employ a tactician. Someone who knows how to plan ahead of matches.
We have seen some good players come and go through the front doors at NYS. We
have some decent players in the current squad. These young players need to be
guided, supported and given more direction.
The coaching from the Millers dugout during a game can sometimes be more of a
hinderance than being helpful. Some younger players can be severely distracted.
Did anyone notice the calm inside the Bournemouth dugout last Saturday?
There was not very much coaching coming from Howe. Why? Because Bournemouth
had a game plan. They had sorted out the details long before Saturday's kickoff.
The fine tuning took place during the game with the odd quiet word and hand
gestures.
We need someone who has got experience working in the Championship or even
higher league. More importantly, we need someone who can get the best out of the
players he is working with.
I did notice the calm in Howe's dugout, it was surreal. He did not flap, get anxious or shouty at any time and he did not engage with our crowd when we didn't get the refereeing decisions we all thought we should. Totally detached and getting on with his mission. Very very professional young man who potentially could become a sort of Mourinho type perhaps.
For me though that is character as well and SE simply has a different character. I would certainly give him (SE) until the end of the season at least. No one coming in will be able to change things like players' contracts and a new guy wouldn't necessarily have new monies.
SE apparently gets the squad gelling and bonds/creates a team spirit by being this way, aloof off the field and a squawking maniac on it. I believe he distances himself from the players in order to define boundaries, leaving Paul Raynor to befriend them. It maybe one way of man management which others wouldn't adopt but with this and the money he had over the last two seasons and there has been plenty, it has worked at Lge1 and Lge2 level.
Not sure Championship players will warm to this approach and I'm only quoting a former player who told me that. However, the players that come already know of SE's methods so it shouldn't be a shock.
We will no doubt see but I have to say, team spirit was not in evidence on Saturday when AFC B's Keeper was being treated. Players couldn't have been further away from our dugout. On the other hand Howe had all his players gathered round showing boards and discussing tactical matters.
-- Edited by Millers4Ever on Tuesday 20th of January 2015 10:54:05 AM
We need to employ a tactician. Someone who knows how to plan ahead of matches.
We have seen some good players come and go through the front doors at NYS. We
have some decent players in the current squad. These young players need to be
guided, supported and given more direction.
The coaching from the Millers dugout during a game can sometimes be more of a
hinderance than being helpful. Some younger players can be severely distracted.
Did anyone notice the calm inside the Bournemouth dugout last Saturday?
There was not very much coaching coming from Howe. Why? Because Bournemouth
had a game plan. They had sorted out the details long before Saturday's kickoff.
The fine tuning took place during the game with the odd quiet word and hand
gestures.
We need someone who has got experience working in the Championship or even
higher league. More importantly, we need someone who can get the best out of the
players he is working with.
But, the implications of your post amount to getting a new manager as These are all functions of the manager:
A new tactician.
Someone to get the best from the players.
Someone to not coach from the dugout.
I dont really get the 'he is not a tactician', or he is a 'poor player manager'.
These are the fundamentals of being a manager. His CV is top notch.
Post match; when asked to comment on Steve Evans touchline 'antics' Eddie Howe said different styles are not open to criticism; Just look at his CV-He knows how to win games.
Only some of our fans doubt his ability it seems.
-- Edited by ian on Tuesday 20th of January 2015 10:55:41 AM
Is Steve Evans beyond criticism? No. Who is.
Has Steve Evans made mistakes? Yes. Who hasn't.
Is Steve Evans the most successful manager the Miller's have had in recent years? Yes. This is beyond question.
Has anyone who posts on here ever managed a League Football team, let alone a team in the Championship? I very much doubt it.
Have people a right to post their opinions on this board? Of course they have.
Let's temper our comments with a touch of realism, we are attempting to punch above our weight in a very difficult league, and any manager given our budget and gates would experience the same problems as Evans.
One last question. Is Evans the man to ensure our Champlonship survival? I don't know, but he has earned the right to try.
That much is beyond question.
Andy,why do we need a Taction .some one to look after young uns.you imply coaching is bad from dug out.We have a good taction some one to look after young uns. coaching is good from dug out etc.he is called steve evans manager of rotherham united.
Why do i think this.When we where in second div.new manager came in.he got new players in on frees.also getting loan players in.geting rid of the bad players.no matter how good they were.then proving he is a good taction,looking after young players.shouting from dug out.blow me away he got us promoted.if he was a bad taction.we would not be promoted.
You say he is a bad taction.so blow me down.this bad taction etc got us promoted again.
We are not bottom of league.we will not finish bottom.so up the millers.upwards and onwards
