It was crap. Not the genuine concerns, but some of the vitriol aimed at the club and at Sadler was embarrassing, considering a ball hadn’t been kicked and a player hadn’t been signed. The OP of this thread, for ex@mple, was one of the more vociferous on here if I recall.
Have a look back at the threads. I understand it was a lot worse on other fan sites, although I can’t comment on them from personal experience.
3 Likes
Hasnt the previously said he wants to stay in some form of retirement anyway?
I imagine he just helps Sadler out occasionally, fresh pair of eyes and all that.
1 Like
Agreed certain posters said he shouldn’t get the job as he was too busy running his other business and that it was a cheap option
Whatever happened to gensax
3 Likes
From my memory he was vehement about this earlier on when everybody connected with our club wanted him to be an integral part of our future.
Perhaps he has relaxed this stance, we can only speculate until we hear to the contrary.
1 Like
You cant really blame him. A 6 week recruitment process, linking us with Atell, Cowleys, Deeney (LOL), Alexander to then hire the bloke whos keeping the seat warm. All with a back drop to being one of the worst decades of football weve had in the last 50 years. You cant blame anyone for thinking “what a sh!tshow, we’re going down!”.
Turns out we were wrong and hes doing a great job. Its great to be turning down events to keep playoff dates free JIC.
But its football management, you go winless in 7 and the knives will start getting sharpened again. But that should be the same if its Sadz or Klopp.
8 Likes
Not quite. I know you are using extreme examples and Sadler isn’t really being compared to Klopp, but Klopp has a great body of work which gives him some credit in the bank, like last season when Liverpool were by their standards, way below par.
Sadler had nothing, which makes it even harder for him. I agree with the rest of your post completely. I’m not going to try and rewrite history and pretend I wasn’t disappointed with his appointment just cos we appear to be moving in the right direction now.
Some people go overboard with things, that’s what happens when football fans are connected to the internet. There will always be extremes.
3 Likes
Part time work for us no problems with that. Maybe he does a bit of coaching now and again we dont know.
I suspect its nothing more than him watching us almost like a scout. And offering advice. All good in my opinion.
2 Likes
Agreed, he has a great football brain, any help whatsoever will be to our advantage I feel sure.
1 Like
Yeah as its an emotional game, a neutral eye from someone experienced is always good.
1 Like
I suspect he just doesn’t want the day to day grind of it all but still gets the football itch. I think that Chris Nicholl was similar. He openly said he would rather be playing tennis and pursuing other enjoyable activities. But still came back to help the club out several times and was often at Walsall home games as a supporter.
I’d imagine most young/new managers find one or more people who they look up to, to call on for advice. So no surprise that Sadler does this. I’d imagine it can be a lonely world being a football manager if you let it, especially when things aren’t going well.
3 Likes
Id say its almost a must for young managers. Which is why Waddock also be a great appointment. I dont need to see him on the touchline, Hes just as experienced as ROK
2 Likes
I don’t blame anyone. People are entitled to think / say what the like (within reason). When it’s put on a forum then others have the right to reply.
I’ve been in the Trivela camp from day one, and so far they haven’t given me any reason to change that view.
6 Likes
It will be a nice change to start next season with the same manager as this one that has not happened since Clarke was here Sadler has shown signs of learning and improvement as well which is good hopefully it continues as a feel we will just miss out this season and finish around 9th or 10th which is still good progress and i would be happy enough with that.Next season has to be a promotion push from day one that includes signing a striker that can run around like a blue arsed fly but also finish we are stuck between both at the moment.It concerns me a bit he wanted to sign Faal and Gordon thats fine if a goalscorer that fits his style of play is also a priority because DJ doesn’t fit it why he signed him i don’t know.
1 Like
You might have a point with Josh (although there is still time for him to click - just like Jamma has, after being written off by many earlier on in his time here) but Faal has only just turned 21, was playing on the NL North this time last year, and already has 11 goals in his first season at this level. I’d say it wasn’t that big a gamble to try and get him into the club permanently - he’s at least matching if not ahead of where Adebayo was at his age and is showing signs of further potential. Don’t judge him only by the miss on Tuesday.
11 Likes
Indeed 4th in the goals per minute played stat behind Maher, Mayo and Freddie.
Don’t think he did, was signed by the Trivela people as a marquee signing to aid the sale of season tickets, Sadler thinks he’s gash and refuses to play him until he he is forced to because he has no other choice, just hope that if he gets more than a five minute spell one day, he scores a hatful for us before he leaves for a club that needs, and hopefully will pay handsomely for a proven goalpoacher. Sometimes Sadler’s assertion that goals will come from ‘all over the pitch’ falls flat when they don’t.
Very few teams win promotion without a guy up front almost certain to get a goal from nowhere.
No doubt the naysayers will prove that theory wrong with dubious whataboutery" Barnstoneworth, they went up after only scoring 3 goals" etc.
1 Like
No he doesn’t. He’s just done nothing to warrant selection on a regular basis either in training or matches (for a variety of reasons, some of which are / were beyond his control) and Sadler has had hobsons choice and of all the forwards he’s gone for the ones that offer the most overall. By and large those players have done ok.
I would have my mortgage that DJ is unlikely to ever score a hatful again……I hope I’m wrong but I doubt it.
He’s likely to leave but no chance for a handsome fee and I’m almost certain a familiar pattern will follow……
Sometimes yeah….but given we’ve scored more goals than previous seasons, have 22 different goalscorers, and are having our best ever season at this level in with a chance of play offs with 10 games to go you’d have to say his assertion has been pretty sound?
Ah the mythical 20 goal a season striker theory…
So far the only clubs who have a striker with 20 goals in league two sit 12th, 17th and 20th.
Of the teams above us, Mansfield’s top scorer is an ACM, Wrexham’s is Mullins on 15, Crewe’s is Nevitt with 13, MK don’t have a player in double figures apart from Kemp who scores most of them for Swindon, Barrows top scorer is a winger with 7 and their top CF has 6, AFC Wims top scorer had 13 and got a move to the Championship and their next top has 9……the only outlier is Oloafe at Stockport who has 18 and will get 20+
9 Likes
It’s like trying to reason with a pork pie 
12 Likes
ROK behind a lot of both Dean Smith’s and Sean O’Driscolls success at various clubs….
1 Like
Do ya proof read for the Encyclopedia of Britannia? Or do ya right all their stuff?
Absolute muffin, can nobody have an opinion?
1 Like