Haven’t posted for a while and are quite amazed at some of the hypocrisy I read, now the tide has turned (as we look to be drowning very quickly into League 2)
I said in the Summer that recruitment should be minimal; a season of transition where the budget is spent on a handful of key players, not used to fill the bench with journeymen and unproven kids from other Clubs, who also block the pathway of our “own”. At the same time, we persevere with a number of “Witney’s 2 years deals,” until there could be a proper clear out in the Summer of [2019.] Whilst some Posters live in a dream world, wanting 2 senior pros for every positon or signing triallists on the basis of one match (who then consequently fail to find a league club) I was always adamant that the budget should be spread thickly, to actually improve the team – rather than simply balk out the squad.
Whilst others were promoting the merits of our defence early this season, I said on countless occasions that this was the same back four who were consistently so poor the previous season – and at some stage this campaign, reality would hit – and they would be found out.
Finally I was keen to stick to a single formation – as Sir Ray always said, switching things around at “our level” only gives the players excuses. Consistency and continuity always meant you could take a player out if required – and he is replaced with someone who knows exactly what they should be doing.
19 Players later and we have a bloated squad of a very poor standard. As another Poster referred to, with the exception of Andy Cook, how many of the other 18 signings have been a success? The failure to improve key areas of the team particularly at centre half, where Scarr is now the 4th attempt to find someone decent, is incredible. As for our own kids, well they are so far down the pecking order, it appears their careers are finished.
What concerns me the most however has been the change of system. Early doors with the 4-4-2 everyone knew their job. Top 6 was never going to last but we were a threat going forward and were slightly better defensively (although still fairly poor) After a couple of dodgy results, it was decided that Connor Ronan was the answer to our prayers; an unproven player at League 1 level who couldn’t play in a midfield 2 – and in order to incorporate him, we should change the way we play. I recall a certain Poster claiming we should never play 4-4-2 again just to fit him in! That decision I believe was the biggest mistake Keates has made; ever since, the system has chopped and changed and confidence is shot – no-one know what they are supposed to be doing and it clearly shows. There is no consistency in our play and it does have that smell of the Merson era, where formations and team selections seemed to happen at random.
There can be no defence of Keates; he has been a disaster in the transfer market. Tactically he is inept asking far too much of League 1 players (and very poor League 1 players at that) with regards flexibility and adapting to ever changingsystems; and one would have to suggest, he is completely out of his own depth, with regards thinking he has the ability to tinker in the first place.
You can bang the Bonser drum as loud as you want; but when Hutchings, Mullen, O’Driscoll and Witney were hounded out the Club, no one could find that drum then. Keates has displayed no aptitude for any of the qualities which make evena reasonable football manager. He should have been sacked this morning.