You think the problem is they are NOT all sat around feeling sorry for themselves? 
Isn’t that EXACTLY what Devlin is saying?
I think the players and management have been through every emotion and tried every formation,so as a last resort they may as well try feeling sorry for themselves…you never know,it might work…
But they dont give a xxxx. Saw one of our players shrug his shoulders after yet another misplaced pass on Tues.
I agree with you there…although we have been poor, very poor, at times I have seen no lack of effort from most of the squad. On a more general point I think that Saturday is the key match now…one last chance for DK and the team to put on a good performance. If we don’t win Saturday then he will go I think. How we manage that with a team so low on confidence I don’t know but manage it we must if we are to have any chance of avoiding the drop.
Ismail, Martin (when he was here), Ferrier and I think you can throw Osbourne into the mix too haven’t shown enough for me.
I agree that out of those who have reportedly been told they aren’t good enough haven’t shown lack of effort, although lack of ability is sometimes mistaken by some as lack of effort.
Nah no need. As people have probably noticed I’m not posting anywhere near as much as usual. Some condescending poster won’t bother me in the slightest as I have much more important problems to deal with 
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Agreed, especially Ismail, but those are all Keates signings. The accusation is that he told players that were here before that they are playing for a contract because they are not good enough.
And tbf I don’t know whether Osbourne cba or is literally that immobile.
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Could it agree more. What makes it worst for me I missed the first 2 home games!
For all Devlin’s faults he strikes me as a good professional who’ll continue giving 100% whatever manager thinks of him.
DK has still started Devlin in majority of games anyway. He could’ve put his mate Martin at RB for instance which is what Franchise are doing currently.
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Keates was appointed on 16 March 2018 and has now had a full year in charge. His league record is P47 W13 D11 L23 Pts 50.
There were ten managers in charge of Walsall for a year or more between the move to Bescot and the arrival of Dean Keates. All ten of them enabled Walsall to achieve better league records overall than we have had in the last twelve months. We also had two managers who were given contracts but did not last a full season, O’Driscoll and Mullen. Walsall did better in the league under them than they did in the past year.
I do not want Keates to be sacked, just as did not want Jon Whitney to be sacked, but it should be acknowledged that he has had an exceptionally bad first year. I hope he will improve and become a reasonably good manager at this level one day, but it has not been great watching the team over the last twelve months.
Too late to sack him now. In fairness another 7 point in 3 game run and club could still survive.
Wonder if he’d still be in charge in league 2, that must be getting discussed behind the scenes atm.
Doubt that’s being discussed HQ. Get the impression the club discusses very little other than the rent book.
They’ll wait and see what league we are in and then decide. But think it will take a lot for Bonse to sack him, given we are still paying off Whitney and would have less cash in league two.
It’s all about the money, money money,
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I don’t think he is good enough…But,by the time his contract is up,he will fit the job like a glove.This is his first go at EFL management,can’t see the point in bringing someone else in,just to start again from scratch.
He still isn’t good enough.
His glacial in game management potentially cost us again yesterday. Everyone around us was commenting upon how Blackett-Taylor was struggling after an hour. Having played really well he was spent. It was so obvious. Yet it took Keates an age to spot it and decide what to do about it. Inevitably, we lost possession on our left, they score the winner and we make the change as they celebrate.
That decision or yesterday in general hasn’t relegated us but that decision is a microcosm of the managerial incompetence that has already done enough to send us down.
Like everyone, I love the bloke but this job was too far, too high, too soon.
Luckily he has a job in the fourth division lined up for next season which should suit the more appropriate development curve.
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He’s a young relatively inexperienced manager - and as such, he’s developing his management style.
If we do get relegated then I don’t think we should change the manager - the experience will be good for his (and the teams) development.
If he can get us back up then everyone wins (so to speak.)
That said, if we survive and avoid the drop then he really needs to
Take a hard look at the coaching staff he’s built around him because I’m not so sure it’s what we need.
MOC has clearly had a positive influence but I have to keep going back to previous posts I’ve made about the coaching staff - too many and lacking any clear direction so if DK can’t manage the coaching staff as well as the team then it needs a rethink in my opinion.
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Paying off of Whitney’s deal ends May or June as that’s when his deal expires so there would be space in the books to add DK if they so wish.
Kents ooot Martian in(WFHYS mode)
What’s “glacial ingame management” ?
There’s been talk of Bonser sticking something in managerial contracts of a reduced pay off if in the relegation zone too so that could also come into it. I’m now past the point of saying “I hope he turns it around BUT…” as, it just isn’t gonna happen. To make us worse than last season is quite spectacular.
So much negative apathy on UTS at times, we ‘could’ escape with a few good results and a few other results going in our favour (for a change) .
This is so typical of the vast majority of so called supporters of our team, this is the apathy that has let our management (sorry owner) get away with daylight robbery for decades.
Yes, Keates was the wrong appointment, and has shown an unparalleled naivety on occasions, but he was probably cheap and has to be a better option than another O’Dysmal type failure.
He’s one of our own, and with MOC’s help we CAN escape
Keep the faith.
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