StrangelyBrown

If that's the case, which doesn't seem unrealistic, it's been going on a long time - so whose responsibility is it to fix the issue?

David I'm genuinely interested in a balanced debate and I'm trying to get my head around your post... If I read this correctly you are saying that RM has done ok because we were shit last year and we're in the top half which makes a nice change and that it's not RMs fault because we haven't got enough firepower up front? You mentioned the unbeaten run, but how many games did we needlessly draw that we should have won during that period if we'd taken a few more risks with the ball? The unbeaten run was a bit of a red herring... If rather than drawing 2 games we'd one one and lost one we would be better off. Do you think this risk adverse approach actually works? It is easy to focus on the lack of a Striker and blame the recruitment for all our woes, but that ignores the bizarre team selections, the lack of tactical adaptability, the inability to consistently get the side playing with the tempo needed for Russball to work, ... We have plenty of goals in the side, as we have demonstrated from time to time (as you rightly highlighted) but it seems to me that our tactics (that insist on ball retention over risk) lead to us creating fewer good chances than we should. Do you think our approach is ok? Our expectations as a club were to get promoted this year. If RM fails to do that now via the playoffs he has failed to meet expectations. Our current form doesn't suggest we're the team to beat going into the playoffs. Do you think RM should be given a pass for looking like he is heading for failure?

I'm with Chez here, for a RM team Perrauds technical limitations and style of play would be completely unsuited. Under a different system he might be useful, but I can see why RM didn't want him.

And somehow Edozie won't get a look in for the next game...

I tried it in my hair and now I look like a Lego man

I think you've hit the nail on the head with 2&3. Some of the key questions for me are why did RM: - break up the Bednarek THB partnership when it was working really well? - bring sule back into the team at the first opportunity when he'd literally offered no real threat at any point this season? - shoehorn Stephens into the team when we really hadn't missed him? - repeatedly select Manning when his form had been average at best? - replace Downes with Smallbone when there were others who could play better in a 6 role? - drop KWP when he's by far our best player? The decision making has been baffling at times which is consistent with everything I'd read about Martin before he was appointed. Sadly I think he's nearly good enough to get us out of this league but not quite good enough and blind to some obvious problems. I see that the RM apologists have been largely quiet for the last week or so - I'd love to know their views?

We still concede goals for fun and knowing that we're shit upfront he could change things a bit and make us a bit harder to score against ... Good managers can get results with what they have and frankly other than a decent striker RM has enough at his disposal.

We play everyone off the park and don't do as well as we should more often than not. How is this anyone's fault other than Martin's?

It will be interesting to see whether RM is able to reflect on what has worked and what hasn't worked this season and pick out best starting 11. My sad fucks 11 is: Bazunu KWP THB Bednarek Bree Smallbone Downes Stuey Armstrong Adams Fraser While Adams has been hit and miss putting Arma in the middle isn't the answer and there aren't really any alternatives. My suspicion is that we'll see Manning return, Stephens in and THB out, Arma play up front, Brooks in on the right and sulemana keep his place.... And a loss as a consequence.

What I can't work out is why we played at such a pedestrian pace. When we play high tempo fast Russ ball we tear teams apart for fun, but it just was too slow today. Poor finishing aside, Middlesbrough were there for the taking, but we seemed to be scared to really go after the second goal. This must be something the team are under instruction to do - be patient and trust the process (which has dropped us points again and again and again). Russ needs to be braver but sadly nothing he did really changed the tempo or added any extra cutting edge and so in my view the 2 points dropped are squarely on him. I'm dying to know what the Russ evangelists think because I can't see how he isn't at fault?

Well that was all a bit predictable - all fart and no shit again. Come on giosaints tell us why we should be happy about that collosal load of guff?

For a lot of that half we looked like we were going through the motions against an inferior team, but being one nil up isn't enough when we have so many mistakes in us. Sule has to do a lot better - there have been a lot of players described as having "no end product" on here, but he's got to be the very definition of that expression - I just don't see why he seems to automatically start if he's fit? Presumably Russ sees something I don't?

I think the fact that he's different and doesn't fit the style is his major asset. He gives us a plan B when we don't have any other plan B players - we've already seen what a difference his direct running can make.

The first was a beautiful combination of manning falling on his arse and failing to get up with any urgency and Stephens doing as you say one of his classic half arsed blocks. A summary of everything that is wrong with our defence at the moment in one move.

Fair point regarding the abuse and I haven't condoned it at all. I suspect what underlies the abuse is that people are frustrated with his performances but unable to express themselves without resorting to vile insults - I'm not saying this is ok. And you are right I naively hadn't realised the abuse was that nasty.

Perhaps because he's only half a player. I don't disagree that he's good enough with the ball, but a midfielder really should be able to add something defensively - the only thing he offers defensively are sloppy fouls.

Fair play to RM for defending his player publically - nothing wrong with this and very admirable. However, I hope privately he's working on Smallbone's inability to defend, track back and tackle - it's not been addressed all season and is causing more problems than ever with he playing in a DM role.

Please no more Smallbone and no more Manning. Fingers crossed Downes and KWP can play...

Smallbone and manning combine to demonstrate how utterly shit they both are FFS. We've played quite well for a lot of this game, but the same old problems continue to haunt us.

Rest Smallbone??? He's been resting on field for weeks

I'm not sure why anyone is talking about this when the hot topic should be about RMs inability to address specific weaknesses that have crept back into the team - i.e. being far too vulnerable on the break, lacking urgency with the ball, central midfield being immobile and poor against the ball and an astonishing inability to turn dominance into goals

Any hopes of automatic promotion must surely be over unless we put together an incredible winning streak! Shameful really considering the position we were in.

What's worse still is it's Millwall at home - a game we should win comfortably.

How have we turned 80% possession into only 1 goal. Clearly I'm some sort of dinlow for not getting it...

Whoscored.com underlines everything that is wrong with a stats based view. Just compare Smallbone and Downes... Smallbone apparently is the better player according to the stats. Eyes and a simple grasp of the game will tell you otherwise. Anyone who has studied stats knows that you can use stats to prove almost anything you like - the interpretation of the data is the important thing not the data