Bolton v Oxford

I don't want to sound like a broken record but any manager who thinks Trotter is worth his place should not be in charge of the team.

Trotter sums up all that is wrong with us: lacks athleticism, desperately slow, easily turned and by-passed. For a big bloke, he doesn't use his frame combatively enough.....but, worst of all, he simply makes little effort to rouse himself, setting a terrible, lethargic example that is bound to cause resentment in the other players on the pitch.

The new signings lack both pace and power which are essential requirements.

The tactics are dire. Sadly, all the signs are that we have appointed a manager who is even more depressingly inept than the previous few....even worse than the appallingly delusional Freedman.

Like rtf I can't understand Henry's withdrawal either, he at least had a go at getting forward. One of the problems that is becoming glaringly obvious is that our bench has not a single specialist option in midfield...Derik must be mystified at his inability to break into the team, but even he is not a midfielder by trade. Other than Derik we had on the bench what should be 3 decent attacking options, who collectively failed to spark when used, an experienced keeper and 3 defenders... not a single creative/attacking midfielder. Last season's almost indecent abundance of midfielders ( at least in quantity, if not quality) seems a long way away,  and it is getting to the point where the likes of Perry and Earing must be given some consideration, as should Samidazeh, as rtf and Pedro have already suggested. Losing Pratley and Davies is not something that many teams could have easily compensated for at this level but the few ,very few chances the team creates continue to be squandered...with more attacking support from midfield the number of chances would hopefully increase, along with the (however slight) likelihood of some being converted. We know Clough can finish, Madine has actually scored 3 goals this season, but not one clear opportunity was created for either of them today. 1 win and 3 goals in 7 matches, and 4 points out of 21 makes for awful stats...for the first time in a long time I am struggling to find a glimmer of optimism after today's performance.

Oh dear, the honeymoon is well and truly over for P.P, even the stats are disaponting no team whoever it is will not win any game if you do not have a shot on target that is stating the obvious so the obvious thing now for P.P is to coach the squad into producing what paying fans want which is goals.

Couldn't have put it better myself OoM

Likewise you two. The thought of sacking yet another manager is terrible to me too but sometimes you just have to face facts. We employed the wrong man. Driving home last night I listened to his interview and at no time did he attribute any blame for the current situation on himself or his tactics, just the players who let him down. I accept that they did but surely you look at yourself too and accept that what you are doing isn't working. It's clear as you say from Bradford fans posting that he didn't change there so why should we even kid ourselves that he would here. The naivety of that mass substitution yesterday proved to me how little understanding of the game he has. When it was clear, and has been all season, that the problem lies in midfield, in tactics and shape as there is zero support for the strikers other than a big hoof up to them. Why can he not see what the rest of us can? I've despaired with our so called "professional" managers in recent years and yet again feel we have taken a backward step. I wonde if this was the cause of the break up between KA and Deano? Who knows but certainly we need someone with an attacking mindset because I genuinely believe that would prove the group of players we have are nowhere near as bad as they are being made to look and that includes Trotter!!

I don't think there's any chance of our sacking him, certainly not yet anyway, but surely there must be some serious words being shed with him by KA who must be just as disappointed as we are at results and performances. This can't go on surely. Let's look at this logically, here we are in the third division and being humiliated by clubs whose standing is way below ours. I don't want to insult or patronise any of them but come on, Oxford, Walsall, Rochdale, REALLY??

This just has to be totally unacceptable, especially given the squad we have, which I don't accept is anywhere near as bad as results suggest. The players just don't look like they have a clue what they're doing, are completely devoid of confidence and look like they don't know where the goal is. Yesterday, as previously, when players did have a chance to break or shoot, never did they head goalwards, they just ran away from goal as if embarrassed to have a chance. I've never seen a team so devoid of ideas. No dribbling, no pace, weak challenges and most concerning nobody even looking to shoot. It's appalling but I'm sorry to say that I just don't have any confidence in Phil Parkinson to resolve it. Where we go from here is anyone's guess but it doesn't look good and I'm afraid that I can't see where the next goal or point is coming from.

As for Warnock, not a chance unfortunately. One person I would like to see here though and who I think would be exactly what we need is Mike Phelan. I know he's at Hull just now but I have a feeling he won't be for too long. I'd like someone who has a point to prove and is attack minded. MP would fit the bill for me but alas I think we'll be stuck with what we have for a good while longer. 😢

I don't know why you think we have no chance with Warnock, he's desperate for work. In the north with a club like ours think would be a perfect fit for him. 12 months too late.

Can't understand how you think he's unrealistic but then throw in Phealan who is at a Premiership club and won manager of the month(ha, for all that's worth).

I'd be willing to give PP more time if he came out and said its not good enough, we will learn and I will make sure that next week we will be better.