Jourdan

Should Rooney be doing better? It’s a fair question and one I look at from two perspectives.

The first being whether the majority of players are excelling under Rooney. On balance, I think Davies, Jagielka, Bird, Shinnie and Lawrence are having positive seasons and playing close to their most effective. However it’s quite telling that only one of those players is an attacking player.

We have far too many players who are either not delivering or deeply inconsistent. Could Rooney be getting more quality and consistency out of Byrne, Forsyth, Knight, Sibley, Jozwiak, Morrison, Kazim and Baldock amongst others? Are they performing to their potential? History tells us not.

The second aspect I look at is results against teams we would be expected to run close and compete with. The Bournemouth, WBA and Fulham results were excellent and richly deserved but not really critical to our chances of survival. Stepping up in games against Luton, Peterborough, Preston, Barnsley and Millwall amongst others would have served us far better and would have been far more energising.

I think it says it all that we have failed to beat eight of the bottom 12, including five of the eight teams immediately above us.

It’s all well and good patting ourselves on the back for giving the top teams in the division a headache, but what do those results matter if they are not backed up?

Of course Rooney could be getting more out of this squad. All bar two teams in the division have won more games than us. How is that acceptable in such a poor division?

Does the transfer embargo and administration explain why Rooney has been unable to coax more from Sibley, Jozwiak, Morrison and Kazim, all players who could conceivably make a difference to our ability to win games?

We can’t be too despondent.

Bristol City have an experienced Championship manager and quality players like Martin and Weimann.

Rooney and the players did exceptionally well.

Bristol City 1-0 Derby

Weimann

Morrison is clearly a talented footballer but you have to harness that talent.

Countless coaches have tried and failed to get the best out of him. So I think it is unreasonable to expect Rooney to do so in 15-20 games or a matter of months. As such, posts saying Morrison is overrated, underwhelming and so on are premature for me.

Morrison has had a 10+ year career and played roughly 160 games - the equivalent of four full seasons of football. So perhaps it is unfair to expect him to be polished and consistent.

In real terms, he is 28, almost 29. But in footballing terms when you think of his development and maturity as a player and his decision making, he is akin to a 21-22 year old, and probably six or seven years behind where a player of his ability should be.

He is a work in progress. He needs time, patience and to be handled with care. He also needs a consistent role in the team and to be given responsibility.

The way his career has gone, we were never going to see the best of him in year one, but hopefully he decides to stay and stabilise his career, and a year or two from now, hopefully we will see the benefits.

He could be fantastic in League 1 should we end up there.

1 minute ago, nottingram said:

What is it about this job that you think would attract these experienced managers?

The tiny wage we’d be able to offer? The ability to only be able to use academy lads or cast offs nobody else wants? The transfer embargo? Having to deal with telling kids we aren’t allowed to pick them because of red tape? The guaranteed relegation on their CV?

Frankly you are living in cloud cuckoo land if you think anyone experienced would want this job. 

Managers want to work, managers want to stay active, managers like a challenge.

It’s for that reason managers like Wilder and Cooper have taken jobs at Middlesbrough and Forest when they were not particularly attractive.

If the Derby job became available tomorrow, we’d have plenty of interest. We are not losing game after game. Anyone with experience would look and see that there is potential to turn a generally competitive and spirited team into a winning one.

1 hour ago, S8TY said:

Coaches/Managers have to start somewhere Lampard started here why not Rooney? who exactly are you suggesting we get instead of Rooney ? This proven,tangible,experienced,steady hand that you speak of yet have no names ??with absolutely no guarantees of success....like ?? Hughton? Mcarthy?Jokanovic?? All failed and sacked recently so lets hear your suggestions rather than just bleating on about Rooneys so called short comings

Yes, they do. I guess it begs the question whether the Championship is the right place for that.

In fairness, I would have said the exact same about Lampard. He got shown up for his lack of experience fairly often too.

I am not bleating on about Rooney’s shortcomings any more or less than I would about any other manager we have had.

You praise the good - the team are working hard and showing spirit - and criticise the bad - we are throwing games away.

Some people choose to single out players - Roos, Forsyth, Lawrence, Morrison and so on.

I just think having Rooney as manager has been a more important factor. The difference between us winning 4 out of 20 rather than say 8-9.

You mention three proven Championship managers as evidence that experience means nothing. The common denominator in all three? None of them were given time or support to turn things around. The first sign of a bad run and all three were gone.

For what it’s worth, I would take all three of them over Rooney. As well as countless others. Two of whom have recently ended up at fellow Championship clubs.

There is no guarantee of success, that is true, but you increase your chances with a more proven managerial choice.

4 minutes ago, CBRammette said:

I think it shows what giving your manager a chance can achieve. Good friends with a QPR fan who was critical of his every move and wanted him gone until very recently.  

I think it comes down to being proven at this level. Usually this will give you more of a chance. Having something tangible that people can cling to.

Warburton did a very good job at Brentford earlier in his career and got a good reputation following that. QPR was probably viewed as a similar project. One where he could quietly operate, compared to other jobs he has taken with big clubs expecting a big splash.

You can see why QPR, who are known for wobbling and churning through managers, have given him the time and patience.

It’s quite different putting your trust and faith into a steady hand compared to someone with hardly any coaching background to speak of.

34 minutes ago, S8TY said:

Haha here comes the joyous Jourdan as soon as we lose you’re on here ….we don’t have a decent striker what else which is blaringly obvious do you want to know???

I was away in Scotland on a nice break. Maybe I should go back and we’ll start winning again.

Having a decent striker is an issue but it’s far from the only issue. Clearly we can’t expect Lawrence to sustain his current form and worryingly Kazim has really struggled.

But will one player change everything when so many others are struggling to impress?

What’s to say a ‘decent striker’ will actually do well in this team?

24 minutes ago, LazloW said:

What has this got to do with Thompson? Just an excuse for a dig? 

Read @sage’s initial post...

10 minutes ago, angieram said:

What do you do when we win games? 

You only ever post after we lose.

No posts at all after the Bournemouth and Fulham games.

 

I was in Scotland enjoying a city break with my girlfriend this past week.

This is an uncharacteristically poor post from you, because I post after almost all games, win, lose or draw.

2 minutes ago, sage said:

Having decent forwards to pass to will help.   

But is Rooney getting the the absolute most out of Sibley, Jozwiak, Baldock, Morrison or CKR?

Could they actually be decent under a different coach?

People talk up our need for a centre forward, but let’s be honest, it won’t be like fairy dust if the manager can’t get the rest of the team functioning.

3 minutes ago, sage said:

He is doing pretty well but people are getting over excited. Barely played a forward pass all game. Showing promise, neat and tidy but nothing progressive.

Puts tin hat on.

The whole team is being coached in that way though. It’s neat, it’s tidy, but the overall style of play and balance in the team rarely hurts teams.

Look at Morrison. He is the one player you would think might take a risk with the ball at his feet but he has clearly been coached with an emphasis on retaining possession.

Retaining possession is OK if you want to hold your own and try to compete, but are Rooney and Rosenior coaching the players to be more daring in pursuit of victory? It’s hard to see.

3 minutes ago, Wolfie20 said:

Yes we are but hey, don't let it stop you sniping at Rooney at every opportunity.

Are we though?

Moments from magic from Lawrence aside, who is excelling in this team?

Sibley, Jozwiak and Morrison are all going backwards in terms of influence. Baldock has struggled. Kazim too.

It has to be a concern that if Lawrence has an off day, our hopes of winning games disappear with him.

Would a better coach get more out of what we have? I think it’s a fair question, not necessarily a swipe at Rooney.

20 minutes ago, Carnero said:

Any of Austin, Gray or Dykes will do. Shows up our lack of options when QPR's 3rd striker would walk into our team doesn't it.

Austin, Gray or Dykes would indeed all add something to our team.

But they would also need the service to boot. The question is, would they get it in this team and under this manager?

1 minute ago, RoyMac5 said:

Yes. We haven’t one goal scorer.

Well Kazim Richards outscored the now lauded Andre Gray last season. So I think that is an exaggeration to say we have no goalscorer.

We do have players in the squad that can score goals.

But perhaps not the coaching, tactics or style of play that can make it a likely occurrence.

I will freely admit our attacking options have never looked the same since Martin left.

However are we getting the best out of what we have?

4 minutes ago, RoyMac5 said:

I think it shows what having some good strikers does for you - pick one for us!

Strikers of any description thrive on chances.

Are the tactics right? Is the balance in the team right for us to create enough good chances?

1 minute ago, Jimbo Ram said:

I thought QPR looked a decent side.

I think that’s the benefit of having a good coach with experience and savvy at this level.

QPR do have some good individuals but I think what we saw tonight shows what difference a good Championship manager can make.

Warburton has been at QPR for almost three years and tonight it showed.

On balance, you have to credit Rooney and the players for their response in recent games.

The -21 verdict could have seen the team completely implode. But instead we have seen a lot of bravery and endeavour on display.

Of course, it’s frustrating to throw away another game from a winning position, but sadly that is where our lack of experience shows both on and off the field.

It’s sad because we have shown we can compete, but obviously we are missing something that will see us turn good contests into results.

Derby 1-1 QPR

Lawrence

Derby 0-1 Bournemouth

Solanke

Let’s just win games of football.

That’s the best way we can send a message to the EFL, Mel or anyone else.

Everything will be fine.

Rooney’s at the wheel.

I would like to think once the ownership is settled, the club will start making moves to map out the futures of our current players.

If we can start next season with Bird, Sibley, Williams, Ebosele, Solomon, Cashin, Watson, Hutchinson and Stretton, it would give us something to work with at the very least.

I am also hopeful that as long serving players, the likes of Roos, Davies, Forsyth and Kazim would be keen to extend their stay, be a guiding hand, and help us to bounce back.

Outside of those players, I would expect big changes. Knight, Buchanan, Bielik and Jozwiak will surely all be sold in the coming months. Lawrence, Shinnie, Byrne and Marshall will leave on free transfers. Morrison and the embargo boys will surely go too.

The worry for me is, what does Rooney know about League 1? Does he have any idea what works or a particular aptitude for lower league football? How will his experience of almost exclusively top level, elite football help us going forward?

Personally I would be looking at someone with a proven record in League One and someone who has built a squad in the lower leagues that can reasonably compete when the step up comes along.

We need someone who can do what Mark Robins has done at Coventry, for example.

1 hour ago, Rev said:

@Jourdan, I appreciate your posts, and can see your POV. 

In normal circumstances, I'd agree with your analysis of the bare fact's, statistically he's had a terrible record so far.

However, he started off with one hand tied behind his back (lack of experience), then swiftly had the other hand tied up too (lack of finance) in the January window.

We somehow survived the season, more by others failings than our own efforts I grant you, but just when he'd expected the bounds to be released he's had a blindfold placed over his eyes too!

Then after groping around in the dark to pull together a semblance of a squad with half a chance of competing, he's had cotton balls stuffed in his ears too, exposing him for what he is. 

A rookie manager, dealing with the total implosion of the football club he's employed by, and unable to do anything about the situation other than grit his teeth and fight his way through.

He's done that in spades, and faced a situation that I'm convinced other more experienced managers would have walked away from by now.

That he hasn't is praiseworthy enough in itself in my eyes, he's got little to gain in our situation, and an awful lot to lose, yet he keeps on keeping on, keeps fighting for us and our club.

In those circumstances, I'm happy enough to set aside the stats and critique of his tenure, and appreciate that we've got a manager who'll fight for us now, and is playing his part in our survival.

Whatever happens in the future, and however he happened upon his current position, he's our man right here and right now, and imo he's led the club like a Lion.

 

You make some valid points. Rooney has shown some commendable qualities - fight, enthusiasm, commitment, leadership. But isn’t that the minimum you would expect from someone in his position?

I also disagree that most managers would have walked away. Instead I suspect most managers would have tried, much like Rooney, to rise to the challenge and possibly had more tools to deal with the situation.

I think we all accept that Rooney has had difficult circumstances to deal with. Relying on loans in January? Having to assemble a squad under an embargo? The club hurtling into financial ruin? Very difficult indeed.

But ask yourself, is this job going to get any easier for a manager with his lack of experience and know how? League One will be no cakewalk and I am sure many clubs will be rubbing their hands at the prospect of welcoming us to the division and piling on the pain.

We will need someone switched on and with the knowledge and experience of having what it takes to succeed in that division, surely?

With us currently being on a run of seven games without a win and weeks away from probably our toughest run all season, the suggestion that the appeal is a non starter and our points deduction will total -21 seems a fight-ending blow.

If what is being reported comes to fruition, we would be 18 points from safety. We play five of the current top 6 and six of the current top 10 in November and December. For Rooney and the players, the timing of this news couldn’t be worse and things could get really ugly if the group become particularly disillusioned.

There is still hope when you crunch some numbers. The four teams above us are trending for a finish of 41 points or fewer and one would suspect they are unlikely to improve too dramatically. Other teams could stutter too. We still have 78* points to play for, which always gives us a long shot but evidently it will take something inspired from here on in.

But still there is a sense of what could have been. The first 17 games have been a series of missed opportunities and if only moments. We have squandered winning positions in a third of our games. We have drawn a number of games where on the balance of play we could have won. 

Say we had beaten Peterborough, Preston, Forest and Luton, that alone would negate this incoming points deduction. It does make you wonder.

Hope now rests with the administrators and their ability to secure a positive, timely takeover and for the new owners to enact change.

January to early March represents our best chance of putting a positive run of results together from here on in. So new owners, maybe 1-2 new players, and dare I say a new manager appointed with a view to hitting the ground running come August could give us a chance of at least going out in a blaze of glory.