Cam the Ram

Sounds more like Garry Cook and Rooney have some dodgy relationship within football. Rooney stayed with us through all sorts of problems, but as soon as the Kirchner takeover (which was set to involve Garry Cook joining as CEO) fell through, he decided to leave and pop off to America despite his wife hating the place. Garry Cook is then appointed at Birmingham and within months Rooney is being brought in to replace a manager performing well. For whatever reason, they both appear desperate to work together.

Sounds more like Garry Cook and Rooney have some dodgy relationship within football. Rooney stayed with us through all sorts of problems, but as soon as the Kirchner takeover (which was set to involve Garry Cook joining as CEO) fell through, he decided to leave and pop off to America despite his wife hating the place. Garry Cook is then appointed at Birmingham and within months Rooney is being brought in to replace a manager performing well. For whatever reason, they both appear desperate to work together.

Sounds more like Garry Cook and Rooney have some dodgy relationship within football. Rooney stayed with us through all sorts of problems, but as soon as the Kirchner takeover (which was set to involve Garry Cook joining as CEO) fell through, he decided to leave and pop off to America despite his wife hating the place. Garry Cook is then appointed at Birmingham and within months Rooney is being brought in to replace a manager performing well. For whatever reason, they both appear desperate to work together.

I'm sure Warne said a fair few of the players who signed last season rejected him at Rotherham in the Championship to join us.
And can't your last point apply to every single club in this division? Should no team expect to be fighting for promotion then using that logic? We have a bigger budget than most/all of them, Warne is more than likely paid more than all/most of their managers, and I'm sure we're the only (or one of a few) who have a category 1 academy to utilise. Why is it so unreasonable for some of our fans to have high expectations when the club is better positioned than pretty much all the teams it is competing against to achieve it?

We can pay fees and we can offer better contracts to players than other clubs.
We can't do both.
Very few clubs at this level can. We made a choice to pay higher wages for fewer players. It's paid off with Nelson and Nymbe and Fornah, it hasn't paid off with Bradley and Elder 
We also employed a manager (after paying compensation) who's insight into the league should provide us with an advantage over teams who may be able to pay more than us. That's what good managers do.
On the overall balance, Warne is NOT a good manager, he's a very limited manage with one speciality - getting teams promoted from League One. He doesn't currently look capable of providing that 
We're currently making every excuse in the book to defend that manager and treating him as if he's got the hardest job in football as an excuse for his underperformance, and making out that him meeting the minimum requirements of the job he was brought in to do somehow proves that people who are unhappy with him are wrong to be so.

I'm sure Warne said a fair few of the players who signed last season rejected him at Rotherham in the Championship to join us.
And can't your last point apply to every single club in this division? Should no team expect to be fighting for promotion then using that logic? We have a bigger budget than most/all of them, Warne is more than likely paid more than all/most of their managers, and I'm sure we're the only (or one of a few) who have a category 1 academy to utilise. Why is it so unreasonable for some of our fans to have high expectations when the club is better positioned than pretty much all the teams it is competing against to achieve it?

I'm not sure why he'd tell fans Sibley is the best finisher in training if he didn't believe it.
I think that's a tad harsh on Sibley. He broke through to the first team under Cocu and finished the 19/20 season as a regular. He then began the next season still as a first team regular until an injury. By the time he was back up to fitness, Rooney was in charge and he certainly wasn't a big fan of Sibley. He was in and out during Roesnior's short spell, but was then very much a regular (albeit as a left back most of the time) during Warne's 1st season. Warne trusted him in an unfamiliar position for the majority of last season, but now seemingly isn't keen when he's got the chance to use him in his best role where he would excel. It's just puzzling.

You're the manager, you decide who either comes on for. Would you have brought on Sibley or Washington?

I'm not sure why he'd tell fans Sibley is the best finisher in training if he didn't believe it.
I think that's a tad harsh on Sibley. He broke through to the first team under Cocu and finished the 19/20 season as a regular. He then began the next season still as a first team regular until an injury. By the time he was back up to fitness, Rooney was in charge and he certainly wasn't a big fan of Sibley. He was in and out during Roesnior's short spell, but was then very much a regular (albeit as a left back most of the time) during Warne's 1st season. Warne trusted him in an unfamiliar position for the majority of last season, but now seemingly isn't keen when he's got the chance to use him in his best role where he would excel. It's just puzzling.

Yeah that's fair comment.
Personally, I think when Sibley has been given starts in attacking roles, he hasn't done enough to warrant being a regular starter.
 

I'm not sure why he'd tell fans Sibley is the best finisher in training if he didn't believe it.
I think that's a tad harsh on Sibley. He broke through to the first team under Cocu and finished the 19/20 season as a regular. He then began the next season still as a first team regular until an injury. By the time he was back up to fitness, Rooney was in charge and he certainly wasn't a big fan of Sibley. He was in and out during Roesnior's short spell, but was then very much a regular (albeit as a left back most of the time) during Warne's 1st season. Warne trusted him in an unfamiliar position for the majority of last season, but now seemingly isn't keen when he's got the chance to use him in his best role where he would excel. It's just puzzling.

I'm not sure why he'd tell fans Sibley is the best finisher in training if he didn't believe it.
I think that's a tad harsh on Sibley. He broke through to the first team under Cocu and finished the 19/20 season as a regular. He then began the next season still as a first team regular until an injury. By the time he was back up to fitness, Rooney was in charge and he certainly wasn't a big fan of Sibley. He was in and out during Roesnior's short spell, but was then very much a regular (albeit as a left back most of the time) during Warne's 1st season. Warne trusted him in an unfamiliar position for the majority of last season, but now seemingly isn't keen when he's got the chance to use him in his best role where he would excel. It's just puzzling.

It was just bizarre to me that he himself believes Sibley is the best finisher at the club and in a game where we're creating a fair few chances but failing to take them, he leaves him on the bench. It's almost like he's not happy with Sibley for some reason .... maybe effort in training? Who knows, but if he's willing to give him a place on the bench, he should be one of the five players coming on to help get that winner.

I thought we had enough possession and created enough chances to win today.
Personally would have brought Washington on for Collins, or Sibley for Barkhuizen, did not think the substitution made much sense.

Really poor first half overall from us. Much too big of a gap between Smith/Fornah and the forwards, so they have been lacking passing options. The crossing has been absolutely appalling apart from the final one that resulted in the goal. NML hasn't been his usual self ... he's barely ran at the full back all day. Barks has been decent, got in behind their full back a few times and put in the only decent cross I can remember, but other than him it's been below par all over the pitch I reckon.

I get your point, but it seems like this is being said every other game. How long do you keep saying it?

Really poor first half overall from us. Much too big of a gap between Smith/Fornah and the forwards, so they have been lacking passing options. The crossing has been absolutely appalling apart from the final one that resulted in the goal. NML hasn't been his usual self ... he's barely ran at the full back all day. Barks has been decent, got in behind their full back a few times and put in the only decent cross I can remember, but other than him it's been below par all over the pitch I reckon.

Really poor first half overall from us. Much too big of a gap between Smith/Fornah and the forwards, so they have been lacking passing options. The crossing has been absolutely appalling apart from the final one that resulted in the goal. NML hasn't been his usual self ... he's barely ran at the full back all day. Barks has been decent, got in behind their full back a few times and put in the only decent cross I can remember, but other than him it's been below par all over the pitch I reckon.

Really poor first half overall from us. Much too big of a gap between Smith/Fornah and the forwards, so they have been lacking passing options. The crossing has been absolutely appalling apart from the final one that resulted in the goal. NML hasn't been his usual self ... he's barely ran at the full back all day. Barks has been decent, got in behind their full back a few times and put in the only decent cross I can remember, but other than him it's been below par all over the pitch I reckon.

Really poor first half overall from us. Much too big of a gap between Smith/Fornah and the forwards, so they have been lacking passing options. The crossing has been absolutely appalling apart from the final one that resulted in the goal. NML hasn't been his usual self ... he's barely ran at the full back all day. Barks has been decent, got in behind their full back a few times and put in the only decent cross I can remember, but other than him it's been below par all over the pitch I reckon.

The first cross that wasn't overhit to the back post has resulted in a goal and it was Barks taking the corner rather than Waggy

The first cross that wasn't overhit to the back post has resulted in a goal and it was Barks taking the corner rather than Waggy

The first cross that wasn't overhit to the back post has resulted in a goal and it was Barks taking the corner rather than Waggy

The first cross that wasn't overhit to the back post has resulted in a goal and it was Barks taking the corner rather than Waggy

Nelson goal!