the overhaul needed...is not of players!

[Mostyn6]

I thought it was common knowledge that Metgod's been viewing the games from the stands to give a different perspective on the game to that seen in the dugout.Seems sensible to me.

ramblur, I know for a fact that Metgod's role in the coaching setup (and Crosby's too) has been diminished. I'm not anonymous, people know who I am, so I don't need to say I know such and such to bolster a rumour cos people would know I'm lying. People who are friends/followers on social media will know I'm quite lucky in the fact that I get quite a lot of time with players and have made good friends with some and holidayed with them. I'm not daft enough, or disloyal enough to divulge who said what, but what I'm telling you is true.

[ramblur]

I know for pure ability that side probably had enough to stay up in the Championship, but the spirit within a team is still part of the team. That bad team spirit you cite made ok players indescribably poor - and I don't think League One is poor enough a league for it not to be a problem still. We even looked bad in the Cup.

Lots of teams have a decent season and then crash the season after - often called "the play-off blues". We fluked our way through the three play-off matches and had our blues in the Premier League.

There's plenty to dicuss about that but I think it's pretty fundamental that there was too much money being paid for those players with so little return. We'll never see a worse return for our money again.

It's one of the things you must give credit for. I have lost a lot of faith in Clough but his job has been very difficult, and he has stopped the rot. But when you restore a house, you don't get the same guy who treated the dry rot to also be your interior designer. Maybe it's time for something different. Maybe.

Ah,if you'd said playing with a complete lack of spirit they'd have struggled in L1,I may have agreed.I thought you were talking on the grounds of ability only.

Not sure how you can draw an analogy between a house and a football club.There have been several past managers who've taken clubs from relative obscurity to very good times,including sorting out the rot initially.

[EastKentRam]

We're not a million miles away from Brighton other than I think we're a bit better to watch, especially at home.. where we've scored 11 more than them. We've got 34 in 17 and they've got 23 in 17.

They've scored 7 goals more than us in 16 away games. Less than half a goal a game, I think that's a gap that can be closed.

The fact we concede too many goals is what makes the "class" gap look bigger.

I'd say Swansea's advantages over us are clear. They have better players. It's as simple as that.

The goal stats with them dont really tell the whole story, at home they create so many chances and are often by far the better side (were a bit lucky saturday though apparently). A lot of sides go there and just stick 11 men behind the ball which makes it difficult. They just havent got the strikers to convert, Mackail Smith is **** but they've just signed this Ulloa from some Spanish club so maybe that will help.

We are quite far behind them, they've got money to spend and far, far superior players in almost every position. If they dont get play offs they're underachieving in my opinion.

[Stive Pesley]

So you reckon if this "backroom cull" rumour is true - then it could be Metgod and Crosby on their way?

Rush seems to have consolidated the board room and dispensed with Brannigan. He did say that there was a thorough review of the whole club going on, so it wouldn't be a surpise if the marginal members of the backroom staff get their P45s?

[url=https://twitter.com/Dangerous180]Tim Daniels ‏@Dangerous180

The rumours are that the backroom staff may be getting the sack this week.I would keep Metgod and let the rest go.[url=https://twitter.com/search?q=%23dcfc&src=hash]#dcfc

[ramblur]

ramblur, I know for a fact that Metgod's role in the coaching setup (and Crosby's too) has been diminished. I'm not anonymous, people know who I am, so I don't need to say I know such and such to bolster a rumour cos people would know I'm lying. People who are friends/followers on social media will know I'm quite lucky in the fact that I get quite a lot of time with players and have made good friends with some and holidayed with them. I'm not daft enough, or disloyal enough to divulge who said what, but what I'm telling you is true.

If you'd said that Metgod had assumed a lower profile because his outspoken views on things such as the players' wage bill hadn't gone down well in some quarters,I may have believed you.

[Ambitious]

If the backroom are sacked, I 100% expect Clough to follow.

Clough was Glicks guy afterall, maybe Rush fancies a change. I know a few pencil pushers have been sacked by Rush this week(last week) never would expect this though.

[Mostyn6]

If you'd said that Metgod had assumed a lower profile because his outspoken views on things such as the players' wage bill hadn't gone down well in some quarters,I may have believed you.

could be some truth in that too, Players are as prone to exaggerate as fans! The players love Metgod and I know a few were/are not as happy as they were. Or at least they seem so. I am not so sure. For all my perceived negativity, I don't recall a bunch of Derby players looking so happy since Jim Smith's first 2/3 seasons.

[ronnieronalde]

The goal stats with them dont really tell the whole story, at home they create so many chances and are often by far the better side (were a bit lucky saturday though apparently). A lot of sides go there and just stick 11 men behind the ball which makes it difficult. They just havent got the strikers to convert, Mackail Smith is **** but they've just signed this Ulloa from some Spanish club so maybe that will help.

We are quite far behind them, they've got money to spend and far, far superior players in almost every position. If they dont get play offs they're underachieving in my opinion.

I don't want to make this look like I'm trying to prove you to be wrong, more along the lines of it may make you realise we're not as bad as some make out.

Season 2012/13 - this season

Brighton have had 179 shots on target and 187 off target - total shots = 366.

Derby County??

208 shots ON TARGET and 166 shots OFF TARGET - total shots = 374.

[Guest]

I'm lost, who is mostyn?

[Albert]

If the backroom are sacked, I 100% expect Clough to follow.

Clough was Glicks guy afterall, maybe Rush fancies a change. I know a few pencil pushers have been sacked by Rush this week(last week) never would expect this though.

Especially because their deals run until 2015. Surely the cost alone of sacking and replacing much of the backroom team would put them off doing such a thing, and from what Clough said around the resigning of him and his team, he certainly wouldn't be happy having parts of his staff sacked around him.

[ronnieronalde]

If the backroom are sacked, I 100% expect Clough to follow.

Clough was Glicks guy afterall, maybe Rush fancies a change. I know a few pencil pushers have been sacked by Rush this week(last week) never would expect this though.

Fully agree with you here Ambitious, if his backroom are let go he'll walk as a matter of principal. If it happens the vocal clough out fans will get their wish.

[Duracell]

Ah,if you'd said playing with a complete lack of spirit they'd have struggled in L1,I may have agreed.I thought you were talking on the grounds of ability only.

Not sure how you can draw an analogy between a house and a football club.There have been several past managers who've taken clubs from relative obscurity to very good times,including sorting out the rot initially.

Good point Ramblur, that is true. I do think, however, that Clough's shortcomings may start to hold us back at some point. The next stage is for our away form to improve, to have players playing in their proper positions and generally to become a more tactically versatile unit (to have a Plan B and Plan C, more reactive substitutions, doing our homework better on certain players). I haven't seen a lot from Clough to suggest that he will improve in those areas. In all other regards, he's either excelled or done well, and up to this point, that's all he needed to do. Away form hasn't mattered because we've been good enough at home to stay up, and tactical stuborness (if that's a word) hasn't affected us so much aswe've always been a bit of an unkown quantity. But with Clough's shortcomings - most of which are universally recognised - do you think we can ever mount a title challenge in this league? I'm not sure.

I suppose it will be interesting to see how Southampton do with their new boss.

[Mostyn6]

Especially because their deals run until 2015. Surely the cost alone of sacking and replacing much of the backroom team would put them off doing such a thing, and from what Clough said around the resigning of him and his team, he certainly wouldn't be happy having parts of his staff sacked around him.

I havent heard anything about this to be honest. I usually get a whiff somewhere.

If there's anything in it, Clough, to his credit, is very loyal. I think if you wanted to get rid of Clough without paying him off, you'd try to make him resign.

Clough, first and foremost is a family man, his priority is family, he doesn't really need to work at DCFC, so I think on principle alone, there'd be a good chance he'd walk away if his backroom staff were culled.

[EastKentRam]

I don't want to make this look like I'm trying to prove you to be wrong, more along the lines of it may make you realise we're not as bad as some make out.

Season 2012/13 - this season

Brighton have had 179 shots on target and 187 off target - total shots = 366.

Derby County??

208 shots ON TARGET and 166 shots OFF TARGET - total shots = 374.

Dont see what your point is? Apologies if im missing something.

I'd like to see those stats broken down into home and away. As I've said many times, it's our away form which is why I believe Clough cant cut it. 4 years and he cant get result away from home. We still play the same way every trip without ever experimenting or trying something different and he thinks results are going to improve.

[Albert]

to have players playing in their proper positions and generally to become a more tactically versatile unit.

...these two comments don't mix too well... in fact, they directly contradict eachother. Clough uses players out of position when it's needed, like every manager, it only shows desperation when it's brought up as a criticism.

This season has also been our first of truly woeful away form. We weren't great before, but we were better in comparison to the league than we are now, at least if you rank the clubs by away form. Whilst this season we are currently 23rd, last season we were 15th, and even after the disastrous second half to 2010-11, we were 19th.

[Albert]

I havent heard anything about this to be honest. I usually get a whiff somewhere.

If there's anything in it, Clough, to his credit, is very loyal. I think if you wanted to get rid of Clough without paying him off, you'd try to make him resign.

Clough, first and foremost is a family man, his priority is family, he doesn't really need to work at DCFC, so I think on principle alone, there'd be a good chance he'd walk away if his backroom staff were culled.

I wouldn't be surprised if he did, but with his team all having deals until summer 2015 as well, they surely wouldn't be cheap to get rid of.

[Duracell]

...these two comments don't mix too well... in fact, they directly contradict eachother. Clough uses players out of position when it's needed, like every manager, it only shows desperation when it's brought up as a criticism.

This season has also been our first of truly woeful away form. We weren't great before, but we were better in comparison to the league than we are now, at least if you rank the clubs by away form. Whilst this season we are currently 23rd, last season we were 15th, and even after the disastrous second half to 2010-11, we were 19th.

We've never been brilliant away from home though - and we tackle them with a philosophy as if they're impossibly difficult to get anything from. It's a warped way of thinking in my opinion.

As for the comments about players, you misunderstood me. I am realistic and I realise why players are played out of position much of the time. But sometimes it's been unnecessary. It's not desperation to say that we should assemble a squad which has two players in every position at least. That's not actually a criticism of our recent lineups. I have no qualms with Davies playing RB.

[Duracell]

I wouldn't be surprised if he did, but with his team all having deals until summer 2015 as well, they surely wouldn't be cheap to get rid of.

It depends. One of the plus points of Clough and his backroom staff is that they're relatively cheap. In their previous job, they were working for what was a semi-proffesional team not to long ago.

Clough also doesn't have the full coaching badges, I'm sure that lowers how much he can claim in any package.

Though even that withstanding, it wouldn't surprise me if we wouldn't pay them off anyway.

[Albert]

It depends. One of the plus points of Clough and his backroom staff is that they're relatively cheap. In their previous job, they were working for what was a semi-proffesional team not to long ago.

Clough also doesn't have the full coaching badges, I'm sure that lowers how much he can claim in any package.

Though even that withstanding, it wouldn't surprise me if we wouldn't pay them off anyway.

I'm pretty sure that coaching badges have no impact on any payout it would require to sack Clough. In fact, I'm pretty sure that it only has to do with the terms of his contract, same with his backroom team.

[ronnieronalde]

Dont see what your point is? Apologies if im missing something.

I'd like to see those stats broken down into home and away. As I've said many times, it's our away form which is why I believe Clough cant cut it. 4 years and he cant get result away from home. We still play the same way every trip without ever experimenting or trying something different and he thinks results are going to improve.

You made the comparison between us and Brighton.

You mentioned Brighton being miles ahead of us away from home I mentioned that it's less than half a goal a game and we make up for that at home by outscoring them by more than half a goal a game.

You mentioned that goals don't reflect their superiority and they're better than us cos they create more chances at home, I mentioned that we beat them on chances created. If our away shots on target are as low as we both think they might be then it shows again that the home form is nothing short of sensational.

We played 4-3-3 on Saturday with Ben davies at right and left full back, I'm not sure we can get much more experimental than that.

You think we (or he) can't get a result away from home, I'm saying it's the next step.

I personally think we play better football than Brighton who are for more patient and slow in their approach.