Relegation battle

[Uptherams]

1 hour ago, Rammy03 said:

If we win tomorrow then it's 9 points off bottom 3, 9 points off top 6... remarkable really

And we are more than capable of winning all 5 of our next games or losing them all. We need to start performing. I want something to get excited about tomorrow. Some fight and attacking prowess. 

[i-Ram]

16 minutes ago, kash_a_ram_a_ding_dong said:

20th!

Holy **** I don't think that,that was the plan 24 games ago.

Wonder what's going through Mel's mind tonight?

He might perhaps be acknowledging the major part he has played in what has been a general, steady decline whilst he has been at the helm.

[RoyMac5]

3 minutes ago, Uptherams said:

And we are more than capable of winning all 5 of our next games...

I'll have what you're on.

[Rammy03]

1 hour ago, GrimsbyRam said:

It is although how many games would it take to get another 9 points?  Off the top of my head, Cocu has never won 2 league games in a row since being appointed, let alone 3

The next few games are against teams around us down the bottom of the table so it's a real opportunity to pick up some points, especially with Rooney and the addition of a couple of signings. 

While I agree it is unlikely that this string of wins will come together, it is very much possible. If we manage it, we'll be right up there again. This league can change very quickly.

[Uptherams]

3 minutes ago, RoyMac5 said:

I'll have what you're on.

Cuckoo pops

[ariotofmyown]

Huge week coming up. Home against 2 struggling teams, plus Rooney available for the 2nd. 2 wins and we go into the New Year full of hope, especially with the next 4 league games against weaker teams too.

2 points or less than next two games and we are going to start getting scared.

I think things will be looking much better by end of Jan. We have still played well recently and Rooney is going to be huge factor. Surely there will be some more players coming in, plus people recovering from injury. That late equaliser vs Wigan will hopefully gives us a boost too, but not like what happened after Leeds equaliser!

[AdamRam]

12 minutes ago, GrimsbyRam said:

Sorry to be pedantic but we did not finish the day in a better position we fell two places ?

No need to apologise, we are in the relegation thread though, so as I said, we are better off.

[RamNut]

10 minutes ago, i-Ram said:

He might perhaps be acknowledging the major part he has played in what has been a general, steady decline whilst he has been at the helm.

But imagine how much steeper the decline would have been if Mel hadn’t been here.

i’m sure that something awful would have befallen us long ago.

we would have succumbed to the great force. 

We would be literally nothing now. 

 

 

[Dean (hick) Saunders]

43 minutes ago, Tyler Durden said:

Who said Rooney's going to be starting against Barnsley anyway ?

Only if we do really well against Charlton will he not start v Barnsley.

(It would be a tricky post game interview for Cocu if we fail to beat Barnsley with Rooney on the bench).

[DavesaRam]

Well this thread keeps going round in circles. Sure Cocu was hamstrung by Lampard and Chelsea, and we have been hit hard by injuries, and although Cocu's almost complete lack of ability to get the best out of the players available has been mentioned a few times, we simply move on past it and no-one seems to want to run with it. Sadly, much of the thread is people having a go at eachother.

Everyone could see the type of football Cocu wanted to use very early on, and we all knew that we didn't have the personnel to do that. But he insisted on carrying on with it. And in some matches, you could see the opposition lining up licking their lips to high-press our defence into mistakes - Forest away in the EFL being a key example. Eventually Bogle was given the ball via an awful pass which put him unde immediate pressure. The obvious way out was to simploy hoof the ball either upfield or into the stands. Either would hand the ball to the opposition without a fight, but the poor lad was under so much pressure to play his way out that he mishit his pass and Grabban couldn't miss. That pressure on Bogle messed with his head and he hasn't been the same player since. Yes, he made the mistake that led to the goal, but the blame was in the first instance with Roos who played him into trouble, but it really lies with Cocu for insisting on playing the ball out from the back at every opportunity, evn though several teams had made it obvious that our defenders were being turned into sitting ducks almost every time.

Even so. Cocu has barely moved away from the ethic. It might be the way to go, but only when we can go there. But in addition to all that, we have what i refer to as "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" (John le Carre, if  I recall). So:

Tinker: despite stubbornly refusing to change the "play out from the back" mentality, Cocu has insisted on changing just about everything else about the team - I am surprised we haven't changed from black and white kit for our home matches. This is all with the aim of countering the way the opposition set up to play. As some have said, we end up sending the team out onto the pitch wondering if they have turned up at the right stadium, because they are having to try and handle yet another formation, yet another way of playing (once we have played out from the back), and consequently simply can't get used to what they are supposed to be doing, or where their team mates are likely to be.

Tailor: this is pretty much the same as the last one, trying to tailor our team to the opposition. STUFF THE OPPOSITION!!!!!Set the team up to our strengths and force the opposition to worry about us, while we play to a way that we are used to, where the players know what they are supposed to do, and what their team mates are going to be doing.

Soldier: Yes. Now we are talking. Soldiers do know what they are supposed to be doing, and they will give their absolute all for the cause and for their colleagues. Ooooohhh we could do with a bit of that at Derby County. Much as Cocu isn't getting the best out of the players, too many of them are holding things back and not giving their all. It isn't all Cocu's fault by any stretch of the imagination.

Spy: Naahhhh! Don't want any of that. Leave that with Bielsa!

But the major issue is that week after week after week after week we are seeing no visible improvement. And when we do think we have seen a flicker of hope, Cocu steps in and snuffs it out before any flames can take hold - vis a vis the sudden improvement against Preston, and the next couple of games. 2 up top, which we have been crying out for all season, a diamond formation (for just one game, I believe) then back to one up top. But not with a proper target man for much of the time. Marriott, when he has started, has been put there, but he is not a target man. He is best running onto a ball put round the back of the defence - which we only seemed to do with Chris Martin as the lonely striker, even though running the channels isn't his strength. But much of Martin's time is spent battling with 3 defenders - and he does try to carry out the press, but on his own it is pretty pointless. And he is isolated because the midfield is sitting too deep, courtesy of wanting to play with two defensive mids, especially at home. Why?

And then, as a bit of a sop for the next match, Cocu gets us attacking quickly, playing long, and/or high pressing, and we actually look good for 10 - 20 minutes, but usually in a bid to rescue the game. How many times have we heard people say "if only we could start the match the way we end it"? Or even thought it ourselves?

I hav e no idea if there is a solution just around the corner, or just around the New Year. Thankfully for me I had written the season off before it even got going because of the bout of Frankitis which swept though the club, so apart form being concerned by just how low we have stooped. I still am only expecting a mid-table finish at best. But what I do want is some visible, tangible form of evidence that we are making progress, and for the players to leave everything on the pitch every match.

[S8TY]

1 minute ago, DavesaRam said:

Well this thread keeps going round in circles. Sure Cocu was hamstrung by Lampard and Chelsea, and we have been hit hard by injuries, and although Cocu's almost complete lack of ability to get the best out of the players available has been mentioned a few times, we simply move on past it and no-one seems to want to run with it. Sadly, much of the thread is people having a go at eachother.

Everyone could see the type of football Cocu wanted to use very early on, and we all knew that we didn't have the personnel to do that. But he insisted on carrying on with it. And in some matches, you could see the opposition lining up licking their lips to high-press our defence into mistakes - Forest away in the EFL being a key example. Eventually Bogle was given the ball via an awful pass which put him unde immediate pressure. The obvious way out was to simploy hoof the ball either upfield or into the stands. Either would hand the ball to the opposition without a fight, but the poor lad was under so much pressure to play his way out that he mishit his pass and Grabban couldn't miss. That pressure on Bogle messed with his head and he hasn't been the same player since. Yes, he made the mistake that led to the goal, but the blame was in the first instance with Roos who played him into trouble, but it really lies with Cocu for insisting on playing the ball out from the back at every opportunity, evn though several teams had made it obvious that our defenders were being turned into sitting ducks almost every time.

Even so. Cocu has barely moved away from the ethic. It might be the way to go, but only when we can go there. But in addition to all that, we have what i refer to as "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" (John le Carre, if  I recall). So:

Tinker: despite stubbornly refusing to change the "play out from the back" mentality, Cocu has insisted on changing just about everything else about the team - I am surprised we haven't changed from black and white kit for our home matches. This is all with the aim of countering the way the opposition set up to play. As some have said, we end up sending the team out onto the pitch wondering if they have turned up at the right stadium, because they are having to try and handle yet another formation, yet another way of playing (once we have played out from the back), and consequently simply can't get used to what they are supposed to be doing, or where their team mates are likely to be.

Tailor: this is pretty much the same as the last one, trying to tailor our team to the opposition. STUFF THE OPPOSITION!!!!!Set the team up to our strengths and force the opposition to worry about us, while we play to a way that we are used to, where the players know what they are supposed to do, and what their team mates are going to be doing.

Soldier: Yes. Now we are talking. Soldiers do know what they are supposed to be doing, and they will give their absolute all for the cause and for their colleagues. Ooooohhh we could do with a bit of that at Derby County. Much as Cocu isn't getting the best out of the players, too many of them are holding things back and not giving their all. It isn't all Cocu's fault by any stretch of the imagination.

Spy: Naahhhh! Don't want any of that. Leave that with Bielsa!

But the major issue is that week after week after week after week we are seeing no visible improvement. And when we do think we have seen a flicker of hope, Cocu steps in and snuffs it out before any flames can take hold - vis a vis the sudden improvement against Preston, and the next couple of games. 2 up top, which we have been crying out for all season, a diamond formation (for just one game, I believe) then back to one up top. But not with a proper target man for much of the time. Marriott, when he has started, has been put there, but he is not a target man. He is best running onto a ball put round the back of the defence - which we only seemed to do with Chris Martin as the lonely striker, even though running the channels isn't his strength. But much of Martin's time is spent battling with 3 defenders - and he does try to carry out the press, but on his own it is pretty pointless. And he is isolated because the midfield is sitting too deep, courtesy of wanting to play with two defensive mids, especially at home. Why?

And then, as a bit of a sop for the next match, Cocu gets us attacking quickly, playing long, and/or high pressing, and we actually look good for 10 - 20 minutes, but usually in a bid to rescue the game. How many times have we heard people say "if only we could start the match the way we end it"? Or even thought it ourselves?

I hav e no idea if there is a solution just around the corner, or just around the New Year. Thankfully for me I had written the season off before it even got going because of the bout of Frankitis which swept though the club, so apart form being concerned by just how low we have stooped. I still am only expecting a mid-table finish at best. But what I do want is some visible, tangible form of evidence that we are making progress, and for the players to leave everything on the pitch every match.

So Cocu is to blame for Bogles  bad error against Forest ??? jeeeez ...how about last seasons error at the City ground ?? when he gave them a goal ....same ???

can't beleive some of the tripe spouted on here.....If you don't like Cocu fair enough but he cannot be responsible for individual errors

[Tamworthram]

29 minutes ago, i-Ram said:

He might perhaps be acknowledging the major part he has played in what has been a general, steady decline whilst he has been at the helm.

How does reaching the play-offs three out of the last four seasons constitute a general, steady decline?

Surely it's a case of dramatic decline this season.

[Tamworthram]

32 minutes ago, i-Ram said:

He might perhaps be acknowledging the major part he has played in what has been a general, steady decline whilst he has been at the helm.

Does this post remind you of anything?

 

 

[DavesaRam]

1 minute ago, S8TY said:

So Cocu is to blame for Bogles  bad error against Forest ??? jeeeez ...how about last seasons error at the City ground ?? when he gave them a goal ....same ???

can't beleive some of the tripe spouted on here.....If you don't like Cocu fair enough but he cannot be responsible for individual errors

 have said that Cocu isn't the only one responsible for our current plight. But his insistence on playing out from the back is the cause - as I pointed out, most teams have simply played the high press as soon as our keeper has the ball. And inevitably he would roll the bll out to a defender who would already have two players charging towards him. So the ball goes back to the keep er, or sideways, and sideways again, and eventually back to the keeper who kicks it long, where it probably should have gone already. Forest did it all match, but for the goal, it was a very poor pass from Roos to a player already under pressure, and the ball wasn't even to feet. So yes, Bogle did make the mistake, but it was because our methodology was well known, and was known to not change, and was easy to counter. And rather than just stifle the play out, Forest did it with the aim of forcing a mistake. If we had other options for getting play going, it wouldn't have been so easy for Bogle to be put under pressure. Yes it was his mistake, but the absolute dogmatic, pig-headed insistence on the style of play meant that it was an accident waiting to happen. So yes, Cocu must shoulder some of the blame.

[RamNut]

 

The thing is football is entertainment, and it was entertaining - bogle passing to Grabban. It was like that moment in Jaws where the shark suddenly appears, or the dead bloke’s head rolls out of the bottom of the boat. We all lept out of our skins. And there was a sudden commotion and blood spurting everywhere. But that’s entertainment for you. 

No point getting upset. None of it is real life. It’s all smoke and mirrors. 

Next week there’s another show. 

[May Contain Nuts]

2 hours ago, Nuwtfly said:

20th, as it stands.

But apparently we're nowhere near poor enough to go down? 

Reality check needed for some, I'm afraid. 

Yes, the reality of where we were as a squad in mid October vs the reality of where we are as a squad in late December, vs the reality of where we'll be as a squad once we he have some players back from injury, vs the possibility of where we may be once that squad benefits from the addition of Rooney, the addition of a ball playing CB & with any luck a quality winger.

So much panic based on our form during a period in which the squad has been reduced to the barest of bare bones, during which period the  doomiest of the doom mongers has absolutely ducking revelled in their negativity and used results and performances as a badge of honour and reason to berate anyone with a more positive outlook, claiming they're asleep to any issues and acting in blind faith, whilst themselves blindly believing that any other manager would be doing a better job in the circumstances and ignoring any and all forms of proof that the other managers they crave have also struggled to do anything in similar circumstances.

Ask lots of question, don't eat the bullpoop.

People who were 'in' at the start of December were 'out' at the end of it despite nobody coming back from injury and no new faces brought in.

Ignore the Bamfords mate, they'll never change.

duck them, join us.

[GrimsbyRam]

Rams Part Company With Their Management Team.....

must be the season for it!

 

 

https://www.betvictoristhmian.co.uk/rams-part-company-with-their-management-team-60406

[Rolleston]

I totally agree with what DavesaRam says.

[Gone]

9 minutes ago, Coconut said:

Yes, the reality of where we were as a squad in mid October vs the reality of where we are as a squad in late December, vs the reality of where we'll be as a squad once we he have some players back from injury, vs the possibility of where we may be once that squad benefits from the addition of Rooney, the addition of a ball playing CB & with any luck a quality winger.

So much panic based on our form during a period in which the squad has been reduced to the barest of bare bones, during which period the  doomiest of the doom mongers has absolutely ducking revelled in their negativity and used results and performances as a badge of honour and reason to berate anyone with a more positive outlook, claiming they're asleep to any issues and acting in blind faith, whilst themselves blindly believing that any other manager would be doing a better job in the circumstances.

Ask lots of question, don't eat the ********.

Ignore the Bamfords mate, they'll never change.

Apart from Clarke and Shinnie, who exactly are we missing and down to our bare bones? 

[RamNut]

Quote

Ramsgate have announced that they have parted company with Jason Lillis, Terry Sedge and Joe Radford. 

Lillis only took over at the Southwood Stadium at the start of October, taking the mantle after the club dismissed Nick Davis- who himself had only been in charge for thirty matches. The Lillis era began well, with victories over East Grinstead Town and Whyteleafe- and a draw at Three Bridges- in the league, and cup victories over Sittingbourne, Hythe Town and Whitstable Town. Sadly after that victory over the Oysterboys on bonfire night the fireworks well and truly fizzled out, as since then the club have lost eight times, drawn three times and won only once more, a Velocity Trophy victory over Herne Bay. Yesterday's seven-nil thrashing at the hands of Sittingbourne seems to have been the last straw.

Sounds truly awful.

imagine beating East Grinstead, and Whitstable on bonfire night, only for it to all go tits up at the hands of Sittingbourne. 

It’s a poo business.