yellowrider120 762 Posted November 14, 2022 Connor Southwell's recent article is very direct. In fact so much so that the laid back 'management team' at FCR must be seething with rage and congratulating themselves on banning that 'awful local media'! He mentions the lack of 'togetherness' (or, more accurately, 'teams without togetherness struggle to achieve'). At the final whistle on Saturday all the Boro travelling squad + manager went across to the travelling army and celebrated. Carrick made sure he 'didn't make it all about him' but it was so revealing how he was tightly involved with the group and embraced everyone. Rewind to the post final whistle scenes at Rotherham and you could be forgiven for thinking we'd just lost FFS! No scenes of ecstatic players rushing to the fans, celebrating 'as one' right in front of us. What we saw was one or two individual players ambling into the penalty area clapping the fans but looking like they were being dragged to take the final penalty kick in the play off final! Hayden wandered over, Sara wandered over and McCullum wandered over. A group of about four or five lined up on the edge of the penalty area as if on the edge of a demilitarized zone and that was it. The manager of course was almost totally conspicuous by his absence apart from a very brief three or four claps above his head when the playing surface was empty and most of us had left anyway. Contrast these scenes with the 'equivalent' (I use the term loosely) at the end of a very similar equally hard fought win at same venue in the 2018 / 2019 season. That should tell you all you need to know. There is something very wrong at FCR and if Webber and the aged Stowmarket Two either can't or won't see it then things will continue to stagnate. We talk a lot about Smith's tactics and formations but at the end of the day this is largely irrelevant. Smith must now show the level of man management skills that in the last 12 months have been so lacking. He must inspire, cajole and invigorate the entire first team squad with enthusiasm and passion. He must eradicate any 'cliques' that might be developing and ship out any player who does not 'commit to the cause'. If he cannot or will not do this then he must leave. It really is that simple. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shefcanary 2,409 Posted November 14, 2022 I noted yesterday that Emery went straight down the tunnel after Villa's win at Brighton yesterday. Not sure why I'm pointing this out unless it is a Villa thing? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TIL 1010 4,748 Posted November 14, 2022 (edited) 1 hour ago, yellowrider120 said: The manager of course was almost totally conspicuous by his absence apart from a very brief three or four claps above his head when the playing surface was empty and most of us had left anyway. I suppose it should be regarded as an achievement that he took his hands out of his pockets. Edited November 14, 2022 by TIL 1010 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
