Ince out!

[Stranded]

Yes, he has. And He's done the same at every club except Blackpool (I mean, who could have done anything there?) and Blackburn. He has a knack of motivating players to play for a short time, and a short time only. Then the players seem to run out of steam and confidence and giving a damn, and it all goes wrong.

The thing is, if we see another Incey special, chances are we'll go down. We only have 29 points. West Brom are winning, three on the bounce, if two of the other four teams (Hull and below) start picking up points, we could be in for a torrid time.

Anything is possible. Ince has never, ever made it to 365 days at any club because he does enough to get himself fired EVERY TIME. Huge not winning runs and he doesn't seem to know how to get a club out of it. Maybe he's matured, maybe he's studied, or maybe he's just doing the same old as before.

The reality is, I don't see him making it to 365 days.

There are 10 teams between us and the relegation places, realistically, how many of those teams could we say with a degree of confidence right now that they will actually finish above us? I'm not suggesting that means we will for sure finish above all of them, but we could quite easily finish above all of those sides currently below us, maybe except West Brom and Middlesbrough who I expect will improve.

West Brom and Middlesbrough would be the two for me who I think have more quality than all the teams in the bottom half. Are the other 10 teams, currently in the bottom half, really that good? The only thing this time around is, it's a really tight league all around really. A good run of form and you can very quickly move up half the league, take Coventry for example.

If we're only able to beat the really bad teams, then we might not even make 40 points. Most of the other teams will. Statistics are worrying. Maybe there are three really awful teams who won't change their manager all season, no matter how bad things are. Look at last season, could we have expected the bottom teams to all suddenly start playing well at some point? West Brom are coming good, they had a not very good manager coasting it.

We aren't only beating the really bad teams though are we?

Splitting the division in to 3 groups of 8 - our points tally is

Top 8 - 7pts
Middle 8 (so 7) - 4pts - still have 2 to play.
Bottom 8 - 18pts

So we are doing what I would expect a side likely to avoid relegation would do - pick up regular points against their rivals whilst picking up the odd result against the better sides. Ideally, you'd want a few more points from the first 2 sections and bar that decision v Burnley, we probably would have.

We have seen a drop off in results of late but again, I think this is mostly due to the quality of opposition we have faced in very quick turnaround i.e 7 of the top 10 in the last 6 week batch of fixtures, mostly away from home. Don't think anyone would argue that there needs to be an uptick in form post break.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

Yes, he has. And He's done the same at every club except Blackpool (I mean, who could have done anything there?) and Blackburn. He has a knack of motivating players to play for a short time, and a short time only. Then the players seem to run out of steam and confidence and giving a damn, and it all goes wrong.

The thing is, if we see another Incey special, chances are we'll go down. We only have 29 points. West Brom are winning, three on the bounce, if two of the other four teams (Hull and below) start picking up points, we could be in for a torrid time.

Anything is possible. Ince has never, ever made it to 365 days at any club because he does enough to get himself fired EVERY TIME. Huge not winning runs and he doesn't seem to know how to get a club out of it. Maybe he's matured, maybe he's studied, or maybe he's just doing the same old as before.

The reality is, I don't see him making it to 365 days.

There are 10 teams between us and the relegation places, realistically, how many of those teams could we say with a degree of confidence right now that they will actually finish above us? I'm not suggesting that means we will for sure finish above all of them, but we could quite easily finish above all of those sides currently below us, maybe except West Brom and Middlesbrough who I expect will improve.

West Brom and Middlesbrough would be the two for me who I think have more quality than all the teams in the bottom half. Are the other 10 teams, currently in the bottom half, really that good? The only thing this time around is, it's a really tight league all around really. A good run of form and you can very quickly move up half the league, take Coventry for example.

If we're only able to beat the really bad teams, then we might not even make 40 points. Most of the other teams will. Statistics are worrying. Maybe there are three really awful teams who won't change their manager all season, no matter how bad things are. Look at last season, could we have expected the bottom teams to all suddenly start playing well at some point? West Brom are coming good, they had a not very good manager coasting it.

Echoing what Stranded has said pretty much, we are a side that was predicted to be down at the bottom, we are doing better than what a side at the bottom would typically do so far this season. Whilst a couple of wins in 10 games isn't great, unfortunately we are that side that doesn't have that strength in depth compared with better sides, who already have better XI's than what we have anyway.

Providing we can continue to pick the wins up against teams around us, particularly at home and we can pick up some results as and when away from home and against sides higher up the table, we will be fine.

If we were to pick up only 11 points in more than half a season, then I would be incredibly surprised. Even though recent form does need improving, I don't think there is anything to suggest that we are going to get less than 4 wins from our remaining games. It's not like we've performed especially poorly in most of our games, there will inevitably be the odd one or two though where we have.

[Sutekh]

There are 10 teams between us and the relegation places, realistically, how many of those teams could we say with a degree of confidence right now that they will actually finish above us? I'm not suggesting that means we will for sure finish above all of them, but we could quite easily finish above all of those sides currently below us, maybe except West Brom and Middlesbrough who I expect will improve.

West Brom and Middlesbrough would be the two for me who I think have more quality than all the teams in the bottom half. Are the other 10 teams, currently in the bottom half, really that good? The only thing this time around is, it's a really tight league all around really. A good run of form and you can very quickly move up half the league, take Coventry for example.

If we're only able to beat the really bad teams, then we might not even make 40 points. Most of the other teams will. Statistics are worrying. Maybe there are three really awful teams who won't change their manager all season, no matter how bad things are. Look at last season, could we have expected the bottom teams to all suddenly start playing well at some point? West Brom are coming good, they had a not very good manager coasting it.

We aren't only beating the really bad teams though are we?

Splitting the division in to 3 groups of 8 - our points tally is

Top 8 - 7pts
Middle 8 (so 7) - 4pts - still have 2 to play.
Bottom 8 - 18pts

So we are doing what I would expect a side likely to avoid relegation would do - pick up regular points against their rivals whilst picking up the odd result against the better sides. Ideally, you'd want a few more points from the first 2 sections and bar that decision v Burnley, we probably would have.

We have seen a drop off in results of late but again, I think this is mostly due to the quality of opposition we have faced in very quick turnaround i.e 7 of the top 10 in the last 6 week batch of fixtures, mostly away from home. Don't think anyone would argue that there needs to be an uptick in form post break.

Games to end January on league position see Reading (currently 12th) play…

11th (h)
13th (a)
8th (h)
5th (a)
21st (a)
FA Cup weekend
7th (h)
17th (a)
2nd (h)

And the next game could see a Reading squad with everyone available for selection bar Scott Dann. And basically I don’t think Reading have had that luxury in over 2 years - since maybe MB was manager?

Just for the record Reading have 29 points currently (from 21 games). Last season Reading didn’t get their 29th point until drawing at Peterborough in mid February (31 games).

[Snowflake Royal]

There are 10 teams between us and the relegation places, realistically, how many of those teams could we say with a degree of confidence right now that they will actually finish above us? I'm not suggesting that means we will for sure finish above all of them, but we could quite easily finish above all of those sides currently below us, maybe except West Brom and Middlesbrough who I expect will improve.

West Brom and Middlesbrough would be the two for me who I think have more quality than all the teams in the bottom half. Are the other 10 teams, currently in the bottom half, really that good? The only thing this time around is, it's a really tight league all around really. A good run of form and you can very quickly move up half the league, take Coventry for example.

If we're only able to beat the really bad teams, then we might not even make 40 points. Most of the other teams will. Statistics are worrying. Maybe there are three really awful teams who won't change their manager all season, no matter how bad things are. Look at last season, could we have expected the bottom teams to all suddenly start playing well at some point? West Brom are coming good, they had a not very good manager coasting it.

We aren't only beating the really bad teams though are we?

Splitting the division in to 3 groups of 8 - our points tally is

Top 8 - 7pts
Middle 8 (so 7) - 4pts - still have 2 to play.
Bottom 8 - 18pts

So we are doing what I would expect a side likely to avoid relegation would do - pick up regular points against their rivals whilst picking up the odd result against the better sides. Ideally, you'd want a few more points from the first 2 sections and bar that decision v Burnley, we probably would have.

We have seen a drop off in results of late but again, I think this is mostly due to the quality of opposition we have faced in very quick turnaround i.e 7 of the top 10 in the last 6 week batch of fixtures, mostly away from home. Don't think anyone would argue that there needs to be an uptick in form post break.

Thanks stranded, that's actually quite comforting. It'salways been most important to beat your closest rivals than the teams uou aren'tdirectly competing with, or at least not losing to them.

05/06 - lost to Plymouth and Luton beat Sheff U twice - champions
07/08 - beat Man City and Liverpool, 4 points v Bolton, Fulham and Wigan
10/11 - 1 point vs the top 3, about 11 against the bottom 4 - failed in the POs
11/12 - lost to Pompey and Barnsley, but beat West Ham and Saints - champions

Although 12/13 being the exception where we did fairly well against Sunderland and Newcastle, but were just too shit overall.

If we're scoring points against the bottom 8, and can keep doing so, we should be fine

[karbota]

Wrexham still flying high, Parky is the man.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Non League Wrex£am still flying high, Parky is the Non League man.

agreed

[From Despair To Where?]

I was at Bramall Lane in 05/06, Ian and we can thank Dave Kitson for not winning that one.

[Snowflake Royal]

I was at Bramall Lane in 05/06, Ian and we can thank Dave Kitson for not winning that one.

Ahhh, I'm remembering the cup game. Saw both at home.

[From Despair To Where?]

It was a quite a fiesty game. On St Valentine's Day IIRC but certainly no love lost.

[Loafer]

hopeless
helpless
hapless

he HAS to GO

[Royal_jimmy]

Unless we slip into the bottom 3 I think he deserves the season. He's done a good job and proven me wrong. Still think Bowen deserves much of the credit for our season to date which has been solid

[Royal_jimmy]

Non League Wrex£am still flying high, Parky is the Non League man.

agreed

Parky is the man to guide us into a new division called league one

[Loafer]

BUMP

he needs to GO before we end up in league ONE!!!!

[AthleticoSpizz]

give it up DD

[Royal_jimmy]

The summer is a good time to make a change

[AthleticoSpizz]

The summer is a good time to make a change

…and the perfect ‘thank you’ for achieving his one and only job of keeping us up.

Think he’ll probably walk anyway….head held high and all that….he’ll deserve a rest.

[Crowbar6753]

Ince has done a lot of good behind the scenes and the club is in a better place for this. I'm sure his experience has helped with this from playing with Utd and abroad at Milan, however, Ince is no Manager!! He is tactically naive, has no idea of his first eleven and continues to play players out of there natural positions....
I think we will get sucked down the table but have enough to survive. Then its up to the boardroom to decide in which direction the club needs to go, do we say thank you for keeping us up and give him a great send off and look for a manager who can move us forward with a clean slate. Or, do we give him another chance with the club hopefully able to be a bit more competitive in the transfer market.

[AthleticoSpizz]

^ exactly

Heart says, give him that chance he deserves, head says, move on

We’ve failed in recent years on both counts.

[Crowbar6753]

^ exactly

Heart says, give him that chance he deserves, head says, move on

We’ve failed in recent years on both counts.

If he does leave i really hope we learn from our lessons with previous foreign managers!! Ince has knowledge of the English game and i believe this has helped us massively, and the reason we have punched above our weight so far this season. He beefed up the team with players that'll give 100% and fight to the death, however, i now think we've been found out and this is where Ince's lack of tactical awareness is starting to hurt us.
I would like to give a go to a youngish British manager whoever that may be...that fella who just went to Rangers from the other Rangers is exactly the type of manager we should be on the lookout for.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Yep, and his contacts and the ‘attractiveness’ of being managed and working with an English playing legend has certainly helped us too.

Tough call…Ince without a budget v Ince with a budget v a random manager…???