Quote: Saddened! "I held off posting last night as every sentence I could come up with featured words ending in 'king' and 'ite'. Last night was simply woeful, as in worst I've ever seen in 35 years woeful. Another lifeless, throwaway performance from a group of players who clearly want their coach sacked and have absolutely no pride in themselves, their teammates or the club. The similarities with the situation at Everton are there for all to see. Unhappy fans, unhappy players, a deluded coach making a complete mockery of himself in interviews and results showing the mess the club is in. How McManus has managed to reach Saturday evening without sacking everyone at the club is beyond me. If there is any intention to make the club a success, Cunningham has to be gone by Monday. If he's allowed to once again insult the club's fans and talk rubbish in interviews after his players delivered another limp performance the club really is in trouble.
But what annoys me the most is something different. It's not Alex Walmsley's body language or efforts in games, it's not the prospect of the worst player in SL getting a contract extension with us, it's the fans. The move from Knowsley Road to the Library killed the very soul of the club and this manifests itself most in the support, or lack of it. I've never known a sporting venue to be so devoid of spirit and passion. If we'd put in a string of performances like we have this season, there would have been sit-ins, riots, mass season ticket burnings and proper sack the board chants. All that happened last night was a few half hearted boos when KC came on the big screen. It seriously wouldn't surprise me if McManus had absolutely no idea of how unhappy everyone is with the club as the fans are so silent. McManus is going to be able to get away with it, people just won't make enough noise to force the change. It wouldn't surprise me if we're in Bradford's position in 2 years time and no one associated with the club could feel hard done to.'"
The problem is, given that McManus & Rush had the misguided confidence and trust not only to give KC the job in the first place but to also give him an extension before he was proven, then can you trust their judgment in picking a better replacement for him?
If and when he goes, Long and the rest of them should go with him.
In terms of the team, we have a mixture of players who are just and never will be good enough and reasonable players who are playing poorly coupled with poor tactics and boring rugby.
As you say a bit like Everton (I'm an armchair fan of them). On paper they have some good players but on grass they have lost any mojo they might have had.
Back to Saints, I'm not sure a new coach can fix it with the existing squad or if they are just demoralized and disinterested under KC and just need new leadership. I think the truth is its the former and 6 or 7 players have to go at the end of the season such as Owens, Wilkin, Turner, Richards, Vea, Burns & Peyroux. My mind is not made up about Thompson and Tasi but they need to improve or go or indeed some of the kids such as Spedding (I've not seen much of the others) but Ashworth and Knowles should not be tainted by KC's "tutelage" yet.
So, I've got 4 undecided plus about 6 kids plus others which would be good enough under a good coach e.g. Lomax, Makinson, Percival, Swift, Walsh, Roby, Walmsley, Armor, Greenwood, Fages, Savelio, LMS, Dawson, (probably as he has much improved) and also McDonnell as a back up only.
Can't fault LMS for effort but he is seriously lacking a rugby brain or indeed any sort of brain, even though I like him a lot !!
