Not really a squad that should've won the league easily. No full back, no pace in the team, two half backs too similar to each other, then lost two prop forwards (Vaivai and Patrick) early which left us light up front.

Good points, but please expand on your "unprepared for the season"

Losing 5 out of first 6 was a clue on how well prepared for the season they were. Players looked overweight / unfit. We lost both friendlies, how often do we lose that pre season friendly against Wigan? They only played 2 friendlies, on at home another at a SL ground, not really preparing you for a February afternoon in Barrow. No games against Championship or League 1 teams in pre season, with a squad of players where the majority have never played outside top flight.

KP stated, in an interview, that he thought the major reason for our disastrous start, was that many players treated the Championship, and its players and stadia, with insufficient respect. To me, that is an all round lack of preparation.

As a coach,did he challenge the ethics?

I don't know. Did moral principles (i.e. ethics) come into his brief though? (although one of his predecessors resigned, quoting just that)

You mean did he ' challenge ' it at the time ?

Probably not , because like everybody else , you only realise these things afterwards , just as those claiming on here to have ' seen ' or ' known ' that things weren't right are bull*******g ,

Again , hindsight , if only you could bottle it

Alan as my post above alludes to , you mean at the time within the coaching structure ? , probably not , as just like the rest of us , after 2 good performances against this years best 2 SL teams he thought we would be a power in the Championship , even the best coaches get it wrong sometimes

Absolutely.

I'm not sure what 'ethics' he was supposed to question? Was it 'unethical' of the players not to respect their opponents, or was it 'unethical' of the coaching team to not spot the players' attitude? Or maybe he should have used the word 'unprofessional', which isn't quite the same thing?!

Probably the wrong wording atomic , attitude more relevant

These are professional players we are talking about, a clout round the earhole from an opposition player should put paid to any apathy, they were taking clouts for 6 weeks, nothing to do with ill preparation they were just bad, someone mentioned Barrow, I went, they were absolutely crass when Barrow started giving it them especially Joe Bullock, he looked worth more than the collective value of those opposite him in Cherry and White, no fecking heart I say again nothing to do with no preperation.

I missed that one Harry , but it seemed to carry on from game 1 ( taking a 12 point lead over Toronto in the 1st ten minutes ) to giving away 4 scores against Rochdale in just a few minutes towards the end , even after the 1 st 6 games we were never ' convincing ' over a period of games , always seeming to just get in front , then switch off and let the opposition make life difficult for us

But it's over with now , and just the future to look forward to , bring it on

There was definitely a soft undercurrent within that squad, which does actually make me wonder if we'd be in an even worse position if we had made the top 4. Could've still been looking at around 800k drop in funding, but still paying Hall, Crooks, Matautia, Hansen, Thompson, Thompson, Lovett and Mortimer.

I still think there was ill preparation, maybe a coach they didn't respect. Maybe too many coaches with KC involved. Yes, players should take their share of responsibility but people are employed to get the best out of them, and that didnt happen in the first 6 games of the season. As was shown by the next 10 games or so.

Hansen went on record before friendlies to say they had just had the best preparation in his time at Leyth. Was that even though our fitness guru/strategist was still in oz with the england team.
In those first games that did not appear so faded last twenty conceding points that cost us matches
If they had underestimated the opposition, did not like the grounds, then it surely should have been different at Blackpool big game for big players.They failed again.All of them, on the field and as we found out after off the field.We won games after this but never really convinced

Higham could go with him to Widnes if don’t get the leigh job