I'm fine with IL and what he's done for the club, and fully appreciate that cash is tight and he can't go around waving his cheque book in the air, but the same can be said for most other clubs (perhaps Wire excepted), but good players don't simply become bad players when coached and mentored correctly. I see a lot of similarities to Saints in 2017... A great player such as Kieron Cunningham doesn't necessarily make a good coach and look what happened there. McManus had the balls to see what was happening and put a stop to it. Perhaps we're too far gone, entrenched in bad practices and attitude, but IL needs to grow some and have AL in his office now, and not for just a friendly chat.

I don't disagree with any of that. I think you're spot on.

A small part of me thinks back to the early part of the season when Martin Sadler announced on good authority that the club was in the final stages of transition to Danson. IL was swift (for once) to denounce this. Sadler then advised he stood by his original report and that his source was good.

No smoke without fire. If behind the scenes secret preparations were indeed to retire then no wonder why his heart doesn't seem to be in it anymore. We all know IL is the type to announce only on his terms but surely any backtracking now (by announcing during the off season) would only show there was truth in the article.

Have you ever handed in your notice and have to give a month's notice, that final week where you still show up in body but your head can't be bothered? It feels like that.

Sitting in the south stand it looked like we actually created an overlap in the first half with Marshall getting a walk in if Gildart had simply moved the ball on, shocking lack of basic skills.
Either he's taking the mick or Wests are in for a hell of a shock when he turns up for their pre-season

I forgot about the Sadler stuff, it came from nowhere and then seemed to be handled quite abruptly and petty.

I’ve read some strange comments on forums but that takes the biscuit.

Because they are being paid to perform?

Fans pay for the privilege of attending matches and can choose whether to attend or not..

Players are professional sportsmen under contract and paid to to a job.

There is a slight difference.

It’s also strange in that it makes no sense. Our last two crowds look to have been two of the biggest of any club since crowds returned (certainly the Saints game was the biggest full stop). Yes our crowds have dipped over the years but if Wigan players fail to find motivation to play in front of crowds of our size, I’m struggling to imagine how non fussed players at some other clubs must feel.