I'd agree completely if we'd been playing like that with Holdsworth, Ellis, Lynch and McDonnell in the team.

But yesterday was about lack of leadership and direction. And that was all sitting in the stands. That doesn't make the performance acceptable - it wasn't and I've said in an earlier post that I don't think Gentle has adapted very well to those injuries - but the fact is we're down our 4 best players.

I'm not for accepting mediocrity any more than you are (I've suffered through the Lloyd and then the Agar years) and I've no issue with fans or AP being p***** off (I know I am) - all I am saying is that we (fans and AP) should balance our recent poor form with those key players missing against our overall good form whilst Gentle's been here and give the guy a bit more time and support.

If we're going to ditch our coach every time we string two or three poor performances together then we'll get nowhere.

If we're still performing like this in 4 or 5 weeks then I'll agree with you.

Looking back on the friendly against the Dobbins when Ellis, Holdsworth etc were playing we looked as clueless as yesterday, now I know it was a friendly, early season, new partnerships needed to gel etc. but the output was worryingly the same.

I completely agree - all I'm advocating is giving the guy a few more weeks to see which way it turns. At the end of last season I felt more positively about Gentle as our coach than I had probably since the all too short Brian Smith era. Our recent performances are unacceptable but, for me at least, he has still got a few runs on the board.

Your point about some of the more fundamental aspects of our performance is a good one. Some (organisation, last tackle options) will be addressed when Holdsworth and Ellis return, others (quick PTB) are more worrying and need to improve irrespective of who is on the pitch.

Some Rovers wag put on my facebook page,Hull F...ing Clueless. Couldn`t argue t.b.h.

The point on last tackle options IMO is also divorced from who's on the pitch; organisation is even more important when Holdsworth is not there to produce something. When you know you're down on individual ability, you compensate by trainig and practising set plays and calls in the week until you're bored sick of it, so that on the last on gameday at least everyone knows what the plan is. We've some decent kickers in the team in Tickle, Whiting, Westerman and Houghton. Get the fecking ball in the air with a great chase or long into the dead ball area, but before you do it, everyone needs to know the call and be drilled. Our kicking is just speculative with no organised support. That's unforgivable, but doubly so when we should be well drilled to offset the lack of creative individuals. IMO.

Absolutely right on every point for me. We need to be patient. I believe PG is a quality coach, but any coach decimated of such key players as we have been would struggle to get a winning team and game plan.

I think its an over reaction but gentles team selection puzzles me, playing whiting and westerman at six and seven is ridiculous, horne has played seven for most of his career so why play him at fullback even though he had a very good game, and what as jack briscoe done he is a natural fullback but cant get a look in.

I absolutely agree with @mars - fans have got to be realistic.

I don't think anyone could have picked a side for yesterday's game with half a chance of winning.

Take the pack.

When everyone is fit, players like Bowden, Galea, Pitts, Johnson, Whiting and Green would

all be fighting for a single place on the subs bench. But they were all playing.

As individuals, they are all very good squad players, and would normally slot straight into the team.

And remember that Watts and Tickle have only just returned from very long layoffs.

And when Holdsworth, McDonnell, Yeaman and Seymour are missing it kind of makes life very difficult.


....and well played Richard Horne.

until people stop making excuses and start demanding more the club will never progress.

Apart from we had a full chance of winning against a poor Rovers team who in the eventuality ended up halveless like ourselves.
We had no game plan and were structureless once again.
We have vital injuries but you have to go with what you've got and have a plan for compensation.

I never saw one, again.
That's the worry.

I wouldn't describe Hall+Burns as halveless, even though Burns missed most of the second half.

Their attacking flair was bound to outplay Whiting+Westerman.

Changing game plans only works when you've a reasonable settled side.

Westerman, for example, seems to be going backwards at the moment. Changing his role every match just doesn't suite his game.

Yes it's a wonder we dare come out of the dressing room knowing we had to face the might of Hall in the halfs.
The other one, Burns, isn't very good either, incidentally.

A cunning one would be a bonus.

The trouble is, the might of Hall is a damn sight better than we had to offer.
Ball in hand, Hall is a lot better player than you're suggesting.