Over the top knee jerk posts?I honestly believe there are a few who are happy at last night showing giving fuel to the calls of Radford out. I believe last nights second half non show deserves all the criticism it has got because it was on par with the Giants humiliation play off game.For what reason did it happen?I have not a clue if it was in last 15 mins or so then the short turn round could be used but it was not.I do however think injuries did have some say but not to that extent ,can we blame Radford again IMO ..No do fans really think he did not send them out by saying keep it tight for first 15 and frustrate them or do as some say he sent them out saying the game was won,if you believe that your knowledge of the game is nil or your hatred of Radford has shrunk your brain.watching last night was painfull to say the least and for forty minutes almost all the team looked championship material.We need a reaction at Wigan or we are doomed whether we change coach or not because some simply did not look good enough to wear the shirt and can and should do far better

I've never quite understood the argument that a coach is not to blame for a performance because the players haven't done as they're told. That's like saying it's not a parent's fault if their 5-year-old never behaves themselves, either. The entire point is that a coach's job is to get the players to do as they're told. There's almost certainly fault to be found on both sides if that is not happening on a regular basis (there'll always be blips).

I'm not laying last night and the general state of the last few years purely at the coaches' doors, I just don't understand this seeming get of jail free card they are being offered of the players not doing as they are told.

So applying your logic you clearly believe Gentle shouldn't have been sacked for what happened at Huddersfield?

FWIW I'm not a Radford hater and don't think he should be sacked. Yet.

I read about club apologists all the time. Thought I'd invent an idiotic and childish name for the other end of the spectrum as you put it.
Get a grip yourself.

Agreed. Equally I've never understood how many people refuse to blame the players. Looking at all the posts and threads since last night there's very little criticism whatsoever of the players either individually or as a group. Yet they're the ones who took to the field and embarrassed themselves and the club.

Isn't blaming Radford an excuse?

Oh I think there are a few posters on here who've had a pretty firm grip on (a part of) themselves since last night.

In fairness there was plenty of criticism of the players during the second half. And some since. I've always maintained that coach and players succeed or fail together and it's very rarely all one or the other to blame. But the point is we are stuck with this squad - a newly assembled one at that - for this season at least, whereas the coach could be changed. The coach who assembled the aforementioned players who were an embarrassment last night.

Still - having calmed down a bit through the course of today (only a bit, mind) I can see the merit in waiting until Easter before pulling the trigger. Although I'm not expecting any massive improvement TBH.

It's a mix of things. radford isn't good/experienced enough to take a club which is on the ropes and turn it into title contenders. As has been said, all of the other clubs who have had success appointing coaches into their first head coach roles have picked up strong clubs with good practices, systems and better resources than radford has (wigan apart who picked up an exceptional coach in maguire).

So we have an inexperienced coach trying to rebuild an ailing club, suffering from a lack of investment over many years, a dwindling support base backed by an enthusiastic but even more inexperienced club owner.

I'm sure that there has been lots of good stuff done and some of this will reap rewards in the future but the fact is that pearson should have gone out and picked an experienced coach with a track record of rebuilding. The coaching appointment would have cost him more but would have saved him a fortune in the long run.

As it stands, playing wise we're worse off than we were 3 years ago. radford has assembled a poor squad IMO, with few quality players, surrounded by average players, backed up primarilly by inexperienced kids. I don't see any way we'll finish top 8 this season which will be massively damaging IMO. Imagine if rovers do finish top 8 , who will the next generation of young players in the city want to sign for?

I'm not sure what the answer is. Maybe bring someone in to work alongside radford but finding the right person won't be easy

I personally think that we have the makings of a team that could well. Granted there is some dross in it (Bowden, Green, Yeaman, Rankin) but there also some great players in there too. Where it falls down is the coach. How anyone can be enthusiastic for that bloke who came on telly after the Leeds loss and mumbled through a few sentences then made a joke knowing his jobs as safe as house is beyond me.

Id personally get rid of Radford now. Were going no where and the new man needs to start getting his processes up and running as quick as possible - waiting till easter could be suicide. I know Pearson will probably want to avoid Aussies so only one man would work - Noble and let him have a big back room staff.

It was obviously very unwise of Pearson to be so explicit in his determination not to consider sacking Radford at any point this season ("I'll tell everyone now, if they think there is going to be a change in the head coach of the club this year, they are sadly mistaken. My heels are as dug in as you will find them. If anyone wants to put up a banner saying 'Radford Out' then bring it on because it is not going to happen."icon_wink.gif A straight bat was all that was necessary. That said, there is more than one way to skin a cat.

A poor result against Wigan will see a four figure attendance against Catalans and a bad Easter would surely set alarm bells ringing. We probably need a minimum of 22 points to make the 8 and May/June look particularly tough.

My only hope is that Pearson said similar things about Jan Molby and Phil Parkinson all those years ago, before ditching them just weeks later at great expense. He also backed Gentle publicly and he was his way not long after.

Low attendances will set the alarm bells ringing, as will the prospect of missing out on 3 'super 8' home games, which will most likely be the difference between profit and loss for the club.

That statement doesnt ring true does it?

I disagree, I think there's been plenty. Maybe less so individually (although Westerman seems to have had a few mentions), but that's possibly because people don't know where to start. It's like an oscars speech; there are so many to name check it's hard to get them all in.

Even they took the experienced route to halt the slide first with Noble, though.