Quite a Turnaround

[Jai]

Good thread. As one of the Brown outers back a couple of months ago I take my hat off to him. Ranger looks like an inspired signing and it makes such a difference having someone who can hold the ball up there. It takes pressure off the defence, allows midfield players like Wordsworth and McLaughlin to get beyond the ball, and allows Cox more time to pick dangerous passes. The defence has also improved but it's easy to look bad when the ball is just coming straight back at you all the time like it was early season.

We're on a great run and we are not just winning but winning well. Brown is a manager of runs, good and bad. He is destructive for morale during bad runs, constantly changing his team and systems and rounding on individuals in the media, but when things are going well he's talking them up and boosting confidence.

One negative is a section of fans on here and social media who insist on sarcastic 'Brown out' comments after wins. They just make themselves look like idiots. There weren't many who weren't in favour of a change a couple of months ago, in the event I'm glad it didn't happen. Until about the Oxford game, 2016 had been a total disaster and after some of the performances this year, like Wigan and Fleetwood in particular, it was very hard to see how PB could come back from it. He has, and fair play. Long may it continue.

 

[Liam AAS]

Fair play to you Jai for holding your hands up and admitting that you got it wrong. Plenty on here could learn from you.

 

[leeblue]

Look at our 'star players'
Ferdinand, Wordsworth, Cox, mcgaughlin and ranger.
Can other teams in our league boast such players....maybe Bolon.
Having these players fit and firing has taken us on. The link up play between Cox, ranger, macca and Wordsworth is a joy to watch at times.
Then add the likes of Coker, lenny et al and our first 11 is a good team. I still worry if we have to dip into the squad too much though.

 

[ms brush]

Got to say that I really thought Brown was out of ideas and time. If we are going to lose, I want to see a game that is passionate and we lose because the other team were better not because we didn't turn up! I hadn't been a Brown fan for quite some time, as I really don't like the clean sheet defensive mentality, and was hoping he would turn things around for the sake of the team and the club but didn't think it would happen, so I was surprised and very pleased he has turned things around!

The crop of players that have arrived recently have made a huge difference now everyone is fit and starting regularly. Ferdinand and Fortune were obvious quality additions from the start, and Cox with Ranger is a much better prospect than any up front options we have had for a long time. It also helps that Oxley has settled in a bit more and has made an important impact with some fab saves, so looking much better these days. Interesting that the spine of the team hasn't changed that much, but we played on Saturday with a level of skill and purpose I haven't seen for a long time at RH. We were strong, positive, looked solid in defence and dangerous going forward, and we were playing with a level of intelligence that isn't normally associated with league 1 football. long may that continue, was a great game to watch and I very much enjoyed watching the replays!!

 

[onceknownasrab]

H

As PB said, "judge me when the players are fit." It's amazing how the fitness of Ranger, Wordsworth and Ferdinand in particular has changed the whole dynamic of the side.

Sorry but the manager has to be judged for every game and not just the ones he chooses. A good manager does not look clueless when he has not got his best eleven out. I am so pleased we are getting points and playing well but I will judge PB on the good displays and the bad. So far he is showing that when players like Ranger do their stuff all is well but when we are a few players short he has no answer. When the going gets tough....

When we have not had our best side out I can understand us struggling but we still had good players and should never have looked so bereft of ideas or ability.

 

[Massimo Giovanni]

As Above!
What Rab has typed is a much clearer expression of my point of view too.
Sometimes what defines people is how they deal with difficult times.

 

[Rattus Norvegicus]

As Above!
What Rab has typed is a much clearer expression of my point of view too.
Sometimes what defines people is how they deal with difficult times.

Absolutely ............ and those times could be just around the corner if (for example) a couple of our players go down with injury or colds. We have to have a team on the pitch (and not just 11 individuals) for all 46 games of the season.

 

[Ex-Member1]

Too much thinking on here IMHO, you win some, you lose some. Isn't that what football is all about? Enjoy the good times, swallow the bad. COYBB

 

[Stan33]

Excellent post ,possibly the best game 4 a very long time .when will we make a bid 4 Joey Barton !:smiles::smile::smile:

 

[Feathers]

H

Sorry but the manager has to be judged for every game and not just the ones he chooses. A good manager does not look clueless when he has not got his best eleven out. I am so pleased we are getting points and playing well but I will judge PB on the good displays and the bad. So far he is showing that when players like Ranger do their stuff all is well but when we are a few players short he has no answer. When the going gets tough....

When we have not had our best side out I can understand us struggling but we still had good players and should never have looked so bereft of ideas or ability.

Agreed but should not the same apply to fans?

Last season we finished in a very respectable mid table position in our first year back in League for a number of seasons. Yet many people were calling for Brown to be sacked following a very poor second half of the season, or in other words judging him against games of their choice and not all of them.

I think Brown was very close to the sack after the Northampton game with the Oxford and Peterborough home games being key but he/the team turned it around just in time.

Based on all his games this season we are currently 12th and one point of the play-off so how would you judge on that taking into account both poor and good spells?

 

[NZamba Legend]

Here's an idea.

Why don't we round up EVERY SINGLE ONE of the 69% of posters who, in the last SZ public poll, voted that Phil Brown should be sacked and parade them around the stadium before tomorrow night's match. These miscreants should bow their heads and repeat, sombrely and in unison, 'we are sorry, we are sorry'. The rest of the crowd will then be able to see how WRONG and SHAMEFUL these so-called supporters are. For added entertainment, our leader Phil Brown should go up to every last member of the 69% and LAUGH RIGHT IN THEIR FACE. For me, this is the only sensible way to assuage the ill feeling that has persisted on these boards even since Phil Brown courted the attention of Bolton Wanderers in the Spring and subsequently led Blues on a horrific run of form. A confession: I was one of the 69% and I hate myself for it.

 

[onceknownasrab]

L

Here's an idea.

Why don't we round up EVERY SINGLE ONE of the 69% of posters who, in the last SZ public poll, voted that Phil Brown should be sacked and parade them around the stadium before tomorrow night's match. These miscreants should bow their heads and repeat, sombrely and in unison, 'we are sorry, we are sorry'. The rest of the crowd will then be able to see how WRONG and SHAMEFUL these so-called supporters are. For added entertainment, our leader Phil Brown should go up to every last member of the 69% and LAUGH RIGHT IN THEIR FACE. For me, this is the only sensible way to assuage the ill feeling that has persisted on these boards even since Phil Brown courted the attention of Bolton Wanderers in the Spring and subsequently led Blues on a horrific run of form. A confession: I was one of the 69% and I hate myself for it.

What a pile of horse excrement. Six improved results and now PB can walk on water. He still has a great deal to prove and this season will no doubt have plenty of twists and turns yet. It has nothing to do with our current position but whether more should have been done with whatever squad was at our disposal and whether someone else could have done better. You may have changed your opinion but crikey that's at the very least premature.

I hope PB proves me wrong because that has to be good for my club. We shall see.

 

[rigsby]

L

What a pile of horse excrement. Six improved results and now PB can walk on water. He still has a great deal to prove and this season will no doubt have plenty of twists and turns yet. It has nothing to do with our current position but whether more should have been done with whatever squad was at our disposal and whether someone else could have done better. You may have changed your opinion but crikey that's at the very least premature.

I hope PB proves me wrong because that has to be good for my club. We shall see.

He has done on numerous occasions :smile:

 

[onceknownasrab]

He has done on numerous occasions :smile:

In your totally unbiased opinion. Personally I think he has made me right enough times/too many times.

 

[rigsby]

In your totally unbiased opinion. Personally I think he has made me right enough times/too many times.

Did someone mention totally unbiased opinions ?

 

[Thundersley Blue]

Well I have for one voted for Brown to go and I haven't changed my mind. Sure I am enjoying the run we are on but the season is so far following a predictable pattern. Poor start followed by a recovery but can we sustain it ? We are sill playing catch up.

 

[RobM]

Well I have for one voted for Brown to go and I haven't changed my mind. Sure I am enjoying the run we are on but the season is so far following a predictable pattern. Poor start followed by a recovery but can we sustain it ? We are sill playing catch up.

...and form of P6 W4 D2 L0 F 13 A 3 Pts 14 we're making a good job of it!

 

[TTS]

L

What a pile of horse excrement. Six improved results and now PB can walk on water. He still has a great deal to prove and this season will no doubt have plenty of twists and turns yet. It has nothing to do with our current position but whether more should have been done with whatever squad was at our disposal and whether someone else could have done better. You may have changed your opinion but crikey that's at the very least premature.

I hope PB proves me wrong because that has to be good for my club. We shall see.

Well I have for one voted for Brown to go and I haven't changed my mind. Sure I am enjoying the run we are on but the season is so far following a predictable pattern. Poor start followed by a recovery but can we sustain it ? We are sill playing catch up.

Just as a quick wondering how many defeats will it take for you to say, " see told you he hadn't turned it around ".

For example, if we go unbeaten for 7 games , when do you turn, defeat 1, 2 , 3 or will he be allowed to pass the 7 games previously unbeaten, would just like to know the balance in which he has to prove something ?

A pure simple thing for me, is that we are above the position & league from his first league game ! Yep, we have seen some poor runs and performances, but unless I never want to see SUFC lose to play poorly again, under any manager, I may have to readjust my expectations.

For the record, I don't think he can walk on water , I just think he has turned something around and yet to some, he isn't even afforded the credit for turning it.

 

[southendkid]

Well I have for one voted for Brown to go and I haven't changed my mind. Sure I am enjoying the run we are on but the season is so far following a predictable pattern. Poor start followed by a recovery but can we sustain it ? We are sill playing catch up.

I don't think a recovery was predictable at all, there's was a lot of talk of a relegation battle a few weeks ago. Something just feels different compared to last year, last year even when we were in the playoffs I never believed we'd stay there because we we never seemed to win convincingly against anyone this year we look like a team that deserves to be up there if Ranger plays. If Ranger gets injured I think we'll have problems (although Fortune is a much better third choice striker than we've had in a long time) but if he stays fit and keeps his head I don't see why a collapse needs to happen.

 

[LBBlue]

The "turnaround" is entirely down to Ranger and Ferdinand. Ranger's 6 starts now read Won 5 Drawn 1 GF 15 GA 2. Ferdinand's 10 league starts Won 5 drawn 4 lost 1. The signing of these two players was a high risk strategy bearing in mind their recent history and if both stay fit, focussed and at the club we could do very well. The 9 "proper" games when neither of them have started - won 1 drawn 1 lost 7.

Brown's strategy has been to sign name players -it didn't work with Hunt and Wordsworth last year.


Whatever went on in the discussions Brown had after the Rochdale game has resulted in a more positive attitude and Saturday's performance was exceptional as these two players allow everyone else to play. I suspect on or two of the newer signings put him straight. Having a premier league quality centre forward makes a lot of difference. Also the only two goals conceded in Ranger's matches were the unfortunate slip by Thompson at Bradford and the dodgy penalty at Bury.

At last there is a situation where the starting 11 picks itself and we are reaping the rewards of settled team. When we do slip up again I just hope Brown sticks with what we have now and doesn't take his normal strategy of axing 4 or 5 players and reverting to systems the players don't understand.

I've never liked Brown and doubt I ever will but as long as he remains lucky I'll be happy. I just wish he knew when to keep his gob shut.