In the summer, if rumours are to believed, Steve and Brian were forced out of the club for financial mismanagement. Rumours that have been allowed to swirl around mainly due to the secrecy and inability of the club to communicate anything to its fan base. We ended that season with a bit of a damp squib but with a solid squad that looked decent at league one level, capable of pulling off some surprises on the bigger teams whilst allowing fans after the Vale game genuine hopes that we could push on to the playoffs.
Out of absolutely nowhere Brian left with no word from the club until rumours on messageboards forced the club to release a statement. We then had a director of football appointed before Steve was sacked with absolutely no explanation given. We’ve had hints about the club being financially mismanaged but the hierarchy of the club felt no need to clear it up at all to us plebs, allowing rumours to continue to swirl.
But hey, I thought let’s give this season a go. Was I happy with the appointment of Taylor? Not particularly, he didn’t seem inspiring but he talked a good game about being an attractive outfit. We then sold the heart of this team in Luke Leahy whose absence now is noticeable with each passing game. The leader who tied this club to the fans and kept pushing us forward as club captain. If he wanted out, fine but it was a huge loss to the squad.
I have not seen a single player brought in by Moore improve this team. We’ve seen competent replacements in defence like Feeney and prospects like Mata but I have seen nothing at all added to this team in the summer to improve Steve’s squad, in fact we’ve gone backwards.
The core of the team of last season is the same which gives Taylor absolutely no excuse to see us getting the results we’ve seen. There’s no doubt in my mind we’d have beaten Rovers and Charlton if Steve had been in charge. Marosi, Dunkley, Winchester, Bayliss and Udoh are good enough players not to put us anywhere near the danger zone of relegation. I don’t feel this team believes in Taylor, I don’t believe they are playing to their full potential and I have seen nothing that gives me optimism for this season.
Whilst it’s easy to stick the blame on Taylor for the results, and he does bare responsibility, so does Moore because the signings have added nothing whatsoever to this team. The real problem lies with the person who has evaded telling us what the hell has been going on.
Why was it Steve and Brian were sacked?
Why is it that we’ve sacked a manager who actually took us forward on the pitch?
Why is it that for the last ten years this club has made limited progress in league one except under Steve and a wonder season under Hurst?
Why is it that we’ve allowed absolute dud managers such as Ricketts be allowed to drive this club into stagnation?
What exactly is the vision for this football club?
A price increase to £24 to watch a club incapable of scoring from open play?
So Roland this is on you now. Fans aren’t calling for Taylor or Moore’s heads. This is your call and frankly you’ve run out of bodies you can throw to the wolves to defend yourself and the cloud this football club is living under. As fans we deserve more than what we are seeing but right now we could easily be tumbling into the bottom six and in a scrap until the end. And there is no one to blame but Roland.
