By Simon ‘Sprout` Phillips
Well I`m back after a couple of weeks off. My house move went well, and I have the interweb and beer fridge up and running. Home sweet home.
It`s certainly been an interesting couple of weeks and I think it could be even more interesting in the ones to come. I mean hands up who thought the Rotherham victory might, just might have been the turning point to us finally showing some good form and really kicking are season on. Since then we had a disappointing defeat after an apparent bright start followed by Tuesday`s truly abysmal showing.
Following the defeat to Port Vale there have been many disgruntled Gasheads, and the questions just keep piling up and no real answers seem to be forthcoming. So much seems to be going on in and around the club, and it`s hard to know where to start.
I want to back the manager, I want to be positive and I want to be patient, but I really am becoming increasingly frustrated with the performances of the team and the manager himself. I have said many times about keeping in touch with the chasing pack and hoping things click and we kick on, but I am really starting to doubt that it can happen. We have had some good performances, but these appear to be the exceptions rather then the rule. Yes we have had injuries that have disrupted the selection, but the manager has also been quick to chop and change also. Regardless of injuries, you would hope a clear pattern of play would be becoming evident (be it slow build up or fast and direct or whatever), if it was you`d hope injuries or not, a player should slot in and know there role. However everything seems really hit and miss right now
I am still wound up and frustrated about Tuesday night and almost every day something different happens which makes it harder to back the manager. I never expected this season to be easy, I was not expecting a great assault on the upper reaches of the league, but I was hoping to see something coming together and everyone pulling together and this has not been the case. You don`t have to like a manager, (I disagree with quite a few of the things Paul Buckle has said), but you must respect him, but any respect Paul Buckle has had appears to be evaporating quickly.
The latest development appears to be that Stuart Campbell`s name has been circulated to other clubs after failing to agree a new deal. On the face of it, you`d think nothing much in that to be honest, that`s what happens. I like Campbell and he has done a great job for us over the years and it might be his time (you certainly can’t be too sentimental), but some of Buckle`s comments regarding the issue just baffle me. A while back he was held up as an example to Craig Stanley. He was put back in the team and important to it in Mr Buckle`s mind. Now he cannot agree a deal he is too be moved on. This despite Paul Buckle saying we missed his leadership on Tuesday night. If that is the case, surely he should utilise him and try not to move him on. Not only that what does that say about the team captain Matt Gill or any of the other players if his leadership was badly missed?
Of course it now appears we have to move players on to bring players in and it looks as though cams is the sacrifice. Perhaps though not wasting the money on an unneeded forward in Scott Rendell would have meant he could have got the centre-half we badly need in.
There seems to be a lot of unrest at the moment and the next couple of weeks could be telling. One thing needs to happen though and that the chairman and the board will need to be strong and either back their appointment to the hilt or be decisive and get rid.
still feel we have some decent players and a dominant and talkative Centre-half would make a big difference, but only if the manager picks a team, sticks to it and gets it to play in a settled way and cut out the excuses for poor performances, because for a man who says he doesn`t make excuses, he sure seems to have plenty to hand. In all honesty unless things becoming really bad and we are in the proverbial, then we have to stick by Paul Buckle and try and believe/hope he can turn things in the right direction, because can we afford to pay off another manager, his staff and get someone new, and more new staff and players?
Since the sacking of Paul Trollope we have been in a vicious circle and it needs to be broken somehow and getting rid of another manager probably won`t help. For all those who would sack him, ask yourself, would you trust the board to appoint the right man the next time? If we did appoint a new man, how long does he get? And where do you stop?
It`s been really depressing this week to write about the goings on at BRFC. Hopefully a win Saturday will brighten things up after such a bad week and prove to be that start of an elusive unbeaten run. I am away this weekend, so won`t be subject to the joy, ambivalence or despondency that Saturdays result may bring, as I cash in my birthday present and enjoy The Arctic Monkeys at the O2 arena. At the moment, I feel as though I will be ‘afraid` to check my phone for the scores, knowing what the reactions will be.
If anything I feel as though I have rambled this week, but it is hard to pin point what to put to rights as it were. I hope you enjoy your weekends and the football and hope we get what we all want and that is for Rovers to start to bounce back
UTG
Simon ‘Sprout` Phillips
