The Manager

[Tam M]

Couldn't really see another topic for this, as it's not really a post about today's game, but if there please feel free to merge.

Firstly, I would like to say I think Danny Lennon is a really nice guy and I wish him nothing but the best. Unfortunately, I feel that his time is up. I lost faith in him last season but felt that after the league cup, he deserved another chance. I feel that he hasn’t taken it.

I done a few rough sums tonight and since Lennon was appointed manager in 2010, we have played 139 competitive games (league, league cup and Scottish cup games). We have only won 37 games in this period of time, and 13 of these were in the cups. This means we have only won 24 league games since June 2010, an average of 8 a season. This is clearly not acceptable.

When he first joined, I’m sure you’ll all agree that the football was great to watch compared to the dross we were served under Gus McPherson. However, the inability to turn that good football into points on the board gets boring after a while, not to mention frustrating. The scary thing now is that actually, we are not playing the nice football anymore. It’s a pass, pass, pass around the back then a boot up the park.

I do not expect us to be challenging for the league title or anything like that, but when you look at the progress of Inverness (who rebuild a new team every year), St Johnstone and Ross County, it frustrates me that we cannot achieve anything close to what they have in the league.

Pre-Season he let go of players such as Imrie and Guy. I did not have a problem with this and was not particularly sad to see them go, but as they were contracted, it baffles me as to why they were let go without reinforcements being in place.

There is a bit of talk that the budget has been cut significantly, however if this is the case then I’d hope the board would come out and explain this to us. However, it must cost a few quid to take the whole squad to Spain for a training camp for a week. I understand that this is a great team bonding opportunity, but with Harkins and only two Goalkeepers being signed up at this point (one of the keepers had already been training with us for a while), was there really a need for this with it basically being the same squad as last season minus a few. Surely this money could have been better invested within the squad.

I was also told from someone that spoke to a few players (who are a bit pissed off apparently) that McGowan is on 4K a week! Which would explain that if Danny has spunked this amount of his budget on McGowan why there has been a lack of signings and replacements for those who left. I think Lennon brought in Harkins as a replacement to McGowan as he did not expect him to stay, but when he did, left Lennon a bit snookered.

Danny has never really spent too much cash on the goalkeeping position and does not see it has a key area of the team, and this personally doesn’t bother me as there are plenty of keepers out there. To be fair, I think the new guy has taken a bit of stick, but apart from one howler due to a short pass back from Grainger against ICT, I don’t think he has been at fault for any of the goals in the first two games. (Can’t comment on today’s goals as not seen them and wasn’t at the game)

The defence clearly isn’t good enough as we are leaking goals left right and centre. He brought in Grainger which was a good experienced signing, and I personally don’t mind McAusland and Goodwin at the back, but feel we need a bit of competition in there to keep team on their toes, and as of yet I don’t think it would be fair to rely on McGregor after two years out for that. As much as I love DVZ, I think his time is up at this level and David Barron is forever injured. What really annoys me is that we have an experienced player in Lee Mair (all be it not the best) but we don’t even have him in the squad! He’s sitting in the house watching the scores on fecking Sky Sports! Lee Mair played RB for Aberdeen before, but a midfielder and a central defender gets a look in before he does! The way he is trying to force Mair out the club in my opinion is disgusting.

We have a great few midfielders, but the problem is we have too many of them and too many of them are too similar! Teale is an automatic pick on the right hand side, as is Newton for the holding role (as we don’t really have anyone else for that role). This leaves McLean, McGinn, McGowan, Robbo and Harkins all fighting it out for a central role. One of them usually ends up stuck on the left, where we don’t actually have a natural left winger. As Harkins is now in the team (and looks like Lennon will not drop him), McGowan is being put into central midfield rather than behind the front two and has so far this season not really done anything. McGinn is our best option on the left, but McLean comes back after missing part of pre-season and jumps straight into the team leaving McGinn to warm the bench!

Up front we have Thompson on his own. It has been clear from day 1 in pre-season that he cannot play up front by himself! The only other striker we have is Thomas Reilly, who missed most of last season with an injury. We should have another experience striker to partner Thompson, and allow Reilly to break into the first team coming off the bench and making an impact during games. I would have been happy to have kept Sam Parkin as a cheap back up for Thompson to provide us with a bit of height in the team should Thompson get injured.

The above is a pretty grim reading of how our team looks at the moment, and the fault of this has to lie on Lennon’s shoulders. He’s f’ked up spectacularly this summer.

The fans have lost confidence, the players appear to be getting pissed off, the likes of Thompson was having a go at a supporter today as well apparently. We’ve been down this road before with Hendrie, Coughlin and McPherson. Let’s not prolong the agony, let’s not lose supporters that end up finding something else more enjoyable to do on a Saturday, let’s make the change before it’s too late.

It’s too late for a new manager to be able to build a new team. If I was the board, I would say to Thompson and Teale, we’ll give you a chance as Caretaker bosses until the January transfer window. Get on the phone to your old pals down South, get a few of them up here to do you a favour, and if we’re doing well the jobs yours. If not, we get a replacement ready to jump in before the January transfer window and get a bit of wheeling and dealing done and hopefully keep us up.

Like I said, Danny gave me the greatest day of my life as a St Mirren supporter and for that I will be forever grateful and will always list him as a hero. For whatever reason, it’s just not working out.

[Svard svard]

There's only one point a picked out!

Not disagreeing with you but if Gowser is on 4k a week I will let Alan McGraw ride his wheelchair with the wheels caked in disease ridden human excrement over my mouth in the wembley centre circle whilst I sing I am a little tea pot

[santaponsasaint]

We have won one home league game since Jan, Great manager.

[Tam M]

There's only one point a picked out!

Not disagreeing with you but if Gowser is on 4k a week I will let Alan McGraw ride his wheelchair with the wheels caked in disease ridden human excrement over my mouth in the wembley centre circle whilst I sing I am a little tea pot

Like I said, no idea if it is true or not. Just what I was told by someone a good few weeks ago. Would certainly explain the reason why there is a struggle to replace so many players that has left.

[santaponsasaint]

There's only one point a picked out!

Not disagreeing with you but if Gowser is on 4k a week I will let Alan McGraw ride his wheelchair with the wheels caked in disease ridden human excrement over my mouth in the wembley centre circle whilst I sing I am a little tea pot

Better get McGraws phone number,

[Tam M]

We have won one home league game since Jan, Great manager.

Gary, I agree it's not acceptable. We all know your opinion of Lennon, and what it has been for a while now. But I said all pre-season, he has another chance because of the league cup, but he's f'ked it unfortunately. Would love for him to prove me wrong, but as soon as the fans and players loose faith, it's just a matter of time.

[santaponsasaint]

Gary, I agree it's not acceptable. We all know your opinion of Lennon, and what it has been for a while now. But I said all pre-season, he has another chance because of the league cup, but he's f'ked it unfortunately. Would love for him to prove me wrong, but as soon as the fans and players loose faith, it's just a matter of time.

We would all love him to prove us wrong cos that means the team are winning and playing well, but I cant see that happening, the guy sits on the bench with the deid lice falling off him, he has no passion, just sits there staring at the ground, waste of time, if had to pay in today I would really would have been gutted,

Edited August 25, 2013 by santaponsasaint

[MarkCorrigan]

The OP is talking a lot of sense. In particular, we are not really playing nice football any more. When the passing stuff worked really well before the other teams figured out how to stop it early in DL's second season, this was because the players were prepared to make runs into space for each other and try to slip their markers so they would actually be able to do something with the ball when they got it. This has all stopped, replaced by a statue routine by most of them (I'd let Harkins, Newton, Teale and maybe Grainger away with this today....these guys at least tried to move) that means they have a defender on top of them when they get the ball and we lose it. A lot of the time, the only out ball is Teale or on the other side maybe Grainger and the passing from side to side is either so slow and predicatable that it's easily read and we get nowhere or is some ridiculous, raking 60 yard Hollywood pass effort that flies miles away from its intended target. It isn't, as the OP states, pretty and it isn't, as my mate said, at the game 'fluid' enough that our attacking moves take other teams by surprise often enough.

[ds10]

Gary, I agree it's not acceptable. We all know your opinion of Lennon, and what it has been for a while now. But I said all pre-season, he has another chance because of the league cup, but he's f'ked it unfortunately. Would love for him to prove me wrong, but as soon as the fans and players loose faith, it's just a matter of time.

Agree with this.

Your point about Mair though is way off.

However it's been pretty clear since the Charlton game that there are real problems with the team.

Why Danny hasn't been able to see that is a mystery to me. And not only is he not doing anything about it, he's not even able to explain himself on a decent manner.

All he does when interviewed is trot out a bunch of tired cliches. All this achieves is to me him sound like an airhead.

Now were in a situation where we are going into the last week of the transfer window having to panic (buy) sign player(s). Something that is highly unlikely to end well for us.

It is obvious that Danny's preparations for this season are completely inadequate. Consequently it's now going to take a minor miracle to get us out of this hole. Maybe that striker from France is Ibrahimovic....

[Tam M]

Agree with this.

Your point about Mair though is way off.

How is it? Why was one of our most senior players not at least on the bench today, instead of it being packed with youngsters?

[ds10]

The OP is talking a lot of sense. In particular, we are not really playing nice football any more.

Agree with this too. We played decent football for one of the 3 and a bit that Danny's been in charge.

We were pretty awful last season too. But Danny managed to save his bacon with 3 astute loan signings.

However at the moment were not playing good football and we're certainly not making any progress in the league. It doesn't look good for Danny.

[ds10]

Agree with this.

Your point about Mair though is way off.

How is it? Why was one of our most senior players not at least on the bench today, instead of it being packed with youngsters?

I don't really like handing out abuse to individual player so apologies Lee.

Mair was a complete disaster last season every time he walked onto the pitch. He absolutely useless under pressure, and there's no way that bringing him on would improve the defence.

Danny called this on right, it's time for Mair to find a new team.

[Tam M]

I don't really like handing out abuse to individual player so apologies Lee.

Mair was a complete disaster last season every time he walked onto the pitch. He absolutely useless under pressure, and there's no way that bringing him on would improve the defence.

Danny called this on right, it's time for Mair to find a new team.

I don't think he is the best defender either, but don't think he is as bad as being made out. As it stands I don't really think we have anyone good enough to play RB, perhaps we should go to a back 3 of McGregor, Goodwin and McAusland with Grainger and Teale on the wings. Or Mair in a sweeper role. The only issue I really had with Mair that he didn't have the ability to win the ball in the air that I feel is needed playing two center backs in a back four.

[slapsalmon]

In that game against dunfermline on Espn we were passing the ball about in short sharp moves all the time going forward, I remember watching it thinking this isn't the team I've always supported. That's what we've lost. When we give a team time to set up that doesn't work. The urgency and directness has gone in the past 2 seasons. Direct does t have to be long balls.

Apart from having a whole midfield apart from teale who are centre midfielders I think we've got a good starting 11. For me Goodwin isnt a centre half though. His headless chicken role needs a centre half behind him to mop up his mistakes. He's good at breaking up play but for me he can't be the last line of defence before the keeper an I reckon cheesey would look a lot better beside a solid centre half.

Rambilng nonsense over, am I reading too much into it that st mirren didn't post Danny's post match comments on facebook and Twitter after the game? Usually do.

[TediousTom]

Thomas

Great post. your heartfelt emotion is clear for all to read and I salute your indepth knowledge that only us true supporters can truly have.

The only issue I have with what you have said is........nothing, you are completely right and I am now firmly in the camp that wants to see wee Danny Lennon do anything with his life except manage my club, he is a failure and the league statistics that you illustrated underline this fact. In fact you should mention it at every opportunity as some people on this very forum will blindly follow wee Danny as they blindly followed Gus before him.

Looking at our current first team playing squad I am actually quite pleased with the quality we have in most areas. This is probably the best collection of players we have had for quite some time yet Mr Lennon reduces them to urine.

I am tiring very quickly of other clubs that are not even our equal out performing us at every opportunity and these failures have to be addressed and addressed now. Why can we not challenge for the top six? Why can we not even challenge for Europe? Our peers are and it is becoming tiresome.

[athens-saint]

Have to agree with this.

Don´t like to see anyone lose their job. But that´s modern football for you.

Terry Butcher has done wonders at Inverness. He picks up decent footballers all the time.

You could argue it´s all about the contacts.

But then look at Derek Adams.

Or Archie at the Jags.

Partick, who surely have a lesser budget than our own, have also done some decent business.

Kenny Shiels is not the answer.

T&T is not the answer.

I don´t have the answer.

But I hope we find a way out of this or the "Championship" beckons...

Finally, 4k for McGowan is a joke surely....jeezo!

[Lapsley]

Great Thread !

[athens-saint]

B&W army has been a bore for a long time.

Let´s start being realistic.

We are shite.

Change needed.

[AberdeenBud]

How does Danny's win percentage compare to Gus?

I'm normally a back em rather then sack em kinda guy, but think the tipping point may have been reached with the last two away games against teams of similar stature.

I'm not sure a new gaffer would provide a miracle solution to our problems but at least it would remove the air of negativity starting to envelop our club.

I understand punters have a right to voice their complaints, but I believe this should be saved for HT/FT, getting on the players backs and abusing Danny for 90 mins as some where doing yesterday doesn't help anyone.

Can't help but think shades of '88.

[billyg]

Bye Dan

[Tam M]

Never done a comparison between McPherson and Lennon, as they are two seperate managers who played total different football.

[oaksoft]

Crap thread. The first minute our club struggles and our fans aren't there for the players or the manager.

Bunch of bastards the lot of you.

Sacking a manager 3 games into a new season? Absolutely mental.

[Drew]

Crap thread....Bunch of bastards the lot of you.

That's a tad Violet Elizabeth, is it not?

[Tam M]

It's not about the first three games. It's about the last three full seasons Danny has had to progress our club. The reason McPherson was sacked was because of lack of progression.

I am not getting on any of the players back. The problem is with DL. I doubt the board will take the necessary action, and I really do hope Lennon can turn it around because of that. But I have lost faith and I am more than entitled to voice this opinion on a St Mirren football forum!

[oaksoft]

That's a tad Violet Elizabeth, is it not?

WTF?