The form slump

Hap

Hap

Well-known member
This squad is still (I know, I keep saying this) largely the same squad (less Tav, plus additions) that should have made the playoffs last season.

There has to be a reason for the huge change of form. They have not become a bad squad just like that.

Looking back to April last season, when Wilder was linked with Burnley. Did the players find out that he intended to go and did that uncertainty transfer into this season's form. Transfer targets could also have been aware of this, because players talk. Torpedoing the plans laid.

This makes more sense to me than this group of players being relegation standard. I don't believe they are.
 
I think it's partially that, and partially that Wilder made a habit of criticising players quite publically and probably hit a critical mass of players that at some point or other he'd p*ssed off.
 
I think the players figured out they weren't part of any promised long term project and were waiting for the next appointment.

Players regularly being thrown under the bus won't have helped either.
 
yeah, and I know this will be controversial for some, but as so-called professionals our players should have the professionalism to still do their best regardless of who is in charge and what they think the future may hold. I know if I wasn't acting professionally in my job I'd probably get the sack, but players seem to be able to down tools whenever they want cos they don't like this that or t'other .
The way to do it if unhappy is to continue being professional, putting in everything you've got and taking it up with the leaders of the club in private, or through the player's union, rather than non-performance on the pitch to get the manager sacked.
 
I think it was a mix of several things.

- Wilder courting the Burnley job
- Players being thrown under the bus by Wilder and possibly wanting him out
- Poor recruitment last summer

I actually liked Wilder's rigidity when it came to the formation and the way he wanted the team to play - I loved Karanka for the same thing. I think the issue was, for Wilderball to work you simply had to have had the right type of player playing in each role.

I know some fans have criticised Wilder for the obsession he had with the club signing a left-footed CB, but the over-lapping centre halves were supposed to be key elements in our attacking play. He wanted a left-footed CB - he got Matt Clarke.

Replacing Tav with Mowatt was also a massive boo-boo, although I accept that Wilder was all for this signing. Actually signing an energetic box-to-box midfielder would have made a hell of a difference though.

I'm not saying all of this to defend Wilder, as I think poor recruitment was just one of several factors which contributed to Wilder's demise.
 
ThatFragranceGuy said:
I thought it was already shown that our form was the same before and after the Burnley interest? Now we are back to players downing tools for wilder again?
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That's interesting. I haven't seen that.

Dyche was sacked in April 15th. Wilders agent probably would have been sounded out a week or two in advance, maybe? Club's usually don't sack the manager without preparing the ground (us being the recent exception)

I'd be interested to see the form either side of April 1st-ish...
 
Hap said:
That's interesting. I haven't seen that.

Dyche was sacked in April 15th. Wilders agent probably would have been sounded out a week or two in advance, maybe? Club's usually don't sack the manager without preparing the ground (us being the recent exception)

I'd be interested to see the form either side of April 1st-ish...
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It’s been show that form before and after the Burnley incident we’re almost identical
 
Hap said:
I'll have look myself as you and Jedi seem to holding different opinions on this.
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It wasn’t me btw someone put together I’m just repeating it.

But no one can deny that things changed last season around Easter on and off the pitch.
 
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I still find it incredible how people can deny the end of season slump wasn’t significant.

Anyway he WAS sacked so the club clearly thought there was an issue.
 
For me what it’s more plausible:

Wilder got more out the players than Warnock did initially. Things in January started to get a picture of difference to approach. Players wilder brought in didn’t perform, Scott probably told him. I would bet wilder pre feb and post feb look totally different in terms of ppg

The squad is was average, so we had a natural dip in form. Summer recruitment caused more clashes behind the scenes, players pick up on it, after all is sounds like Scott is next door to wilder, form didn’t pick up, then he was sacked
 
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