Is Clement getting an easy ride?

[graeme_4 37,282]

I’ll start off with prefacing this post by saying I like him, I think he’s a real leader / winner, and that I think he should be better supported with funds to strengthen - but…

This team appears worse than what Beale left him, and could potentially be worse than some of our pre-Gerrard failures.

Our style of play is basically lump it up to the wide players, which is ok (if you’re into that) when it’s Sima but when it’s McCausland / Wright / Matondo it just doesn’t work.

I don’t really see any individuals or us collectively getting any better. It’s a worry tbh.

Selection choices are bizarre - persisted with Lammers for ages, Lawrence now. Cup final and last couple of OFs were littered with bad choices.

We absolutely collapsed last season, which while not unexpected, was as bad as we’ve seen in years and he was unable to stop the slide. 

We have signed two players Nsiala and Igamane who apparently aren’t anywhere near being able to play when resources are so limited. 

Board correctly takes heat for it, but starting to think PC has to be doing more / better as well or we’re in real trouble. 

[RossS1873 2,417]

He gets the benefit of the doubt but if he keeps making tactical decisions like persisting with Dessers or Davies and playing a formation that's so easy to play through with very little style then he'll lose his backing very quickly 

[.Williamson. 87,116]

Dessers will be his downfall 

[BlueAvenger 10,737]

Yes !! There were warning signs last season. Though the time to judge him is this season with his players/new signings and tactics. With only a couple of weeks until the start of the new season and Champions League qualifiers it is extremely fuckin concerning. We still have a load of fuckin duds and need good players in desperately 

[Leighton loyal 387]

19 minutes ago, .Williamson. said:

Dessers will be his downfall 

And wright

[.Williamson. 87,116]

Just now, Leighton loyal said:

And wright

I see Wright as someone he’s persevering with because his options are so limited. Dessers I genuinely think he will continue playing even if Danilo is fit 

[RM Monitor And Standards Officer 112,506]

Yes far too much of an easy ride and said as much in the other thread 

[The Specky Forum Organiser 69,287]

Not for me

I think most people have now realised that blaming the manager for our failings every season isn't the answer and the biggest problems at the club are the players and the board

Not that he's faultless obviously 

[RM Monitor And Standards Officer 112,506]

1 minute ago, The Specky Forum Organiser said:

Not for me

I think most people have now realised that blaming the manager for our failings every season isn't the answer and the biggest problems at the club are the players and the board

Not that he's faultless obviously 

His baffling selections and decisions at the end of last season is on him.

Said to L yesterday the board will take the blame for him because people like him but his decision making is absolutely fucking baffling and he's of the same opinion

[The Specky Forum Organiser 69,287]

Just now, RFC55 said:

His baffling selections and decisions at the end of last season is on him.

Said to L yesterday the board will take the blame for him because people like him but his decision making is absolutely fucking baffling and he's of the same opinion

I don't think any manager we could realistically get would get a tune out of this group of players long term.

[esquire8 44,980]

2 pre season friendlies and still working with dross. Probably the most capable manager we've had since Sir Walter retired. 

This scenario is on Douglas Park, John Bennett, Stewart Robertson, Ross Wilson and Michael Beale.

[Swagger 8,892]

9 minutes ago, Leighton loyal said:

And wright

Crazy thing is as bad as Wright is I’d still play him before McCausland or Matondo 

Sorry state of affairs 

[RM Monitor And Standards Officer 112,506]

2 minutes ago, The Specky Forum Organiser said:

I don't think any manager we could realistically get would get a tune out of this group of players long term.

We've made 6 signings or so and I'm not sure what one of those will start, again it's easy to say ah but the board but recruitment is on him and Koppen.

 

He did get a tune out of the players but then some of his decisions towards the end really sealed our fate. Starting dowell from absolutely nowhere because he believed we would just turn up and beat Ross county or throwing him on v the fenians in the 3-3 game when he was struggling for fitness and it cost us there as well for example.

I don't know why it what changed but he seemed completely lost after showing a Walter Smith like approach when we beat St Mirren away were sterling played out on the wing and the team he picked was done so for a battle and it seemed he knew what to do and would pick a team best suited to the type of game it was.

Pretty flat with the whole club at the moment tbh 

[SteveEarle 10,135]

Without a doubt we appear to be regressing at a rate of knots. He needs the full transfer window to turn this around. If that turns out to be a disaster I fear the worst to be honest.

[mark1963 910]

My alarm bell is ringing louder and louder, the late season collapse was unforgivable on many levels and the form looks to be continuing, sigh.

[SeparateEntityMyArse 55,247]

He's had the plaudits when he first came in and got us in a good place. He's had mild criticism generally the way the season petered out. I've got some sympathy for him the way the goal posts seem to have moved with transfer budgets but he's still got 30+ players to work with and needs to deliver more silverware.

I do think he's a bit stubborn with formation, and has made poor decisions on starters and subs at times. That's his right, as long as he's winning shiny things.

He's now 3/4 of the way through preseason and with 2 transfer windows under his belt. As much as the Board deserve the focus of our criticism, Clement will also deserve it if we're embarrassed in Europe or drop too many league points in August. Two weeks time until there's no excuses and he's treated like any other manager we've had and held accountable for success and responsible for results.

[The Specky Forum Organiser 69,287]

1 minute ago, RFC55 said:

We've made 6 signings or so and I'm not sure what one of those will start, again it's easy to say ah but the board but recruitment is on him and Koppen.

 

He did get a tune out of the players but then some of his decisions towards the end really sealed our fate. Starting dowell from absolutely nowhere because he believed we would just turn up and beat Ross county or throwing him on v the fenians in the 3-3 game when he was struggling for fitness and it cost us there as well for example.

I don't know why it what changed but he seemed completely lost after showing a Walter Smith like approach when we beat St Mirren away were sterling played out on the wing and the team he picked was done so for a battle and it seemed he knew what to do and would pick a team best suited to the type of game it was.

Pretty flat with the whole club at the moment tbh 

The most he's been able to spend on anyone who wasn't here last season is £1.8m and that's on a player who is nowhere near first team ready, that's where we are as a club right now. I won't be blaming either him or Koppen for the recruitment this summer unless we start spending proper money and those players turn out shite. They're working with both hands tied behind their back in that regard. If Diomande doesn't start to add come consistency then that's a signing that's fair game to have a go at.

Every season bar 1 since Gerrard came in we have collapsed at some stage post Christmas so for me there's more to it than tactics or team selection. I think Dowell is shite and wouldn't have him anywhere near the team but we were losing to them when he came on and ended up drawing so that result wasn't because he played and we bottled it at Dingwall. Again.

Agree on the last bit. It's going to be a horrible season and will turn toxic pretty quickly, I just hope it's the board who are on the receiving end. 

[Rlm 417]

43 minutes ago, .Williamson. said:

Dessers will be his downfall 

Your not wrong there. But surely with the funds from tav sale whatever that is...there is enough to bring in eg (shankland). Because he wud of took at least one of them chances yday. 

[Laudrupsleftfoot 12,130]

We’re stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Probably will be a downgrade on Clement when the inevitable happens.

But the signs really are that is inevitable.

He’s not improving players across the board, if anything some of them are worse than what their capabilities are as his style of play doesn’t suit the squad.

Needs 4 or 5 quality players in to bail him out.

[The Specky Forum Organiser 69,287]

Just now, Laudrupsleftfoot said:

We’re stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Probably will be a downgrade on Clement when the inevitable happens.

But the signs really are that is inevitable.

He’s not improving players across the board, if anything some of them are worse than what their capabilities are as his style of play doesn’t suit the squad.

Needs 4 or 5 quality players in to bail him out.

It will be McInnes.

[SeparateEntityMyArse 55,247]

If Clement walked and someone else came in before the season started would folk say the new guy had a season where he wouldn't be held accountable for how we got on?

If so, that's ridiculous. If not, why then should Clement get a free ride with only the Board to face our wrath?

[Laudrupsleftfoot 12,130]

Just now, The Specky Forum Organiser said:

It will be McInnes.

I think so too and that’s obviously a big worry for me and less so for you as we’ve discussed before.

Clement has presence and speaks well but right now that’s about it - it’s not translating to what we’re seeing on the park.

[SeparateEntityMyArse 55,247]

49 minutes ago, .Williamson. said:

Dessers will be his downfall 

..and Lawrence for me.

Dessers is shite and can't hold the ball. Lawrence is slow and isn't capable of being a 10 or a cam. As a result players are looking wide to get the ball forward, and none of our widemen are either good or fit enough currently. Lawrence playing high leaves a huge hole behind him and the holding 2 midfielders that the opposition 3 midfielders are routinely exploiting.

4231 with Dessers and Lawrence is suicide 

[The Specky Forum Organiser 69,287]

3 minutes ago, SeparateEntityMyArse said:

If Clement walked and someone else came in before the season started would folk say the new guy had a season where he wouldn't be held accountable for how we got on?

If so, that's ridiculous. If not, why then should Clement get a free ride with only the Board to face our wrath?

I wouldn't have any manager accountable for failing with this squad this season.

[.Williamson. 87,116]

I don’t think we should look as bad as we do even with these players. Squads shite but it’s still comfortably better than the rest of the league outwidth celtic 

I can see us dropping points to Hearts in the opening game but I don’t think it’s acceptable