At the earliest opportunity? I have to disagree.
If we look at the managers recent CV, it will show he was appointed to keep us up last season. However, after leading us to midtable - and apparent safety - he took us down. I would say that that was a pretty good opportunity for the fans to criticise him. They didnt, and he was awarded a 2 year contract (on the basis that he was confident we could win the league this year, but at the very least make the play offs).
So this season we were expecting a title challenge. It hasnt materialised. I think every body is in agreement that this is a poor poor league, yet we sit in 8th position. EIGHTH. In a poor poor league. Our records shows that we have won 18 games, drawn 5, and lost 13. In a poor poor league we have failed to win the exact same amount of games as we have won. We have lost 13 games. THIRTEEN! So we have only lost 5 less games than we have won. Do the fans not have a right to expect a better return than that? I would say that we do. So our expectaions have not been met. The logicial outcome of that is dissatisfaction towards the manager. I think that is pretty justified. Has he faced criticism on here? Recently yes he has. But we had probably lost 9 or 10 games this season before that really started to happpen, so again i would disagree that this was at the earliest opportunity.
Back in August we limped weakly out of the FA Cup at home to Congleton. That’s AT HOME to a lower leage side who were missing almost half of their first choice side. So we tumbled out of the FA Cup, a valuable potential source of revenue. Was there any widespread criticism of the manager at this point? No there wasnt. So that was yet another opportunity to criticise that wasnt taken, so again i would have to disagree with any suggestion that people are criticising the manager at the earliest opportunity.
Now of course what people did choose to do rather than voicing criticism was to simply stop attending matches. So now match day revenue is down considerably. The result of this? A cut to the playing budget. So we have now lost Foster - a vital source of goals. Goals win matches, which leads to climbing the table, which leads to people coming back to games.
Instead we are in a situation where people arent coming to games anymore. And not just the ‘floaters’ and stay aways, but some prominent Wittoners. The reasons for this are all noted above. So should the manager expect to face some criticism? Yes he should - that is football. He brings the players in (he also moves them on…), he picks the team, he decides the tactics, he organises training, and he sends them out to play on a Saturday.
We have not been good enough all season, yet the criticism has only gathered pace in recent weeks. If anything i think that the manager has gotten off lightly. I would also say that everybody who has been critical - myself included - would love to see Gary win promotion for us and force us all to eat some humble pie. I cant see it happening though. So he is going to face further criticism. Has he faced criticism in person during or after matches? No he hasnt. It is his choice whether he reads this forum or not, if he chooses not to then he wont see the criticism anyway. He was given a task last year, which he failed in. He was given another task this season, which he again looks like failing.
The manager answers to the Chairman, but he also answers to the fans. If the fans do not think that his performance this season has been acceptable, and if they want to voice it on here, then they have every right to do so.
No matter how much you want to defend the manager, the facts prove that he is pretty difficult to defend. Relegation, dumped out of the FA Cup by Congleton, 13 league defeats, 39 different players used this season, and falling attendances. Not manay managers would still be in a job, so if the worst he has to endure is a few harsh word on a fans forum then i dont think he will have too many complaints about that to be honest!
:silly: :woohoo: 
:side: 
:S 
:cheer: