Sack the Manager - Really ?

[Dr Slippy]

Even putting the injuries aside, yesterday was a big disappointment. I believe Falkirk were just better on the day and would have won regardless.
However if someone had said at the season KO that the week before Xmas we would still be in the running for the title and barring a huge collapse certainties for the playoffs I would have accepted that. Not great, but acceptable.
Agreed that the cups have again been hugely disappointing, but those of us who have been around the block will know that’s been an Accies thing for decades, and barring last season’s Challenge Cup win JR has performed no better or worse than any of our managers since the 70’s in the cups.
I think JR has been given a decent squad(not great) to work with and although many people seem to dislike him, our DOF has done a good job in securing most of our preseason signing targets.
Just now JR and his team are under performing, but to sack the manager when you’re still in the title race is not for me. Accies aren’t going to get an Alex Neil level replacement, and it would no doubt be one of the Usual Suspects in Scottish football management.
I have to say that I don’t understand some of the team selections & substitutions which at times weaken rather than strengthen during the match, and I don’t get why 2 of our 3 best players have spent so much time warming the bench (Smith & Henderson).
I think a couple of our experienced players at the back have not had the best of seasons so far and losing Martin yesterday is a real blow. He is the only steel we really have in the team. I would love to have McKinnon the player in the team, but I’m not convinced as a coach. Some of his in match interactions after shouts in the crowd have been embarrassing at times and if I was the DOF I would give him a serious kick up the @rse. An Accies coach should be above that even if provoked.
I also think the DOF needs to have a word with JR & tell him he is underperforming & is not making the best use of his squad if he has not already done so. Sack him - NO, not for me at this time.
Falkirk have previous for the roof falling in on their seasons, and the title is far from gone if JR starts making the right selections and ditches the dead wood next month(we all know who they are), and make a signing or two.
I was laughing at “the self appointed best fans in the world (when they are winning)” reaction to a single defeat when they are 5 clear at the top of the league, but Accies are not in a position to punt a manager when we can still win promotion. If he fails then yes get rid at the end of the season.
No doubt some on here will disagree, but just my honest thoughts on the situation.

[glasgow accie]

Good post … I’m sure this is where most Accies fans are at .

[monkeybones]

Let’s not forget he got us relegated too….
Naive tactics and loyalty to certain players who aren’t good enough is costing us the league.

[Stevie Clarke]

Who is the DOF?

[YeOldeHamiltonian]

End of the day many fans have no faith in his ability to win what now looks a likely Play Off and that is the bottom line sadly.

[Dr Slippy]

DOF - Director of Football - Gerry Strain

[accies1874]

I think he's got us exactly where we should be based on our squad, but he's nowhere near as good as McGlynn imo. I've enjoyed a lot of our football this season and I reckon we can get promoted with him in charge, but I'm not sure if he's improved as a manager or if his weaknesses just aren't being exposed as much now that we can dominate games more.

Based on our activity over the summer, I wouldn't be surprised if Zengin eventually spends (relatively) big one a Championship-level manager, however they might not want to disrupt what seems to be a good team spirit at the moment.

[Stevie Clarke]

Good signing today for Falkirk, Ryan Shanley of Edinburgh City. I was very impressed with him in the televised play off games with Annan last year and would've had him at Accies in the Championship.

[smc4761]

With squad at his disposal and the standard of this league we should be top and out of sight. We probably have a better squad now than we had in Premier league

He does not seem to have a Plan B and his subsitutes at times are baffling. he is loyal to players who simply are not performing

Will we win the league with JR as manager, absoluley not. We will get a play off place but even then do not fancy our chances against any Championship side should we get that far.

If we dont get promotion then sadly its time to let him go

[porcupine]

Above post is about right. We are still challenging for the top spot. Falkirk could have a blow up against any other team in this league. 5 points half way through the season is nothing.

Sure, we looked well off the pace on Saturday, but Kilday's late warm-up injury, then Martin's injury wont have helped in any team plan we had. Yes, there should have been a plan B, and their third goal was a Christmas gift, but it's far too soon to have knee jerk reactions at this point.

Can't imagine we will have any funds to bring anyone in at January dead-line. The manager has to have the balls to let dead wood go then (DZ) who mostly looks underwhelming. Perhaps some of our Reserve team deserve a run out from the start against potentially weaker opposition, but that's for him to decide, after seeing who is performing at training.

We need a stronger midfield, IMO, to feed O'Hara, who does look capable of more goals, providing he gets the service he needs. Barjonas impressed me at first but has gone off the boil of late. If Scott has done a hamstring on Saturday, we could be struggling. Time for JR to rethink his tactics AND be prepared to recognise when they are going wrong.

I can never see how any football manager can see play developing, or not, from the dug-out. Billy McLaren used to sit in the Old DP stand front seats and see how games were developing. Might be a suggestion for JR to start the first half in the stand and see how well, or badly, his ideas are working out.

But, sack him? Not at this early stage. We will only get some other club failures and dross.

[YeOldeHamiltonian]

The 2 players we tried to sign:Connor Smith and Anton Dowds would have made a difference on Saturday with Connor Smith potentially doing for us what Miller/Morrison did for Falkirk with Dowds adding goals and a physical presence.

[Red and white hoops]

At the first fans forum one of the things Serif said was that the management team had been told that the playoffs were not good enough this season, he wants to win the league. As it stands it seems most supporters are not confident of that happening. It was also said that it was Serifs’ decision to keep Rankin but if decisions had to be made then he would be the one to make them.

I see there is another fans forum Thursday night. Be worth making another thread to put questions there for anyone who can’t make it and discuss it afterwards.

Loved Daz as a player but a coach he is not. A guy we plucked from amateur football and gave him an assistant managers job. I do wonder if things had been different if we had went with Rankin but an experienced assistant beside him.