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No more sitting on the fence
Views: 845
This team is in a relegation fight next season if Revs is still here. He took over a team with a solid back line that was hard to beat. We have systematically got worse and worse over this season. Can't do the basics right. Unable to threaten at all in the final 3rd. Revs MUST go.
Edited by Sludgy65 at 16:34:11 on 18th April 2025
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9 people
Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 307
Revs has kept us up. Job done. On that metric he deserves to be in the job come August.
The next step however has to be improvement. Which he needs to be judged on. We need to be more consistent. We need to have a defined style of play. Ideally we would be more entertaining. That’s subjective though. If we win every game ugly I’d prefer that to losing playing like Chesterfield/Barcelona every week.
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3 people
Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 385
That wasn't a league 1 fixture. It was like watching a pre season friendly. Both teams were bad, but we managed to get even worse!
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2 people
Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 380
I thought we played well once we were 3 nil down / White went off (coincidence I'm sure). Not sure why they couldn't go for goals before we went 3 nil down, but that seems to be the way.
Maybe it's because Blackpool switched off once they were comfortable.
We literally have nothing to lose or gain now so we should go all out attack in the first 15 minutes of games and try to get two or three ahead then we can just sit back playing the shitty football they like.
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Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 364
I thought Harvey played well. Phillips, Young and Hanlan were all very poor. All the forward play is terrible though, which is 100% on Revs
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2 people
Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 251
Problem is our build up for the most part is so bloody slow compared to other sides.
It's like we are trying to play Premiership football with League One/ Two standard players. It just doesn't work for the most part.
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3 people
Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 66
Agree that doesn't work. Not to mention that watching Guardiola-Ball (which a lot of EPL teams go for now) is dull to watch.
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2 people
Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 344
We should build a team around Pidge, Phillips and Appéré.
That's the solid spine.
We won't find a 20 goal a season striker so the next important thing is to get a strong midfield. The great sides always have a top quality midfield 4.
Yet we barely have a midfield. It's like an afterthought with all these other made up positions instead.
Edited by Sev at 19:56:28 on 18th April 2025
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1 person
Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 406
Oh the same as people said before this season
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Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 390
I think the consensus on this is are we perhaps hoping same might happen next season Others think let's see what happens ,.assuming we ditch Revs before Xmas if needed
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Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 392
There is no consensus, otherwise we wouldn't all be disagreeing
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2 people
Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 609
Half time team talk 'Well played chaps, second half just stop playing the ball to each other'.
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2 people
Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 612
As I said last week, full credit goes to Alex Revell and the management team for securing our League One status for another season. For that achievement, Alex Revell absolutely deserves to lead the team at the start of next season.
That said, I want to be clear—this isn’t a criticism of Revell personally. It’s obvious he cares deeply about the club and holds a genuine respect for the fans, which I truly appreciate. However, I do have concerns. I fear that the quality of football next season may remain poor, and we could unfortunately find ourselves back in a relegation battle.
Of course, I sincerely hope I’m wrong and hopefully, Boro can continue to defy expectations and have another season of punching above their weight, just as they’ve done this season.
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2 people
Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 603
Is that the objective then for our club? So long as we stay in the league we can give the manager a pat on the back?
I'm genuinely shocked if that's all the fans want. We're never going to fight for promotion, but to be competitive kust be the goal and to be an exciting team to watch.
We're nothing at the moment.
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6 people
Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 459
Funny how you’ve completely twisted what I said. At what point did I say the club’s objective should be just to stay in the league? I was clearly praising the management for doing exactly that this season—given the circumstances—not handing out medals for mediocrity.
All I’m saying is, like it or not, the guy's done enough to warrant starting next season in charge. If we’re crap again and the football’s still a snoozefest, then sure—time to move on. But acting like giving credit where it’s due is some kind of crime? That’s just dramatic.
Edited by ForestBoro35 at 18:35:31 on 18th April 2025
Edited by ForestBoro35 at 18:38:01 on 18th April 2025
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1 person
Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 505
Wallace said in his programme notes we will be aiming for promotion/playoffs next season.
I like Revell it's just I have a differing opinion on what football should be like. He wants to achieve a style which I don't think is possible in this league for a small team like us, and even if it was I don't particularly like it unless we win the majority of games, them I'll be happy with anything served up.
As it is, as a mid/lower table side with nothing to play for, the end of the season against teams fighting for something was always going to be a decline for us.
I'm hoping once a new season starts and there's things to play for we'll be better/match our opposition.
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4 people
Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 470
I think you’re opinion of what football should look like is largely like most supporters. To Gary Neville’s point the other day, football is becoming robotic. It’s dull and boring to watch.
I said the other day and I still don’t understand the football Revs tries to play? I’m not sure what the style is supposed to be. It’s neither here nor there.
I don’t want to stay in league 1 playing like this. It’s boring as. I do t care if we are I league 1 or league 2, I want to see some football with intent.
I’ve never been more apathetic about Boro in my life. But
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8 people
Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 443
Your last two paragraphs sum it up perfectly for me.
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1 person
Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 466
Could spout on for ages but if Revs stays shpuld we at least try to say goodbye to Cuthbert and Banfield ? Accept they might be a package so a non starter.
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Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 665
Blackpool are going full pelt to try and get a late playoff spot. We have nothing to play for. Wouldn't judge too much on the end of season run in (especially as we were bad under Evans at the back end of last season.
Agree that Revs has to hit the ground running at the start of next season.
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1 person
I'm breathlessley awaiting WASP's view...
Views: 337
on today's game. the above ah hem opinions and a future with Revs.
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Re: I'm breathlessley awaiting WASP's view...
Views: 333
I don’t give my views on the football here. This forum is full of idiots.
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Re: I'm breathlessley awaiting WASP's view...
Views: 305
Did you overhear Wallace saying that on the way out of the ground?
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2 people
Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 625
Do you really think Revs can 'hit the ground running?
Now is the perfect time to put us all out of our misery and give a new manager the time to work with the players and bring in those they want.
That will enable us to 'hit the ground running'.
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3 people
Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 628
Who then? Wallace ran the recruitment process to replace Evans last year and decided that Revs was more suitable than any attainable external candidates.
The kind of managers that would be a bona fide upgrade can join bigger clubs with a bigger salary and bigger playing budget.
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Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 379
Duff, Ainsworth and the former Crawley guy who went to MK (don't remember his name right now) were the three main ones people on here wanted last summer.
All three failed and are no longer in their posts now (one having dropped down a level). LOLZ.
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Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 344
Lindsay.
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Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 360
That's the one.
He failed at the level below. Ainsworth failed at this level and went to the one below before the relegation. Duff got sacked for seriously underachieving at this level.
Brilliant. Wish we brought them all in instead. Maybe even all three of them together because not doing so is just Wallace taking the cheap option again and only losing almost a million quid instead of the four million he should have lost IF HE CARED FOR THE CLUB.
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Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 350
Revell has demonstrated he's good enough to keep us in the league so deserves the opportunity to better it next season. As a young manager he is on a learning curve and would hope he improves each year, just like a player would.
If it turns out we are worse then is the time to take the risk on appointing someone new.
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6 people
Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 294
H has had two and half seasons. Enough rope to hand himself.
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Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 300
If you are counting the first spell then he has clearly improved this season on that so is on an upward trajectory then.
Gone from rubbish League Two manager to 15th (currently) best League One manager.
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Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 300
He's managed to turn a top nine squad into a bottom nine squad and it might not end there. Bristol Rovers can still catch us.
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2 people
Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 284
I love how adamant you are that nothing changes season to season and any change in league placing between one season to the next is entirely down to one manager.
Also, never seen "top nine" or "bottom nine" used as categories before. Nice!
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Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 252
Delighted to lead you into new territory then Chuds.
Honest questions:
1. How many games this season have you actually enjoyed?
2. Do you think Alex Revell has taken us forwards or backwards?
3. Do you think another year of this kind of football (not results...how we play) is acceptable?
Honest answers please. Not on a postcard.
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1 person
Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 252
I am always honest, albeit occasionally exaggerated if in a mischievous mood.
1) Dunno, not kept a tally. But games like Wrexham (twice), Barnsley, Charlton immediately spring to mind as being enjoyable. As was Norwich. I enjoyed Peterborough away too, even though we lost, we played very well. Could (arguably should) have been more, but it hasn't all been bad by any stretch. And there have been many games that may not have been thrilling (and honestly, how many games in L1 are that entertaining?), but where we put in a good, solid performance. And I believe if we tried to play expansive and entertaining football every game, we would leave ourselves far more exposed, lose more games, and be in an actual relegation scrap. Relegation at the expense of simply trying to entertain is not a sacrifice worth taking for me.
2) Overall, I think he has kept us on a similar level. Stuck record, but we were absolutely heading in a downwards direction under Evans anyway, in terms of results and an inability to score, and I am certain would have been in a similar or worse position now had he stayed (his massive failure at Rotherham only backing thay view up). And in my eyes the league is far tougher this season so I expected to drop down the league in the summer anyway before our manager was confirmed, regardless of who took over. So we are very much as I expected. And have stayed up without ever being troubled, which is an achievement for us regardless of what our aspirations should be. We are a tiny club at this level. Almost every other club in the division had losses that dwarf ours, and ours were our worst ever by a large stretch! Almost every club in this league lost £3mil+ last year, with many being over £10mil (including Stockport). We simply cannot realistically compete with those figures.
3) If it is survival playing conservatively versus relegation playing expansive, I would take survival. Relegation would cost us easily over a million quid a season. Money that reduces our budget and the quality of player and manager we can bring in. That is enormous for a club of our size. It is easy to say PW should just put more money in to cover it, but why should he? And I also don't want him to. I want a sustainable football club, not one entirely reliant on the finances of one man. We criticise those sorts of unsustainable clubs, why do we want to be one of them? That being said, I don't just want to stay up every year, I want to be competitive and top half, pushing playoffs, but I am realistic about it and recognise the difficulties for us, and believe aim one each season is to stay up and try to establish as a League One club. But I do very much want us to be more entertaining, more creative, and to score more goals, of course. And believe Revs will be measured more on that next season than he has been this.
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7 people
Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 234
Well I'm giving you a like for that, not least for the eloquence. You make a number of fair and reasonable points.
I also enjoyed the games you mention. There was even a point when I genuinely felt we might make a push for the play-offs, but suddenly wheels started falling off. That victory at Wrexham, for me by some distance our best performance of the season, seems like a very long time ago... the return of Appere, the link up play with Reid, Kemp and later Young heralded the beginning of something exciting. But it vanished as quickly as it had appeared...and gave way to Hanlan, an admirable donkey. This season's version of Vladane Oliver.
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2 people
Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 212
Assume you will be at Brizzle on Monday, being from down that way?
If so we can carry this debate on live as we watch another scintillating display 👀
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Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 194
Hoping to be there with my son, if he gets a pass out from co-minding my many grandchildren.
I will try to stay awake for the whole game this time.
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Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 226
Called Hanlan out after 30mins of watching him, as not being good enough.
No doubt he'll be signed for next season.
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Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 160
He does seem to have got something of a free pass having been pretty awful in almost every game, that I've seen anyway, barring the excellent finish against Huddersfield (?). He's got 2 in 14 league games and doesn't offer anything different to our other strikers - I'm hoping we don't sign him for next season
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Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 350
He will be in charge at the start of the season, but the board will keep a very close eye on form and attendances, and if come October-December time we look like we may be in trouble, they will act. Which seems absolutely fair to me. He has serious work to do to win over some fans and to show he has what it takes to survive as a manager long-term, but has earned that chance IMO.
And I am sure everybody who is moaning all over the forum tonight guaranteeing we will be relegated next season said the exact same about this season when he was appointed (as very many did on here when he was appointed and throughout this season), so not sure I would take their guarantees or predictions as being particularly accurate to be honest.
Edited by Chuds at 19:38:57 on 18th April 2025
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6 people
Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 221
The season ticket sales will be the first killer blow.
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Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 220
Which as I have said previously will be hit hard by Sky Sports, far less (hardly at all) by Revell.
I mean for goodness sake, think of the shit seasons and managers we have had in the past decade, let alone before that. We are playing L1 football, the highest we have ever been and are picking up wins at home (Revs has more home wins in L1 than all but GW, and from fewer games than them all).
Very few people who actually commit to a ST are not going to buy one because of Revell, despite what one or two on here may suggest.
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1 person
Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 333
He’ll be in charge the start of next season and rightly so.
But please god he changes something. It’s been dire all season.
Edited by Jonnym8 at 19:41:39 on 18th April 2025
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2 people
Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 331
I agree, 90%.
There have been occasional games that have been impressive in result and/or performance, but certainly not often enough or consistently enough.
But quite why somebody who let us be honest has quite comfortably kept us up this season and at no point have we been in a relegation scrap, is definitely taking us down next season, I am not sure. But I guess all the posters on here can just spaff loads of money on us being relegated as they did this season, which went well.
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Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 302
I think those people might be looking at the stats over the last dozen games or so. I suspect our points record in this period is relegation form.
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Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 306
Same as the end of last season then. And when we have nothing to play for.
Cool.
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Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 294
No, it's not the same as the end of last season. We've gone back a long way since then.
It is the least enjoyable season since Rev was last in charge. No question. Shitball.
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1 person
Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 289
You = "People are thinking we will be relegated next year because of our form to end this season."
Me = "Form the same as last season, yet we stayed up fine this season?"
You = "It's not the same as the end of last season".
We won two of our final 12 games last season, one of them the final day of the season (under Revs), and failed to score in half of them. Looks very much the same as the end of last season to me, and this season we even have the excuse we have nothing to play for unlike last season.
Edited by Chuds at 20:41:31 on 18th April 2025
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Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 318
Right glad we have sorted it then 😊 But still think perhaps a change in backroom staff perhaps needed. Not Keef of course.
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Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 585
Maybe Mr Wallace needs to dig deeper into his pocket. Because we are in serious trouble next season under Revs. A good manager finds a system that suits the squad and they improve over time. This team are going backwards fast. Revs has proved to be one dimensional and unable to adapt to get the best out of this squad. Can anyone tell me we have made progress under him??
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2 people
Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 346
Just lost £700k, the most we have ever lost, but yeah, let's just lob more money at things and act like we are Birmingham.
Glad you aren't running our finances.
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1 person
Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 525
We'd be non-league (or possibly even bust) without Wallace and the millions he's put in. Not to mention that he provided the biggest playing budget in the club's history this season.
Unfortunately the money being spent in the EFL now is bordering on insanity. It wouldn't shock me if a few clubs go the way of Bury and Macclesfield if their owners get bored or are in financial difficulty.
Please go ahead and try and run a League 1 club if you have a spare £100m in the bank.
Edited by BrummieBoro at 17:53:04 on 18th April 2025
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1 person
Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 591
No.
PW went for the cheap option... not the best.
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2 people
Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 589
My dog would be a bona fide upgrade. Bona fido anyway.
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Re: No more sitting on the fence
Views: 679
Dead certs for relegation I would suggest - time for a big bet?
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1 person
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