ROWETTS WALKED

I have my own theory about this whole sorry situation following an interesting article on BBC sport when GR responds to calls for him to go.

It all seems to revolve around the Long situation where he was all ready to face the new season with us. We had given him a new contract and the number one shirt making it quite clear that he would be our first choice keeper for this season. Then, for whatever reason, Shark is available and we look into the possibility of signing him. Potentially he is a better shot stopper than George, he has worked with Andy Marshall before and gets a good review from him. We look further into the signing of Shark and it all seems to be coming together. We make a move for him and he signs and is given the assurance that he will be the number one starter. George is mighty miffed, throws his toys out of the pram, refuses to travel to Boro for the opening game and causes a stir in the dressing room. He is a popular member of the squad and stirs up the dressing room for support and also spreads some poison about GR being two faced. GR counters diplomatically that George has done nothing wrong but is keen to be the number one somewhere else. George spreads the rumour that if GR can be two faced with him then he could be the same with any one of the 20 plus others!

The dressing room is in disarray and we play Norwich where George is sitting on the bench and in sympathy we only give it 95% and are taken to the cleaners. The crowd give it big time to GR and he is at a loss to know what to do or what to say. In the BBC article he was surprised by the reaction but is not tempted to take the easy way out and resign or walk. He says he will see it through.

He is not a bad manager because if he was then we would not won up at Boro and we would not have got close to the play offs for the past three seasons. If I have a criticism of him it is that he often sets up not to lose rather than to win. People on here say that he should not play five at the back and he should start Esse. Well, he did both on Sunday and we were comprehensively beaten. He does not have all three starters at CB who are ageing. Cooper is only 28, probably in the prime of his career but Hutch is 32 and Murray is 31. Certainly not over the hill yet especially when you consider that the Brazilian CB at Chelsea is 37.

I do recall that in Covid times GR went 14 games without a win but with no crowd to get on his back he got us out of that slump. My thoughts above are only an assumption and the real test will come on Saturday when we play Stoke. It will quickly become clear whether he has got the squad back on track or whether he has lost it. Watch this space.
 
Spoke to Gary today. He isn’t walking.
Hope he can turn it around if Saturday is poor and we don’t win I think it will be over.
 

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