Rival Watch

[Awayawayaway]

Garry Monk set to replace him

Football must be infuriating for up and coming young managers in the lower leagues.

No matter what happens all the jobs at the “big clubs” that are struggling go to other managers that have recently failed at premier league / championship clubs. These managers are often still receiving pay-offs from more than one club where they have failed.

Tbf all managers worth having in the lower leagues are in promotion chases with their current clubs. If I were Paul Cook for example, there is no way I'd leave Wigan for Birmingham at the moment. You'd be swapping a possible promotion with being labelled with a relegation.

Monk it an overrated little Wiesel though.

[Hound]

I’d imagine Hurst at Shrewsbury, or Nolan or Jones at Notts Co and Luton would trade their clubs for a bigger club at Brum (and no doubt better wages), and back themselves to keep them up tbh

If you can keep Birmingham up, you’ve far more potential there than at those other clubs.

[Royal_jimmy]

At least Birmingham are rolling the dice after 5 defeats in a row

[Victor Meldrew]

As widely predicted, Cotterill sacked at Brum

ROFL, now there is a shambles of a club!

What a mess Chinese owners who never attend the games, have thrown millions of pounds away on crap signings. Disgruntled fans Players low on confidence no style of play, attendances going down. Thank god we are nothing like that.

I thought the same as you watching the Channel 5 goals show last night.

[Rea Ding]

This is why we will survive, the teams below us are terrible and cant see 4 of them going past us

If onlycircumstances were so easy to dismiss. I admire your optimism, even though I fear it is completely misplaced. When reality sets in to a club, they usually come out fighting, and there's usually a team or two that slug it out and gain results that give them a fighting chance. Sadly, despite soundbites to the contrary, I don't believe the reality of a relegation battle has hit us yet. If I was to put my money somewhere, Sunderland are at least showing a little bit of bottle if their results against Bristol City and Middlesbrough are anything to go by. Birmingham have got rid of Cotterill and look like they're going to appoint Gary Monk who's been in this situation before with Swansea, and Hull are beginning to battle and get results. And then there's Bolton who also lack quality but we if anyone's going to know about the tenacity of their manager it's us. Burton look doomed, Barnsley have sold all of their quality, and we are severely lacking on the touchline and on the pitch at the moment. In fact, if you look at the last 14 games my feeling is we've shown genuine spirit in just one of those matches (Derby).

I don't think we'll finish bottom, but let there be absolutely no doubt, we're in genuine trouble, particularly if it goes down to the last day's visit to Cardiff...

I understand where your coming from and those are some good points, however it seems every game we lose and I expect a drop we remain in a very similar position. I think this coming week is a huge one for the season as we really need those points, Bolton on tuesday will be the real test for us in terms of relegation

[Snowflake Royal]

At least Birmingham are rolling the dice after 5 defeats in a row

I suspect if we'd been bad enough to have 5 defeats in a row at any point since Xmas, and maybe before, we'd also have / be looking for a new manager. Our worst is 3.

[Hound]

At least Birmingham are rolling the dice after 5 defeats in a row

I suspect if we'd been bad enough to have 5 defeats in a row at any point since Xmas, and maybe before, we'd also have / be looking for a new manager. Our worst is 3.

1 win in 14 is pretty comparable to 5 defeats in a row

Brum have gambled by sacking the manager (who always seemed a bit of a fill in to me anyway) whilst we have gambled by sticking with the current manager

We’ll obv see who was right at the end of the season

[Snowflake Royal]

At least Birmingham are rolling the dice after 5 defeats in a row

I suspect if we'd been bad enough to have 5 defeats in a row at any point since Xmas, and maybe before, we'd also have / be looking for a new manager. Our worst is 3.

1 win in 14 is pretty comparable to 5 defeats in a row

Brum have gambled by sacking the manager (who always seemed a bit of a fill in to me anyway) whilst we have gambled by sticking with the current manager

We’ll obv see who was right at the end of the season

Yeah, maybe. I hate the constant churn of managrrs and firmly believe you've got to let a decent manager try to recover a horrendous season and go again. But we're certainly testing that belief this season.

Brum are a pretty awful example to follow though. Since they sacked Rowett in the top half they've been abysmal. Will this be their third or fourth manager since then?

[Hound]

4th, following Zola, Redknapp and Cotterill

[leon]

This is why we will survive, the teams below us are terrible and cant see 4 of them going past us

If onlycircumstances were so easy to dismiss. I admire your optimism, even though I fear it is completely misplaced. When reality sets in to a club, they usually come out fighting, and there's usually a team or two that slug it out and gain results that give them a fighting chance. Sadly, despite soundbites to the contrary, I don't believe the reality of a relegation battle has hit us yet. If I was to put my money somewhere, Sunderland are at least showing a little bit of bottle if their results against Bristol City and Middlesbrough are anything to go by. Birmingham have got rid of Cotterill and look like they're going to appoint Gary Monk who's been in this situation before with Swansea, and Hull are beginning to battle and get results. And then there's Bolton who also lack quality but we if anyone's going to know about the tenacity of their manager it's us. Burton look doomed, Barnsley have sold all of their quality, and we are severely lacking on the touchline and on the pitch at the moment. In fact, if you look at the last 14 games my feeling is we've shown genuine spirit in just one of those matches (Derby).

I don't think we'll finish bottom, but let there be absolutely no doubt, we're in genuine trouble, particularly if it goes down to the last day's visit to Cardiff...

Shit.

If Handbags (who is up there with Vision as a voice of sanity and intelligence, neither curiously (ha ha) dont post nearly enough) thinks we’re in the shit then it’s time to get the life boats.

Obviously I think HH is spot on. I think we’re a strong candidate for 21st place.

Nothing I’ve seen or have heard will convince me that Stam is in control of the situation or has any plan to remedy it.

[John Smith]

Oliver McBurnie looks a class act for Barnsley. I think he might single-handedly keep them up

[Hound]

Hull 1 down

Hopefully that’s not as good as tonight will get

[Stranded]

Barnsley also now losing. No-one winning at the mo

[double d]

Results are going quite well so far (he says)

[leon]

Hull getting a dicking

[double d]

If we can get a win and things stay as they are we will be 6 pts ahead of the bottom 3 with a game in hand.

[CavershamRoyal]

Burton losing as well - deary me, everyone looks as shit as we do.

[Hound]

Seriously lucky again tonight but another massive missed opportunity to put daylight between us and the rest of the absolute dross down there

[CountryRoyal]

I think the bottom two are down but Brum will escape. Barnsley therefore favorites for the drop but they've probably got a lot more fight in then us. Hull similar boat to us, just not as bad imho.

[Hatty9]

On paper Saturday looks like another good chance to increase the gap as I can't see many of the teams below us getting points again

Burton v Bristol C
Cardiff v Birmingham
Hull v Norwich
Middlesbrough v Barnsley
QPR V Sunderland
Sheffield W v Bolton