Re: Radford Out! : Tue May 06, 2014 11:42 am  

Recently read a quote from the author David Foster Wallace about athletes, couldn't remember it exactly but after digging around found a quote.

"Professional athletes are in many ways our cultures holy men: they give themselves over to a pursuit, endure great privation and pain to actualize themselves at it, and enjoy a relationship to perfection that we admire, reward, and love to watch, even though we have no desire to walk that road oursleves. In other words, they do it for "us", sacrifice themselves for our (we imagine) redemption."

It must be more than five years since I have felt like that about an FC team.

Re: Radford Out! : Tue May 06, 2014 11:44 am  

frepneyboy wrote:

Is it true about Lineham then?

Is what true?

Re: Radford Out! : Tue May 06, 2014 12:20 pm  

Staffs FC wrote:

Reasonable conclusion to draw. I also have said for a while that I think Pearson will give Radford time and I hope he does. Radford needs to learn from his naïve comments to the media after this game - it's not his role to criticise the paying supporters of the club and he needs to stay well clear of that. Also it's best not to imply that he doesn't have a solution to the issues although I think that was just sheer frustration. I like his honesty in many of the things he says - he actually says what many have said on here about the players' performances for years.

It's recruitment that has messed up this club for a long time and McRae seems to me to have set Pearson's plans back at least two years. I hope Motu Tony can do better. We need higher quality players than we have to challenge. Radford's coaching will improve but I don't think we have enough quality on the field as things stand now, particularly in key play making and the 'game-management' area but also other areas. Losing that game on Sunday was a classic example of lacking a general. It's that long since we've had a player of that type I think some fans have forgotten the importance of it. Westy has masked the absence of such a player this year with his outstanding effort and consistency in his play making role but even he can't dictate play in the way that is required and in any case he's out now.

I'm unsure if radford is naive or arrogant. He has yet to shoulder any blame for our losses but has been keen to blame players and even the fans

Re: Radford Out! : Tue May 06, 2014 12:22 pm  

Chris28 wrote:

Is what true?

He's broken his ankle. Keep it to yourself as only frepney knows

Re: Radford Out! : Tue May 06, 2014 12:23 pm  

Jake the Peg wrote:

I'm unsure if radford is naive or arrogant. He has yet to shoulder any blame for our losses but has been keen to blame players and even the fans

Len Casey syndrome

Re: Radford Out! : Tue May 06, 2014 12:27 pm  

Jake the Peg wrote:

I'm unsure if radford is naive or arrogant. He has yet to shoulder any blame for our losses but has been keen to blame players and even the fans

sounds like Sandercock

Re: Radford Out! : Tue May 06, 2014 12:28 pm  

[quote="Jake the Peg] I'm unsure if radford is naive or arrogant. He has yet to shoulder any blame for our losses but has been keen to blame players and even the fans[/quote]

A first team player told me that he thinks Radord is a "great coach" but an "awful man manager". He said that if players make a mistake or don't perform Radford bawls them out in front of the group and that Ben Crooks's confidence had been shot because of Radford's treatment of him.

Based on Sunday's performance Radford's policy of ruling by fear doesn't seem to be working.

Re: Radford Out! : Tue May 06, 2014 12:32 pm  

Jake the Peg wrote:

I'm unsure if radford is naive or arrogant. He has yet to shoulder any blame for our losses but has been keen to blame players and even the fans

He has previous for having digs about the fans. I remember an away game at Castleford on sky when he was captain at the time. He was interviewed on the pitch at the end of the game and when asked about "the fantastic away support" his response was that we are great when were winning but not so good when were losing.

Now that may well be true but its not something the captain of the club should be saying when a few thousand of them have just travelled to an away game to support him and the team. He may not like the media game but he has to be willing to play it sometimes.

Re: Radford Out! : Tue May 06, 2014 12:33 pm  

Jake the Peg wrote:

I'm unsure if radford is naive or arrogant. He has yet to shoulder any blame for our losses but has been keen to blame players and even the fans

The fans I covered above but I would say the players are mainly to blame for our losses. I also blame them for being nilled at Wembley and embarrassing the club beyond anything imaginable just 12 games ago.

Re: Radford Out! : Tue May 06, 2014 12:52 pm  

Diogenes wrote:

A first team player told me that he thinks Radord is a "great coach" but an "awful man manager". He said that if players make a mistake or don't perform Radford bawls them out in front of the group and that Ben Crooks's confidence had been shot because of Radford's treatment of him.

Based on Sunday's performance Radford's policy of ruling by fear doesn't seem to be working.

It doesn't work in modern sport anymore. You have to take the route of inspiring everyone from the cleaner to club captain to wanting to achieve to their absolute potential by creating a atmosphere of group pride.