It was 2 fans actually. The one who did not pick up the corner flag ran down the tunnel in the right hand corner of the north stand and ran back out again. Pair of idiots but as bad as the situation is its not worth getting afootball banning order for. Managers do back each other while I just log on to the newsnow site in the morning praying to see that freedman has been sacked.

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OnlyOneF you have omitted SMs disastrous tenure at Forest. He ain't that good. Tho I'd take him over DF any day

He's still a good manager, sometimes they go to clubs were things just don't work out. McClaren realised that at Forest when he took 8 points from his first 10 matches so resigned. Dougie could learn from him.

I'm not disputing that McClaren is decent at club level, just wondering how in hell he could honestly offer an opinion of Freedman's abilities that didn't say "He's a clueless chump who made my umbrella look good".

So because McClaren put up an umbrella ONE time then he can't offer an opinion without referencing said umbrella.1

Pretty much, yeah.

Wasn't even a particularly nice umbrella.....

Have to agree with Benny though, as bad as things are and as valid as the protests are, its not worth getting banned over.

I have to say that my overriding emotion towards Dougie is actually not anger but more pity.

This is not a Megson situation where in addition to poor results and performances we had a manager who belittled and alienated the fans in the process of spending more of the clubs money than any previous manager.

Dougie is in an impossible position of trying to get it right on the pitch whilst also cutting the daily running costs and trying to put in place the structure for a more sustainable model long-term.

I'm sure he thought he was up to the task when he came in, he'd experience of tight budgets at Palace. However ultimately the job is one that he is struggling to match up to and I don't think he'll ever be able to.

I feel for him, he seems like a genuinely decent guy who gives a damn about the club and doing the very best he can. But he is hamstrung by the mismanagement of the past.

I do believe he needs to go, but much like when we parted ways with Coyle I don't think the departure of the manager will solve the real problem at the club. Until Eddie has the guts to toss Gartside to the kerb we will continue to suffer a slow and inevitable decline.

WF, I respect your opinion, however Freedman isn't helping himself. Even without funding he could try selecting his best team and playing them on a regular basis unless there are injuries. He could also try changing his tactics such as playing 442 formation and sticking to that system so that ever player knows what's expected from them, he needs to play players in their best positions were they feel confident. He also needs to change training techniques because whatever they are doing isn't working. If he were to take on all these points and stick with them, we would hopefully find ourselves winning some games.

However bad he is at the moment, I do feel sorry for him but at the present he isn't doing himself any favors and fans will only back him as and when he starts producing results.

Going a bit direct would help. Just not getting the ball forward quick enough or getting any crosses . Instead its pass pass very slowly going nowhere and losing the ball thus not creating chances or forcing mistakes.

Completely agree on the issue of consistent team selection and tactics.

I would like to think he trying to tailor the tactics to the opposition which in theory is not a bad plan. However he is changing things too much. Alter things within a set formation or have two formations which the team are completely comfortable with, 442 at home and 451 away for instance.

If we are going to be stuck with him then he needs to go back to basics and keep things simple.

The question is will he? On current evidence, no.

Yesterday was a case in point. Freedman has been in the job 2 years and is still trying out things. Playing garvan as a holding midfielder and playing spearing furthur forward was crazy. Just keep it simple 4-4-2 home and 4-5-1 park the bus away. Drop lee, not interested now, started the season brightly but fading now, bring back ream for moxey.

comment by OnlyOneFinFreedman (U1737)
posted 8 hours, 31 minutes ago
So because McClaren put up an umbrella ONE time then he can't offer an opinion without referencing said umbrella.1
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Absolutely right. The brolly will be referenced for all time.

Seriously though, the point I want to make is that while I do actually respect McClaren's club record he's not really in a position to know how Dougie is doing. I appreciate he's offering a 'fraternal' support to a fellow manager but it's not his or any other club's manager's place to comment in my humble opinion.

So Dougie ... If Derby are the best team in the division ..how come they're only 6th? ( and they weren't even a top 6 team 'till they took 3 points on Saturday ...). But. let's suppose they are a ' Top ' team who play neat football to a high standard. You think playing them at their own game ...with the standard of players you have - and the disastrous footballing record they also have this season - warrants that sort of appoach??? If you play a good footballing team .... the first thing you do is ...stop them playing .... knock 'em out of their stride ..then impose your own tempo on the game. It's not rocket science ..... just watch a few Bolton home games on dvd, back in the halcyon BSA days, Dougie ...you might learn something about the game ....