Dear Roker Report,
Having just read the article by Mark Egan this morning, I have felt the need to take the plunge and write to you.
I am so glad to find a kindred spirit writing how I feel that our season is going pan out, with our performances at this early stage. I have streamed the two cup games and the three League One games and I cannot see how our season can be successful with the lack of creativity, pace, power and basic ability, in addition to the lack of tactical knowledge that Phil Parkinson shows in each of the games this season.
Unless forced into a substitution, he waits until around the 75th minute to make changes, and seems to have a set of players who are in the team, however poor their form is. Our last two clean sheets have been more down to the opposition not having their shooting boots on rather than the performances of Lee Burge, who reminds me of the startled rabbit in the headlights that Craig Gordon used to be.
As Mark Egan put in his piece, Will Grigg isn’t even worth a place on the bench in my book, Lynden Gooch is an impact player (maybe he could become our David Fairclough!) and Charlie Wyke needs a rocket putting somewhere painful to wake him up, calling him lethargic would be an insult to the word.
After the match on Saturday I listened in disbelief as Parkinson explained how we controlled the game for long periods, but once again on Saturday our shower couldn’t even pass the ball to a teammate from any range, so how on earth did we control the game for any period?
In my opinion, there is no honesty in football and so Phil Parkinson isn’t going to resign. Stewart Donald hasn’t got the money to sack him, so once again we are in for a long season and a good chance of a fourth season in the third tier.
Finally on a financial point, the owner will have to give back some of the £20.5 Million that he owes the club to see the club through the period of this pandemic. I am a season ticket holder and for the first time in four years I actually like the new home shirt, but I will be holding off until Stewart Donald has departed to buy the new home and away shirts. I am sure that there are plenty of people who will disagree with my perspective and call me pessimistic, but I prefer to call myself a realist.
Keep safe everyone.
John Kennedy (Trimdon)
Ed’s Note [Chris]: While I’m disappointed with the performances so far John, the organisation the team has shown so far has given me a glimmer of hope we can push for promotion this season. I’m not a fan of the way Phil Parkinson set’s us up to avoid defeat rather than taking it to the opposition but since he’s achieved promotion from League One before we’ve got to hope he knows what he’s doing. Whilst he’s getting the results he’s not going anywhere, so by the evidence of the first three League One games each one could be a slog for points, so strap yourself in John!