Not really interested in the reasons for him OUT because people have documented their thoughts more than enough already on that I think

What about the genuine reasons for him to stay?

Would many other coaches have managed much better with the injuries sustained, off the field problems that changed the team around? I honestly don’t think so (and for reference I think the same applies to Sandercock at the KR with the problems they have had).

In certain big games with a full squad have shown we can compete – Warrington twice for example

Has had the problem of losing our most potant attacking weapon to deal with - Manu - with no obvious replacement

Youth development at least from the outside looks to be improving (as an example sorting out the Australia visit for Tyson-Wilson)

Aside from the Whiting / Westerman half back fiasco against KR seems prepared to play young players in the correct position

Tactically astute using the bench correctly

It maybe doesn’t always show on the pitch but when you listen to him for me he seems a steady enough character who at least talks sense

And finally Is sacking and getting another coach really a good way to steady the ship?

If we were to use an analogy some supporters think we are Chelsea and that Adam is Abramovic. This ensures that we will see a new coach every 2 years (maximum length of tenure).
Others see us as Manchester United who were prepared to stand by their manager in the face of poor results. We all know their history during the Fergie period.
Choose your own version, I know where I stand.

Where's the Gentle SHAKE IT ALL ABOUT thread?

I've seen plenty of lists of reasons where gentle is failing but not really seen much about where he has improved us. Yes, the youth set up is better but surely that's down to more money being invested than anything gentle has done, more youngsters given a chance, but the set up of the squad has left him with little option in most cases, so what do people feel he has achieved?

Not a piissing contest, I'm genuinely interested because for me, the on field product is poor and not improving.

I don't think he should be sacked now but I think the owner will rightly be asking him some very direct and serious questions about why our attacking play continues to look unstructured and misfires so regularly.

It's a matter of fact that when we made a poor start to the season Gentle said it was typical of early season 'settling in' and that it was important to be playing well 'at the business end' of the season. Everyone can see that the same problems exist now that existed before and it's entirely fair to ask the coach why that is.

Had we won last night we would have finished 5th and had a Wembley trip this year. Regardless of the above that would have to have been classed as a decent season within the scope of the rebuilding that is going on. The fact is we didn't win and will be 6th (same as last year) or 7th (worse) is stagnation at best. The Wembley defeat has I believe totally knocked the stuffing out of the squad and the fans for that matter. The manner of defeat was absolutely shocking and as well as that we lost a number of our most senior, and best, players in that game.

I also think that the failure to land Chase only to watch him successfully signed this year is a dent in our aspirations and a failure of our administration. I know opinion differs on his actual worth (I would have loved to have seen him playing the way he does in black and white) but the fact is we tried and failed to get him and it's his kind of quality - particularly in his position - that would help to sell the season tickets that AP continues to promote as 'all important' to his quest.

AP might well take the ruthless approach and replace Gentle sooner rather than later - he has that form. If he does it wouldn't upset me at all. However I would probably give him 15 games next year to see if he can finally turn it around. As others have said the level of recruitment will be key and I don't think any of us at this stage are particularly confident of what that recruitment might bring. Gentle to his credit has given young players a chance, with some success, and at times this season our defence has been brilliant. In the unlikely event we show up in the play offs that will be further evidence that he should be given more time. It just seems to me that the spirit that has been shown most of the season might have run out at Wembley. You can't keep winning games with defence and it seems that even the players are dispirited with the way we're playing the game.

I would give him one more year for the sake of stability and continuity and because I don't think there is anyone better available. No point in sacking him now and then wondering who to replace him with

We're defensively a lot better than we've been in years, our attack suffers as a result of a few things.

We have a poor pack, we used to offload, now we don't. Obviously that is coached, so I'd like to ask why we don't anymore. The players don't seem to want to fight to get up off the floor and without Moa and Manu we've struggled to have impact. Gentle's idea of a mobile pack hasn't worked, that is the only thing I would genuinely criticise him for, although hopefully, with the Paea signing he's realised it hasn't worked.
Our half back disruption has been a joke again. Seymour's situation, Holdsworth's strange lingering concussion, Horne's missed half the season and Miller has only been here a couple of months.

Individuals have been poor, Yeaman & Briscoe to name two. Briscoe being better the last few weeks admittedly.

Ultimately, the club was a mess. Our old board sat back while Rovers snapped up the best talent in the city for years, this will take years to fix, not just two seasons. These 16's that everyone is raving about are realistically still 3,4 & 5 years away. Only then will we have a set up like most other clubs.

I trust in Adam Pearson to do the right thing whether he keeps faith or sacks him

Spot on

I too would give him next season. Two years is too short a time IMO. Granted, there's a whole lot of improvement needed, but then again, we're only two years into this new era following Hetherington.

The two stand-out improvements he's made are the defense (which is the best I've seen it for years), and giving the youngsters a chance, knowing that they're the future of the club.

Hopefully, we'll see 2/3 more decent signings for 2014, on top of a young squad being one year older.

For me he gets to stay on, carry on the job.

Obvoiusly as there always is at FC, somethings not right off the field and that echoes onto the pitch

Just depends who is rocking the boat behind the scenes though

His improvement of the defence (apart from last night).His use of youngsters and giving them a chance and maybe does deserve another season with a settled half back pairing be it Holdsworth/Miller or Horne/Miller or Holdsworth/Horne but he needs to settle on it and play them.Also think that he has placed way too much on Miller...he was dropped in the team and was expected to lead us rd.Also,he dropped Yeaman for being in poor form but Holdsworth and Miller have been gash but both have played....1 needs to be dropped for the play-off match..will PG have the ball$ to do this.

Heard there was a 3 way Clique...the Aussies,the Cas lads and the Hull based players.

good points at the start mate, improving defence is always my first thoughts on improving a team. With us its been at detriment to attack (but maybe weve had to defend too much due to poor set completion) although people claim it has not improved, for me we are better structured, set up the correct areas but the final execution, play and pass choices are were we fail.

A post of this quality - deserves acknowledgement.





Add to that, defence is coached by Radford.

Didnt Brian Smith say the best form of attack is defence.Agree about last points...would love to see more dummy runners and support play though...Watts can get his hands free but no bugger there.

Excellent post.

Think it's a tad harsh to say that Miller has been gash. And Yeaman has had more chances to play while in bad form than any other player at the club.

Having said that, I'd like to see us try a different HB combo in the first playoff game. The problem is with our injuries. If Horne comes in for one of the halves, who plays centre? If we shift Whiting there it weakens the pack and I can't think of any other candidates off the top of my head.

I might be wrong, thought it was 'attacking defence;, where the defence attacked & smashed the ball carrier.

I remember when Phil Windley couldnt pass to the right, Smithy put a truck tyre in his garden,and attached the tyre to a tree,

He said,Practice passing ,until the ball goes through the tyre. -so he practiced ,until he perfected it.
Lee Jackson played under a few coaches,said he Smith was the best coach,he's played under.

Totally agree with this, our pack is poor and lacks any impact what so ever since Moa left. The offloading from the tackle seems somewhat impossible for most of our squad, I would hazard a guess that Whiting has offloaded more than the rest of the team put together. IMO , offloading the ball is an essential part of the game, it creates momentum, and while I appreciate you can't offload all the time, well we just go set upon set and don't do it once. Are the players being told not to offload, or is it they don't have the skill factor to do it?

Know what you mean about centre unless we can get one back.Maybe gash is the wrong word...trying too hard to impress but dont think he has been helped by Holdsworth going missing...think Miller/Horne would be good combo.

Just out of interest I've just had a look at the stats, our top 10 for offloads are
Whiting 33
Westerman 28
Lynch 21
Briscoe 20
O'Meley 18
Watts 18
B Crooks 17
Houghton 14
Yeaman 12
Tickle 12

Think Miller and Horne would be a good partnership ball in hand, but we'd be back lacking a good long-range kicking game. Although both Azza and Houghton aren't too bad in that department. Worth a try IMO if we can get a centre back.

id sooner have our halfs creating and taking the line on than worry about a long kicking game.

I'm not necessarily defending Holdsworth here but without him we wouldn't have got to Wembley. The 18th man played its very best game this year at the same time Holdsworth won MOM. He has become the uber scape goat and his inconsistent performances probably merit that to a degree. Personally I think his head injury has reduced him as a half.

Incidentally I think the 18th man is rapidly becoming one of our worst performers.