Manager situation and the constant changing over recent years

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And why shouldn't we lament it? Off the top of my head, we scored two goals from crosses from free kicks and corners last season and I think Saturday's set piece goal means we've scored nineteen of them this time around. Last season we scored forty one times from forty six games while conceding fifty eight and, at the moment, we've scored forty from thirty five while conceding forty eight. If we continue scoring and conceding at our current rate for the rest of the season we'll end up scoring fifty three and conceding sixty three.

So, for all of the talk of our defensively minded manager having improved our defence, we're on course to have a worse goals against record this season compared to last season. To counter that, we're well on the way to comfortably exceeding last season's goalscoring figure. However, when you consider that, with eleven games left, we've already scored seventeen more set piece goals than we did last season, the truth is that our improved goalscoring figure is on course to be entirely down to us being so much better at scoring from free kicks and corners. In fact, there is every chance on the evidence we have at the moment that the 23/24 side will end up with less goals scored from open play than last season's team which only avoided the drop because of Reading's points deduction.

Last season's team also were useless from the penalty spot, but at least they were getting the players into the box to draw the fouls and handballs from the opposition. Take away the cup tie and at Sheffield (Bulut allows the team to play a different style of football in cup games) and we're not getting the penalties this season that we did last time around.

Let's not forget either that, despite the transfer embargo for the summer window, Bulut has had the sixth best wages budget in the Championship to work with according to our Chairman. I'm dubious about that claim, but, you only have to look at the calibre of player we brought in during the summer window to think that the wage budget for 23/24 is significantly bigger than the one for 22/23.

So, on what is almost certainly a bigger wages budget, Bulut has overseen what looks like being a much higher finishing position than last season, despite the fact that we're conceding more goals and are even less creative from open play than last season's team - he's got a lot to be grateful about for all of those extra set piece goals.

As I said a few weeks back, I'm not calling for Bulut to be sacked, but if Tan decided to get rid of him at the end of the season, I wouldn't be too bothered.

With ODowda returning to fitness and Grant available, surely this would be the time to have a left footed winger on the left and a right footed winger on the right?

The fact that Bowler can’t beat a defender surely hasn’t been missed by the coaching staff?

If the reason for playing them, previously was that they were able to cut inside and score from open play, then surely the coaching staff can see that, it hasn’t worked out well so far!

If we do manage to go in front tonight, the nonsense of playing almost everyone behind the ball has to stop as well!

Bulut has got us in the top half, which is an obvious improvement, but can he introduce some excitement into play?

When Wintle comes off the bench, can’t he instruct him to face the Ninian stand or Grandstand, at least that way he’s more likely to make a forward pass

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The fact that Bowler can’t beat a defender surely hasn’t been missed by the coaching staff?

If the reason for playing them, previously was that they were able to cut inside and score from open play, then surely the coaching staff can see that, it hasn’t worked out well so far!

I think Bowlers critisism is unfair on this board - He's a left footed player so has to cut inside which is being defended time after time by the opposition by showing him to the touchline and they often put 2 players on him.

He then reverts to an outside of the foot pass but the opposition already have that space closed down.

It looks bad for Bowler but I don't understand what else he's supposed to do as his natural outlets if played on his unnatural side are camped in the centre circle as we are stuck with 2 DMs every game.