I agree Jacko, unfortunately we will probably never know but i would be keen to know how much influence Jones has.
If (a) he is pulling the strings and has done nothing to rectify a shocking run of results and performances the past month has produced then i would ask if he is the right man for us. On the flip side (b) if he is pointing things out and being ignored then i would think his professional pride would look to leave. I have a feeling it is option A as i cant help but think if he was disillusioned he would of gone to Luton or elsewhere.
As for Big Dave, he made a choice at the start of the season to give the players who let the club down last season and got 2 managers sacked another chance and that will possible be his downfall.
I think he has done a decent job, i thought we would be around the playoffs around now but its the manner of things which is a worry. I said at the start of the season with all the turmoil at the club i was hoping we would be mid table to top half then second half of the season kick ontowards the playoffs. Instead of kicking on we seem to be getting worse and its not just the results, its the tactics, setup and performances which have got me having doubts about Moore.
I dont want him sacked but the last month cant be masked over, we have lost to Middlesbrough, Sheffield United and Leeds and cheated a draw vs Forest, in all those games but the last two inparticular we have offered no attacking threat and i cannot any keeper having saves to make, our strength was our attacking play but we have lost that, it does seem Barnes was more important than we all thought but you cant cry over it, he isnt coming back, we dont have a like for like replacement so we have to try something different, however we are not doing that and thats what worries me about Moore.
I find it hard to believe Moore and the coaches really thought that Leeds would play the same again after we battered them 4-1 yet since that day we have not changed our formation once and the stubborness / naivety / arrogance to do not do so is a concern.
I have said previous i am not bothered about going up as it will mean we get to see the back of these players and rebuild, at this stage i think Moore has enough credit and enough knowledge of the academy to be given the chance next season to do that, however i would imagine if we dont make the playoffs he will be gone.
Speaking of the players, they have to take a massive share of the blame, yet again in big games they have bottled it, thats why i dont blame Moore as much because over the past few seasons a number of these players whether under Pulis, Pardew and now Moore have failed to produce when the pressure is on.
A lot of them are living on past reputations, england internationals, established premier league players, etc, etc thats why on paper opposition fans and a number of our own fans says we should be doing better with the squad we have, maybe they are right to an extent but our squad is strong on paper.
As we witnessed numerous times last season, these players just arent that good, if they were they wouldnt of finished bottom of the premier league, they made it look more respectable when the pressure was off at the end of the season, when it really counted they bottled it and we could easily of finished one of the worst premier league teams ever (thats not to take away credit from Moore who managed to wake them up at the end of last season)
Last season wasnt bad luck, it was combination of things, one key one being the players were no longer as good and living on past glories, fortunately judging by how other clubs look at them and the media talk, should we not go up, those past glories might con some other teams into buying them off us.
Its okay snatching a late win at QPR and the players spouting off how we are as one, what a team, we all love each other, etc the reality is yet again when big games happen, we dont turn up and its happened too often to just be bad luck or bad form, there is a culture that has been at this club for years and i for one do not want the play offs as i have no doubt in the big games we will bottle it.
I am sure we will plunder through to the end of the season and be flat track bullys again and probably make the playoffs but these players have shown in the last month that as the 'business end' of the season approaches, when the pressure is on, they are not up to it and unfortunately Darren Moore may well be the one who suffers at the end of the season.