So we should have kept slutsky and phelan then? GTF
Team with no Identity
- Thread starter cheshireles
- Start date
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I agree, the problem is that on the back of a 4-0 loss he’s bound to change things, and he will undoubtedly change things that shouldn’t be changed, one of those things will likely be that Wilks and Balogh will not play up front as a two.
All tongue in cheek, and who mentioned previous managers?
I would very much like to see Wilks and Balogh too. I thought the Hungarian looked a handful in his cameo on Saturday. An upgrade on the confidence-drained Magennis, for sure.
Yep, we both know it won’t happen though, McCann never seems to see what others see, and I never even got to see the Leeds game, I’m just basing it on what posters on here have said about the pairing.
I find it hard to believe that McCann isn't doing what Ehab appointed him to do. I have spoken to a couple of people who have witnessed Ehab operating at close hand who say the same thing: he's desperate to show how clever he is. He's made some left-field managerial appointments when everyone was expecting something else, and now I think it's gone a bit further under McCann. He wants us to be one of those teams constantly unearthing gems from the lower leagues/non-league/Ireland/Scotland and selling them for millions a few years down the line. He's brought in McCann to do that. I just don't think we have the wider infrastructure to make it the flying success that Ehab thinks it will be. Our recruitment under McCann has been patchy at best, and widely reliant on McCann himself (Tafazzoli, Lopes, Wilks, Maddison, Samuelsen and Kane have all played under him; presumably the likes of Eaves, Honeyman and one or two others were signed because they impressed him in opposition last year). Only really Lopes fits the 'flog him for a decent profit' criteria at present. So I think we can say this strategy is failing.
More importantly, however, McCann is failing. He's failing tactically. We're not organised. We've seen well organised, well drilled Hull City teams under Horton, Joyce, Taylor, Brown, Pearson, Bruce and Adkins (in my time). Any one of them would make a big difference to this team, as they mastered the art of giving players a role and getting them to fulfil it. This gave their teams a cohesion, a togetherness. McCann does not seem to have this in his armoury. We're a disorganised mess. Yes, the injuries have hurt us, but that doesn't excuse the rabble we're fielding week in, week out. Having well drilled reserves is part of good football management. I'm pretty ambivalent as to whether we should get rid or not, as I think under Ehab we're in a downward spiral anyway. Ehab doesn't have the intelligence to arrest this decline through any meaningful strategy, and he's unwilling to spend the money to plaster over these cracks.
Obviously I hope McCann turns it round. But he doesn't seem the type to learn from his mistakes. This team is the feeblest (not the worst, just the feeblest) I've seen since the Hateley days. There are no leaders, save maybe for De Wijs. We're too easy to cut through, be it our defence or midfield. So I'd agree with the subject header. I've no idea what a McCann team stands for, how it is meant to function successfully, other than hoping whoever plays out wide can conjure up something magical. Hopefully we've reached a nadir. I wouldn't bet on it though.
More importantly, however, McCann is failing. He's failing tactically. We're not organised. We've seen well organised, well drilled Hull City teams under Horton, Joyce, Taylor, Brown, Pearson, Bruce and Adkins (in my time). Any one of them would make a big difference to this team, as they mastered the art of giving players a role and getting them to fulfil it. This gave their teams a cohesion, a togetherness. McCann does not seem to have this in his armoury. We're a disorganised mess. Yes, the injuries have hurt us, but that doesn't excuse the rabble we're fielding week in, week out. Having well drilled reserves is part of good football management. I'm pretty ambivalent as to whether we should get rid or not, as I think under Ehab we're in a downward spiral anyway. Ehab doesn't have the intelligence to arrest this decline through any meaningful strategy, and he's unwilling to spend the money to plaster over these cracks.
Obviously I hope McCann turns it round. But he doesn't seem the type to learn from his mistakes. This team is the feeblest (not the worst, just the feeblest) I've seen since the Hateley days. There are no leaders, save maybe for De Wijs. We're too easy to cut through, be it our defence or midfield. So I'd agree with the subject header. I've no idea what a McCann team stands for, how it is meant to function successfully, other than hoping whoever plays out wide can conjure up something magical. Hopefully we've reached a nadir. I wouldn't bet on it though.
The irony is that McCann himself has put out well drilled, well organised teams this year that have thrived. Yes he likes to play in a seat-of-pants style, but we've seen neat passing triangles, good communications, flicks and tricks well-anticipated, working the ball to one wing then quickly switching to the other, defensive solidity - all the stuff that Leeds showed us on Saturday, incidentally.
But that organisation seems to have collapsed some time in mid January. Was it Bowen's departure? Was it the signing of some, err, lively characters? Was it an incident on the training ground? Was it dropping Eaves after an impressive hattrick? It's hard to know. But McCann is surely best placed to put it right, especially as the squad is peppered with "his" guys.
I’m sure there are Watford fans saying we should ha e kept Flores he’d have sorted it out why get in someone who doesn’t know the team or the squad oh wait
A fair point. I think to a large extent we're seeing just how good Bowen and Grosicki were, and how valuable they were to us. Teams had to set up to cope with them. Now they solely have to set themselves up to attack us down our wings and have runners waltzing through our non-existent midfield. I don't think it's a coincidence that our most of our most impressive performances this season have come away from home (Luton, Fulham, Forest). Counter-attacking football as teams come at us, using Jarrod and Kamil as outlets worked brilliantly. McCann is shorn of that option now. Surely his managerial style - his answers to the problems other teams pose us - can't collapse because both players left. You rightly point out, though, that a large percentage of our squad knew McCann when signing and wanted to do so again. I'd take a Warnock or Hughton, but that aint gonna happen. So maybe we are better sticking rather than twisting.
Two months ago I was very much behind (not literally) McCann, he was for me with the 'tools' at his disposal performing ahead of my expectation. Whilst I never bought into the Play Offs mantra, I also didn't for one second believe that relegation could be on the horizon. The last 2 months have brought not only abysmal results, but a bunch of players who at face value don't appear to be doing the basics, or playing with any cohesion or understanding. Yes, the sales of Bowen and Grosicki have had an obvious negative impact and were anticipated, plus of course the number of injuries we have suffered of late will also have an impact. But to use a favourite word, we look clueless! We are not getting beat, we got hammered in a number of recent games.
For me either McCann needs to go, or support him with someone with a bit of nous and experience, clearly Cliff Byrnes role is a submissive one. Most on here would then say who do you bring in? If we are stuck with McCann then how about Stuart Gray, Withernsea born, bags of experience and currently Scott Parkers asst. at Fulham. Lots of reasons why it may not be option, and why he wouldn't be interested, just putting it out there, this is fan forum after all.
You keep listing managers sacked with several months and 20 odd games to go in a season. We have ten games and nine weeks to turn this around. The situation is different. If Ehab can find someone to turn the ship around in that time then that's fabulous, he should crack on. But I'm not sure such an individual, nay miracle worker, exists.
McCann could do a lot worse than get Nigel Adkins in for a few weeks of input. Though whether the current owners will let that happen is open to question.
You seriously think McCann can improve these players now? Why? What makes you think that. It has been a steady downward spiral that is now unstoppable. He cannot lift this team. The only chance we have is a new manager. With fresh ideas tactics and motivation to energise these players. Nothing else will work.
McCann needs to change formation so we’re more defensively tight. I’d even take a couple of 0-0 draws to build something on. The current formation leaves us far too open and we’re incapable of not making mistakes or keeping a clean sheet.
