I believe there is a large gulf between League 1 and the Championship. All three promoted clubs are in the bottom 6 as of 6 games played, we have a solid defence but are struggling with the increased demands of the midfield and also the supply line to the front 3 has been curtailed. The next 5 games leading upto the next international break are going to be challenging - Blackburn (A), Sheff Utd (H), Stoke (A), Blackpool (H) and Middlesborough (H), McCann needs to get more threat from the forwards and it may have to tweak his strategy.
I thought Mike asked fair questions in a reasonable manner. Terry talks about his big players coming back like they are shearer, lineker and Henry. I don’t think wilks and Josh etc are Terry’s get out of jail cards as he seems to think
Terry is a League 1 manager with League 1 players. I hope things click sooner than later and the midfield can hold onto the ball for more than two passes and score some goals but it doesn’t look great. Even when we’re playing ****, we have our grafters busting a gut to try and win the ball back but even that was absent today. Moncur and Huddlestone can’t play together in that midfield in that system. Neither are grafters and the amount of space we gave Downes and Grimes today was ridiculous.
Think the questions were fine and think the answers fair and correct - half fit players several, and because of this an unsettled side in a new division up a level . He’s right be patient . if we haven’t bought or signed well enough I think it’s not his fault this time . If he doesn’t have the ammunition and then gets the formations and team selection wrong we can only go one way - and so can he . The team work hard for the guy so he’s doing what he can with what he’s got. I’ve had my doubts on n the past and last season he got it right. He’s allowed to be touchy because too many expect too much too soon and don’t take every thing into consideration
I appreciate fully its the start of hopefully a new era.... but McCann's record post Bowen and Grosicki is hardly improving...
I pretty much agree with all of that ...... but also still think he isn't actually good enough. TWT and I'd love to be proven wrong, meaning for time to show that, like many of the players, he's also learning & adapting fast. I'm not convinced though.
I strongly agree with this - the step up to the Championship from League 1 is almost as difficult as the step up to the Premier League. The first time we came into this division we did end up hanging on by the skin of our teeth and It's going to be a struggle this time too.
All of this team, unlike a lot of the shower of our last Championship season, are up for the battle - staying up this season and consolidating for the next was always going to be the target. Buckle up, it's not gonna be a pretty season or one for the football purists who seem to inhabit every message board.
Word. Point away at one of last season's better teams is a good result. 180 mins without conceding is also summat to build on.
We haven’t scored in 5 consecutive league games. It’s all well and good saying not to expect much from this season and believe me, I’ll be happy with surviving if nowt else, but we don’t look like scoring and it’s a problem. A blind man can see our current set-up for games isn’t working. That’s down to the coach and his staff.
I said long before the season started that we'd struggle to score goals unless there was a little investment in some craft and guille .. someone like Andre Gray up front would have been ideal, alas none of that came to fruition so we are left with a workman like team, and a manager who's tactics rarely change. This season is all about consolidation agreed, but with a couple of astute signings it could have been much more comfortable, and laid a foundation for next season.
Yes Before we got promoted in 2008, we had two relegation battle seasons with many League 1 larkers getting weeded out along the way. Work in progress- steady away.
Although the back-four battled hard all game and Ingram made two great saves to gain us a point, the mid-field and forwards were non-existent. This was a truly abject performance with the above exceptions, almost as bad as the Derby game, against another team below us in the standings. McCann's tactic's apparently were to concede two thirds of the pitch to let Swansea bring the ball forward without challenge to almost the edge of our penalty area, in the hope that our full backs could keep them out. Bernard and Greaves must have been very relieved to hear the final Without Honeyman and Doherty to support him we have no one willing to get in the oppositions faces and bring the ball forward. Keane Lewis Potters performances after a bright first game have deteriorated to the point where he has become a non-factor and should be dropped. No goals in five successive games says it all. If McCann continues with these tactics we are in BIG TROUBLE !!!
So with this squad tell us which managers would do better ? It’s always a gamble whatever the manager - Mcann was shafted in 2 last time with sales and players who didn’t want to be there . I am sure my opinion might change but only when results and formation etc as I stated is wrong . Of course he will always lose the dressing room which is usually a load of bollocks !
Self-imposed transfer embargo. Frees and loans only. Entire squad built on a shoestring. Give the guy a break.
