Right just back from the gym time to think about that performance today. Not one player can come of the pitch thinking they put a shift in. Unbelievable against Preston we were on the front foot from start to finish vastly improved from the Birmingham game. Then they serve up a lacklustre display today. Question one does Nige and his team tell the players to keep passing sideways and backwards? If he does then he has to question his set up simply it is not working. The football is slow and has no cutting edge. Question two if Nige and his team are not coaching this into the team then those players need withdrawing from the team. For me their was no passion-no leaders -no commitment-no aggression from the team today. They were just going through the motions. Millwall are are poor side and looked at best average-they have not won away from Home since March they rock up and take three points from Ashton Gate. If Nige is asking those players to play this way then questions have to be asked of his ability to take this club forward.Clearly it is not working. The football pre the break was exciting to watch and producing results. The football after the break has been dire. No City fan would complain if the players give 100% in a game and lose-however in particular the Birmingham and Millwall games have been a absolute shambles. The question we have to ask is Nigel Pearson at fault? The players at fault? If it is the players then he needs to come down hard and drop those players. If it is him and his team he needs to address it before the powers that be say enough is enough.
I hate to be a wet blanket but selection, tactics, style, substitutions, health issues,coaching moral, discipline are the sole responsiibility of the manager, the buck stops with Nige, we are what we are and that is simply not good enough. The choices are improve or move on, we did it with Holden, we did it with LJ, we even did it with Cotts, sorry mate Nige has got to sort it out, very quickly,I hope Lansdown Snr and Gould has a stern conversation with him, Jon his son he is just a big laughable bunny hopper.
agree wiz -shocking performance by every member of that team. Nige needs to come clean and tell us fans is it his tactics or the players failing to do what he asks off them.
I feel Nige is running out of ideas, it's been dire for quite a while with but a couple of games where we've looked decent. Throughout the season our downfall have been our defending and if we are all honest it's where the concentration levels have failed miserably. Since the loss against Norwich we look totally out of sorts, what ever we had has faded into oblivion. I think being so fragile at the back has given teams confidence of being able to score against us, knowing at some stage we will make mistakes for them to take advantage and turn the game.. It's very strange, at times we look really good, but one decent attack by the opposition and we fall to pieces.. I'm getting to the point where I'm not sure NP has any answers to put it right... Can't keep blaming the players, somewhere along the journey the coaching isn't working IMO..
Not time to panic yet, we have the squad we have, unless we bring in someone better whats the point. Constantly changing the manager doesn’t work. We were all behind NP’s appointment, even after he said it would be a tough few years. So why are we surprised when we are are on the middle of that tough few years?. Be careful what you wish for. The last proper manager we chose was given 4 1/2 yrs and mega bucks, give the guy a chance.
For the life of me, I cannot understand how a team/squad can be so consistently inconsistent!! I feel so disillusioned by the whole shower. We all know that most of the players CAN play well, it seems, when they want to, so why don’t they on a more regular basis? There seems to be more questions than answers and, I’m afraid to say that the buck stops with NP. I’m begin to think that the writing’s on the wall.
I'm not advocating sacking Nige, I am sick of all of the grunting and moaning, you are correct he did inherit a squad of over paid, over valued holiday makers and OOC players, severe financial restraint and dependencey on acadamey product but as pointed out by various other members a point to which I'm beginning to agree, how long do we have to accept the yo yo standard of football we get and other teams and managers in the Championship have succeeded with less funding, less staff, poorer facilities, achieve a higher grade of football and better results. Nige has got to use his years of experience and expertise, get his matchday selections, systems and decisions right for the conditions and types of opposition he is up against , with regard to our last proper manager, 4 1/2 years and the mega bucks he spent, that is now history and we have all chewed over that argument, monumental mistake in my opinion from which we are still suffering financially but we have to think of now, Nige has got to be more flexible, we all know defence is the problem but nothing seems to change.
Is it a coincidence that as Conway and Wiemann have lost their goal scoring touch that performances and results have nosedived ?
Nige have a read ~ 35 Tips To Be a Better Soccer Defender (With 4 Pros Advice) https://mastersoccermind.com/35-tips-to-be-a-better-soccer-defender-with-4-pros-advice/
In the championship any team can beat any other, players at this level are inconsistent, young players are even more inconsistent. When our players play to their ability we have a chance, when important players are are below par we struggle. We need players to play near the top of their ability regularly. I’m as disappointed as anyone that our defence are as poor as they are, I’m just not convinced changing our manager is the answer.
I agree - and again would point out (to RR in particular) that nobody has called for NP to be replaced yet.
I agree with most of your points, I only mention the previous regime to put into context the position we now find ourselves, and the issues NP has had to deal with. I’ve been watching yo yo football as you call it for the last 50 years, as do most supporters of most teams, other than the elite few at the top of the prem. All that said I accept and agree he has limited time to turn it around. I too am disappointed he hasn’t sorted out the defence. I understand your frustration, I feel it too. I’m also leaning towards wondering whether NP can turn it around. My worry is if we aren’t careful we’ll be back where we were when LJ went. I’m not convinced they’ll be a queue of quality candidates wanting to take the job on. I feel now is the time to get behind NP and the team. The time hasn’t arrived yet to give up on him, …yet
I’m not particularly fond of changing managers for the sake of and I really want NP to succeed with us. But I’m really confused by; 1. With his background, why are we so dreadful at defending? especially set pieces? 2. What’s happened to our closing down playing high tempo on the front foot? Is that to do with Semenyo starting or to where he plays? To me he plays too deep, wandering, looking himself to create chances, which isn’t working. 3. Why are our set plays so awful, either over hit, under hit or sending it to close for the keeper to gather. 4. Why, when we start a game, we usually look good and in control, but one attack by the opposition, we fall apart? Either NP isn’t addressing those issues because he doesn’t know how to or the players are blatantly ignoring him. He’s said in a previous interview, that he doesn’t get involved in the training, so imo he either changes that stance or he replaces the coaches he has. It’s not working..
Contender for quote of the season so far from Hibs boss Lee Johnson after their 1-0 defeat to Dundee United: "I can't be too displeased with the performance, on the data - percentile wise, it was a win, although it wasn't.".
