I wouldn't be predicting any this season either! Might see what odds I can get on us not being involved in a 0-0 all season.
...I do find it funny how peoples' opinions go up and down like a yo-yo. Reading the contributions from Friday most people were saying how strong we are now (and we are) and a lot of people were saying how we would walk the league. Despite nine players in, SEVENTEEN players out - not all on the last day of course (but just think about that for a second), at least three others who were expecting to go...and then we play a promoted team expecting to win. Oh dear... oh dear... oh dear... I made a tongue in cheek comment last week wondering what we would be talking about after Friday...perhaps I should have been a little more explicit.
The reason people are so down about the result, in my opinion, is not the scoreline but that everything which improved us the previous match was then ignored for this game. Worse, the best player in the two previous matches was dropped. We need a proper focal point for attack. We need two proper wingers. We need to play either three at the back or a dedicated DM. Either way, on current showing Charles has to play. Our fullbacks need to support the attack not lead it. We must always have two players back from set plays. These things are so basic. So utterly basic. That is why it was depressing.
...and the reason why people need to engage their brains a little here is that by expecting all that to be in place the day after the week we had last week is frankly ridiculous. I will make this prediction now. When we play Leicester, we will be completely different; a lot more organised and a lot stronger - and I fully expect us to win. People who are saying how rubbish we are and what a terrible manager we have will then suddenly change their opinion. Overnight. Again. And make themselves look silly. Again.
No one has said we have a terrible manager or made themselves look silly. People are rightly concerned that we took a huge step backward yesterday and that the performance was worse than the result. We will sort it out I’m sure. But it was really really bad
Absolutely no way do I see us having a plan B going forward. I just don't think that's Martin style. I do think that plan A will get better as the season goes on. Players will learn and improve on what Martin wants. Martin will discover which players are better at it than others. But nevertheless, there will still be games where plan A doesn't work - and just how many of those games there will be, will most likely determine where we finish.
No need to be rude. So who has said the manager is terrible? Please point me towards these posts as I clearly missed them. I do agree with your general point btw - it reminds me of one of Ralph's early seasons where we went from European challengers to relegation strugglers every other week - but making up strawman arguments like people expecting us to win 4-0 or calling Martin terrible hugely weakens your point.
and I absolutely do - we just didn't have the players to have a plan B. We were rubbish last year...until some of the dross was removed and better players came in what was even the point of developing a Plan B or even perfecting Plan A? It's as if people have completely forgotten just how rubbish we were. I am convinced we now have the squad and the manager to fix this...and quickly. Nobody...repeat nobody, changes their squad to the degree we have and hits the ground running. All the doom and gloom after yesterday's game is crazy - I haven't changed my position one iota. This season, probably starting from the Leicester game...is going to be a cracker
I still think the time to judge us is end of September / mid-October and won't be making any big judgements before that.
I'm not sure I follow. My post wasn't a criticism. There are some managers who like to have different plans, and some managers who stick to one plan no matter what. Martin, I am convinced, is in the second category. Fans from Swansea and MK Dons have been pretty clear in that. The most successful manager in the past 5 years of English football is also in that category. Poch never had a plan B for us, and he wasn't bad! Some people will like a manager who sticks to plan A no matter what. Other fans will want a manager with a plan B. I was merely pointing out that anyone in the latter camp will likely be disappointed. A lot of what you've said I agree with. But I don't really see where it fits in with my point. If anything, the huge degree that we've changed our squad does fit in with only having plan A - because they are players who Wilcox and Martin have chosen to acquire.
His squad at Swansea and MK was nothing like ours...it was as much as he could do to have a plan A with them. Things he has said, substitutions he has made...it's pretty clear to me he is not one with purely linear thinking. I have heard someone who knows him saying he has the ability to think round corners - I find that pretty exciting, and I can't wait to see what he does with this squad.
Wow so me giving you a reasoned response means you get to say people need to engge their brains? Your logic is all off. I said things we learnt in the previous game were ignored in this one and you respond by saying impossible after our week gone? I mean he could have started the one player who has settled most comfortably into his system in Charles? There was no disruption that led to that. He could have coached his fullbacks to attack with caution? He could have said keep 2 back from corners and one must be a defender. These are game basics. These aren’t - give me a month to learn it. I still think he is a good manager but he is currently confused. Last season he didn’t have any wingers and so relied on his back five with attacking wingbacks. This year he has wingers but won’t let go of the wingbacks even in a back four. He needs to learn that lesson fast.
So me saying "people need to engage their brains" is translated by you as "you need to engage your brain". To quote you....wow. Sadly, this forum hasn't improved.
You have to understand that negative posts always stand out from the realistic ones, I just try not let the negativity drag me down
You’re just making zero sense. We just got absolutely battered and are talking about the reasons why. I think people are being pretty calm to be honest. No one has slated the players or the manager. What do you want people to say? “Yay we are happy we looked worse than a Sunday league team”?
Who gets to decide which posts are negative and which are realistic? I wouldn’t be arrogant enough to make that call.
