How about the top 4 this year.. lets not trawl back over the seasons Syd, you'll be fighting a losing battle. and one for OLM, even Bruce had a win ratio of 50% + last time we were promoted...
win ratio over one season is irrelevant as teams who win half their games, are almost certainly auto promoted or close its obvious we didnt win enough games, everyone knows that
It's almost like saying "next season we need to score more goals than the opposition or I'll be really cross". Like yes of course if we want to go up we need to win more than 50% of our games.
Let's say your right and that he's not happy with what he's seeing on the touchline. It's worrying that in 18 months he's unable to fix things. Id argue that the stats regarding pointless possession and number of passes in our own 3rd is what is being coached. If he's so unhappy with this why cant he fix it?
I’d argue that over the month or so it has been fixed, obviously the Stoke performance was abject and Saturday’s performance disappointing, but we’ve been far more attacking in the final quarter of the season.
I'm not to sure we've seen enough yet to say it's been fixed, but there's definitely been progress and hopefully that continues. This season needs to have been a huge learning exercise for LR, if he's humble enough to learn from it he'll be a fantastic coach Roll on next season
A very interesting thread this. There seems to be a common view that Liam has a lot to learn (which I agree with) but like some others, I worry as to whether he will. I always think when he's interviewed he gives the impression of having all the answers, and sometimes being rather delusional about how much we've dominated matches, missed lots of chances, etc. I hope this is just a front and that deep down he realises some things need to change. I think the thing which frustrates me most is that there is no evidence across the season that we have improved on set pieces, or getting crosses into the box. He seems fixated on scoring by breaking through the press rather than sometimes really putting the opposition under consistent pressure. And if you look at our form since the start of December, it's been mid table at best. As I've said before, if it were my money to invest, I'd give him the benefit of the doubt and let him invest again in the summer, but I'd be asking him what he feels he has learnt this season and paying a lot of attention to his answers.
It's easy to check, since 1st Dec we’re 10th in the form table (two poor results that week, since 10th Dec we’ve been 8th)
Which coincided with our main striker being available again. Since Delap got injured in Jan it was like we were playing with our feet tied together in terms of carrying an out and out goal threat
If I was conducting Liam’s appraisal I’d start by congratulating him on a successful season, citing how much I’d enjoyed some of our football, using games such as Southampton as an example. I’d then be asking him directly why we didn’t finish in the top six and noting his answers carefully. I’d want to know why we ended up with positional crises at various times of the season ( left back / right back / striker) and expecting more considered answers than ‘injuries innit’. I’d be inquiring about whether he felt that across the season he’d handled the goalkeeper situation as well as he could. I’d also want to know why he had to basically tell a group of professional footballers (and tell the media that he’d told them) that fouling an opponent on the break was the ‘right’ thing to do. I’d obviously be asking him where we need to strengthen for next season, who we should be signing and what is the minimum outcome he’d accept from his team. I’d be thanking him for his work this season, outlining how he would be supported by the owner next season, pointing out some key milestones against which he would be measured, then telling him to go and enjoy a break with his family.
Solve the fouling an opponent on the break conundrum by signing a mad bad mother, who wonders why there is a ball on the pitch with all those legs to kick. I believe the modern parlance is DM, or number 6. As recruitment is out of his hands, he may suggest areas to look at. I am sure those with the recruitment remit will have seen what is needed. Opening the purse strings and bring people in now? Or wait till the death and see who is available on loan?
The thing about positional crises is really weird because we’ve not had many injuries all at the same time. There was Philogene and Delap but it wasn’t like last year when we were forced to play square pegs in round holes because we had a massive injury crisis. How we ended up with Regan Slater at right-back is bizarre. Last year we had Slater and Docherty on either wing. Full-backs need sorting in the summer.
Not particularly bizarre, Slater deputised there before Christie was fully fit and he did a good enough job that Christie wasn't thought of to do a better one. I'm sure Christie has been told his papers are stamped too so his attitude might not have been up to it.
Thought the game against Ipswich was one of the most exciting City games I have ever seen. And the way we have played in some of the games this season had us purring along like Manchester City. Under LIam and the rest of the management team I expect it to continue next season ableit with some different faces. Hope that the new pitch will provide a springboard to improve our home form.
Keep the style. Move the ball quicker. That needs more technically gifted players, better movement off the ball (as a team) and signing players that can see a pass and have the bollocks to try passing it through the lines. Then we need a plan B when we meet the Plymouths and Stokes of this world. Thank you.
