The Russell Martin debate thread

Ramshackle
KWP THB bednarek Taylor
Downes
Sibling Lallana Fernandez
TP Archer

 

I like the sound of this Ramshackle bloke.

I think we'd concede even more playing like that though tbh. Far too attacking and no balance in midfield.

 

Yeah but we would lose 5-3 rather than 2-0 or 3-1

 

For me, the biggest issue (other than goals) is that we don’t have a player like Havertz. Just using him as the example because of today.
He can receive the long ball to foot, chest or head. He can hold the ball up and bring others into the game and he can do the running through the channels to get on the end of passes and score goals.
We don’t have a single player who can do all of those things.
Tall Paul did well with holding the ball up and might show us that he can head the ball. Paul also looked fairly decent with the ball at his feet and less giraffe like.
Archer is the man we want for running the channels.
That being the case maybe we should be playing them both in a 4-4-2 or a 5-3-2?
Maybe even a diamond midfield of Downes, Lallana/Aribo (for when Adz gets tired), Fernandes and Dibling.
I expect Smallbone will be back for the next game.

 

Well yes, having a player who has moved for £72m and £65m respectively would probably help us a little bit!

Having a player who can do all those things well would essentially require us striking gold in the transfer market with our budget

 

You seriously think he's telling players to do that? No manager in their right mind would instruct their players to play the ball behind the receiver. Come on. We can't just blame Russ every time a player makes a mistake somewhere on the pitch.

I get a lot of the criticism that's aimed at Russ, and I could name half a dozen things I wish he did differently. But there's also a lot of criticism that is just total nonsense though.

 

His style is asking us to play it around just outside our own box. Of course mistakes will happen playing like that.

He has to take a massive share of the blame for most of the goals we’ve conceded this season tbh.

We never ever counter attack quickly. We always give the opposition time to set themselves up defensively. And then when we do beat a man, we stop and turn around and pass backwards anyway. It’s ****ing infuriating

 

Yes, I know these criticisms, and I agree with them (to an extent). The particular criticism I was referring to though was that Russ apparently tells the players to pass the ball behind the receiving man instead of in front, which is just ludicrous.

 

Unless it's drilled into them to elect to pas the ball backwards in preference to moving it forward. Have to say a few times on tele I've had to ask the missus to remind me which way we are playing as we are sooooo negative.

 

Think Martin really needs to decide on a settled team now and stick as close to it as he can. The amount of changes week to week can't be beneficial.

Were Fraser and Cornet injured? Weird they went from starters to not even on bench if not.

 

Fraser was ill someone said, would’ve started if he wasn’t, presumably for Manning

Cornet just dropped I guess

 

Just heard on motd 20 games since our last PL win.

 

And very surprisingly. Manning actually did ok IMO

 

His pirouette (wrongly said Cruyff turn yesterday) was the highlight of the game bar the goal for me.

 

To an extent. But then how do you explain Dibling running with the ball every time he gets it? Or the multiple cross field passes? The long ball to set Archer up? KWP taking a pot-shot from 20 yards? This is just from yesterday. Last season players like Edozie and Sulemana had the freedom to take players on. So the players are obviously allowed to do these things sometimes.

Our fans act like every little thing on the pitch is being micro-managed by Russ; every decision a player makes, Russ is accountable for. Sure, he has his overall philosophy, which we all agree is a bit extreme. But sometimes the players just aren't good enough. Flynn can't turn on the ball like Lavia, Lallana, or even Ugochukwu can. So he has to pass back to the CBs too often. Aribo won't ever just put his foot through the ball and shoot using power. That's just two examples of players who lack fundamental skills at this level. What is the manager to do? We don't have better players to come in. Everyone likes to say, 'play to the players' strengths', and then suggest something vague like 'counter-attack more' etc. That's all well and good, but what if we start playing counter-attack, but then realise we don't have a player with the necessary passing range? or an attacker who has the required speed, control and strength?

Yesterday once again, we lost because a player made a crucial error. That's on the individual, not the manager. If Flynn hadn't messed up, we could have got a point at the Emirates. That's impressive.

Russ frustrates the hell out of me too, but sometimes it just isn't his fault. There were a few occasions last season where he came under unnecessary criticism. Boro at home (iirc) when Che missed a couple of absolute sitters, then we conceded an equaliser late on. Totally on Adams, because he wasn't good enough in the moment. And yet it was Russ who got blamed for the result.

 

Well said...but perhaps RM let Che's thighs develope too big.

 

Please don't. I'm still not over him leaving yet.

 

Stop being so wet Susan.

 

We need a song from Susan for the crucial Leicester game...

 

It's Loading's turn against Leicester. I'll maybe do Man City or Everton.