Before frustrations set in too deeply? I'm an unashamed MoN supporter but even I can see that games like yesterday (and there have been too many similar one to them this season and parts of last tbh) are not helping his cause. We set up very negatively and not to lose and never to actually win the game. Sure, of course we do win our fair share of games but even they are generally like drawing teeth and we also drop a lot of points because of that negative set up and we concede to teams in areas we simply don't have enough quality to keep them at bay with. Namely a weak midfield and slow defence. Yesterday, we were playing a struggling team, albeit with a couple of good results lately, with no pressure on us as we had 29 points on board AND we had just signed a new £5m striker. This even I believed would be the time we unleashed the shackles and set up a team that would take the game to the opposition for once. When I heard the line up at 2.15pm my heart actually sank and I'm a Marty fan, so what some of his doubters made of it is probably best left unprinted. Of course I still think we have the best manager in 30 years here but I am baffled as too why he is so cautious when being so negative or not exactly pulling up trees. I read today in some paper that it would have been too optimistic to expect DG to have started yesterday with only one training session behind him but he has been a Swansea first team squad member up to his transfer and is match fit and must have been busting a gut to play yesterday. He is a pro, from the NE so doesn't exactly need time to adjust either and I think we have lost a bit of momentum in not playing him and then losing the game. If Martin had reservations about playing him then fine but waiting until the 75 min to introduce him was confusing. We are in danger of losing a player like Sessegnon as he just isn't playing with a smile on his face,playing as he is totally out of position and comfort zone and we are soon going to piss Fletcher off making him the ONLY striking option. Now, this isn't the beginnings of any kind of dissent on my part, I'm still 100% behind the manager and believe he will get it just right in time but we should and have to be far better than we were yesterday for the players we have at our disposal and certainly for the money we have invested. That team we had out there yesterday cost over £50m to assemble and we had over £13m sitting on the bench. To lose with such a pathetic whimper yesterday was utterly unacceptable. This wasn't Man Utd or Man City away it was Reading, who have been relegation threatened all season and who we had beaten only a few weeks before where they were one of the worst teams seen this season. Now, I will happily give the manager another full season personally (up to the end of the 2013/14) before I judge his achievements but I am fully aware not everyone will have the same patience and yesterday at the local pub, there were murmurings of discontent amongst the attendees and not all young lads full of drink either, but hardened season ticket holders I've known for years who were sick of seeing us so negative. If we fizzle out this season with say 41 or 42 points and see the mags for instance overtake us (and after their transfer window and recent results you have to say that's a probability rather than a possibility), then I think there will be less patience form some quarters than there is now. My pal who has been going to games with me for 30 years nailed it on the head yesterday when he said "there was no way he ever thought a Martin O Neill team could turn up so much dross as this". My fear is that many others like him (its his 40th year following the lads so no johnny come lately) will come to the same conclusion at the end of this season if we don't finish strongly and looking like a team on the up not on the way backwards. When season ticket renewals come round and we lost a lot last season, I cant see this current style of football bring the lost ones back OR encouraging many others to renew for next year. I guess in short what I'm trying to say, is even for us having the manager I always wanted, spending decent money and getting some good players, we just don't feel enough like a club on the up at the minute and that's a huge disappointment. Still, upwards and onwards eh? The life of a Sunderland supporter is never smooth and often littered with such disappointments. There's always next season!!!!
My worry with MoN is that regardless of new signings we will play the same way and its really worrying, yesterday was yet another time this season when we set up in a negative way when we should of been at them from the off because yesterdays game was there for the taking. Its been a regular thing this season saying how poor we have been and although Martin has done well at other clubs I cannot see him really improving us to were we should be aiming for and IMO thats looking to get into the top 8 or 9 in the next 18months as he doesn't have a plan B at all. I might get criticized for saying it but if I was Ellis Short and there is anychance to get Laudrupp in the summer then go for it even if it costs a bit to get him here. The bloke oozes class and is one cool cucumber, you never see him get flustered, he has been great in the transfer market and he sets his team up in a positive manner, all his players know the job they are in the team to do and if it is not working he changes it. I really cannot see MoN taking this club far, he is either to stubborn or clueless in his approach, if he was going to change the way we set up he would of by now, even Brucie got his teams in the oppositions faces and pressured them high up the pitch and attacked with a purpose at times. I was really looking forward to this season but it has been a big let down, we are absolutely rubbish to watch and always have the regular crap game
I'm not oneil s biggest fan but I would give him 1 more season he needs to rid the deadwood which he has started d oing and bring in a few more players ,my concern is he is a stubborn bugger won't change the system or give wickham a fair crack which I really find bizzare . 3 games this season we haven't even managed a shot on goal which is alarming to say the least . To summarise if he doesn't change the system then it will cost him his job which is a shame really cause we all like the bloke
I'm not oneil s biggest fan but I would give him 1 more season he needs to rid the deadwood which he has started doing and bring in a few more players ,my concern is he is a stubborn bugger won't change the system or give wickham a fair crack which I really find bizzare . 3 games this season we haven't even managed a shot on goal which is alarming to say the least . To summarise if he doesn't change the system then it will cost him his job which is a shame really cause we all like the bloke
We are not going to sell many season tickets/cards on the back of this style of football and we are losing fans too easily these days at the SOL. I am a fan of the bloke but his style of play is testing even me.
Hit the nail on the head there , but laudrupp as much as I agree with you won't come here at least don't think so as I said give him 1 more season if there is more of the same then for me it's time for him to go
Hit the nail on the head there , but laudrupp as much as I agree with you won't come here at least don't think so as I said give him 1 more season if there is more of the same then for me it's time for him to go
He'll be given funds in the summer and then he'll have "HIS" team. If we are 10-15 games into the season and are down near the bottom I think Short would pull the trigger if he thought his investment would be better in someone else's hands. His questioning of Keane shows he'll act if he needs to. A part of me thinks though that O'Neil is probably getting the best out of what he's got and would play 4-4-2 if he had a good enough midfield. As long as Larsson is near the first 11 you can forget about 442.
totally agree mate, sometimes it doesn't work out for the best of managers at clubs and I don't think Martin is really going to do anything here playing this way. The best thing to do might be to get a positive manager and get the wheels in motion for the future. Regardless of manager we play in that we and we scour the world to bring in talent that can play in that way. Laudrupp or Martinez would be perfect for us, they are both great tacticians, good in the transfer market and know there world football
my problem with this is will it be to late? Brucie should of went in the summer and we kept him and done nothing for 3 or 4month and wasted 20 odd million that would of been better given to a new manager then he went. Maybe Laudrupp might not come if not then go for Martinez if not then look to Europe, there will be young up and coming managers out there that play in a positive way, who had heard of the new Southampton manager but by all accounts he seems as though he will do well for them if given time. Not many of us know a lot out the younger up and coming managers out there around the world, it is up to the club to know about these guys and if MoN does go find the right one for us
We've been awful for most of this season. No fun to watch and even our wins have been sit back and hanging on till the last minute (bar west ham a few weeks ago) I will probably say till the end of this season until further questions need to be asked. If he persists with this ****e, negative 4-5-1 setup, leaving graham on the bench, it will be before that.
I'd sooner have Howard Wilkinson back than Martinez. He is the most overrated manager in western Europe.
the thing about the 4/5/1 Wickham came into the side and played very well when Fletch got injured and straight away he put it back to 4/5/1, nothing suggests he will change to 4/4/2 if we play the same way for the majority of games for the rest of the season he needs to go
I'd be happy with Martinez and we would prob stand more of a chance getting him in , I'm not really up to date with the new managers around Europe , going to rack my brains now and think who else from Europe would be good for us?apart from Martinez or laudrupp any one else you can think of mate
If we do persisit with this 4-5-1 system which isnt working and ignore our new £5m forward for the majority of games this season, I could well begin changing my mind about how long too and thats a very hard thing for me to say. I'm not sure I can stand watching another season of this negative boring football. If we were winning a majority of games 1-0 playing this way and getting a good place in the league; into cup finals etc then its easier to take. The simple fact is though, we are playing ****e football AND losing too many games and not entertaining. That's very hard to stomach week in week out.
would be a huge decision from the club but.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragan_Stojković Arsene Wenger's prodigy, played under him when he was a player and now he is manager of Wenger's former club. They both have the same philosophy in terms of playing the game and Wenger has backed him to take over at Arsenal one day as for others?
As you once asked me mate if oneil has to go who would you have in the hot seat ?someone from Europe or further or some one who already works on theses shores
As you once asked me mate if oneil has to go who would you have in the hot seat ?someone from Europe or further or some one who already works on theses shores
