Just took this from the Oatcake and it pretty much sums up they way things are -
Gutless, Spineless and Talentless
Such words are ones that can usually be aimed at players who become embroiled in a relegation scrap but in our case, they are all words that can be thrown fairly and squarely at our manager today.
Having used a good few hours after the game to come to terms with the fact that we will almost certainly be relegated and having thought long and hard about our display today, I have to say that our players today gave it everything they had.
To a man, they all tried their very best. Perhaps against their more natural instincts at times, I could see a very real and very distinct pattern of play and approach to the game.
It was a gutless way to set up a team. From the outset, we had 5 of the 10 outfield players out of position. A central midfield player at right back. A right back at left back. A right back cum centre half at right wing. A forward on the left wing. A central midfield player playing as an auxiliary forward.
A team set up to be scared of its own shadow. 5 players out of position and some wonder why we are absolutely toss.
Talentless in the sense that post match, a manager acknowledges the opposition keep the ball to kill the game yet instructs his own players to launch the most aimless punts up field to no-one. A manager who is not talented enough to coach his players to pass, move and be fluid whilst keeping the kind of defensive discipline that a team needs. It is a sorry sight watching a goalkeeper taking free kicks just inside his own half and a centre half who receives the ball, marches 10 yards forward, looks up and launches it to no-one.
Spineless in that when the opposition manager launched a 5 minute tirade against the officials and one of our own players, our gutless, talentless manager just stood there with his hands in his pockets before taking them out to simply fold them across his chest. Where was our manager backing up his players? Getting involved in the fight? Giving his players confidence?
I watched bits of the Sunderland game. Their team played without fear. Their manager has clearly instilled something in them and removed fear from their approach. Meanwhile, I watch on as our team of players give it everything yet are hamstrung by fear, by rigidity, by a system that allows absolutely no freedom of expression.
Tony Pulis is a gutless, spineless and talentless manager who has totally lost his way. As predicted, he seemed content to see us keep our goal difference in some kind of tact like that will be the thing that saves us. We made absolutely no attempt to win the game today. We made no attempt to cause them problems. We made no attempt to give them a bloody nose.
Once again, we rolled over and had our bellies tickled by a team managed by old whisky nose, a bloke who Pulis openly admits to revering. So much so, that a bloke that will headbutt a member of his own team, won't even stand up to an opposition manager who is openly abusing one of his own players.
I am gutted. This team has relegation written all over it and if I wasn't at the end of my tether, watching Michael Owen wander around on the right wing, then the left wing has left me totally disillusioned.
"Forget what has gone on before" he said after the game yet come the middle of the week, he will be urging us to "remember where we've come from".
A walking contradiction and a gutless, spineless talentless manager. He urges us to "pull in the same direction" and to be "together" yet it is him that is seemingly pulling in his own direction and he doesn't seem to be taking anyone other than the "lively and inventive" Dave "Yes Tony" Kemp with him.
Time to go!
