Also Swansea to a certain extent, doing correctly that SAFC are not at the moment? Looking at their squads, i don't see the massive gulf in class difference that the league table leads us to believe. Ffs West Ham even have big Sam in charge, you would have thought that would be a hindrance. Is it lack of confidence, Poyets sometimes strange team selections and substitutions? Ok it's still early in the season, but those two teams, who some of us thought may struggle, are really racking up the points, So how are these clubs, who are no bigger, and imo don't have better squads, working so effectively?
BEWARE - anyone who answers this question honestly will be hung, drawn and quartered on here. Sorry commo, but I'm chickening out of this one mate!
That's ok mate, some will lay the blame at Poyets door, and then be lamblasted for their view, but that's ok, that's the whole point of a forum. Some will blame to players, for just being ****e, and that's ok also. Some may blame Ellis Short, some may blame the tea lady for putting bromide into their early morning brew. But what's making teams like Southampton and West Ham tick, and why have we not found this formula?
Our style of play is too easily dealt with as in many or most cases our players are looking to pass sideways or backwards during build up. One misplaced pass or 50/50 ball is too easily seized on and the counter attack is on.
Both clubs held their nerve when many fans were shouting for change in recent months and have both came through it as stronger units...Perhaps there could be lessons to be learned from that..
We have no creative midfielders to supply what strikers we have, the ball is passed sideways and back, we dont have anyone who can run at a defence. Gus will be a good manager he needs time.
Go back to this time last year and Allerdyce was being absolutely lambasted by a large section of the West Ham Fans. We need to keep our nerve. Every team, other than the top 5, or 6, will have a period, during the season, where form dips for a few games - that's why we don't finish in the top 6. We're going through that now. The obvious thing is to do a lot of soul searching and compare ourselves with other teams, and ask what we're doing that's so wrong. There's been rubbish talk about Poyet losing the dressing room - how can that be. And remember what a miracle he performed last year. The last thing we need is another change of manager. I think we've been there before, and where's that got us. Yesterday's performance was quite decent, especially the second half. Two bad mistakes cost us the match. I think you can attribute that to a team whose confidence was bound to be low, after last week's debacle. The world and his wife were watching us yesterday - the players will have felt that more than most. We need to keep the faith and support the players, not berate them. Mannone must be allowed to continue in goal, so that he can exorcise those two bad mistakes; he hasn't become a bad player overnight. Let all the players get it out of their system. The backing of the fans is crucial at this time. Following Sunderland will never be all sweetnes and light but that's all part of the fun(???). Everyone's waiting for us to fail. Come on let's get behind the lads, so that we can prove everyone wrong
Not having a go at Gus here but we can't keep possession & on the odd occasion we do, we can't do **** all with it. The 'strikers' are isolated, Don Corleone looks shot to **** atm & Mr Brown,,,, well the less said the better. Johnson looks like he can't be arsed, Rodwell atm would struggle to get a game for Hartlepool, I'm hoping he comes good but I have doubts. We need to stick together & ktf.
I was pretty angry that daft mistakes at the back cost us again, but both were the fault of the defender ( Buckley) not Vito. **** happens. We need a new striker, a new centre - half pairing, full back cover and midfield maverick. None of which will happen for another 2 transfer windows. Stick together and keep the faith.
Southampton have attacking options of Pelle Tadic Mane Long Rodriquez behind that they have Schneiderlin Wanyama and Cork who'd all walk into our team. Clyne is one of the best right backs in the league and Ryan Bertrand is just as good as Luke Shaw. They are far better than us. West Ham have added Valencia Zarate Sakho Song to a team that were mid table for quite a bit of last season. Swansea crap all over us when it comes to players. A proper front 6 in a 4-2-3-1 ------------Shelvey-----Ki----------- Dyer-----------Sigurdssen----Routledge -----------------Bony-------------------- All of those would walk into our team. They are all better teams than us. We are in with the likes of QPR Burnley Leicester Newcastle Villa West Brom imo.
The teams mentioned, plus West Brom and Hull all had a good summers, in the transfer market, we spent too much time on lost causes, with a poor plan B. Also the players who raised our hopes at the end of last season, JOS, Brown, Lars and Whicks have so far not really reached the same level this time round. Despite this, if you take out the Southampton result, the team is not far off, and we have little choice now, but to stick with them and hope they turn the corner soon, perhaps a tweak here and there from Gus might do the trick, but imo wholesale change is not required and would be counter productive.
Sorry but that second goal is Mannone's fault. Buckley made a safe pass to the keeper and Mannone could have a made a simple pass or b just put his foot through it, he panicked got caught in two minds and ****ed up. 100% his fault.
The squad isn't perfect but we've actually got to a point where we need 3 quality players and we'd be a solid mid table side. It would cost money but that's what its gonna take. A quality centre back, a box to box centre midfielder who can chip in with goals and a quality striker who'll fit the system and put the ball in the back of the net.
Hammer here. I've always quite like Big Sam for whatever reason, though there were plenty of times I was pulling my hair out watching us become Stoke 2.0. I think a lot of fans were more unhappy with the way we were playing rather than wanting shot of BFS per se.. and since he has been told to stop giving us route 1 drivel, we have been playing exceptionally well. Just to emphasis that I am personally not happy to chop and change managers. Come rain or shine I want BFS to be here for the long haul, I think we can improve our league position slowly each year. I am not deluded enough to think we will keep up at the pace we are now but I am enjoying our time in the Goons car parking space as it were.
This. Their squads are miles ahead of ours, in particular Southampton who in my opinion are better man-for-man in each and every position. They will be contenders for a Champion's League spot this year, barring an injury crisis imo.
nice one mate. Btw, I haven't caught much of your team this season, are you now playing passing football then? It seems odd that a manager who has pretty much played hoofball for the entirety of his 20-year career can suddenly change at the drop of a hat? Not having a dig, just curious, if he has done it fair play to him.
Scouting. It all comes down to that for me. Regardless of manager and tactics and all that, better players will generally do well cdap players will generally do badly. I know, you knows, Gus knows, pdc knows, Cong knows, short knows what our squad needs. Failure to identify targets who are going to come, is the reason, IMO of course.
