I'd suggest nothing that we didn't know already. 1. You should never select the players for a 4-4-2 setup and then use them to play 4-5-1. If we intend to play 4-5-1, then select the players to suit. If we didn't know already after the Solskjaer fiasco, Le Fondre is not a wide player. 2. Harris should never have been dropped for the Fulham game after his performance coming on against Watford and after playing the whole match against Colchester. 3. The win against Fulham last week was another false dawn - they're a very poor side in this divison whereas Norwich are very decent and more typical of what we'll face - not brilliant but far better organised than us. 4. We're very slow to defend from midfield. Though Noone showed more intent in that direction today, they always seemed to have an extra man going forward than we had to defend against them. 5. Morrison and Turner are so slow, once they're turned and the ball goes past them, they've had it. We rely on the likes of Brayford and John to come across behind them. Just to make a point in support of Fabio, that's exactly what he's done several times earlier in the season to save the day. 6. It's been said so many times before and today it was obvious. Whitts can only be used with 2 others around him in the centre of the park - today he was on song with Adeyemi and Gunnar doing the dog stuff. What do we do now? Haven't got a clue to be honest, but the most worrying thing is I don't think Slade has either.
Whatever formation we play we need to up the possession. With the players we have 4231 seems the way to go. We could either play Ravel or KWJ up front and be more direct or put ALF up top and play the channels. 442 is definitely not what we want but whatever we play, square pegs in square holes please.
We learned nothing new from this game. We already know that most of the players are not good enough and that we have the most tactically inept manager in the Championship. Probably the most clueless manager we have ever appointed.
Alf is liability that has had his chance. Put him on the bench at best, I still can't get over how other strikers have been frozen out for a player that has produced a couple of goals and maybe a couple of assists in almost 30 appearances. Morrison is a centre back and has better attacking stats FFS. Harris should now be shown that type of loyalty and left in the side. Who knows how well he might develop as it's been a very promising start to his 1st team career with us. As for Slade....... Under MM we were competitive if uninspiring against all but the very best performances from very good sides. Under ole we were a shambles a lot of the time. Slade has turned us into one of the best sides to play against in the division. We don't press the ball, we give it back far too easily and we set up with exactly the same 11 every week so we're very ****ing predictable too. Whits, noone and alf are luxury players, they don't work well without the ball either through a lethargic attitude or just very poor defending technique. To have the 3 of them in the side and another striker just makes us too easy to play against. The better sides in the division are dominating possession and turning that into goals. We're so poor without the ball the rubbish sides dominate possession too they're just so bad they don't do anything with it and we score off a set piece. The selection for Norwich should have been hard working. Get Ralls in for Alf and put some hard work into the midfield. Ralls also likes having possession which is a rarity in our side. I've championed 4-2-3-1 for months on here but away we could do a lot worse than 4-3-2-1 or just a good old 4-5-1 away from home. We should be going away and keeping it as tight as possible for 60 minutes, seeing where we are after that. How many more stuffings home and away do we need to endure before the the ****ing idiot realises we're not good enough to pick an attacking formation, dominate possession and play teams off the park. We need to start earning the right to play a lot better. If we'd been 0-0 or 1-0 down then looking to introduce Harris or No one off the bench we'd have had a so much better chance than having to try to dig our way out of another 3-0 sized hole.
We still have the same problem with half the January window gone. Slow build up in midfield and hit and miss centreback performances lacking in pace going forward and especially getting back. Why the hell is Connolly being ignored? He was easily the best CB on the park early season and although not exactly a speed merchant, he reacts quickly and has far more pace than any other with the possible exception of Manga. What have we got so far? Revell looks to be a decent alternative to Kenwyne in a "one up top" set up, but Malone could prove to be a turkey. Fabio and John fighting for the LB spot would have been good competition between them, but sidelining both for Malone could kill them off. Then there's a young 18 year old lad from Inter who is "one for the future", and the possibility of Kenwyne's pal from a club that doesn't want him. It's hardly marquee stuff. A lot of it is to do with tactics as well, and that falls squarely on the shoulders of Slade and Young. Solskjaer had little idea how to utilise the talent at his disposal, but this current set up at the club is easily as bad. In fact, although the amateurish Solskjaer needed to be replaced, I think we've gone further backwards under a media-plausible Slade who's pulling more wool over Tan's eyes than Malky ever did. The guy talks well but in reality is not up to it. It's probably far too late to do anything about it this season, not that Tan would anyway, but if we are fortunate enough to stay in this division come May, I'd like to see the club bite the bullet and make the change. BTW, I know I've banged on about Rowett at Brum, but have you noticed they are now above us in the table? FFS, they'd just been beaten 8-0 by Bournemouth and were next to bottom when he took over. He has essentially the same players as before but has got them working consistently as a team, something Slade has failed to do.
Can't argue with any of that Sparkey............for a change. Yesterday we did play five men in midfield and what we learned was that in a 5 Le Fondre should be nowhere near the team. Indeed he should be nowhere near the team full stop. If it wasn't for those pretty much cut adrift at the bottom of the table we would be in for a relegation fight. Our defensive coach whoever that might be should be sacked immediately and I remain baffled why Slade was ever appointed.
Unfortunately being slow on the turn is far worse than being slow over the ground for a central defender.
If the midfield does it's job then central defenders wouldn't need to turn quickly. They would just have to clear hopeful high balls into the box most of the time. We should be playing 4 2 3 1 but do we have the right players for the system?
We are rebuilding gentlemen give Slade time. We will storm the league next season. Our manager has a wealth of experience at that level and is bringing in the quality to do it.
It's disastrous to think how far backwards we've gone defensively since Mackay was sacked. Regardless of what you think of Malky in terms of money/transfers/principles at least we knew how to defend under his tenure.
personally if we were to sack slade i'd go for a foreign manager instead of the past four "british" type managers we've had (i count Ole as a british manager because 90% if not more of his football experience was gained in this country) someone like Zola or another good fluid football type manager
I would look to Scotland for a manager. They tend to breed leaders up there. Look at the number of Scots peppered throughout the leagues. Look at this game then Alex Neil's short tenure.
I am not looking forward to the rest of the season. City will do well to stay up but should as there are several teams worse than us who we have at home. Slade should then be removed and a new manager brought in straight away with a mandate to freshen up the squad and replace it with players who give a damn, are not overpaid, and have some ambition other than pick up huge pay packets.
