Blackburn V Jacks

[Matthew Bound Still Lurks]

Is one transfer market period really enough time?

So a complete overhaul of the squad is needed , not for me ,that's a dodgy road to go down imo ,all sides are in transition but for me it seems it's who the main man is that needs a rethink .We have a good squad if not better than last year but for what ever reason the management are not getting the best out of them .we have a failed U21 manager as assistant to a rookie manager ,luck will only take you so far I'm afraid .

 

[trundles left foot]

So a complete overhaul of the squad is needed , not for me ,that's a dodgy road to go down imo ,all sides are in transition but for me it seems it's who the main man is that needs a rethink .We have a good squad if not better than last year but for what ever reason the management are not getting the best out of them .we have a failed U21 manager as assistant to a rookie manager ,luck will only take you so far I'm afraid .

It did make me laugh I think it was against WHU when O'Leary called somone over to give them the benefit of his wisdom. I don't think so.

 

[Bob the slob]

So a complete overhaul of the squad is needed , not for me ,that's a dodgy road to go down imo ,all sides are in transition but for me it seems it's who the main man is that needs a rethink .We have a good squad if not better than last year but for what ever reason the management are not getting the best out of them .we have a failed U21 manager as assistant to a rookie manager ,luck will only take you so far I'm afraid .

You are right. Monk doesn't seem to know what he wants or it's not obvious to many.
Previous managers all had a passion for intricate passing, slick, pass and move one / two touch football and brought in players who were comfortable with that so even if they weren't world beaters they could play the system. Looking at our squad it's difficult to tell what we are about any more. We don't have the bull to be a Stoke or the flair to be out former selves.

I was (as some will know) not at all happy with our performances this season even before the last two humiliating games but had some hope that for some par tof some games we played good football. I don't even have that to cling to atm.

 

[bigkidderz]

But last season there were some highlights, a lot of highlights - this season the terms 'we won ugly', 'we rode our luck' and 'this is not like Swansea' have applied to early all our games; and far more players were unavailable through injury for far longer but stayed in three cup competitions.
Laudrup was criticised for not having a plan 'B' atm I'd be happy with a plan 'A'.
As for throwing points away! This season we have lost more points from a winning position than any other team in the league. We were lucky to have played a shockingly bad ManU on the opening day (their following results show how poor they were, we scraped past a dire Burnley and won a good 3 pts from WBA. Then after being awful against Chelsea, Southampton we were again lucky to draw with Sunderland and Newcastle before losing to Stoke, beating an abject Leicester and picking up with a an unlucky draw v Everton and a very good win v Arsenal.
Apart from the resurgent Manchester United and Arsenal we have beaten teams currently in 20th, 19th, 18th, 17th, 15th & 14th - only one convincingly.

Bob, I agree with you on certain things, but I can't have you fault that opening day win against United...

United's Pre-Season - Beat Valencia 2-1, beat Liverpool 3-1, beat Real Madrid 3-1, drew 0-0 with Inter (won on pens), beat Roma 3-2, beat LA Galaxy 7-0.

If you can't see from that that this United team was bang in form when we played them, you never will. Conversely, we came off the back of a 3-0 home defeat to Villarreal. The win at United seriously dented their confidence, burst their bubble, and most likely actually caused their following results. They have since gone on to prove that they are still a team that will compete at the top end of the table.

Can you name the highlights from last season please? We beat Valencia away 3-0. I'm pretty much out now. For Laudrup's part of the season, anyway. I wan't real highlights off you.

I'm not trying to necessarily claim that this season is better than last footballing-wise, because clearly it isn't, but Monk has picked up more points than Laudrup did last season and as a result he can't be under pressure of being sacked yet. If you want to put unnecessary pressure and attention onto a mid-table club and its players from the media and press, sack your manager when you're in the top half of the table. Look at the attention we got last season when we sacked a manager only 2 points above the relegation zone! Multiply by 10.

I don't think the football is worse than the end of the Laudrup era, but it's pretty much as bad as right now, and Monk is lucky to have picked up some good wins earlier in the season or he'd be very close to the sack. The team are currently shapeless. I can accept that it's hard to see Monk turning it around, but it's also hard to see us not picking up 10 points. If we were still on 20-25 points, he would be under sever pressure this weekend. How bad were Leicester for parts of this season? They still picked up more than 10 points though. Do I think Monk should be our long-term manager? Not as things stand. But he also doesn't deserve the sack based on current league placement...possibly 'unfortunately'.

Let's just hope he figures out a way to turn it around, because at the end of the day that would put a smile on all of our faces. I'm happy for those to criticise performances, because our performances deserve that, but I'm not happy for those to downgrade our entire season to date to fuel their dislike of Monk. We beat those teams, it's not for us to judge how good they were on that day, it's for us to judge how good/bad we were.

 

[trundles left foot]

You are right. Monk doesn't seem to know what he wants or it's not obvious to many.
Previous managers all had a passion for intricate passing, slick, pass and move one / two touch football and brought in players who were comfortable with that so even if they weren't world beaters they could play the system. Looking at our squad it's difficult to tell what we are about any more. We don't have the bull to be a Stoke or the flair to be out former selves.

I was (as some will know) not at all happy with our performances this season even before the last two humiliating games but had some hope that for some par tof some games we played good football. I don't even have that to cling to atm.

I have to say you are spot on. We were out passed and out played by a poor Villa side and the last 2 results have been comming for a long time. We have been fortunate with a lot of our results. I can think of Man U, WBA as our only goos performances this season, of course we have done well to win games and the Arsenal game springs to mind. But we havent looked anything like a good side in most of our games.

 

[DragonPhilljack]

Bob, I agree with you on certain things, but I can't have you fault that opening day win against United...

United's Pre-Season - Beat Valencia 2-1, beat Liverpool 3-1, beat Real Madrid 3-1, drew 0-0 with Inter (won on pens), beat Roma 3-2, beat LA Galaxy 7-0.

If you can't see from that that this United team was bang in form when we played them, you never will. Conversely, we came off the back of a 3-0 home defeat to Villarreal. The win at United seriously dented their confidence, burst their bubble, and most likely actually caused their following results. They have since gone on to prove that they are still a team that will compete at the top end of the table.

Can you name the highlights from last season please? We beat Valencia away 3-0. I'm pretty much out now. For Laudrup's part of the season, anyway. I wan't real highlights off you.

I'm not trying to necessarily claim that this season is better than last footballing-wise, because clearly it isn't, but Monk has picked up more points than Laudrup did last season and as a result he can't be under pressure of being sacked yet. If you want to put unnecessary pressure and attention onto a mid-table club and its players from the media and press, sack your manager when you're in the top half of the table. Look at the attention we got last season when we sacked a manager only 2 points above the relegation zone! Multiply by 10.

I don't think the football is worse than the end of the Laudrup era, but it's pretty much as bad as right now, and Monk is lucky to have picked up some good wins earlier in the season or he'd be very close to the sack. The team are currently shapeless. I can accept that it's hard to see Monk turning it around, but it's also hard to see us not picking up 10 points. If we were still on 20-25 points, he would be under sever pressure this weekend. How bad were Leicester for parts of this season? They still picked up more than 10 points though. Do I think Monk should be our long-term manager? Not as things stand. But he also doesn't deserve the sack based on current league placement...possibly 'unfortunately'.

Let's just hope he figures out a way to turn it around, because at the end of the day that would put a smile on all of our faces. I'm happy for those to criticise performances, because our performances deserve that, but I'm not happy for those to downgrade our entire season to date to fuel their dislike of Monk. We beat those teams, it's not for us to judge how good they were on that day, it's for us to judge how good/bad we were.

Great post especially the last paragraph!................

 

[Bob the slob]

Bigkidderz
I put the United result in the context of Us,
Draw with Sunderland,
Loss to MK Dons,
Draw with Burnley
Win v QPR
Loss v Leicester

LDLDWL is not a convincing run especially given the opponents.

I'm not critical because I don't like Monk I'm critical because we have not played well.

 

[bigkidderz]

Bigkidderz
I put the United result in the context of Us,
Draw with Sunderland,
Loss to MK Dons,
Draw with Burnley
Win v QPR
Loss v Leicester

LDLDWL is not a convincing run especially given the opponents.

I'm not critical because I don't like Monk I'm critical because we have not played well.

I don't understand what analysing United's results after our opening day win achieves? A team low on confidence performs worse, we're seeing that with ourselves right now. United were low on confidence primarily because it was us that burst their bubble - which had actually grown pretty big during their pre-season. So, no matter how unconvincing United's start of the season was, I sleep well knowing that it was our knock-out punch that left them with wobbly knees for 5 games.

 

[Bob the slob]

I don't understand what analysing United's results after our opening day win achieves? A team low on confidence performs worse, we're seeing that with ourselves right now. United were low on confidence primarily because it was us that burst their bubble - which had actually grown pretty big during their pre-season. So, no matter how unconvincing United's start of the season was, I sleep well knowing that it was our knock-out punch that left them with wobbly knees for 5 games.

Could just as easily say a team beaten after a good run was overconfident. Failings according to Van Gaal's were all down to players not being good enough or fit enough - his assessment not mine.
You could say after our demolition of Man U, Burnley and West Brom we were on a roll and confident but after that we entered a patch where we went without a win for 5 games only picking up 3 points against Leicester in a game they were unlucky not to gain a draw.

 

[ValleyGraduate12]

Bob, beating Man Utd at Old Trafford was a massive result and in my opinion the biggest result we have had in the league.

 

[bigkidderz]

Could just as easily say a team beaten after a good run was overconfident. Failings according to Van Gaal's were all down to players not being good enough or fit enough - his assessment not mine.
You could say after our demolition of Man U, Burnley and West Brom we were on a roll and confident but after that we entered a patch where we went without a win for 5 games only picking up 3 points against Leicester in a game they were unlucky not to gain a draw.

Well that's different. Beating an "overconfident" United is quite a contrast from beating the "shockingly bad" United you mentioned just 2 posts prior. I can certainly agree with the overconfident assessment of United. Van Gaal admitted that they were expecting the hammer us after the match, and their fans most definitely thought the same.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28820607 - Van Gaal said: "When you have preparation, win everything, then lose your first match, it cannot be worse. We have built up a lot of confidence. It will be smashed because of this." - Kind of backs up why they then endured an appalling run for a few matches.

How exactly were Leicester unlucky not to gain a draw? I remember it as a comfortable 2-0 victory, although they missed an open goal at the end that wouldn't have changed the result. They played decent second half but never really looked like getting an equaliser even at 1-0, let alone 2-0.

 

[ValleyGraduate12]

Could just as easily say a team beaten after a good run was overconfident. Failings according to Van Gaal's were all down to players not being good enough or fit enough - his assessment not mine.
You could say after our demolition of Man U, Burnley and West Brom we were on a roll and confident but after that we entered a patch where we went without a win for 5 games only picking up 3 points against Leicester in a game they were unlucky not to gain a draw.

But we were creating a bag load of chances but just couldn't find the net. We are also getting blatantly screwed each game by referees with every huge decision going against us.

 

[Terror ball]

you see what i mean... you have got to know what you are talking about first about football. you can be MOM in one game but if you are not consistent then you are no good for the team. Monk has inherited a mixture of not very good to past their sell by date to reasonable and good.

Monk extended Bartley's contract.

 

[Bob the slob]

Well that's different. Beating an "overconfident" United is quite a contrast from beating the "shockingly bad" United you mentioned just 2 posts prior. I can certainly agree with the overconfident assessment of United. Van Gaal admitted that they were expecting the hammer us after the match, and their fans most definitely thought the same.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28820607 - Van Gaal said: "When you have preparation, win everything, then lose your first match, it cannot be worse. We have built up a lot of confidence. It will be smashed because of this." - Kind of backs up why they then endured an appalling run for a few matches.

How exactly were Leicester unlucky not to gain a draw? I remember it as a comfortable 2-0 victory, although they missed an open goal at the end that wouldn't have changed the result. They played decent second half but never really looked like getting an equaliser even at 1-0, let alone 2-0.

Hit the woodwork at 1 - 0 and again at 2 - 0 (as did we towards the end as I recall) Didn't Leicester make ver good chances but a woeful attack failed to get on the end. Agree I may have some mixed memories as one boring performance has melded into another.
I hate to say it but very little has entertained me this season, I'm sure I'm not alone.
As someone else has mentioned maybe we have seen our peak.

 

[Terror ball]

First read;

What game plan can you have with mediocre players he has at his disposal ? even that goes out the window after 7 minutes We need every best player we have to be good and monk dont have that. we are a team today of aged, past it and simply not good enough so he has a hard job on his hands but he is doing a good enough job in the league and getting the best some of these players have in their locker until he has enough time to replace players with better. this cant be done in a season and monk is on a long term plan to improve the squad over a 3 year period and while doing that he must work out how to stay in the premiership and he is doing that superbly....

Now take a glance at what Dai Twp had to say on the strength of our squad at the start of the season....

The squad of 2014-15 is looking the strongest we have ever had and is looking good for a top half finish, training is going fantastic and the hardest training under Monk then any previous manager. Fitness levels are up on last season and we have brought in some good replacements, there are a couple of disappointments with Davies being swapped for sigs as they are not valued as the same in any shape or form, also letting vorm go for a poultry £2.5m is silly. He may have not had a good season but that can be explained that he did not want to get injured and miss going to the WC. All traces of laudrups ways have now completely gone and the players are full of smiles again and looking good and back on track and will be ready and prepared for the tough season ahead....no problem...

 

[Mrs Miggins]

He does seem more than a bit contradictory. Maybe I'm being too kind. Very funny, Terror.

 

[Terror ball]

Can anyone explain why Angel was again marking the oppositions main aerial threat from a corner?
Gestede is known for being great in the air. He was Fernandez' man (Fernandez had been doing pretty well against him).
Yet Rangel was marking him and lost out, resulting in a goal.
How many times does this have to happen?
Where is the organization?!?

 

[mustyfrog]

under Monk

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[neveroffsidereff]

Love The Quo Musty. Seeing them in April, doing the acoustic set.

 

[trundles left foot]

Saw them in 76 in Cardiff first ever conset. Loved them ever since.