I will concede that Mike Phelan is our best ever manager. After all he has a win rate of 50% in his four game tenure.
Bruce just seemed to lose the players at times, I wonder if they always had confidence in his tactics. They seem completely behind Phelan so far. It's early days but he deserves a chance based on what we've seen.
Run along numb nuts. For a four year old it's way past your bedtime, I also haven't got time time to play with you tonight.
I think it more to do with the camaraderie that seemingly exists now. I remember mentioning last year how when we scored there were like 4 players celebrating it, not its a free for all when we score. Long may it continue.
I will judge MP as better than SB when he's got three seasons under his belt and we're still in the Prem. and not total relegation fodder. After 4 games ....you're joking?
I'm still reserving judgement on Phelan. The positives are: The players are more relaxed and appear far more confident than under SB. The player's spirit is as high as I can remember and we are playing as a unit, not just as individuals. The defence is well drilled and as good as any other I've seen in the PL so far. The players Phelan has brought in seem to have a lot of potential (but we will have to wait and see on that). The negatives are: The high possession stats mentioned are mostly made up of passes in our own half between defenders. We still appear to have no tactics for attack other than opportunism and against Man U in particular the aerial punts up-field were embarrassingly crude. There is a lack of cohesion between Hernandez and Diomande and a lack of midfield attacking quality to link with the strikers and create chances. There's no doubt about Phelan's defensive strengths, but the toughest nut to crack is combining that with an attack that can win matches in open play. Hopefully he can master this given time and it won't prove to be the same deficiency that Bruce never mastered.
Apparently not. Note the names- they'll be in the vanguard of the 'Bloody rubbish Phelan. Boo!' movement when it goes titz.
That seems very harsh. We've looked really good going forward to me. Scored in every game except Man U. We'd have got more nils than that under Bruce I'm sure.
We now pass around the back four with a clear intent to make space and get the ball forward, rather than just for the sake of it, which happened at times last season
Yes but only two goals have come from open play and one of those was at the death at Swansea when they were throwing everyone forward for an equaliser. Phelan needs to work on giving us a cutting edge.
Very good ambassador for the club. Speaks well has a sense of humour and gives 100%. He also takes the captaincy role seriously and leads by example and that's why for me when Dawson comes back Davies should definately keep the armband.
