wow, here we go, lets start ripping the manager and players! How do you want to look at it? we won one in last five, or we have won 4 of last 8, or even we've only lost 3 of last nine!! WHY do City fans get so carried away and have such short memories, we win a couple LJ is king and we are Prem bound, we lose a few LJ and squad are rubbish not up to it and if not careful we will be in a relegation fight again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We still have a new squad, young players, and we are possibly at best mid table, lets all take a little breather, take stock, calm down and try to enjoy our reasonably good start, especially after the last season, get behind the club we love, keep our fingers crossed, that with time we WILL improve. Lets see what the January window brings. All i am saying is, after last year i am a lot more happier and relieved the place our club is in now, and only time and encouragement will help. Brighton have a much better squad all round and with more experience than us at present, and gave us a good lesson, and something to look up to, they have also had this squad predominantly for a few seasons too. Me personally, my cup in half full, not empty
We are playing too narrow. Tomlin was dispossessed countless times because our wingers were not advanced enough and therefore not an option for the pass. The quality of crossing is abysmal and rarely troubles the opposing defence. Our shooting is dire, completely and utterly (Bobby Reid) dire! Bryan, Reid, Little, Matthews, ROD need the hand grenade treatment.
No it isn't we've lost to a team challenging at the top got an away point before that and won our previous home game in the league
Truthfully I always knew we would go through a barren spell and like most I never thought we would get anything from Saturday's game. But on a positive outlook I thought us losing 4-0 would be more realistic so thought we got of lightly so maybe in some strange way luck could be on our side. As to LJ the one thing I think he's doing wrong is trying too hard to fit Tomlin in. We need two players up front so either Tomlin steps further back on a left maybe or more forward to play in the Mark Hughes role, like he played back those days for Man U. It's not working with Tammy on his own, I don't think playing Wilbraham is a good partnership with Tammy so it leaves either Engvall or Tomlin alongside him. Also I'm not convinced O'Neill and Smith can play together both good players but a bit like a poorer version of Lampared and Gerrard, good players but not together. LJ needs to decide the best way for the club and not the players which I really believe he will do, As to this season, there is no way I want to go up. With the players we have we would have to have a summer of dreams to get players to stay in the prem as there ain't many here at the moment. I would prefer to do it the way Brighton are doing it, improving yearly and getting stronger players each transfer window.
I knew, or had a funny feeling that the squad LJ has put together wouldn't be the final product to reach the dizzy heights..but I see that there is progress. Like many have said, don't think Tammy is the answer on his own I also feel (like many have said) we are making far too many mistakes in dangerous areas. I'm sure LJ doesn't need anyone to tell him where it has been going wrong,,,,,one thing about LJ, he's not stupid! He's making changes while he can, while we are not in trouble (good time IMO) I believe he will put it right and as I've said before I think we need a few more players to come in......Patience is needed. It's no good having this debate with my mate RP as he will never like him and will always resent him for who he is.........The more he does well the more RP will hate him and is just waiting to pull the trigger!!!!!
Well said ROD, yes we're doing OK but we need to do more, so it's down to Lee to up the ante, whatever that might mean. Shake the trees and boot some backside Lee, you know you can do it.
The next two games will be interesting against sides around us,loose these two and the jitters will well and truly start setting in. My concerns are Tammy is getting frustrated with his lonesome figure up front. The right back is a serious problem Matthews does not play two consecutive games,Little is a liability,and is not championship standard. Both goalkeepers are suspect in different ways,love to see lukic given a go. Flint and Maggs doing fine. Golbourne is steady eddie,but offers nothing going forward. Bryan is so inconsistent,one good game,five poor games. Reid has improved massively,but gets knocked of the ball easily,and does not track back under pressure. GON is still in credit,has generally played very well. K Smith still of the pace, and needs to get his game back to where it was last season. Pack again improved massively,in-fact the most improved player at the gate.I was a big critic of him,but the lad has done well. Freeman great little runs,but no end product,very rarely will he get past his player. Patterson has done well in his time here,gives us a more direct approach with his pace,think he will get better and better. O'Dowda again great runs,but no end product so far,however i think he will get better with more game time. Tammy has been fantastic,however has gone of the boil recently,think deep down frustration is creeping into his game due to him being up front on his own,requires a player alongside him. Tomlin for all the money he is costing,is he producing week in,week out, unfortunately not in my opinion.We need him on his game week in,week out. He is the player that pulls the heartstrings,personally think he needs two in front of him playing the triangle. Wilbs we all love him,but for us to be bringing him on, when Tammy or another is not producing says to me how weak we are in this area.For some reason Engvall is not getting a shout "very strange" really do not understand this situation as he looked good against Hull. LJ has chopped, and changed, not really knowing his best set up.However the one thing the majority can see, is one up front is not working.why he keeps going with it is strange. The concerning thing is we are two points of the playoffs having won one game in five in the league,yes we have improved on last years poor showing,but we need to grab the bull by the horns,and get back to playing decisive,quick,and powerful football, if we have a desire to take a playoff spot come May 20017. Quality is and will be required, in Jan 2017 to offer us that chance.
Tony Cottee says in Sky Sports today that in his opinion it takes 5 or 6 games to recover from injuries and regain match fitness. That was back when he played, so would probably take longer now. Maybe we are expecting too much too soon with Korey. Perhaps he should give Brownhill or Reid the job until Korey is fully fit, whilst acknowledging that it takes games to induce match fitness, something that training doesn't quite give you http://www.skysports.com/football/n...-options-are-rather-worrying-says-tony-cottee
'But on a positive outlook I thought us losing 4-0 would be more realistic' RODney We lost 4-0 last year - we've spent zillions since so why the same score ? 'RP as he will never like him' You're so right 1For. Where you're wrong is you think my extreme dislike of him clouds my judgement about his management. Whoever was in charge I'd criticise him for not knowing his best team or set up. I'd also criticise berating players in public as he did at Cardiff. It was patently obvious to all that he set up wrong over there and should have admitted that he too was at fault. Junior's had the luxury of a huge spend and we started well this season but our performances have been poor in the last half a dozen games. Is it that other teams have sussed out our 'game' or our players starting to question Junior or both. Time will tell.
I agree one up front is rubbish, but expected away, but not at home. I agree we break too slowly i agree we are too narrow when attacking, i like paterson, but he kept wondering in field leaving us with no out ball, or he ran back towards the defence as we broke not into acres of space ahead of him.very frustrating. But still i think we have moved forward from last year though.
Come on RP, give the guy a bit of a break, he is learning and as a very young manager not doing too bad. At this moment in time, there are not many managers out there that i would rather have, most have done the rounds and end up sacked for one reason or another. Yes there are mistakes which has to be expected and of course if we continue to slump down the table questions will be asked. I will say, I think this championship is harder than last year, yet we are in a much better position....."you would say because of the money spent" but not any more than the rest have spent, so as it sits I'd say no panic and back LJ to turn it around.........As I've said in a previous post, anything above mid-table for me is a bonus for this season..
don't agree it is harder .. there are 15 teams separated by 3 results of which 9 are by 2 results and 4 by 1 result the team in 17th is as close to being in top 6 as being in bottom 3 this is because the majority of teams are just mediocre .. should wigan win 4 and leeds lose 4 =? to early to form a real opinion however ..... a coincidence .... City's last 16 games last season = 24 points gf 29 ga 24 so far scored 23 conceded 19
it would suggest that a team is easy to beat then hard to beat .. it becomes harder when a team is in top 12? and picks up the odd points against top 6 teams and all points, almost, against teams in bottom 6 ...and shares the spoils of the teams in middle 12! to early yet to really form an opinion game 24 onwards that when it will really count.. the final top 6 will be in the top 8 by then!
Maybe I should have said that teams other than 1st 2nd and 24th are erratic ! lacking in consistency! top teams regularly beats most others middle teams beats most of bottom and few of the top bottom team beats very few! defining hard is one opinion ...results are hard to come by .....but looking mainly at 1 team! defining mediochre is the same opinion ... but looking at all teams having similar problems.... there is no guage to say the quality is good through to poor ... a league of poor teams looks good for a few! based on the 3 that went up last season on paper it seems Burnley 9th Midds 15th Hull 18th are half a league apart and not competing with the top teams, but then define top teams 4/6 8th but of course you would need to take in to consideration who they played and whether H or A I think we are both thinking the same but expressing it differently
