So Col are you saying, with only 20 days until the next transfer window, we should remove MW? Genuine question. My concerns are we would have only 20 days to: identify the ‘right manager’; put in place any potential incoming transfers (with agreement of the new manager); set about a new playing system (new manager will always want his ‘stamp’ to be seen); still have 4 games to complete in December (1W, 2D, 1L?) face another 6 games through January (2W, 2D, 1L?)
All fair enough mate, although I think you're predictions on the outcome of the future games are a little hopeful. I would hope that the board and Les have been looking into these things for some time. So it needn't necessarily be a last minute scramble. With regards to the transfer window, it's a notoriously crap time to try to get players, but wouldn't it be better to let a new coach try to implement his ideas with the limited help of the transfer window? I just feel that we've become incredibly stale under Warburton, whilst I accept that the football has been lovely to watch at times. Unfortunately, our defensive record under Mark is disastrous and ex-players claim that he devotes very little time in this area. I agree that changing coach again is troubling, but I genuinely fear that we may get relegated under Warburton.
My two penn’orth if I may? I’d set him a points target and have a replacement lined up for when he misses it by a country mile. I have nothing against MW; I just don’t think he knows how to win games. The Polish Lancers probably looked beautiful when they took on the panzers.
I'd like to see us try 3 5 2 as well, but I'd fear we'd have even less crosses without a recognised wide forward player in your 10 above. Kakay or Cane's crossing is often poor as yesterday. I'd like to see BOS or even Albert used in one of the WB positions at least.
Yes, I agree, but we're pretty much stuck with what we have. BOS could play at wing back, but he never seems to want to cross the ball. 3-5-2 should, in theory, make us more solid defensively if nothing else. I left BOS out of the side above because I reckon he'll be gone. However, if he does stay, maybe he could play off Dykes in that formation? I've been desperately disappointed with Adomah.
We are a very good "footballing" side but we are prone to sloppiness at the back and lack a cutting edge in the final third. Dykes is decent but we dont play to his strengths and sadly Bonne is not good enough for this division (Charlton fans told us as much when we signed him). BOS will almost certainly depart in the window and for a paltry sum as 500k is better than nowt! Chair and Willock are nice footballers and continue to improve. I am verging on being positive about Carroll but I still think he can be too predictable. Ball has been much better this season and for me should start ahead of Cameron. Dieng is a revelation, as a lot of us predicted, how nice to have a keeper we can trust. The back four really has to be yesterdays starting four, Dickie and Barbet are getting an understanding at last and Kakay and Nico give us energy and pace out wide. They still need experience and this league is tough, we still make too many mistakes with our marking and shape but it is improving. I always feel we are going to give a goal away at set pieces and never think we can score from one. The worrying aspect is that beyond this we are very ordinary. Love Albert as he is one of us but Christ he is 33 today! Thomas, Wallace, Kane and Masterson are all not good enough and add nothing when they come on. The one I would love to see getting a chance is Kelman, he has looked quite bright in the minor cameos he has been given, surely better than Bonne! I do think Warbs is tactically out-thought by most managers at this level but we have to remember that he doesnt have a huge amount to work with. Life is only going to get harder for him after BOS departs for peanuts. We also need to catch a break. A couple of times in the first half yesterday they bodies in the way and the ball could have gone anywhere but flew to safely. When we do that it usually ends up a goal against. We were the better team against Reading, we were the better team against Bristol City and for the first 40 mins we were the better against Brentford. To finish those three games with zero points is very hard to swallow. We will be the better team against Stoke, lets hope for a bit of good fortune.
Desperately disappointing once again, we’re on a poor run, no two ways about it. I believe the board will give MW the opportunity to strengthen with some loans in January to ensure survival in this league, but he’s got to demonstrate that he has solutions to our problems. We know how poor we are at full back and we need a holding midfielder. If the signings are more wingers and number 10’s then I’ll quickly lose faith.
I don’t like it when BOS tries to play in the middle, he gets bogged down. He seems to me to be at his best when outside and making challenging runs ... but please please please he needs to sort out his crossing to become a really dangerous player in the future.
what I find strange is that Ramsay / Furlong and other coaching staff can get players ready for first team and yet maybe when they are integrated into the first team, they could be playing on potentially a different formation. However, I must remember that this season so far we have Dieng (newish keeper), Dickie (new centre back), when have had newish fullbacks trying to get into the team, we have lost Eze (who after a hard first year, last year started to shine and won us games single handedly), brought in Willock, Carroll, Uncle Albert (who may be wanting to do too much but not get the basics right), and two new strikers. The goal the fakes got was one I would have been proud of if our strikers or wingers had scored and there was pace and bend and it was placed out of reach of the keeper. I am frustrated at the number of subs allowed, and the few that we utilize. I still believe (I it is early so i am not drunk) that the team can go on a good run just as they are inconsistent at present but we do need a leader to organize on the pitch and a good defensive coach. Someone that could also grab the game by the scruff of the neck and turn things in our favor - we have BOS, Chair and Uncle Albert who could do this...but...maybe it's a confidence thing, maybe it is tiredness or players carrying injuries and knocks. Come on you R's and grab a win midweek
I’m not entirely convinced our board would have been looking at these things tbh. I think finances have been a priority atm. And replacing a manager with a new one doesn’t fit the portfolio. Agree. Only thought is if there a player to be snapped up that will improve us, there may be a club in need of the money. But slim pickings to be sure. The inability to address our defensive issues is my greatest concern. As you say about comments from previous players, this keeps nagging at my little brain. I was hoping with his gap between managerial roles would have brought about some change in approach to facing his shortcomings. The same applies to comments about not having a ‘plan B’ - this is where we seem a bit lost when needing to adapt to a game we are struggling in, rather than to keep trying to do the same thing and expect a different outcome (even in some of his substitutions). These are the two things that I could see being his undoing.
Near enough same team each week, Same formation & same subs come on it’s not working is it? Go a goal down & that’s it game over & heads drop, no motivation no leader nothing, what do they tell or teach these players? Not a lot it seems, Playing one striker at home poor, wide men not crossing & that’s what they should be taught & looking up to find men in box, not happening, do I know the answer? At present no, is it worth changing the manager now, can’t say it will help but we need new i dears quickly, I thought the bloke before Warbs was ok, he’s now ass manager & can’t think of his name at present, worth a go?
Playing lovely footie?. Yes. Too good to go down? No. Sadly. MW definitely seems uni- dimensional in his approach to games. Whether that's enough for the board to pull the trigger or not remains to be seen. The discussion on Radio London after the game was along the lines of whether MW would walk if pressured to change his approach. As he did at Brentford!
I've seen BOS play striker / off the striker a few times now, like for awhile later on yesterday and he's never looked as good as he does wide imo. He's strong, quick of course , and can defend if bothered, so I'd like to see him at least tried at WB, though as you say he'll probably be off next month. I think Albert could also play there though he probably couldn't last 45 minutes at present.
Eustace - he kept us up just at the end of the McClaren season, changed our style a bit. I'd think he'd have some good ideas that Warburton should take on board, especially when we've outplayed the opposition for 60/70 minutes, but can't finish it, and tire as yesterday, and too many times before. I still think we need a new decent striker, and ideally a mobile tough midfield man, rather than changing the Management though. Warburton has got us playing very well with nothing like the money most Championship teams are using.
I am not making excuses Col. I am worried too. We are playing nice football at points, but we cannot put away our chances. Sometimes we try too hard, sometimes (like Chair yesterday) it is bad luck, but we do not do not convert our chances. The defence does feel a bit more secure with Dieng and Dickie (who actually does not look as he has turn of pace on him though, so easily beaten by fast attackers) and the two vibrant full backs. But we seem to be always punished for any lack of concentration I agree with Warburton only having a plan A though.. It is a huge worry. At Brentford we completely ouplayed the opposition, only for them to change their formation at half time, and out play us. Warbs, did not react and we lost. But to stress... we have a very small squad, which I am sure that is a management decision above Warburtons head. (27 on the rota, 3 goalies, 1 season long injury) Of the 23 outplayers 6 are u23 with no first team experience (Bettache, Kelman always in first team bench, Owen, Alfa, Da Silva and the "imaginary" Ramkilde). That is 17 outfield players ( and includes 5 players who are probably not quite up to scratch for reasons of age, experience or injury....(e.g. Masterson, Adomah, Thomas, Wallace, Bonne)... We are rotating 10/12 outfield players every match. I obviously know little about Reading and their players. I appreciate you can only have 25 "adult" players on the squad anyhow... but there rota has 36 players on their team list. I am sure this is a cost cutting exercise for this difficult season. Warburton brief is to keep us up with VERY limited resources. I too Col am very worried, that he has not got the nuance to do it
