I guess at last we all have to stop dreaming about that magic turnaround and face up to the fact that it's going to take a long time to sort all this out. What worries me most is people saying that we were just playing hoofball yesterday. Obviously I can't be there to see the games. Is this true? (My automatic spellcheck just changed this to goofball - sounds pretty clued-in!) Maybe this desire for a quick fix is a big part of the problem. If you look at the teams above us, they have either been around in this division for a while or are teams 'on the rise' (as we were under Lambert). Perhaps the Colchester moment and Lambert have spoiled us as fans and we think there is a way of turning things round which doesn't involve slow, painstaking, inch-by-inch progress. It sounds as if we are not a team at the moment, but a collection of individuals. Occasionally very good indeed, but nowhere near united enough.
The biggest problem was that we had no midfield, so by passing it was the best route. We didn't play that way last week. Once Bennett came on the ball was passed to feet more but Brentfords pressing so high up the pitch led to us playing longer anyway, and fair play to them for keeping It up for 90 minutes. We will be more direct and so we should be.the number of times this season a simple ball over the top to our strikers would have resulted in a chance but was ignored for a sideways pass has infuriated me! We should get the ball out wide more often and get the ball forward quicker - it'll make us a better side. Today however was very poor but we won't be playing hoofball.
Some truth in that Supers, But Whittaker was the only change from last week and he wasn't the whole problem, much as many like to use him as the scape-goat. With Howson off, that approach worked for the second goal against Bournemouth, but yesterday it looked very much like 'hoofball' to me with long, aimless balls conceding possession time and time again. I agree that Bennett improved things when he came on and he's the sort of honest, hard-working player we need right now Johnson is another), not to mention his excellent tracking back abilities. The warning signs were there against Cardiff last week, but yesterday was far, far worse. It could easily have been a rout had Brentford been able to convert just a few of their clean through chances. We need to see improvements at Birmingham if we are to have any chance of getting back into the play-off chase.
Even when we are at our best have we really been as good a 'team' as the one that got promoted under lambert?, i would say no and never have been, these players should be walking this league 'on paper' with how theyve have performed at other clubs. It just goes to show buying the biggest and best counts for nothing against forming a team, something we have lacked for a long time now. I would go as far as saying if this new manager doesnt work out then something has to change at board room level. We have to give AN a chance but you can understand the fans frustrations with having to watch and pay for games like that, i dont actually blame the players for yesterday at all, they didnt have a clue what system they where playing and experimenting on such an important game was almost suicide. what did get me was AN blame game, i would have rather have heard him say they got it wrong, rather than him blaming the players, he got the tactics woefully wrong inc the substitutions, there was something almost Roederesc about his summary of the game. I hope i am wrong.
I also felt that Neil put too much blame on the players and none on himself. Worrying signs, but let's hope he grows into the job.
