Don’t think it’s all down to the DOF mind but some is. If 4231 - Johnsons system - worked the squad wouldn’t look as unbalanced. It doesn’t sadly. So some was Johnsons issue and some is injury issues. But the January window is has to be said is far from being Speakman’s finest moment. I include the signing of Defoe in that.
Going to say if we had stuck with Johnson we would have been easily 6 or 7 points better off. We definitely would have made the playoffs under him and nobody will convince me otherwise. We may still make the playoffs but we are outsiders at present.
I agree there but sacking him wasn’t a problem, it was the disgrace that followed and it dragged on. I’m adamant we won’t make the play-offs now.
At the time he was sacked I was indifferent I had stuck by him but the Bolton result had my head turning so felt neither happy nor sad. I understand your point of sacking him wasn't the problem but ultimately sacking him without a plan is probably going to cost us a chance of promotion. This isn't me sticking up for Johnson by the way like I say I was indifferent to him however if I was KLD and I had a time machine I'd go back and keep him in charge.
Its cloudy and raining here with the sun obscured, and its pretty dark. So it looks like the sun isn't up KTF and FTM
Got to revert to three at the back Wright, Batth , Doyle , would bring Hume back as he is faster than Winchester who I would play as the holding midfielder Gooch as the left wing back Neil and Pritchard completing the five with Dajaku given a free role behind Stewart . Today we will need more speed and solidity to try and get at least a point .
Yeah agreed. Don't get me wrong it seems he's got us some good players but it seems like a 10 year old playing football manager. Oh he's good and he's available I'll sign him. No thought of what type of player do we actually need. Through the summer i thought his signings were shrewd but in January he failed massive time. Injuries had hit leaving us more unbalanced and it was obvious we needed centre backs, full backs and a fit centre forward not more attacking midfielders. Again Clarke and Roberts haven't looked bad when ive seen them but they weren't what was required at the time.
Like the sound of that. Would replace Neil or Pritchard with Matete though think he will be key today.
What we need is an early goal , give us something to hang on to that’s why I opted for Neil and Pritchard, Matete would be an asset coming on as a substitute to stiffen the midfield .
Matchday, great match thread as usual and the chance to put the Shares/Speakman/Sacking shyte to one side ... ... these players aren't as bad as they've played, if they were I'd be really worried. Srewart is always capable of a goal and Pritchard is excellent with a free kick. I'd take any kind of goal and win. Even if it's a travesty of justice, we've not had many lucky deflections, harsh penalties or OGs this season and there's this 'law of averages' I keep hearing about. Haway Sunderland, give that great support a reward today.
That would be a valid point, except those players he did sign (I know there are arguments about whether he chose them) were utter chod. Djilibodji, NDong (instead of MVilla), Donald Love, Lescott, Pienaar, the ****e winger from Man U etc, we're all horrendous signings.
Difference is that Moyes made the speech before a game or after 1 game of a season. Not after a run of poor results. Maybe it’d have been better received if it was after a struggling start. Neil’s in a toiugh place. If a pure optimist like me feels like this then things can’t be good.
Think we’d have been pushing Wigan if we’d either kept LJ or had someone to take over ready and able to step into the breach. Think we’d have got points from every game since personally. And almost certainly won the 2 games immediately after
I reckon this is the game where we'll start getting back to some better form. I'm not too bothered about the style of play today, let's just get a result and then see where the rest of the season takes us. Automatic promotion would have been nice, winning the league even better, but if we have to scrape up through the play offs, that'll do. It won't help my nerves, but I'll take it.
Exactly mate. Nothing in the club will change now, until the summer so it's all about results first, performances second and the final table third. A third club has to be promoted and it could be us.
