He's had a year and we're back where we were when he started. People still talk about this situation as if it's something that he's inherited. These are his players playing to his instructions.
All of our players are capable of playing better than they are. Cook and Field have not let us down Dembele, Nardi and Saito are class players. Andersen, Paal, Frey are more than capable of holding their own in this league. Then add back Chair and JCS...which are both a big loss But we are struggling for goals, for points...and the players look lost. Wrong tactics and lack of drive and motivation . Marti has 2 weeks to find an answer..I hope he can
To be fair to our token Japanese player, he's very polite bowing to us. Joking aside, we aren't exactly playing to his strengths. All Paal does is give him passes that he can't even receive to face up the opposition. Speaking of Paal, if ever there looked a player who's heart just isn't in it, then this is the man! Very poor today, I think he's forgotten there's another half of a football pitch you can run in to.
It’s a bad run of five games. Another bad run of five which is more likely given the fixtures and I might join you on the other side. O’Neil may be sacked by then and we can do it all again.
Not sure what u mean Strolls, we are meant to play a certain way, but on the field that goes out the window, there's no irony In that, just very poor decision making and general apathy
So you're saying we're meant to play in a different way to how we actually play? Who should we expect to remedy this?
I felt much more supportive of Cifuentes last season than I do this. He said it himself in his post match comments - he’s signed players with a certain profile to play in a certain way and it isn’t working against more physical teams (ie most of the division) and he/the players haven’t been able to respond to this. He then laments how much we miss Colback - which is true but I really don’t think he went in to this season with all the shiny new players knowing that a 34 year old disciplinary nightmare was going to be the first name on the teamsheet. I’m a bit pissed off with this. I didn’t expect us to storm the league this season but I did think it was going to be relatively stress free. More fool me I suppose.
For the past few games he’s always subs Marsden & Anderson first so it don’t make much sense to why he still picks them first, obviously not working but he can’t seem to see that yet
You can’t blame the manager for such key injuries. I think you can blame him for not adapting to that so woefully. Not much choice with the back four but to play such a physically weak, one-paced midfield was always going to be an issue. Smyth would have covered the wing better and given us an outlet to get up the pitch rather than constantly pissing about with it in midfield. Chair likewise even if we could only get an hour from him. Again, have to give Madsen time but for such a big bloke he (and Andersen) seem so physically weak.
I’d say at least half the fans abused the players, to be honest you could see the embarrassment in the players eyes, especially Cooks as they weakly clapped the travelling fans, the booing was loud and clear, something has to change and quickly. I personally think we miss Colback in the middle, he might be a big liability but at least he fights for every ball, and we are so weak at the back without JCS as well !
Many times down the years we’ve been a remarkably patient fanbase but you can’t mug off the away crowd like you sometimes can at home where it’s more happy-clapping. This was the first time in a while I’d say the majority made it known how they felt. Each to their own and anyone who has paid their money and wasted their day is welcome to do what they want but the few applauding that I’ll never understand. Just the one beggy poster for a shirt (ignored I think thankfully) this time- when I’m Prime Minister that will be the one capital punishment offence.
Andersen and Madsen piss poor, Field only slightly better, I’ve said it before Andersen and Madsen cannot play in the side together, one or the other must be dropped for Colback to come in when he’s fit again, we need Saito and Dembele wide with Chair playing behind Frey
I saw people applaud a midweek 5-0 at Forest with Gary Borrowdale doing a passable Stephen Hawking impression. I guess they’d argue that’s what support is. Just not for me but doesn’t bother me except when it does.
I don’t know about fatal, but I do assume that his wage expectations were/are off the scale for us and he wouldn’t budge. So now he is doing **** all training with the kids at Newcastle, where Howe has said (over a year ago) he has no future. Perhaps we’ll have another loan in January. He did a very good job with very little fanfare for us, made Field look good.
Maybe not Hayden but a bit of nous in there would have been very handy- a younger Colback. Loads of gnarly career Championship 20-somethings knocking about we could have had for a bit more balance but the data nerds will tell you Madsen long term is the bet. Maybe he is but it doesn’t do us much good now.
We need a change of tactics and to inject some energy into this lethargic looking team. we need to have two up front and the only realistic way to achieve this is by having a back three with two wide men. When available the back three surely must be Cook, Fox, JCS. There are a number of possibilities for the wide men but I would go with Lloyd and Smyth. Chair playing a ten role in front of Colback/Varane and Field. Frey up front probably with Celar who needs to be given a chance but failing him Dembele. couldn’t be any worse than the current set up
