Seven games are not enough to judge a new manager and 12 new players. We're not Watford. A point from any away game is a point gained. All of our players had good ratings on WhoScored and we outscored Stoke in the team average 6.92 to 6.77. I thought we defended well under pressure and every player put in a shift. There were other positives as Makama got on to a well worked chance and scored his second goal in two games. Mattsson has slotted in well and followed last week's 7.4 rating with a 7.3 yesterday and is now our highest ranked player. IMO, there's better to come.
IF we go another month or 2 without a home point the season is pretty much done , even the positive away form has turned into draws. None of the games this season have been enjoyable to watch , it's basically hanging on for life for 70 minutes before the inevitable capitulation
How long is enough then? Do we have to ruin the season? We have a top six squad in terms of cost/value. If there were signs of quality, or we had been unlucky, I’d be the first calling for patience - but I don’t see any room for improvement under this style.
Apparently we have been playing negative backwards sideways football for so long that Manning has no say in the style of play, despite having pretty much a brand new team . At this point I would rather have stuck with Jack Wilshire at least he got a home win
Last season started much the same, we were 15th in the table and all and sundry, including the Pinkun journos, were pleading for patience as we embarked on a 3 year transition. I was dubious, but I didn't urge ousting Thorup. Any new manager with new players needs time to establish his system. That has been made more challenging by the injuries, including Kvistgaarden and Diallo who between them cost £11.5m, which has produced constant team changes. We've invested in Manning and we should see half a season at the least before passing judgement unless we want to become another Watford.
But surely that is the big difference. Thorup was brought in on a 3 season transition project which changed mid-season and Thorup was sacked for not getting into the playoffs first season. Manning was brought in to produce immediate results on both points total and performance levels and has so far failed miserably on both accounts hence Rob querying ' how long to we give him ' IMO we have not improved at all and in many ways have got worse which makes Robs query very valid. Thorup improved our style of play in a few games and Manning has , if anything, put that in reverse. Surely Manning is living on borrowed time?
I basically agree, but sacking Manning will be like getting rid of the monkey rather than the organ grinder. The problem is that we made a bad mistake employing Knapper as SD. He's had nearly two years now and he simply isn't up to the job. If we sack Manning and keep Knapper, he will just lumber us with another poor hire. Nothing will get better IMO until we correct that mistake we made two years ago and find a SD who is competent.
We always wait until Christmas before goose cooking .. Most of the 1st team yet to play a dozen games
Thorup wasnt sacked for missing out in playoffs he was sacked because the team was seen to be on a serious downward trajectory. I agree that we were playing more entertaining football, hopefully with time Manning can develop that but the priority has been working on defensive shape. The home form must be improved nobody is denying that, but Thorup started the poor form at home. We have 1 in 10 at home and that was Wilshere final day win against a team already relegated and down to 10men. Manning has improved the away form, we are unbeaten away, and that’s perhaps down to the current style of play being better suited to away games.
1 in 10 at home is abysmal The last time we won was in the pre season friendly again those Dutch lunatics Breda
