7 of yesterday's 10 outfield players were with us last season. 2 out of the 3 newbies have been our better players. I am rapidly losing faith in Hughes. The team need to start living up to expectations. What is unquestionable is that Hughes needs to get the team to gel but it is a myth that they need time to gel.
I see your point Ciarrai, performances so far have been disappointing, but it is only two games in. Maybe we're following Everton's example in being iffy starters? Although this year they seem to be changing that....
Just put this on another thread but seems suited here as well I believe there are several areas that need attention. I saw the match online and I agree with your first two points but to say after Friday we will be fine is incorrect IMO at the moment we are playing like strangers that have met in the park for a kick about and on the last two performances we need more time to gel and get some kind of rytham and formation (because if anyone can tell me what formation we were playing yesterday I will buy you several pints) and MH needs to sort out his tactics properly, on top of that we will probably get another two players that also need to be integrated into our shambles. While all of this needs to happen there is a matter of confidence and respect that play on the players minds. Put this all together and we have a **** load of things to sort out and I for will be grateful and feel lucky if we have about 10 points after the first 10 games because it will take a minimum of 10 games to get this sorted if at all. I am praying for a 3/4 game cup run because that will help with all of the above espicially getting Faurlin match fit.
Its going to take time for the team to get it together and based on that i think we should be happy with finishing 17th once again.
What a load of crap this gelling excuse is!! Norwich had 3 of a back 4 who had never played together before and they were good!! What is training for????? Im sorry lads but these are professional players in one of the best leagues in the world. All pathetic excuses! Like I've said before, pre season has been wasted!
With so many players that have come in and others that may be coming in there isn't a settled team pattern yet and clearly MH doesn't yet know his strongest line-up. I think this may take another month or more before they all integrate into a 'unit'. It's unfair to compare us to Norwich who have a settled nucleus of a team that has been together for three seasons. We're a work in progress and it shows...
Norwich had 4 players making home debuts yesterday and a back 4 who had never played together! . If he doesn't know his strongest team after buying them then he shouldn't be in the game. Nobody else bought the park diakite green fabio bosingwa onohua hoillet nelson aj cisse zamora
Anybody who has actually played football knows it does take time to form a team. It has been touched on already but MHs problem seems to be that he does not know his best 11 or what formation to play in. This may take a little more time. We let 15 players go this summer and have already bought 8 which will probably rise to 10 or 11. Realistically how would this not take time? As a final point j keep saying there are no easy games in the Prem. Some don't seem to understand this and automatically see teams like Norwich and Swansea and think we should be winning these games. Both teams played much much better than us last year and finished considerably higher up the league. Both of these teams have also strengthened. We are not entitled to anything in this league. The biggest disappointment for me so far has been the obvious lack of energy, determination, and effort. These are meant to be traits of a MH team.
With the fixtures you had it was always going to be tough from August-November but I think your players will thrive off the so called "better teams"
I find all the negativity a bit bemusing. Two weeks ago the majority on here thought we had a good shout of getting in the top half and two games later we're doomed. Give Hughes time and he'll get it right.
He has had ENOUGH time. WTF is pre season for? **** manager. Get rid ASAP! You don't go into battle without knowing you can rely on the troops, and without knowing what the best job for them is. The more I hear 'give MH time' the more annoyed I get. He has not won a game away from LR. I would show him the door if he was a member of my staff.
Apologies Ciarrai, I did not mean to sound condescending but having looked at it again I can easily see how somebody might think that. Not meant that way at all. What I should have said is that often in all sports some teams gel quickly and others don't. It's totally natural for a team to take time to go through the gears. I am sure there are loads of people who have played various sports at different levels who will understand this. Many people have gone through their life never having never played sport and will genuinely not understand the complexity that comes with team sports. IMHO, those that have played in team sports generally have a better understanding of how difficult it can be to get 11 individuals to play as a team and then sometimes things can still go horribly wrong. If we put it in the context of GAA look at Kilkenny this year. All the preparation done, great players and still get hammered by a decent Galway team. Unexplainable. The. They went out and played pretty poor again against a poor Limerick team. No need for panic. Then they produce an unbelievable performance against Tipp. Team sports will always drive us crazy. We have started poorly but we will improve.
So we bring in a new manager, paying off Hughes god knows how much in the process, who loses the next three games and gets a draw against West Ham. You'll be wanting him out too. Nothing will be achieved without some stability. Which fantastic managers are waiting in the wings to come to us anyway?
Spurs and Arsenal did terribly in the first two games and went on to have good seasons. Although your situation is different it does show you can't judge a team until Early November
