Sorry Dai totally disagree. Laudrup sends the players sets the team up, how they perform is sonly down to the players themselves. Some seem to think their better than they really are. Ash has gone backwards in recent weeks, and looking like a big time charlie his display today was not that of a captain. Positioning was piss poor, he switched off when Chelsea had a throw in and Ba ran onto it and if it wasn't for Vorm they would have scored. **** me thats school boy football, i'd have given my boy a bollocking if he had done that. I don't see what De Guzman has to offer us and I hope we don't sign him. Not may player would have come out of that game with any credit. I'd Love Laudrup to give then the kick up the ass they all deserve and drop half the ****ing team. Give some players who want to play and show a bit of pride.
I don't understand the Subs made by ML today. I would of taken off JDG and put Moore up front. Removed Pablo for Dyer who would of swapped wings with Routledge. And taken off Williams for Monk because he couldn't of been any worse!
Sadly i can;t see us getting another point this season. i don't think the players are not trying hard enough, i just think as they're (effectively) safe from relegation and in europe they've nothing to play for and as such they're incapable of raising their game to the standard required to compete with those who need the points. it's a mental malaise that effects the team as opposed to individuals. i don;t like it and i'm sure Laudrup and the players don;t either but the momentum has gone and i can;t see how they can get it back this season. I reckon our best chance of a point will be at Old Trafford. Could Laudrup have done something about it after the cup win, possibly, but the sense of euphoria amongst the fans and people of Swansea over the win and achieving league safety early was infectious and it's been hard for the players not to be caught up in this. i know they are supposed to be professional and of course they are massively overpaid etc etc, but i think if a team/organisation achieves it's goals earlier than expected it's not surprising that it fails to adapt to new targets. i've every confidence in Laudrup to take us forward next season. i don;t agree with Dai's doomsday scenario and i actually think our tactics weren't too bad today. we gave away two very sloppy goals close to half time after looking petty comfortable for most of the half, on another day the result may have been different we may have had two late smash and grab goals by Michu............ personally i can;t wait for the new season to start, but of course we do need some new signings, hopefully a few with a bit of character and mental strength, because it was plainly very thin on the ground today.
Yes, it IS easy to blame the players. Why? I'll spell it out for you. Did you see Laudrup out there with his boots on? No, neither did I. It was the players who lacked urgency; the players who lacked commitment; the players who lacked application and skill; the players who lacked effort. No manager coaches his team to perform like that and Laudrup will be fuming about it. You can have the greatest tactical plan in the world but if the players show no desire, no will and no devil then they are going to lose. I didn't expect us to beat Chelsea so, I'm not quibbling about the loss. I am quibbling about the manner of defeat. There was no one on the pitch bullying the others into raising their game. Ash is supposed to be the one doing that but he couldn't even raise his own game. My commentator obliquely suggested that his display might be indicative of his plans for next season. I'm hoping he was right - providing the fee is right. You'd think that JdG would be playing his heart out for a contract, so I'm suspecting that he might have plans for elsewhere. Good. But if I'm wrong and Laudrup still wants to sign him, I'm thinking £3 million absolute tops and, right now, I'm dubious that we need him at all. There's better and more suitable out there. We need more athletes in this team, more physicality, more strength and more attitude. Chelsea had the better players in terms of technique but they were also stronger, faster and fitter than us. There is no excuse for that and the players should take a long look at what they need to do to compete in this league. Any player can improve his strength and fitness out of sight by putting in the work. Our lot obviously don't. I will close by quoting the commentator again. He was absolutely scathing about the lacklustre display from us and said that no manager, or his coaching staff, can be held responsible for a performance like that; it has to come from the players, from within themselves. In other words, character and attitude. Seems we have all too little of that when the chips are down.
Yes, it IS easy to blame the players. Why? I'll spell it out for you. Did you see Laudrup out there with his boots on? No, neither did I. It was the players who lacked urgency; the players who lacked commitment; the players who lacked application and skill; the players who lacked effort. No manager coaches his team to perform like that and Laudrup will be fuming about it. You can have the greatest tactical plan in the world but if the players show no desire, no will and no devil then they are going to lose. I didn't expect us to beat Chelsea so, I'm not quibbling about the loss. I am quibbling about the manner of defeat. There was no one on the pitch bullying the others into raising their game. Ash is supposed to be the one doing that but he couldn't even raise his own game. My commentator obliquely suggested that his display might be indicative of his plans for next season. I'm hoping he was right - providing the fee is right. You'd think that JdG would be playing his heart out for a contract, so I'm suspecting that he might have plans for elsewhere. Good. But if I'm wrong and Laudrup still wants to sign him, I'm thinking £3 million absolute tops and, right now, I'm dubious that we need him at all. There's better and more suitable out there. We need more athletes in this team, more physicality, more strength and more attitude. Chelsea had the better players in terms of technique but they were also stronger, faster and fitter than us. There is no excuse for that and the players should take a long look at what they need to do to compete in this league. Any player can improve his strength and fitness out of sight by putting in the work. Our lot obviously don't. I will close by quoting the commentator again. He was absolutely scathing about the lacklustre display from us and said that no manager, or his coaching staff, can be held responsible for a performance like that; it has to come from the players, from within themselves. In other words, character and attitude. Seems we have all too little of that when the chips are down.
All part of laudrups inept management skills im afraid, he is panicking and has lost the plot....questions has to be asked now if the premiership is a bit to far for him as he cant recognize where he is going wrong and is trying to prove a point and its not working....he has gone from hero to zero and is taking us backwards not forwards so much so that he don't get a mention anymore and is dragging the team down with him through his stubbornness in playing rubbish football.....Its not as if its a few games its been all the second half of the season that we have not looked like the side we were.....I wish it was a blip but his record now shows him to be out of his league...
I'm afraid our team has thrown in the towel since Wembley, and Laudrup and his coaching staff, seem unable to resolve the issues, but one thing I'm sure about now after these last 6 games, is if Arsenal or Liverpool come in for Ash, they are welcome to him, as for De Guzman, he has always from the start, flattered to deceive!................. PS: You have to remember we have not really replaced Joe Alan's skills, and it shows, plus we didn't replace Graham, and Michu was always going to hit a dry patch love him, but Laudrup has to address this now asap, otherwise we are going to have a team shot with confidence for next season!
I'm afraid our team has thrown in the towel since Wembley, and Laudrup and his coaching staff, seem unable to resolve the issues, but one thing I'm sure about now after these last 6 games, is if Arsenal or Liverpool come in for Ash, they are welcome to him, as for De Guzman, he has always from the start, flattered to deceive!................. PS: You have to remember we have not really replaced Joe Alan's skills, and it shows, plus we didn't replace Graham, and Michu was always going to hit a dry patch love him, but Laudrup has to address this now asap, otherwise we are going to have a team shot with confidence for next season!
Dai is half right. I don't accept that Laudrup is 'panicking' at all but when things go well the Manager gets the plaudits. Why doesn't it work the other way? The Manager's role, amongst many other things, is to instill hunger and drive into his players - see Di Canio. Laudrup doesnt seem to be able to do it.
we have been poor for all of the second half of the season and that is unacceptable.....Laudrup is proving he is out of his depth, his subs is bizarre to say the least and he and he alone have turned us from a very good side to a side that most teams would love to face every week.......laudrup will take us down next season playing his way....watch this space if he dont buck his ideas up .....the premiership is looking a bit to much for his skills as a manager.....
well that was a bit pants. JDG is crap, Shekter couldn't terrorize an under-12's defence (they'd all be taller than him too!), williams was stuck in 1st gear. A change or even 2 at half time coupled with some expletive riddled verbals would have maybe given us a chance. I hope the Canas deal is done as we badly like bite in the middle. Thank god that relegation isn't a worry this season...
Thank god that relegation isn't a worry this season... jesus you can say that again..... on second thoughts dont bother this site will do it automatic anyway...
Thought Ash was in reverse. The display JDG put on today, I don't think we should sign him. At the moment I'd love to give some of the youngsters a go, someone with a bit of fire in their belly. Ben needs a rest, let Taylor get a couple of games under his belt. Michu back in the pocket and give bloody Donnelly a go, he can't do any worse. I'm even tempted to put Ash on the bench and play Monk.
