Match Day Thread Bolton Wanderers v Sunderland - Saturday 21st September KO 15:00

Ross came in fully aware of the circumstances at the club yet said he'd take us up.

It's always easy to suggest he's had all of these players foisted upon him but I just don't buy that.

No matter what the real story is there's no excuse for the total lack of effort we witnessed yesterday.

That's a reflection of the manager who seems to have little fight or even enthusiasm.

He's draining the life out of me and seemingly the players.

 

Lots of talk about signings. The one glaringly obvious thing about our recruitment is that it there isn't a properly balanced squad there. Lots of centre backs and lots of central midfielders suggests that they've never been happy with what they've got and keep adding more in hope that they'll hit the right formula. The sale of Honeyman means we have no natural No.10 (it doesn't matter how good you think Honeyman is) and central midfielders or wingers have to fill in there. Grigg was an absolute panic signing, it was easy to predict that he wouldn't do it here.
Signings have been awful.

 

Good debate that Nads and Nacho. Enjoyed it.

 

Never thought I'd say this Smug but overtime with us Jack is slowly morphing into Moyes.
He's gradually looking more and more depressed and his dour scottish accent which I didn't mind listening to at first is becoming more annoying.
His dig at the Look North sports reporter prior to the Rotherham game who suggested our win at Stanley was unimpressive actually told me the pressure is beginning to show.
I like Jack and think he's a proper football manager (whatever that is) but I think this job is too big for him and that makes me extremely sad.

 

Totally agree mate.

I think he's realised, or been told, he's incapable of managing such a big club.

Once he started having pops at the supporters and commenting on their expectations, and the pressure it brings, the writing was on the wall.

Just as an example, can you imagine Allardyce whinging about the massive support?

Everyone knows, before they come, about the size of the task/club/support ...
... if you can't cope with it don't waste our time by 'giving it a go'.

The next man has to be a big character with a backbone ... no more Mr Niceguy.

 

Bright side moment.....

Oxford drew with Bolton... then won 6-0 next game

I know... clutching a little

 

We're nailed on to win the league now!

 

Wow... and I thought I was an optimist!!!

 

I don't consider myself to be an optimist, just a realist. I'm just sick of the negativity. It's been going on for years and I'm convinced it contributes to holding the club back. I can respect a well-constructed argument but a lot of it (Twitter is the worst but it's not confined to there) is just ill-considered knee jerk reactions or only an understanding of what is happening at the most basic level.
I'm not happy that we're not pissing League 1 yet but at the moment I don't see any reason why we can't get promoted. We're having a slump, as every club does at some point, but we're still in touch.

 

Love it. I love seeing optimists man. No issues at all. But to see a person with an “optimistic outlook” shall we say (rather than calling you an optimist) say they’re a realist is great. You see so many pessimists say “well I’m a realist” when, in truth, they’re just a negatively motivated SAFC fan with no positivity. It’s refreshing

 

We'll start a revolution! Down with miserable ****ers!

 

This certainly isn't knee jerk on my part.

Ross keeps saying how he learned from last year's mistakes but we're still gripped by the same inertia.

Yesterday was so bad it prompted the away support, usually the most loyal and patient, to turn on Ross.

These are probably the same 4000 who watched us torn to pieces at Peterborough.

This isn't just a sudden slump, we were gutless at the end of last season and it's now just more of the same.

 

We weren't gutless, we were toothless. This goes back to what I said about cause and effect. Why would a manager who was renowned for attacking football and started off that way at Sunderland become more defensive? Its simple if you think about it.

The answer, of course, is the fault of Jack Ross, at least to some extent.

But people don't want to think. They just want to blame.

 

It does make a refreshing change when two people 'Discuss' their opinions in a sensible and adult (?) manner rather than just telling each other to F*** O** or slagging each other.

Thanks Nads and Nacho for a balanced and interesting Discussion....look forward to more ADULT CONTENT in the future (lol)

 

That just kind of ties in with my thoughts. I agree with this post, and also your one about the scattergun midfield recruitment.

The only reason I can fathom for an attack minded manager reverting to a more defensive system is a fear of losing, which all funnels back in to the ‘jobs too big for him’ jar.

He’s not a terrible manager, not even a bad one. Me and Nacho haven’t debated the toss for 3-4 hours if he is, but what he is is a fish out of water flapping about for oxygen he cannot process.

As I said, and as Smug has added, I’m not buying for a second he’s not hands on with the recruitment, but I’ll agree that’s not all his failing.

Was Grigg scouted? I just looked at his goals tally and thought ‘aye, he’s the one’. Looking now you think ‘whys he always moved on’ and ‘how come he never got a game for NI when there was a buzz about him’.

Because he’s simply not very good maybe.

If we are going to change it, as I said last night, we need to move sharp. New gaffer needs time to assess the squad and get us moving before January, when he can bring in his own players.

A number 10 has long been vital so as I said stick McGeady in there, his lack of pace will actually be more suited, drop Embleton alongside Leads/Dobson and play Maguire and Gooch wide.

That for me is far more balanced and forward thinking and he hasn’t ****ing tried it. I’m convinced there’s a formula there.

 

Are you confident that Ross will get these players competing and move us up the table?

 

I think this is the question, and everyone is clearly emotive about it so let’s have gut instinct yes no answers to it.

I’ll start.

Regretfully, no.

 

McGeady would be the best shout for the 10. That might negate the over reliance on him because the play would have to go through him more naturally in that position, if that makes sense.
I agree he's frustrating over tactics. Some things he does are baffling.
I think the reason that he's become more defensive is because he doesn't have the players to play that way. From what I've seen, and as I have said before I don't see every game, we've struggled to retain the ball in the final third (particularly towards the end of last season) and as a result of that, he's had to compensate because the ball is coming back at us all the time. That then becomes a chicken and egg situation and why we just lump it at Wyke or whoever is playing this week.

 

Agreed mate. McGeady may lack pace but mentally he’s streets ahead of anyone else we have.

He’s comfortable in tight space, shifts the ball between feet and loves a dip from range. He’s surely the obvious number 10.

Gooch and Maguire are both quicker, both like to rub at their men, and both out half decent balls in. The extra pace means they can track back better, as Gooch in particular does.

That’s the formula for the midfield too 3 for me.

Where’s this LB anyone know? He’s got some pedigree, CL football for Brugge. Where’s he? There’s some more balance. Use him, put Hume or O’Nien RB, Willis and Ozturk.

There’s options we haven’t explored.

 

I'm confident that Ross has the ability get SAFC promoted. But to say that a manager can take any given group of players and achieve drastically different results is too simplistic.