After yesterday and the Huddersfield game, if the cracks were there before they've now become chasms. We are being roasted by average sides at best with no apparent idea how to cope with it - we are not even competing effectively. Is it the players or the way it's being used? Surley more can be got out of this squad than we are witnessing right now. There is something lacking here, and no amount of bluff and bluster in post match interviews can hide that fact. I expect the KTF amongst us will argue about the very fact that we're up here is down to him and that's fair enough. That doesn't mean we'll stay here with the same approach that got us here - time to seriously re-think.
Keeping the faith has a limited life span. I still believe he can keep us up but there is little margin for error from here on.
Not saying he can't keep us up Taff, just that something needs to change - but can he? Fresh ideas to get the best out of what we've got is a must. More of the same will only produce more of the same performances and inevitably results.
He’ll need to mix it up a bit more. We have 2 strikers but no one to give them the service they will need. If Arter is on his way then the midfield will be very light unless replacements are found. I would have prefered 2 midfielders this window than two strikers. I hope it doesn’t come to bite us. I am not sure where fresh ideas are going to come from with the current squad.
I said a few days ago that we have been found out. As Huddersfield showed, shut out our wingers and we can't get by on just grunt and effort. Decent teams can handle that. Different tactics needed. Can Colin do that? I hope Sala isn't this season's Cornelius. At least he has something of a track record behind him.
Missing the point there a bit sausageman. Not simply saying he should be replaced, just change the way we set up and play - if he can. If he can't, then it may well come to that unless we want a good Championship manager for next season's campaign.
Watching that game Bluey - Citeh a different class but I find them oh so boring when they're in front.
Nice to see Mark Hudson giving it a go for 'Udders on the touchline. Just brought on Alex Pritchard (why didn't he start hm?) and they're having a right good go at Citeh although 0-3 down. From a neutral point of view (and I'm not ) I'd like to see them bloody Guardiola's nose and get back in the game. On the other hand from City's point of view I'd like to see Citeh hit double figures.
I’ve been so dissolusioned by such an abject and limp display after an even worse one v Huddersfield to wait till now to open this thread. I’ve said it before and so I’ll say it again, the damage was done pre season when instead of supplementing the best of the Championship squad he tried to get his championship squad plus a few pretty average acquisitions to adapt to the higher quality of the PL. Yes we have had some good results to mean we’re not cut adrift but we’re not far from being so if Burnley, Newcastle & Southampton keep on eking out points. I had no illusion we’d anything else but lose to nil yesterday, and that’s 3 games without a shot in anger on the opposition. Our only goal since our win at Leicester was a penalty. The team looked abysmal yesterday. Sala may make a difference but plainly there are too many players in the team who are below the necessary standard. Unless NW can bring in quality in defence and midfield then like last time we’ll sunk like a stone.
Just read your post again Nin. Has this come down to whom he brings in this next 10 days and nothing to do with the him and his selections, tactics and substitutions this past 5 months? Agree with you and have always said on here we were too complacent in the summer and have been paying the price ever since. I've no idea whose fault that was at the time - Warnock's decisions or Tan's lack of funding - but there has to be doubts about how we've approached games and the tactics used this first half of the season given the squad put together in the summer. However much money Tan put up, £20M has since been wasted on Reid and Murphy who were brought here under false pretences. Reid hasn't been given a proper chance and Warnock seems to prefer sticking with "known quantity" Hoilett rather than using his purchases - something is not right.
Hi Sparkey. I came over to the Cardiff forum on the back of seeing your lot signing that Sala fella - surprised that it doesn't seem to be more of a point of discussion(?). Without wanting to sound like a sour rival fan, it could be that you're now seeing the downside of Warnock. He has a very good record of getting teams promoted, but I think there's a reason he's never spent particularly long at a club since his stint at Sheffield United - he seems quite focussed on short-term success and by extension at least partially complicit in things being allowed to slide. It may be over-simplifying/generalising, but the impression I get is that his success has come from maximising the fundamentals, i.e. be fitter than the opponent, be hard (but fair) in the tackle, be direct etc. Again, I don't want to make out that I'm having a dig at his approach, but what I'm getting at is that his approach seems to be ' If you play a technical game then we'll be defensively sound enough to keep you out more often than not, then we'll capitalise on your mistakes and make the most of our own chances.' This is fine, except in the step up to the Premiership, it's obviously much harder to keep opponents at bay by allowing them possession and there are far fewer mistakes to capitalise on. I think you have shown glimpses of being an effective counter-attacking side, but the worrying thing from your perspective is that performances seem to be getting worse, rather than better. The Huddersfield game was a golden opportunity to get three points and, objectively, you were a bit lucky to get just one. Still, maybe the additions of Sala and Niasse will prove enough to start to change the tide - it would only take a few good results to build up a bit of a cushion to the bottom three. If Warnock actually used Reid correctly then he can help you do that!
Good constructive points Nick. I think one way or another our conclusions over here are quite similar. It's fine signing the 2 strikers but if we have no one who can give them the ball in the right area for them to be effective, they will be like spare parts at a wedding. The possible loss of Arter and lack (at the moment) of a new mid fielder who can provide the assists these guys will need are causes for concern. We hope Warnock can change his spots and have an alternative plan but I wouldn't bet the farm on it.
@NickH - Cheers Nick. Warnock bought Reid without knowing what to do with him. He as much admitted that at the start of the season by saying he didn't see him as a striker but couldn't really say what he was - unbelievable. The lad hasn't been given a decent chance in the right formation. He just does not fit into warnock's game plan - and yes, he only has the one. If the "containment and counter" comes off like at Leicester then everyone (including me) applauds - the problem is it fails more than it succeeds. Maybe that's to be expected at this exalted level but there has to be more than one way to play, and games can be changed during the 90 minutes - that is down to management. We have Reid and Murphy (over £20M between them) sitting on the bench whilst he pursues plan A and more often than not even substitutes "one for one" when it clearly isn't working. We've been given a golden opportunity to capitalise on our unexpected success of last season and we're blowing it big time. If Sala and Niasse come off up front then that will be great, but a lot of us have grave misgivings that the ball wont reach them on the floor and will probably have snow on it when it eventually comes down.
We need to stop utilising dead weight like Ralls.. He was like a bucket of **** on Saturday, clueless and out of his depth. Our Defence were also dead in the water, every time Newcastle attacked we were like deer in headlights! Josh Murphy came on for the last few minutes and *VOILA* we looked likely to score! Changes are needed. Number 1 priority: Ralls to be a bench warmer!
