Got rid of prematurely - like Gavin Mahon. When will managers come to realise the value of this type of player and how every team needs at least one?
Well I've seen enough - either Zola begins to understand that there is more to football than just passing it around aimlessly or seriously he needs to be replaced before we drop into a relegation battle. It wasn't just today - for the last 6 or so games we have shown no penetration, no idea how to score a goal and no-one being prepared to carry a ball. All they want to do is get rid of the ball as soon as they can. The passing game should be more than just off loading to another player, there needs to be off the ball running (we don't do it), there needs to be some taking on and beating opposition players (we don't do it), there needs to be finding space ( we don't do it) there needs to be some running at the opposition (we don't do it), there needs to be grit in defence ( we have none) and there needs to be getting into scoring positions ( we don't). Hoof ball is more productive than what I've seen lately and I'm beginning to wonder if the Pozzo's made a grave error in getting rid of Dyche to appoint an Italian who had already failed at West Ham. Is he another Vialli? I'm worried that he is - we were utterly clueless today and have been for a while.
See my post earlier. I don't think we'll be anywhere near a relegation battle but nor will be anywhere near the top two and I'm not sure I can be arsed with the play-offs.
No wins in 6 matches - not knowing where the goal is - aimless and lame passing to no-where - if we go on like that much longer we'll be in a relegation battle alright.
It was pathetic I'm afraid and there's no hiding it. The 'beautiful football' was two or three first half moves at the most. Put simply we could not get through Bolton playing 10 in defence and we just could not (or would not) change our style. Even changing formation made little difference. Finally it's great that we are trying to generate a better atmosphere but today we failed. The trouble is when it gets boring and predictable (most of the second half at the least) it's difficult to get interested in singing.
If we are going to try and walk the ball in the net lets not give the an opposition a lead to hold on to meaning they will pack the defence leaving very little space.. If they hit one in from 25/30 yards then fair enough but most of the goals were given away are so sloppy. We really needed to try our luck a bit more as the Rookery suggested - maybe we'll get a mistake out of the goalie/defender. Thorne did quite well I though and Forestieri was looking to create but we were pretty lacklustre. I suppose we could point to the injuries but then we are meant to have a big squad full of quality...
The injuries aren't much to do with it - even with Deeney Doyley etc we struggle - the problem is with just sticking to a poor passing game which gets nowhere - its time to mix it up - a little of unpretty stuff would help.
Hopefully we'll see some directive from GFZ to get shots away. Judging by the post match I believe he's under pressure and realizes he needs to make some changes and make it work now not later. We should be able to do it with this group...
Is it possible that part of the problem is that FF drops deep looking to find a pass to an attacker when he is supposed to be one of them?
I reiterared a point during yesterdays game that others have made before, Not having Vydra up front with his pace has blunted us and does mean the system we use becomes ineffective in that we can not create enough space in the last third of the field to take the chances we do create as the defenders are to tight to us this season. That and we do not have an out and out goal scorer to poach goals means we are simply to toothless most of the time. Danny Graham would thrive in our side but obviously out of our reach but you get the point. The club need to rethink things in January and sharpen up our attacking options because by the end of that month we could be to far away to reach playoff's the way things are progressing. At present I think a top 12 spot is the best we can expect as there is to many issues to realisticly expect more at this point in time. I find it hard to except that we have improved this season and forget about comparing this seasons points to last if anyone really expects us to match last seasons mid season levals of achievments they should place a large bet with a bookie and pocket some serious cash as the odds of a repeat are not high im afraid. I am not going to jump up and say GFZ's postion is under threat what he achieved for us last season was nothing short of incrediable but even then there were signs of issues at certain times towards the end.
I worry we can't wait until January - and even then we might well be in a position where we will find it difficult to attract new players. We don't have anyone who can score goals like Vydra or Graham and those players are very hard to come by. If by January we are mid table or worse - those sort of players are likely to look elsewhere if a better offer comes in. For 6 or 7 games now I've paid to see inept football based on a passing game Zola is so committed to that he can't seem to vary it. He has to do so now if we are to get anywhere at all. Last season we got away with it but this season we've been found out - Leicester, Middlesboro, Bolton, Forest have all proved that and I think Yeovil will be the next to do so. Unless Zola begins to realise we can play dirty and win we will be dropping too fast by January to recover.
Embarrassing all round. From the increasingly piss poor service on the concourse, to the not too wonderful Christmas merchandise, to the pathetic effort on the pitch yesterday. Bolton were poor, we were shockingly worse. Premier League? We're havin' a laugh!
