Couldn't be around today to follow progress, and only just got back in at 8 pm. Looked for the result and read the Beeb report before I glanced at the starting eleven - I should have guessed. When is Malky going to accept that playing Helguson on his own upfront in a 4-5-1 just isn't going to work. Even at Ipswich, they lost it rather than we won it - I thought we were very lucky after that first half mauling. I thought after the two home games against Blackpool and Brum when he played to our strengths, we would see a similar approach when on the road - I don't see why it wouldn't work. Trying to nullify the opposition is sensible only when you don't have the ability to take them on head to head. We have, and we should stop being afraid of the other 11 on the pitch whether home or away.
agree totally and there have been a few of us on here saying this for many weeks now. why be defensive and cautious when your strength is attacking? helguson works best alongside someone and not up front on his own......
I was there - my heart sank when the team took to the pitch. Cowie, Conway and Gunnarsson with Helgusson struggling up front. Like you, I cannot see the point of not attacking teams. At least try and give them something to worry about. Noone on the bench, and a defensive and negative formation. If this is Malky's idea of trying to win a game it's a very strange one. The idea seems to be to hope for a lucky goal and then close the game or pray that we can hold the 0-0. With these tactics we will not beat a decent side away from home all season (by the way, Forest were not a decent side, we gave them two goals, they did little else). As at Ipswich we threatened nothing in the first half, 2-0 down. Same second half, no changes. What did Malky expect to happen? Only he knows. Soon it was 3-0. Then he left it for over 20 more minutes to gradually make some changes. One of his coaching staff must have told him we were losing. Noone came on for Conway, and changed the game. We loooked like scoring several times, and could have had four headed goals in the space of 25 minutes. Hudson and Smith both missed good chances, Noone ahd a header, Rudy had a great header tipped over. Helgusson looked a far better player when Noone and Rudy came on and we changed our approach. Conclusion: we need a different manager for away games. One with some balls. I'm not going to support City away again until I see some evidence of a change in approach - it's just too depressing, it makes me angry. We cannot rely on winning 23 home games this season - it is not going to happen. I hate to say it, but again Superkev looked nothing like the player he was a few years ago.
Iggy that was a very honest and very depressing account ......Is Malky under orders from Asia to not lose away games and use the home games and home crowd to get us to the prem , very scary if the fans can see the problems but the management or bench can't ......maybe if Bells was fit there would have been a different game plan , but we'll never know will we .
Or are they trying to prove a point. Unbeaten in red, but look what happens when we play in blue. Let's play 442 in red away from home! Oh look, we're winning, must be the red shirts.
We seem to be being set up. Only a matter of time before the blue away strip is ditched as a bad luck excuse.
The more I think about it, Maynard's injury was a massive blow - much more significant than I first imagined. With Bellamy's game time restricted, we have Mason, Gestede and Velikonja along with Helga to provide the striking power. On the face of it, that would seem enough to ensure a successful season, but what do we mean by "successful"? Top 2 has to be the target - anything else would be a compromise. I was really excited about Maynard joining us and thought it was on - his absence has left a "quality" gap in our striking options. All due respect to those I've mentioned, but with him out for the rest of the season, we need a like for like replacement. However, whoever we have available, it still requires Malky to get the balance right on the pitch. For instance, if he'd had Maynard available yesterday, would he have played a 4-4-2 aggressive system and take the game to Forest instead of inviting them on to us?
Starting to agree with you Sparkey. I wrote a few days back that we wouldn't miss him as we never really had him, but it's probably had a bigger impact on MM's mind set than anything else. Has losing Maynard made him plump for 451 away? We'll never know if he'd have been more agressive away if Maynard had stayed fit. I still think 4411 with Mason in the hole would give most defenses in this division enough to think about. The Forrest defense has been suspect this season but we never really gave them anything to think about until the last 20 mins.
Remote - my argument is that we already had Mason, Gestede, Velikonja and Helguson on the books when he went out and bought Maynard. We'd picked up Noone, Bellamy and Smith out wide by then as well. If he thought we needed Maynard then, nothing has changed to make it any different now. Maynard was the key in his plans to unlock the door to the Prem. Nobody could have forseen his tragic injury, but if our owners are really serious (and I believe they are) about getting auto promo this season, then he needs to be given the funds to get a replacement. Not saying they grow on trees, but they are out there and it's his job to find one given the financial backing.
Morning Guys Thanks to the Nottingham police yesterday for getting us into the ground by kick off - 2.40pm which appeared late? Any reason why? Had no atmosphere etc prior to kick off. I agree with Iggy - no problem really with the players but when we saw the formation again yesterday my mates and I thought why? We were top of the league yesterday and for me we sat too deep again and let forest come at us which they did. Helgusson for me played well but come on he needs support. Again the defence for me was under pressure early on and that gave them the momentum. Kev gave away the free kick for their first but it was not a free kick - the linesman to the left of us was awful as was the ref but then again we let them play and dictate. Oh well 3 points now on Tuesday and Saturday hopefully. KTF
I saw Maynard as the icing on the cake, an unexpected bonus. I know we don't have a like for like replacement for Maynard, but if that was the formation MM saw as the winning formula, wouldn't it be better to try someone else in that position (Mason or Eti) rather than change the formation because you haven't got him. Was it the player that was the key driver or the style of play? I'd rather him say, 'we haven't got Maynard but 442 / 4411 is the winning formation', and try and play someone else in the role. If it doesn't work, THEN change it. He may get a pleasant surprise. THe last 2 away games we've struggled until Rudy has been put on up front to support HH. I don't think Rudy should be the second striker, he should be considered HH's back up, but it should have shown MM that two up front is the way to go.
We need a good old fashioned 4-4-2 a la Dave Jones. Whittingham needs to play further forward, Turner needs to be at centre back with Connoly replacing Kev whose defensive qualities are poor. With Noone on the right, Bellamy alongside Helgusson and Mutch in midfield we have a decent side. That formation should be played home and away when all are available/fit. As for signings what about Jason Roberts; he virtually secured Reading's promotion last season and is not currently in their side.
i think maynard suddenly became available for transfer when west ham signed carroll, and he was the final piece in the jigsaw, he never got a fair crack at west ham and he could potentially make the step up to premiership football if we make it. also available at a reasonable price given his goal record in this league, making it a no brainer if the club made the money available, we've lost him to injury for the season which is desperately unlucky but these things happen and we can be buoyed by the fact we arent short of numbers up front.....
