We're too slow. Apart from Fabio and probably Brayford, that sums up everything about our game. In front of the makings of an excellent back 4, we're ponderous, pedestrian, tedious, indecisive - you name it, and there are plenty more adjectives you could use like "f**ing useless" for instance. Whittingham is getting worse. Before anyone starts citing his "excellent deliveries", the guy is a liability with his lack of pace, and because of it, the guy can't cope with the role as an effective centre mid player. it's typified by his passing the ball backwards and sideways more than forwards recently reminiscent of McPhail at his worst. Gunnar is an old favourite of mine who puts himself about, but pairing him with Whitts gives us such a turgid engine room that's pulling this side down. Blackpool were more direct when they had the ball and funnelled back when they didn't. They soaked our "possession" and saw us off deservedly. They also appeared far in front of us when it came to desire. As I said earlier, and this is the only bright spot at the moment, we have the makings of a very good back 4. Manga is quality and is going to be a very important player. Morrison (Sean) or better still Connolly on recent evidence, will make and excellent CB pairing. Fabio and Brayford have enough pace and endeavour between them to set up our front men - they just need to brush up a bit more on their defensive awareness. In front of them and Marshie, we have a big, big problem. We are far, far too slow.
The problems are worse than that. They havent the fitness levels that other teams have and Ole has set us back so far with terrible signings. Disgree about Morrisson. Why have we signed him? Nowhere near as good as Hudson. Luckily we have Connolly and the must return to the team Ben Turner. Back 4 and keeper will be fine just that we have wasted money on Morrisson. The middle of midfield is shocking. Problem is we have players in the side who look disinterested. Sadly Gunner most certainly is up for it. However hes just nowhere near good enough. Too slow , cant pass and is easily beaten. Whitts I know what your saying about Mcphail but hes not that bad. however hes now too slow on the ball but without his set pieces we dont create everything. Attack- FFS Joe Mason on loan and a bunch of expensive mis fits left. Le Fondres dive in injury time sums up our shambles of a squad. Pathetic. If Slade has been overseeing this we are in big trouble. I still think we will stay up but id clear out most of this squad.
Some of the decisions from the touchline were baffling. Why on earth was Ravel taken off? He was the one piece of class on the pitch who could have changed it. Why was Noone ever put on the pitch last night. I've never seen a player of his type so unfit - to say he was on half pace would be an exaggeration, and on that level of fitness was is a waste of time. If Noone isn't fit and therefore hasn't got the pace, he's a passenger. Le Fondre is becoming a joke. As you say his dive was a disgrace, and that blast over the top was pathetic for a striker - at least get it on target and work the keeper.
I hope Slade will have a real good look at the rest of the squad--all those that have not had a look in yet Burgstaller Digicoi Eikrem Guerra Cala and get Mason back from Bolton Surely to **** there must be some desire to play football or are they all just in it for the money
uninspiring doesnt even come close 2 describing what shi.te i watched lastnight............is there maybe even one player on that pitch that could give a fk about our club and its fans who spend some hard earned dosh following then around the country. tiz about time these fking egotistical fk wits put some heart into the game that allows them 2 live like upper class society members. i wonder if they(football players today) could do a job(factory) for 150 pound a week and get away with a so so performance for more than a month without getting sacked>>>>>>>>thats the fking real world that i live in mind
It's that bad I can't be ****ed to talk about it. Except 1 point . Ralls was working hard and had delivered 3 top class balls from the left. Who could imagine subbing him was a good idea? If we were going to score from open play it was coming from ralls or Morrison. So we ****ing subbed them both. I do think it can only get better under Slade. Although I'd slap your hand off if offered a play off place as I reckon we're mid table at best. Totally agree with Sparks that we're far too slow in large areas of the pitch. I do think the lack of fitness mentioned could well have players on their heels and making them look even slower than they actually are.
With a new manager in the stands common sense suggests that each player would be up for it. The performances suggest otherwise. Either the players are not good enough or don't care. Very worrying! Of even more concern is the fact that our new manager/consultant has had an input into team selection and tactics according to Wales Online. That being the case I can't see an immediate improvement or indeed where the next win is coming from especially given the dire fitness levels. Something is seriously wrong somewhere yet some people and the press are still mentioning promotion. At this point of the season it seems to me that relegation is more likely.
Sorry Sparkey but disagree with some of your comments about Whittingham. Yes he is slow and passes the ball sideways and backwards yet teams better than us manage to accommodate players who do just that. Take Joe Allan for example. He is not quick, tends to pass the ball to the side and back yet Liverpool paid a lot of money for him. In the past Ray Wilkins was a similar type player. Neither Allan nor Wilkins possessed the dead ball delivery or shooting ability of Whittingham. The real problem as I see it is when Whitts and Gunnarson play together. They simply can't but if it came down to which one to choose then it would be Whitts every time for me especially as he is the one midfielder who has created the most chances. If Whitts and Gunnarson were both omitted no obvious replacement springs to mind as most of the alternatives are either unfit or not bothered.
I can't see this media suggestion of a "lack of confidence" through the whole side being the problem. It probably does apply to Whittts who certainly is a confidence player and is clearly lacking it at the moment. If that's the case, then for goodness sake drop him and put someone else like Ralls or Daehli in there who seem less effected by the circumstances. Players like Ralls, Gunnar, Adeyemi and Pilks (who I've thought has had a real go these last couple of games) will run all day for the cause. Pick fit players in the middle of the park for a start - Adeyemi is fit, Noone is a million years away from it, and Dikgacoi (who seems to have gone missing lately) is a bloody joke. Ravel can overcome a bit of rustiness with his sheer skill levels and should not have been taken off at Blackpool. The hope that shoving Noone on in his current condition will induce a piece of magic to win a game is very poor management and suggests clutching at straws. I'd rather see young Harris given a shot at it out wide - at least he's on the pace right now and could spark something in others around him with his pace.
Virtually the whole squad are unfit and lack motivation. I still wonder if many of the backroom staff we inherited under Ole are still organising training sessions. This is the real problem in modern football, when you bring in a new manager there's usually a plethora of other key personnel who change the dynamics of the changing room and training methods.
Musty - seems like half of them need a psychology coach as well, and the other half need bloody counselling. The truth is they need direction from a strong manager - the present amateurish Young/Gabbidon set up is costing us.
Young and Gabbs arent the problem. Our problem is the players bought in the summer arent good / fit enough.. Ffs, its October and fitness levels are appauling. As you said Spark, and I agree, we are far too slow in the middle. I've said it before but Whitts isnt the player he once was, i dont even see that creative side to him anymore, Gunnar is deffo a hard worker but could be outrun by a slug. I hope Slade understands the job he has on his hands!
Didn't mean there was anything wrong with Young and Gabbs there Jay - I just meant that they are far too "amateurish" to sort out what's needed to be done. We need someone to press the right buttons and sort this lot out - it's beyond them IMO.
No, i agree with you mate, they dont have the experience to lead the team. By now we have all accepted that Slade will be the new manager, I just hope he knows what hes doing to get them working and make us a team that others want to beat!
Okay. Lets look at the bottom 5 clubs; Bolton, Blackpool, Fulham, Wigan, Birmingham. All of them former Prem clubs. The Championship is a wicked beast. Slade needs to work without pressure of promotion this season. Sorry, but we need to get though this season and focus on getting rid of some of the s**te that we have at the moment. Since Slade has been hired, he needs to be allowed to rebuild a quicker more streamlined squad in January and over summer. If he has been told get promoted or get sacked, he will be gone before he has a chance to do anything, and we will back on the manager merry-go-round. I think if we finish top 10, Slade will have done his job.
Temple - nothing much in it yet but I agree with you especially about Wigan and Fulham. I was sure both would be holding a top 10 place if not top 6 along with us after a dozen games - this is one hell of a division. Two teams that have surprised me are Charlton and Brentford. Because our first game at Blackburn was on the Friday night, I watched a live stream of those two playing each other on that first Saturday afternoon of the season. They were bloody hopeless the pair of them - terrible game with very little skill on show. I thought there's two certain contenders for the trap door come May. Since then, both have upped their games and are above us now which demonstrates just how s**t we've become. Given the resources provided, so far on the playing front we're a disgrace. Plenty of time yet but a whole lot of work to be done by Slade before Christmas. He needs to take this bunch by the scruff of their necks and convince them that man for man we're as good (and better) than most in this division. The lack of any coherent playing policy and system at the club has left them hung out to dry as a functioning team on the pitch.
