This isn't working

Forget that fortunate win against QPR and let's face reality. We know Brom are a good side, but we're fortunate that Ward got a couple or it could have been an embarrassing scoreline - Brom could have got close on double figures such was their superiority.

Our current squad has been built to play only one way and that's to grind the opposition down and mug a win where possible. I just can't believe Warnock when he says we play good football but don't get enough credit for it - that is simply not true.

Glatzel is unfortunate - he came to the wrong club. Defensive predominence with isolated roles for strikers is not his game. When he gets a rare chance he snatches at it through sheer desperation. We simply do not create enough opportunities to be able to afford to miss one when it comes along. It's not his fault - other strikers miss loads of chances but they get the chance to redeem themselves during games.

The whole present setup is based on grunt and getting stuck in - the game has moved on particularly in the Championship, but we're stuck in a lower league time warp. We won't go down, but we sure as hell wont go up playing like this.

The side needs to be rebuilt in a different image over a period of time. If by some unearthly chance we did manage to blag our way up this season, we'd need virtually a new squad to go with the new manager to stay there. That would take a huge financial comittment from Tan or we needn't bother trying with a half-arsed attempt like last season.

 

He's not the first, there are many before him who failed to slot in to the system, even Zohore struggled and he had a pretty decent midfield backing him up

 

“Thanks Neil for saving the club and giving us some unbelievable moments to savour but it’s time to pass the reins on.”

 

As much as I love Warnock and wanted him post Malky to stabilise the club a lot sooner than it has taken, I feel that if results and performances do not start getting better his days will be numbered at the CCS, the tactics and football are IMO are poor , every game I've seen this season the passion is there but the quality of the football certainly isn't.
Warnock has a great team at his disposal which he has built up however I still do not think he knows his best starting 11. I think most city fans will agree that if Etheridge is fit he starts , Smithies is know Heaton when he was Marshall's no 2, and for me has been at fault for a number of goals we have conceded so far this season. Morrison and Flint strong in the air but to slow and to alike. Bamba straight in when fit and given the arm band, for me a more vocal leader and has eye for goal.
Midfield is wear I see the real issues , no real creativity or leader , no general although I hope Pack is going to change the latter, for me the formation is wrong Warnock needs to be playing a 4 4 2 Which includes Ralls Tomlin Hoilett and NML in midfield, with a combination of strike partnerships being trialled Madine - Glatz , Ward - Bogle etc . When it's going wrong change the formation FFS . Glatz needs help everybody can see it hes isolated , if he had some up top with him then who knows.
In January if Warnock is still at the club then a right back, left back,attacking box to box MIdfielder are required. I mean we have 5 strikers at the club with Vassell surely a partnership can be formed ?
I'm not bothered about going up , I want to see exciting football on the pitch which I fear unless Warnock let's the shackles off , we wont see anytime soon.

 

Welcome Bob Bank Blue.

You been here before under another monica?

 

No brand new, what did you think of my 1sy post.

 

I'll just follow up that post of yours BBB with some thoughts of my own.

You only have to look to the transfer business that Warnock has done, and particularly this summer to understand what he's doing. A season ago he took on Bobby Reid and Josh Murphy for the Prem and then played a game style that didn't suit either of them to the extent they were a waste of resources.

This summer just gone he took a different route but with the same intent. Flint and Pack arrived to add grunt defensively, but not a single acquisition in midfield to offer footballing skills and provide some service for the front men.

We could all see which way this was going. Glatzel arrived and I honestly bet he wish he hadn't. Vassell is another conundrum up front - injury prone and we wonder why Brum "gave" him a way for £2M when we already had Danny Ward and Bogle (I won't mention Madine).

Out wide we got Whyte who shows some naive promise to be fair, and in the middle Will Vaulks - where the hell has he gone? There was no way during that transfer window that Warnock saw Tomlin as the answer to our lack of creativity given his history otherwise he'd have played regularly and trusted in him. The fact is he didn't see it a necessity because of his planned style of play.

We were very fortunate to get them at the time after Trollope, but dare I say it, the problem we're stuck with 3 years later in taking this side forward is actually Warnock/Blackwell/Jepson.

If we were still mid table and changed tack at Christmas, then we'd at least have a chance of building for next season. If it's left until the 3 stooges decide to quit, we'll have to start all over again. Of course we could be top 6 by the New Year, but on recent evidence it would need at least half a dozen clubs now above us to fail miserably for that to happen.

 

Good post and thought provoking.

 

I

I just want to see some consistency on the pitch, let's become difficult to beat certainly at home. 442 for me for me at home and 451 away let's be a little different. Hoofball or warnockball wont cut it this season lets loan some players out in Jan , Patterson must go for me , Jazz sicknote Richard's gone, Madine let's just cut our losses with him or give him a run out see if he can get something going with Bobby Glatz.

 

I asked if you'd been here before because we had a good poster called Bob Bank Terrace who became ITIWRAN (I think I will remain a number).

Sadly he no longer posts on here and I thought you may have been him resurrected........

 

Will Vaulks is the new Emyr Hughes

 

An awful transfer window.
Ralls has been a massive miss last 2 games.
Those long throws up the line have to stop.
Ward has earned a chance to start now.
Glatzel looks totally out of his depth to me.
Bogle and Madine are better.

 

Please don’t suggest we’re reliant on Ralls. He’s a pedestrian work horse who does distribute well but he’s no Steve McPhail.

Until City line up with a midfield like QPR & WBA we ain’t going anywhere.

Cooper yesterday slammed the inbreds for passing for passing sake and not pressing on. Crikey, who wouldn’t want to watch a team with the ball at their feet?

I am dreading watching the inbreds and Brizzle dominate possession and run the game.

Warnockball is killing my enjoyment of watching City.

 

Joe Ralls is miles better than Steve Mcphail.

 

Agree with all you said Hilts apart from the bit about donkey Madine. He is absolutely useless. At least Glatzel has mobility and can score penalties.

 

Ralls and McPhail are different types of midfield players with just one thing in common - they both only have a left peg.

Strangely enough, recent midfielders Whitts and Kimbo were the same, but at least McPhail, Whitts and Kimbo could use their left foot to create - Ralls has gone more toward the Gunnar role.

On the Glatzel thing, he is suffering big time in transition from the Bundesliga to the Warnock's Championship style. Totally different propositions. If he'd gone to Brom, Leeds or even Fulham instead, he'd have adjusted much better rather than having to adapt to Warnockball. He's looked lost this season having been hung out to dry to often and that's not necessarily his fault.

 

I agree Ralls and Mcphail are different. However on the creativity side im sure Ralls more or less matches on assists. He also didnt have the luxury of Bothroyd and Chopra to stick it in the net plus he played for us in the PL.

As for the goals scored column........ .

 

For what it's worth. I still maintain we didn't need a new striker and needed to get a quality midfield in place. Pack has impressed in his few games for us and I think we need the skills of Tomlin alongside him.
How do we shape up from there?
Ehteridge/Smithies
Peltier Morrison Flint Bennett
Whyte Tomlin Pack Hoillet
Glatzel Ward

I doubt NW would drop Ralls for Tomlin. I would start Tomlin as he can unlock defences and is quicker at spotting an opening.

 

Don't think Ralls is high on the assist list as you'd like to believe - he's had none so far and that's less than Bacuna. He does what he does providing energy in midfield and up till now has replaced Gunnar's slot. If Pack assumes that role now he's fit again, then the obvious option is to move Ralls forward. He can also get on the end of loose balls on the edge of the opposition penalty box and thump them home like against Huddersfield.

I like him in the side just for his energy and comittment. If that is what we need then Ralls provides it in spades to the point of going OTT in some of his challenges - if you want creation, then Ralls is not necessarily your man.

Is Tomlin the right alternative? With the right overall tactics yes, but if we're going to play basically defensive gameplans sitting behind the ball, then the game will pass him by like after the first 20 minutes against QPR.

Tomlin needs to do his work in the final 3rd with players in front of him, not the middle 3rd chasing down like Ralls does.

 

Ralls & Macca are as different as chalk and cheese. But they can’t be compared as one plays under Warnock and the other player under Jones. 2 managers with completely different football philosophies.
Macca would never have thrived under Warnock for the same reason as Tomlin doesn’t.
I can’t see City doing anything other than just grind this season out with uninspiring and relatively dull football.