Speaking after the game, some of the guys felt that we played better, faster, and with more ideas and passion under Curt. The view was we have no cutting edge, and the approach gives the opposition no great concerns. My view is that we need width - 2 wings, and why not give Fer a go? That said, Guidolin's set up might prove more effective away from home. Views?
In short Yes!.......................... He knows the issues are with our defence, which has been poor the last 3 games, and cost us 7 points, our CB's should give their wages to charity this week after letting the midget Long have a free header.
My answer is no - unless he changes tack and personnel. Too conservative, not enough intensity (the perennial problem) and a lack of width. Rangel should not start. End of. From cautious optimism, I am now actively concerned. I'm not convinced that Guidolin is brave enough to make the changes that are clearly necessary to get us out of the mess. I hate to say this but if you were to point a gun at my head and make me give an answer as to whether we are going to be relegated I would have to say yes.
Today's team selection wasn't bold or brave enough. I'd drop Taylor, Rangel and Ayew for the next game and start both Barrow and Montero. Fab Amat - Ash - Fed Barrow - Fer - Britton - Ki - Montero Siggy Gomis or Peloshi (60/30 either way)
I did warn you that we can expect Sousa style games! By the way Chelsea now up 5-0, Newcastle's goal difference now -23......................
Frankly , and nothing to do with Guido's ability , I would have preferred to stay with Curtis and Jones and give Guido a fresh start in the summer . We seem to be back to playing the same players each game without many changes . Our left and right backs are a problem helping in attack and lack of guality crosses, Ayew coming off the wing is a problem , defending corners and crosses is a problem , no service to our threat players is a problem , our CB 's hot and cold play is a problem during games . Seemed Curtis and Jones were starting to get a handle on some of these problems and 16 games remaining is to little for anyone new to make his mark . I'm sure things will work out in the end , I just think things would have worked better in the end if we left well enough alone . A win , two draws and a loss is pretty good though , as long as we're ready for our " 6 pointers " next month , those are the important ones . Gotta say though , Norwichlooked pretty good today .and West Brom looks like they may pull out of danger
Yes of course Franco will guide us to safety, have some faith lads, it's going to be a rough ride, and we haven't even sailed yet.........
Phil - we need more pace, more energy, more intensity. What's the point of buying Paloschi if we don't play to his strengths?
We all know that, but we have played the Prozac way all season, it's why we are where we are, I'm sure Franco will have a new prescription soon enough.....
The players will have been managed by 3 different people in just over 5 weeks and within that time frame new players have come in .And from the time the last manager came in , we only had 16 games to play . A players' nightmare ...imo . But , I do think we have a good man in place ,it's just that I think we had a good man in place just before him , and that the players seemed comfortable with Curtis. It is what it is and I hope they all get comfortable together .
I must say, we looked desperate today. GK - Fab's kicking is awful, not taking charge of his defence and coming for the crosses anymore either. FBs - Rangel I'm afraid to say is past it. Taylor going forwards = passes backwards/sideways out of habit...doesn't take his man on....wants too many touches...crosses are awful Taylor defending = Stands too far off his man and can't win a header. CBs - 1 week they look like they've gottheir **** together, for the next 3 weeks they're all over the fukking shop. Take today....between them they couldn't win a header when Saints put a cross into the box. Fernandez in particular seems to have no ****ing idea where opposition players are in relation to him. At one point in the first half he let a cross go by him and straight to an unmarked Saints player. He genuinely looked surprised that he was there. The passing was sloppy. Fernandez will not bring the ball forward when all options are covered, he'd rather play a **** pass. Fernandez is also good for a rick. At least Ash reads the game well though. CM - Leon and Cork did a tidy enough job AM - Siggy, we don't give him the ball enough....stop giving it to Taylor FFS! WGs - Routledge hasn't got the pace anymore. Ayew, not on his team mates' wavelength. ST - Paloschi, the boy got no service. ZERO. The crosses were nowhere near him. I watched him get more and more frustrated. The service through the middle was usually one of; a ball with a lot of pace that was a 50/50 that Paloschi could even get to it first. Or a lofted ball up the middle, and he would then have to compete for it with 1 or both of the giant centre backs. We are ridiculously bad at defending set pieces. We looked better than this recently so I'm hoping that we can do better but **** me that was dispiriting. I don't blame Guidolin at all agreed with his subs today other than taking Leon off. I hope he trys the 3 at the back system out soon though, we don't look like scoring and we are fragile in the air at the back.
Just 12 games left which is not that many to get enough points and when you look at the run in of games then there has to be a remarkable turnaround of our ability to score something we have not done all season. Can MrG keep us up ?.....Well i think that will be down to other teams on how they do as i don't think if we have to rely on Mr G then definitely not. We have a very small advantage ATM but that is getting eaten away slowly and we have a hell of a run in to have any confidence that we have the manager that is good enough or has the experience enough in premiership football to do something we have not been constant enough all season. All i can see happening is us having too rely on others having bad results that will keep us above them...This season has been one big disaster from start to finish.
If we do go down then we go down and there is nothing any fan can do about it....In fact the only thing that has been constant all season is the support home and away. We deserve better than what Jenkins and the board and the players have delivered this season and most of it is down to Jenkins and the board and their decision making which has been diabolical from the choice of players to the choice of managers. II hope we can just survive and if we do then we must have a massive clear out including the manager and get back to the way our club runs best with a manager who knows what to do......i would welcome Brendan back at a heart beat as a contender.
There seems to be no creativity to set up goal chances, Barrow, Montero and Emnes out of favour how will we create chances? We need to be able to score more than one goal a game if we are to win the six pointers coming up. Not confident at this point in time as I cannot see what the plan is?
Will Guidolin guide us to safety? Yes, squeaky pants time coming up but he will keep us up. Any one hear anything about the rumour that Rodgers has already agreed to join us in the summer? No one I know knows, or at least are not saying, anything. If Guidolin keeps us up I'd give him another year. He is a student of the game and an alleged tactical genius, heard that before somewhere.
