TRon

Emre is never going to fit into Allardyce's preferred team or style where the 4-3-3 needs a single forward supported by two wide players. The three scufflers who make up the midfield don't need Emre's skill as the ball will be flying over their heads mostly in any case.

A good article related to this subject:

Whats has he brought off it? I dont know anything about whats going on behind closed doors but i'd love to know. from today's Times (Oliver Kay): At Bolton, he and his staff were able to impose a philosophy on a squad that was built slowly over his eight seasons in charge as the team went from the lower reaches of what was the Nationwide League first division to the upper echelons of the Premier League. This was not only a triumph of tactics or organisation, but of the ideas and team ethic that Allardyce and his staff imposed. To be shown around their training ground at Euxton and to be talked through the thinking behind the computer hub, the layout of the gym and even the colour scheme on the walls was like a psychology or a sports science field trip. It's the sort of thing which made me want Allardyce here in the first place

Me too, even though I still rate him and think he could be a good player one day. Swap for Ashton plus some cash? We need a mobile front man, we already have plenty of plodders in the side IMO.

5 years? It's barely been 5 months and there's talk of him getting sacked, that's the reality. I should think he'll get the rest of the season to show some progress, if he thinks he's going to get a blank cheque for 5 yrs he's in for a rude awakening.

There's no point in laying off Big Sam or his staff unless some outstanding coach suddenly becomes available. For all his blinkered approach on the pitch, Allardyce has brought some much needed improvements off it.

Some of us spotted Bobby's flexibilty as opposed to Sam's blind dogma a while back and commented on it. That said, it's a wonderful interview, and for all he's supposed to be senile, Robson's clarity and vision is a master class in seeing the bigger picture.

Feel-good appointments might work in the short term, but as Keegan found out as England manager, you need more than that to sustain success. I doubt Shearer has anything close to the footballing knowledge of Allardyce and I don't think he would have been anything like as thorough behind the scenes as far as backroom staff and fitness regimes. Shearer always comes across as a plank on MoTD. At the moment that's all I have to judge him by so he should stick to doing that (very badly) IMO.

No thanks, I'd rather give Allardyce more time, even though he's doing an abysmal job so far. If Allardyce were sacked I'd want a real manager not a former hero to take charge.

Any coach has to be judged by what he gets out of the players at his disposal. Allardyce's problem is he is getting beaten and outplayed by teams far inferior in terms of quality available. If we were getting stuffed by Liverpool or Arsenal, fair enough. It's the fact that relegation cannon fodder are decking us on a regular basis which is going to indict him.

Well that's mostly how his team have played till this season. Arteta has made a big difference, but given 3 or 4 years who's to say Allardyce couldn't produce a similar team? He's never had any money tbf. I think Allardyce needs time btw. He's only had one transfer window and it's fair to say he had his work cut out then. I don't know whether Allardyce needs time or not, but I agree with HTT that I wouldn't be particularly impressed if we sacked him just to appoint Moyes or Hughes who haven't really proved anything more than Sam at this stage of their careers. Moyes has done ok but his team doesn't excite me like Sven's City do. Maybe with more cash that could happen but I just don't see it.

I don't recall him making any moves for him prior to City jumping in.

Well that's mostly how his team have played till this season. Arteta has made a big difference, but given 3 or 4 years who's to say Allardyce couldn't produce a similar team?

I don't know about respecting players or otherwise, but I wouldn't be inclined to give any of that shower a Xmas break next year. Planks like Barton just end up in jail cells with too much time on their hands.

I'm not interested in Moyes or Hughes as I don't see them doing anything Allardyce won't do. Both have produced hard working functional teams which are eventually going to be limited. There's no point in sacking Sam unless we have enough inside knowledge to produce a Wenger or Ramos type appointment. That takes real insight and patience so no hurry just yet for me.

To think City palmed us off with this reprobate and bought Elano as a replacement.

I said that yesterday. Those troglodytes playing in Derby's central defence must have loved the fact Oba was playing wide insteasd of testing their turn of pace. One of them is 35 FFS.

i don't think some of those players are good enough for the top 8. Only 2 defenders seem to be, for example. And one striker. The ONLY good thing about Fat Bastard being in charge is that Ashley/Mort didn't employ him, so will hopefully be more inclined to let him go. You don't get to be as rich as Ashley by continuing to let idiots like Allardyce manage your businesses. Come on Mike, you want to be "one of the fans" - so act on the feelings of the majority, and get rid of the useless manager you were lumbered with. And don't, under any circumstances, give him any more money. Is it really the feelings of the majority though? The poll 'To sack or not sack' on here seemed to suggest otherwise iirc. I think most would feel it's sensible to see the season out and have a look at things then. Personally I think he will be sacked at the end of the campaign, because he's not going to pick up enough results due to his myopic vision of how the game should be played. The football was shocking yesterday, the only tactic was to launch the ball long then try and scramble a goal from the melee. Against Derby.

Martins doesn't strike me as lazy, aprticularly. Not the most intelligent, but he works across the front line pretty well, pulls wide, and generally finds a few chances for himself (he certainly doesn't get provided any).

Barton has been back for nearly two months now, how long is he going to be afforded the luxury of being 'rusty'? I think what you see is what you get. At least he doesn't hide, which is a big plus in his favour.

Emre is the most creative midfielder at the club no question, but he puts in about 20% effort during 90 mins. Barton is what I thought he was before he arrived, a mediocre box to box player hyped way beyond his talent. But he'll cover twice the ground of Emre, who just walks about while the game passes him by.

With Martins and Smith you get more mobility so better football all round like against Arsenal. Viduka is technically superb, but he's like a planted tree as far as movement is concerned. Fine if there's lots of movement around him but there isn't.

No one expects champagne football from the off, but the points we are dropping to Premier league whipping boys aren't going to be made up against better teams. 9th is probably as high in the league we will be from here on to the end of the season.

Well Terry Mac is always scribbling notes for the subs before they go on. I didn't realise he could even write so maybe they aren't getting the credit they deserve?

Smith would be okay if the side wasn't populated with so many other grafters with no cutting edge. This might be why we end up fighting and tussling with crap teams a lot.