Allardyce simply isn't brave enough and is too obsessed with his platform.

[Decky]

When fit we have one of the most creative midfields in the league with:

 

Milner  Barton  Emre    N'Zogbia

 

But Sam will NEVER play this, he wont drop all 3 of his current midfield.

[Shak]

When fit we have one of the most creative midfields in the league with:

 

Milner  Barton  Emre    N'Zogbia

 

But Sam will NEVER play this, he wont drop all 3 of his current midfield.

 

And he'd be dead right, that quartet is too offensive and would get overrun in midfield.

 

I'd love to see Emre and Barton together as part of  a 3-man midfield though, alongside a DM.

[Guest Knightrider]

He doesn't seem to want to give up this defensive platform of Butt/Geremi/ and often Smith roped in.

 

I think you can't really say that until he has more options to throw in there which to be fair he hasn't had due to injuries to both Emre and Barton, the latter earmarked to be his main man in midfield. I agree we don't always have to use those three alongside each other though and I'd like to see Smith in particular taken out of there myself. I do think he'll change the midfield though once Barton and Emre are fully fit and Enrique becomes a permanent fixture at left-back.

[Parky]

He doesn't seem to want to give up this defensive platform of Butt/Geremi/ and often Smith roped in.

 

I think you can't really say that until he has more options to throw in there which to be fair he hasn't had due to injuries to both Emre and Barton, the latter earmarked to be his main man in midfield. I agree we don't always have to use those three alongside each other though and I'd like to see Smith in particular taken out of there myself. I do think he'll change the midfield though once Barton and Emre are fully fit and Enrique becomes a permanent fixture at left-back.

 

...any musing as to why he's dragging his feet on Ricky?

[Parky]

We need more talented footballers.

More talented Central Midfielders and a striker to replace Amoebi would improve us greatly.

 

He doesn't seem to want to give up this defensive platform of Butt/Geremi/ and often Smith roped in.

 

More proof today that we are creating very little due to this.

 

It's worrying alright, especially as N'Zogbia or Milner could have been used through the middle to be a bit more aggressive.

 

I'm hoping when they're both back and fully fit he gives Emre and Barton a chance to play together in midfield, those two have much more potantial to create something from there, and their styles should mesh well.

 

 

Emre and Barton with Geremi as the minder needs trying I agree.

[TRon]

I like Sam as a man and we need a leader with his stature at the club BUT...a couple of things worry me.

 

Firstly, his insistence on playing so many like-minded midfielders which I have discussed elsewhere. Another thing which grates is his insistence on playing players where they aren't suited (Smith, N'Zogbia now Enrique is available).

 

Also, we seem to be falling between two stools with the passing game and direct football. We don't have a CF which will alllow us to play Bolton style, so we seem to have abandoned that belatedly. But the midfield we are picking doesn't allow us to play a passing game so it's looking a bit confused at the minute. I don't buy the theory that we are still gelling, I think it's clearly a case of unbalanced line ups to play the way we are wanting.

 

 

[Parky]

I like Sam as a man and we need a leader with his stature at the club BUT...a couple of things worry me.

 

Firstly, his insistence on playing so many like-minded midfielders which I have discussed elsewhere. Another thing which grates is his insistence on playing players where they aren't suited (Smith, N'Zogbia now Enrique is available).

 

Also, we seem to be falling between two stools with the passing game and direct football. We don't have a CF which will alllow us to play Bolton style, so we seem to have abandoned that belatedly. But the midfield we are picking doesn't allow us to play a passing game so it's looking a bit confused at the minute. I don't buy the theory that we are still gelling, I think it's clearly a case of unbalanced line ups to play the way we are wanting.

 

 

 

 

Agree with most of that.

 

In the tough games there is a call for keeping things tight that is clear, but as some have said in the other thread if this comes at the expense of making us too one dimensional it puts pressure on the defence in another way that is we don't have enough positive posession. Beaking the game up with def players is fair enough but there must be others they can give the ball to who can give us chances to win games...That is what we're lacking.

[Dave]

Allardyce just basically admitted that he's trying to get results first, performances second. Keys specifically asked if he though we'd be happy grinding out 1-0 wins and he said not. The point was though, he knows most are happy with results first and foremost.

[Mick]

Allardyce just basically admitted that he's trying to get results first, performances second. Keys specifically asked if he though we'd be happy grinding out 1-0 wins and he said not. The point was though, he knows most are happy with results first and foremost.

 

Results have always been most important, a poor display only matters in defeat.  It's the same with draws, people are pissed off when you drop points after leading but are happy when you come back from behind.

[ohmelads]

I like Sam as a man and we need a leader with his stature at the club BUT...a couple of things worry me.

 

Firstly, his insistence on playing so many like-minded midfielders which I have discussed elsewhere. Another thing which grates is his insistence on playing players where they aren't suited (Smith, N'Zogbia now Enrique is available).

 

Also, we seem to be falling between two stools with the passing game and direct football. We don't have a CF which will alllow us to play Bolton style, so we seem to have abandoned that belatedly. But the midfield we are picking doesn't allow us to play a passing game so it's looking a bit confused at the minute. I don't buy the theory that we are still gelling, I think it's clearly a case of unbalanced line ups to play the way we are wanting.

 

 

 

That post sums up my feelings about things at the moment.

[ohmelads]

Allardyce just basically admitted that he's trying to get results first, performances second. Keys specifically asked if he though we'd be happy grinding out 1-0 wins and he said not. The point was though, he knows most are happy with results first and foremost.

 

Results have always been most important, a poor display only matters in defeat.  It's the same with draws, people are pissed off when you drop points after leading but are happy when you come back from behind.

 

People talk about successful teams playing poorly and winning but playing poorly is not something they make a habit of. As the opposition becomes tougher, I think it will force people to be harsher critics of our start to the season whereas previously they were far too generous. It was as easy a start to the season as we could have asked for on paper and these games were always going to provide a tougher test. We still have to play Everton, Spurs and the top 4 and I fear that we'll be looking back at our season's start as a missed opportunity to get serious points on the board. There's been a lot of this "shut up man, we're fifth" going on, I fear a harsh reality check is around the corner.

[TRon]

Allardyce just basically admitted that he's trying to get results first, performances second. Keys specifically asked if he though we'd be happy grinding out 1-0 wins and he said not. The point was though, he knows most are happy with results first and foremost.

 

Results have always been most important, a poor display only matters in defeat.  It's the same with draws, people are pissed off when you drop points after leading but are happy when you come back from behind.

 

 

That's just it though, whether we are actually gtetting results is open to question. Like OML has said, we had a relatively easy start and we have dropped points at places we would expect a better return. Considering our dfensive approach I would have expected us to 'win ugly' at Derby and scrap City for an ugly draw. In the event we lost ugly both times. The ironic thing is, City played better, slicker football AND defended better as a unit.

[Parky]

Can't wait till we play the big boys.

[Razor]

We should have atleast 4 more points on the table at this stage, i think if we had of picked up those points we would be a serious top 6 contention but now top 10 seems more likely. If we are going to turn it around and challenge a few, realistic, changes should be made when they can. Have one of Butt/Smith/Geremi in midfield, have Barton in there as much as possible, move Zog up into a proper wing position, get Enrique embedded in the first XI, test Emre in a creative role, buy an Elano type player in January. If Sam doesn't make changes similar to that i'll be left asking why...

[Decky]

Can't wait till we play the big boys.

 

When we play bad we for some reason put good performances in against the top 4, for example under Roeder last season:

 

Newcastle 2-2 Man Utd

Arsenal 1-1 Newcastle

Newcastle 2-1 Liverpool

 

[Parky]

Can't wait till we play the big boys.

 

When we play bad we for some reason put good performances in against the top 4, for example under Roeder last season:

 

Newcastle 2-2 Man Utd

Arsenal 1-1 Newcastle

Newcastle 2-1 Liverpool

 

 

 

....I'll take all those scores again please.

[NSG]

And we haven't lost at home to Chelsea in the league since 01/02

[gray]

its the mackems that worry me, they dont start until the 90th minute whereas we give up after 75

[Razor]

We should have atleast 4 more points on the table at this stage, i think if we had of picked up those points we would be a serious top 6 contention but now top 10 seems more likely. If we are going to turn it around and challenge a few, realistic, changes should be made when they can. Have one of Butt/Smith/Geremi in midfield, have Barton in there as much as possible, move Zog up into a proper wing position, get Enrique embedded in the first XI, test Emre in a creative role, buy an Elano type player in January. If Sam doesn't make changes similar to that i'll be left asking why...

 

FAR FAR FAR too early to tell where people are going to finish. I still expect Tottenham to be in the Top 6 come the end of the season. On Saturday we were 3 points off 2nd. We didn't get those points and now we're 9th. That could and probably will all change come next weekend.

 

Easy does it, i said MORE LIKELY, not we will defintely finish there...