Jose?

[Guest BooBoo]

If we lose next weekend, Sam will have a hell of a job restoring the fans faith in him. Especially considering the following 3 games are against Liverpool, Blackburn and Arsenal.

[Mick]

If we lose next weekend, Sam will have a hell of a job restoring the fans faith in him. Especially considering the following 3 games are against Liverpool, Blackburn and Arsenal.

 

If we lose I think a reaction will be more to with how we lose.  If we go out and try to win then it's not the end of the world, if we try to defend a 0-0 and lose then I think questions will be asked.

 

I'm sure Allardyce will have the players up for this game, his approach is the key issue for me because I think this game is a game we can and should win.

[Decky]

If we lose next weekend, Sam will have a hell of a job restoring the fans faith in him. Especially considering the following 3 games are against Liverpool, Blackburn and Arsenal.

 

We could lose all 4 tbh, Blackburn is away is it? I only see us winning one which is the mackems game, maybe we will get something from Liverpool.

 

No doubt Sam will be under alot of pressure in January after the huge amount of games we have to play, it will really divide the fans and show those who have true grit and those who dont.

[Chris_R]

Before Sam came, my opinion of him was of someone who was tactically very astute but who I had concerns about when it came to spending large amounts of money wisely when he'd previously only proven himself with a more modest budget at Bolton.

 

Now, a couple of months into his reign I'm seeing things differently. He's spent very wisely IMO and got some good players into SJP in the positions where we (in the main) needed them the most. However tactically, I'm disappointed in him. Playing for a 0-0 in all the away games is shambolic, especially agains teams like Reading and Derby, whilst playing Milner and N'Zogbia predominantly on the wrong wings just doesn't work and was plain to see from about 10 minutes after he first tried it.

 

That said, there'll be no knee-jerk reaction from me. I think a lot of what he's done with organising things off the park (the backroom side of things) has been great, and is a great foundation to build a club on. Like I say, I approve of his transfers so far as well, if he can just wake up a little to what thousands of other people can see plain as day every weekend then we'll be flying.

[Colos Short and Curlies]

Before Sam came, my opinion of him was of someone who was tactically very astute but who I had concerns about when it came to spending large amounts of money wisely when he'd previously only proven himself with a more modest budget at Bolton.

 

Now, a couple of months into his reign I'm seeing things differently. He's spent very wisely IMO and got some good players into SJP in the positions where we (in the main) needed them the most. However tactically, I'm disappointed in him. Playing for a 0-0 in all the away games is shambolic, especially agains teams like Reading and Derby, whilst playing Milner and N'Zogbia predominantly on the wrong wings just doesn't work and was plain to see from about 10 minutes after he first tried it.

 

Agreed.

 

It's almost as if he is trying to prove that 'his' methods and tactics at Bolton would work at any club and the only thing stopping him from breaking into the top 4 was the money.

 

Unfortunately the better the player you can afford the more sophisticated your tactics need to be, at the moment I doubt whether Sam can change his approach to bring the best out of the likes of Emre, Owen, Martins, N'Zogbia and even Viduka (who I reckon was Sams 'Davies' signing, only Dukes is a much better player than simply a battering ram like good old Kev)

[Baggio]

Newcastle would be the sort of job Mourinho would love, underachieving club with a good financial backing.

 

One trophy and he really would be the special one.

[chicago_shearer]

If we lose next weekend, Sam will have a hell of a job restoring the fans faith in him. Especially considering the following 3 games are against Liverpool, Blackburn and Arsenal.

 

If we lose I think a reaction will be more to with how we lose.  If we go out and try to win then it's not the end of the world, if we try to defend a 0-0 and lose then I think questions will be asked.

 

I'm sure Allardyce will have the players up for this game, his approach is the key issue for me because I think this game is a game we can and should win.

 

I think if we lose, there will be intense criticism regardless of how we played.  That is true regardless of the opposition, but especially against a local rival with a relatively poor team. 

 

All this criticism about Sam's tactics is going way over the top.  I doubt very much that Sam told the players before the Reading or Derby match 'OK lads, remember, we want a nil-nil here'.  What I'm sure they were told is to show discipline and organization - something they failed at.  What Sam's Bolton consistently managed to do was dictate the way a game is played.  Even when they played direct, "negative" football you very rarely saw them with the sort of errant passing, lack of discipline and general cluelessness that we displayed against Pompey. 

 

I've yet to feel as though we are "holding back" in the games we've lost, because it never looked as though we had control enough of midfield to sit back and defend.  I'd like to be at the point where negative tactics were costing us points, because at the moment we have the bigger problem of poor individual performances.

[Robster]

Newcastle would be the sort of job Mourinho would love, underachieving club with a good financial backing.

 

One trophy and he really would be the special one.

 

I would love to think so but I really cant think of Mourinho coming within a million miles of us. He is way above our level

[olliemort]

Yes of course would love him here but he wont come here!Why dont we just get behind the manager we have at present who in my opinon will do well if hes given time!

[Elephant]

AC Milan are playing poor and Ancelotti should've been sacked years ago, Mourinho has already declared his interest in that job, so it would be foolish if Milan wouldn't hire him.

[Thespence]

I didn't see anyone walking out after 11 minutes.

 

People more than likely going to the lav.