Steve McClaren

[Stottie]

More defensive than Pardew is a load of s**** like

It's not.  He's playing two DM's.

 

Pardew played Colback & Tiote together this time last year.

 

Colback under Pardew wasn't a DM in the sense of Anita or Tiote. Look at the goals from the 3-2 against Everton, Pardew's last game.

[cubaricho]

http://i.imgur.com/muuZkTI.png

 

 

And someone was contesting the fact that we don't shoot from outside the box. It's been something that has been lacking over the past two or three seasons. We just don't do it, and we aren't even fucking Arsenal.

[Interpolic]

Seems a bit thick, this bloke like. If he doesn't realise Perez is our best player then it's concerning. The lad's got everything, if nowt else having a player who's clever enough to know when and where to pass it gives us a massive advantage, given that most of our players don't seem to have a clue in that respect.

[Guest]

Needs to learn quickly the Anita/Colback partnership doesn't work. As much as I want Perez in the team, there's at least reasons for him not being in, but no excuse now for these two.

[Interpolic]

They're actually keeping him out of the side though, Perez could easily slot in anywhere across the front 4 and we'd not jeopardise our balance too much by taking out one of Colback or Anita.

 

People can say what they like about needing 2 conservative midfielders in the team (I disagree anyway) but it's not even making us look much more solid and it's most certainly contributing to us having fuck-all going forward.  Just slot Perez in anywhere - left, right, central - doesn't matter.  Kid needs to be on the pitch, no excuses.

 

If McClaren doesn't appear to understand that over the next few games I'll actually start getting a bit concerned.

[Guest]

They're actually keeping him out of the side though, Perez could easily slot in anywhere across the front 4 and we'd not jeopardise our balance too much by taking out one of Colback or Anita.

 

People can say what they like about needing 2 conservative midfielders in the team (I disagree anyway) but it's not even making us look much more solid and it's most certainly contributing to us having f***-all going forward.  Just slot Perez in anywhere - left, right, central - doesn't matter.  Kid needs to be on the pitch, no excuses.

 

If McClaren doesn't appear to understand that over the next few games I'll actually start getting a bit concerned.

 

Even if he plays Gini in midfield I could see valid reasons for a front four of say Thauvin, De Jong, Sissoko & Mitrovic when they're all fit.

 

Agreed it's wank though if it still means Colita in midfield.

[Interpolic]

I know what you're getting at and there are loads of ways we could line up in attacking positions now.

 

However I think Perez starting needs to be a given, he's our best player.  If we'd bought him for more money he'd be in the team.

[Lush Vlad]

Wjinaldum looked much better in the short time he had further back.  De Jong showed a bit of awareness trying to link play and had some nice touches.  Perez managed to be our best player on the night, sealed this about 10 minutes after coming on and all. 

 

I'm sure it will be the same depressing starting lineup at the weekend though.

 

http://i.imgur.com/muuZkTI.png

 

 

And someone was contesting the fact that we don't shoot from outside the box. It's been something that has been lacking over the past two or three seasons. We just don't do it, and we aren't even f***ing Arsenal.

 

Probably going off subject a bit.  But I'm sure our stats under Pardew were padded out, because we used to have so many speculative efforts from miles out.  I wouldn't mind us actually having a go from further out now and then.  Problem is, we don't seem to even have any capable players high enough up the pitch to even have a crack. 

[Dr Venkman]

In the long run that mightn't be the worst thing to happen to us if he can now suss out the likes of Colback.

 

Let's hope so. I'm still reserving judgement but last night was awful, soundly beaten by an average team with one player.

 

Team selection needs a rethink as plenty of others have said. It was so annoying seeing Mbemba constantly calling for someone to pass to along the floor whilst we've got players like Perez and Aarons on the bench.

[Guest chopey]

So boring and predictable, two defensive midfielders, the only width is from full backs running on that constantly get caught out, don't really create any real chances and regamented pre arranges substitutions..........and to think we spoke to viera

[sempuki]

So boring and predictable, two defensive midfielders, the only width is from full backs running on that constantly get caught out, don't really create any real chances and regamented pre arranges substitutions..........and to think we spoke to viera

Forgot about Vieira....

[Gallowgate Toon]

In the long run that mightn't be the worst thing to happen to us if he can now suss out the likes of Colback.

 

Let's hope so. I'm still reserving judgement but last night was awful, soundly beaten by an average team with one player.

 

Team selection needs a rethink as plenty of others have said. It was so annoying seeing Mbemba constantly calling for someone to pass to along the floor whilst we've got players like Perez and Aarons on the bench.

 

And when we did actually manage to find some decent penetrating passes through the middle, we kept on losing it when trying to build up play (usually because of Cisse's first touch).

[Dr Venkman]

In the long run that mightn't be the worst thing to happen to us if he can now suss out the likes of Colback.

 

Let's hope so. I'm still reserving judgement but last night was awful, soundly beaten by an average team with one player.

 

Team selection needs a rethink as plenty of others have said. It was so annoying seeing Mbemba constantly calling for someone to pass to along the floor whilst we've got players like Perez and Aarons on the bench.

 

And when we did actually manage to find some decent penetrating passes through the middle, we kept on losing it when trying to build up play (usually because of Cisse's first touch).

 

Yeah, the less said about that pissed idiot, the better.

[Mr Logic]

I think a lot of us knew after 15-20m that something needed changing on the pitch and I kept waiting for McClaren to do something. That nothing happened until 60 something minutes was very alarming and it wasn't even the right choices imo. I remember reading from a Derby supporter that he was no good at changing things during a match.

 

I absolutely saw Colback hiding yesterday, as in not making himself available - and it looked quite deliberate to me. He was watching the ball go back and fore between defenders.

 

I saw signs that both Wijnaldum and Mbemba were bewildered/annoyed and its likely a lot of the players know something is not working. Where does Cathro sit during the match, every time I saw McC he didn't seem to be anywhere near him.

 

The main thing for me was it keeps showing the midfield dynamo of Anita and Colback is more of a stumbling block than any kind of solution and Perez should be the first name on the team sheet.

[Nexumaster]

The formation he keeps using is really winding me up. Anita and Colback looked like a pair of headless chickens and Cisse does fuck all up front on his own. All this means the midfield three have a lot of work to do and none of them have struck me as being world-beaters by any stretch of the imagination.

[ExiledGeordie]

We were showing some encouraging signs before tonight, God knows why we were suddenly so s***. Hopefully it's the final proof he needs that De Jong and Perez have to play and certain other players are a waste of skin.

 

Yeah you'd have to hope last night has made him realise that certain players need to be starting now.

 

50m spent in the summer was a start but even though the four signings have the potential to be good they're all unproven in the premier league. Given the ramifications of the next TV deal and the lack of spend in recent years 50m is a drop in the ocean and failing to bring in another striker given Cisse is nowhere shows they dropped a bollock really. I think we really needed to bring in some proven quality together with potential, eg players like Austin. We've been so bad in recent years that it was always going to take time but McClaren is going to have to start finding a winning formula soon otherwise we'll be in deep shit soon enough. Watford game is massive.

 

Have a feeling that January is going to be crucial now to secure premier league status. Given the absurd money involved in the next TV deal they're going to have to buy proven quality to make sure they stay up. No haggling, just identify targets and buy them. If they don't I think we're in major trouble.

 

[TRon]

We were showing some encouraging signs before tonight, God knows why we were suddenly so shit. Hopefully it's the final proof he needs that De Jong and Perez have to play and certain other players are a waste of skin.

 

I know we are only 5 games in, but he really should have twigged far earlier that the midfield formation he favours wasn't working. Very worrying, especially as he was criticised as an England manager for insisting on pairing Lampard and Gerrard despite the criticism that they were two of a kind. He seems too scared to make decisions when it comes to dropping big reputation players even if they don't fit together. Bilic isn't even a particularly good manager, but he seems to enjoy making McClaren his bitch and the bitch doesn't seem to have too many objections.

[Dan Gleebals]

He definitely needs to change his approach and fast.  Yes, conceding 60+ goals last season needs to be addressed but IMO, we are essentially playing to contain the other team  and its simply not working.  We are essentially saying to teams "safety first" which is allowing them to push further up the field, which when mistakes are inevitably made by Anita/Colback or even Gini - we are in big trouble.

 

When we try and initiate an attacking move, Colback and Anita are nowhere to be seen most of the time which creates space for the counter, which teams are exploiting when our moves break down.

 

Mitrovic, when back, is going to need service and on the current showing, he is simply not going to get it.

 

Given our team, it seems pretty obvious that 4-4-2 would be a better option for us or even 4-1-1 with De Jong or Perez playing off him.  Or a pure 4-3-3 with two banks of 3

 

Two defensive players is really hurting us. Colback should be a sub at most.

 

 

My choice would be

 

Sissoko  Anita  Gini

Perez  Cisse/Mitrovic  Aarons or Thavin

 

 

[ExiledGeordie]

We were showing some encouraging signs before tonight, God knows why we were suddenly so s***. Hopefully it's the final proof he needs that De Jong and Perez have to play and certain other players are a waste of skin.

 

I know we are only 5 games in, but he really should have twigged far earlier that the midfield formation he favours wasn't working. Very worrying, especially as he was criticised as an England manager for insisting on pairing Lampard and Gerrard despite the criticism that they were two of a kind. He seems too scared to make decisions when it comes to dropping big reputation players even if they don't fit together. Bilic isn't even a particularly good manager, but he seems to enjoy making McClaren his bitch and the bitch doesn't seem to have too many objections.

 

Spot on, the midfield and formation needs sorting as it's clearly not working.

[Wullie]

TBF to McClaren, I'm more and more convinced that the problems on the pitch can never be put right under the current administration.

 

The poisonous anti-competitive culture that has been deliberately developed since the day Hughton was sacked can't be swept away by a few new players or even new staff. The manager's another one who wouldn't get a job anywhere else in the top flight and the players know it.

 

The best comparison is Hearts who were a joke for years under the last owner. A new lot has come in, they haven't spent a single penny on transfer fees, yet the club has been completely transformed, just from a different attitude at the top. This lot seem to think everything can be put right by playing Coloccini in the cups but they're finding out quickly that it can't.

[TRon]

TBF to McClaren, I'm more and more convinced that the problems on the pitch can never be put right under the current administration.

 

The poisonous anti-competitive culture that has been deliberately developed since the day Hughton was sacked can't be swept away by a few new players or even new staff. The manager's another one who wouldn't get a job anywhere else in the top flight and the players know it.

 

The best comparison is Hearts who were a joke for years under the last owner. A new lot has come in, they haven't spent a single penny on transfer fees, yet the club has been completely transformed, just from a different attitude at the top. This lot seem to think everything can be put right by playing Coloccini in the cups but they're finding out quickly that it can't.

 

I think that's a separate, and very valid issue. At the moment though, McClaren is just picking a poor combination of players, he can certainly do better with what he's got available.

[mrmojorisin75]

TBF to McClaren, I'm more and more convinced that the problems on the pitch can never be put right under the current administration.

 

The poisonous anti-competitive culture that has been deliberately developed since the day Hughton was sacked can't be swept away by a few new players or even new staff. The manager's another one who wouldn't get a job anywhere else in the top flight and the players know it.

 

The best comparison is Hearts who were a joke for years under the last owner. A new lot has come in, they haven't spent a single penny on transfer fees, yet the club has been completely transformed, just from a different attitude at the top. This lot seem to think everything can be put right by playing Coloccini in the cups but they're finding out quickly that it can't.

 

I think that's a separate, and very valid issue. At the moment though, McClaren is just picking a poor combination of players, he can certainly do better with what he's got available.

Yeah I'm the same as you Tron. He's keeping our best attacking players on the bench and playing a system with two midfielders who contribute nothing going forward and that isolates the attack from the defence and seemingly relies on Sissoko and Wijnaldum getting up and down the pitch at pace the entire match.

 

He's continued the overly cautious Pardew approach and is also sticking with players not performing.

 

 

[ExiledGeordie]

TBF to McClaren, I'm more and more convinced that the problems on the pitch can never be put right under the current administration.

 

The poisonous anti-competitive culture that has been deliberately developed since the day Hughton was sacked can't be swept away by a few new players or even new staff. The manager's another one who wouldn't get a job anywhere else in the top flight and the players know it.

 

The best comparison is Hearts who were a joke for years under the last owner. A new lot has come in, they haven't spent a single penny on transfer fees, yet the club has been completely transformed, just from a different attitude at the top. This lot seem to think everything can be put right by playing Coloccini in the cups but they're finding out quickly that it can't.

 

I agree, this will always be an issue while Ashley is here. We'll never see true progression until he goes, whenever that is.

[Wullie]

I agree but I think no matter who he picks, there's a long battle at the bottom ahead. I don't see him changing the habit of a lifetime and suddenly trying to attack. Crippling negativity was his trademark at Boro and he's been exactly the same here so far.

 

Early indications are that none of the sides who have been promoted are going to be whipping boys whilst the other clubs who were down there last year have all improved. Alarm bells should already be going off within NUFC imo.

[olliemort]

Only five games but he can fuck off if he's going to keep that ginger wanker on the pitch with that coward of a performance last night. It was so frustrating to watch. Clearly obvious that west ham are not very good and they were there for the taking last night.