Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Disagree, I think the way we play is a different league to Pardew. (fuck off before anyone says 'Aye, Championship hur hur'...cunts). Once we get a few results I think we'll be a good team to watch.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Yes I don't disagree the playing style is far different. Steve is a good man, honest coach who works his Ass off. He cares I can tell. But, still think he's not good enough to get us out of this hole we are currently in.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Teams making progress as he annoyingly repeatedly tells us when we lose each game. There does have to be a point where good performance or not he has to go if the points don't start coming and continue coming.

 

Erm we've lost one of the last 3 and 2 of 5. We didn't lose today

 

I'm obviously aware of that, but he said the excuses are made when we lose lose each game. We're not losing each game or anywhere near

 

Erm we have 7 points out of 11 games

 

To be fair, it wasn't worded great. To rephrase in bullet form.

 

- I think we are making progress - even though it's annoying when he repeatedly says that when we lose.

 

- continued performance improvement or not if we don't start picking up 3 points more regularly there will come a time that he will need to go.

 

- personally I'm not happy with 7 points from 11. Pretty sure no one is. I have been heartened by performance improvement.

 

- the damage done by previous regimes is deep and a new guy wont change that any quicker unless he has the charisma and motivational skills of a keegan to boost the club, players and city... don't see that person around or interested especially with what we would look for.

 

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

I think it is debatable. We did make progress in terms of attacking.  No question for this.  But it is obvious that this heavily relies on Mitrovic's strength.  If he's injured we have no means to keep hold of the ball upfront and the whole attack form will collapse. 

 

Honestly, I am not impressed by McClaren so far.  I can see what he is doing now but it is not good enough, and luck / fixture is not an excuse for 1 win in 11 games.  We should have beat teams like Stoke consistently when we are having no injuries and playing the best eleven except Krul in order to climb up the table.  We failed.  Then when injuries or suspension hit us again, we are doomed.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Football may be better but we look all over the shop off the ball and on it we just aren't ruthless enough. We are creating more chances, getting players in the box and dominating posession but it doesn't matter if we don't take the chances we get.

 

We need a winger, centre mid and of course cb. Off and on the ball we go far too narrow a lot of the time and rely on full backs with no one around them, this isn't too bad when we have Janmaat but Dummet is not good on the ball or getting down the wing.

Link to post
Share on other sites

He's trying to make a silk purse from a sows ear in terms of investment. He's not a big enough character/leader to pull this off for all his earnestness.

I do wonder what another manager would be getting out of this group tbh. A Klopp or other top class coach maybe but I've honestly been shocked at just how awful and unsuitable our midfield and defence are now. I mean we all knew they were bad but they seem to have intensified their level of shitness somehow.

Link to post
Share on other sites

We were unfortunate yesterday, Sissoko should have scored and we never put them under any real sustained pressure but on most other days we would have won. Trouble is, we can't keep on saying what should have happened, we have picked up 1 point from 6 against very ordinary sides.

Link to post
Share on other sites

One thing I've noticed, is this renewed ability to conjure up chance after chance which hasn't be seen for a long, long time. Perhaps going back to the Championship season. Throughout the Pardew era, it was sneaking wins through clinical Ba or Cisse finishes, or a moment of magic from Ben Arfa or Cabaye. Rarely did we dominate and even in the games we won by 2 or 3 goals, it was rarely a total battering.

 

Derby last few seasons were similar to the way we are starting to play, in that they would dominate possession and stamp their authority on a lot of games. So that in itself is pleasing to see.

 

In a way, I'm thinking that Mitrovic and Perez, whilst they dovetail very well indeed, aren't the most clinical in the world. But Cisse actually is pretty clinical if you give him chances, he has scored in utter turgid teams that created very little from just one or two chances per game. The 5th season was probably best in terms of chance creation and confidence being high, and he filled his boots.

 

Would anyone else be tempted to go 4-3-3 - like the Keegan inspired Owen, Viduka and Martins, but with Perez in the Owen role, Mitrovic as the Viduka and Cisse as Martins (albeit with more poaching, clinical prowess instead of pure speed or athleticism). Behind them, you could then play Wijnaldum, Sissoko and then Anita (or Tiote) as the defensive lynchpin. There would be a lot of pressure on the wing backs  - Janmaat and in this case you would need to play Haidara.

 

I think it would actually yield a real goal threat - more so than we have currently. As Cisse's movement not only will result in goals for him, but free up space for the likes of Mitrovic and Perez. Sissoko and Wijnaldum could cover one another with their drives up the field but would need to ensure Anita (or Tiote) stay back at all times to cover defensively.

 

Thoughts? 

 

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

One thing I've noticed, is this renewed ability to conjure up chance after chance which hasn't be seen for a long, long time. Perhaps going back to the Championship season. Throughout the Pardew era, it was sneaking wins through clinical Ba or Cisse finishes, or a moment of magic from Ben Arfa or Cabaye. Rarely did we dominate and even in the games we won by 2 or 3 goals, it was rarely a total battering.

 

Derby last few seasons were similar to the way we are starting to play, in that they would dominate possession and stamp their authority on a lot of games. So that in itself is pleasing to see.

 

In a way, I'm thinking that Mitrovic and Perez, whilst they dovetail very well indeed, aren't the most clinical in the world. But Cisse actually is pretty clinical if you give him chances, he has scored in utter turgid teams that created very little from just one or two chances per game. The 5th season was probably best in terms of chance creation and confidence being high, and he filled his boots.

 

Would anyone else be tempted to go 4-3-3 - like the Keegan inspired Owen, Viduka and Martins, but with Perez in the Owen role, Mitrovic as the Viduka and Cisse as Martins (albeit with more poaching, clinical prowess instead of pure speed or athleticism). Behind them, you could then play Wijnaldum, Sissoko and then Anita (or Tiote) as the defensive lynchpin. There would be a lot of pressure on the wing backs  - Janmaat and in this case you would need to play Haidara.

 

I think it would actually yield a real goal threat - more so than we have currently. As Cisse's movement not only will result in goals for him, but free up space for the likes of Mitrovic and Perez. Sissoko and Wijnaldum could cover one another with their drives up the field but would need to ensure Anita (or Tiote) stay back at all times to cover defensively.

 

Thoughts? 

 

 

 

I think Cisse is done here, he wont be risked on the pitch as from the sounds of it they are hoping to move him on to free up salary space for new incomers.

Link to post
Share on other sites

That team would need a pacy striker like Berahino or something in that Cisse role followed by a different left back who can get up the pitch and contribute more fruitfully in attack as you take out the width.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Something like..

 

                      Cone

 

Janmaat  Mbemba  New  New

 

                      New

          Sissoko        Wijnaldum

 

                      Perez

              Mitro        New              (pacey striker like you say)

Link to post
Share on other sites

Still far too conservative with his team selection imo. at home to Stoke, we're desperate for a win and he picks 7 players purely designed to stop Stoke. Keeper, back 4 and Anita and Tiote, all there to, largely, defend and/or protect. We're neck deep in the shit and he's only brave enough to pick 4 players to break Stoke down and score enough to win it. It's just not good enough.

 

Trying to play a bit of football is admirable but it's utterly futile when it's left to 4 or 5 men to break down an entire team. We're a sheep in wolf's clothing, utterly toothless and unless he has the bottle to go for weaker opposition at home then we'll go down playing nice football.

 

Plus he's always fukin smiling.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Disagree, I think the way we play is a different league to Pardew. (f*** off before anyone says 'Aye, Championship hur hur'...c***s). Once we get a few results I think we'll be a good team to watch.

 

We already are a good team to watch, for the opposition.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Disagree, I think the way we play is a different league to Pardew. (f*** off before anyone says 'Aye, Championship hur hur'...c***s). Once we get a few results I think we'll be a good team to watch.

 

I tend to agree with this.

 

We need reinforcements though, no doubt about it.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Disagree, I think the way we play is a different league to Pardew. (f*** off before anyone says 'Aye, Championship hur hur'...c***s). Once we get a few results I think we'll be a good team to watch.

 

completely agree .

 

When will we get these few results?

Link to post
Share on other sites

I think he needs time. There's definite improvement imo, he needs a big january though, we need a centre mid, centre half and cente forward, if that doesent happen, we've got a big problem.

I don't think they're even considering a CH like. It's Colo and Mbemba all the way.

 

The CM, if we sign one, had better be fucking good or we are deep in shit. Good enough to carry Colback as well mind as that's who he'll be playing with [emoji38]

Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...