Steve McClaren

[BONTEMPI]

He needs at least 4 wins out of the next 6 to get a stay of execution from me. Him putting Colback as the first name on the team sheet if he's fit is a real worry.

 

Mbemba in Colback's position would see us through until the Jan Window. Then slot Dummet back alongside Colo.

         

 

[lovejoy]

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 f***ing good or we are deep in s***. Good enough to carry Colback as well mind as that's who he'll be playing with

 

Not signing one who's better in the air is suicide imo, but, i agree, it'll be colo and mbemba.

 

I do think we'll get a CM in. Who is anyones guess.

[mrmojorisin75]

He needs at least 4 wins out of the next 6 to get a stay of execution from me. Him putting Colback as the first name on the team sheet if he's fit is a real worry.

 

Mbemba in Colback's position would see us through until the Jan Window. Then slot Dummet back alongside Colo.

       

You're not allowed to suggest playing any of our CH's at DM around here dude, Colo was shit at it once so it means they all are apparently.

[lovejoy]

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?

 

I think we'll get one at bournemouth, but, then again, I thought we'd get one yesterday and last week.

[lovejoy]

He needs at least 4 wins out of the next 6 to get a stay of execution from me. Him putting Colback as the first name on the team sheet if he's fit is a real worry.

 

Mbemba in Colback's position would see us through until the Jan Window. Then slot Dummet back alongside Colo.

         

 

 

aye, not a bad shout that.

 

 

[Disco]

Coloccini, Mbemba, Taylor (all purples), Lascelles, Dummett all competing for two places. Unless one of the purples gets shipped we ain't buying a cb. It flies in the face of this successful strategy we have.

[mrmojorisin75]

Coloccini, Mbemba, Taylor (all purples), Lascelles, Dummett all competing for two places. Unless one of the purples gets shipped we ain't buying a cb. It flies in the face of this successful strategy we have.

Plus McClaren would look like an absolute fucking buffoon dropping Colo after waxing lyrical about him when the contract extension was handed out. 4 months later I just don't see him holding his hands up saying aye we fucked up there, he's finished. That's to say nothing of Little Mike who must be on the gangplank atm.

 

McClaren must be preying for him to get a season ending injury the game before 1st January.

[TRon]

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.

 

I think you're right there but I do wonder how many goals Mitro and Perez will actually produce themselves. They both hold the ball up well so it looks like we are going to be relying on goals from supporting midfielders as much as the front two. While they are both excellent players, they aren't going to score the goals that Vardie and Mahrez will as a front pair.

[Mick]

 

I think we'll get one at bournemouth, but, then again, I thought we'd get one yesterday and last week.

 

I think Bournemouth is a must win game for us because we have to start winning at some point and Bournemouth should be a game we are aiming to win.

[Ronaldo]

Absolute minimum of 3 points from the next 2 games or I think my patience runs out.

[Ikon]

How many "must win" games has there been lately?

[Gallowgate Toon]

Absolute minimum of 3 points from the next 2 games or I think my patience runs out.

 

 

The football has improved/is improving, yes, but it has to start turning into results pretty quickly.

[Mattoon]

How many "must win" games has there been lately?

 

There's been a lot of winnable games recently but with the dross around our dross dropping points we've not been cut adrift. The Bournemouth game is against a team that will be in and around the bottom 3 at seasons end so it is assuredly a must win or there will be daylight between us and safety.

[ohmelads]

The time to lose hope is when results AND performances are sh*te. That's what happened under Pardew and Carver. We're playing alright now and deserved to win the last 2 games. The results are poor but the performances offer hope. Villa and the mackems don't have any positive performances to cling onto but we've shown enough.

 

McClaren wasn't my preferred choice, but so long as we're dominating these sorts of teams I'll get behind him (in the absence of any realistic alternative). The league table looks miserable right now but we look better than a fair few sides in this division and we seem to be improving. Some teams started well but have faded, and will continue to do so. We're not gonna do anything amazing this season, it's too late for that, but at least there seems to be some sort of footballing philosophy as opposed to just hanging on for dear life and launching long balls to pacy wingers. It's a work in progress but there are signs there. Yes it's 1 point from 2 winnable games but any neutral would tell you we deserved 6. If we can maintain it the points will come.

[George Bailey]

The time to lose hope is when results AND performances are sh*te. That's what happened under Pardew and Carver. We're playing alright now and deserved to win the last 2 games. The results are poor but the performances offer hope. Villa and the mackems don't have any positive performances to cling onto but we've shown enough.

 

McClaren wasn't my preferred choice, but so long as we're dominating these sorts of teams I'll get behind him (in the absence of any realistic alternative). The league table looks miserable right now but we look better than a fair few sides in this division and we seem to be improving. Some teams started well but have faded, and will continue to do so. We're not gonna do anything amazing this season, it's too late for that, but at least there seems to be some sort of footballing philosophy as opposed to just hanging on for dear life and launching long balls to pacy wingers. It's a work in progress but there are signs there. Yes it's 1 point from 2 winnable games but any neutral would tell you we deserved 6. If we can maintain it the points will come.

 

 

We drew nil nil and lost three zip.

 

[AyeDubbleYoo]

We did deserve two wins though.

[Yorkie]

Draw was a fair result yesterday. Aye we had the better of it but Butland's performance is slightly overplayed; there were no worldies amongst those saves. Yesterday wasn't an injustice like the Mackem game, we just couldn't beat the keeper.

 

I'm not panicking yet, though. I agree with whoever said the time to be panicking would be if we were playing shit and losing every week. That isn't happening, we've played absolutely shit-tons worse than what we are currently.

[George Bailey]

Maybe, but we got one point.

 

How many sides have pointed to the 'oh we should have won that game' or the 'we deserved better' lines right up until the point they disappear down the plug hole.

 

Results are everything, whether that's harsh or not. One of the most successful managers in recent football is hanging by a thread due to results. So our failure of a manager is gonna have questions asked.

I just don't see us getting out of it with him.

Hope I am wrong, but we need inspirational leadership, something 'left fieldish' imo.

[HawK]

Maybe, but we got one point.

 

How many sides have pointed to the 'oh we should have won that game' or the 'we deserved better' lines right up until the point they disappear down the plug hole.

 

Results are everything, whether that's harsh or not. One of the most successful managers in recent football is hanging by a thread due to results. So our failure of a manager is gonna have questions asked.

I just don't see us getting out of it with him.

Hope I am wrong, but we need inspirational leadership, something 'left fieldish' imo.

 

Not many teams have regularly outplayed their opponents and been relegated tbh. The point is regularly, these performances need to be week in, week out till the end of the season.

[Disco]

Maybe, but we got one point.

 

How many sides have pointed to the 'oh we should have won that game' or the 'we deserved better' lines right up until the point they disappear down the plug hole.

 

Results are everything, whether that's harsh or not. One of the most successful managers in recent football is hanging by a thread due to results. So our failure of a manager is gonna have questions asked.

I just don't see us getting out of it with him.

Hope I am wrong, but we need inspirational leadership, something 'left fieldish' imo.

 

Not many teams have regularly outplayed their opponents and been relegated tbh. The point is regularly, these performances need to be week in, week out till the end of the season.

 

We haven't regularly outplayed our opponents though. We've done it 2-3 times max.

[The College Dropout]

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.

 

I think you're right there but I do wonder how many goals Mitro and Perez will actually produce themselves. They both hold the ball up well so it looks like we are going to be relying on goals from supporting midfielders as much as the front two. While they are both excellent players, they aren't going to score the goals that Vardie and Mahrez will as a front pair.

 

This to me is a massive issue. We don't have a Cisse, Ba or Remy to get us out of jail. Before if we could keep it tight, we had a striker with a bit of magic to win it. Now? It's not their. The passing is nice but we don't have a genuine goalscorer (so far). We needed to sign a 25 year old who had consistently done the business.

[The College Dropout]

Dominating games against crap teams and not winning isn't a good sign you know. What happens when eventually we don't perform at all - oh yeah 0-2 Watford & West Ham. What happens when we play well? Don't score or concede a minimum of 2.

[HawK]

Maybe, but we got one point.

 

How many sides have pointed to the 'oh we should have won that game' or the 'we deserved better' lines right up until the point they disappear down the plug hole.

 

Results are everything, whether that's harsh or not. One of the most successful managers in recent football is hanging by a thread due to results. So our failure of a manager is gonna have questions asked.

I just don't see us getting out of it with him.

Hope I am wrong, but we need inspirational leadership, something 'left fieldish' imo.

 

Not many teams have regularly outplayed their opponents and been relegated tbh. The point is regularly, these performances need to be week in, week out till the end of the season.

 

We haven't regularly outplayed our opponents though. We've done it 2-3 times max.

 

That's my point we've looked better the past few games overall than at the start of the season, it's better to see a team improving than declining, no?

[Disco]

Maybe, but we got one point.

 

How many sides have pointed to the 'oh we should have won that game' or the 'we deserved better' lines right up until the point they disappear down the plug hole.

 

Results are everything, whether that's harsh or not. One of the most successful managers in recent football is hanging by a thread due to results. So our failure of a manager is gonna have questions asked.

I just don't see us getting out of it with him.

Hope I am wrong, but we need inspirational leadership, something 'left fieldish' imo.

 

Not many teams have regularly outplayed their opponents and been relegated tbh. The point is regularly, these performances need to be week in, week out till the end of the season.

 

We haven't regularly outplayed our opponents though. We've done it 2-3 times max.

 

That's my point we've looked better the past few games overall than at the start of the season, it's better to see a team improving than declining, no?

 

Of course but we could barely get any worse and we've not improved anywhere near enough. It's going to be too late soon.

[Disco]

Derby gone to absolute shit since he left.