How can Big Sam win you over?

[Guest Knightrider]

It seems ludicrous/cris that already, he's past the point of no return after under 20 games in charge so I'm appealing to the good side of you all here and ask, what can he do to win you over? I say this because I believe every single one of us (or hope so) would love nothing better than to see him succeed.

 

Fire away...

 

 

[stozo]

How can he win me over? Win games.

[Mick]

Back to basics, dead easy.

[Guest Knightrider]

How can he win me over? Win games.

 

So that's it, he must start winning games and the more the merrier? Howay, look deeper than mere results which lets face it, don't reveal the true picture, not always anyway. By that logic Sir Bobby should have went after season 1.

 

Come on, try.

[Guest Knightrider]

Back to basics, dead easy.

 

Elaborate please, Mick.

[Rocker]

Play players in position, go back to basics, play some football.

[Guest 1nol]

Players in their right positions and no more hoofing.

[Syrette]

Back to basics, dead easy.

 

Elaborate please, Mick.

 

Surely it's obvious?

[Lenny]

Whilst I am one who thinks that we should not be sacking him so early on, he wouldnt do himself any harm by playing players in correct positions, dropping certain underperforming players, playing a formation that suits our squad etc.

[Guest Knightrider]

Back to basics, dead easy.

 

Elaborate please, Mick.

 

Surely it's obvious?

 

It is but in therapy...

[JH]

- Players in right position

- 4-4-2

- Don't play this defensive, tight football

- Don't go into every game looking for a draw

[Mick]

 

Elaborate please, Mick.

 

Just play our best 11 every game and allow them what he asks of the fans and club, time.  Is it a coincidence that we start picking up results when he keeps a settled side?

 

I'd use one formation and stick with it, that formation would be 4-4-2 until the players were once again comfortable and confident, that's the time to try new things, not while people are trying to settle into a new club and for a few of them a new country.

[Guest Stephen927]

Get rid of this long ball game and actually start playing some football, involving our midfielders more and playing with 2 genuine wingers hugging the touchline.

 

If there was an attempt to play football but we lost games, I think a lot of fans would be more forgiving, but at the moment Sam seems to be persistent in playing this containing game and not focusing on our game as much.

 

I'm still on Sam's side. I don't want him to sacked. I just wish he would learn from his mistakes and show some sign that he is willing to experiment away from his default game plan.

[Shak]

Develop a set of balls, basically.

 

I don't expect a gung-ho approach or anything like that, but I'd like to see us try and take the game to our opponents. Most games we seem to go in with the intention of stopping our opponent from playing, thereby turning the game into a dogfight and trying to overpower our opponents.

 

Is it so much to ask to at least try and play some football of our own? Our players aren't a world class bunch but they're vastly better than the turgid level of football we've been serving up.

[Guest toonlass]

I want to see him getting the players to play like they did against Arsenal, week in, week out. They played as if they were a team that night, why can they not do it every game. I want to see James Milner on the right wing and Zoggy on the left, I want a 4-4-2 system played. And a few goals from open play would be nice.

[stozo]

I'll go a little deeper than I did before. He needs to go back to what works, that's 4-4-2 with 2 natural wingers (Zog/Milner etc.) and he needs to stop playing people in ridiculous positions such as Martins on the wing and Smith in midfield. Play people where you'll get the best out of them.

 

Secondly, he needs to sign some decent players. He got rid of a load of deadwood in the summer but has then signed a new load of players, many of which don't look up to it or have only sohwn flashes of what they can do.

 

He needs to stop the long ball football. The only way he gets away with it is if he wins consistantly and gets us into in to the top 5 or 6. Never gonna win the fans over the way he plays.

[Guest Knightrider]

I'll have a go...

 

Keep as many square pegs out of as many round holes as you can.

 

Bring some width to the team.

 

Play Smith up front centrally.

 

Time to give Enrique a chance and move N'Zogbia forward.

 

If you're going to play Duff, give him a free role behind the strikers as he's a good dribbler, has good control and isn't slow. Could drag markers out and cause problems for the opposition where as stuck on the wing relies on service and movement.

 

Sort the captain's armband out.

 

Fewer long balls.

 

Mix up set pieces.

 

Don't let the bastards grind you down.

[Belfast Boy]

Pick a game plan, something along the lines of how we faced Arsenal recently, and stick to it, regardless of the opposition. None of this playing Smith as a holding midfielder and going to teams in the bottom third looking for a 0-0.

[Shak]

Pick a game plan, something along the lines of how we faced Arsenal recently, and stick to it, regardless of the opposition. None of this playing Smith as a holding midfielder and going to teams in the bottom third looking for a 0-0.

 

I think that we're approaching all of our games like we did the one against Arsenal, and that's the problem.

 

That was the way to play Arsenal, a high-tempo slugfest low on quality but high on effort.

 

Is the idea not to impose ourselves on games against lesser teams and try and outplay them and create chances. Pleasing as the Arsenal game was, we didn't exactly create a whole lot. Which is fine against Arsenal, but not the Derby and Wigan's of the league.

[Baggio]

Pick a game plan, something along the lines of how we faced Arsenal recently, and stick to it, regardless of the opposition. None of this playing Smith as a holding midfielder and going to teams in the bottom third looking for a 0-0.

 

I think that we're approaching all of our games like we did the one against Arsenal, and that's the problem.

 

That was the way to play Arsenal, a high-tempo slugfest low on quality but high on effort.

 

Is the idea not to impose ourselves on games against lesser teams and try and outplay them and create chances. Pleasing as the Arsenal game was, we didn't exactly create a whole lot. Which is fine against Arsenal, but not the Derby and Wigan's of the league.

 

Good post.

[NJS]

Resign.

 

 

[tmonkey]

I dont care what tactics he plays, who he plays in whatever position, who he drops, and what rotation policy he uses.

 

All I want is for us to either play decent football, or if not, a structured, disciplined style of playing, where we are organised, systematic, and efficient. And what I expect us not to do is to take up relegation-esque, Wimbledon-style tactics - all out defence with no inclination to attack, long ball as our only effective method of attacking, flooding the box and hoping for rebounds and loose balls, etc. And most importantly, play for a win, especially against mediocre opposition.

[Slim]

Come on here and tell all the arseholes who want him sacked to fuck off.  It is the players fault not his

[JH]

Play Arsenal and Liverpool as if they are Arsenal and Liverpool, and play Derby and Wigan as if they are Derby and Wigan.

 

Give the team some credit. We are a decent side, we can outplay the likes of Derby, we don't have to show them the respect we have.

 

Not so hard to do?

[biggs]

Come on here and tell all the arseholes who want him sacked to f*** off.  It is the players fault not his

everyone entitled tothere own opinion