We're in big big trouble

[adrenachrome]

Why can't people accept that we were shit.....simple as!! 

Then there would be no message board.

WE could just have a poll with the options:

We was shit
Was oroit
We was groit

Simple as.

[Rigadon]

Why can't people accept that we were shit.....simple as!! 

Then there would be no message board.

WE could just have a poll with the options:

We was shit
Was oroit
We was groit

Simple as.

haha - like it

[SoccerHQ]

I honestly don't get Young in the "free" role.

He hit a nice early ball to Heskey early on but apart from that did next to nothing and seemed intent on pissing around with the ball trying to beat men rather than release quickly which you need to do in the free role.

When he was moved out wide in the last ten minutes he had that good run and shot so I'd prefer to see him go out back wide.

[levico]

If 'Big Big trouble' means we will be fighting relegation - then probably not. If it means we've got no chance of ending in the top half of the table ... then yes, we're in big big trouble!!

Hopefully only this season though.

[PaulMcGrathsNo5Shirt]

Ash done ok I thought, problem was we had very little opportunity to get the ball to him where he can cause problems. It made it worse that Lionel Heskey was so isolated.
Clark was excellent I thought, and as we were struggling to retain the ball I would have asked Reo-Coker to sit with him and then bring Ash inside, problem was we didn't really then have a wide player as such (unless Bannan had gone wide)
You have to give McLeish credit, they were well organised and knew how to stop us, not only that once they saw off the first 20 minutes they gained confidence and kept the ball better. Both teams hoofed it up their lone donkeys but they seemed to support their donkey than we did.

[dave.woodhall]

This is McLeish's fourth season with them. His team, his players, his tactics. He knows this is as good as it gets for them, he doesn't have to re-build or experiment. Everything's settled. It was Gerard's second league home game. He's still learning.

[Dante Lavelli]

People seem to be critising the formation, saying it is too negative for a home match vs Brum.  I personally disagree, the 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 is just how they line up, primarily defensively.  The intent of the team decides whether it is an attacking formation or not. 

A 4-4-2 can be just as defensive if the midfielders never overlap or go past the forwards.  I actually think a 4-2-3-1 is more attacking as the two midfielders should allow the front four to play with greater freedom.

[ROBBO]

Ive criticised Young in the past but the only criticism i have of him yesterday is that he tried to do too much. H was tho only player that tried to make things happen and to say he wasn't interested is a load of bollocks.

[OzVilla]

This is McLeish's fourth season with them. His team, his players, his tactics. He knows this is as good as it gets for them, he doesn't have to re-build or experiment. Everything's settled. It was Gerard's second league home game. He's still learning.

This is spot on for me re the Rags game. 

And we are not in big trouble for McGraths sake.  Due to various events, we've found ourselves with a less capable team and squad from last year and a new Manager bedding himself and his ideas in place - we'll have some disappointing results, we'll have some surprising results it'll all be part of the re-shaping for the team which will take time.  Until then I expect us to be mid-table and nothing more. Above all, we need to be patient.

We need to forget what we had before - good or bad it's gone.  We need to build again to something more sustainable than we had under MON.

This will come from this crop of exciting young players we have at the club and GH showing us what we missed in the transfer market under MON - namely some decent foreign talent.

 

[not3bad]

Thoughts?

You're talking rubbish.

[villa baz]

Why can't people accept that we were shit.....simple as!! 
[/
what planet are you on?   were not shit,this is going to be a season of transition,accept it. the messiah oneil has left us in the shit.gh has been bought in to sort it out,its gonna take time.

[PaulTheVillan]

Knee jerk.

[john e]

watching the team yesterday was a bit disapointing though,
 i know we had a few out, but what we had out there was very average,
i know i'm using the average word a lot, but it best describes a lot and i mean a lot of our players,

all the strikers are pretty much average, some less so, midfield same,
NRC was our best player yesterday, and that just about sums it up, a player that wouldnt stand an earthly of getting into a good top 6 side, is our standout player.

Downing, totaly pissed of with him, calling him average is being kind,

 and Sidwell is right up there with Nigel Callaghan and Cascarino as one of the worst players ever to play for us

the defence is our saving grace, as we do seem to have some competent players in that department.

i was finding myself hating MON yesterday for leaving us with such a useless shower, really hope GH has some new players up his sleeve,

[Concrete John]

People seem to be critising the formation, saying it is too negative for a home match vs Brum.  I personally disagree, the 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 is just how they line up, primarily defensively.  The intent of the team decides whether it is an attacking formation or not. 

A 4-4-2 can be just as defensive if the midfielders never overlap or go past the forwards.  I actually think a 4-2-3-1 is more attacking as the two midfielders should allow the front four to play with greater freedom.

I think it's more a matter of personel than intent as to whether it's attacking or not.  What you need is players who can and will get forward, support the lone striker and score/create.  When playing Ash, Downing and Albrighton we have that, seeing a central three of NRC, Sidwell and Clarke however is quite defensive.  I think where we're failing at the moment is not getting a 2nd player into the box quick enough to get on the end of things.  That should be either Ash, who is normally involved in the build up play or Ireland, who isn't quite at the races yet.  Only player to really have a go and get in there off the ball so far is Downing and he's got a few goals to show for it!

[andrew08]

The squad needed a shake up in the summer. The type where you dont have to spend millions just juggle around with what you've got. Sell Curtis Davis, Sidwell, Milner and buy 2 or 3 more just to liven things up. We didn't so we are whole summer behind our rivals.

MON did a great job for 3 seasons, thanks. But he didn't have the ability or motivation to finish/continue the job so we are now left with a new guy picking up the pieces. We'll be fine in the long run.

I still believe a big factor is the Man Citeh dosh. Put Barry and JM back in the squad and we are so much better.