We're in the relegation zone. Should I be worried? Brenden Rodgers out? When do we draw the line that maybe we DO need a more experienced manager. Honestly, I think I'd go ape-shit if we went down to League 1. Funny how Middlesbrough sacks their boss after a comfortable win and we still have ours after 8 losses.
granted Leicester are now 5th, but yet another loss at home is embarrassing. the Reading season is just like the Quakes season now- maybe worse! my football karma is at an all time low... http://www.skysports.com/football/match_report/0,19764,11065_3192287,00.html
Although I didn't necessarily think so as I walked out of the ground, the game on Monday did have a few signs of encouragement. Mainly, we created a heck of a lot of chances. Other games have seen us barely have a shot. We didn't score, but we were close a number of times, and if we had scored, there's a good chance we'd have gone on to win. If we can keep creating as many chances then the goals will come, as will confidence and points. If only BR had ditched his 4-3-3 earlier, we wouldn't be in this mess. It's a very big lesson - if you are coaching top players somewhere like Chelsea then you instruct them to adapt to your style. If you are dealing with lesser mortals, you have to play a style that suits their abilities.
What is baffling is that this team is much better in possession, much better defending, much more lethal in attack, all of that, in a 4-4-2. I mean, it's not as if the 4-3-3 was leaving us vulnerable n the back but hellon wheels in the attack. we were crap everywhere... and yet you drop one guy back a few yards and the whole flow of the game changes. It's a funny game
the difference isn't so much having a guy further forward or not, as the different roles the players are asked to play. The two wider forward players in a 4-3-3 don't play as wingers, yet we were trying to push wingers into that role. They tended do drop back and play as wingers, making a 4-5-1. To play a 4-5-1 you really need a leading forward who is eather very quick or able to create his own chances, and we don't have a forward with either quality. The 4-3-3 also requires that you have midfielders good a playing a through-ball to create a chance, rather get round the back of the defence, which is the traditional english way of attacking. If you have players who grew up playing 4-3-3, or players who are very adaptable, or players who a technically excellent, you can play it. If your players don't fit into those brackets, then you are just bashing a round peg into a square hole. To be fair, if you asked a typical 2nd tier Spanish team to play like an English team, they'd probably have similar problems.
2-0 win at home over Blackpool-- Finally! And we're out of the relegation zone... maybe with the first win at home done with, the team will get some belief and go on a run to safety.
Agreed, not the ideal place i want to be but i can't complain if we're out of relegation zone. Hopefully this sparks something within the team and Rodgers can truly shine as the manager. I'm still contemplating whether he's right for the job.
I still think this can be a very good team. they do play a very attractive game (when i get the chance to see them), they've got a nice amount of talent, and if they find a cutting edge, they could charge up the table. distrubring rumors about selling marek, but I can't imagine there's anything to that
I was just going to post Reading has a chance of making a run in December, but they just confirmed Long will be suspended for 3 games.
Positives: we're only 9 points off a playoff spot. Negatives: we're only 3 points off the drop. Positives: we're not IN the relegation zone.
The only home win since January, and I missed it. Three weeks in Thailand is some kind of consolation though. Couldn't find a bar showing Jeff Stelling and his minute by minute coverage on SKY Sports, so I had to make do with txt updates while suffering the non-football chit-chat in bars similar to these... It was a pain, but it made missing that win bearable. Now though, I'm back in England, which is great. Really. Indeed. So we'd better win on Tuesday.
Now that we've been thrashed by a mediocre Plymouth side, L1 is starting to become a real possibility. Hammond admitted we're not investing in January, so I don't know who could manage this team out of the relegation zone and fit our cheap'n'cheerful requirements. I hope that this is just posturing to throw other clubs off. Like every other lie being told by the club, we are not well managed and run.