Alex Neil's interview

[Cobain18 0]

ive not been one to advocate Neil being sacked to date and I''m still not yet. I think for what he''s done to the club, he deserves a few games to get a reaction.

The interview yesterday concerned me a bit in that Neil was essentialky saying he''s not sure what else we can do to cut out these individual errors. While recently, the strategies haven''t always been spot on (in my view), over the season, I think Neil''s got the gameplan correct and individual players have cost us.

As confidence has drained resulting from poor results based on the individual errors mentioned above, Neil has tried different things to change the results and the players have started looking more hesitant (making the gameplans look more inept).

I thought a win against Villa would change this, I''m concerned that we didn''t get the win I was expecting, the vicious circle described above now continues and I sympathise with the board and Neil as I don''t think it''s as black and white as some are making out (sack Neil vs not sacking Neil).

This is now concerning, as mentioned above, I still believe Neil deserves few games to try and stop the rot, the issue is, with the vicious cycle of bad performances, there''s no guarantee that a new manager will do much better longer term.

[Row D Seat 7 0]

He deserves more time for sure. I was also concerned as he just seemed so down and at a loss in terms of what to do. It''s not good, but it''s only football :-)

[Yorkshire Canary 118]

An honest man it reminded me of the Peter Grant interviews before he called it a day. No one calls it a day anymore it would be financial madness. We have West Ham, Leicester and Chelsea up next, quite daunting. We need at least 3 points from this set of fixtures to even keep in touch. If we get less or quite possibly none then that is time. It leaves 10 games left and some fixtures where points are theoretically possible a new face would be needed to give us half a chance

[Row D Seat 7 0]

I predict 4 points from the next 3 games.

[Indy 3,359]

I''d love 4 points but just can''t see it, maybe 1 or 2 if we''re playing well.

As for the interview, not bothered what he says to the press more bothered what he says to the players to get a positive reaction.

I''ve said from the start of the season we needed experience in the back room to help AN at this level, our coaching staff are a joke for a premiership club.

Give him the rest of the season or sack him if we lose to West Ham just don''t mess around hopefully the board can be decisive one way or the other.

[Yellowbeagle 0]

We are about to see in the next game or two, if he really has what it takes to be a very top manager. We might go down but if he can''t get the players to fight and scrap to avoid relegation I can''t see how he will ever be a top fight manager.

[CJ 0]

If AN can not motivate them for a must win game away to bottom club does anyone think he can really do anything for us rest of season!

We have lost all five last games mostly heavily to the tune of 5 for 17 against, most managers would have lost their job by now.

The players are clearly not respecting or helping the manager, I fail to see how that is going to change.

AN just doesnt have the experience or knowledge to get us out of this mess

[Essjayess 307]

Sorry Cobain, imo a few things you say are completely not so, You say Alex has the correct gameplan...total codswallop, he only has had one...the one man upfront..its been a total failure, look at the table. Neither has he tried or made  many changes, all hes done is tinker with the wrong players and the right players in the wrong positions. And over the course of the season its blunted the players confidence, spirit and desire to go all out week by week, till now we have a team, bereft of ideas and any cohesion and spark, a state that will continue till end season because Alex will continue  as he has. Sorry but for me im totally disapointed that he has  lead us this way.The worst thing is we are just like Villa now, and like their fans, i cant wait till May comes and this season is over.

[Cobain18 0]

[quote user="Essjayess"]Sorry Cobain, imo a few things you say are completely not so, You say Alex has the correct gameplan...total codswallop, he only has had one...the one man upfront..its been a total failure, look at the table. Neither has he tried or made  many changes, all hes done is tinker with the wrong players and the right players in the wrong positions. And over the course of the season its blunted the players confidence, spirit and desire to go all out week by week, till now we have a team, bereft of ideas and any cohesion and spark, a state that will continue till end season because Alex will continue  as he has. Sorry but for me im totally disapointed that he has  lead us this way.The worst thing is we are just like Villa now, and like their fans, i cant wait till May comes and this season is over.[/quote]

Two things:

1. If you''re interpretation of gameplan is formation, that''s far too simplistic. Neil has tried several strategies this season, 4-4-2 is not a solution, we''d get completely overrun in midfield with our defensive record

2. Who would do better?

[GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary 1,834]

the thing is, I don''t think either yesterday or the previous few defeats were down to individual errors?

.

earlier in the season, these one -off type of errors were costing us points in matches.....but now were just defending badly as a team and it can no longer be pointed at any particular player.

.

the whole defensive side of the team has been completely shot to bits to the extent now that we''re just shrugging our shoulders when conceding goals as if we''ve just conceded a corner...

[YorkshirePudding 0]

GJL - the goals yesterday can absolutely be blamed by individuals, Mbokani for first goal, Rudd second

[TIL 1010 4,830]

[quote user="YorkshirePudding"]GJL - the goals yesterday can absolutely be blamed by individuals, Mbokani for first goal, Rudd second[/quote]Blimey that is such a simplistic view on or faults yesterday.

[AmericanNorwichFan 0]

In the end, all goals conceded most likely occurred because of a mistake. The difference it whether the mistakes are few and far in between, or rash and constant.

[ron obvious 1,523]

Yes, bu those individual errors are just the tip of the iceberg.

From the off, we were standing 5 yards too far away from the opposition. When we had the ball we dawdled & got caught in possession. We got rid of the ball too early when we had time, we headed straight back to the opposition when free to pick someone out, we passed to the opposition under no pressure. ALL our players were guilty at some point or another.

Other teams make the same sort of mistakes, but far less frequently.

Our malaise is becoming endemic & looking fatal.

[GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary 1,834]

[quote user="YorkshirePudding"]GJL - the goals yesterday can absolutely be blamed by individuals, Mbokani for first goal, Rudd second[/quote]

Mbokani??...come on its a set piece header that you see in any game anywhere in the world on any matchday

the "individual errors" that were being made earlier in the season would be typified by the Man City winner at the Etihad, or switching off for the Chelsea free kick at Stamford Bridge, the sloppyness that led to Arsenals goal, or the brainless sendings off of Whittaker at Southampton or O''Neil at Stoke?

[Van wink 2,994]

Yorkshire Canary wrote the following post at 07/02/2016 5:22 PM:

An honest man it reminded me of the Peter Grant interviews before he called it a day. No one calls it a day anymore it would be financial madness. We have West Ham, Leicester and Chelsea up next, quite daunting. We need at least 3 points from this set of fixtures to even keep in touch. If we get less or quite possibly none then that is time. It leaves 10 games left and some fixtures where points are theoretically possible a new face would be needed to give us half a chance

I think your right, he is an honest man but unfortunately that sort of interview will do little to get his players playing the way he wants them to, as Parma said on another thread, it may well deflect the criticism but it won''t help on the field.

I had so much hope that AN could do a job in the PL for us and maintain a spirit of free uninhibited play within the squad.

Sadly with our failure to recruit adequately in the summer and a few key incidents disrupting our form we are now doomed.

Can a new man change things, maybe for a few games which might just be enough. But do we want a short term fix or a long term strategy?

Tough choice, but to go for the long term option you have to have huge confidence that you are buying into the right man, I''m not sure any more.