Breakfast with the manager

[lake district canary 4,531]

[quote user="Icecream Snow"][quote user="The recurring 5 year plan"]Sounds like breakfast with a load of non-working and retired blanket wearers to me! lolHis team selections have been poor and we have lost more ground on the top 2 and 4 more games have passed. Whittaker in midfield was a shocking selection and he continues to select the defenders that have failed all season. It is my belief this is because they are Scottish internationals and he is aware of their standing as opposed to current form. In a season so important some serious questions needed asking, I would guess it was full of the blind support the lovely club at all times club. I can just imagine a valid question be shot down with "shut up comments" Why did he select Whittaker in midfield??? He is paid enough to not make such game losing decisions! [/quote]Nope, I had a day off work to come up and see my family. Howson was suspended. Tettey and O''Neil were injured. Whitaker was chosen there because he played central midfield in the Rangers team during their UEFA/Europa league run in 2008, when they reached the final.I knew that before attending the Q&A.Managers are paid to make decisions, and ultimately if they make too many bad ones, they get the chop. He admitted it didn''t work, but was keen to stress "with the players at my disposal". I''d be more concerned if after he reshapes the squad, he was still having those types of problems. The muppets argument was that he should have played either Wes or a youth team player instead, Alex Neil correctly pointing out that they''d be too lightweight.[/quote]

The more you find out, the more it makes some of the reactions to AN''s appt and actions utterly ridiculous.  Numpty assumptions about him, ignorant comments on here from people who never show any compassion or understanding for what is going on and just react negatively, more or less for the sake of it.   AN is an astute thinker about football and a good man manager.   That should be enough for anyone to at least give him time to learn and to get things right. 

[E I E I E I O 0]

Ahhh sorry I get it now, so we are in a process of rebuilding a squad to compete with the mighty powers and squads of:Bournemouth, Derby, Middlesborough and Ipswich! Thats ok then, lets give him say 3 years to do this when we have no money left from our trip to the promised land. Genius!

[lake district canary 4,531]

[quote user="The recurring 5 year plan"]Ahhh sorry I get it now, so we are in a process of rebuilding a squad to compete with the mighty powers and squads of:Bournemouth, Derby, Middlesborough and Ipswich! Thats ok then, lets give him say 3 years to do this when we have no money left from our trip to the promised land. Genius! [/quote] So how have Bournemouth, Derby, Ipswich and Middlesborough managed to get to the top of the table then? 

[nutty nigel 7,513]

Well of course if we just put together a squad to compete with Cardiff and Fulham we''d be 10 points clear. Luckily we have far more ambition than them.....

[Barclay seats 4849 the 3rd 0]

[quote user="lake district canary"][quote user="Icecream Snow"][quote user="The recurring 5 year plan"]Sounds like breakfast with a load of non-working and retired blanket wearers to me! lolHis team selections have been poor and we have lost more ground on the top 2 and 4 more games have passed. Whittaker in midfield was a shocking selection and he continues to select the defenders that have failed all season. It is my belief this is because they are Scottish internationals and he is aware of their standing as opposed to current form. In a season so important some serious questions needed asking, I would guess it was full of the blind support the lovely club at all times club. I can just imagine a valid question be shot down with "shut up comments" Why did he select Whittaker in midfield??? He is paid enough to not make such game losing decisions! [/quote]Nope, I had a day off work to come up and see my family. Howson was suspended. Tettey and O''Neil were injured. Whitaker was chosen there because he played central midfield in the Rangers team during their UEFA/Europa league run in 2008, when they reached the final.I knew that before attending the Q&A.Managers are paid to make decisions, and ultimately if they make too many bad ones, they get the chop. He admitted it didn''t work, but was keen to stress "with the players at my disposal". I''d be more concerned if after he reshapes the squad, he was still having those types of problems. The muppets argument was that he should have played either Wes or a youth team player instead, Alex Neil correctly pointing out that they''d be too lightweight.[/quote]

The more you find out, the more it makes some of the reactions to AN''s appt and actions utterly ridiculous.  Numpty assumptions about him, ignorant comments on here from people who never show any compassion or understanding for what is going on and just react negatively, more or less for the sake of it.   AN is an astute thinker about football and a good man manager.   That should be enough for anyone to at least give him time to learn and to get things right. 

[/quote]

So you then write the most ridiculous thing so far !

He is 33 years old and in the greater scheme of things has achieved very little ,, certainly not enough in a competitive league to make any judgement either way .

[lake district canary 4,531]

[quote user="Barclay seats 4849 the 3rd"][quote user="lake district canary"][quote user="Icecream Snow"][quote user="The recurring 5 year plan"]Sounds like breakfast with a load of non-working and retired blanket wearers to me! lolHis team selections have been poor and we have lost more ground on the top 2 and 4 more games have passed. Whittaker in midfield was a shocking selection and he continues to select the defenders that have failed all season. It is my belief this is because they are Scottish internationals and he is aware of their standing as opposed to current form. In a season so important some serious questions needed asking, I would guess it was full of the blind support the lovely club at all times club. I can just imagine a valid question be shot down with "shut up comments" Why did he select Whittaker in midfield??? He is paid enough to not make such game losing decisions! [/quote]Nope, I had a day off work to come up and see my family. Howson was suspended. Tettey and O''Neil were injured. Whitaker was chosen there because he played central midfield in the Rangers team during their UEFA/Europa league run in 2008, when they reached the final.I knew that before attending the Q&A.Managers are paid to make decisions, and ultimately if they make too many bad ones, they get the chop. He admitted it didn''t work, but was keen to stress "with the players at my disposal". I''d be more concerned if after he reshapes the squad, he was still having those types of problems. The muppets argument was that he should have played either Wes or a youth team player instead, Alex Neil correctly pointing out that they''d be too lightweight.[/quote]

The more you find out, the more it makes some of the reactions to AN''s appt and actions utterly ridiculous.  Numpty assumptions about him, ignorant comments on here from people who never show any compassion or understanding for what is going on and just react negatively, more or less for the sake of it.   AN is an astute thinker about football and a good man manager.   That should be enough for anyone to at least give him time to learn and to get things right. 

[/quote]

So you then write the most ridiculous thing so far !

He is 33 years old and in the greater scheme of things has achieved very little ,, certainly not enough in a competitive league to make any judgement either way .[/quote]

Judgement about him?  Have you listened to him talking about football?  Have you noticed how people respond to him, interviewers, press etc?   Have you noted that many people who have met him think he is a natural manager?  Have you looked at him pitch side?  Did you notice his confidence in himself at Bn''mth coming down to influence things?  Did you consider the reasons why he put Whittaker in midfield? Did you know Whitts had played there for Rangers in Europe?  

Do people make assumptions out of ignorance?  Yes, of course they do - we all do sometimes, but to read some of the comments on here about it, to hear some of the reactions at and after the match, you would reason that too many are just ignorant full stop.   Like I said in my much aligned thread - people need to give the man a chance.

[Indy 3,286]

Lakey playing Whittaker in midfield (even worse if he''s played there before) was out of nessessity OK.....we can accept this......So what the hell was the hoofball tactics, lack of organisation and where was the effort? If as you say the players respect him and he taljs a bloody good game to the press what happened against Brentford then?

Just asking as it appears he''s a natural in your opinion.

[lake district canary 4,531]

[quote user="Indy"]Lakey playing Whittaker in midfield (even worse if he''s played there before) was out of nessessity OK.....we can accept this......So what the hell was the hoofball tactics, lack of organisation and where was the effort? If as you say the players respect him and he taljs a bloody good game to the press what happened against Brentford then?

Just asking as it appears he''s a natural in your opinion.[/quote]

You can''t expect new methods/tactics to work straight away.  The match was online and I saw the amount of times we tried to get the ball forwards - it looked like a ploy to try and get the team to mix it up a bit more - but to me it looked as if the players were just out of their depth against a very very good Brentford performance. Maybe not surprising with the changes that have been happening.    Not sure about the effort thing - maybe one or two just lost confidence or belief a bit which made them look less up for it.  You can try as hard as you like at some things, but if you are nervous or tense, it can make you seize up rather than make you more active.

The Birmingham match was much better by all accounts, so maybe it just a matter of time. 

[Newton 0]

AN had no choice but to play Whitaker there - the only other option was McGrandles and as those that have seen him play know he is L1 standard at best

We were too open v Brentford, having to play Lafferty at left midfield does not help either

AN has already highlighted the problems - Lafferty has been shipped out and unfortunately the club was not prepared to back AN in the transfer market in Jan by by purchasing Dorrans

[Indy 3,286]

Yes pointed out already about Whittaker and Laffs played there the home game against Cardiff.....so the question hasn''t been answered.....why the change in style? Why did we suddenly hump the ball forward, ended up with one striker and at tgat point with 5 in midfield we conceeded yhe second goal, what possesed the manager to play two of our most slowestCB together against a team who play fast passing game?

I know Neil it was Neil''s third game here but those around himhave been here lot longer so I can''t except this only been here 5 minutes......poor tactics and set up down to Neil and his changes though some say they were correct I can''t agree. Wes should have come on earlier and we should have reverted to a diamond with Martin moved back to CB and Whittaker to RB and Turner off.

But that''s only my opinion, one thing for sure we were awfum and the worst game of the season.....so a lot of pressure today. This is the perfect gane to bounce back....Howson back, Tettey fit, so back the a normal side, hopefully no hoofing it forward today but back to a passing high tempo game today.

[Holtcantshoot 0]

[quote user="lake district canary"][quote user="Indy"]Lakey playing Whittaker in midfield (even worse if he''s played there before) was out of nessessity OK.....we can accept this......So what the hell was the hoofball tactics, lack of organisation and where was the effort? If as you say the players respect him and he taljs a bloody good game to the press what happened against Brentford then?

Just asking as it appears he''s a natural in your opinion.[/quote]

You can''t expect new methods/tactics to work straight away.  The match was online and I saw the amount of times we tried to get the ball forwards - it looked like a ploy to try and get the team to mix it up a bit more - but to me it looked as if the players were just out of their depth against a very very good Brentford performance. Maybe not surprising with the changes that have been happening.    Not sure about the effort thing - maybe one or two just lost confidence or belief a bit which made them look less up for it.  You can try as hard as you like at some things, but if you are nervous or tense, it can make you seize up rather than make you more active.

The Birmingham match was much better by all accounts, so maybe it just a matter of time.  [/quote]I surmised the reason for the "hoofball" tactics was that we only had Johnson an Whittaker in central midfield, two poor passers of the ball. They kept being dispossessed whilst playing passing football early on (see Brentford''s first goal) so the team will naturally tried to bypass the midfield and play a style that wasn''t reliant on a weak part of our team''s skill set.I personally don''t see an issue with asking our new manager about team selections (although I''ll admit I''m no good at it) I do enjoy analysing our systems etc. and considering the game at a more indepth level than "me fan, them team, me cheer". Playing Hooper up front who relies on good service from the midfield when we only had one first team central midfielder and Whittaker hadn''t played the role for at least 2 years at Norwich seemed a naive decision. Whilst McGrandles may not be fully developed yet having three ball winners in the middle at the expense of Hooper would have solidified the midfield without greatly hindering our strike force as Jerome can play a lone striker role. If I had been at the breakfast I would have been interested to know why he didn''t start with / switch to that formation when it became apparent we were losing the midfield and our strikers weren''t getting the ball; making Hooper essentially a passenger.