You'll do for me Slav

[Lane Ender]

Have to disagree. We were poor today. As disjointed a performance as I can remember.

No way was we poor today first half I was entertained should have been well in front at the break

 

[Kev Gee]

Blackpool did a Warnock away from home on us and stole the 3 points.

At the moment we are not going to find the consistency required to mount a play off charge.

However there is still plenty of the season remaining so let's not write us off just yet.

After last season and 5 years of playing in a certain regimented way it was always going to be difficult to suddenly turn things around.

Slav will do for me as well!

 

[MagnifiqueShorehamStreet]

A quick question to those slagging off slav. Who would you rather have? Best man for the job by a mile and needs time to sort the team out.

Just a reminder we wanted a barca winger and ronaldo vieira, and instead ended up with a 36 year old algerian lad who’s not played. I don’t think slav has anywhere near his ideal squad yet.

I’d happily give him all 3 seasons (unless it turns catastrophic)

What’s your idea of catastrophic!
If he takes us down to league 1 ?
we’ve got 2 away games next, and I’m not sure we can get anything from those.Which means we start to get into a relegation dog fight.
is he the man for that?
His defending and tactics are naive.He’s getting away with little criticism because, he’s a relatively big name for United.If others were adopting such tactics eg the likes of Hecky, they’d be getting absolute pelters, and cries of you don’t know what you’re doing.
The transfer market acquisitions have been poor, and the coaching team he has around him, has no Championship experience.The players look uncomfortable playing his system and often play themselves into trouble at the back.They are simply not the type of players to play that game.
Do we have the time and money to get those in who can?At least play to your strengths whilst changing.A good manager has to play to the strengths of what you’ve got, unless you are Pep Guardiola, and you can go out and buy a team to play your way.
It’s way too early yet.We picked him, and have to stick with him, in the hope he has more of a plan than a wobbly back 4, and keep throwing attackers on, so we will score more than they do.Where is the plan b?
It’s worrying.We’ve slid into relegation scraps before believing we’re too good to go down.That’s how it happens we know that.We need to support him in January, and get some decent players in, who can play his way.But I’ve an awful feeling this Board will not do that.
And for all those that say I’m being negative, take a look at the table, a re-run of our 15 games, and listen to what our Board are saying about finances.

 

[Cheesebored]

Yet you come on social media last night and this morning to see plenty of fans suggesting we were utterly shit.

I didn't think it was shit, just average. I don't see a massive improvement. We lost the first game 1-0 against an average team and we did so again yesterday. If MGW is off his game we're a busted flush.

 

[ChipButtyBlade]

My Watford supporting mate has been closely watching us since slav joined , talking to him tonight he has said to stick with him that he will get it right , I have said this before he has inherited a poorly put together squad that's down on its arse mentally and that's only one man's fault !!! we don't have any premier quality footballers other than what we have loaned and I for one am quite happy to back what he trying to do. I think it will be next season before we can look forward a proper top 2 push , for me anything else will be a bonus before then
He has had one transfer window he needed to assess the squad and covid hasn't helped
FFS give him time

Might be a struggle for a top two next season,as Norwich,maybe Leeds and Newcastle will have their eyes on a quick return.

 

[Houston_Blade]

I’m not sure what relevance those games have in how we played yesterday. As I said, if we’d finished our chances then we’d now be discussing a 3-0 victory, but we didn’t. Obviously scoring goals is the main part but not scoring doesn’t always mean a team didn’t play well.

If we play like we did yesterday, and score our chances, then I’m sure we’ll get results against the better teams. We won’t win them all. We should’ve won when we played Bournemouth away. Good performance, didn’t take our chances, and ended up losing.

The problem is we don’t finish chances and we always look likely to give a soft goal away.

Let’s not get back into the ‘fine margins’ narrative again shall we?!

 

[LJBlade]

The problem is we don’t finish chances and we always look likely to give a soft goal away.

Let’s not get back into the ‘fine margins’ narrative again shall we?!

Well yes, that obviously is the problem. If you struggle to score and always give goals away you’ll lose more than you win. It doesn’t mean that your general play can’t still be good, like it was yesterday. I would be more concerned if we weren’t creating chances but that’s not the case.

 

[west_yorks_blade]

Maybe if we go down we can appeal to the Football League on the grounds that we lost a load of games by fine margins and our manager inherited someone else’s team.

I don’t think that has ever happened before and surely sets a precedent?

 

[Kenilworth]

Just had a quick look at B'pool social media. Saying best team they've played against this season (think this is fourth or fifth time opposition fans have said it this season), not sure how they won and on another day would have lost heavily and they still think we'll get promoted

For people saying that it was too easy for Blackpool to stick to a plan and nick one late on, i suggest you watch the game again.

For a vast majority of the game Blackpool were barely hanging on and were out on their feet waiting for the knockout punch.

Ok it didn't come, but that doesn't mean we played badly, far from it. On another day we would have put 3 or 4 past them with this same team, formation and manager.

How many saves did Grimshaw actually make?
Only half decent effort on target was MGW in second half.
They had two very decent shots, one Olsen dealt with really well from the free kick and the other was a peach of a strike.
Where was our end product?
Where was the reaction when we went 1 down?
Who was it that ask the players to push up and squeeze in order for us to get caught from a simple ball launched up the pitch?
Their manager even highlighted this was something they were looking to exploit.

As you say, people have commented about passages of play from us being very good. The issue is that it’s patchy. It’s a game of 90 mins and if you’re not on it 100% for the full duration you are susceptible to exactly what’s been happening to us. It’s Groundhog Day each game. We are powder puff in front of goal despite all the fine approach play and we are weak at the back.
We start games slowly - who’s fault is that? And we finish games with a whimper.
Other than that, we’re fucking ace.

 

[Wincobank S9 Blade]

Still have faith in Slav as I think the squads not good enough at all, needs a couple of windows just hope we don’t get sucked in to a relegation battle

 

[Kenilworth]

After having the opportunity to have a sleep and digest the events of the game, I can see that there have been a lot of knee jerk reactions and comments more suited to the "massives" over in S6.
Dismissive comments that we should have the divine right to beat "teams like Blackpool" and the opinion that we were poor.
We were far from poor. We created enough chances to win the game comfortably and had we taken one of the earlier chances then I think it would have turned out to be a comfortable win.
At times we looked excellent and played the ball well and cut them open plenty of times.
However, as the game went on, there was more of a possibility that our profligacy in front of goal would come to bite us on the arse with a sucker punch goal which is exactly what happened.
The issue with the game was the basic errors that were made. These were the things that cost us the game after not taking our chances.
I personally can see the slow change to what Jokanovic wants to achieve. Currently he is a few players short of making a real difference to our fortunes.
The imbalance on the wings is clear to see with Osborn filling a gap (and doing the best that he can) left by our failure to secure another winger in the transfer window. That should be addressed in January.
We are short of the "number 10" link up player. Again, this can be addressed in January.
Until this time we have to keep going and make sure that we are in and around the top 6 to allow us the rest of the season to have a real crack at it.
Just my opinion.

Agree if it was a one off but it isn’t.
It’s a recurring theme.
Our mistakes are being punished pretty much every time. Our XG is greater than the opposition in many games.
We start slow and finish weakly.
It may well be a transition and it may well be an excuse about not having the wingers to make this system more effective but this is a professional football club in a very competitive league and it’s naive to play in a way that is not accumulating points while you wait until you can make squad changes.
What happens if those changes done materialise in January? Stay with the same plan?
Throw loads of forward on at the end to chase a game?

Forest, our next opponents, had a shocking start to the season. Garbage. Have you checked their record against ours after 15 games?
Same players. No change in personnel. Different results. Manage the squad you have.

 

[Kenilworth]

I’m not sure what relevance those games have in how we played yesterday. As I said, if we’d finished our chances then we’d now be discussing a 3-0 victory, but we didn’t. Obviously scoring goals is the main part but not scoring doesn’t always mean a team didn’t play well.

If we play like we did yesterday, and score our chances, then I’m sure we’ll get results against the better teams. We won’t win them all. We should’ve won when we played Bournemouth away. Good performance, didn’t take our chances, and ended up losing.

Hugely relevant because on those games we didn’t finish chances and then got punished for a mistake or a lack of concentration. Preston too. It’s a recurring theme and take note, we’ve not played anyone decent at home, yet.

 

[Kenilworth]

If you can't see the improvement from early season then there's not much I can say.

Three letters MGW
No tactical change
One person, plus starting Ndiaye.
Without those two I suspect we’d be in exactly the same state as the first 5 games.
I don’t see that as an improvement in the plan, just a complete dependency on a different type of player. Trouble is he has to get points before he gets a chance to change it. That’s what management is all about.

 

[Davalon]

Three letters MGW
No tactical change
One person, plus starting Ndiaye.
Without those two I suspect we’d be in exactly the same state as the first 5 games.
I don’t see that as an improvement in the plan, just a complete dependency on a different type of player. Trouble is he has to get points before he gets a chance to change it. That’s what management is all about.

If you see no change to our approach other than personnel then I can't really so anything further. That said I should go without saying that you bring different players in to play differently.

Maybe watch how we failed to create barely anything in the first few games with a very predictable offensive game plan.

We've created more openings through the middle recently than I can remember for many a year.

 

[DaleHillBlade]

So much short term thinking and tantrums. Have we forgotten already how monumentally shite we were last season? Yet we should expect a new manager, in a matter of weeks, to turn water into wine? He’s basically polishing a turd and we are mid table.

 

[LJBlade]

Hugely relevant because on those games we didn’t finish chances and then got punished for a mistake or a lack of concentration. Preston too. It’s a recurring theme and take note, we’ve not played anyone decent at home, yet.

No, those games had absolutely no relevance to how we played yesterday.

 

[LJBlade]

Maybe if we go down we can appeal to the Football League on the grounds that we lost a load of games by fine margins and our manager inherited someone else’s team.

I don’t think that has ever happened before and surely sets a precedent?

I don’t think anyone is saying that we’re the first to be in that position or that what we’re experiencing is in any way unique to us. In fact I’d say that those of us still in support of the manager are actually more aware of that fact. Having seen other team’s experiences it’s easy to see that sometimes it takes a bit of time to turn things around, certain sections of our support seem to find that bit difficult to grasp.

 

[Kenilworth]

If you see no change to our approach other than personnel then I can't really so anything further. That said I should go without saying that you bring different players in to play differently.

Maybe watch how we failed to create barely anything in the first few games with a very predictable offensive game plan.

We've created more openings through the middle recently than I can remember for many a year.

Yes - because of the introduction of two players - MGW and Ndiaye - I see no change in formation or tactics just two players that can break lines and do something different. Individually different. That's great but there needs to be more than just relying on these two individuals.
Tell me what changes have been made, tactically, since the first 5 games?
I see no alteration to the approach. Tell me more of what you have observed.
You mention the outcome of more opening through the middle - This is a direct consequence of adding these two players to the team. If the only answer is different players then we will be delivering the same patchy performances until the JTW when there is an opportunity to alter the playing staff.
The great big question that comes from this scenario is what happens if the recruitment flops?
What then?
Same slow start to games, flatter to deceive and soft underbelly with the associated results?

There are 14 league games between now and the end of January. That will take us to 29 games played. Is the plan to wait until then to make the necessary changes to make us harder to beat and to convert more of the chances created?

 

[DaleHillBlade]

I don’t think anyone is saying that we’re the first to be in that position or that what we’re experiencing is in any way unique to us. In fact I’d say that those of us still in support of the manager are actually more aware of that fact. Having seen other team’s experiences it’s easy to see that sometimes it takes a bit of time to turn things around, certain sections of our support seem to find that bit difficult to grasp.

Modern football though… basically spend as much as possible (never mind the consequences) NOW because fans demand success NOW! If the new, and previously proven, manager doesn’t deliver a turnaround NOW then he should be sacked NOW. It’s like a toddlers mentality.

But they are clever toddlers.. because when they hark back to THEN, well that was the best manager ever and we need him NOW.

 

[Kenilworth]

No, those games had absolutely no relevance to how we played yesterday.

They followed the same pattern. Slow start - some decent interplay and periods of dominating possession. Limited or no end product and a weak and meek finish with costly mistakes and lapses in concentration. No relevance that the pattern is the same? Really?

 

[Bennyand the Blades]

Their manager actually said that we were playing a high line, so they just packed the defence and kept knocking the ball forward knowing they would eventually get a break, they did and scored,
Something we for quite a while now seem incapable of doing. and it's killing us
Under Mr Wilder we were successfully doing much the same as Blackpool, only better, a strong defence that allowed the opposition to attack then breaking,

 

[LJBlade]

They followed the same pattern. Slow start - some decent interplay and periods of dominating possession. Limited or no end product and a weak and meek finish with costly mistakes and lapses in concentration. No relevance that the pattern is the same? Really?

Not in the way in which I’m discussing it, you seem to be having a different conversation. For example, we played very badly against Millwall but should’ve still got something. Yesterday we played much better.

 

[DaleHillBlade]

Their manager actually said that we were playing a high line, so they just packed the defence and kept knocking the ball forward knowing they would eventually get a break, they did and scored,
Something we for quite a while now seem incapable of doing. and it's killing us
Under Mr Wilder we were successfully doing much the same as Blackpool, only better, a strong defence that allowed the opposition to attack then breaking,

Under “Mr” Wilder we did a great deal of good, but that went a bit wrong. Now we have probably the best manager we could hope for to rescue us from the shit we are in.. and yet some aren’t happy.

 

[Aston max]

Might be a struggle for a top two next season,as Norwich,maybe Leeds and Newcastle will have their eyes on a quick return.

Norwich definitely , and they will loose at least 5 of that side , I personally think they won't achieve bounce back this time , Leeds and Newcastle will survive
Burnley,Watford,Southampton and my outside Brentford pick 2 from 4
I think slav will use the loan market and the coaching teams knowledge of Spain and Italy to improve the squad he has tried to address the lack of goals first ( I know it's not quite there but it will come ) and there will be a couple of raised eyebrows in January defensively

 

[JJBlade]

Slav's too good for us.
He'll realise it soon enough, hopefully before the club turns him into an angry, gibbering wreck like it does with most of our managers.

 

[MagnifiqueShorehamStreet]

Under “Mr” Wilder we did a great deal of good, but that went a bit wrong. Now we have probably the best manager we could hope for to rescue us from the shit we are in.. and yet some aren’t happy.

Too right, I’m not happy.
We’re 17th in a very poor Championship.Making the same naive mistakes over and over again.
Thst doesn’t mean I want Slav sacking.To the contrary, I feel the Board has to back him in January with some signings who can play the way he wants us to play.We’re committed to him now, and need to give him time to sort things out.
However that doesn’t mean he is beyond criticism, or should get a free pass.

 

[AnonBlade]

Think it’s okay to: love Wilder, acknowledge that the signings the club made under his tenure have not turned out well, be disappointed that the dream of having a long-term, successful, passionate, home-grown manager has gone, question the difficulty of signing first-choice targets during both our premier league seasons and now our championship season under this board, want to support Slavisa, recognise the lovely attacking football sometimes on display, crave the reliability, solidity and resilience we used to have pre JOC departure, feel embarrassed by the way we capitulate, feel confused by questionable substitutions, mourn the loss of an identity whilst a new one is taking shape and understand that some fans will feel bitterly disappointed with the way we are a soft touch, respect that some fans will be positive about the future and that some will fear the worst. It’s a very nuanced situation, it’s difficult. Personally, I wish Slav would play 5 at the back, to stop conceding embarrassing goals, but I don’t think he will. Just as I wish Wilder hadn’t sanctioned the signings of McB, Brewster & Burke, but he did. Both approaches are wasteful, both are misguided (in my opinion) but pitching one manager against another and one approach against another is pretty pointless and there have been too many pointless outcomes already this season. Let’s hope we’re about to turn a corner, or that I wake up back in January 2019, just before the Man City home game and realise that it’s all been a very bad dream. Either would be cool with me.

 

[Moan? Nope-I saw Longhorn]

Have to disagree. We were poor today. As disjointed a performance as I can remember.

Didn’t go to Barnsley then ?

 

[ancientblade]

i know we probably need another midfielder and a winger but for me a big physical no nonsense centre back and a big physical nuisance of a centre forward are just as important imo

 

[ChipButtyBlade]

November is the month for the great turnaround starting at Forest on Tuesday,it will be a memorable game,when our fans will look back and say...thats when it began.