David Unsworth - Temporary Manager

[Berenger]

Unsworth has done well with what's probably the worst squad in the league.

He's cleaning up Koeman's mess really well.

I'm confident we'll finish the season well with him at the helm.

Just nonsense. And before you ask: palace, West Ham, Huddersfield, Brighton, west brom, Bournemouth, burnley, Newcastle...

 

[Scilachi]

I just can’t see what players would want to join??

They go where the money is, they know we’ve got it and they also know we’ll have to pay it, they’ll come.

 

[ijjysmith]

They go where the money is, they know we’ve got it and they also know we’ll have to pay it, they’ll come.

True true.

Not a huge fan of players coming just for the money. Would like players to actually want to come here.

But it is what it is I guess.

 

[bluestevon]

Absolutely. The effort is definitely there.
We just aren't capable of creating an attack.
Silva needs to focus on the shape of the team because currently it's purely endeavour that's keeping us above the drop zone.

It's not a striker issue as such either - although thats not ideal, as atm Niasse is playing arguably better than half the teams in the leagues main strikers.

The major problem is a complex one and it's not easy to put one thing to blame.

Certain players performance levels are absolutely criminal - Schneiderlin for one, Williams another, a lot are out of form and it's cascaded down into one hell of a mess, and i think a lot of the 'failing to get a striker in' was used to mask a deeper problem, we spent 140m this summer without an idea on how to fit those players into a coherent team.

we are so thin in certain areas - it effectively limits what we can do to change things down to seemingly a merry go around of changing whose playing centrally and if we go for theoretically better players shoehorned in out of position or go for 'inferior' players whose natural positions at least they are.

Hopefully a new manager 'silva' can come in - keep us ticking over and improving the organisation and get some points on the board until January, then we can cut out the crap from this squad, shift it out in sales or even loans and trim the squad down a lot in certain bloated areas and bring in 2-4 genuine options which fits around players we have (and lack) and the mangers system and style of play. I'd snap your hand off rigth now for Silva coming in and getting 12 from the next 9 games up until January

 

[davek]

At first I thought it was purely the striker issue mate but today proved that we just aren't being guided by management.
Niasse, Rooney, Sig, Klaassen, Ramirez.
Are we seriously suggesting it's impossible to shape something around these players?
Get Silva in asap

I dont think they are players who can lead a line though. Different kettle of fish that job.

 

[Scilachi]

True true.

Not a huge fan of players coming just for the money. Would like players to actually want to come here.

But it is what it is I guess.

They’ll quote something about a great club and an interesting project but we’ll all know the truth.

 

[bluestevon]

I dont think they are players who can lead a line though. Different kettle of fish that job.

Dave we just got played off the park by a team playing two inverted wingers leading their line.

The idea of this leading the line thing is if we where trying to play route one or fast counter attacking, we don't do either and don't even try, so basically we have lots of on paper 'good' players who are pointless having in the same squad.

Will guarantee something - about 3-4 (maybe more) of the last years buys won't be here come the start of next season. much like the way spurs cut their losses quickly after wasting the Bale money

Hope is we get as much return for them as possible and that the next round of incoming players works out better

 

[mkrudden]

Dave we just got played off the park by a team playing two inverted wingers leading their line.

The idea of this leading the line thing is if we where trying to play route one or fast counter attacking, we don't do either and don't even try, so basically we have lots of on paper 'good' players who are pointless having in the same squad.

Will guarantee something - about 3-4 (maybe more) of the last years buys won't be here come the start of next season. much like the way spurs cut their losses quickly after wasting the Bale money

Hope is we get as much return for them as possible and that the next round of incoming players works out better

Bingo

 

[bluestevon]

True true.

Not a huge fan of players coming just for the money. Would like players to actually want to come here.

But it is what it is I guess.

thing is mate whose to say they are coming for the money or not

By reports Schneiderlin is on around the same money as at United - so in theory came here for the playing time - and he's looking the worst of the cba bunch atm

Niasse another player we recruited in January - received a huge pay rise coming from lokomotiv, so in theory you'd think money was a big motivation for him - and he's the one running through brick walls for the team.

 

[bluestevon]

Bingo

and this was done by the tactical guru that is a 70yo Roy Hodgson...


Basically a lot of excuses the teams hiding behind


The biggest personnel problem is right at the back, we are IMO the worst defensive team in the league atm, stats bare that out too, and the entire back 4 and holding mids need to take the blame for that

Most of all though it's that week in week out our cb's and holding mids look from minute one like they are overwhelmed, which is shocking

 

[davek]

Dave we just got played off the park by a team playing two inverted wingers leading their line.

The idea of this leading the line thing is if we where trying to play route one or fast counter attacking, we don't do either and don't even try, so basically we have lots of on paper 'good' players who are pointless having in the same squad.

Will guarantee something - about 3-4 (maybe more) of the last years buys won't be here come the start of next season. much like the way spurs cut their losses quickly after wasting the Bale money

Hope is we get as much return for them as possible and that the next round of incoming players works out better

They only looked like getting a winner when Benteke was introduced.

More than anything a target man with excellent movement is what we need here. DCL and Ramiro are 'head down' willing runners; they aren't cute enough to give defenders the slip. A striker with great movement can work off Sigurdsson/Rooney.

 

[ijjysmith]

thing is mate whose to say they are coming for the money or not

By reports Schneiderlin is on around the same money as at United - so in theory came here for the playing time - and he's looking the worst of the cba bunch atm

Niasse another player we recruited in January - received a huge pay rise coming from lokomotiv, so in theory you'd think money was a big motivation for him - and he's the one running through brick walls for the team.

Both of those examples came here when we didn’t look like complete turd though. Well Schneiderlin for sure.

My concern is players will come to us now for the dough, but we need players who will do everything to win. Not just the pay cheque.

 

[bluestevon]

They only looked like getting a winner when Benteke was introduced.

More than anything a target man with excellent movement is what we need here. DCL and Ramiro are 'head down' willing runners; they aren't cute enough to give defenders the slip. A striker with great movement can work off Sigurdsson/Rooney.

Heres the crux though mate, Lukaku himself didn't have great movement, he was great in acres of space with the ball ahead

even a top striker with the best movement in the world would stop what we saw today first half especially - which is a 40y gap between the striker and his nearest team-mate. we are woefully static as a team, have been for years - the martinez first season was a exception to that rule.

 

[bluestevon]

Both of those examples came here when we didn’t look like complete turf though. Well Schneiderlin for sure.

My concern is players will come to us now for the dough, but we need players who will do everything to win. Not just the pay cheque.

Which is waht a good DoF should be able to locate mate...


There lies a major issue though as do we have a DoF or not?

 

[ijjysmith]

Which is waht a good DoF should be able to locate mate...


There lies a major issue though as do we have a DoF or not?

Oh we have one. Whether he’s up to it is a totally different question.

 

[davek]

Heres the crux though mate, Lukaku himself didn't have great movement, he was great in acres of space with the ball ahead

even a top striker with the best movement in the world would stop what we saw today first half especially - which is a 40y gap between the striker and his nearest team-mate. we are woefully static as a team, have been for years - the martinez first season was a exception to that rule.

We're playing two defensive m/fs. There's no need for that.

These things are within our means to solve, but we have to recognise that we have no striker in the team who can make a difference if we do start closing up spaces between lines.

We're desperate for January.