[Archived] City Away - Monday 11 January 2010

[sambo]

Lose the semi final, and expect the tide to turn big time against Sam. I think that game is the only thing stopping many.

[Steve Moss]

Too many under-performing or poor players.

. . .

For me the next 2 league home games decide Sams future - we must take a minimum of 4 points from those 2 games, ideally 6. If not then he is walking a very fine line.

I actually agree with this Hughsey. I've defended Sam, and will continue to do so, but if he can't get 4-6 points in the next two home games then what is the point?

But I would add to it. In the next week, I would sell a slew of players if I were Sam. Clear out the leeches, the passive, the underperformers. And I don't care who their names may be. I'd go with a younger squad, one that isn't as infected with the poison, over the next few games.

[JAL]

Watching Micah Richards running through the midfield, past Andrews and Nzonzi, was embarrassing both should'nt be anywhere near the first team from now on.

Andrews HAS to be moved out of the club during this window otherwise it smacks of bad bad mangement.

[RevidgeBlue]

If I was John Williams before the semi final I'd be calling an emergency meeting behind locked doors with him, Tom Finn, David Brown from the Trustees, Sam, the coaching staff and the first team squad. And attempt to get to the bottom of any problems.

Because it certainly looked as though the team were not performing for the manager tonight.

And then decide what to do after that.

[patrickvalery]

Firstly i must say i only have information from the radio because i'm at work. If it doesn't reflect what other saw then i apologise.

Tonight was typical of all our problems.

Firstly the choice of full backs was terrible. Every man and his dog knows City's wide men are what makes them tick. We'd have done better playing nobody out there because Jacobsen and Givet were always going to struggle against pace.

Playing one up front against a side which were always likely to stretch us was criminal. Not a defence in the land could withstand contstant pressure for 90 minutes. WE NEED AN OUTLET!!! Somewhere to keep the ball in order to give the likes of Givet, Nelsen, Jacobsen and Dunn a break their legs need. Di Santo works hard but cannot relive the pressure on his own. Consequently any midfielder breaking to even attempt to support him leaves us out of shape and easy to break down when the ball comes back.

These two problems are tactical and Allardyce should take full responsibility for them.

Other than that the problems are, i'm afraid, much more serious.

You cannot keep selling your best talent and not replacing them. We have sold RSC, Bentley and Warnock for good money and not one of them has been replaced sufficiently. We all know it, but there isn't anything much we can do about this.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. But it does seem that we spent poorly in the summer. I like Kalinic and think he'll have a decent career. But £6m on him when we had McCarthy was perhaps a gamble not worth taking. I think the side would have been better balanced and more sucessful with a strike force of McCarthy, Roberts and Derbs and the addition of two or three premier league level midfielders. I know that strike force is hardly mouth watering. But we could have all the talent in the world up there and it would be wasted. We do not control tempo from the middle. We do not trouble, stretch or impose ourselves on ANY oppositions back four.

The likes of Emerton (annoymous first half), Andrews, Pedersen, Diouf and Reid are finished. They have never been top drawer even when they were at their peak. Now they are what i'd expect of a team considered relegation fodder. Unfortunately i'm not sure the likes of Meriem, and the young lads we've been linked with from France are going to have the necessary qualities quickly enough to remedy this. The young lads were the sort of signings we should have made two years ago.

Lastly there is no leadership on the pitch. Givet looks a shadow of himself. He lead by example last year and i firmly believe his performances lifted the spirits. This year we are seriously lacking anyone who will put a foot in, demand the ball and take ownership / responsibilty for our play. The weight on Dunny's shoulders to do this is too great for someone who is lucky to still be playing the game. I know the names were panned in the summer. But how i'd love a midfield of Nolan, Smith and Barton now. Some proper grit and someone who cares. regardless of the moral issue over past misdemeanours.

[broadsword]

If I was John Williams before the semi final I'd be calling an emergency meeting behind locked doors with him, Tom Finn, David Brown from the Trustees, Sam, the coaching staff and the first team squad.

never talk to the monkey when the organ grinder is in the room!

[tomphil]

My point of view is basically this:

The players arent good enough -

Sam could pick any formation and use any tactics and we still would find ourselves in this position. We have no talent going forward and only pose a threat if we commit virtually the whole team to attack - which is why we've managed to come back from behind on a couple of occasions.

The Hoofball tactics -

Its a simple choice. Do we either

A ) play tippy tappy football up until the penalty area and lose possession without causing any problems at all,

OR B)do we just lump it up to at least give their defence something to think about.

We cannot play version A) as we do not have the players and B ) is ugly and very rarely makes any difference. Hard call either way

Sam's negativity -

Understandable if they worked. They havent worked all season. The second half today showed that at least with a 442 we could potentially squeeze in a goal somehow. The idea of containing City with a 451 manned by our inept midfield and unreliable defence, was never going to work.

Overall, just a dire situation to be in. Just get us to the end of the season playing in the same division and i'll be happy. Forget the Carling Cup. Even if we got to Wembley, we'd get dominated by one of the Manc sides.

Sams negativity thats the key point here. He keeps swapping the personel round but its the same old tactics and formation and its crystal now that it just aint working. I cant think of 1 prem game home or away that the first half right from the 1st min has not been utter utter rubbish and my worry is he cant or isnt motavating most of these players. Everything about him, his manner, attitude, interviews and tactics is dour and negative and its rubbing off on the whole thing.

[Hughesy]

Christ, that's some departure on your 'Sam's taking us forward' line that you peddled only last week.

Much the same as your U turn on Ince just over 12 months ago that you keep conveniently forgetting.

Ah here he comes!

Based on last season I still believe he is moving us forward...however with our resources its taking too long and he needs some extra backing from the board. We need to shift some of the muppets like Andrews, Roberts, Reid now and get new blood in.

Ince I backed until I saw fit - I dont believe in knee-jerk reactions based on a few results like yours truly.

As for Sam - Last season we were bottom, now we are 13th. Iv seen many missed points and opportunities this season, however Iv also seen some awful performances (Everton & Tonight being the worst 2). Like I said before 2 more league games to decide his future.

Like others have said - I cannot see anyone who is better prepared to take over and change us around, we have too much crap which has been signed in the past and needs shifting!!

But go on LD the stage is yours - what would you do/ appoint?

[joey_big_nose]

If I was John Williams before the semi final I'd be calling an emergency meeting behind locked doors with him, Tom Finn, David Brown from the Trustees, Sam, the coaching staff and the first team squad. And attempt to get to the bottom of any problems.

Because it certainly looked as though the team were not performing for the manager tonight.

And then decide what to do after that.

Agree with this. The lack of work rate and body language suggested there was no desire across the team. Has Sam lost the dressing room? Probably - Robinson, Samba, Dunn, Emerton and Nelsen aside, no one actually knows what their role is in the team and what their future is at Rovers. That must be lethal to morale.

We are really beginning to suffer now from not having a settled ship.

[T4E]

If anybody wants cheering up, Premiership Years 1994-95 is on Sky Sports 1 now.

[RevidgeBlue]

If anybody wants cheering up, Premiership Years 1994-95 is on Sky Sports 1 now.

That's even more depressing, can almost imagine Jim Bowen going: - "Here's what you used to be like"

[Tom]

Wow what a contrast

[T4E]

That's even more depressing, can almost imagine Jim Bowen going: - "Here's what you used to be like"

I was enjoying it until you said that. Cheers then!

[joey_big_nose]

Top of the boards selective or preferable list that is.

The board is the problem, shrunk down in size several years ago, seems this selective few have'nt done their homework very well regarding appointments.

Who else did the fans want? Ince was quite popular when he came in, there was no other candidate (apart from Shearer) the fans backed more than him. Allardyce had quite a lot of people who hated him, but equally no other names on the table that had his gravitas in the relegation fight we were in.

I do however agree whoever conducted the interview with Ince presided over a shambles as I cannot see how he cames across as competant and having enough structured ideas on how to take the club forward. Allardcye on the other hand seems a shrewed appointment as it kept us in the division and will still, probably (although it looks less likely by the week), manage it this year which was the only real requirement.

Issue is clearly long term Sam is not an option. He just doesn't look up for it anymore, 18 months on his contract, and clearly the financial situaton at the club is depressing him enormously. We need to find someone with the passion to get the most out of the club as possible, as well as intelligence, authority and the skill to do it.

THat neccessarily means next manager in is going to be another gamble, I just hope whoever does the interviews has a better structure to it next time and find someone with real quality.

[Majiball]

Hi lads didn't fancy it tonight so went iceskating instead so how did we get on?

[DarrellH]

Not good enough and I think it's time for Mr Sam Allardyce to take a long hard look in the mirror. 'Leave it to me I'm the expert' were his words earlier in the season - yeah we left it to you and look at this tripe we have to watch week in week out. Two subs at half time is a sure sign of a manager who hasn't got a clue what his team is... Sort it out or ship out Allardyce - I'm sick of watching Balckburn Rovers surrender the game before it's even kicked off!!!!

[bellamy11]

For me the next 2 league home games decide Sams future - we must take a minimum of 4 points from those 2 games, ideally 6. If not then he is walking a very fine line.

I don't understand this logic. Either you believe in the manager or you don't. If you believe in him (as you have done regularly on here) then why give him such a short-term target? What happens if we draw both games, for example? Would you fire him?

[thenodrog]

Someone get souness and tugay on the phone

enough is enough

Absolutely unbelievable that 3 people have given you a bonus mark for that emotional crap! When Souness left and NUFC actually paid us for his services it was the best result we could have ever dreamed of. You must have the memory capacity of an average goldfish! Souness was taking us down and no mistake. SA might also be now but I can assure you souness is not a solution.

As for Tugay??? FFS he's been a player and never ever looked like making a manager.

I'm sorry if I've offended you TCO but to be honest immature, poorly thought out and emotive posts do my piggin head in.

[thenodrog]

We miss Bentley so badly, this side has gone downhill ever since his sale. What a stupid decision that was and its going to see us relegated.

Missed him greatly but he wouldn't sign a new contract so we had to cash in. I wanted Ince to come out and say that NO ONE leaves until christmas but he didn't and so Bentley went. In fairness to all if Ince had forbidden him to leave he'd still have left in January or we'd have lost big money.

The prob was with Ince thinking that he could replace him with Julie!

[Tom]

Absolutely unbelievable that 3 people have given you a bonus mark for that emotional crap! When Souness left and NUFC actually paid us for his services it was the best result we could have ever dreamed of. You must have the memory capacity of an average goldfish! Souness was taking us down and no mistake. SA might also be now but I can assure you souness is not a solution.

As for Tugay??? FFS he's been a player and never ever looked like making a manager.

I'm sorry if I've offended you TCO but to be honest immature, poorly thought out and emotive posts do my piggin head in.

no offence taken, the post wasn't meant to be serious but I mist admit I have an affection for souness.

As for immature emotive posts, fancy a round of golf?

[Seedstral]

The vast majority of fans didnt want either INCE, OR ALLARDYCE, yet our board chose them both, absolute quality judgment.

The problems with Rovers seems to stem from the boardroom.

Who would you rather have then and forget Hughes as theres no way hes coming back. Look at the betting market for our carrot friends and most of that list would be on ours too in other words theres nobody better out there in my opinion!!

[Tris]

average goldfish!

I'm sorry if I've offended you TCO but to be honest immature, poorly thought out and emotive posts do my piggin head in.

No Gordon, you're upset about the result, and that always brings the goldfish comment out.

The semi final is a must win. If we approach it like we approached tonight, "emotive" will be the most polite word on this mb.

[JAL]

Well, at least Morten Gamst Pedersen scored a good goal. Thank you Morten!

[AggyBlue]

Bollux. That was just humiliating.

The three subs seemed to make a difference when they came on in the second half. Young, hungry and with something to prove.

Their attitude was first class, unlike some of the old guard. The been there, seen it, done it brigade that just don't seem to be arsed.

[tcj_jones]

I can't wait to see the back of Pedersen. He played well for a dozen games and then tried his very best to engineer a move away. When this didn't come to fruition, he turned to crap and has been ever since.

I wanted to punch him when he started celebrating his goal at 3-0 down.