The gaffer deserves to be given time before we judge him

[Avmenon]

It wasnt the result that was so disappointing though.

It was the attitude of going there happy to get a point, and the fact that we saw all-too-familiar occurrences of weak line-ups and more importantly, a stubborn refusal to make subs.

It's not lost yet though.

With Meireles fit, we could see the end of Lucas.

Dont understand why we couldnt sell Lucas and keep Aqua.

That would have given us some depth in midfield.

 

[keniget]

I agree Avvy. It was just frustrating to sit through and frankly, I'm not interested in what he was trying to achieve with those comments. This has nothing whatsoever to do with giving the manager time, I'm just sick of watching a shit performance and then hearing the manager saying something even more shit.

 

[spider-Neil]

[quote author=mark1975 link=topic=41849.msg1173514#msg1173514 date=1284359270]
We haven't won at St Mary's for 7 years and they haven't been beaten there for a year, so it was never an easy fixture.
[/quote]

that's just a stat on a piece of paper marky, if we show no ambition that stat will never change. you only have to take a cursory glance at roy's away for the past few years to see a manager who is more than content with a point away from home, which to be fair is a good result for a midtable team but away points wont secure you 4th it will only secure you a midtable position or relegation if midtable teams take points from you at home.

roy's approach and team selections are frankly cowardly.

 

[mark1975]

[quote author=spider-neil link=topic=41849.msg1173524#msg1173524 date=1284361097]
[quote author=mark1975 link=topic=41849.msg1173514#msg1173514 date=1284359270]
We haven't won at St Mary's for 7 years and they haven't been beaten there for a year, so it was never an easy fixture.
[/quote]

that's just a stat on a piece of paper marky, if we show no ambition that stat will never change. you only have to take a cursory glance at roy's away for the past few years to see a manager who is more than content with a point away from home, which to be fair is a good result for a midtable team but away points wont secure you 4th it will only secure you a midtable position or relegation if midtable teams take points from you at home.

roy's approach and team selections are frankly cowardly.
[/quote]

His team selections are cowardly? How? He played what he had available, the only position really open for debate was the left wing, and that's much of a muchness whoever plays there. He played 442 (naively) at City. His subs are questionable and he was perhaps overly cautious with them, but Meireles wasn't fit enough to start apparently so all he had left was Lucas. The team selection wasn't wrong, because it was all we had, what was 'wrong' was him failing to recognise we had the upper hand late on and trying to capitalise on it by putting Babel and/or Pacheco on.

 

[dmishra]

Assuming Meireles was not match fit, wasn't Shelvey available?

 

[spider-Neil]

[quote author=mark1975 link=topic=41849.msg1173528#msg1173528 date=1284361745]
[quote author=spider-neil link=topic=41849.msg1173524#msg1173524 date=1284361097]
[quote author=mark1975 link=topic=41849.msg1173514#msg1173514 date=1284359270]
We haven't won at St Mary's for 7 years and they haven't been beaten there for a year, so it was never an easy fixture.
[/quote]

that's just a stat on a piece of paper marky, if we show no ambition that stat will never change. you only have to take a cursory glance at roy's away for the past few years to see a manager who is more than content with a point away from home, which to be fair is a good result for a midtable team but away points wont secure you 4th it will only secure you a midtable position or relegation if midtable teams take points from you at home.

roy's approach and team selections are frankly cowardly.
[/quote]

His team selections are cowardly? How? He played what he had available, the only position really open for debate was the left wing, and that's much of a muchness whoever plays there. He played 442 (naively) at City. His subs are questionable and he was perhaps overly cautious with them, but Meireles wasn't fit enough to start apparently so all he had left was Lucas. The team selection wasn't wrong, because it was all we had, what was 'wrong' was him failing to recognise we had the upper hand late on and trying to capitalise on it by putting Babel and/or Pacheco on.

[/quote]

he didn't use all of what was available, he has had weeks to evaluate lucas and he has worked with poulsen in the past, he knew what he would get through the middle of the park meaning a relience on maxi and jove to create chances.

since even before the fa cup win I was one of the first people asking rafa to play gerrard behind the striker and in an ideal world that where I would want gerrard to play but if we are faced with playing poulsen and lucas together then gerrard has GOT to start in the center of midfield until meireles is fit.

he played the crab brothers together KNOWING it would hand the incentive to brum and frankly they should have punished us. I hope it is the last time we see those two together in the middle of the pitch, but somehow I doubt it.

 

[dmishra]

[quote author=spider-neil link=topic=41849.msg1173531#msg1173531 date=1284362421]
[quote author=mark1975 link=topic=41849.msg1173528#msg1173528 date=1284361745]
[quote author=spider-neil link=topic=41849.msg1173524#msg1173524 date=1284361097]
[quote author=mark1975 link=topic=41849.msg1173514#msg1173514 date=1284359270]
We haven't won at St Mary's for 7 years and they haven't been beaten there for a year, so it was never an easy fixture.
[/quote]

that's just a stat on a piece of paper marky, if we show no ambition that stat will never change. you only have to take a cursory glance at roy's away for the past few years to see a manager who is more than content with a point away from home, which to be fair is a good result for a midtable team but away points wont secure you 4th it will only secure you a midtable position or relegation if midtable teams take points from you at home.

roy's approach and team selections are frankly cowardly.
[/quote]

His team selections are cowardly? How? He played what he had available, the only position really open for debate was the left wing, and that's much of a muchness whoever plays there. He played 442 (naively) at City. His subs are questionable and he was perhaps overly cautious with them, but Meireles wasn't fit enough to start apparently so all he had left was Lucas. The team selection wasn't wrong, because it was all we had, what was 'wrong' was him failing to recognise we had the upper hand late on and trying to capitalise on it by putting Babel and/or Pacheco on.

[/quote]

he didn't use all of what was available, he has had weeks to evaluate lucas and he has worked with poulsen in the past, he knew what he would get through the middle of the park meaning a relience on maxi and jove to create chances.

since even before the fa cup win I was one of the first people asking rafa to play gerrard behind the striker and in an ideal world that where I would want gerrard to play but if we are faced with playing poulsen and lucas together then gerrard has GOT to start in the center of midfield until meireles is fit.

he played the crab brothers together KNOWING it would hand the incentive to brum and frankly they should have punished us. I hope it is the last time we see those two together in the middle of the pitch, but somehow I doubt it.
[/quote]

Spot on. And in the event he had himself fixed on playing Gerrard behind the striker and two in midfield, one of those should surely have been Shelvey.

 

[Hansern]

To be fair to Roy, losing Cole for 3 games was a massive blow. Even if he hasn't started his career brilliantly, he is one of our most creative players.

Gerrard shouldn't play behind Torres anymore, he should be in the middle of the field running the game. Thats were he's best at this point. Yesterday he struggled to get into the game, as he always recived the ball with his back to goal and couldn't start any attacks. Torres was getting murdered against Danns and Johnson, and we should have kept the ball on the ground.

Signing Meireles and Konchesky is a good move, and our first eleven looks strong now.

Anyhoo, we've been given the hardest fixture list for years, and that isn't a favour to Roy either. I'll wait until we've played at least 10 games before making any judgement. Anything else is stupid.

 

[keniget]

Who the fuck are Dans and Johnson anyways? Did they come up from the Brum youth academy?

 

[dmishra]

No, they were both signed. They've actually been an excellent defensive partnership over the past couple of years.

Also, Scott Dann's a scouser and a massive Liverpool fan apparently.

 

[Hansern]

Both signed from the Championship. McLeish has been pretty good at building the right type of team.

 

[jexykrodic]

I think judgment on Roy Hodgson rests with new ownership. Any new owner with financial clout will no doubt have their own man in mind. Until then I think Roy Hodgson is invulnerable. Only catastrophic form will worry the current board; all their energies are elsewhere.

 

[Fox]

I find this knocking of Roy so soon truly pathetic what the fuck have footy fans become

If you want to blame anyone so far then save it for Cole, hardly Roys fault his star signing got a 3 match ban.

 

[spider-Neil]

[quote author=jexykrodic link=topic=41849.msg1173596#msg1173596 date=1284368517]
I think judgment on Roy Hodgson rests with new ownership. Any new owner with financial clout will no doubt have their own man in mind. Until then I think Roy Hodgson is invulnerable. Only catastrophic form will worry the current board; all their energies are elsewhere.
[/quote]

the owners are just an excuse for what happens on matchday, were G&H responsible for roy's reluctance to make a sub before 70 mins?

 

[manwithnoname]

[quote author=Fox link=topic=41849.msg1173602#msg1173602 date=1284369509]
I find this knocking of Roy so soon truly pathetic what the fuck have footy fans become

If you want to blame anyone so far then save it for Cole, hardly Roys fault his star signing got a 3 match ban.
[/quote]

Yes, Cole was to blame for that display.

*belmbelmbelmbelm*

 

[jexykrodic]

[quote author=spider-neil link=topic=41849.msg1173603#msg1173603 date=1284369594]
[quote author=jexykrodic link=topic=41849.msg1173596#msg1173596 date=1284368517]
I think judgment on Roy Hodgson rests with new ownership. Any new owner with financial clout will no doubt have their own man in mind. Until then I think Roy Hodgson is invulnerable. Only catastrophic form will worry the current board; all their energies are elsewhere.
[/quote]

the owners are just an excuse for what happens on matchday, were G&H responsible for roy's reluctance to make a sub before 70 mins?
[/quote]

Point taken. Changes could have been made sooner. Indeed I don't understand why we didn't start Meireles in place of Lucas to begin with.

Houllier, Benitez and now Hodgson all made selections which baffle me so there's nothing new in that. I just see it as a fan and obviously don't see the same things as manager's do.

I mentioned ownership because I don't think Hodgson will be retained by new money owners, I think they'll want a more fashionable candidate rather than a stability candidate.

 

[Squiggles]

I'm still backing him, and I don't think he deserves much of the deriding he receives on here.

 

[FoxForceFive]

[quote author=dmishra link=topic=41849.msg1173550#msg1173550 date=1284363865]
No, they were both signed. They've actually been an excellent defensive partnership over the past couple of years.

Also, Scott Dann's a scouser and a massive Liverpool fan apparently.
[/quote]

He is a massive red yeah. He's a friend of a friend.

 

[Woland]

I remember finishing joint 5th with Bolton in Benitez's first season. There was this other cup thingy too, but 58 points... I think we should manage more than that this year.

We have had some seriously tough games to start the season. After the first 5 games we'll have played both Mancs away, Arse and Brum away... I mean that is a very tough run compared to what most other sides have faced. You've got to see where we are at xmas.

 

[Mistadobalina]

It's pretty impressive for a side like Birmingham to go 12 months without loosing at home. MacLeish is doing a very good job.

I hope this Scott Dan is continuing to develop nice to see genuine reds doing well maybe he can replace Carra one day.

Poulsen is looking like a bit of a dog. I hope he is just finding his form and fitness, so we can see the skill and natural talent that Roy must believe he has.