04 Feb 2018 11:29:59
I don’t believe Sam will ever win us over to be honest. He just doesn’t fit. We can’t just blame him though he has made bad decisions but he has done some good too. He has tried to rearrange the squad in one transfer window reducing the squad size and giving it more balance with the importance of taking the burden off the youngsters.
Some have criticised him for saying we tried to copy what Swansea did previously I don’t see what is wrong with that all clubs watch the opposition before to find their weaknesses so think that’s unfair to be honest. And Swansea played with a back five too. The players need to take responsibility and don’t see anything wrong with a manager coming out and saying so, players today get to much protection and earn top dollar and a good old fashioned roasting from the manager maybe what some of them need to pull their finger out.
You look at the quality of our players on paper and we have underperformed all season.
Now Sams decisions that baffle me, I never thought Seamus was going to play yesterday in such a short space of time after the Leicester game. ( better to protect him, I know he had flu too) .
We are out of all other competitions so why rotate our team every game? Especially the back four or five. Yeh Kenny in for Coleman, Keane we invested in and he has played well in games ie Chelsea and Leicester but has been either injured or rotated, stick with him. Jagielka played well Wednesday and surely could manage two games. Williams is past it I think and should have loaned him out on deadline day. We have all said enough about LB and don’t understand the Garbutt situation. I would like to see us for the rest of the season Coleman, Keane, Mangala and Garbutt if not Martina. And stick with them apart from injuries/ suspensions. Then give Kenny and Holgate game time when we are in a more comfortable position ie winning.
Midfield Gana is a given then Davies alongside him as he’s always shown desire I can see maybe why he hasn’t played as much as he has dipped from last year. I don’t know what has happened to Schneiderlin but still believe him and Gana could protect the defence allowing the attacking four of Walcott, Tosun/ Niasse, Bolasie with Sigurdson in the no10 role what we bought him for. And Give DCL game time at the right time.
I don’t agree with Lookman going out on loan because if anything happens to Bolasie or Walcott we lose our width. And the kid has pace and quality.
Sam said Rooney and Sigurdson can’t play together, so next game he does so and then game after he plays neither?
Tosun needs games to adapt so play him or is he not as good as thought? I suppose it’s not fair on the lad to throw him into a team playing with no confidence.
04 Feb 2018 12:23:14
Arsenal at home and arsenal away are 2 totally different teams so to copy Swansea was a big mistake, and any manager worth his salt should know that. Why not play the team that stifled liverpool so well, or even better, why not stick with a winning eleven, barring the changes through injury.
We have 2 games in 3 weeks now, so resting them isn't an issue.
04 Feb 2018 13:18:18
Yes Arsenal away/ Home is different but still can exploit their weaknesses too. They are not Liverpool so will have different threats ie on set pieces one team may be more of a threat or more pace on the break etc.
I agree with not changing a winning team or more importantly a settled team even if we draw players build up partnerships throughout. Coleman and Walcott, Keane and Jagielka, Gana and Schneiderlin should be good the amount they have played. Sigurdson and Tosun as Gylfi will know what runs Cenk will make or if he wants it to feet front post etc.
The point I was making about the manager is one thing Sam has done he’s told the players he’s the manager and has the authority and hopefully get a reaction from the players next game. As I said he doesn’t fit our DNA. Going forward with his replacement though we need a manager who can manage big name players and egos I think Koeman couldn’t or Unsworth that’s why Schneiderlin is playing so poor this season.
I don’t think Howe could either. So who?
04 Feb 2018 14:14:34
Robbie if these players have no respect for the manager then a good manager takes no crap and ships them out.
I like everything you covered, even down to team selection, but not sure about this Mangala yet, but suppose we need to give people a chance to prove them selves (Garbutt and Tosun) . We now have 5 CB with another returning to fitness. I think having a big tram with only one competition brings its own problems, but agree with everyone that a settled back for is essential to any team. I believe Rooney and Sig could play together, Sig 10 and Rooney next to Gana, but only next to Gana as he would need his protection behind him.
I’ve said before, I have supported SA when he came, more that he is the manager, not that I totally agreed with the choice, but it was a shambles at the time. But his team selection yesterday had me baffled, and I admit he is slowly losing me, at first I wasn’t bothered if he stayed past the summer, give the man a chance if he proves himself worthy, but everything he goes by, a settled team, well balanced, he seems to be going against. We all seen it was team selection and formation that let us down, that defence didn’t know where they was meant to be, total confusion. SA took no blame, he should of at least fell on his sword for the first half, acknowledgment would of gone some way with some supporters, but as some one else said he decided to throw the players to the wolves.
Times running out fast for SA, but I think we got more going on than him. This DoF thing is messed up, no direction of play, SA 18 months shows no faith in the manager. There is something wrong internally as you can see when SA was asked about recruitment, answered I don’t know, not down to me, and never looked happy when asked. We are getting something wrong and unless we get this right it won’t matter what manager we have.
04 Feb 2018 15:33:48
Agree Bestyrne, we were better after the formation change and that has to be big Sam's doing. He can't expect a team to learn a whole new style and tactic in 2 days.
04 Feb 2018 15:55:45
Exactly smit, he picked first formation it failed, after change we seen some improvement, albeit arsenal felt no pressure at that time. He made the selection and the change so is responsible for both. He should of turned round and said ‘I got it wrong’ cause we all seen it.
04 Feb 2018 16:51:28
Maybe he'll come out and say he should have been more defensive, like he did after the spurs game.
Let's face it, he doesn't know how to manage big players, it's an art, and one club's pay managers big money for.
04 Feb 2018 23:30:40
His Swansea comparison must have been instantly regretted? What kinda moron says that? Didn't stack up. This man will never take his responsibilities. Are we really surprised?
Get him out before he does years of damage.