Legod Second Coming

While I agree, please tell me you have NO desire to see us do that, badly, again...

If we could have the same relative success as Arsenal who must be the closest comparison in style I would settle for that. They lose at Bolton three years in four. Who gives a sh!t?? There are more teams in this league playing football than not. And, again, I think it shows a slight lack of respect for Blackpool to suggest they came and put ten men behind the ball or somehow muscled us out. Their first-half football was pacey, counter-attacking stuff and if Hammil could stand up and the black fella could finish a ham sandwich they could have been 4-0 up at one point!! Either I am watching different football matches to some people or we were just very poor at our game today. Just like Arsenal were last week. It didn't stop them burying Newcastle tonight and I'm having a sly tenner on us bouncing back at Loftus Road in a similar vein...

LOL, what a kop out. In your 'industry' do you not train people how to do something? And then monitor their performance and tell them where and how to improve?? Or do you send the secretary off to make a cup of tea and when she comes back with it too weak, send her back to make it with a broom, two paper clips and a manilla folder... Two choices my friend: 1. You show her how to make it and keep going until she does a good job. 2. Fire her and get someone in who can make it, ideally with bigger knockers. Does no-one in your office ever feck-up - ever? Cos that's what I would call today 'a bad day at the office'. But then, I'm positive about the new set-up because today was the first time I've seen it not work, so maybe my cup of tea is still half full

Oh good, back to player Scrabble. I've missed old Burley, really I have. Not knowing who might be playing one week to the next. Jesus, that was fun wasn't it? So much fun. Dined out on those team selections we did. So glad that above all, we learn from our mistakes at this club.

Then MoG. Tell me. What IS the alternative to a passing game?? I am genuinely struggling with this. If a player in any system looks up and passes to an opponent, what is the new plan?? Take him off, I guess. So what if eight are doing it?? Seriously? Let's not over-complicate football. It is such a simple game. Why do you think our passing game did not come off? Because Blackpool 'worked it out' - they sat in the dressing room and studied our approach which is to pass in a bloke wearing the same shirt?? So, they thought. Aha. Let's press and harry, put them under pressure and then instead of passing they will give the ball to us. Which we did. So what should we do?

Ahh, another Jonah and too tight to reply too...

We all like to be managers in the stands - some from armchairs too. But frankly, do you know anything about Michael Svensson at all? Can you imagine what it must have been like watching his cartilege removed to be grown in a test-tube? His only hope of ever being able to continue his dream?? Keeping going for four years! Can you? And you think he takes his place for granted?? Michael Svensson epitomises EVERYTHING that is missing in modern football. That does not make him immune from critcism of course. But, I'll bet my mortgage that he hurts more than ANYONE tonight and knows full well he's had a bad game. The idea that he of anybody takes his place for granted. Seriously?

When we won the Ashes everyone was going on about Ashley Giles. We lost a game and the world wanted to drop him. But it was Ashley's runs that helped win us that little urn. Sometimes in a team someone has a bad day but overall they are an ingredient in the team that it needs. I wouldn't be for wholesale changes based on losing one game in three myself... It's what I HATED about Burley. Either we have a best eleven or we don't. And do you drop players because of one bad game or because they're off form??

Would have been a bloody tap in too!! Best cross of the game. That Holmes has good a good left foot I reckon.

I don't disagree. But I think the idea is that the players have played it six times and it's worked three times. If you panned that out across the season, it would do for me! The difference between us executing it and Chelsea is £400million. We just need, in my view, to be patient while the lads learn the system inside out. We were badly let down today by the 1 in the middle not being on his game - but he's had some fantastic games so he's entitled to the odd shocker. I would give it a good couple of months before a rethink - although I'm sure our season will be over by then so at least the pressure will be off...

I would have thought that Holmes put in maybe 3 crosses first half and 3 second?? In the first half, one fell at the back post and McG and Lallana were both front! Would have been a bloody tap in! In the second half, no-one seemed to be in the box at all! But it was tough to see from where we were. I'm not convinced they 'stopped' us - didn't see that. Saw us play some really, really poor balls and too many of them behind the receiver. Yep, credit to Blackpool they stepped up. But the movement was poor today. At throw ins and corners we simply weren't showing enough. It just wasn't the same team who played the last three games - IMHO.

Ahh, you didn't catch Surman in front of the Kingsland then... Tom Daley eat your heart out!!! lol Although on the whole I agree, some of their antics were shocking - or they simply had to work so hard to beat us they wore out!!

On another thred Wes has put this down to tiredness and so has the manager. And certainly at times we looked 'sloppy'. For my money, we were 'buzzing' in both Brum games and at Derby and missed that today by some margin.

I watched JP today. And one thing you can say about the guy, he watches everything - like some beady-eyed eagle.

A bloody good tackle too - I was really proud of that! It showed me that even when the chips are down the lads do want to work for one another!

Check the yellow card stats - we dished out plenty. And rightly so...

Err, I have accepted that ALL the players had a poor game today. Why single out Killer?? People are judging him based on five year old evidence. Well guess what? Kylie ain't the 20-year old girl next door any more... But you're still wrong. We were not bullied in any of the games I've seen - nor would most say the same. Analysis of Cardiff - I saw as much as you- so NEITHER of us knows why we lost, but when I watched on TV I saw a kid give away a silly free-kick on 89 minutes gifting them a goal. Would you not agree had he not done that it would have been 1-1?? Birmingham we bossed for 50 minutes and then missed a sitter which would have taken us to 2-0. They went up the other end scored and then confidence rose among a team who are not physically better than us but contained players of the calibre of SKP who simply played better than us (albeit not by much). I do not believe there is a substitution in the world or tactical change in the world that would have altered that result given the team we have at our disposal. But perhaps you're right. JP should have bought Skacel on... Oh we then beat Derby - because they were no good.??..hmmm... funny that the defeats are our fault but the victories the opposition's?? Presumably this was also the case when JP stuck to his style of play and tactics to beat Exeter away and Birmingham at home?? The 'kids' are not too lightweight. And tell me this? If every time one of them makes a mistake they are hauled off or they don't appear to be working together well, what do you expect them to learn about playing football?? Yes Blackpool stopped us playing; because they WORKED harded than we did and still played football - some good, some bad. Like ours. The standards you are setting are too high for a team at this stage of its development. 99% of posters on here see progression and improvement. What do you expect? We have played 6 games and won 3 - that means at the very worst the manager is getting it right 50% of the time. What win ratio should we be aiming for?? Given that he has just exceeded every manager of our club in the post war era?

Which is the point. Neither today (nor against Birmingham) were we bullied by clunking big opponents. Your analysis is plain wrong.

I hope CB you are right and that perhaps (although I did not partake and was a bit surprised/chessed off) the booing at the end of the game might help. It will perhaps remind our players that if they want smoke blown up their arse, they have to remember that the good football still needs hard work as well. I was pleased to see some rash challenges today and I think, when you say 'brilliant', for me this is a major plus on this team versus last season's. Although we do try to play good, quick feet, football, we also (until much of today) were good at harrying, pressurising and working the midfield. I think we could all see he players' own frustrations today that for some reason it just wasn't coming off. Almost like they were thinking 'hang on, we're supposed to be better than you at this?' Blackpool didn't remote bully us, they simply played the better football - albeit with some woeful passing early on. At one point I thought they'd mistaken the stewards for their wingers... Going back to under-dogs and being under-estimated is what we need. Right now, we don't have the mentality to go into every game as favourites. That comes with time and lessons like today!

Seriously cheeky!! Mind you, it wasd a good save and he wanted to make sure we hadn't missed it!!! lol

Which is the total football ethos our manager is attempting to teach, right? Or did I wake up and find Burley in charge again...

What the FECK is a PLAN B?? Seriously. Is it a diet or something?? Or is it making substiutions and changing the shape of the team?? And if it's the latter, isn't that called 'football management'?? My view?? Some media tart started talking about Sven not having a 'Plan B' next thing you know it's a football convention. Like losing in a cup is good because you can concentrate on the league... Surely if a manager has 14 players he can use, and at least 4-4-2, 4-5-1, 4-3-3 then there's no such thing as a Plan B, simply a change of tactics to match the circumstances, or a change of personnel?? And didn't our manager make three changes of personnel today? Thus demonstrating that he could see things were not working and tried to change them. Or are we saying that our approach is PLAN A and that we need an alternative to 'total football'? Because isn't that a contradiction in terms since total footbal means exactly that.

Nope he's right, Glenn Johnson, Glenn Cokeril, Glenn Frey or John Glenn - all could have had a role to play today, although I'm struggling to know what a 70 year old astronaut might have done...

Did you see the way Kelvin admired his save on the big screen?? And then looked around to milk the applause!! Made me chuckle! And like him or loathe him if you do not think he kept us in it today, stay up 'til 2am and watch the game again on SKY and then, if you still think the same, can I recommend David Clulow...

Criticism is fine, but it should be balanced, considered and based on fact not hearsay. If anyone wants to criticise players tonight I am sure the players themselves would not disagree - they're not idiots and the manager has already put his hands up. Today we were not in it. We looked poor. It happens. If it happens REGULARLY then we have an issue. But I am sure even Alex Fegurson hasn't hit the panic button yet this season. To extrapolate from today that the manager has no Plan B based on (in my opinion) the only game where we have been truly below standard this season is just silly and sensationalist - it's the kind of crap that I rile against. If you are building a wall and lay three bricks badly, does that make you a bad builder? Or a builder who makes a mistake once in a while? And if you spot you laid them poorly and work to improve?? What does that make you?? A young team have played six competitive games together. They've won three and lost three. In each, until today, there had been improvements and in some, football of the highest calibre. In each, the players had played with confidence and trying to play the way we all (unless you are Howard Wilkinson) like to see football played. NEVER to my eyes have any of the lads shirked a challenge or hidden. Until today (and even then at a stretch) they put in a good shift and worked well as a team. On that basis, and a considered view that we might be learning and building, Alpine leaps in that this is an approach akin to burying our head in the sand?? Whay? Because we simply have more patience? People who have seen and witnessed years of crud dressed up as entertainment?? This, Alpine, is what annoys those among us who agreed with you about Burley. You don't seem to have changed tune, and yet the DJ is spiining totally different tracks, from a different deck, with better sounds and from a restricted library of music. You claim that we're seeing recurring patterns?? How can you make such claims - honestly, answer me? We know we lost three games - Cardiff, Brum and Blackpool today. But how can you lecture us about the manner of defeats when many of us have watched them and can see that the things you claim are not correct. And when we try to correct you (from a position of knowledge - even if our opinions are wrong) you cry foul?? I KNOW that a 15k crowd is worrying. So what I do is bring my daughter today and pick up someone else (who I met for the first time this morning) on route!!! If you cannot go, you cannot, fair enough. I have no issue with that. I have a HUGE issue with you not going and then telling me what happened and why... I'm sure you will see the nonsense here??