Despite the results.
Defensively we were, once again, shambolic. But when we decided to play after the 3rd we looked a lot better. Pressed high, quick passing, Dembele looking confident and strangely a couple of them looked more happy and comfortable taking the game to Blackburn.
It’s just my opinion, but there’s also clear problems being a high press team that create spaces and do quick progressive passes - we’ve just not got good enough quality. And that’s the players problem not the Clubs or Fans. How on earth do some of them think they’ll ever be good enough for a top Championship side I’ll never know.
Unfortunately it looks like Bielik is totally out of his depth in this new style. Weirdly Sanderson, too - as well as Aiwu, when you’d think we had those two centre backs who’d relish playing the game being encouraged to get the ball down and play.
Ruddy, too, as brilliant as he’s been, cannot do what’s asked of him.
It’s going to be a big January. Imo it’s right to judge Rooney properly when he’s got a couple of players that can stop giving away the cheap goals so easily but also adding the players that will be more comfortable playing in a team that wants to get the ball down and take the game to the opponent.
On a positive note, JJ was brilliant, Buchanan is on his way to being our Player of the Season and Dembele looks back to his best.
Yeah, I can see the style he wants. I'm not convinced it'll work in the short term but I effing hope so.
I'd love to see a Blues team that attacks like that without being wide open at the back. I'll give it more time of course but I do hate seeing us lose.
I agree.
But am I being too kind on the coaching staff If I say you can’t legislate for bad individual defending? They’ve literally got Ashley Cole and John O’Shea on the training pitch and there to pick their brains on how to improve.
Sanderson and Aiwu (again, just my pointless opinion) have been incredibly poor. Longelo struggled a couple of games ago as well, but he’s young, learning and a honest enough as a player.
We can now start to see who’s becoming the weak links for a Club that wants and expects to be competing for play-offs and Premier League?
Reminded me a lot of the Preston Game - over 90 minutes we're the better team but still managed to lose for the same reasons. Woeful final ball in attack and shambolic defending. You cannot gift three goals like that and expect anything from the game.
You can see positives, and patches where we play good football though. I didn't want WR as manager but I really hope he turns this round. I'm worried he won't be able to get the players he wants in Jan for FFP reasons.
The first half (other than the first awful ten minutes) we were good too. That 15 minutes after half time was abysmal. But overall given we were the better side for 70 minutes we need to be getting points from those games.
The first half (other than the first awful ten minutes) we were good too. That 15 minutes after half time was abysmal. But overall given we were the better side for 70 minutes we need to be getting points from those games.
"That 15 minutes after half time was abysmal." ... that would be the 15 minutes directly after the manager gave his half-time talk ? ... or am i misinterpreting what you are saying. Are the cult turning on him ?
I hope not.
Up The Rooney says Rags
Finding Fast, aggressive centre halves who have also excellent distribution…
Very difficult and nearly impossible for championship club.
Another striker would be a better option.
Get the coaches to sort out the defensive shape… it’s not just the players… it’s too easy for other teams
I'd love to see it too. But you need better players than we have or are likely to have anytime soon for it to work. And by work I mean play that way and win at the same time.
They were dreadful individual defensive errors. Aiwu in particular had a stinker, but the line was so high those mistakes were more likley to happen.
We seem to be defending running back to goal evrey time the opposition breaks. It's so much easier to defend when the play is in front of you.
I don't want us to go back to the low block we played under JE but we need to find a happy medium. Atleast in the short term.
Going forward was very encouraging. Most of tonight and most of Ipswich at home makes me think this can work.
I know, and I guess it’s a big January for Craig Gardner in that respect - in terms of trying to find them players.
But it’s obvious Ruddy and Sanderson (Long, too, in those first few Rooney games) cannot defend nor be comfortable in a team that wants to press higher and attack but also to be able to get back and be organised when out of possession.
Can absolutely see what he wants to do and I am 100% behind it…..just not the timing of the decision to start implementing it.
It’s such a dramatic change from JE and co, why pull the trigger on it mid - October?
Rooney has international recognition. Players & their agents will more likely be attracted to a project spearheaded by him than by JE.
It will happen in time.
TRCan absolutely see what he wants to do and I am 100% behind it…..just not the timing of the decision to start implementing it.
It’s such a dramatic change from JE and co, why pull the trigger on it mid - October?
Yeah this needed 6 weeks of pre season to get fitness tactics and patterns of play drilled in them. Here we’ve got 3 game weeks which means little time on the training ground, we’ve had 2 international breaks where half of Rooney’s staff go off for 10 days. It’s not a surprise it’s still a shambles, albeit with rays of positivity tonight
The thing I don’t get is the Rooney rumours came around soon after the takeover then went away until he was appointed. It’s clear Cooke had selected him, so why not get him pre season? If both parties were so bought into the project, why not get him out of DC rather than wait for his contract to expire. Is Wayne only here now because he failed to get them into the playoffs - if he’d have done a good job over there, would he have stayed?
This season has been written off by making that change in October which is galling after the off the field positivity and the on field success at the start of the season
LondonBlueDespite the results.
Defensively we were, once again, shambolic. But when we decided to play after the 3rd we looked a lot better. Pressed high, quick passing, Dembele looking confident and strangely a couple of them looked more happy and comfortable taking the game to Blackburn.
It’s just my opinion, but there’s also clear problems being a high press team that create spaces and do quick progressive passes - we’ve just not got good enough quality. And that’s the players problem not the Clubs or Fans. How on earth do some of them think they’ll ever be good enough for a top Championship side I’ll never know.
Unfortunately it looks like Bielik is totally out of his depth in this new style. Weirdly Sanderson, too - as well as Aiwu, when you’d think we had those two centre backs who’d relish playing the game being encouraged to get the ball down and play.
Ruddy, too, as brilliant as he’s been, cannot do what’s asked of him.
It’s going to be a big January. Imo it’s right to judge Rooney properly when he’s got a couple of players that can stop giving away the cheap goals so easily but also adding the players that will be more comfortable playing in a team that wants to get the ball down and take the game to the opponent.
On a positive note, JJ was brilliant, Buchanan is on his way to being our Player of the Season and Dembele looks back to his best.
Post of the evening. Have a bronx hat
Last 7 games under WR - we've conceded 16 goals
Last 7 games under JE - we conceded 9 goals (including the Bielik bullet-like headed own goal against Preston)