True, but under Eustace they were still letting in soft goals that shouldn’t happen at this level.
Preston is the perfect example of it. This isn’t a Rooney, nor Eustace, issue. We could bring in Pulis and sit in to park the bus for the 90 mins and the same old culprits will rear their heads.
Under this ambitious board, a couple of the lads look like they’ll be goners come January.
Edit: I didn’t call Eustace a “DVB”. Not sure why it does that admin?
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.
Spot on this. Sanderson, Aiwu and Ruddy all struggling and a liability. JJ excellent MOM performance. Only thing I'll say is Dembele was fantastic when we had the ball, but out of possession he was poor second half.
It seemed we just sat there in neutral at the start of both halves, but once we got going were the better side. It's encouraging in a way that it's our errors that are costing us, if we can just cut them out.....
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.
The problem is you have just named 4 out of 11 starters that don’t work in this system. Regardless of what you think of the system, a manager has to work with what he has at his disposal NOW. If we get players in January that can play in this system, then fine. Meanwhile we are throwing away points , and writing off a season, persisting with a system that nearly half the team can’t play in effectively.
And on the original point. I’m not sure I can see what he is trying to do
Rant over I’m off to bed
LondonBlue- 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.
The problem with it being ‘the players problem’ and then ‘not being good enough’ is the fact that before a brainless decision by the board these same players were 6th in the league.
I don't know if you read the script but that 6th didn't count as we got a lucky penalty against the Baggies
So the crux of this thread seems to be a large contingent of the players we signed in the summer can't play the way the new manager wants and that we'll need more players in Jan to play his way but we probably can't really sign that level of player because they're expensive and we don't have the ability to spend like that.
It really does seem like poor decision making from the top if this is accurate.
bluer than bluesSo the crux of this thread seems to be a large contingent of the players we signed in the summer can't play the way the new manager wants and that we'll need more players in Jan to play his way but we probably can't really sign that level of player because they're expensive and we don't have the ability to spend like that.
It really does seem like poor decision making from the top if this is accurate.
Laird, Buchanan, Dembele, Miyoshi and Stansfield are all obvious upgrades, Sunjic is a bonus and JJ is a star in the making. The big issue for me is our failure to harness their ability in a way that brings results.
Last season we were greater than the sum of our parts, this season we are way below it.
Or alternatively, if Cook and Rooney were as good mates as we have heard he could have just had a word and told him the job was his and enjoy some time off until we have a couple of bad results and sack J E.
I think that way would have gave Rooney a lot more slack from the fans.
Sanderson looks like a proper footballer to me, they must be able to get him working in the new style, it's a coaching issue to me not a quality issue.
Rooney was brought in during a time of relative strength i.e. 6th in the table. I imagine his remit was to build on this in the here and now with these players. Instead, we are spiralling down the table playing a style that doesn't work, and who knows if we will be able to sign the many missing links in January (the summer may be too late).
LondonBlue- 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.
The problem with it being ‘the players problem’ and then ‘not being good enough’ is the fact that before a brainless decision by the board these same players were 6th in the league.
Some questions for you:
Where do you think we would currently be in the table if JE was still at the helm?
How quickly do you think the playing style/consistency of performance would have improved if JE was given more time?
Do you suffer from neck pain constantly looking backwards instead of forwards?
For the most part Blues were great to watch last night. We lost because of the mistakes and because we didn't take our chances. The football is on the whole more entertaining that under Eustace. My 11 year old son is loving watching Blues at the moment and reckons it is much more exciting.
Rooney has set his stall out on how we wants to play. He's played it from day one because he wants to know who's capable of playing his way. Inevitably some can't and are showing so. They will be replaced in the next 12 months.
How else should we play? Under Eustace we were shambolic at times but most certainly got the rub of the green in certain matches. Rooney simply hasn't had that luck.
He needs to be given time as do the players. Have faith.
JohnPSanderson looks like a proper footballer to me, they must be able to get him working in the new style, it's a coaching issue to me not a quality issue.
Agree with this, we know he is a good player.
We have stopped protecting the defence.
The style we are trying to implement requires the goalkeeper to genuinely play as a sweeper. I rate Ruddy as the best keeper we have had since Foster and Hart BUT at 37 years old asking him to become an outfield player is daft. It is costing us.
I enjoyed the first half after the initial 10 minutes but we are so open.
16 goals conceded and 4 points in 7 games speaks for itself but we obviously can discuss things on here as it is a message board but ultimately it has been stressed the road to where we are going will take time.
Up the Rooney
KRO
johnthefenceLast season we were greater than the sum of our parts, this season we are way below it.
Last season we were, at times, for sure. Although, results wise, there were a good three or four runs of form when we were having runs similar to the one we’re in now.
Can’t argue with the second point though. And it’s particularly the case at the back. So frustrating.
My worry is that since the takeover our owners have been happy to sanction a large influx of new players who when asked to play a more limited and defensive game did so successfully. It the intention all along was to play a more open possession based game, a desire from the owners why have they wasted time and money recruiting these players?
I don't doubt the investment was well meaning but even our previous regime, who still own the majority of the club spent big on players. Zola signed loads in the January in an attempt to get the team to play his way. This was followed by Redknapp. There are so many reasons to be pleased with our new owners but also fear that we are going down the same path as before. I hope Rooney is a better manager than Zola.