SHA Small Heath Alliance

3 weeks ago ago Rooney backed the players publicly and was basically lambasted for bullshitting [www.smallheathalliance.com]

Now he tells the truth publicly and he’s lambasted for throwing the players under the bus.

Funny old game, innit.

Interested in which the dire performances were. Norwich away was the only one that I'd class as dire. QPR not great, Watford Ok-ish.

I would class Middlesbrough, Sunderland, Rotherham and Southampton as dire though

QBBC2

3 weeks ago ago Rooney backed the players publicly and was basically lambasted for bullshitting [www.smallheathalliance.com]

Now he tells the truth publicly and he’s lambasted for throwing the players under the bus.

Funny old game, innit.

It’s a wide scale from delusional statement like saying we defended well in that game (treating the fans like idiots) and claiming the players don’t have the balls to perform in front of fans, among the many other instances of him publicly slagging players off.

For his faults the DvB knew how to handle that perfectly.

Love this H

BluesJiuJitsu

Super Hans

They were winning plenty of matches prior to his appointment.

Plenty of matches ???

A lot more than we have since.

Bluenose27

While I agree that what he said needed saying to the players, for me it didn’t need saying in public to the press. I just don’t see how it motivates them or gets them to play better, especially when some are probably already aware they’re surplus to requirements and are going to get binned.

The booing and vitriol was definitely aimed at Rooney as well.

When my kids were younger they used to get really upset if one of their teammates criticised something they did in the match.

It never made them play better.

So I taught them to turn round to whoever said it and say . . . "shut up & concentrate on your own game."

Then wait for them to make a mistake (which always happened soon after) & climb into them back.

I think Rooney really needs to concentrate on his own game.

Nikola Zigic

johnnyspex

Tha Project OBE

Two things strike me. The fans, many of whom may well describe criticism of peoples efforts as antediluvian, clearly berate players at the game and online, so it shouldn’t come as a massive surprise to the players that the consensus is that on Saturday they were poor. Of course some fans go further and continue the barracking for weeks, months, even when performances have been OK.

Then there’s the training. From Wayne’s words, they do what is being asked of them in training but can’t replicate that on the pitch. Why’s that then? Do they lack testicles pure and simple? Does the impatience and lack of tolerance shown by some fans inhibit them?

Maybe it’s time the fans grew a fecking pair and allowed the team to develop while offering encouragement. Just for a month. See what happens. Do as the teachers on here suggest, show nothing but love and forbearance.

Spot on 👍

I fear that if cook caves in to the fans on his appointment of Rooney & sacks him we will never see attractive front foot attacking football.

Or at the very least put it back many years. 😔

I disagree, they will just appoint someone else.

It's the appointment of Rooney itself that I think isn't very good. They could have got someone else in to improve the playing style who'd been a bit more sensible about evolution not revolution.

Ipswich are like Brazil with a load of league one players. You don't need a new squad necessarily.

Crucially, the new owners have a blueprint and mission- attractive football gets you promoted.

They won't change this because of one failed appointment. Relax.

We have the Women's, U21s and U18s all playing this style and doing well.

I still think the timing of the Rooney appointment set him up to fail, after two pretty big wins and everyone feeling chuffed with JE.

If they had done it after the Norwich game people would be more on board.

The atmosphere at the Hull game was so negative and players feed into that, there's no confidence (balls) when your own fans are groaning at you on the ball. People in the stadium were still telling Rooney to FO after we beat Shef Wednesday.

Iain_Gavin

That’ll do the trick

Yep! Not only are they not good enough. Now they are cowards
I'm sure this is helping club moral

Bernard Sun

Nikola Zigic

johnnyspex

Tha Project OBE

Two things strike me. The fans, many of whom may well describe criticism of peoples efforts as antediluvian, clearly berate players at the game and online, so it shouldn’t come as a massive surprise to the players that the consensus is that on Saturday they were poor. Of course some fans go further and continue the barracking for weeks, months, even when performances have been OK.

Then there’s the training. From Wayne’s words, they do what is being asked of them in training but can’t replicate that on the pitch. Why’s that then? Do they lack testicles pure and simple? Does the impatience and lack of tolerance shown by some fans inhibit them?

Maybe it’s time the fans grew a fecking pair and allowed the team to develop while offering encouragement. Just for a month. See what happens. Do as the teachers on here suggest, show nothing but love and forbearance.

Spot on 👍

I fear that if cook caves in to the fans on his appointment of Rooney & sacks him we will never see attractive front foot attacking football.

Or at the very least put it back many years. 😔

I disagree, they will just appoint someone else.

It's the appointment of Rooney itself that I think isn't very good. They could have got someone else in to improve the playing style who'd been a bit more sensible about evolution not revolution.

Ipswich are like Brazil with a load of league one players. You don't need a new squad necessarily.

Crucially, the new owners have a blueprint and mission- attractive football gets you promoted.

They won't change this because of one failed appointment. Relax.

We have the Women's, U21s and U18s all playing this style and doing well.

I still think the timing of the Rooney appointment set him up to fail, after two pretty big wins and everyone feeling chuffed with JE.

If they had done it after the Norwich game people would be more on board.

The atmosphere at the Hull game was so negative and players feed into that, there's no confidence (balls) when your own fans are groaning at you on the ball. People in the stadium were still telling Rooney to FO after we beat Shef Wednesday.

Then they are a massive part of the problem

We were told -

A new First Team Manager will be announced in the coming days who will be responsible for creating an identity and clear ‘no fear’ playing style that all Birmingham City teams will adopt and embrace.

I think that there is only one way to approach this style change that has any chance of working -

a) start (and continue) by training the players in all positions to be really confident in their own ability to pass/receive/keep the ball, relative to the level they play at. This is the priority because to play without fear in front of hostile fans (including your own) you must have genuine belief that you can do what's being asked to an adequate level despite distractions and you can improve this aspect by repeatedly proving it to yourself and your teammates in training and then on the pitch in actual matches.

b) have a golden rule and stick to it like glue - nobody is ever in the wrong for taking a risk while trying to play the style that has been asked. There are going to be times when it goes wrong, but as long as a player is following the script he can make that move with no fear that he is in the wrong. This is more important than ever in a 'no fear' style.

c) behind these two comes all of the other stuff, like training to play on the front foot with a high press, improving fitness levels etc.

The points being that a) should come before b) but most importantly both a) and b) have to come before anything else.

Whatever is being done in training, it seems that we are actually regressing and playing with much more fear than before. The three steps above are not complicated and in my opinion it makes perfect sense. Human beings (even athletes) are human beings and if you want them to adopt a 'no fear' approach to their art very quickly and to implement it from day one, then you absolutely have to give them a fighting chance of being able to play without fear by having a logical system in place designed to achieve this.

quark

Iain_Gavin

That’ll do the trick

Yep! Not only are they not good enough. Now they are cowards
I'm sure this is helping club moral

Rooneys job is to get the players playing the style he wants. Him and fans saying they aren’t good enough is rubbish. Bielsa took over from Heckingbottom at Leeds who weren’t a free flowing football side and he still managed to turn Liam Cooper into prime Ramos and Luke Ayling into Cafu. Big Ange has got spurs purring after playing a different style for years and losing the worlds best number 9. McKenna has revitalised Ipswich from mid table league one to 2nd in the Championship. Corberan done it to Albion. Howe to Newcastle. All playing their style with players perceived as crap. Howe and Corberan have really showed how crap Bruce has been for so long

This way will lead to a dead end and quickly!

Rab C Nesbitt

quark

Iain_Gavin

That’ll do the trick

Yep! Not only are they not good enough. Now they are cowards
I'm sure this is helping club moral

Rooneys job is to get the players playing the style he wants. Him and fans saying they aren’t good enough is rubbish. Bielsa took over from Heckingbottom at Leeds who weren’t a free flowing football side and he still managed to turn Liam Cooper into prime Ramos and Luke Ayling into Cafu. Big Ange has got spurs purring after playing a different style for years and losing the worlds best number 9. McKenna has revitalised Ipswich from mid table league one to 2nd in the Championship. Corberan done it to Albion. Howe to Newcastle. All playing their style with players perceived as crap. Howe and Corberan have really showed how crap Bruce has been for so long

Honestly now, do you think Rooney can do it?

Some very good managers mentioned there. Have you ever heard any of them say their players need to “grow a pair” in the press when they have had poor results?

IanT

Rab C Nesbitt

quark

Iain_Gavin

That’ll do the trick

Yep! Not only are they not good enough. Now they are cowards
I'm sure this is helping club moral

Rooneys job is to get the players playing the style he wants. Him and fans saying they aren’t good enough is rubbish. Bielsa took over from Heckingbottom at Leeds who weren’t a free flowing football side and he still managed to turn Liam Cooper into prime Ramos and Luke Ayling into Cafu. Big Ange has got spurs purring after playing a different style for years and losing the worlds best number 9. McKenna has revitalised Ipswich from mid table league one to 2nd in the Championship. Corberan done it to Albion. Howe to Newcastle. All playing their style with players perceived as crap. Howe and Corberan have really showed how crap Bruce has been for so long

Honestly now, do you think Rooney can do it?

My point is people need to stop blaming the players. The players were there before him.
I’d obviously love him to succeed but most fail. Or certainly don’t succeed in terms of promotion which is our goal