Everyone calling for MON's head


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So what wholesale changes would you make?

The point is that those changes you spoke of weren't carried out to any sort of degree. They've just been one game experiments or slight tweaks.

Personally, I'd like to see us go with a 4-3-3 formation for a few games. Three central midfielders to try and make our weakest area more solid, Fletcher up top with two men playing just off him (Sessegnon and Johnson).

Yes that's all well and good. I can't begrudge them that, what I can complain about is when the bile and frustration spills over to the players. Its very counter productive and doesn't help the players one bit. Tues was a fine example of this. They were shit scared at times.

There is a time and place to vent your frustrations, during the match isnt one of them imo like.

Agreed. So why do so many people seem to have a problem with people moaning on here?

You also see plenty of people saying that because you don't see loads moaning at the match, obviously this forum isn't representative of our support. Have people ever thought that perhaps during the games the fans are doing their best to get behind us, and after the game come on here and vent their frustrations?
 
No, but you do need to see a performance to know how good it was

Which you can do very well on the internet or tv, nice and cosy and probably reasonably sober rather than half hypothermic, half pissed ;)

The point is that those changes you spoke of weren't carried out to any sort of degree. They've just been one game experiments or slight tweaks.

Personally, I'd like to see us go with a 4-3-3 formation for a few games. Three central midfielders to try and make our weakest area more solid, Fletcher up top with two men playing just off him (Sessegnon and Johnson).

It's not so much the formation or personnel for me (although I do advocate a switch to 3-5-2), more so the attitude regardless of what system we play. Players look unwilling to make runs and the first instinct is always to check in possession and pass it backwards. A massive difference from the incisive play we saw upon MoN's arrival last season with a very similar amount of pace in the team. What's changed? Common sense would suggest he's not told the players to stop doing it, but he doesn't seem to be actively discouraging it either.
 
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It's not so much the formation or personnel for me (although I do advocate a switch to 3-5-2), more so the attitude regardless of what system we play. Players look unwilling to make runs and the first instinct is always to check in possession and pass it backwards. A massive difference from the incisive play we saw upon MoN's arrival last season with a very similar amount of pace in the team. What's changed? Common sense would suggest he's not told the players to stop doing it, but he doesn't seem to be actively discouraging it either.

What do you think has changed?
 
What do you think has changed?

I honestly don't know.
If the players have sacked it off the bulk of the blame lies with them - however MoN can always change the team. If MoN's fell out with them (we know he's a big contretemps fan) then MoN needs to bite the bullet and change how he does things, at least until he can make real change in January.
If MoN is encouraging this style of play (unlikely, surely), then it's his bag of shite to carry in the main, but the players can't be giving their all for him because nobody sends teams out to play like we do.

It needs sorting out because we really could be adrift by the time the transfer window opens, and that's not a good place from which to do decent business. MoN needs to act now while there's still a chance of being comfortably mid-table or higher.
 
You appear to be saying that it's wrong to play a midfielder in a defensive position, even if he's better than the defender in that position. Is this what you're saying i.e. it was wrong to play Richardson or Colback at LB when we had Ringo on the books? Is it wrong to be play Rose, too, I mean, he's a midfielder who was converted to a fullback, when we have Bramble available?


I'm saying do we really have absolutely no one to play LB/RB from our squad, that MON thought, "you know what, I'm going to put Colback there" - What does that say to our defensive players, that Bramble/Killgannon can't get a game in the back four ahead of an untried/unknown Colback/Gardner.

..... and if as you suggest he thinks it was a move worth trying then why isn't Wickham worth a try on the bench ahead of Campbell, why aren't we "trying" other more obvious lines of tactical improvement, like, well, I think everyone except MON can see what we need - an attacking threat, if he's so blasé about putting a midfielder in defence then why not try other players in their correct positions, or even <shock, horror> an overlapping fullback !!
 
What do you think has changed?

Mentality? Drive?

The setup isn't that different to last season but midfielders are reluctant to get forward to support the front man. Like Exile, I can't believe O'Neill wants us to be so static in posession but the mentality seems to safety first, hold ground and try to nullify teams. Why aren't we breaking at speed any more? Why aren't we making space to give the player with the ball more options?

Tacics or players?
 
I'm saying do we really have absolutely no one to play LB/RB from our squad, that MON thought, "you know what, I'm going to put Colback there" - What does that say to our defensive players, that Bramble/Killgannon can't get a game in the back four ahead of an untried/unknown Colback/Gardner.

..... and if as you suggest he thinks it was a move worth trying then why isn't Wickham worth a try on the bench ahead of Campbell, why aren't we "trying" other more obvious lines of tactical improvement, like, well, I think everyone except MON can see what we need - an attacking threat, if he's so blasé about putting a midfielder in defence then why not try other players in their correct positions, or even <shock, horror> an overlapping fullback !!

It says 'you're not good enough to play at LB ahead of Colback or RB ahead of Gardner'. This kind of thing happens a lot in football, players not getting picked to play because there are other people who are better.

Having watched the game on New Year's Day, playing Gardner and Colback at full back looked like a tactical master stroke.

I'd have a quick punt at 'MO'N might not think the lad is good enough / ready' as the reason that Wickham isn't worth a try. I'd guess this holds true for most of the kids who aren't starting for the 1st team. Why are you so obsessed with Wickham, and not some of the other young lads coming through the Academy? You're being blinded by the price tag of Wickham.
 
I wasn't planning on saying this, but calm down.

MON did shit for us in his first season. We went for ages without a win from August to December, and finished the season strongly in 11th place.

Give him time.
 
I wasn't planning on saying this, but calm down.

MON did shit for us in his first season. We went for ages without a win from August to December, and finished the season strongly in 11th place.

Give him time.

You see, it's interesting to hear from someone who's actually seen him go through a run like this before. What did he do to change things around? Was it a case of changing the formation or tactics, or did he hang on and buy some lads in January who got you out of the sticky stuff? Genuinely interested, in that it might assuage some of my fears, and I can't say I paid a great deal of attention to O'Neill's first year at Villa.
 
Mentality? Drive?

The setup isn't that different to last season but midfielders are reluctant to get forward to support the front man. Like Exile, I can't believe O'Neill wants us to be so static in posession but the mentality seems to safety first, hold ground and try to nullify teams. Why aren't we breaking at speed any more? Why aren't we making space to give the player with the ball more options?

Tacics or players?

Agreed, and how about adding confidence and belief as possibilities.

If we are lacking in the above, where does the buck stop?
 
Agreed, and how about adding confidence and belief as possibilities.

If we are lacking in the above, where does the buck stop?

I think the players get let off in general when things are going shit. I mean we all think we have a decent team on paper but we haven't seen anything like it in reality. When will players take some responsibility ffs? Bunch of overpaid sissies if they need an arm round their shoulder every 5 mins, f***ing bairns.
 
We are only 3 points behind Liverpool (12th) with a game in hand.

Our form has been terrible, but I can't believe that people have been so critical of a man of O'Neill's stature after such a short period of time at the club.

nobody is questioning his stature , merely concerned at his seemingly lack of ideas at important times , its suicide football he plays
 
It says 'you're not good enough to play at LB ahead of Colback or RB ahead of Gardner'. This kind of thing happens a lot in football, players not getting picked to play because there are other people who are better.

Having watched the game on New Year's Day, playing Gardner and Colback at full back looked like a tactical master stroke.

I'd have a quick punt at 'MO'N might not think the lad is good enough / ready' as the reason that Wickham isn't worth a try. I'd guess this holds true for most of the kids who aren't starting for the 1st team. Why are you so obsessed with Wickham, and not some of the other young lads coming through the Academy? You're being blinded by the price tag of Wickham.

ffs :lol:

I'm blinded by the fact he recently scored for the England U21's and our own reserves, therefore in form at the very least. I think you're blinded by your love for MON. :roll:

nobody is questioning his stature , merely concerned at his seemingly lack of ideas at important times , its suicide football he plays

Also very much this.
 
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You see, it's interesting to hear from someone who's actually seen him go through a run like this before. What did he do to change things around? Was it a case of changing the formation or tactics, or did he hang on and buy some lads in January who got you out of the sticky stuff? Genuinely interested, in that it might assuage some of my fears, and I can't say I paid a great deal of attention to O'Neill's first year at Villa.

In all honesty I've had a brain aneurysm since he left, so I don't really remember all the details. But I think he signed a fair few players in January, amongst them Carew and Ashley Young.

Thing about MON is that he has his favourites. He doesn't rotate much, and alienates half his squad. However I wouldn't be surprised if he already has chosen 2-3 players to bid for in January, and 2-3 to flog. He really needs his own squad methinks. He thrives on having players with leadership qualities and good work rate. I think you will have a much better season from January and onward.

To be fair, just like us atm. you have a shit squad. We are were we are in the table for a reason. Just short of quality. I think the difference is that you will sign quality, while I think our plan is to wait for our younger players to turn into quality. Wonder if we will stay up tbh. In anyway, I do enjoy giving younger players a go. f***ing hate what this sport has turned into.
 
In all honesty I've had a brain aneurysm since he left, so I don't really remember all the details. But I think he signed a fair few players in January, amongst them Carew and Ashley Young.

Thing about MON is that he has his favourites. He doesn't rotate much, and alienates half his squad. However I wouldn't be surprised if he already has chosen 2-3 players to bid for in January, and 2-3 to flog. He really needs his own squad methinks. He thrives on having players with leadership qualities and good work rate. I think you will have a much better season from January and onward.

To be fair, just like us atm. you have a shit squad. We are were we are in the table for a reason. Just short of quality. I think the difference is that you will sign quality, while I think our plan is to wait for our younger players to turn into quality. Wonder if we will stay up tbh. In anyway, I do enjoy giving younger players a go. f***ing hate what this sport has turned into.

Fair enough, cheers. Doesn't exactly fill me with confidence, both because Short doesn't have a track record of spending money in January and because I was hoping to hear that O'Neill was capable of changing a formation and formula rather than just changing the players, but we'll see anyway.
 
ffs :lol:

I'm blinded by the fact he recently scored for the England U21's and our own reserves, therefore in form at the very least. I think you're blinded by your love for MON. :roll:



Also very much this.

So why not Craig Lynch? or Alex Gorrin, or Deacon or Egan? Haven't they all been playing well for the whatever the reserves are called these days team? By singling out Wickham, when he hasn't even been that great, clearly shows that it's the price tag, not the player, that you're judging on. This is by the by as you clearly don't understand why playing to get results is the most important thing, at the moment.

I don't love MO'N. He wasn't my 1st choice and I wasn't thrilled when he came in, but, I'm happy to give him a chance and give him the backing he deserves whilst he stabilises the team and builds on this.
 
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Need to wind their necks in. You're making our club look very classless indeed.

We are not a club that hound out manager's. We don't need to start now.

Yes we are having a lean period atm, but if we all stick together we can come through this bad patch.

KTF. That is all.

No. We just use blind faith to let the manager go ahead and drag us down.
 
Still haven't heard a sensible suggestion for who would be next. Until that question is answered it's f***ing nuts to sack your manager.

If MoN went today, Hughes would be our next manager IMHO. If that's really what people want then fair enough.

O'neill in for me.
 
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