bexhill reds

Not going to name anyone simply because the point is about extremes on the forum and not necessarily about the specific view of an individual(s). The fact that there are so many posts on the various threads covering poster’s opposing views on the coaching set up makes it clear that opinion is very split. Highlighting specific individuals to make a point only serves to make the argument more personal, and there is enough of that on here already.

As a fan base we’ve got little option other than to give the new coaching team a chance, but it is a forum and people can come up with varying levels of opinion and criticism ideally backed up by reason. Like all forums posters are subject to extremes, it’s clear that some view LM as a coaching messiah and other see him as nothing more than bland coaching drone that tries to be too clever with odd selections. My own view is that the next 6 games are so important for LM in terms of fan base support and our general outlook for the season. 6 poor results and the New Year could see us easily involved in the fight to avoid the last relegation place, which will undoubtedly put pressure on an inexperienced management set up and youthful players. I’m not immediately impressed with what I’ve seen but open to having my mind changed by the most important footballing currency - results and points, not possession stats or fancy lines on the HPC training pitches.

I don’t think anyone is suggesting that Manning is under pressure right now, but the next 6 games in a relatively short period are arguably the most important games of his City career. None of them are eminently winnable and all it will take is 2 or 3 negative results on the spin to get more people questioning his ability, and although not his fault, will create more anger towards those behind the scenes and responsible for pulling the trigger on NP and their collective judgment when it comes to managerial recruitment, which normally manifests itself by the crowd reaction at full time thus increasing the pressure on Manning and the players. For me the jury is out, I can see the changes that have been made, and I’m not a fan of a hundred or so little passes between the CBs and midfield before we invariably lose it and get caught out with people out of position or playing in positions that are not natural. From a personal perspective I like managers to be man managers and leaders and not have the air of PowerPoint Facilitators. Whether this group of players are capable of successfully implementing what is being proposed is a different topic. We’ve just under gone a 3 year rebuild, are we going to do the same again if the coaching team determine that they are not capable?

You’re probably right….just went with the Carry On line. Let’s hope we don’t return to that type of guff, although “processes and behaviours” is getting close to it.

Getting dangerously close to close to the LJ box penetration stat…..

None of the league one stuff is untrue though in terms of available transfer budget and the experience of the management team. We are only 5 points ahead of Huddersfield and 7 ahead of QPR. The 2 bottom teams I’d argue will be there or thereabouts come the end of the season, leaving one other relegation place, it only takes a run of dodgy form to pull us into that mix. We should be better than Plymouth by the end of the season but everyone else around us is all much of a muchness. For balance I accept we are only 5 points of 6th and if we can get something out the next 6 given that 4 of those teams are above us, then that changes the perspective but that’s a tough ask for a team that is only playing well in fits and starts and is lacklustre up front.

Is it? none of those games are a walk in the park at the best of times and we’ve got a new management team with no championship experience trying to rebuild from within. That’s not hyperbolic, arguably pessimistic, but a run of 2 or 3 negative results will only build the pressure.

I’d genuinely love to be wrong, my optimism over our chances at the start of the season is going to cost me a £300+ meal with a couple of city supporting mates. Maybe I’m on a downer but these are difficult games coming up and unless things miraculously change, the pressure on the team and the coaching staff will build.

Good constructive comment. Well done

How do you break down the 7 / 8 points? We’ve rarely done well at Watford or Brum, Hull is a potential arguably but much depends on our form up to then, Blackburn away on Tues could be a long away day too far, Sunderland are not going to be push overs. We’re not scoring enough goals and we are more than capable of giving at least one away per game. Transition perhaps but I’m not massively impressed by the fare on offer, I’m bored of the coach lingo, I’d rather see a bit of substance and not processes and behaviours, nor putting players hopelessly out of position because you’re trying to be a tactical genius.

Personally I can’t see us winning another game until the New Year, the next 6 matches including Millwall on New Years Day are not going to be easy. Still we’ll be all set for League One, with League One budget and League One manager, I guess the only positive is that we’ll get at least one Sky TV fixture against the Gas.

Not sure if it was a tactical genius at work, otherwise it’s inexplicable to put a forward at LWB over perfectly capable left back who can maraude forward. If current set up had indeed watched previous tapes and asked the new doyen of all things football at our club, they might have gathered that previous Sam Bell experiments at wing back were not successful.

Agreed thought Williams was as good as James, they compliment each other well. Decent midfield performances often go under the radar as they are not always headline grabbing. Williams is never going to ping a ball about like TGH, but get in and amongst it in a physical midfield game then he’d be first on the team sheet.

I agree to a point, but Manning seems to be developing a trait for playing people hopelessly out of position perhaps as an attempt to be a tactical genius or something, Bell today, Sykes in the 1st half against Norwich. Surely if attempting to change the world then at least have stability of position so that everyone knows what they are supposed to be doing.

At what point does Manning start copping the flack for what he is doing..... Getting a bit bored with the process and behaviours spiel, today it was seemingly stern words at half time. Sooner or later the fan base has to decide whether he is truly the right man for the job. None of the next 6 games could be described as winnable. New Year's Day could be toxic at Ashton Gate.

I think he's an old-school RB better suited if he has someone in front of him who can assist, Wiemann isn't that type of player hence leaving him exposed last week. This week he was just the last man which is a bit unforgivable considering how far up the pitch he was. Ross McCrorie would most probably get the RB gig once he's fit.

Made an assumption on the foot by the fact that is has mostly played on the left of the back 2 when Vyner has been in the team. Agree with your point on the corner, was it an error of execution or a planned decision

Tanner is a RB and Pring is a LB, Manning decided to play Bell at LWB and play with a back 3, Dickie is left footed, Vyner is better in the middle so the obvious option was to play Tanner on the right side of the 3. Tanner made an error for the goal, but that's what happens when you make a mistake as the last man against a counter attacking team, that's not the first goal we've conceded from our own corner this season.

Not sure I’d describe the decision as brave, more fired for daring to publicly question the owner, the chairman, and possibly a director of football. It’s done now and can’t be undone, not wholly convinced on what I’m watching, definitely better at 5 yd tippitappy, no improvement on the bits that matter like goals and points, and LM appears to like playing people out of position as part is his tactical masterplan, Bell is not a wing back. The unhappy parts of the fan base are not Manning’s fault or arguably problem, but football fans are fickle, win games and entertain and in 3 months time it will be Nigel who? A shit set of Xmas results and I think the fan base will turn and the pressure will be on.

The whole point is to make the best of what we’ve got and not to try to make us something we’re not. By all means play like that if we get the personnel to do it but we haven’t and it’s a result based business and we’re not getting the results So far the new man is coming across like LJ with the coaching buzzwords, the only difference is that Manning appears not to be focussed by grass height…..

Then why try to play to a system we’ve not got the quality for…. THAT IS Mannings fault. The previous manager played to a system that suited the players we did have….

Maybe we ought to draw some more white lines on the HPC training pitches so the players can solve the problem of conceding goals from our own corners… lots of tidy tippitappy **** all end product.

Pring for Bell, just getting beaten time and time again on the counter.

Another ******* soft goal to concede…. Is that a process or a behaviour?

No, his effect was to mostly run backwards towards our goal and point or wave his arms around. His error by taking the ball inside caused their goal. Sykes was played out of position just to accommodate Wiemann. He’s not the player of a couple of years ago, should not be a starter again.