Kibs

15 minutes ago, W-S-M Seagull said:

One of my concerns was that under NP we were very much a pressing team, that was our strength and initially we seemed to move away from that. We've now gone back to that which I'm delighted with. 

Why are people reading so much into possession stats anyway, and assuming they KNOW Liam Mannings intention?

NP was quite happy not to have the ball, yet there were games when we had more possession than the opposition- and LOST!!!

We suddenly have slightly less possession against 2 good teams, which was expected for me, but we’ve apparently now abandoned “Manning ball” and reverted to how we used to play!?? So have improved???

Or is it possible Manning takes it a game at a time? 

Or that the players are now carrying out his instructions more accurately?

Or that there’s two teams which dictate how a game goes, not one!!! 

Or that Manning has made adjustments due to what he’s learned over the last few weeks!?

Any of the above could be true.

Can we please stop with the tiresome comparisons which are based only on prejudice, and best guess!!?

7 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

Well in fairness Kibs I was alarmed up to and including Blackburn away..there has been a major improvement, let's hope it pushes on now. All 3 wins had different characteristics too which is encouraging.

Yes agreed, great respect and thanks to both managers and their staff. COYR.

I get that Pops! But you’re comparing results from last season when there is:

Different squads

Different Managers 

Different injuries/suspensions

Teams are in different runs of form/momentum.

Its a completely pointless comparison IMO.

And no, I wasn’t alarmed before these 3 wins. It was similar to many runs we have gone on over the last few years.

And after 3 wins, I still don’t see us as playoff contenders, but I’m going to bloody enjoy it and I hope I’m wrong!!

4 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

I don't want to come back with NP and Manning stuff but the same 9 games last year, we got 14 points.

This 9 games we got..14 points.

Got them from different games but the PPG remains identical.

Slightly a shade ahead of 40% win ratio, 1.4 PPG.

However the turnaround last 3 is excellent to see, and we are back on an even keel now PPG wise, hopefully with some upward momentum.

Credit where due to Manning and the team. Great to see Mehmeti and his revival too.

You keep saying stuff like this Mr Pops, but what the **** has last year got to do with this year? So much has changed (for all teams, not just us).

Why even look to compare? It’s completely pointless. 

Regardless of what’s gone on (didn’t agree with the NP sacking, and he’s my second favourite all time City manager behind Cotterill), but why can’t we just be content and hopeful that NP has put some brilliant foundations in place, and that LM can continue to build on those. 

3 wins in a row, over Christmas, absolutely unbelievable. Goals galore too which has been my concern for ages. 

Massive respect and thanks to both managers, COYRs.

1 hour ago, W-S-M Seagull said:

It means we went back to playing a way which suits us, like how we played under Pearson. 

Rumour has it that Nige rang around a few players early Friday and told them to ignore everything that LM says!! 

Well done NP, we’ll chalk that one off as another win for him!!! COYRs!!

10 minutes ago, LoyalRed said:

I doubt we would have won that game under previous management.  It’s a new energy we are now seeing, also Mehmeti  wouldn’t have been in the team to score that equaliser. 

I think that’s nonsense, and I don’t know why people keep saying it. 

I’ve defended LM a lot when he’s come in for some unfair criticism but I honestly think the results/points return would be roughly the same. 

And for me, that’s a positive because it shows the players have reacted the right way to LM coming in. 

6 minutes ago, Robbored said:

I remember him saying that but would disagree on the grounds that even if the academy player wasn’t going to be used they would benefit from being involved in the matchday set up - it’s good experience for a young player especially if it’s an away fixture.

SC had a similar attitude towards younger players - that didn’t end well………

The difference being, I don’t think there were 9 sub spots when Cotterill was in charge. 

Just now, Numero Uno said:

I do get the logic but find it interesting, as I said in another post, that a bloke who has managed way better players in his career wasn't so bothered by that and gave the youngsters a go.

I thought it was interesting position to take. To be fair, there were occasions Nige only selected 8 subs, and there are 3 very young players on the bench so it’s not as though they aren’t getting a sniff.

Aside from the fact that 9 subs is ridiculous, or am I just old fashioned

8 minutes ago, Numero Uno said:

Cotterill left the bench half empty to make a point (that ended well), Pearson would always fill the bench no matter what, and a number of the young lads benefitted with minutes, and now we are back to a Manager leaving it half empty. Wonder if he's sending a message to Jon and Sid?

Manning said in an earlier interview that academy players wouldn’t always sit on the bench just to make up the numbers. 

He said he wants them to earn the right to be there, not just be there due to us being short on numbers. 

Not saying whether that’s good or bad, just thought it was worth clarifying.

59 minutes ago, W-S-M Seagull said:

Don't you think it's a bit early to say Roberts is not good enough? 

Wouldn't 'unproven' be more appropriate?

I mean, you could say the same about Manning couldn’t you?

Agree about Roberts though, not seen anywhere near enough. Thought he looked decent in his early appearances.

6 minutes ago, Sir Geoff said:

Who said that ?

Thought the budget was maxed out ?

My opinion - It was for NP, it’s not for LM. Like it or not, I bet that’s the case. 

1 minute ago, Davefevs said:

I Agree.

As let Harry’s thread, I’m sat here pretty chilled / happy, but I was a month ago too!

Me too! I was very content with where we were, and positive we were headed in the right direction……..just cursing our luck with injuries! 

5 minutes ago, Numero Uno said:

Disagree. 20 minute spells are showing potential of what MIGHT happen. If you only play for 20/90 every week you won’t pick up stacks of points. We should be sitting pretty with six points out of six but not being able to sustain our good spell in both games has cost us five points.

We’ll agree to disagree then

Rarely happens in the Championship, especially if you’re a mid-table team, which we are. Games tend to ebb and flow and you need to take your chances in those periods where you are on top/playing well. And we haven’t. 

3 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

But….regardless of recent results, watching today, they were incredibly poor…and on that reckoning I think it is a game I expected us to win.

I posted some stats yesterday, they’ve got results, but they’ve been lucky.  Results will catch up with them, their performances are undeserved of 6 points from 6 games.

I think our performances deserved more than 5 points from 5 games….hopefully that’ll catch up with us to. 

50 minutes ago, GrahamC said:

So how is Cifuentes able to turn it around far quicker?

Their squad is definitely worse than ours & was playing prehistoric football under Ainsworth..

We on the other hand are back to the rinse and repeat of 3 transfer windows..

It’s an impressive turnaround. They’ve just won 3 in a row. When did we last win 3 in a row?

18 minutes ago, Harry said:

They’ve drawn with Ipswich, Southampton, Middlesbrough, Watford, Coventry, Stoke, Swansea and beaten Sunderland. 
What makes it so easy to go there and win. 
We played well, we made them look 2nd best. 

Stop with your logic.

He said exactly the same about QPR. “One of the worst sides ever in the championship”…..and they’ve just won 3 in a row.

17 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

I can’t believe you’ve just posted that!

You’d have never given Nige that slack would you?  You never legislated for missed chances, individual errors when Nige was manager did you?

That’s what bugs me, the same arguments posters laughed at others posting under Nige, you now comfortably use as an excuse now.

Yes but it works the other way too Dave, and for me it’s even worse. People who gave NP plenty of slack are not willing to do the same for LM because he has replaced their man. They actively look for and find fault in every possible thing he does…..and it’s tedious. 

It’s making this forum a really hard place to read and discuss things because every bloody topic goes the same way. 

FWIW, I don’t believe LM will get more from this squad than NP. And what’s gonna really annoy people, I think he’ll be backed financially because JL and BT will feel their man has to be seen as making progress. 

I also don’t align to the view that’s being pushed about LM taking over a team/club in a good situation. We were bang out of form when he arrived, we can’t score goals and the injury situation is still ridiculous.

Such a shame this whole situation has created so much division in the fanbase because I really felt the team and vast majority of fans were fully invested and together. It’s going to make it even harder for LM to succeed sadly. 

The point at QPR (apparently one of the worst sides the championship has ever seen according to a few after our draw)is not looking so bad now.

As mentioned, back to back wins, something we haven’t achieved for a VERY long time, funny old game!!! 
 

Yes enjoyed the Pre-match press conference. 

Good response to the empty spaces on the subs bench question - could fill it with academy players, and we may see more in the future, but part of getting in the first team squad is “earning it”. I liked that. 

Also like what he had to say about Tanner. 

Real blow losing Naismith We could really do with one or two back to help us through the December schedule. 

Not a dig at anyone, because it affects us all, but it just goes to show how unconscious bias can play such a big role in our opinions. 

Southampton unbeaten in 10 now btw since their poor start to the season. 

 

4 minutes ago, W-S-M Seagull said:

Why do you keep mentioning Nige? Talking of agendas....

We are where we are. 

Shall we close this forum down until Liam has been here for let's say 20 games? And then maybe you'll find it acceptable for people to comment on performances? 

Because you stated “The early signs are we have gone backwards”….is that not referring to the arrival of LM and/or departure of NP? 

Or is there some other major event that I missed? Apologies if there is. 

18 minutes ago, W-S-M Seagull said:

At the moment the early signs are that we have gone backwards. Whilst we could go forwards in the future, based on his 1st 3 games surely you can understand that that there are concerns? 

How the hell have you arrived at that conclusion?

Even if you were stupid enough to form a judgement over 3 games, 1 of which LM had just arrived, 1 of which was against one of the form teams in the division and the other was away at a team 4th in the table, and expected to go straight back up……We gained 4 points over 3 games which is 61 points over a season…..more than we’ve ever achieved under NP I believe, and more than he was on target to get this season!!!!

But of course you don’t have an agenda

I feel bit sad for you tbh, if you were genuinely expecting us to mount a top 6 challenge because you believe the crap we were fed from BT/JL, I can’t help but feel you’re going to be very disappointed!!! 

Theres lots of points to counter the view that this is a problem pattern.

1. Its far more common in the Championship for games/performances to swing, rather than a team dominate the whole game.

2. This criticism was also levelled at NP a lot (playing well for half a game/periods of games).

3. We have played 2 top teams in three days with significantly fewer, and lower quality resources available than what they have, to change the game and momentum of the game.

4. you have to take your chances when you are on top. 

Get in! 4 points from two tough games. Solid start. 

QPR away - apparently a gimme against “one of be worst this league has seen”

Absolute rubbish by the way, new manager, nearly took points from Leicester, decent point. 

Anyone see Rotherham take points off Leeds on Friday? It happens. Or are Leeds that bad? 

Some claiming the the first 40 against Boro today was dreadful!!?? get real FFS. 

You do realise there are two teams in a game? We have no divine right to outplay anyone in this league, let alone the in form team, and one of the better teams. Absolute madness.

Yep, gutted to see Nige go, but it’s not Liam Manning, or the teams fault so let’s get behind them rather than hold them to some unrealistic standards. 

You never know, maybe we could threaten the play offs after all.

COYRs

1 hour ago, W-S-M Seagull said:

Is passing the ball between the cbs for most of the half really controlling the first half? 

Who cares. Do you really think we should be “controlling the first half” against one of the best teams in the league anyway?