Zuni

8 minutes ago, TomThumb84 said:

Fair and my post was tongue in cheek.

Set-pieces are pretty integral though no?

Surely any incoming head coach would want his own fingerprint/coach all over them?

Possibly but you can see, like someone said, if the stats show we are currently decent with set pieces he may wait to change it (or not at all).

New coach will not try and change everything straight away, if it is working leave it, if you think it can be improved easily, do so.

Just now, GrahamC said:

Where’s King going with less than 6 months left on his contract?

He’ll sit tight until the summer and then get released if he has any sense (& he certainly does).

Good luck with recruiting “2 or 3” on what we were paying him, too.

OK, we will wait and see.

1 minute ago, Merrick's Marvels said:

We don't have dead wood anymore - and we have Nigel Pearson to thank for that.

Every player in the first team squad now makes a contribution of one kind or another, on or off the pitch - we have Nigel Pearson to thank for that.

Unlike under previous managers, we no longer have leaches taking a salary but contributing nothing, spreading bad vibes with bad attitude. All that's gone. Thanks to Nigel Pearson.

 

Certainly agree with the attitude part but please prepare yourself for King, James and Williams not being part of a new "front foot", attacking, dynamic approach. They simply do not fit.

4 minutes ago, Fuber said:

Worth pointing out he's also set piece coach (as I understand it?) And that we're in the top half of the league from goals from set pieces.

This - He is more than the GK coach.

2 minutes ago, KegCity said:

 

 

Because you need elite wingbacks for the level in order for it to be successful. We had them in league one, we don’t have them now.

It’s hard to play pressing football with wingbacks. It’s not impossible but difficult.

James and King go in the next window and we recruit 2 or 3.

3 minutes ago, RedRoss said:

I did see that said but didn't actually see any examples. If that's the case its just bizarre and outright stupid.

Also as you highlight it may just be some. Why does it matter either way. They'll likely say something positive in respect of JL or Manning or something else club related and multiple other posters will say the opposite.

I'd rather encourage debate rather than destroy it.

2 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

And a good chunk on here completely understand that.  But there are some that continue to say otherwise despite you, me and plenty of other explaining as such.  But they just want to argue for the sake of arguing.

My gut feel, if Liam Manning sees this as the right club for his next step, he’ll come regardless of Hogg.  As you say, there could be a time delay, but he still comes.  Personally I don’t think there will even be that, but that is just my logic, or lack of it!

Well, I just hope it follows what we’ve been recruiting towards for 18-24 months, because that’s what Tins said last week.  The criticism of Nige wasn’t the “plan” but the “performance” (according to JL and Tins) whether I agree or not with the decision.

I’d hope that you’d agree that if we are going heavily away from what we have been, that you’d question what the “hell” (polite version) the Tech Director and Head of Technical Director have been doing.  But from my point of view I’d be surprised if Manning looked at the likes of:

• Knight
• McCrorie
• Roberts
• TGH
• Sykes (last summer)

and thought they weren’t of the profile type a “young, front foot, forward thinking, high pressing” would want to bring into the club.  Tins was obviously very happy with the recruitment.

This quite simply should be a continuation of the plan, not a rip it up and start again.

Yep but what will stop is King playing at all, Naismith playing as CH in a back 4, Williams and James playing as a midfield pair etc etc.

Poor tactical, developmental and technical decisions I would guess to Tinnion.

There will be a clear out of the famous "dead wood" for sure.

8 minutes ago, Fuber said:

Think people are suspect as when NP was appointed we didn't see the on rush of new users, all of whom were critical of NP and praising the owners that we're seeing now.

What was more suspect was the fact a lot of the new posters joined literally the day before he was ultimately sacked.

Could be circumstantial but I can see others PoV.

2 minutes ago, KegCity said:

Bloody hope not. We’ve finally moved away from it and begun to press and play front foot football.

The academy have been matching the first team’s style of football for some time too.

You can play front football in a 3-5-2 formation !! - The League 1 promotion team ?

I am aware the plan was to mirror the first team but I have seen a few Academy games and am not so sure that was happening (certainly not all of the time), perhaps it just looked that way.

1 hour ago, Davefevs said:

He doesn’t do it very much at the mo’!

Think Roberts is much more a LCB3 than a LWB.  Don’t think he’s an “up and downer” per se.

All of this brings into question whether in future we are recruiting for a formation or an identity, or both or neither!

I’ve often said a back 3 is an “all-in” system, and you have to recruit to it accordingly…or heavily rely on versatility.  We do have some versatility however, but not enough to play it week in week out and have cover for injuries, fatigue, rest and rotation.

Will be interesting to see it play out.

We will be recruiting and developing for a default formation (could be 3 at the back and wing backs). The Academy will play the same way to bring continuity.

Don't expect many (if any) James, King and Simpson type signings.

1 minute ago, Silvio Dante said:

I think @Harry or @Kid in the Riot mentioned that Rob Edwards was “on the list” before he went to Watford and I think it’s plausible that Manning has been “on the list” for some time and the club acted because they saw how well Oxford were going, and, having already decided they didn’t like/want Nige any more, didn’t want to wait until the end of the season in case Mannings stock became too high and he was out of our reach then. To engineer things though, was a bit beyond the pale - and some of this is PR. Had the club come out and made more of a statement around “stabilised the club, this is the next step, natural break” it would have been a lot more palatable.

I think it was @The Journalist who made a post a few weeks back about this always (potentially) being the plan but there was now cold feet as Nige wanted to carry on. It’s the closest I can see to a reasonable explanation - but again, the fact the club haven’t given tat reasonable explanation and instead given the car crash they have is a large reason for the toxicity currently - and ironically, that in turn gives Manning less opportunity to succeed here.

I think there might be much more the club could reveal about the NP era but legally are unable - not ITK but seems like it to me.

It certainly looks like the plan was to let him see out his contract, shake hands and move on but something drastic has occurred (possibly) and NPs comments in the media recently will not have helped his cause.

52 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

And a lot / most games this season the opposition have been blowing and we’ve been strong or not had bench strength to take advantage, e.g. Ipswich.  Just my opinion (and some non-running data re pressing etc) as a fan who works in Financial Services who’s seen all the games bar Oxford (bizarrely)!

We see things differently on this point.

10 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Thankfully he’s managed most of his Oxford games with a back four!

Two weeks ago I wrote that there’s one thing a new manager wouldn’t be able to claim and that’s poor fitness on the squad.  It’s the often trotted out new manager claim - “well, I had to get them fit first”.

This side was fit, there is no doubt of that.

But both Chairman and Technical Director have sewn those seeds, which is pretty disrespectful to Rennie, but also all the medical / physio / sports science team that remain.  To hear JL talk about it I found as crass as his dad’s recent repertoire of crass statements.  I’m glad Fleming used his pre-match interview to say they’ve been taking that approach to the last 5-6 international breaks.

There is a big difference between fitness and injuries, and in particular the types we’ve had.

A low blow, one taken after bell had sounded.

Don’t let me down Liam!

Disagree a bit on the fitness. We looked like a team that had lots of conditioning, long distance running etc but lacked football specific fitness to some degree.  Not a sports scientist but do work in the industry and just my opinion as a fan who has watched most of the games over NP/Rennie era. 

39 minutes ago, mozo said:

Nige did it!

Pring as the left sided CB in a 3.

50 minutes ago, Bedred31 said:

Used to really enjoy going to Oxford. ( Except, I think, one game that was abandoned at half time for fog?) Old ground was authentic and atmospheric, although the club was too tight to print tickets so you had to roll up an hour+ in advance to be sure to get in. Now I think it’s another New Den in fields and next to a dual carriageway.

I was there when we won 3-1 (I think) in the league cup.

7 minutes ago, The Swan and Cemetery said:

Brian, you’ve given yourself away, we’ll know what to look out for now. 

Awkward - 

4 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

If anyone is interested here’s a thread on how Oxford shape up under Manning.

One thing I wanted to add is that it’s only in recent games he’s gone to a back three.  He’s played a back four most of his time at Oxford.

Good that he seems flexible in formations. I know it's not a popular opinion on here but I like playing with a back 3 as the default with the option to move to a 4 depending on situation/opponent.

Just now, frenchred said:

Sorry Steve, forgot it's your club

Apology accepted.

3 minutes ago, Cov 77 said:

Honestly most people under 60 won’t know who he was 

I'm under 60 and remember him as a nasty racist and homophobe.

Is that the guy ?

1 hour ago, Kid in the Riot said:

Seems like this is done with an announcement tomorrow morning likely. 

I'm surprised so many are dismissing Manning. I think given the position we are in and what we are specifically looking for he's a very good fit. He's been coaching since he was 21 and has a decent amount of L1 experience.

Mousinho wasn't going to leave Pompey so Manning made next most sense.

People bemoaning lack of experience should take a look at who Millwall have just appointed. Gotta start somewhere...

It's City, and the structure behind him still gives me a lot of concern, but Manning is a good appointment I reckon and about as good as we could've hoped for. 

23 minutes ago, formerly known as ivan said:

What is there to be amazed by? If you asked 22k city fans a week ago who would be able to come and lead this team to promotion this season I bet not one person would have said Manning! The decision to appoint him seems to be based on him being young. He has no track record to warrant this job. 

It had all the makings of LJ mark 2!

The last people to be picking a new Head Coach/Manager for their team is the fans !

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

And what are his merits? He's achieved the square root of **** all in the game. 

This guy doesn't get 2 years to implement his style. He has to hit thr ground running or the place will be toxic. He has to very quickly show why he is the right man for us.

If it is him I can see changes and improvements very quickly.

We have some very decent footballers in our squad (even with the injuries) and NP certainly seems to have got them working hard and improved team spirit/cohesion.

 This just may work.

6 minutes ago, Scrumpty said:

The relationship between Nigel and the owners (AND senior management) have been strained for quite a while (hence absence of a new contract). As we know, Nigel is a forthright character, who called it as it is (rightly most of the time), but he didn’t always toe the line.

As an employer, it’s great to get ‘constructive’ criticism from employees, especially those with Nigel’s experience. But there’s a point where criticism ceases to be constructive and becomes divisive. Nigel often crossed that line in THEIR view, hence the breakdown in relations.

How do I know this… I have contacts, but here’s some recent points that caused ‘friction’.

1. Scott money. Nigel was instrumental in the development of the summer strategy (recruit early, knowing Scott was going). So he knew the budget and knew he wouldn’t get more once the sell went through. He went along with this for a while, but then gave interviews that were PERCEIVED to undermine the owners (who stuck to the strategy).

2. Loan physio. Yes, that was (on the face of it) a random appointment, but Nigel’s recital of the situation didn’t go down well, again giving the perception that the owners didn’t know what they were doing. He may well of been right, of course, but the public airing and presentation of the same weren’t well received.

3. Contract situation. Nigel gave the impression that no one had contacted him about a contract. The feeling was that Nigel knew the full situation, but was selective in what he chose to publicly disclose, again painting management in a poor light. 
 

I’m old enough to know that listening to one side of a story can be misleading. I don’t know what really went on, but I know enough to say that Nigel wasn’t dismissed for football reasons alone - that would be crazy, hence my original comment.

You are correct Sir.

6 minutes ago, Merrick's Marvels said:

Then also look at the times he has the ball.

You can't pick someone based simply what they do without the ball. 

I agree he does all the things you describe. But he is not a midfielder. 

No you are right he is a forward (number 10 for me) but needs must with all of the injuries.

Just now, Glen hump said:

It’s all about opinions but for me to say he was great is stretching it , I’d say he was workmanlike 

Yes, could describe it as that also.

He was certainly effective for the team.