Post Match Leicester 0 Millwall 3

[LeeCovFox]

Can I ask those that question if he knows what type of player is needed for this level; he has managed and been successful in several countries, in several leagues and for several different international teams. Are you arguing that they all needed the same type of player and that the championship is alone in its style?

A fair question. For me personally I think it may be that he has forgotten (for want of a better word) how to be an exceptional club manager. He has done it what? For one season in the last decade or so before coming here? At international level he has been tasked with picking the most talented of a particular pool of players and making them perform well as a team. Relatively simple in recruitment terms - he can pick who he likes as long as they're of a particular nationality.

I know that people will point to his time at Manchester City. And he did do well there. But those who have said he was 'fantastic' are being generous. He was given more financial backing than his predecessors and he made a decent fist of it. If he had been given more time then I reckon he would have done even better. And that's all I'm arguing for here, really. I do not believe he should be sacked. I just don't think he will do the job he has been tasked with given the parameters within which he must work. I think the naivety of the owners in setting such lofty objectives without much time to achieve them is the biggest problem. I doubt very much Eriksson would have spunked the cash he did in the summer had he been given a bit longer to attain the goals of the owners. He could have built a side more gradually and I'd personally be more confident of success.

 

[Profondo Rosso]

Can I ask those that question if he knows what type of player is needed for this level; he has managed and been successful in several countries, in several leagues and for several different international teams. Are you arguing that they all needed the same type of player and that the championship is alone in its style?

No! For the third time: it's not the type of player, it's the level of player. I'm not talking about needing a team of "strong, physical, players" or some otther bullshit, I'm talking about knowing how good a player needs to be.

The thing is, you can have managed all round the world if you don't know the level of player needed. I have watched Championship football for years at Leicester, I have never watched any football in the Armenian second tier. If someone asked me to watch a player and to know whether he was good enough for the Armenian second tier I would not even know where to start, even though it is probably at a much lower level than what I am used to. Do you honestly think watching a player and deciding whether he's good enough is that easy? Could you go to a local pub game next weekend and tell whether a player is good enough to play for Barwell or not? A player could be creating everything through his great passing ability, but how do you know whether that would translate to Barwell's level or not? The simple answer is: you don't, unless you've been watching football at Barwell's level for years and can pin point how good you need to be at that level and how much of a gap there is between that and pub football and whether that player is good enough to bridge that gap. That is not something you learn overnight, it takes years of watching the level you are playing at to know how good players have to be to reach that level.

It took SGE several years to become successful in Italy, the team he was left with in Portugal were already a very strong side and national champions, Sweden is his home nation and he played at that level for years and probably watched it to.

Like Lee says, I'm not doubting SGE could get us promoted in 2 or 3 seasons time, I'm just doubting whether he can do it this season but the problem is, because our owners have basically said "get us up this year or your sacked" his hands are tied.

 

[spionfox]

Whats so frustrating , for me anyway, is the current top 6.

With the exception of West Ham I can't honestly see how they are doing it.

Crystal Palace - really?

They have a former legend who knows what they are all about.

Where's Walsheh when you need him?







Shaun - that was tongue-in-cheek as well

 

[Kingy_85]

I thought as much earlier watching a team containing Sean Derry, Paddy Kenny and Clint Hill beat Chelsea!

Watching Clint Hill wrestling David Luiz and getting away with it made me feel sick.

 

[spionfox]

Watching Clint Hill wrestling David Luiz and getting away with it made me feel sick.

Only if they were both naked would it have had that effect on me!

 

[TornadoShaunUK]

I don't know how you deduced that he is assuming that from that quote. We have a lot of Premier League experience in our ranks, and it's only logical to expect that these players should be good enough for the Championship. The players that don't have Premier League experience in our ranks have proven themselves at this level, the likes of Dyer, King, Gally were part of a side we know are capable of competeing at the top end of this league.

Would you say our squad isn't good enough for the Championship? Of course you wouldn't... our squad is plenty good enough to be challenging for promotion, they are just currently underachieveing.

At the end of the day, there are plenty of games left to turn it around. Hopefully Sven can sort it, I think som of the players need to ask themselves if they are playing to the best of their ability as well - because some of them in particular are letting the fans down, their team mates down, and more importantly their manager down.

 

[Profondo Rosso]

I don't know how you deduced that he is assuming that from that quote. We have a lot of Premier League experience in our ranks, and it's only logical to expect that these players should be good enough for the Championship.

But it's not though! You can be a solid PL player without really being better than any Championship players. Honestly, I think there is little gap between the bottom of the PL and the top of the Championship these days. Yes, they could be good enough for the Championship, but good enough for a promotion chasing Championship side? That's the thing and that's the difference between someone who can spot a player who is good enough to play at a promotion chasing team at this level and someone who has just been forced to say "he was a solid PL player, so he must be good in the Championship."

The players that don't have Premier League experience in our ranks have proven themselves at this level, the likes of Dyer, King, Gally were part of a side we know are capable of competeing at the top end of this league.

You've mentioned attacking players though. Pearson's side was one of the worst attackingly, in this division. Our success under Pearson in that season was all about our defensive players, not our attacking players. None of those you mentioned were particuarly amazing in that season and our success certainly wasn't built around them as much as it was Hobbs, Berner and Morrison.

Would you say our squad isn't good enough for the Championship? Of course you wouldn't... our squad is plenty good enough to be challenging for promotion, they are just currently underachieveing.

Is it though? That's the question. Looking down our squad and what they have proven in the past:

Schmeichel - Leeds fans weren't complimentary

Peltier - Lower league player
Pantsil - PL player, but known by Fulham and West Ham fans for being error prone
Mills - Reading fans said he was an average Championship player when we signed him, some people on here just said they were being bitter.
St. Ledger - Middlesbrough fans said he was dogshite, PNE fans said he was good 3 years ago but has been dogshite over the past couple of seasons
Bamba - SPL player
Konchesky - Solid PL player

Fernandes - ManCity fans not complimentary about him at all
Danns - Average Championship player
Wellens - I've never warmed to him tbh, always been an average and horribly inconsistent Championship player for me.
King - I like him, but he's a good Championship player really at most.
Gallagher - See above.
Abe - Played in Japan his whole career, how much that compares to the Championship is anyone's guess.
Oakley - Past it.
Johnson - A good PL player 3 years ago, been out injured for an awful long time though.

Vassell - Always been a good workhorse, but has never been a goalscorer.
Nugent - Never scored more than 14 in a season at this level, failed miserably in the PL.
Beckford - Never really proven above League One level.
Schlupp - Young lad. Complete unknown

At the end of the day, there are plenty of games left to turn it around. Hopefully Sven can sort it, I think som of the players need to ask themselves if they are playing to the best of their ability as well - because some of them in particular are letting the fans down, their team mates down, and more importantly their manager down.

I completely agree with this though.

 

[Profondo Rosso]

I do not believe he should be sacked. I just don't think he will do the job he has been tasked with given the parameters within which he must work. I think the naivety of the owners in setting such lofty objectives without much time to achieve them is the biggest problem. I doubt very much Eriksson would have spunked the cash he did in the summer had he been given a bit longer to attain the goals of the owners. He could have built a side more gradually and I'd personally be more confident of success.

Again, agreeing with you Lee.

 

[homer]

Are we down yet ?

 

[LeeCovFox]

I reckon the money we have spent, along with the calibre of our manager, has conned us (myself included) into believing we have a side capable of challenging to win this league. It's often difficult to go into a new season without unmerited optimism. Our spending this summer made that even more difficult.

So, fooled again. Football will do that to a person.

 

[Profondo Rosso]

I reckon the money we have spent, along with the calibre of our manager, has conned us (myself included) into believing we have a side capable of challenging to win this league. It's often difficult to go into a new season without unmerited optimism. Our spending this summer made that even more difficult.

So, fooled again. Football will do that to a person.

I'm starting to feel the same way, though I obviously hope I am wrong, but really, taking a step back now and looking at our squad again I'm just starting to have my doubts about whether it really is that good.

 

[spionfox]

I'm starting to feel the same way, though I obviously hope I am wrong, but really, taking a step back now and looking at our squad again I'm just starting to have my doubts about whether it really is that good.

Don't worry PR. After we stuff the 'appy 'ammers things will look totally different.

 

[Profondo Rosso]

Don't worry PR. After we stuff the 'appy 'ammers things will look totally different.

I sincerely hope you are right.

 

[Hazzman]

I reckon the money we have spent, along with the calibre of our manager, has conned us (myself included) into believing we have a side capable of challenging to win this league. It's often difficult to go into a new season without unmerited optimism. Our spending this summer made that even more difficult.

So, fooled again. Football will do that to a person.

Penny dropped for me three games into the season.

However, I consider this division so full of average shit, it's still not out of the question of promotion this season.

 

[Jaz Shanahan]

We are so inconsistent it is frustrating....we have the players...if they can do it one day they can surely do it the next

 

[LeeCovFox]

Penny dropped for me three games into the season.

However, I consider this division so full of average shit, it's still not out of the question of promotion this season.

After the Bristol City game I was really deflated, but I put the rubbish I'd watched during that and the Reading game down to us not having 'gelled' yet. I can't give the team the benefit of that excuse now. If we aren't there already we are getting very close to the point in the season at which we really need to start motoring if automatic promotion is to look a realistic prospect. I agree that this division is full of average shit. Unfortunately we are giving the other average shit a head start over us, and we lack the pace and dynamism of the side which took us on that brilliant run after the turn of the year last season.

 

[Mike - True Blue Tinter]

... but the problem is, because our owners have basically said "get us up this year or your sacked" his hands are tied.

When/where did Top/Top Senior say that?

 

[MKFox]

Are we down yet ?

5 points away from automatic promo...... We will be soon, Sven out, sack the board.....

 

[MKFox]

If only if they were both naked, yum...

geeeeez...

 

[Matt_B]

Our problem is consistency and playing against teams who clog the midfield. We have proved that the players can do it against the top teams in the division (based on position) but not against the lower teams. As H said though, no team is consistent this year, except for Southampton.