Definitely a FA Cup Hangover

[GazLaz]

The first 15min was ok but we are so predictable that teams adjust to how we play so easily. The way the team is coached is poor.

Do you want to change the coach?

He doesn’t rate our coach and he doesn’t rate the vast majority of our players.

Terribly disappointing today. I felt really low after the game and I haven’t recovered yet.
The players let down themselves and the fans today. Not enough fight, not enough determination and unfortunately not enough quality either.

Too often we blow it in front of a big away support against local rivals, and that hurts.

I’ll be at Morecambe on Tuesday and we must deliver a convincing win.

Do you speak for me now? As I have said before and as colincramb alluded to, Grant is a manager in the traditional sense. He knows how to build a good spirit, get everyone mulling in the same direction, man manage, and make a club stable etc etc etc. I think him and his coaching team aren’t the best at the level when it comes to actually putting tactics, shape and systems together on the training pitch. Neither was Alex Ferguson and his staff at times by the was so there is more involved in getting results than pure coaching.

[mushRTID]

Talking of hangovers, I don’t remember waking up after a game as pissed off as a I still am this morning.

We were absolutely awful.

The recruitment is still the biggest thing that’s pissing me off. We were told time and again about the processes involved and work that goes into signing players (to win the league no less).

I genuinely don’t think one player has improved last years team, it’s really disappointing.

To add, Street has been good to be fair to him.

[GazLaz]

Talking of hangovers, I don’t remember waking up after a game as pissed off as a I still am this morning.

We were absolutely awful.

The recruitment is still the biggest thing that’s pissing me off. We were told time and again about the processes involved and work that goes into signing players (to win the league no less).

I genuinely don’t think one player has improved last years team, it’s really disappointing.

You can have all the processes you like, if they are not very good ones they are no use to anyone. It’s the same old debate. If we are to ever punch above our weight again the whole structure of the club needs modernising. The manager led model is a thing of the past.

[Alan Southstand]

I sincerely hope that someone within the Club has learned something from this season, particularly with the choice of loans. Too many first time loans thrown together to supposedly make us into a top 3 side doesn’t appear to be working.

Last season we did much better, so why the change? Maybe because the manager pursued his mantra that he wanted 2 players for every position? That must have swallowed up a lot of his budget and then not enough in the kitty to put the ‘icing on the cake’.

For me, we’ve not got the midfield sorted from even before day 1. Westbrooke and Close being signed before the season kicked off was an unfathomable decision. Neither have hardly played. I think GM has a blind spot when it comes to midfield.

[Chris Black come back]

Westbrooke last completed 90 minutes for us on 11 November 2023 in the 2-0 away defeat to AFC Wimbledon.

[DonnyOsmond]

Talking of hangovers, I don’t remember waking up after a game as pissed off as a I still am this morning.

We were absolutely awful.

The recruitment is still the biggest thing that’s pissing me off. We were told time and again about the processes involved and work that goes into signing players (to win the league no less).

I genuinely don’t think one player has improved last years team, it’s really disappointing.

You can have all the processes you like, if they are not very good ones they are no use to anyone. It’s the same old debate. If we are to ever punch above our weight again the whole structure of the club needs modernising. The manager led model is a thing of the past.

We did try that for 6 months to be fair to the club, who knew Coppinger wasn't the Director of Football we required at that time...

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Each time we lose, we seem to go round in circles looking beyond the performance, by looking at the bigger picture, recruitment, budgets, club structure etc., when really some of the answers are much simpler and basic.

However, we recruit, whichever players are picked in whatever formation, they should be able to produce better than what we saw for am hour yesterday.

To accumulate the amount of points we have, we must have done some things right, some of the time. Those players are capable of better. There's some basic things that just went out of the window and clearly, McCann has got to get to the bottom of it and sort it out quickly.

Of course, we don't see what goes on in training and in the dressing room but McCann however we dress it up, is responsible, so we are right to question why there's a repetition of wheels falling off during games. If we believe he's a good manager, he will get to the bottom of it, as whatever personnel you put into that team, the drop off in performance levels is unacceptable.

[DrewSouthStand]

A few posters on the thread have mentioned the Crewe play off game and how poor we were. I have spent this morning asking myself what has improved since then? What has?

[Surrey Rover]

Two issues I suggest.

The first is the continued belief from the manager that the squad he has assembled can play 4-3-3. It’s not working and big gaps are appearing in midfield  all too often which are exploited by the opposition. I would persist with 3-5-2 given the players capabilities.

The second is players out of position which is affecting their own performance. Just as one example was the free kick conceded by Rob Street just before half time in the match with Palace down by the corner flag. Not a criticism of Street, it was a typical forwards challenge but Street shouldn’t be coming that deep, he needs to be used in his best position playing off the shoulder of the last defender.

There is a thread running about recent signings and what if anything they’ve brought to the squad but some of the disappointment is down to not playing to their strengths.

[Filo]

Two issues I suggest.

The first is the continued belief from the manager that the squad he has assembled can play 4-3-3. It’s not working and big gaps are appearing in midfield  all too often which are exploited by the opposition. I would persist with 3-5-2 given the players capabilities.

The second is players out of position which is affecting their own performance. Just as one example was the free kick conceded by Rob Street just before half time in the match with Palace down by the corner flag. Not a criticism of Street, it was a typical forwards challenge but Street shouldn’t be coming that deep, he needs to be used in his best position playing off the shoulder of the last defender.

There is a thread running about recent signings and what if anything they’ve brought to the squad but some of the disappointment is down to not playing to their strengths.

We actually changed to a 3-4-3 for the last 15 mins or so

[GazLaz]

I sincerely hope that someone within the Club has learned something from this season, particularly with the choice of loans. Too many first time loans thrown together to supposedly make us into a top 3 side doesn’t appear to be working.

Last season we did much better, so why the change? Maybe because the manager pursued his mantra that he wanted 2 players for every position? That must have swallowed up a lot of his budget and then not enough in the kitty to put the ‘icing on the cake’.

For me, we’ve not got the midfield sorted from even before day 1. Westbrooke and Close being signed before the season kicked off was an unfathomable decision. Neither have hardly played. I think GM has a blind spot when it comes to midfield.

I’ve said about the first time loans for years. For every she decent one you get you get two or three bad ones. I’d just mandate not signing them at all.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

To me, it doesn't matter what formation we play, if the players don't have the discipline to stick to it.

[pib]

Not sure it was an FA Cup hangover. We’ve looked laboured and easily stopped in most games at home this season. How we still haven’t found a way of playing well by February is mind boggling.

Our response to going behind is mostly pathetic. If you started watching the game at 0-1 or 0-2 yesterday you wouldn’t believe we were a team “attempting” to get back into it. It just never looked likely apart from a little flurry at the end when we got desperate.

Big ask to get into the automatics now IMO. We’re going to have to buck the trend of inconsistency that has blighted us this season and go on a run. How has it come to this with the money that’s been spent and the players that have been brought in?

[WarwickRover]

The first 15min was ok but we are so predictable that teams adjust to how we play so easily. The way the team is coached is poor.

Do you want to change the coach?

He doesn’t rate our coach and he doesn’t rate the vast majority of our players.

Terribly disappointing today. I felt really low after the game and I haven’t recovered yet.
The players let down themselves and the fans today. Not enough fight, not enough determination and unfortunately not enough quality either.

Too often we blow it in front of a big away support against local rivals, and that hurts.

I’ll be at Morecambe on Tuesday and we must deliver a convincing win.

Do you speak for me now? As I have said before and as colincramb alluded to, Grant is a manager in the traditional sense. He knows how to build a good spirit, get everyone mulling in the same direction, man manage, and make a club stable etc etc etc. I think him and his coaching team aren’t the best at the level when it comes to actually putting tactics, shape and systems together on the training pitch. Neither was Alex Ferguson and his staff at times by the was so there is more involved in getting results than pure coaching.

Sorry to drag this out ....... would you change the coach/manager?

[rich1471]

Not a cup hang over at all ,He has not know his best team all season or formation when it changes every week how can the players become consistant or fluid in a style of play that changes every week

[i_ateallthepies]

Not a cup hang over at all ,He has not know his best team all season or formation when it changes every week how can the players become consentant or fluid in a style of play that changes every week

Perhaps he's making the same mistake as Schofield made in not recognising that the players he has aren't good enough to play his chosen style.