Tactical Disaster

[Bridge'srightfoot]

We've no leader in the middle of the park. We have technical excellence but someone like kompany that can take a game by the scruff of the neck in midfield is a must for me

Silva is the closest thing to that. Against Hull for example. Down to ten men and he just took total control of the game, almost by himself.

[Beefymcfc]

We've no leader in the middle of the park. We have technical excellence but someone like kompany that can take a game by the scruff of the neck in midfield is a must for me

Silva is the closest thing to that. Against Hull for example. Down to ten men and he just took total control of the game, almost by himself.

Dave does well but sometimes you need that player in the middle who will raise his game and take everybody with them. We've go a few players who can do it but we need somebody who is willing, and able, to do that further up the pitch on a regular basis. Yaya isn't that man and Dave is too busy bamboozling the oppo, sometimes getting dumped on his arse. That's where you need a player to start questioning the referee when he gives us fuck all (as usual).

[Hazy2]

We've no leader in the middle of the park. We have technical excellence but someone like kompany that can take a game by the scruff of the neck in midfield is a must for me

Silva is the closest thing to that. Against Hull for example. Down to ten men and he just took total control of the game, almost by himself.

Dave does well but sometimes you need that player in the middle who will raise his game and take everybody with them. We've go a few players who can do it but we need somebody who is willing, and able, to do that further up the pitch on a regular basis. Yaya isn't that man and Dave is too busy bamboozling the oppo, sometimes getting dumped on his arse. That's where you need a player to start questioning the referee when he gives us fuck all (as usual).

That is a great point, De Jong was an enforcer and a refs mate, he and Clatenburg would have sorted out Suarez.

[nottsblue]

Oh for a 24 year old Vieira

[Ted Hughes]

I was making the point about Mancini fucking up the back 4 in August that season & it's posted on here if you don't believe me. I kept with that theme for most of the season. You will also find threads with me & Doug discussing how we think it could be a bad manoeuvre letting go of DeJong, not because of his brilliance on the pitch, but because was a big figure in the dressing room.

I said at the start of this season that I felt letting Barry go was an enormous mistake.

So no, I'm not rewriting anything, I'm repeating what I said would happen, before any of it happened.

It was the same for many mate, we were all saying the same thing but to say de Jong and Barry were down to Mancini is how I said, just wrong. Nige had made his mind up and for whatever reason he wanted to go. He did exactly the same with Ajaz, running the contract down and not wanting to renew, moving to Hamburg for pittance. He then tried it with Hamburg but on this occassion, Hamburg knowing we were in for him, they inserted an extension in there and it cost us a small fortune to get him only for him to run his contract down with us and again, we got pittance for him. He was great around the club, we could all see that but do you offer a bloke even more just to sit him on the bench or because he can make people smile on the training ground. It was out of Mancini's hands as Nige had done what Nige does - Do your time and move on.

And as you've just said, how is it Mancini's fault that Barry was moved on by a new manager? Again, many thought it was a mistake and some still do but what's that got to do with Mancini? Sounds like you're either getting mixed up a little or using Nige and Barry to back-up your views on the Lescott situation, which I agree with btw.

Back on topic a little, tactically I think we've gone back a step with regard to playing 4-4-2 (or derivative) as I don't think it's the way forward. However, I do understand why we do it in the aim to keep our 4 forwards in the game and in the limelight. That's all part of the holistic approach but has it made us a better team for it?

Well, we've played some great football (which I could also say of previous seasons) and it's brought us a lot of goals but looking at comparisons we are only 3 points better off than we were last season. That's a difference that I didn't expect, even if it is his 1st season in-charge.

Barry has got fuck all to do with Mancini, I mentioned BOTH managers.

[getdressedmctavish]

Hope you were watchin today Ted, a tactical master class in controlling a game, albeit with the aid of a genius, lol.