Guppys Love Child

You were spot on with my assumptions bud. As you said lots of moving parts. Only Top can do something about the corporate side and start swinging his axe ( and we all know a certain gentleman who'd head needs to roll first) or sell up if his heart's not in it anymore. But that's time consuming process and one of end of the season. But the "quick fix" to try and address on pitch antic's could start Monday.... Over to you Enzo ..

I'll try and be balanced here with my post. But you do make valid points. I agree with most of it, and the debacle behind the scenes and apparently poor running has hindered the ability to create better squad depth. Did the club promise the world to Enzo with regards to backing when he first joined, we'll never know, but surely he should have had some idea that to fully adopt EnzoBall it would take Man City amounts of backing, and he was never going to get that outside of the Big Six, again we'll never know what he was told on that front. But did he not look at the squad and certainly after the big name departures and based his plan to utilise the tools at hand during pre-season? Your Wilf point.. Yes we are better with him but in all fairness this is where Enzo needs to earn his pay and to coin one of his own phrases, "Find a solution" and we come back to the flexibility and adapting argument again. Yes our squad depth could be better and with better running should have been stronger, but it didn't seem to matter when we were 14 points clear and flying.

Arrrr. Beat me to it, and I agree. Some posters on here have voiced similar remarks about his inflexibility and the fact we as fans can predict how we will set up and play regardless of the opposition. It feels like the other managers in the league have done it also, and shown the flexibility that Enzo lacks to adapt their playing styles, team selections and starting formations to nullify us. So if the posters on here and the managers out there seemed to have "found him out". Surly the owners of clubs will cotton on as well. If the worst should happen and we don't go up, even via the play off's then the fact we chucked a 14 point lead away after a brilliant start to this seasons campaign, should be alarm bells to prospect employers. Certainly with the squad we have and was good enough (and still is) from the off.

That all depends on the relationship Enzo has with this to$$er. ( Which none of us are privy too) If he is confiding in him and he's relaying Enzo thought's to the world then yes we can blame him to a certain degree... For me anyone who is just starting out on their management career and has accomplished nothing of note yet, that can say I'll leave the next day if questioned about my playing philosophy has a touch of arrogance about them....so who knows. Maybe Enzo is using him as a mouthpiece to say things he can't directly say due to being the manager of LCFC ... again who knows as this could be a very dangerous tactic It's all guess work.

What an Ar53 licking Tw@t he is. Forgets to mention to that we were miles ahead of Leeds without the game in hand and that we have flushed that same lead down the toilet.. And all of this happened before the off field Legal stuff reared it's ugly head. Weapons Grade Bell..d

Ok. And how? The vast majority of the problems we are suffering currently with regards to our poor performances on the pitch, struggling in matches, results not going our way etc. are purely 'playing related' Top and Rudkin have no direct involvement or ability to affect them, certainly at the level needed. The following is were I think you think they have let Enzo down... ( This is a guess and pls feel free to correct me if I'm barking up the wrong tree) Yes I appreciate their involvement is higher up the chain, say in player acquisitions along with the day to day running of the club at a commercial level so that in turn enables us to complete within the transfer arena, and on that front to a certain degree** they have come up wanting. But this is only a small part of our current woes. ** You have to remember they did back him in pre-season and we as a team were brilliant at the beginning (so it's hard to say Top and Rudkin let him down here after our great start) and until the recent 'blip' everyone was happy with the team when it was winning both before and after the transfer window) so their direct influence would only be in affect during the transfer windows ( yes they could have done better in Jan possibly) then its back to playing related matters of which they have no direct input. To get us winning again and to improve our on pitch performance with a squad that had proven its capable of doing so, is down to Enzo. He chooses the tactic's, he chooses the match day squad (which as mentioned we were all happy with when winning), he chooses the in -game operations like subs, he's in charge of motivation, and training. These are the important attributes that define if we win or loose and the things he's paid to do and is judged upon, and if we want promotion needs to get right. So it is down to him..

Go on then, I'll bite. Who?

I wonder if the interview is available on BBC sounds? I'll check. There's no smoke without fire as they say, and I gather a lot of the stuff coming out of his mouth could have been actually fueled by Enzo's own "hidden / out of the press" feelings. Which if it is the case its a bit of a concern and smacks to me as a touch on the arrogant side. He knew full well when he joined that he wouldn't be getting a Man City Budget.

I didn't listen to it. Did he actually say Enzo said that? If that's the case he can Jog On, No one is bigger than the club , add that to his I'll leave tomorrow if the ideology is questioned remark concerns me a bit. You're a new manager cutting your teeth Enzo not a Klopp or Sir Alex who have the CV and management history to back them selves up.

Sorry bud if the tone of my post came over a bit harsh, ( it wasn't my intention) I certainly wasn't have a pop you, and with hindsight I could have phrased it a tad better👍

But he was willing to make changes to try and address a problem.. Does anyone see Enzo being flexible to do something different, like Raniri, to sort out our blip.....?

Errr, how can you say that.? The book stops with the manager as the saying goes. He's also paid a shed load of money to get results. Don't forget we were performing wonderfully at the beginning of the season and built up a commanding lead at the top. Which has now gone. We were only planning to strengthen by one player in Jan so the team that has performed so well untill the recent 'blip' hasn't changed radically, yes we have at points missed some keys players due to injuries, suspension etc and some are quoting tiredness as a symptom too , but these factors are not unique to us solely at LCFC and the same things are happening to the other 23 teams in the league as well. A good manager finds ways to overcome obstacles, and adapts to a new situation when it pops up, doing the same thing because it's " the way we play" now and sticking rigidly too EnzoBall hoping to get a result may not be the best idea. But, I'd be very surprised that after the international break when we have a largely rested squad with hopefully keys players back (Or even if they are not ) if we see anything different to EnzoBall. And if that is the case and it does unravel, he's got no one else to blame. But what he has got is 9 games to suprise us and do something different, because what he's doing at the moment ain't working.

Good post, agree with loads of it. The final paragraph though. Why do you think that? I'm not saying you are wrong ( or right 🤪) but it's a big "hunch" my friend.. I'm genuinely curious

Spot on.. and now that we are well into the return fixtures, teams have "sussed" us out to varying degree's The above is not the only reason for our "blip" but IMO it contributes quite a bit towards it. I'd love Enzo to show a bit of flexibility with his system, tweak it just a little a bit, so that the opposition is actually kept guessing for a change, chuck the old random over the top ball in, just for variety, occasionally stop playing the methodical, controlled, build up play and not play the now expected passback to move players about, that's what the opposition is geared up and waiting to happen and instead play a quick desicive out of character forward ball and catch them out. I'm also not saying we turn into hoofball merchants just mix it it up a smidge and stop EnzoBall for spells. However, I fear this will never happen in a month of Sunday's as he is to inflexible to move away from building his identity and playing the system he so stubbornly stands by, regardless of the situation. Maybe his comments of leaving the next day if his idea is questioned has taken any 'wiggle room' away , as to actually adopt a few tweaks show's the system he venomously defended at first does have weaknesses.. To me acknowledging this and adapting, and trying to overcome the "blip" by tweaking his system doesn't show weakness, but shows strength and intelligence to take the actual steps.

The job he's done with mess he was left by "he who must not be named" is brilliant, and I think at first EnzoBall was effective as our league position showed. Only when the results and performances started to wain did suspicions and questioning of EnzoBall start to crop up by some. I think he will be a good manager in the future. We have to remember he's relatively new to the management game and is still carving out an identity but I agree he does need to learn to adapt and achieve his main objective...to do what it takes to win games, and not worry about building his identity at the moment

I agree. However others are of an opinion (as is their right) that missing Ricardo and Ndidi + other 1st choice players, coupled with the fact the team is knackered and in a of a rest, something that the international break will give them are the major contributing factors to our current slump. But be careful, as he EnzoBall worshipers won't have it if anyone even questions the system, or even entertains the fact that we may just have been finally sussed by the other teams and that the system is in need of a tweak and a adjustment. Hopefully once we resume after the break we do get back to winning ways with a rested team containing the missing players seen as the vital components to the system working again, and no I'm not being sarcastic here, I want this to happen, I want to be winning again and not crapping myself with 10 mins to go. But by the same token if we carry on with no improvement, I'd like my opinion that is also similarly shared by others who think it's the system that's the problem to be allowed to voice it and not be shot down, also I'd like not being told that we can all have the pleasure of saying " we told you so" and gloating if there's no improvement. I find that argument childish and its not the reason I post my opposite views. It's because I have an opinion.... That's all

Never Going To Happen my friend.

Ok, how about we revisit this again once we have the International Break and we have Ricardo back and also Ndidi, what happens if nothing gets better and the same dross and poor results are still being served up. Just asking...

Easy KP Fox, don't get nasty, it's a forum for discussion not to sling insults.

I agree mate, pretty much my view as well. The tiredness, loss of players and not being able to strengthen arguments are not unique to us and we should have enough quality in frindge and loan players (that many of our opposition just don't have and would love to call upon) to cope with a missing 1st choice or two. It's not like we have 3 or 4 key every match, we have had absentees even when we were doing well and not just during 'the blip'. It's timed like these when a manager needs to adapt and improvise if his options are really hindered. So I have a idea, how about we all wait until after the international break, so that Enzo has a two week rested, fully fit and available squad to hand. Then when we play the inevitable EnzoBall there should be no excuses that some have hi-lighted the already aforementioned problems as the contributing causes to our rough patch. If we get back to winning ways also with an improved performance, then congratulations, you were all correct and the others were wrong ( but I don't care as we are back on track) However if we are treated to more of the sh1t we are currently suffering with poor results then maybe the people who are actually suggesting that we may have been found out to a degree and Enzo needs to show some flexibility and adaption of his system should maybe, be cut some slack? Just an idea people...

I whole heartedly agree my friend, He did do a good job, our league position was / is testermony to that and also the HMS was a forum reaction to the events happening at the time. My point is a lot of the good stuff continued to happen and grow until recently and all after the close of the transfer window and he knew what he had to work with..and as I said with that knon resource he's done very well. But now something has recently changed and my assumption is we have slowly been found out so some degree. But I don't see Enzo and his EnzoBall philosophy changing...and this frightens and frutrate me.

I agree.. but it didn't seem to hinder him (or us as a team) for the first 25+ games of the season when we where romping it and the "HMS Pi55 the league" was being branded about.

And in my opinion therein lies the crux of the matter. Slowly before this current "Blip" really manifested, we were gradually becoming less dominant and effective in matches. As the season has run on.. Other teams have changed tactics (or their playing style) either mid game or have done so on their return fixtures (due to loosing to us before) they have adapted, tried to overcome, improvised. We don't. We may have to change players due to injuries or suspension but EnzoBall with the same formation is rolled out each game and all of the game, even if it's 10 mins to go and we are one nil down or the opposition is hounding for an draw. Most subs made are also like for like to a certain degree. But that player comes on into the same system not to bring something different by changing the system. As in a mini Plan B. He's too stubborn to change and don't expect it to change, even with new players if we gain promotion, (which I hope we do)

Past posters have said something along the lines that once we have Ricardo and Wilf back, (chuck in a Vestergaard) add a nice little rest and regroup during the international break and also give Enzo has opportunity to work his magic again during this break, we should then have most of not all of the recently missing ingredients back that some have said are the major contributing factors of our current "dip in form"... I do hope this is the case, but my question is what if, come our next match or even the one after, we see no improvement, even with the above missing ingredients added back in. The very thing some posters (as stated above) are saying are part of the problem and we are again treated to the same performance with the same already documented problems we have recently been subjected too, Where do we go from there.? Why haven't things improved. I'm starting to get a bit nervous TBH.

Not able to get to a radio, or stream, and my data/ wifi is patchy at the moment,so is EnzoBall working now Vesty and Wild are both back playing (pls update someone)