SafewayFox

Trying to think of any positives about Cooper‘s start here. I genuinely can’t and hated how Barraclough on WYS said how we should look to pick up wins against Southampton/Ipswich etc as they’ll be down there but made excuses for Cooper and said it’s too early to question his position at the club. The Palace and Everton results/performances still leave a sour taste in my mouth.

Cooper saying the scoreline “could be seen as a little unfair”. No one can say he’s this honest manager at press conferences when rambles on like that. He’s in full PR mode. If it wasn’t for Mads they could have been out of sight, look at any of the stats and the result was far from unfair 🤯

I’ve said this so many times but Reid and Ayew are causing more harm to the academy/PSR issues than helping. I don’t know if Kasey is good enough for the PL but we’ll never know as you say, picking Reid to come on is naivety at best…other than having played in the PL, what does he offer?

Where’s the vomit emoji reaction?

The starting 11 is better than expected as Facundo actually offers a threat that Ayew doesn’t. HOWEVER, we all know that we’ll play with a high JJ so can count on Arsenal scoring at least one down his side. Personally would have loved to have had a solid back 4, stick with the 3 DM’s and offer more pace on the break with Abdul. If we don’t expect Arsenal to come out of the tracks (thanks for the comments JJ) then more questions need to be asked of Cooper.

I can see where you’re coming from re: vardy’s limitations at 37. However, let’s not kid ourselves when comparing striker options in the PL (I say this as you brought Mateta into it). Other than the obvious (Haaland), Liverpool’s forward line has variety/proven PL goals, Isak, Watkins (think he’s a bit limited but I’ll add him) Jackson (same as Watkins) and Duran - are there many more prolific scorers around? He’s obviously not what he was but look who starts up top for so many sides - Welbeck (33), Wood (32), DCL (can’t stay fit), Solanke (£65m after one decent season), Jimenez (33) and so many more. The gap has grown between the two mini leagues in the PL but a decent manager with an intent to win rather than “not to lose” could actually make a much better go of it than what we’ve seen so far.

I’m a bit surprised that his comments haven’t been more criticized from his pre-match presser. I was raging when he said he has a clear tactical style that involved his advanced full back and boxed midfielders (Ayew coming centrally). If that is his style - 1) Why bring in Facundo and Bilal who clearly won’t work in that set up as primarily 10’s 2) Who thinks that is our best tactical approach when have JJ, Victor as the attacking FB’s - as above, that should have been budgeted for and upgraded on. I don’t get on board with him being more honest than others as a positive as he’s still on PR mode and protecting his limited brand IMO.

More waffle. Did he come in and not show the players how good of a coach he is previously? He’s just a basic coach that has been left behind by the much more stylish brand of managers who can articulate to the players what/how he wants them to play. Cooper’s a moment coach rather than a philosophical one and when throw in his cautiousness, we get the turgid footie that we’re seeing.

How much time will you give him until we’re too cut adrift based on Cooper’s obvious mistakes both here and at Forest?

Exactly. The media thing is just noise to me. I don’t sadly have any faith in Top/Rudkin and we all know that Cooper will be safe well past his sale by date.

Maybe I’m naive but the media thing is a stupid concern. They’ll do their negative thing, sadly positive new stories don’t get the same clicks but it would quickly get forgotten about and replaced by a bigger story. What seriously (but probably isn’t) scenario needs to happen is that Rudkin/Top are starting a search outside of the usual PL cloggers and testing the waters now so we could move swiftly if Cooper’s tenure doesn’t rapidly improve.

The media are definitely making a thing of the amount of clubs not picking up all 3 points yet but interesting to see about the past couple of seasons. I typed out a long reply re:5 or 15 games seems irrelevant when there is zero evidence but realise I sound like a broken record. As for Skipp, now the “how much??” noise has died down, I confidently believe he’s our most rounded CM. There is zero history to suggest that dropping Ndidi to play in a double pivot with a playing out from the back ethos that he’ll do a good job and it was evident that we looked worse without Skipp IMO.

Firstly, great post mate. The bit that I’ve highlighted though masks all of Cooper’s obvious flaws. 1) We’re currently 15th but the season so far has been highlighted as an outlier for so many clubs not picking up a win in the first 5 games. 2) The tactics, substitutions and overall coaching of our players is such a basic, dare I say amateur level it’s damning. 3) His apparent issue with Ricky P, dropping Skipp after he was one of the best players against Palace are baffling. I could carry on too.

That was what I meant when saying the inverted winger….Cooper’s tactics in essence (basic level compared to your detailed analysis) is that we want two number 10’s behind our striker with us forfeiting a winger for a full back. My anger with this is last season our wingers were our biggest and most consistent attacking threat. That’s been replaced with offensively awful FB’s. HOW can Cooper say he watched all of our games last season and come to that conclusion. It angers me and makes any defence of Cooper inexcusable in my eyes.

I need to get better at my articulation on here, I didn’t mean inverted wingers per se. I am old school and miss wingers taking a FB on the outside and whipping in a cross (but that’s a conversation for another day) I meant the winger lets say Ayew coming inside to offer a second number 10. Thus meaning our attacking outlet down that side of the pitch are limited FB’s in the mould of Victor, JJ and Thomas. I know what I’d rather defend against with the ball 20/30 yards away from my goal and that’s the aforementioned FB’s rather than Stephy/Abdul running with it.

So this annoyance popped in my brain and would love someone with a more tactical nous (maybe @StriderHiryu) can educate me as to why Cooper thinks an inverted winger works. We basically have decided that the following players (who have played this role this season) Victor, JJ or Thomas are a better outlet for creating chances/goal threat than two attacking wingers. Someone, please make it make sense.

Genuinely trying to understand this logic (you’re not alone in saying it on here). What about Cooper in his time here or at Forest suggests he will pick up the required points to keep us up?

So a professional footballer who acts out the basic instructions from their apparently limited manager is the players fault now? Ok, then 🤯 Numerous posts on here highlighted that Thomas was the FB asked to roam forward whilst Ricky was clearly instructed to offer the more defensive role. Which even typing hurts to write….not sure what part of that is defendable for Cooper and down to Ricky.

Cheer up mate. I was merely joking, at that part I put in bold of your comment about him trying. You say it like he’s a Dad stepping up for an U11 Sunday team not a overly paid PL manager. I can’t see how anyone can defend anything that Cooper has done here whether a lackluster pre-season, apparent obsession with “PL experience” and his OTT cautious attitude towards everything match day.

I might have misread this but you’re comparing Madders to Faes in terms of his importance to our team? WOW!!

Faes is a hideous defender. The people that claim he’s good also raved about him on his debut when we shipped 6 against Spurs. His best attributes are bringing the ball out, being a bit of a mad man and front footed with his defending but he’s even average at those traits. His awful positioning, brain fart moments and absolute silence on the pitch, other when we concede and he throws a little childish tantrum have always made me despise the oaf.

This could reach Maynard levels of pages and we all know that (rightly or wrongly) he’ll still be here until November/December at least. I really want to like the guy as he at least is honest but I can’t shake that he’s just not good enough for PL football.

It works both ways though doesn’t it. Cooper needs to prove the right to be a PL manager too. There are only 20 jobs of management in “the best league in the world” and his time here has been disappointing if we’re being honest. That’s like suggesting a dodgy butcher who gave me food poisoning deserves the chance to prove he won’t make me shit through the eye of the needle again.

Thanks Mrs Cooper 😘

So you say other posters aren’t talking facts yet ignore this about the “fraud” Potter - https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/introducing-graham-potters-chelsea-backroom-staff Living on the south coast I remember the Brighton fans being upset that Potter went then fuming that he took the back room staff but particularly about Bruno who was a Brighton cult hero….pretty safe to say him going with Potter suggest he did ok at Brighton. I don’t care what language/“facts” people talk about on here as it’s a fans forum but don’t accuse someone of something and then go do it in the same post mate. Did Bruno leave with Brighton’s savior in Hughton (he was viewed as out of his depth locally) or Potter who you suggested did nothing at Brighton?!