Bemused

[Ric Flair]

Monday's are always a poor day to make comments regarding your football team because the thought of work always clouds your judgements in every aspect of life. Everything looks more rosey after monday is over, but I do still think I need to vent my opinion.

Up until now, i've backed Levein and will continue to do so. But saturday gave me the impression that he is showing some traits that alot of managers do when their days are numbered. He stuck to his favourites, blamed everything but himself and is chopping and changing his team every week regardless of what the score is.

I can accept that we are going to lose games, even at home and when your down to 10 men playing against the most disgusting team in the league but Levein is doing himself no favours. There is no consistency in his team selection, there seems to be nothing up his sleeve to motivate his players and get them punching above their weight. We aren't improving and that's all it boils down to. Us fans don't expect automatic promotion or even a top 6 place this season but we do expect us to be improving and looking at a top 8 or 9 palce with a chance to sneak in to the play-offs even if it's a small possibility. The wins to matches ratio is horrific and the fact we haven't won away in the league for nearly a year is relegation fodder, it's starting to get me worried.

I don't want this all to sound negative as I appreciate what Levein is trying to do, he's bought some brilliant young players in to the squad and up until recently we were playing some nice football. The thing that is letting is down is every match 2 or 3 players play poorly and cost us the match.

On saturday what struck me as bizarre was that Alan Sheehan was completely dropped from the squad yet again. Levein said before the Sheff Wed match that Sheehan now had a chance to stake his claim at left back and if he played well he'd continue to play there. We kept a clean sheet that game and he looked more than good enough to play there regularly. He was then completely dropped and Gilbert came in and played poorly by all accounts. Gilbert was then completely dropped and Nils moved out there. Sheehan then comes back in at Blackpool and puts in another decent performance, providing some good corners and free-kicks aswell as defending solidly. He is then dropped yet again from the squad and the defence is shifted about again. How is this going to help the kid or the team as a whole? He must be wondering what he has to do to get a regular game, i'm sure it's not boosting his confidence.

The thing that has disappointed me the most though is his reluctance to accept that Mark de Vries is very inconsistent and when he's playing badly he needs taking off. Hume was brilliant at times on saturday and fed a few balls on a plate to de Vries who embarassingly wasted them and yet it's Hume who gets replaced. Levein has even had the cheek to claim de Vries had a good game on saturday, and that for me has made me lose quite alot of respect for Levein. de Vries was far from good, infact it was just as bad as anything he served up last season if not worse, he had three air shots inside the 6 yard box, you couldn't even teach it.

Not happy, is this season another write off? I'm confused.

[Vo Rogue]

Another good editorial to start the day.I agree 2 or 3 players every game of late appear as if they can't be bothered. I do wonder what is going on there and if CL hasn't been able to change that attitude then it's a very worrying time.

[Steven]

How does this statement strike you, after the game at the weekend.

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[Ric Flair]

How does this statement strike you, after the game at the weekend.

I'd rather lick piss off a thistle.

[supedaj]

could be just what we need .. pity none of the players or staff have been here long enough to be aware of the history with McGhee ... :-o

[Guest]

All managers have their faults, even MON. My main criticism of CL is our inability to defend and attack set pieces. This must be the easiest thing to practise on the training pitch, and yet again we concede another soft goal.

I do agree that a settled side is also needed, and can't understand why players play one week, yet don't figure the next.

However, considering the state of the squad when CL took over, and seeing that we look less likely to concede from open play, don't look like conceding stupid goals in the last minute etc, we have improved defensively.

I'm working on the principle that CL is trying to build a solid platform to then develop the attack.

Despite these criticisms, I'm still backing CL, however I'm not a patient person, and I can only back the man for so long.

What I don't think is helping is constant speculation regarding potential new managers. It's not just CL who sees and hears this, the players do too, it's unsettling, it's counter-productive, and besides who the hell would come and manage an average Championship side, because basically that's all we are.

[The People's Hero]

Ric Flair has hit on all the major points.

As he correctly identified, the worrying thing is not that we're not in the play offs or that we're not winning 3 nil every week. The worrying thing is that there seems to be little learning from mistakes, improvement or even new ideas shown. I am prepared to give Levein time, but only if there is an improvement... not the typical LCFC outlook of everyone is against us, we were unlucky, seige mentality- do it the hard way...

[Thracian]

There's been talk of stability and I have already documented my preferred side.

But I think we have played enough games to have a good idea of our best players - the ones who should be playing whatever.

My own thought are:

Definites: Douglas, Stearman, Sheehan, Hughes, Joey, Hammond, Hume, Gerrbrand (by reputation), Williams (most times).

Probables: Nils, Dublin (could play in front three instead of MDV), MDV

Possibles: Levi Porter, Hammil, Wilcox, McCarthy.

That means we have nine places virtually accounted for and two more to pick out of seven according to our intentions.

Why on earth should it be hard to get a settled side on that basis whether playing 4-3-3, 4-4-2 or the 3-5-2 systen that has been suggested occasionally?

[supedaj]

yep Thracian - agreed.

if only we could get Levein to look at this site ... :-)

[Libertine]

All managers have their faults, even MON. My main criticism of CL is our inability to defend and attack set pieces. This must be the easiest thing to practise on the training pitch, and yet again we concede another soft goal.

I do agree that a settled side is also needed, and can't understand why players play one week, yet don't figure the next.

However, considering the state of the squad when CL took over, and seeing that we look less likely to concede from open play, don't look like conceding stupid goals in the last minute etc, we have improved defensively.

I'm working on the principle that CL is trying to build a solid platform to then develop the attack.

Despite these criticisms, I'm still backing CL, however I'm not a patient person, and I can only back the man for so long.

What I don't think is helping is constant speculation regarding potential new managers. It's not just CL who sees and hears this, the players do too, it's unsettling, it's counter-productive, and besides who the hell would come and manage an average Championship side, because basically that's all we are.

Exactly, we'd be buggered left right and centre if CL went. We'd get bloody Trevor Francis or someone just a shite.