Go on, admit you were wrong

[Durnerz]

Is it the Italian way of “we may lose but we’ll look good while we do”?

[lcfc278]

I think we're going through a rough/tough period tbh and I feel since the Coventry loss in Jan, a lot of teams have kind of sussed out how we play and we've not really looked like we have a plan B either.

 

However, in Enzo's defence he is quite limited with the squad we have, in the areas where we need to rotate more, on the wing and in the middle of the park, we don't have a lot of options, whereas the areas where we don't need to rotate so much, in defence or up front we've got a lot of options and up front in particular, no one has really set the league on fire and others have been disappointing when they've come in.

 

I still think he has a good idea of how to play football but most of our players are knackered after a long season and he doesn't have the quality on the bench where we need it. However, as luck would have it, it seems that Ipswich and Leeds are looking the same at the minute too. Got my fingers crossed we somehow manage to pull our fingers out for the last 5 games to get us over the line.

[J. James]

Results and only results are what mitigates the dull, boring and frustrating style he clearly likes and demands.

He is a one trick pony and when even that goes, what's left?

Our squad at the start of the season was a Ferrari in a race of Fords but our novice manager decided to run it on flat tyres.

 

Whether we scrape promotion or not he has very obviously struggled with what should really be the number one attribute for a manager - tactics - and high on the list of tactics is the ability/willingness to surprise.

l genuinely think our rivals managers can barely believe that he does exactly what they expect him to do and no matter how good the players, if you know the battle plan then it becomes immeasurably easier to win.

[J. James]

38 minutes ago, Durnerz said:

Is it the Italian way of “we may lose but we’ll look good while we do”?

IOW style over substance?

who knows... 👌👍✔️

[Chelmofox]

8 minutes ago, J. James said:

Results and only results are what mitigates the dull, boring and frustrating style he clearly likes and demands.

He is a one trick pony and when even that goes, what's left?

Our squad at the start of the season was a Ferrari in a race of Fords but our novice manager decided to run it on flat tyres.

 

Whether we scrape promotion or not he has very obviously struggled with what should really be the number one attribute for a manager - tactics - and high on the list of tactics is the ability/willingness to surprise.

l genuinely think our rivals managers can barely believe that he does exactly what they expect him to do and no matter how good the players, if you know the battle plan then it becomes immeasurably easier to win.

I feel inclines to continually point this out. It really wasn't.

[rugbyblue]

10 minutes ago, J. James said:

Results and only results are what mitigates the dull, boring and frustrating style he clearly likes and demands.

He is a one trick pony and when even that goes, what's left?

Our squad at the start of the season was a Ferrari in a race of Fords but our novice manager decided to run it on flat tyres.

 

Whether we scrape promotion or not he has very obviously struggled with what should really be the number one attribute for a manager - tactics - and high on the list of tactics is the ability/willingness to surprise.

l genuinely think our rivals managers can barely believe that he does exactly what they expect him to do and no matter how good the players, if you know the battle plan then it becomes immeasurably easier to win.

Have you seen the film?   The worrying thing is ford won.  Came 1 2 and 3 😞

[Paninistickers]

29 minutes ago, lcfc278 said:

However, in Enzo's defence he is quite limited with the squad we have, in the areas where we need to rotate more, on the wing and in the middle of the park

I don't think that gonna wash with the 23 other championship managers who basically have zero senior players beneath their main 14 or 15 and routinely have to play players out of position. 

 

We have internationals worth millions sitting on the bench doing nothing who could easily turn their hand (at this level) to an alternative position.

 

Examples; JJ could play on the wing. Hamza can easily play right midfield. Vesty could play the Winks role. Wilf could play the Winks role. Albrighton could play widenor even KDH role. Dennis can play winks, Wilf or KDH role 

 

 

Manager has singularly failed to manage his squad

[Claridge]

After the early wins , I always used to think the other teams fans must be a bit bemused by the fact we were romping the league. They must be flabbergasted now. The football for 75 minutes is absolute dross win or lose and has been for almost every game.Dont dislike him as a person, but despise his insistence of pointless passing. Embarrassing now when they play a 2 yd pass for no reason or the striker charges back like a headless chicken, just to pass it back to the defender

Edited 11 April 2024 by Claridge

[goose2010]

Yeah i was massively wrong at the start of the season as i thought we would be top 10 at best with how crap we were last year and other than Winks and Coady all our signings were a risk. 

 

Instead we are top with a game in hand with our rivals only having 4 games remaining. We can still max 103 points. IF we get 103 we will have the 3rd highest points total EVER in the Championship so yeah i admit i was wrong. 

 

Other than pure arrogance and disrespect  there is no reason why anyone would have expected us to be in a better position that we are currently. Yes we had a massive lead but come on we were on to get around 127 points after Christmas! This was NEVER going to happen. Only 6 times has the 100 point barrier been breached in the past 32 years. 

 

The league is a slog, we are wobbling but we are still top. 

[goose2010]

15 minutes ago, J. James said:

Results and only results are what mitigates the dull, boring and frustrating style he clearly likes and demands.

He is a one trick pony and when even that goes, what's left?

Our squad at the start of the season was a Ferrari in a race of Fords but our novice manager decided to run it on flat tyres.

 

Whether we scrape promotion or not he has very obviously struggled with what should really be the number one attribute for a manager - tactics - and high on the list of tactics is the ability/willingness to surprise.

l genuinely think our rivals managers can barely believe that he does exactly what they expect him to do and no matter how good the players, if you know the battle plan then it becomes immeasurably easier to win.

it wasn't. It was a team that had just been relegated, had a new manager, risky signings and no leadership from above. 

 

Doesn't matter what it looks like on paper, the squad was not good enough for the Prem and was rightly relegated. 

[lcfc278]

6 minutes ago, Paninistickers said:

I don't think that gonna wash with the 23 other championship managers who basically have zero senior players beneath their main 14 or 15 and routinely have to play players out of position. 

 

We have internationals worth millions sitting on the bench doing nothing who could easily turn their hand (at this level) to an alternative position.

 

Examples; JJ could play on the wing. Hamza can easily play right midfield. Vesty could play the Winks role. Wilf could play the Winks role. Albrighton could play widenor even KDH role. Dennis can play winks, Wilf or KDH role 

 

 

Manager has singularly failed to manage his squad

Hmm, I dunno, I don't think any of those options would work in the system he wants to play. Wilf can't pass more than 10 yards he wouldn't be able to do 10% of what Winks does in our system. 

 

Also, I think the other 23 managers only having 14 or 15 senior players thing is a load of tripe. There's at least 10-12 teams in this league with a big enough squad to challenge for the play-offs and promotion, a lot of clubs bigger than us as well so I don't buy in to that narrative that we're 'absolutely too massive for this league' at all. 

[LFEFox23]

13 hours ago, Big Blue Maff said:

IF we get promoted I believe we will yo-yo up & down for a few seasons, there’s so much uncertainty right now surrounding everything about our club , player’s futures , deduction of points next season , money to spend etc and to top it all off is Enzo  going to be manager next season. He definitely cannot play his style if we get promoted so why play it now ? I’m still angry from last season’s relegation & this past 3 months watching is torture, fuming last night. I’ve only been 2 games this season because I’m pissed off & we’ve lost both games ( Leeds / Middlesboro) 

Do we stick with him ? I’m on the fence, who ever we have the next 12 months at Leicester city ain’t gonna be easy ( when is it ever ) 

Agree RE - Style of play next season, but there's no way he's going to totally U turn on this style.... Were definitely going to be the Burnley of this season, but WORSE!

[Koke]

I'll just say this.

 

It's his first job. Arteta was beyond underwhelming in his first 2 years at Arsenal but look at him now. Enzo could be learning from his ways and become even better. Only problem is a bad season for us is failing to get promoted or getting relegated from the PL. A bad season for Arsenal is finishing 8th. They won't suffer as much as we would. We're not Arsenal or Chelsea or Manchester United who can afford to hire bad coaches after bad coaches and still recover.

[Scanchez]

Imagine if we weren't top of the league, with a game in hand..

People would want him hung, drawn and quartered.

It's still on the cards that we get promoted. The trouble is, if we do get promoted, we can't really sack him.

This means we'll get walloped every game until we do sack him (say, Oct / Nov time).

This, along with a points deduction and the fact that our squad will be completely unsuitable for a Premier League season, means we'll get relegated with a points total that will make Derby smile.

Go up, stay down - either way, next season is going to be horrible.

Edited 12 April 2024 by Scanchez

[Aleksz]

This thread might make immense reading in about 3 weeks let alone a years time.

[Paninistickers]

54 minutes ago, lcfc278 said:

Hmm, I dunno, I don't think any of those options would work in the system he wants to play. Wilf can't pass more than 10 yards he wouldn't be able to do 10% of what Winks does in our system. 

 

Also, I think the other 23 managers only having 14 or 15 senior players thing is a load of tripe. There's at least 10-12 teams in this league with a big enough squad to challenge for the play-offs and promotion, a lot of clubs bigger than us as well so I don't buy in to that narrative that we're 'absolutely too massive for this league' at all. 

At least 20, maybe more,  managers would be absolutely staggered if they had Kels, Dennis, Hamza, JJ, Vards, Coady and Souttar and others .... but chose to leave them on the bench. 

 

 

[indierich06]

1 hour ago, J. James said:

Results and only results are what mitigates the dull, boring and frustrating style he clearly likes and demands.

He is a one trick pony and when even that goes, what's left?

Our squad at the start of the season was a Ferrari in a race of Fords but our novice manager decided to run it on flat tyres.

 

Whether we scrape promotion or not he has very obviously struggled with what should really be the number one attribute for a manager - tactics - and high on the list of tactics is the ability/willingness to surprise.

l genuinely think our rivals managers can barely believe that he does exactly what they expect him to do and no matter how good the players, if you know the battle plan then it becomes immeasurably easier to win.

Come on, this is simply not true. Leeds and Southampton both have comparable, if not better/more well-balanced, squads than us. And you're being extremely disingenuous to other teams in what is a very competitive league, and there are certainly players playing for teams outside of the newly-relegated sides that are better than what we have - Jack Clarke, Gabriel Sara, Jaden Philogene, Morgan Whittaker, Leif Davis...

 

I agree with much of the criticism of Maresca's one-dimensional football, but the table simply does not lie - we are top, with a game in hand, in one of the most competitive championship seasons ever, and could rank among the highest points scorers in the league's history.

[adejo92]

52 minutes ago, Aleksz said:

This thread might make immense reading in about 3 weeks let alone a years time.

Why? I can't speak for everyone else but my opinion won't change in the slightest even if we go on to win every single game from now on and end the season as champions 6 points clear. Enzo has shown his incompetence in this division, what improvement are we expecting when we play at a level that not even comparable next season?

 

It speaks volumes that a season we have spent almost the entirety top of, can be so UN enjoyable.

[Dahnsouff]

1 hour ago, J. James said:

Results and only results are what mitigates the dull, boring and frustrating style he clearly likes and demands.

He is a one trick pony and when even that goes, what's left?

Our squad at the start of the season was a Ferrari in a race of Fords but our novice manager decided to run it on flat tyres.

 

Whether we scrape promotion or not he has very obviously struggled with what should really be the number one attribute for a manager - tactics - and high on the list of tactics is the ability/willingness to surprise.

l genuinely think our rivals managers can barely believe that he does exactly what they expect him to do and no matter how good the players, if you know the battle plan then it becomes immeasurably easier to win.

 

Like this?

 

[Aleksz]

2 minutes ago, adejo92 said:

Why? I can't speak for everyone else but my opinion won't change in the slightest even if we go on to win every single game from now on and end the season as champions 6 points clear. Enzo has shown his incompetence in this division, what improvement are we expecting when we play at a level that not even comparable next season?

 

It speaks volumes that a season we have spent almost the entirety top of, can be so UN enjoyable.

Because he’ll of got the job done in that (admittedly unlikely) eventuality.

 

Not bad considering half this forum said we’d win about 3 games of our first 8. Bloke can’t win with you lot.

[GingerrrFox]

I admit it I was wrong. I thought our entire fanbase would be happy with being top of the league with 5 games left to play…

[Leicesterpool]

Enzo had an amazing five months in the job, destroying opponents but eventually we would be find out, that's when plan B would come into action... which Enzo doesn't have. I don't expect the Enzo reign to be a long even if we're promoted.  

[Twitcher]

1 hour ago, goose2010 said:

it wasn't. It was a team that had just been relegated, had a new manager, risky signings and no leadership from above. 

 

Doesn't matter what it looks like on paper, the squad was not good enough for the Prem and was rightly relegated. 

I think that's what goose2010 is saying. We're over exceeding to where we perhaps ought to be after last season.

I don't necessarily go along with this bench envy the other twenty-three teams should have either. I'm not sure too many of our bench would be automatic elsewhere. Lower half maybe, but not top half clubs.

I find the style frustrating at times but it has to be more positives than negatives for the season as a whole so far. 

We could easily have done a West Brom. or Norwich after last season, and just settled into the Championship for a few seasons before mounting a comeback. For me, we are ahead of schedule.

Edited 11 April 2024 by Twitcher

[TheGoldenGod]

It's being lost on most that his objective was to get us promoted which if we do, he's been successful. A novice, no championship experience and extremely limited managerial experience. With a massively re-jigged squad which for some reason has been spun by the media as if poor Saints and Leeds had it worse.

 

However, the bloke is far too stubborn at the moment, even emphasised today by his comments on Cannon. He has to be able to adapt and not die on his sword of "this is the way we play" because although its worked for 80% of the season, that's not 100% and he's not learnt from losses.

I still have a feeling if the summer goes as badly as we expect regarding our off-the-pitch issues then he probably won't be with us next season anyway!

[Aleksz]

2 minutes ago, TheGoldenGod said:

It's being lost on most that his objective was to get us promoted which if we do, he's been successful. A novice, no championship experience and extremely limited managerial experience. With a massively re-jigged squad which for some reason has been spun by the media as if poor Saints and Leeds had it worse.

 

However, the bloke is far too stubborn at the moment, even emphasised today by his comments on Cannon. He has to be able to adapt and not die on his sword of "this is the way we play" because although its worked for 80% of the season, that's not 100% and he's not learnt from losses.

I still have a feeling if the summer goes as badly as we expect regarding our off-the-pitch issues then he probably won't be with us next season anyway!

Well balanced post