Signs of improvement?

[colbo68]

Am I being pessimistic?? Despite spending a relatively large amount of money on assembling a 'quality' squad (Howard, Clemence, DJ, Oakley) and turning down sizeable bids for some of the others (Mattock, Macauley) I am not seeing any noticeable improvement in the standard of football we are playing.......it still seems to be long ball to Howard, looking for knock-downs onto oncoming attacking midfielders that never seem to make those runs... it was the same when we had a different target man (DeVries, Cort etc.......)

When are we gonna get the ball on the floor and playing through the middle ie. actually playing some good stuff?

Of course, the problem with making so many new signings is the reduced opportunity this gives to some of our talented youngsters, such as Chambers, Cox etc.. (For a detailed account of how good some of these young lads are refer to the comments of Thracian, who seems to me to make lots of sense)

I genuinely hope that Ollie can turn things around......... the past few seasons have been false dawns under the stewardship of so many supposedly up and coming talented young managers. However, losing to Blackpool (lets face it, currently a poor side themselves), being hammered at Norwich and playing poorly against Palace has made me shudder and wonder whether there really are signs of improvement?

Opinions please.........................

[samuel]

I wholeheartedly agree, too many false dawns, too many duff players, add to that some not very inspring managerial appointments and we have a team of very mediocre proportions, from the top to the bottom.

The only reason this has continued is because of the overwhelming, paying support the club gets.Had they been getting 10,000 gates, Leicester would have been league 2 fodder now.

I do not see any marked improvement in the coming years because in Milan Mandaric, i see a pauper in the modern football climate, he will not be able to compete.

This club has been involved in some appauling financial decisions in recent years and it seems we are still making them (How many players were signed in close season and palmed off to others or contracts cancelled), that sort of behaviour can only work if you are at the top of the pile in a lucrative league, not near the bottom of a not very rich one.

Lessons are not being learnt, which will only be catastrophic in the end.

[Churchill]

Coventry- Great performance could not of asked for more

Norwich- Got hammerd no excuses lucky to get a draw

Palace- Bad pitch didn't play great but shown determination to get a goal, something we don't normally do could of easily settled for a draw against a team that was on a 15 game unbeaten run.

Blackpool- Could not make it so listened to it on the radio sounded like a scrappy game.

[Mr Happy]

I do not see any marked improvement in the coming years because in Milan Mandaric, i see a pauper in the modern football climate, he will not be able to compete.

Yes thats my main concern for us, too many deals for players can be scuppered by the richer clubs and we'll still have the same problems we have now at the start of next season.

[reynard]

Judging by the league table no improvement whatsoever.

Same number of games played same number of points and 2 positions lower than last season.

Think we have let in fewer goals but may have scored less. Will struggle to score more than last season's paltry number.

home form slightly better but away form gone to pieces.

Also same as last year

Impatient fans

impatient chairman

sqaud with no exciting talent

can't score goals

Give away goals in the last few minutes

The same hump it in the air defenders

generally uninspiring football to watch

Changes from last season

a cabbage patch of a pitch to play on

a squad massive in number but mainly no good, past it, not yet ready or out on loan

oh yes at least we have a manager who is more amusing than the last 6 we've had.

So all in all no real signs of improvement at all but at least we've spent some money getting there and the transfer window was a lot more exciting than last season so not all hope is lost for a brighter future.

[David O'Leary]

Coventry- Great performance could not of asked for more

Norwich- Got hammerd no excuses lucky to get a draw

Palace- Bad pitch didn't play great but shown determination got lucky to get a goal, something we don't normally do could of easily settled for a draw against a team that was on a 15 game uneaten run.

Blackpool- Could not make it so listened to it on the radio sounded like a scrappy game. Was a poor game of football, far too many long balls considering a horrible wind, but definatly deserved a point

[Jackirius]

i think we definatly are improving, at the start of the season we were diar, couldnt beet anyone and altoghether playing crap football, weve improved alot and i think we can dig ourselves out if we get on a decent run and finish of in top half of table and maybe sneak into the playoffs.

[Legend_in_blue]

Having arrived back from the delights of Blackpool, yesterday's non-event still hasn't disappeared from my mind. Improving? No chance. I for one am disappointed. Comparing our situation to last season, and the finish to yesterday's game, we're still playing right sided players in left sided positions, out of position, which yet another poor championship side has exploited. The boot over to the left hand side of our defence and towards an unsupecting right back always had, and still does, have us in trouble, and yesterday was no different. Added to the fact that you'll see better defending football on Vicky park after the first goal went in and it's a case of deja vu. Been there, seen it all before. I'm not saying that it was Mattock's fault for the first goal, but he did seem to be a little non-existent on the left side. Two questions arise from this. 1) Why loan out Shush!, when in my opinion, he's more dangerous from crosses and set pieces, even if he's a little suspect in defending and 2) What happened to Clapham?

Ollie states on the radio that he doesn't want to see square pegs in round holes and yet he persists in his starting line-up with the same system which was clearly ineffectual against Palace for most of the game. It was only after he started tinkering with the system with the arrival of DJ and Bori that things started to improve. So why not start with a side very similar to this against Blackpool? I'd have started with Howard and DJ up front with Hayles and Hume on the bench. Bori on the right. Instead of that, we get pointless long throws and pointless long balls which lack direction and imagination coupled with the fact that it's blowing a force 10 gale.

From my frozen seat I felt deflated. No passion, no creativity, no class, just going through the motions. As I said earlier, been there seen it all before. As for us fans sitting it out (or standing), couldn't see a thing sometimes, we deserve medals. We continually support our team, get behind the team, you name it, and look what thanks we get. A half-hearted clap at the end of the game. Cheers.

I'll just take myself 152 miles back home and look forward to the Plymouth game. I'm sure it'll offer something different...

[Ultra]

i think we definatly are improving, at the start of the season we were diar, couldnt beet anyone and altoghether playing crap football, weve improved alot and i think we can dig ourselves out if we get on a decent run and finish of in top half of table and maybe sneak into the playoffs.

We are NOT going to make the playoffs.

And when you go to school in the morning, pay more attention to your spelling.

[dandannieldanok]

To be honest there aren't to many signs of improvement, especially considering the investment. Everyone is waxing lyrical about the Cov performance but we managed to thrash them last season with Horsfield and Johnson so beating them is not a great acheivement. Other than that, we don't appear to have played well in any of the games since Jan 1 (start of Hollowary 'era' ), and obviously we were poor before too.

[fosseman]

To be honest there aren't to many signs of improvement, especially considering the investment. Everyone is waxing lyrical about the Cov performance but we managed to thrash them last season with Horsfield and Johnson so beating them is not a great acheivement. Other than that, we don't appear to have played well in any of the games since Jan 1 (start of Hollowary 'era' ), and obviously we were poor before too.

I've just watched the goals from the Blackpool game. We still seem to fall for the old "ball over the top" routine. Our midfield and defenders look slow and a bit unsure who's doing what. It's very disappointing against a team that cost a fraction of what MM paid for our lads. We really haven't moved on in spite of a couple of good results recently.

[MikeyT]

We are NOT going to make the playoffs.

And when you go to school in the morning, pay more attention to your spelling.

[Guest shearfox]

I honestly think our home form as improved since all the new signings, against Palace we look as though we were trying to move the ball about on the floor but due to Palaces type of game and the pitch it was difficult. Coventry proved what we can due when players are played in position i.e. Howard and Hume/DJ upfront, Bori on the right, and Lackzo staying out wide on the left not drifting in as much, I'm shocked Bori isn't starting games, he looked good against Palace when he came on and is far better than Hume who is just useless on the right.

[Ultra]

I honestly think our home form as improved since all the new signings, against Palace we look as though we were trying to move the ball about on the floor but due to Palaces type of game and the pitch it was difficult. Coventry proved what we can due when players are played in position i.e. Howard and Hume/DJ upfront, Bori on the right, and Lackzo staying out wide on the left not drifting in as much, I'm shocked Bori isn't starting games, he looked good against Palace when he came on and is far better than Hume who is just useless on the right.

The problem is that NONE of the players seem capable of repeating the form they showed in the Cov game on away grounds.

Holloway hasn't exactly dispelled the negative mindset the team adopted under previous regimes. In fact if anything he's reinforced it even further.

That's why we've gone eight away games without winning, against largely mediocre opposition.

[Dr The Singh]

The problem is that NONE of the players seem capable of repeating the form they showed in the Cov game on away grounds.

Holloway hasn't exactly dispelled the negative mindset the team adopted under previous regimes. In fact if anything he's reinforced it even further.

That's why we've gone eight away games without winning, against largely mediocre opposition.

The players seem to lose there confidence very quick, continiuty is an issue but there seems to be no real natural leadership on the pitch and possibly off it!!!

[Ultra]

The players seem to lose there confidence very quick, continiuty is an issue but there seems to be no real natural leadership on the pitch and possibly off it!!!

Indeed.

I thought this problem would be resolved when we signed Oakley and Howard, but judging by Saturday's evidence, it's still very much there.

[Dr The Singh]

Indeed.

I thought this problem would be resolved when we signed Oakley and Howard, but judging by Saturday's evidence, it's still very much there.

Howard, still has a hangover from Derby, and doesn't talk enough on the pitch. I agree Oakley would be the one to add some fight but he seems to go missing.

There's something quite not right about the team, the fact that we still play players out of position doesn't help!! I just hope this is just a phase and sometime soon the players and play will gel, becasue we look so disjointed at times!!

[Jonbluefox9]

I can't see things getting much better between now and the end of the season and that shouldn't be a surprise. We've had three managers, I don't know how many new signings have been made and players departed but that must be a massive number by now too. How can we expect consistency on the pitch when we've had no consistency off it? It's time to stick with our man (Holloway), ride it out until the end of the season and make a few additions in the right places in the summer. At least having done a bit of dealing in January we won't have as big an exodus and influx of players during pre-season. Howard, Hayles and Oakley will be settled at the club, so will Bori, Laczko, Clapham and Alnwick if their loans and short term deals are extended. This should mean that we won't be seeing a double figure amount of new faces like last summer.

[Manwell Pablo]

I can't see things getting much better between now and the end of the season and that shouldn't be a surprise. We've had three managers, I don't know how many new signings have been made and players departed but that must be a massive number by now too. How can we expect consistency on the pitch when we've had no consistency off it? It's time to stick with our man (Holloway), ride it out until the end of the season and make a few additions in the right places in the summer. At least having done a bit of dealing in January we won't have as big an exodus and influx of players during pre-season. Howard, Hayles and Oakley will be settled at the club, so will Bori, Laczko, Clapham and Alnwick if their loans and short term deals are extended. This should mean that we won't be seeing a double figure amount of new faces like last summer.

Hurrah, the voice of someone not descending into blind panic.

[Babylon]

I can't see things getting much better between now and the end of the season and that shouldn't be a surprise. We've had three managers, I don't know how many new signings have been made and players departed but that must be a massive number by now too. How can we expect consistency on the pitch when we've had no consistency off it? It's time to stick with our man (Holloway), ride it out until the end of the season and make a few additions in the right places in the summer. At least having done a bit of dealing in January we won't have as big an exodus and influx of players during pre-season. Howard, Hayles and Oakley will be settled at the club, so will Bori, Laczko, Clapham and Alnwick if their loans and short term deals are extended. This should mean that we won't be seeing a double figure amount of new faces like last summer.

Yeah but we're shit, we're going down. Even though we are no further near relegation after the Blackpool games we're all doomed.... doomed I tell thee, doooooooooooooooooomed.

Forget the fact we've signed about 20 players and three managers in 6 months, we paid over a million for a couple of players, that means we should we playing like brazil and storming the league. Ollie hasn't got a clue, get rid I say... get another manager and let him bring in another 10 players... it's the only solution to our problems.

[Manwell Pablo]

Yeah but we're shit, we're going down. Even though we are no further near relegation after the Blackpool games we're all doomed.... doomed I tell thee, doooooooooooooooooomed.

Forget the fact we've signed about 20 players and three managers in 6 months, we paid over a million for a couple of players, that means we should we playing like brazil and storming the league. Ollie hasn't got a clue, get rid I say... get another manager and let him bring in another 10 players... it's the only solution to our problems.

Wha da fck man? You's is a clear nob head, Ollie iz da wright man 4 da job. E as signed Bazza Ayles N Dem Hungryians and I fink day are quality.

[Monk]

We're still on a learning curve with the new players and building the team chemistry. The focus for this season is to build a style of play and a consistent starting 11 that can win games. Give it a chance for pity's sake. On the assumption that we will stay up this season is a write off; let's make what we can of it and focus on next season rather than our current problems. I appreciate we're still not safe but we have shown since Christmas that we can win games and I have every confidence we will stay up. Things have improved, but we are still not the finished product.

[Babylon]

Wha da fck man? You's is a clear nob head, Ollie iz da wright man 4 da job. E as signed Bazza Ayles N Dem Hungryians and I fink day are quality.

Du yous wanna take dis outzide or summit, i'm gunna bang yous out m8. Dat mouf is gunna get youz in trubble.

We iz going down, bin sayin it all year like. Now dey go n relalise Kaebiebibi, wat da fk is dat abut.

[Fez of Mahrez]

**** ME, HOW MANY GAMES HAVE WE LOST IN A ROW NOW?! THIS IS AWFUL!!!!!!!! I CAN'T EVEN REMEMBER THE LAST TIME I SAW A HOME WIN LET ALONE TWO IN A ROW.

[step]

Do we have a drugs problem at city?

It does not seam to matter who the manager is or what players we have.

they all end up shite and after four years. someone at the club should be looking a little deeper to find what the problem is