Guy Posted 27 October 2010 Posted 27 October 2010 So with Sousa having been dismissed at the start of this month - which seemed like the unanimously right decision at the time - and then of course replaced by the Messiah, Sven, are we any better off that we would've been had Sousa remained I wonder? Would Sousa have started to turn the team around by now at his own accord I wonder? I think it was a team lacking in fitness that was the most serious issue in Sousa's brief tenure here but are the players actually any better now than they were a month ago and will it take time to repair the damage inflicted by Sousa? - if there was any inflicted in the first place of course. Hobbs looks alarmingly slow and ponderous compared to last season - as does Berner! The attack looks very lightweight with an ageing Steve Howard leading the line still it appears, Waghorn not got back into his stride from last season yet and with Fryatt still looking a bit lost for now. The only bright spots are the two loan signings (Naughton and Davies) and Andy King at the mo. I know we've got in some quality Prem signings since Sven's arrival but they are only loan ones lest we forget! - while Darius Vassell is an unknown quantity to us now since his time we last saw him play for England and Man. City four-five years ago. I know Sousa wouldn't havce looked at him - although I think we've been less than impressed with Sousa's Portuguese imports thus far too! With David Beckham half rumoured to have been approached re coming to the Walkers, I fear that with Sven in charge we may become the laughing stock of the Championship with such rumours linking everybody with an England international past to our club! Time will tell I guess.........
Miquel The Work Geordie Posted 27 October 2010 Posted 27 October 2010 As a fan, I feel a lot more optimistic going into the weekends with Sven in charge. He also doesn't waffle in interviews, if he needs to be blunt about the problems we've got, he is. Sousa never seemed like he recognised his own failings.
Babylon Posted 27 October 2010 Posted 27 October 2010 The big fat key on the right of the keyboard is the enter/return key. You may get a better response if you use that because it's very hard to read as one big block of text.
Babylon Posted 27 October 2010 Posted 27 October 2010 Confidence is the key, you only had to listen to Sousa speak and he would zap the confidence from you. At least Sven talks a good game which gives you confidence going forward. How it works out
Edmund Posted 27 October 2010 Posted 27 October 2010 Sven has achieved more than Sousa in the space of two weeks and we seem to be heading in the right direction. I think the key thing is the fitness of the squad. It showed against Swansea that our fitness is still below par after the pre season holiday with Sousa. How Sousa had a boastful career with that attitude to fitness is baffling. I still think that's cost us any success this season as we're still at least three weeks behind everyone else fitness wise. Sven seems to have highlighted our weakness and is actively looking to sort out our problems whereas Sousa was just stubborn.
Kitchandro Posted 27 October 2010 Posted 27 October 2010 I think our strikers will continue to struggle if they are being used alone in a 4-5-1. With the players we've got we need to play 4-4-2 IMO. It is worrying that some of our key players haven't hit top form though, notably Hobbs, Berner and Weale. But I'd rather have Sven than Sousa, that's for sure. I believe Sven does have some big flaws but he has a lot of qualities too. I think in time, we will move up the table, well away from the relegation places. I just hope there isn't a mass overturn in personnel, my advice would be to stick with the players we've got now and try to find the right formula, we need a settled side and some confidence.
Wymsey Posted 27 October 2010 Posted 27 October 2010 Life is the same being a fan as well still got the low quality players in the team.
cc_star Posted 27 October 2010 Posted 27 October 2010 Life after Sousa.... Good! Sorry, couldn't read the wall o' text but to go from your title Things will be better, Sousa's team didn't have a clue what to do when the opposition had the ball, Faz & Sven will sort this out but without the luxury of a pre-season we have to improve on a game by game basis. We played well against a mid-table side (Leeds) and were outclassed by a good side (Swansea) after they scored from their 1st chance on goal I wouldn't hold any opinion by last night, Sven was using the game to have a look at the non-starting 11, and to be honest the majority of them showed they were no where near good enough, but it doesn't matter, they won't be playing on Saturday anyway. Sven & Faz will do a good job, but it won't be this season, Sousa's fingerprints are all over it The fans need a reality check and to stop all this promotion nonsense, no side has ever got in the playoffs after having so few points on board after the first 9 games. Thanks Sousa
Guy Posted 27 October 2010 Author Posted 27 October 2010 Thanks for your tip Babylon! I guess it depends on how much time you've got as to the viability of reading one long block of text, which incidentally didn't take me more than five minutes to type - and even less to read back! (but I know we're all different!) - and not that I was in it for replies galore anyway, I was just a bit surprised at the lack of "life after Sousa" coverage so far. Maybe an era best left in the past asap though? One thing that sticks in my mind, pre season, was Sousa's "two year plan" to get us into the Premier League once he had built the team up ready for it, yet he wasn't even given more than just seven weeks to project his long term plan! That's where I felt sorry for the guy whereby many didn't, despite my deep concern at how the team was playing under him compared to Pearson's more organised and hungrier looking side from last season.
lcfcbally Posted 27 October 2010 Posted 27 October 2010 Sven has inherited a team that has been zapped of all confidence and fitness. It fills me with great confidence that Sven doesn't play a MORENO as a centre half and has outlined this by 'attracting' a player of DAVIES calibre number one issue of this Sousa/Sven debate, secondly right back has been a problem for years, NEILSON has stepped up his game but Sousa replaced him with LAMEY- Sven addressed this to by bring in NAUGHTON. VASSELL is a remarkable signing for this level, hes 30 years old and scored 1 goal less than HESKEY at international level in less games and probably in a more withdrawn role than HESKEY. As for CUNNINGHAM he iis held in high regard by MCFC management and is a current Republic of Ireland international, BERNER is 5th choice for his country but has performed well over the years. Take your pick though Centre Half- Hobbs, Davies, Vitor, Morrison, Moreno (sousa played him there and is clearly a midfielder) I'm sure Davies would make 95% of supporters choices in a partnership here- a problem area addressed. Right Back- Morrison, Naughton, Vitor, Neilson, Lamey- Im sure Naughton again would be seen as the supporters choice- yet another problem area addressed by a player who has more potential than all of them Left Back- Berner, Cunningham, O'Neill- Big fan of berner and the jurys out on Cunningham Right Mid- N'Guessan, Vassell, Gallager, Oakley- if thats what Vassell is here for Im sure people can see he a favorable choice here. I just think we should consider Pearson, Martin O'Neill (thankyou for the great times) and Sousa as history, Sven is here now get behind him! Yes 4-1 to West Brom who are a good team we have alot to do be up there with them, it will take alot of hard work but picking up someone else's mess is always hard- Give him a chance Im sure theres going to be some big changes in January......
Al-aLondon-Foxile Posted 27 October 2010 Posted 27 October 2010 Let's look at the issues. Defensively city tried and failed under Sousa to bring in centre halves from both Forest & Swansea, dispute bids of 3 million before the window closed. They also tried to sign a GK as Sousa didn't fancy Weale or Logan. They tried but failed to find the right sided attacking option they needed too. Now all of this wasn't entirely Sousa's fault as the deals are difficult to tie up, with agents and some chairman not doing business. Swansea wouldn't play ball with us. Henri Lansbury was coming from arsenal but Hoos wouldn't pay the money. Under Sven the loans have happened, the positions highlighted have to a degree been filled, albeit with loans. The backing that sousa needed but to a degree wasn't given seems strange, because pearson was ousted for him, so why not back him? They are backing Sven, and he will do a good job I'm sure, although there will be lots of changes.
Corky Posted 27 October 2010 Posted 27 October 2010 I think we are better off. Sven has a wealth of experience and will be prepared to change the squad, his signings so far seem to show he already knows where we need to improve.
Kitchandro Posted 27 October 2010 Posted 27 October 2010 Thanks for your tip Babylon! I guess it depends on how much time you've got as to the viability of reading one long block of text, which incidentally didn't take me more than five minutes to type - and even less to read back! (but I know we're all different!) - and not that I was in it for replies galore anyway, I was just a bit surprised at the lack of "life after Sousa" coverage so far. Maybe an era best left in the past asap though? One thing that sticks in my mind, pre season, was Sousa's "two year plan" to get us into the Premier League once he had built the team up ready for it, yet he wasn't even given more than just seven weeks to project his long term plan! That's where I felt sorry for the guy whereby many didn't, despite my deep concern at how the team was playing under him compared to Pearson's more organised and hungrier looking side from last season. I think this is why Sousa failed. He tried to get the team playing his brand of football before he made sure they were organised. Then when it didn't work out at first they couldn't stop the rot because they couldn't stem the flow of terrible defending and leaking goals. A lack of confidence started to seep in and before you knew it there was no fight or hunger left. He didn't get the basics right, and when you don't do that there isn't much you can do to help the rest of it.
lcfcbally Posted 27 October 2010 Posted 27 October 2010 I think this is why Sousa failed. He tried to get the team playing his brand of football before he made sure they were organised. Then when it didn't work out at first they couldn't stop the rot because they couldn't stem the flow of terrible defending and leaking goals. A lack of confidence started to seep in and before you knew it there was no fight or hunger left. He didn't get the basics right, and when you don't do that there isn't much you can do to help the rest of it. Spot on fitness is massive in English football.....
cc_star Posted 27 October 2010 Posted 27 October 2010 Let's look at the issues. Defensively city tried and failed under Sousa to bring in centre halves from both Forest & Swansea, dispute bids of 3 million before the window closed. They also tried to sign a GK as Sousa didn't fancy Weale or Logan. They tried but failed to find the right sided attacking option they needed too. Now all of this wasn't entirely Sousa's fault as the deals are difficult to tie up, with agents and some chairman not doing business. Swansea wouldn't play ball with us. Henri Lansbury was coming from arsenal but Hoos wouldn't pay the money. Under Sven the loans have happened, the positions highlighted have to a degree been filled, albeit with loans. The backing that sousa needed but to a degree wasn't given seems strange, because pearson was ousted for him, so why not back him? They are backing Sven, and he will do a good job I'm sure, although there will be lots of changes. Sousa did get the backing, where else did Lamey, Moreno, Vitor & Mussa come from, if you leave it till transfer deadline day to make major signings like £3m centre half you run the risk of it not coming off, because the other club need to release the player which can take months of scouting. Sousa had several months before that to make signings in important positions or to try and get big money players. With regards to other players/loan deals not coming, why would they come when you're in the bottom 3 and playing headless chicken football every time the opposition get the ball? Sousa - A weak man who's arrogance was 10 divisions above his ability
Kitchandro Posted 27 October 2010 Posted 27 October 2010 lcfcbally Mostly agree but I think Moussa looks decent on right.
sdb Posted 27 October 2010 Posted 27 October 2010 Basically I trust Sven to make the right calls. It never felt like that with Sousa. He played players that shouldn't have played, then generally stuck with them. It's nice not going into the weekends worrying and then getting a massive headache looking at the team selection.
Trav Le Bleu Posted 27 October 2010 Posted 27 October 2010 There's one thing I'd really like to say Guy... PARAGRAPHS!
Benji Posted 27 October 2010 Posted 27 October 2010 For the love of God can we watch some football and make decisions in a few months.
Guy Posted 27 October 2010 Author Posted 27 October 2010 There's one thing I'd really like to say Guy... PARAGRAPHS! I usually swear by paragraphs but wanted to rush my lead thread out as time was short when I originally did it! Sorry! Agreed with most of what's been said so far since then though and hopefully Sven will study present mediocre-middling form and manage to steady the the ship in time and get us up that table, looking at it in the most basic, wishful sense! I think he just wanted out of the CC yesterday, looking at his team selection, starting with Edwin Van Der Sar, I mean, Conrad Logan as no.1!
LCFCUSA Posted 28 October 2010 Posted 28 October 2010 I for one have felt more comfortable since Sousa left. There seemed to be an air of uneasiness I felt while listening to the games each week, maybe it's just me but everything seems to have calmed down a little, or at least I know that if we put up preformaces like we did on Saturday and Tuesday, at least someone capable of identifying what went wrong is at the top and has the ways and means to get it sorted.. The results will come and everything will slot into place, it's going to be an interesting season, that's for sure.
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