Sven - was he that bad?

[Ross 'LCFC' Turner]

I didn't want Sven to leave at the time, to all the Sven haters out there that were calling for his head, looking back was he really that bad? 

Since Sven has gone IMO we have got worse. Sven was sacked for being too inconsistent? Now we're just consistently bad 3 points from a possible 15 is embarrassing especially against sides such as Peterborough & Doncaster teams we should be beating if we want to get promotion.  

People complained we had no width, Everyone was screaming for Dyer and Gallagher in a 442 and it has got us nowhere. 

Everyone was disappointed to see Fernandes go, Sven played him every week but all his team selections were criticised?

Our football at the minute is so boring, we don't look dangerous at all. Under Sven we put 3 past Southampton, 4 past Derby both flying high at the time. 

The defence at the minute is a shambles, Pearson as an ex defender is meant to sort this out but it has got worse. Under Sven we kept 6 clean sheets. 

'Pearson the man who can get the best out of players'. Other than Koncheskey I would say everyone's form has form dropped. Peltier 'mr consistent' has been poor recently, Kasper Schmichael has been flapping in recent games and doesn't seem the same since Sven has gone, Nugent although he continues to work hard and score goals his overall game hasn't been great in recent games. Wellens has got worse, the same could be said about most of the side.  

People may say give Pearson a chance to sign in January, but how do we know that Sven may have got a couple of players that would helps kick on and push for promotion. ( e.g Yakubu & Bamba) It was this time last year we went on a 9 or 10 game run which turned our season around.

Sven did make a lot of mistakes signing players like Ball etc but when you look at the facts, getting rid of Sven was pointless, we had kept 6 clean sheets, we were scoring goals, playing some decent football at times, within touching distance of the play offs and with January window approaching exciting times ahead. 

I have faith in Pearson but I think this boring / negative football is a step backwards for us. Hope I'm proved wrong. 

[accessory]

In December 2010 we only got 4 points out of 15 under Sven.

Later on I'll post a more detailed rebuttal of your argument.

[Dan]

Sven correctly went.

Pearson shouldn't be completely judged until he's got his own players in. Currently, he's working with the shocking inbalanced excuse of a squad that Sven left him with, admittedly he's not exactly succeeding with it, but would I have kept Sven? No chance, the bloke was fvcking the club up.

[Ross 'LCFC' Turner]

In December 2010 we only got 4 points out of 15 under Sven.

Later on I'll post a more detailed rebuttal of your argument.

But we had moved from the bottom of the table to around mid table, since Pearson has arrived he's taken us from round about the play offs to 14th.

I hope you do come back and prove me wrong because I want us to be promoted like the rest of us do, but since Pearson has arrived we've gone backwards - fact.

This thread was just a comparison because everyone wanted Sven out but when you look at the facts he wasn't doing that bad.

[Guest MattP]

He paid 5 million for Matt Mills, he put players like St Ledger on 20k a week, he gave Wellens a huge pay rise and a new 3 and a half year contract in March, he had limitless funds and purchased Neil Danns, despite having nearly a year in charge he was scurrying around at 7pm on deadline day still looking for a striker he knew he needed 6 months earlier.

He wasnt just bad, he was a dangerous lunatic.

[Kitchandro]

I wasn't a fan of Sven but I didn't judge him after 8 games and before a transfer window. Whilst defending Sven in the way that you have you are basically judging Pearson already.

Sven built the squad we've got now, fact. Whether Pearson is playing players that he himself bought is irrelevant as Sven didn't replace them with better and in King and Wellens' case they were in fact 2 of his favourites (and incidentally 2 of our best performers last season).

Pearson has inherited a team that has gone backwards in 18 months. It has not gone backwards since he came back, it has simply taken the inevitable course it would have taken if Sven was still in charge. That is because there are several big issues with it. Confidence is being sapped by the week and it's becoming clear to everyone, even the players themselves, that they aren't good enough to get promoted.

Sven wasn't 'that bad' if you mean comparing him to Taylor or Sousa. He did OK early on and in Ferbuary he was doing a good job. But it's all gone pear-shaped since and that was down to him.

Now it's debateable whether he was sacked too early but I have no doubt in my mind that he was the wrong man for the job. And once you have decided that (as the owners obviously did) then arguably there is no 'too early'.

You can pick out 1 or 2 games amongst several terrible performances, but that is just selective. The big picture is we inconsistent results-wise and were not playing football to a good enough standard.

Pearson has to turn this around and to suggest he has fvcked it up is utter garbage. He is not a step backwards and I'd like to hear you justify that he is. Baring in mind that you look foolish for deciding this after 8 games, when his previous with us is far more impressive than Sven's tenure.

[Dan]

Two posts above I've repped, they're both spot on.

[Kitchandro]

But we had moved from the bottom of the table to around mid table, since Pearson has arrived he's taken us from round about the play offs to 14th.

I hope you do come back and prove me wrong because I want us to be promoted like the rest of us do, but since Pearson has arrived we've gone backwards - fact.

This thread was just a comparison because everyone wanted Sven out but when you look at the facts he wasn't doing that bad.

Sven was doing that bad.

I'm so tired of arguing this, I'm just so fed up of it. But I can't let people talk such rubbish.

Shall we compare how much Sven spent with how much Pearson has spent (we can include his first spell if you like).

How do you justify us spending the amount of money we have since January and to not only be outside the play-offs but playing so poorly?

[Leicesterpool]

I think Sven's trouble was he was too soft on them, apart from that he did alright. The Millwall result was just a bad day at the office.

[Yojoe36]

The thread name should be called:

"Sven - was he good?"

[Brainy]

he gave Wellens a huge pay rise and a new 3 and a half year contract in March,

Im pretty sure the majority on here were bloody calling for that.

[Ross 'LCFC' Turner]

He paid 5 million for Matt Mills, he put players like St Ledger on 20k a week, he gave Wellens a huge pay rise and a new 3 and a half year contract in March, he had limitless funds and purchased Neil Danns, despite having nearly a year in charge he was scurrying around at 7pm on deadline day still looking for a striker he knew he needed 6 months earlier.

He wasnt just bad, he was a dangerous lunatic.

Matt Mills for 5million was a joke, but at the time not many people were complaining we had just signed a goal scoring centre back, one of the best defenders in the league on current form, a man who lead his side out at Wembley a couple of months ago and a man destined for the Premier league.

Unlimited budget? Maybe but the main aim was for proven championship players, Neil Danns was Palaces best player last season, a goal scoring midfielder, their best player when they came to the King Power, on his way to play Champions league football, at the time yes it looked a good signing.

Wellens was given his extension last season, at that time our best player and with Birmingham interested everyone was relieved to see him sign that new deal.

If St Ledger is on 20k a week then that's just stupid but does anyone even know that for sure? And doesnt Andrew Neville sort that out?

[Guest MattP]

Matt Mills for 5million was a joke, but at the time not many people were complaining we had just signed a goal scoring centre back, one of the best defenders in the league on current form, a man who lead his side out at Wembley a couple of months ago and a man destined for the Premier league.

Unlimited budget? Maybe but the main aim was for proven championship players, Neil Danns was Palaces best player last season, a goal scoring midfielder, their best player when they came to the King Power, on his way to play Champions league football, at the time yes it looked a good signing.

Wellens was given his extension last season, at that time our best player and with Birmingham interested everyone was relieved to see him sign that new deal.

If St Ledger is on 20k a week then that's just stupid but does anyone even know that for sure? And doesnt Andrew Neville sort that out?

Whatever people thought of it he is the manager and its his decision, thats why he got paid. You just had to knock on Sven's door and he gave out a new deal, Oakley proved that.

He got paid a fortune for getting so many decisions wrong in the end, badly wrong.

[Ross 'LCFC' Turner]

I wasn't a fan of Sven but I didn't judge him after 8 games and before a transfer window. Whilst defending Sven in the way that you have you are basically judging Pearson already.

Sven built the squad we've got now, fact. Whether Pearson is playing players that he himself bought is irrelevant as Sven didn't replace them with better and in King and Wellens' case they were in fact 2 of his favourites (and incidentally 2 of our best performers last season).

Pearson has inherited a team that has gone backwards in 18 months. It has not gone backwards since he came back, it has simply taken the inevitable course it would have taken if Sven was still in charge. That is because there are several big issues with it. Confidence is being sapped by the week and it's becoming clear to everyone, even the players themselves, that they aren't good enough to get promoted.

Sven wasn't 'that bad' if you mean comparing him to Taylor or Sousa. He did OK early on and in Ferbuary he was doing a good job. But it's all gone pear-shaped since and that was down to him.

Now it's debateable whether he was sacked too early but I have no doubt in my mind that he was the wrong man for the job. And once you have decided that (as the owners obviously did) then arguably there is no 'too early'.

You can pick out 1 or 2 games amongst several terrible performances, but that is just selective. The big picture is we inconsistent results-wise and were not playing football to a good enough standard.

Pearson has to turn this around and to suggest he has fvcked it up is utter garbage. He is not a step backwards and I'd like to hear you justify that he is. Baring in mind that you look foolish for deciding this after 8 games, when his previous with us is far more impressive than Sven's tenure.

Schmichael or Weale? Schmichael

Peltier or Neilson? Peltier

Mills or Hobbs? Debatable

Bamba or Brown? Bamba

Koncheskey or Berner? Koncheskey

Midfield - the same

Nugent or Fryatt? Nugent

Beckford or Howard? Debatable

How can you say the team has gone backwards?

Pearson did a great job first time around, and laid the foundations for what the club is today.

But that's the type of manger Pearson is. A man manager, a motivator, a man that can take a squad and with a low budget transform it using a mixture of youth and experience.

When he was here first time around and maybe even at Hull because they lost all there 'big names' there was no pressure. One of the main reasons we did so well in our first season back was because we had no pressure, weren't expected to win most games, at Hull he had the time to transform his squad slowly and develop it, but now he HAS to get us promoted, we're expected to win every game, there also a lot of big egos in the dressing room, I just don't know if he can handle it - I hope I'm wrong!!

[Guest MattP]

Schmichael or Weale? Schmichael

Peltier or Neilson? Peltier

Mills or Hobbs? Debatable

Bamba or Brown? Bamba

Koncheskey or Berner? Koncheskey

Midfield - the same

Nugent or Fryatt? Nugent

Beckford or Howard? Debatable

How can you say the team has gone backwards?

Because as a team they have, Bamba and Mills might be better footballers than Hobbs and Brown but they are certainly not a better defensive partnership, this is part of the problem, we are to focused at looking at individuals and not looking at what players actually make us into a better team.

[Ross 'LCFC' Turner]

Because as a team they have, Bamba and Mills might be better footballers than Hobbs and Brown but they are certainly not a better defensive partnership, this is part of the problem, we are to focused at looking at individuals and not looking at what players actually make us into a better team.

Mills and Bamba are good defensively, they just cant do it for 90minutes.

Our midfield is the problem they don't protect our defence and don't offer anything for our forwards.

Any team that defends for most of the game will crack.

[Topman]

But Pearson brand of football is so boring, I know he doesn't care how we play as long we get the results, but we not getting the result and the type of football we play is worse than my little girls football team! Zzzzzz cost me like £40 a game

[ozleicester]

Drawing games we should win, playing boring uninspired football and no playoffs on the horizon.... the exact opposite of what we had when Sven was in charge

[Guest MattP]

Mills and Bamba are good defensively, they just cant do it for 90minutes.

Our midfield is the problem they don't protect our defence and don't offer anything for our forwards.

Any team that defends for most of the game will crack.

Brown and Hobbs had pretty much the same midfield in front and Chris Weale behind them.

You wont be able to have a solid defence with Bamba in, he is too erratic and its impossible to keep a solid bank of four with him there, its all about if you think his positives outweigh that fact as to whether you play him.

Drawing games we should win, playing boring uninspired football and no playoffs on the horizon.... the exact opposite of what we had when Sven was in charge

I miss the days of Sven where we won those games and spent most of the time in the top two.

[bluearmy7]

I didn't want Sven to leave at the time, to all the Sven haters out there that were calling for his head, looking back was he really that bad?

Since Sven has gone IMO we have got worse. Sven was sacked for being too inconsistent? Now we're just consistently bad 3 points from a possible 15 is embarrassing especially against sides such as Peterborough & Doncaster teams we should be beating if we want to get promotion.

People complained we had no width, Everyone was screaming for Dyer and Gallagher in a 442 and it has got us nowhere.

Everyone was disappointed to see Fernandes go, Sven played him every week but all his team selections were criticised?

Our football at the minute is so boring, we don't look dangerous at all. Under Sven we put 3 past Southampton, 4 past Derby both flying high at the time.

The defence at the minute is a shambles, Pearson as an ex defender is meant to sort this out but it has got worse. Under Sven we kept 6 clean sheets.

'Pearson the man who can get the best out of players'. Other than Koncheskey I would say everyone's form has form dropped. Peltier 'mr consistent' has been poor recently, Kasper Schmichael has been flapping in recent games and doesn't seem the same since Sven has gone, Nugent although he continues to work hard and score goals his overall game hasn't been great in recent games. Wellens has got worse, the same could be said about most of the side.

People may say give Pearson a chance to sign in January, but how do we know that Sven may have got a couple of players that would helps kick on and push for promotion. ( e.g Yakubu & Bamba) It was this time last year we went on a 9 or 10 game run which turned our season around.

Sven did make a lot of mistakes signing players like Ball etc but when you look at the facts, getting rid of Sven was pointless, we had kept 6 clean sheets, we were scoring goals, playing some decent football at times, within touching distance of the play offs and with January window approaching exciting times ahead.

I have faith in Pearson but I think this boring / negative football is a step backwards for us. Hope I'm proved wrong.

sprry but what a load of bullocks

[Fox92]

But you are comparing Sven to Pearson, when Pearson is trying to manage a team that was created by Sven. Pearson has done the correct thing by adressing our lack of width problem, and sadly for him, he has two poor "wingers" to try and fit in the 442 system - Why? Because Sven spent £££ without buying a winger! I was, and still am not, a Sven fan. The team didn't look organised or motivated when he was manager. He made some bad decisions regarding transfers, such as selling Hobbs for something like 800k, and buying an overrated centre half for £5million, or maybe even more, who is no better. And I bet players like Konchesky, Pantsil and Ball are on something ridiculous like over 20k a week...

He had no plan B. He couldn't change it. I remember going to Barnsley away this season, and when he was waling down the tunnel at half time, eveyone was screaming "442" at him, and he just moved his shoulders as if to say "what can I do?". I know he got voted Englands second greatest manager, or something like that, but I don't think he was the right man for us. And I know he played lovely football on the ground, which is beautiful and I personally love, but it got us nowhere, not even in the top 6!

Give Pearson time. It is not his team! How many of you were saying this time last year "it isn't Svens team!". Well, it works the other way around as well. Personally, I think Pearson should be judged after January, when he has the time to bring in his own players. The squad is totally unbalanced, and Sven made it like this - How many central midfielders did he buy?

[Guesty]

Sven did well at buying individuals but didn't have a clue how to buy players to actually fit into a team. I still struggle to see why people defend him. I think with the money he had to spend most League 1 managers could have built a better team.

Plus like other people have said some of his contract extentions were madness. I don't mind him giving Wellens a new contract but not a 3.5 year one, if his legs have already gone now imagine what they will be like in a few years. And Oakley???????

If Pearson has spent even half the money Sven spent in transfer and contracts and we're still no better after Jan then maybe I could sort of undertand the argument. I still think he'll need a whole off season to sort this mess out. But to compare them after 8 games when Pearson's taken over a demoralised team that seems tactically unable to player together just isn't fair.

[Ross 'LCFC' Turner]

Fair enough Pearson needs to bring his own players in, but what if we didn't have the funds we have? What would be his excuse then? 3 points from 15 is shocking!

Take Martin O'Neil for example, gone straight in at Sunderland and got them instantly playing, knew there defence was there weakness and has got them organised at the back. He hasn't once mentioned the transfer market, just stuck to the task ahead.

Pearson has his favourites in Wellens,Gallagher etc and there all performing badly at the minute yet none of them have been dropped - bad decisions from the manager? Yes.

[Happy Fox]

Fair enough Pearson needs to bring his own players in, but what if we didn't have the funds we have? What would be his excuse then? 3 points from 15 is shocking!

Take Martin O'Neil for example, gone straight in at Sunderland and got them instantly playing, knew there defence was there weakness and has got them organised at the back. He hasn't once mentioned the transfer market, just stuck to the task ahead.

Pearson has his favourites in Wellens,Gallagher etc and there all performing badly at the minute yet none of them have been dropped - bad decisions from the manager? Yes.

If Pearson doesn't rectify the changes in January then I will be inclined to agree with your point but at the moment lets see what he does in the January window.

[dannythefox]

Not going on what I've seen in the last 5 matches!