When will Levein learn

[Thracian]

When will Craig Levein ever learn?

We lost against Luton for one principal reason - because we conceded the initiative from the word go.

I stated loud and clear time after time before the season started that you might do it in Scotland but you won't hang on to 0-0 scorelines in the Championship cos all the opponents have players good enough to score.

So what did we do? Did we play our best team? No. Did we make things happen from the off and warm the crowd up. No?

And what was the sense in splitting up the Connolly/Devries partnership that scored four goals at home last time.

I said Friday that Dublin should play at centre back to nullify the weakness there and give us more attacking potency from set pieces. But no. The centre-back weakness remained and we had no threat from set pieces until the last desperate charge 15 minutes from time.

Think about the first half. We were so uncommitted that the crowd sat there like monks sworn to silence. Nothing happened to charge their emotions whatsoever and that is bloody criminal at home. The FIRST thing you do is get the crowd going and get em going quickly.

I've said all along that Momo is just a fancy dan. No goals, no assists. Yet in Hammond, Wilcox and probably Hamill we have far more EFFECTIVE players. How does Momo get selected ahead of them?

No-one produced width in the first half (exposing the problem of playing the two Dobermen without specific instructions about the need for width).

And what did we do?. Although fairly sound in defence, we conceded the inevitable goal out of the blue but we really trailed because we did nothing.

Once we went behind why wait to increase our attacking options? Hammond should have on straight away in the second half though I was impressed by Levein's final commitment to four up front. It was always risking a second goal against but it did show he was doing everything he could to salvage something.

Like I say, the problems started with our safety first opening - our complete lack of passion.

Result, we were suckered for a 1-0 defeat YET AGAIN (just like so many times last season) and all because we didn't make the opposition worry about us from the off.

Five points from five games is relegation not promotion form.

And spectacles like the first half aren't going to get the fans back either.

These are important lessons for Levein and if he doesn't learn em he'll be in trouble.

All I want Levein to do for every match, home and away for the rest of the season is to take the initiative. Make teams worry about what we're gonna do. Our defence is not good enough for 0-0 and probably won't be at least until Gerrbrand returns (if and when and maybe).

Oh yes, and drop Momo because he never does anything of consequence and might easily have been sent off before half-time. The team needs to get its balance back and it needs to be committed for 90 minutes to getting the crowd excited.

And we still need the coachiong sorted because the dead ball plays were again pathetic.

[lookwhaticando]

By the sounds of it on the radio, half the team seemed completely disinterested in the game - no wonder the crowd was so quiet (at the beginning of the second half listening to the radio, you could hear a pin drop it was so quiet)

The Dublin/Connolly partnership confused me - I would have thought MDV/Conn would have been first choice, since MDV isn't carrying a knock.

We left it far to late to get back into the game, if we had made the changes we made sooner we might have stood a better chance.

Our corners were all totally rubbish from what I hear, that's just gotta change - and fast.

I agree with Hammond for Sylla - when Hammond has replaced Sylla in recent games, he's played quite well and seems to make things happen - so why not give him a start at Hull?

[davieG]

My thoughts:

As per MA's time we don't seem to get going until we are behind we should have been at them like a bolt from the blue - With Tiatto in the line up the team is far too defensive minded and not very good at it either.

Although their goal was pretty spectacular, I'd have been delireous if we'd have scored it but yet again their man on the back post was completely unmarked and how on earth did their smallest player get the time to, not only deliver an overhead kick, but to do it unhindered in the centre of a crowded penalty area.

Their players were more astute and knew how to get free kicks from the ref - Having said that I do believe referees have a hidden agenda to make it a non contact sport.

We had the liabilities that are Tiatto and McCarthy I despair of them both, shouldn't McCarthy have got a red for that penalty - last man and all that.

We need a Captain that's not only guaranteed to start but also to finish a game not to be substituted or carded - it would be nice if he had a football brain as well.

Newell out manouvered Levin in management today.

I know he's not everyones favourite but I would prefer Wilcox to Tiatto to give us some width especially at home and certainly if Momo is going to be so ineffective.

Williams must have a golf handicap of Zero, in that he's surely able to pitch the ball straight down the hole every time, well he can certainly pitch his corners straight into the goalies hands every time.

Ironically, I believe that Rab was the only player who didn't make at least two glaring errors.

McCarthy needs a month in the reserves and to be told he can come back when he goes four games without a booking or stupid tackle.

The referee today was a jobs worth, see non-contact sport comment and spoilt whatever flow to the game there was.

I'm just rambling now because I'm pissed off at missed opportunities from too many under-performing players (CL description) so I'd better stop.

[Gené and Tonic]

I think today also highlighted the need for a scoring midfielder. How many golden opportunities did Williams miss again?

[Anish]

Have to agree with Thrac and Davieg.

Bring in Wilcox for Tiatto, drop McCarthy and play Dublin there, and put either De Vries or Hammond up front with Connolly. And also, at this rate, bench Sylla and put Hamill in the starting line up.

Get somebody else to take corners as Williams's corners (from what I saw at Crewe and by the sounds of it today) are pathetic. I know we scored 2 goals from corners against Bury but they were scrambled efforts. When was the last time we scored from a corner which was crossed in with pace for a striker/defender to glance/power in?? Our set pieces are woeful under Levein, we may as well not bother with them.

[City Fan]

I think we need to get a striker such as Riordan or Boyd, so we can free up Dublin to replace McCarthy. I have never really rated McCarthy and was suprised when we let Heath go because he is better IMO.

[Mark]

Calm down on the wanting of Dublin of defence!!

As Levein has been saying so much since he arrived here, we need faster players at the back to play further up the field. Dublin is no good in defence, he is too casual and makes so many mistakes. We have a choice of Stearman/McCarthy/Johnannsson/Gerrbrand/Kisnorbo for the centre back position. That's a good choice of defenders in my opinion. Just give them time. Sticking the old man back there is just going to upset a defence that needs to settle.

[The People's Hero]

I haven't seen us play yet this season due to work commitments. By the sounds of it, I'm not missing much.

Has this lack of impetus, passion and urgency been evident all season then? Or most notably today? It seems to take a goal or two conceded to 'wake us up' as it were... ?

[Thracian]

Spot on about the corners - and we get so many of em. In fact it's a measure of our potential that we get so many but oh the waste. If I were the manager or on the coaching staff at Leicester I'd be ashamed. It's not just one week it's every week.

If I were Levein I'd call a meeting of the coaches Monday and tell em in no uncertain terms, that's it's got to change.

I might say get some of the MON videos out but we don't have the same personnel. We've got to be canny. But that's what coaches are paid for is it not?

It might be a clever idea to take the pressure off if Levein laid down a target on Monday that City would score at least three goals a game starting against Hull. Sod all the tactical ambiguity.

Both players and coaches would have responsibility. We tried it at Loughborough Dynamo for a couple of seasons and the result was two years of average victories around the 5-0/6-1 mark, one draw, no defeats and every trophy available finished in our cabinet.

Home or away it didn't matter. We hit the opposition for six from the start and fouls were outlawed. We persuaded the the players they were too good to foul people. That only gave the opposition heart and chances.

The draw was in a cup final against New Parks. Training levels were so torrid the following week, so demanding, the players didn't ever want to let the club down like that again. In the replay we were 4-0 up after 10 minutes, won 6-0 or 6-1 and no-one ever thought of accepting a draw again.

As for the opposition beating us didn't come into it. All they were bothered about was damage limitation. Sod the opposition was Dynamo's ATTITUDE. And that's what you need for a starter at any level Craig. Attitude.

You really have gotta get cute. Cos it wasn't just the team got beaten Craig. It was you. Same as at Sheffield, your opponent outthought you and that would piss me off big time.

You've gotta learn quick and the first thing is to be f.....g ruthless. Make it clear the only thing you'll tolerate is winning and winning with style. They'll soon get the message.

Davieg's right (as usual). Start by leaving McCarthy out for a month and tell him not to waste it. Tell him to use the time to watch the videos, analyse his failings and put em right. Make sure he does a Shilton and puts at least an extra hour a day into training and works like a man possessed. Tell him he's f.....g privileged to be a footballer and not to be daft enough to waste it for lack of being a perfectionist.

Same goes with Sylla. With him it's outcome. Goals or assists. If he can't shoot and he can't create he's no bloody use. Give him a month's hard labour and the promise that he'll watch the Academy kids if he doesn't show he can hack it. And mean it. Make an example of someone if you have to.

[Wellman]

Another good way to start scoring is to start putting in a better corner!! There's no point just slicing it up in the air, whip it in like Luton did today. After all, they did score for the first goal from a corner.

*I already left for the second so they might of scored it from a corner as well, I don't know*

[lookwhaticando]

The captain comments are valid, and dare I say apply to the whole team.

Our discipline at times is very shaky, we're gonna really struggle to cope if we keep getting suspensions and 3 match bans every few weeks - and as if that isn't enough, we'll get another kick in the shorts at the end of the season when the FA fines us another stack of cash.

Has this lack of impetus, passion and urgency been evident all season then? Or most notably today? It seems to take a goal or two conceded to 'wake us up' as it were... ?

It's been highlighted twice - Crewe and Luton.

Against Crewe the team pretty much slept for 20 minutes before realising they were on a pitch and were supposed to be playing football.

And today too, listening to the game we had no urgency.

The team needs to go out and try to win the game in the first half, not the last 15 minutes.

[Sparky]

i m not gonna have a pop at williams corners because its obviously a training ground routine and hes being told to play them in like that . in my book there is nothing better that a whipped in corner at pace

[rossporterlc]

boo boys are back

only 5 games gone guys, calm down

[Libertine]

Another good way to start scoring is to start putting in a better corner!! There's no point just slicing it up in the air, whip it in like Luton did today. After all, they did score for the first goal from a corner.

*I already left for the second so they might of scored it from a corner as well, I don't know*

Nah, it was peno, given away by.........McCarthy

[Libertine]

boo boys are back

only 5 games gone guys, calm down

Exactly, it p*sses me off so much when I hear about all these ****ing armchair fans texting in that Levein should get sacked/resign.

[davieG]

boo boys are back

only 5 games gone guys, calm down

Who say's we're not calm , football's more than just watching, it's about opinions, ideas, relivivng the action both Good and Bad, analysing and dissecting it , this forum gives us that opportunity. I'd like to think that my comments are considered and thoughtful ok we do get frustrated and angry but that does not alter how I review the game, bloody hell I've had enough practice, sorry to bring age and longevity :sleeping: into it but when you been watching LCFC as long as me you can get very good at instant analysis, you also get frustrated quicker - some of us haven't got as much time left on this earth and would like to see a bit more success and entertainment before we get Transferred to the BIG League. in the Sky

[lookwhaticando]

I for one don't think Levein should be sacked - we're not Southampton, we don't have a revolving door with 15 managers lined up for their 15 game shot at success.

I would like to see Levein bring stability and a little success to the club, I think he is capable of that - but it wont happen overnight, afterall the squad is so much younger, it's up to the coaching staff to mould these players, and improve them. He's always stated he's building a team - no stop gap measures and no short term contracts (as much as possible).

The start of the season, as with last season, has been a little disappointing to say the least - however there are signs that the team is ultimately capable of doing well, it's just a matter of time, effort and a little patience on everyone's part.

To sack a manager after 5 games would be a shocking decision - we haven't lost all 5 by a huge margin, so to sack the manager would be a daft error of judgement by the board. The last thing we need is more turmoil - we've had more than enough of that in the lasr 3 or 4 years!

[Anish]

Nobody here has said Levein should be sacked, and I doubt the board would even consider that as an option. So all this talk is irrelevant - all we are saying is that the same problems keep arising game after game and that Levein needs to address them asap.

[The People's Hero]

BUT....

At the start of the season any city fan and Levein himself would have said that promotion was the target. We HAVE to finish top 6. It's a must. Anything below this is patent underachieving and Levein himself and all of the players would admit that.

Rebuilding? Yes. But in a mediocre division. I haven't seen us play yet this season which perhaps provides me with some objectivity with which I'll say this...... the results are not and have not been good enough for some time. Much improvement is needed and if it doesn't come soon... well, I don't need to spell it out, we'll become another Coventry or Stoke, just biding our days in division 1.

[The People's Hero]

Also, before anyone lays in to me, I realise that the above post isn't grammatically perfect and probably has spelling errors but I've had a bit to drink.

E I E I E I O

UP THE FOOTBALL LEAGUE WE GO....

[Durnerz]

What angered me was when we were taking the sting out of the game from a previous Luton attack by just playing the ball around the back people were moaning and shouting etc and we had an opportunity to cross and kept possession and played it around until we found a gap, whats wrong with that? All the best teams do it yet when City fans call for passing football, they get it, their still not happy! Now i'm not saying the fans are entirely to blame but since we've come down from the Premiership our supports been shocking as has our team.

People saying Mccarthy should be dropped, well we dont have a hell of a choice of centre halves at full fitness do we? In my opinion the back line today was one of our strongest points minus Mccarthys casual ball back to Douglas that resulted in the Penalty, Midfield was woeful and aside from Joey didn't look like it wanted it enough, Tiatto needed more of the ball down that flank as when he got it he looked to move it around well, Momo Sylla should be dropped, crap performance and never looked bothered, he's got so much pace, why not destroy that slow full back? Lazy tosser.

David Connolly didn't look fully fit to me either as he got a fair few breaks down the middle i'd have expected him to run on and score, that was where we needed Hammond. Had we had Hammill on the bench I would have changed him for Sylla giving us a natural winger and Hammonds pace through the middle.

[The People's Hero]

All fair points, I spose.

[Thracian]

Calm down on the wanting of Dublin of defence!!

As Levein has been saying so much since he arrived here, we need faster players at the back to play further up the field. Dublin is no good in defence, he is too casual and makes so many mistakes. We have a choice of Stearman/McCarthy/Johnannsson/Gerrbrand/Kisnorbo for the centre back position. That's a good choice of defenders in my opinion. Just give them time. Sticking the old man back there is just going to upset a defence that needs to settle.

I don't really fly the flag for Dublin but the choice is not so clear cut as you say.

Stearman, says the manager, is not strong enough yet, McCarthy looks flawed, Nils probably secures one central defence spot, Gerrbrand is not fit and neither is Kisnorbo yet (even if he's good enough. That leaves Dublin who is probably the best option cos he does give us an additional scoring chance from set pieces.

Believe me I'd love us to be able to field youthful, fast and competent centre-backs. I've not seen that we've got em as yet.

[marko]

What angered me was when we were taking the sting out of the game from a previous Luton attack by just playing the ball around the back people were moaning and shouting etc and we had an opportunity to cross and kept possession and played it around until we found a gap, whats wrong with that? All the best teams do it yet when City fans call for passing football, they get it, their still not happy! Now i'm not saying the fans are entirely to blame but since we've come down from the Premiership our supports been shocking as has our team.

Couldn't agree more, so frustrating litening to them.