That has to be it. Pearson needs to go.

[The Doctor]

Okay, so I'm looking back to a relegation in 1987, 2002, 2004 when the club was entirely different in order to warn us about what relegation can bring. Yes, those years are long gone. But so is that period between 2005 and 2008 which followed. The club is totally different and there's little cause to ignore one set of warnings on the grounds that times have changed, but look at a different period in history to make us feel better.

 

What are our aims as a club? To do better than we did for the worst three years in our history, or get back to where we've been for almost half of our history as a steady top flight team? Because if it's the latter - and it should be - this season has been a disaster.

We've not been a steady top flight team for nearly half our history though - we've been a yo-yo side for most of it. While we want to be an established top flight side in future, this is hardly dark days - it's a great disappointment from pre season expectations but it's not as bad as 2008 - we went down a laughing stock with an unstable team that needed rebuilding, here we're going down with a youngish spine in drinkwater, Moore, Schlupp, James... and a squad that isn't far from being a competitive lower half side

[The Horse's Mouth]

"dark days"  

[theessexfox]

It's pretty dark days to be a City fan at the moment if truth be told.

Who would have thought we'd be this bad?

Nige has gone from pretty much hero to zero in less than one season.

Yesterday was really really disappointing.

I remain amazed however at the strength of feeling on the night he was 'sacked' (posters stating they had been crying, pictures of Jesus reincarnated etc) to the strength of anti-feeling yesterday.

Dark days. We need a spark from somewhere...

Dark Days is being relegated to the third tier, not struggling in the top flight.

 

This season has been awful and no one's pretending that Pearson and his squad haven't failed at this level in 2014/15. Personally, I'm classing this season as a write-off, something to forget (though there have been special moments and I've enjoyed supporting us in the top flight for the first time, really, despite setback after setback). So my focus is on next year, and as Pearson has bounced back from adversity for us on a number of occasions before, I think he can have a go at getting us back here with a group of players who seem like they are very close to him, and usually put in effort if not always quality for him. 

[Eskay]

You can look at it from the point of view that all 3 of those teams you mentioned changed managers before the end of last season...

 

Added to that, it's obvious you haven't looked at the Championship table recently. Norwich are 6th and in great form (only 6 points off the top) so I'd say that's a sign of coming back potentially this season.

 

What this does highlight is the need to get the next appointment spot on. You can't just sack the manager for the sake of wanting a change. Change can be bad as well as good. We hire a Solskjaer, Adams, Magath and we are in real trouble! On the other hand we could find a gem like Howe, Karanka or McClaren. With our owners history of appointments I wouldn't be confident they know enough about football to get the right man in.

 

 

Good point....Norwich are looking good again but the point is more that it isn't a formality that we'll come back up with NP at the helm. The prospect of being promoted next year is the only thing I can see going for NP at the moment - and that's not going to be easy.

 

I have no problem with relegation (bloody used to it now!), I have no problem with losing games when the players have put a good shift in (as they have most games). But I'm sorry...I would say 90% of managers in NPs position would be out of a job by now. And yes, I know yesterday was one game....but only making one change, sticking to these god awful defenders, shows me he doesn't care anymore. He's happy taking his money and if they want to sack him, then he's happy to have the comp.

 

I don't want a manager in charge of my team who swears at fans, is aloof to the point of disrespect, throttles players and quite clearly doesn't give a sh!t anymore.

 

On one hand, he's sticking by last years players....except for Knocky, RDL et al.....on the other he's giving new talent a go....except Albrighton, Hamer.

 

He doesn't know his own game plan or strategy....how the hell are the players supposed to!

[Bettsj2]

We've not been a steady top flight team for nearly half our history though - we've been a yo-yo side for most of it. While we want to be an established top flight side in future, this is hardly dark days - it's a great disappointment from pre season expectations but it's not as bad as 2008 - we went down a laughing stock with an unstable team that needed rebuilding, here we're going down with a youngish spine in drinkwater, Moore, Schlupp, James... and a squad that isn't far from being a competitive lower half side

Problem is, we will need to rebuild. Whilst we do have a handfull of young players, quite a few of the squad will more than likely be in their bike.

Regardless of who you retain, relegation is never a good thing and all the positive spins people try and put on it doesnt mask that fact.

[hackneyfox]

We've not been a steady top flight team for nearly half our history though - we've been a yo-yo side for most of it. While we want to be an established top flight side in future, this is hardly dark days - it's a great disappointment from pre season expectations but it's not as bad as 2008 - we went down a laughing stock with an unstable team that needed rebuilding, here we're going down with a youngish spine in drinkwater, Moore, Schlupp, James... and a squad that isn't far from being a competitive lower half side

If James continues to impress then it's unlikely he will stay.

[Guest Col city fan]

Dark Days is being relegated to the third tier, not struggling in the top flight.

This season has been awful and no one's pretending that Pearson and his squad haven't failed at this level in 2014/15. Personally, I'm classing this season as a write-off, something to forget (though there have been special moments and I've enjoyed supporting us in the top flight for the first time, really, despite setback after setback). So my focus is on next year, and as Pearson has bounced back from adversity for us on a number of occasions before, I think he can have a go at getting us back here with a group of players who seem like they are very close to him, and usually put in effort if not always quality for him.

Don't some people take things literally

My 'dark days' comment was relative to the success of last season. .hence the hero to zero comment and the unbelievable swing of opinion on Nigel after two bloody games.

'Dark days' in relation to what could have been, how everyone felt pre season and the adoration of the manager.

Blimey...I wasn't comparing it to the days of Alan Maybury and dare I say the name..Lee Marshall!

Get a grip peeps....

[l444ry]

These are dark days compared the O'Neill era. No doubt Col will come on later and clarify.  

[theessexfox]

Don't some people take things literally

 

 

 

I remain amazed however at the strength of feeling on the night he was 'sacked' (posters stating they had been crying, pictures of Jesus reincarnated etc) to the strength of anti-feeling yesterday.

 

             

[Mark_w]

That spark won't come while Pearson remains in charge.. Worrying that some players yesterday looked disinterested almost?.. Wonder if he's losing the dressing room now with his arrogance and pigheadedness?

 

Based on Arsenal and the fact that after going 2 behind with minutes to go they didn't just stop trying, I'd suggest that's not the case. We're just not very good.

[5waller5]

Talking of stats, had a gander on flashscores and apparently we had 48% of the possession?! I don't believe that for one second, the majority of the times we touched the ball it was dumped straight to the Villa defence and then we'd get 9 men on the edge of the box ready for the next attack.

 

Surely it was closer to 70/30.

 

 

Maybe the time it spends in the air when we lump it long is counted as our possession until the Defender comfortably controls it and their possessions starts??

[5waller5]

Based on Arsenal and the fact that after going 2 behind with minutes to go they didn't just stop trying, I'd suggest that's not the case. We're just not very good.

 

 

We were like two different teams though against Arsenal and Villa .... and I suspect that's because the players could see how ridiculously negative playing 541 against Villa was. They've stopped believing they can win, and they may have stopped playing for him now.

[hackneyfox]

Based on Arsenal and the fact that after going 2 behind with minutes to go they didn't just stop trying, I'd suggest that's not the case. We're just not very good.

Whose fault is that we aren't very good.

Why, after beating them by some distance last season, are QPR and Burnley ahead of us?

[hackneyfox]

We were like two different teams though against Arsenal and Villa .... and I suspect that's because the players could see how ridiculously negative playing 541 against Villa was. They've stopped believing they can win, and they may have stopped playing for him now.

The players raise their game for the big teams and get dragged down to just below the level of the poorer sides, this doesn't show him as being a manager capable if inspiring players.

[5waller5]

The players raise their game for the big teams and get dragged down to just below the level of the poorer sides, this doesn't show him as being a manager capable if inspiring players.

 

Someone summed it up really well yesterday when they said .... We are capable of playing just a bit worse than everyone we play.

[Bettsj2]

Don't some people take things literally

My 'dark days' comment was relative to the success of last season. .hence the hero to zero comment and the unbelievable swing of opinion on Nigel after two bloody games.

'Dark days' in relation to what could have been, how everyone felt pre season and the adoration of the manager.

Blimey...I wasn't comparing it to the days of Alan Maybury and dare I say the name..Lee Marshall!

Get a grip peeps....

Marshall was decent.

[Mark_w]

We were like two different teams though against Arsenal and Villa .... and I suspect that's because the players could see how ridiculously negative playing 541 against Villa was. They've stopped believing they can win, and they may have stopped playing for him now.

 

I thought things were going fairly well for the first half, we contained them well and had a couple of very decent chances to take the lead, system was working very well and we looked better than we have for a lot of the season for about half an hour or so after a shaky start. Then second half we fell apart. I think it was worse when we went 4-4-2/4-4-1-1 myself. True, we didn't create an awful lot, but I think that formation needs to stay for away games.

 

 

Whose fault is that we aren't very good.

Why, after beating them by some distance last season, are QPR and Burnley ahead of us?

 

It's the fault of multiple people. First of all Pearson, who has made quite a few mistakes this season (he's human) that he needs to learn from when (and I am confident he would given the chance) he gets us back up. Burnley have adapted a bit more successfully than we have and Sean Dyche, as much as I dislike him, deserves a ton of credit. It's also on the owners if they were only willing to invest the £10m that was invested (which is why QPR who spent about three times that are above us now - though I don't think they will be at the end of the season personally). And if not the owners then whoever was responsible for getting the deals over the line for failing to make it happen. Probably more people responsible than that, that's just what jumps to mind. There's no one man responsible, and I'm of the variety that likes to see managers get both time and more than one chance to get it right, if they show positive qualities. And I think Nigel Pearson has shown that he's a talented manager with a lot of potential, I want to see if he can learn from his mistakes like he has in the past in the Championship.

[hackneyfox]

I thought things were going fairly well for the first half, we contained them well and had a couple of very decent chances to take the lead, system was working very well and we looked better than we have for a lot of the season for about half an hour or so after a shaky start. Then second half we fell apart. I think it was worse when we went 4-4-2/4-4-1-1 myself. True, we didn't create an awful lot, but I think that formation needs to stay for away games.

It's the fault of multiple people. First of all Pearson, who has made quite a few mistakes this season (he's human) that he needs to learn from when (and I am confident he would given the chance) he gets us back up. Burnley have adapted a bit more successfully than we have and Sean Dyche, as much as I dislike him, deserves a ton of credit. It's also on the owners if they were only willing to invest the £10m that was invested (which is why QPR who spent about three times that are above us now - though I don't think they will be at the end of the season personally). And if not the owners then whoever was responsible for getting the deals over the line for failing to make it happen. Probably more people responsible than that, that's just what jumps to mind. There's no one man responsible, and I'm of the variety that likes to see managers get both time and more than one chance to get it right, if they show positive qualities. And I think Nigel Pearson has shown that he's a talented manager with a lot of potential, I want to see if he can learn from his mistakes like he has in the past in the Championship.

I admire your patience Mark I truly do.

Can you tell me how he has learnt from his mistakes so far this season?

For me he hasn't so I fail to see why he will learn anything over the remaining games.

I'm all for playing 3 at the back, I think it can work with Upson, Was and Huth (I don't want to see Morgan again) but it must be with De Laet and Schlupp instead of Simson and Konch

[5waller5]

I thought things were going fairly well for the first half, we contained them well and had a couple of very decent chances to take the lead, system was working very well and we looked better than we have for a lot of the season for about half an hour or so after a shaky start. Then second half we fell apart. I think it was worse when we went 4-4-2/4-4-1-1 myself. True, we didn't create an awful lot, but I think that formation needs to stay for away games.

 

 

 

It's the fault of multiple people. First of all Pearson, who has made quite a few mistakes this season, that he needs to learn from when (and I am confident he would given the chance) he gets us back up. Burnley have adapted a bit more successfully than we have and Sean Dyche, as much as I dislike him, deserves a ton of credit. It's also on the owners if they were only willing to invest the £10m that was invested (which is why QPR who spent about three times that are above us now - though I don't think they will be at the end of the season personally). And if not the owners then whoever was responsible for getting the deals over the line for failing to make it happen. Probably more people responsible than that, that's just what jumps to mind. There's no one man responsible, and I'm of the variety that likes to see managers get both time and more than one chance to get it right, if they show positive qualities. And I think Nigel Pearson has shown that he's a talented manager with a lot of potential, I want to see if he can learn from his mistakes like he has in the past in the Championship.

 

 

 

Away games against decent opposition, yes, I'd agree ..... But not against the worst attack in the league - we're just wasting a man at the back and sacrificing one up front for that luxury of being defensively solid against a team that can't score!!!

 

Whilst we didn't look like conceding in the first half - no team looks like conceding against Villa - They have gone 8 hours with one goal recently.  We invited them to attack us and actually gave them the confidence to do so by sitting back ..... We should have been attacking them from the word go, making the most of their fragile confidence and lack of attacking guile.

 

This is why NP needs to go .... he's far far too basic in his footballing tactics to ever cut it at this level. 

[cityfanlee23]

Don't some people take things literally

My 'dark days' comment was relative to the success of last season. .hence the hero to zero comment and the unbelievable swing of opinion on Nigel after two bloody games.

'Dark days' in relation to what could have been, how everyone felt pre season and the adoration of the manager.

Blimey...I wasn't comparing it to the days of Alan Maybury and dare I say the name..Lee Marshall!

Get a grip peeps....

 

85% of people understand what you mean col, however it doesn't suit their argument or debate, so they decide to take everything said literally in order to twist a sarcastic comment to suit their debate. that's how it works round here mate 

[the-blue-wildabeast]

Away games against decent opposition, yes, I'd agree ..... But not against the worst attack in the league - we're just wasting a man at the back and sacrificing one up front for that luxury of being defensively solid against a team that can't score!!!

 

Whilst we didn't look like conceding in the first half - no team looks like conceding against Villa - They have gone 8 hours with one goal recently.  We invited them to attack us and actually gave them the confidence to do so by sitting back ..... We should have been attacking them from the word go, making the most of their fragile confidence and lack of attacking guile.

 

This is why NP needs to go .... he's far far too basic in his footballing tactics to ever cut it at this level. 

Which although different formation was exactly the same downfall at Newcastle earlier in the season

[hackneyfox]

Someone summed it up really well yesterday when they said .... We are capable of playing just a bit worse than everyone we play.

That was the only entertaining part of yesterday and will unfortunately sum up the whole season.

[The Horse's Mouth]

85% of people understand what you mean col, however it doesn't suit their argument or debate, so they decide to take everything said literally in order to twist a sarcastic comment to suit their debate. that's how it works round here mate 

[cityfanlee23]

Martin Jol would be the perfect replacement for me. 

 

Available to start immediately, knows the game inside out, has a fantastic record with younger players, has a decent record bar fulham where injuries plagued him for 2 seasons, no excuse the club didn't suit him, but they've certainly fallen from grace without him that's for sure, and alot of players he had there have been picked up by other clubs. 

 

He's a confident manager who lets players play their game and loves a Number 10 playing a free role, 2 strikers would suit him also.

 

The Majority of Spurs fans still love him, having players bought and sold under his nose, he's respected in the football world.

 

 

I'm beginning to think all we need now is fresh ideas, 

Watching Tim sherwood's interviews and he spoke about his half time team talk, telling players to flood the box more, be creative, get out of this by throwing their own punches.

 

something Pearson has NOT been able to instill in 20 odd games..

 

We need change and a fresh face, fresh ideas and fresh bloody tactics, Someone who can try to get the best out of these players.

[roger the dodger]

Whose fault is that we aren't very good.

Why, after beating them by some distance last season, are QPR and Burnley ahead of us?

agree with that