2022/23 Frank Lampard

[COYBL25]

Have to feel for Lampard in some respect.

All the quality we had has been sold. The biggest issue has been the appointment for that fat Spanish chunt. He was allowed to get rid of James and then Digne. That coupled with Sigurdson, we have little to no quality in being able to produce goals.

Then they sell Richarlison from beneath him, what’s he meant to do? Let’s have it right, Grey cost 1.5m because he’s dogmuck. Gordon is absolutely terrible, lads stalling on a 100k a week contract but can’t even finish a 1on1, where it’s harder to miss than score.

McNeil & Maupay is on KT. He’s responsible for signing off on players, McNeill is honestly one of the most pointless wide players I’ve ever seen. He can’t beat a man.

I like Lampard, but unfortunately it’s getting to that time.

The players that will be bought this Jan, to attempt to save this car crash, need to be players that can be used weather Lampard is in charge or not.

Otherwise we get dogmuck like Mykolenko. If he wasn’t Ukrainian he wouldn’t be playing, and as much as I don’t like Duncan Ferguson, if his comments on that train about Myko are true, well at least he had him figured out.

So, we’re only playing Mykelenko, out of some sense of duty to the Russian invasion of his country ?

Please, have a long think about what you’ve just written.

 

[Diogenes the Cynic]

Easily the worst LB in the league.

Is he in the side because he's Ukrainian?

 

[N0L1M1TK]

So, we’re only playing Mykelenko, out of some sense of duty to the Russian invasion of his country ?

Please, have a long think about what you’ve just written.

Initially it was a feel good story. Gave the club the opportunity to appear as it wants.

He’s absolute muck. He can’t attack, he’s an average defender. He wouldn’t look out of place in league one/two. He’s not even championship standard going forward.

 

[BigDuncTributeBand]

As I said yesterday Newcastle thrashed a good Leicester side 3-0 with a front 3 of Joelinton, Wood and Almerion.

Bournemouth have Solanke up top yet put 7 past us in the space of 1 week.

The side is being let down by a manager oot of his depth.

I wanted Howe to be our new manager when he was available instead of FSW - hardly anyone on here thought he was good enough because he relegated Bournemouth.

No matter how good I think he is, he’s not coming here and turning Gray, McNeil, Maupay, Gordon into a free scoring unit. I hate to break it to you but Wood, Almerion and Joelinton would all start for us, that’s how bad our options are.

Solanke is a good player, would easily start for us.

It’s not impossible another manager could get better out of this group but as others have said, you can’t lose the quality of Siggi, James, Richie and Digne, players we massively relied on to create and score chances, keep the dross they propped up and then replace them with Gray, Maupay, McNeil etc and expect we’ll be mid table. We were mid table with all those guys, there’s only one way we were going to go and it’s down.

 

[Thomasc]

Any decent club with any ambition would have relieved him of his duties by now.

 

[Drico]

I think in hindsight most managers we hired did "ok" jobs but two things stand oot:

1. Moshiri fired them too quickly
2. The fanbase turned too quickly which pushed point 1 along quicker.

Koeman - 7th
Alladyce - 8th
Silva - 8th
Ancelotti - 10th

Obviously Carlo left himself but the 3 prior for me should have been given more time. Obviously rank recruitment accelerated both Koeman and Silva's departures but the fanbase were fuelled by ambishun also lets not forget.

Lampard has had the benefit of zero expectation this season from most - if we were sat 13th now most wouldn't be bothered in the slightest so he's massively cocked up.

Koeman wasn't sacked for finishing 7th. He was sacked for a run of 2 wins in 13 games that took in a 2-5 hiding at home to Arsenal and us hovering around the relegation zone.

Silva wasn't sacked for finishing 8th. He was sacked for a run of 2 wins in 11 games that took in a 2-5 hiding at Liverpool and us hovering around the relegation zone.

Allardyce wasn't sacked for finishing 8th. He was sacked for not being sexy. That one I will concede definitely plays into your narrative above.

 

[Pabbers]

He was correct with his words.
Yes i only watched at home, but it was clear from my sofa that the defenders [Poor language removed] it from the crowd and lost the ball.

Not ideal at all but a point would have been massive in the context of a relegation fight right now, its just where we currently are.

 

[BigDuncTributeBand]

Things can change very quickly in football - Newcastle were in a relegation battle 12-18 months ago now sit 2nd. Leicester went from fighting relegation to winning the title in the space of 12 months.

Whilst I agree our situation is poor I think expectations have been purposely dampened by Lampards disciples in the fanbase/red echo. Lets not forget we were all praising his and Thelwells recruitment earlier on in the season when we were sat around 12th looking solid enough.

Since then he's taken us backwards and not been able to fix the issues in the side.

I dont think we're a top 10 side currently but neither are Fulham and Brentford yet their managers are punching above their weight.

Take Dominic Calvert-Lewin oot of the equation we have in the starting 11:

2x England Internationals
1x england under 21 International
1x Belgian International
1x nigerian International
1x scottish International
1x Senegalese International
1x Ukrainian International

You could argue Tarkowski should also be an england International based on who Southgate picks at CB outside of Stones.

We have some quality there - much more than Lampards 25% win rate suggests.

My expectations were just based on the squad. There were so many areas of the squad that needed improved, with little budget, there was only so much we could do. Managed to improve the defence and teams aren’t walking straight through our midfield as they did last season.

Problem was always going to be who was going to create and score goals. I just didn’t think a forward line of Gray, Maupay, McNeil, Gordon had any goals in it and didn’t see many coming from midfield.

Always going to be tough to win games when you have so few goals in the team, so it’s proved.

 

[Drico]

Looking at what it took for Moshiri to finally act and replace previous failing managers, it's clear he has shown a lot of patience to Lampard. His record of 3 wins in 16 is on a par with the 2 in 13 that did for Koeman and the 2 in 11 that was the end of Silva. This is either an admission that Lampard has had fewer financial cards to play or a sign that Mosh has lost interest.

 

[davek]

and got sacked

...for getting 11th place.

 

[BigDuncTributeBand]

Looking at what it took for Moshiri to finally act and replace previous failing managers, it's clear he has shown a lot of patience to Lampard. His record of 3 wins in 16 is on a par with the 2 in 13 that did for Koeman and the 2 in 11 that was the end of Silva. This is either an admission that Lampard has had fewer financial cards to play or a sign that Mosh has lost interest.

I’d guess both.

 

[ForeverBlue92]

My expectations were just based on the squad. There were so many areas of the squad that needed improved, with little budget, there was only so much we could do. Managed to improve the defence and teams aren’t walking straight through our midfield as they did last season.

Problem was always going to be who was going to create and score goals. I just didn’t think a forward line of Gray, Maupay, McNeil, Gordon had any goals in it and didn’t see many coming from midfield.

Always going to be tough to win games when you have so few goals in the team, so it’s proved.

Maupay scored 8 goals last season mate - thats the pool of strikers we are shopping in.

15+ goal a season forwards cost big money - Newcastle spent £58 millions on Isak and Wolves have just commited £40 millions on that Cunha who has relatively flopped at Atletico.


We aint getting much better than Maupay which is why we need a manager who can get the best outta the squad.

McNeil for me has been the only really poor signing this summer. Vinagre and Garner haven't had much time on the pitch. Onana and Maupay are being mismanaged.

 

[Abertonian]

The place where real change is needed is in the ownership / executive board of the club. I like Frank and I'd like it to work for him but ultimately its a results business and the board are big on self preservation. The big worry is who comes in. If KT has a say then what odds we end up with Nuno.

We have a mediocre squad. We change managers we'll still have a mediocre squad. We have improved defence and midfield this season but that front 3 yesterday is not going to keep us in the league, in fact its hard to think of a less inspiring front 3 in the league. Gordon should be an option from the bench, McNeil offers next to nothing, and Maupay is a non-scoring second striker.

Boxing day table positions:

2016 - 7th
2017 - 9th
2018 - 8th
2019 - 13th
2020 - 2nd
2021 - 15th
2022 - 17th

Aside Carlo's amazing first half of the 2020-21 season where we had James, Siggi, and Digne providing and DCL in the best form of his life the general trend has been downward. Just boils my blood when we get messages from DBB grinning about positive changes and puff pieces in the Athletic about how good a job KT is doing as if all the problems of the last 6 years were just about not having the right DOF in place.

Make no mistake we will be down without a striker no matter who is in the dugout.

 

[Goodisongang]

Anyone got a summary of what he said after the game yesterday?

 

[GoldenToffee]

2 in 17 within a few days. That's 2 victories in just under half a season, which is very close to being up there with the worst form EVER in the history of the Premier League. Certainly in the worst 10-20 as it would equal around 25 over a full season.

If that doesn't force the board's hand then nothing will and he'll be trusted to keep us in the league, yet obviously end up relegating us.

Mr Moshiri can see his investment losing value every single day here and must surely be in the verge of removing him. I fail to believe that a businessman with connections to Putin and Usmanov cannot find the money to keep us in this league.

When we go down it'll be too late. So what's worse? Spending £100m (loans, sell part of his investment, down-payment on sponsorship from another dodgy friend) and saving us, or getting relegated and seeing the value of the club drop by about 75% if we don't come straight back up, which we wouldn't.