Sam Allardyce

[bluestevon]

He'll deffo get the money for a striker, but what will be interesting is to what extent Allardyce is backed with funds for other signings.

Aye will reveal a lot about our intentions as a club going forward

 

[Woolly Blue]

He'll deffo get the money for a striker, but what will be interesting is to what extent Allardyce is backed with funds for other signings.

Allardyce has said what he wants in the window, but I'd imagine Shakespeare and Walsh will be the ones actually deciding who comes in.

 

[Pabbers]

"people have short memories" - subjective, my opinion

"six weeks ago we were in a tailspin towards the Championship" - look at the results lad, we were enjoying relegation form

"despite a talented and expensively assembled squad" - we spent a lot of dollar in the summer by our standards and few here were complaining when we brought in Davy, Gylfi, Keane and Pickford for £££££

"Look at us now: unbeaten having outplayed both the RS and Chelsea" - we are unbeaten under Sam FACT; we put the other lot back in their box and bossed the reigning champions playing our own game

"we are back!" - again subjective, my opinion, but this place needs an injection of positivity

We was not hurtling towards the championship, season was 8 games in ffs!!

We have barely outplayed anyone....and the rs and chelsea games were shockingly bad performances.

 

[bluestevon]

I agree with the sentiment here.

Point on the defence though: those players aren't really improved, they're just not as left open to be as exposed as they were. Basically Sam has come in and done what Koeman did after Martinez: got everyone back behind the ball and compressed the lines between defence and midfield and narrowed the pitch. With a bit of luck here and there it works. None of our defenders are left one on one. That's the "secret".

Anyone with a mind to can do it.

As me, you and a lot of others said around the time Allardyce was being mooted, there is no rocket science needed to make a team with decent enough players to 'sure up' if you make that the sole focus of the style of play.

especially when you have some decent players who are badly flawed in some area, you just go so defensive that they don't get exploited. but doing so kills you in other areas.

Having to cover for 2-3 badly flawed players will ultimately cost a lot of the other players the ability to play well themselves. Case in point Sigurdsson in away games and against Cheslea played fb more than he played in forward areas, entirely by design of the manager to cover for a joke left back, the entire team plays 20y deeper because we have cb's and a left back with zero ability to defend in space. Meaning any attacking minded player without great pace is screwed - another reason Davies is struggling and Sigurdsson and Rooney too

 

[LouReedwalkonthewildside]

Okay with the two draws we’ve dropped from 2nd in the form league, still, not bad id say, given he was working with the worst Everton team in its history.. so he’s just doing what anyone could have done, and he’s been dead lucky.
I’m amazed that you and others can’t see the Excellent job he’s done with the personnel available.does make you realise though the unrealistic expectations that exist in the fan base.

A team that finished 7th in the league last season, were the 6th highest scorers (scoring more than Man U) had the 6th best defensive record, qualified for the Europa league, and I think we only lost twice at home all season in the league.

 

[Blue Pride of Brum]

No short memory for me, but The Baggies, with the supposed good players we have surely should have been capable of getting a goal to get three points rather than just settling for one, okay against Chelsea but this lot??

Did you get beat mush? No. So I was right. Stop crying.

 

[LouReedwalkonthewildside]

Allardyce has said what he wants in the window, but I'd imagine Shakespeare and Walsh will be the one actually deciding who comes in.

Uh-Oh!

 

[charlie atkins]

well lets see what he can do with money instead of bargain basement, can he lure top players? as for the long ball, I don't like it but I'm prepared to see what he can do in the transfer window now he has money

 

[LouReedwalkonthewildside]

well lets see what he can do with money instead of bargain basement, can he lure top players? as for the long ball, I don't like it but I'm prepared to see what he can do in the transfer window now he has money

Heard a rumour that Allardyce is looking to bring in both Andy Carroll and Peter Crouch mate, then he's going to try and lure Jonny Wilkinson out of retirement to see if he could play centre-half for us. You never heard it from me though.

 

[davek]

As me, you and a lot of others said around the time Allardyce was being mooted, there is no rocket science needed to make a team with decent enough players to 'sure up' if you make that the sole focus of the style of play.

especially when you have some decent players who are badly flawed in some area, you just go so defensive that they don't get exploited. but doing so kills you in other areas.

Having to cover for 2-3 badly flawed players will ultimately cost a lot of the other players the ability to play well themselves. Case in point Sigurdsson in away games and against Cheslea played fb more than he played in forward areas, entirely by design of the manager to cover for a joke left back, the entire team plays 20y deeper because we have cb's and a left back with zero ability to defend in space. Meaning any attacking minded player without great pace is screwed - another reason Davies is struggling and Sigurdsson and Rooney too

Yes, and it's why it's dishonest of Allardyce in interview to suggest he's 'concerned' over our possession game and that he doesn't tell players to pass to our opponents: there's just not much of an out ball on offer other than a huge thud downfield in the hope it lands at a blue shirt, so, in effect, he IS asking them to pass to the opposition.

I expect matters to improve with a CF addition and maybe a LB. But Allardyce has to go in the summer.

 

[LouReedwalkonthewildside]

Yes, and it's why it's dishonest of Allardyce in interview to suggest he's 'concerned' over our possession game and that he doesn't tell players to pass to our opponents: there's just not much of an out ball on offer other than a huge thud downfield in the hope it lands at a blue shirt, so, in effect, he IS asking them to pass to the opposition.

I expect matters to improve with a CF addition and maybe a LB. But Allardyce has to go in the summer.

Hard to pass the ball forward though dave, when we have 10 men behind it.

 

[Woolly Blue]

Uh-Oh!

I'm hoping the issues in the recent past were due to disagreements between Walsh and Koeman about recruitment, and that Walsh can now go back to doing what he's been halfway decent at for years.

Obviously, being from Chorley, I'm totally biased though !

 

[streeky]

At some stage he has to let the handbrake off. Either attack more in games we are not expected to win or go the opposite and attack against the bottom teams. I don't think we can support a manager that parks 10 behind the ball in every game.

 

[davek]

Hard to pass the ball forward though dave, when we have 10 men behind it.

Exactly mate.

It's amazing how many fans nod and agree and re-quote SA's words when he says he's concerned with possession. It's a pure cynicism that Allardyce is renowned for.

 

[nsno-chris]

Hard to pass the ball forward though dave, when we have 10 men behind it.

Football is out the window Lou.

I fully expect a Benteke type forward (someone who is decent in the air) to arrive. The game plan, as always with Sam, will be to keep a solid 5 behind the ball at all times with the midfielders swarming to collect the knockdowns in the oppositions final third.

If they fail to win this they will immediately drop back into their positions and defend the space until we win the ball back and thus try it all over again