Sam Allardyce

[blueblue]

It stunk at the very least of admitting a relegation scrap with this group of players. Shambolic.

We are in a relegation scrap with this bunch of players.... have been all season.
Sam was brought in because he knows how to avoid relegation. It still is a very real possibility, although weirdly just one or two good results would almost completely dispel that fear.

Should these players be in a relegation scrap is a different question. I look around the team and I see very few leaders and if Seamus Coleman is needed for anything at all it is his leadership qualities.

 

[blueblue]

I said above, to me the answer is a better coach and tactical ideas. You've just named 5 players but 2 of them didn't even play under Koeman so we can't say Allardyce can't be blamed for them not being able to pass can we? And if you're right and it's just down to application then why has he signed 2 players who aren't applying themselves?

The squad is unbalanced, and if we're honest that back 4 is absolutely horrific on paper nevermind on grass. 2 rookies, a veteran who was never anything more than average to start with and a journeyman playing out of position. It's hardly a shock that we're not great defensively with that line up is it? We were a tactical shambles on Saturday though, there was no obvious strategy as to how we would win the game, and the constant chopping and changing is ridiculous. One week Vlasic can't get in the match day squad, the next he's starting, one week Lookman's changing the game as a sub, the next he's not getting a look in, and the midfield seems to be selected by picking names out of a hat.

I don't think we can blame Sam Allyrdyce for the mess we are currently in, he is working with the players that he inherited.
He is changing the team on a weekly basis trying to find a blend that works and maybe get the better players into the team at the same time.

I think his comment about Rooney and Sigurdsson not fitting in the same team is significant. We may see players on the bench going forward that won't expect to be there.
The only positive is that at least the players purchased this January have been targeted at our obvious weaker spots. A left back and a dominant central midfielder next please.

 

[Timak]

I don't think we can blame Sam Allyrdyce for the mess we are currently in, he is working with the players that he inherited.
He is changing the team on a weekly basis trying to find a blend that works and maybe get the better players into the team at the same time.

I think his comment about Rooney and Sigurdsson not fitting in the same team is significant. We may see players on the bench going forward that won't expect to be there.
The only positive is that at least the players purchased this January have been targeted at our obvious weaker spots. A left back and a dominant central midfielder next please.[/QUOTE]

Not sure I'd agree that striker and winger were our priority.

I see the major weakness as being central midfielders who aren't scared of getting on the ball and passing it.

We have zero creativity. If we had some the likes of Siggy would improve hugely as he'd be there as a finisher (which he is) rather than a creator (which he isn't)

 

[GrandOldTeam]

I don't think we can blame Sam Allyrdyce for the mess we are currently in, he is working with the players that he inherited.

I keep seeing this message peddled and I think this is absolute nonsense.

Last season;

Absolute league of our own.

Look at the distance from us in 7th to every side below us.

We lose Lukaku/Barkley, we sign Pickford, Keane, Sigurdsson, Rooney and more.

Upfront aside, we've strengthened.

Allardyce has come in, and Tosun and Walcott are now in as well.

Our side is just as good now as last season - our Director of Football with his "take away Lukaku's goals and we still finished 7th" - they've took them away, and still spent a fortune so go and finish 7th.

Allardyce is in PR mode at the moment talking up relegation possibility and his "back to basics" crap.

 

[Toffe3m4n]

Yeah I think, as some of you have pointed out, at this point it simply must be down to the coaching.

The managerial revolving door clearly hasn't helped matters and professional footballers should be capable of passing a ball forward to a teammate regardless, but it's clear that between the utter mess that was the summer and the frequency of the games eliciting constant rotation has meant that, even at this late stage, the players just simply aren't on the same page. They don't know what they should be doing from week to week.

It's not going to improve much at all between now and May and we simply need to accept that, as depressing as it is.

Sam Allardyce, to his credit, at least got us defending when he first came in and he credited that specifically to drilling the defence in training. That right there is a good indication of how important coaching & drilling players into a routine helps when it comes to working together to perform their tasks. The trouble is, we have a large group of different types of players and Allardyce's coaching methods weren't going to translate well to all of them, hence why our front players are still struggling to form any sort of cohesion between them. He's admitted that he briefly relinquished the defensive drills to concentrate more on our attacking play.. but he's practically admitted now that he's failed based on this recent run of poor form.

What we need in the summer is a top coach with his own backroom staff that are capable of coaching all areas well and that every player gets on board with it. There needs to be a clear way of playing that the manager wants to adopt and it needs to be drilled relentlessly into every player from the very start of the summer and beyond. This also means that transfer business needs to be done as early as possible - ship out everyone who doesn't have a future at the club, trim the first team squad down to 22-24 players, and address the areas we need to significantly strengthen in asap - that's the group of players who'll be carrying us for the rest of the season, so drill them as a team.

We've seen a few players, particularly Sigurdsson, struggle badly because they were late to the party and thrown in at the deep end - this needs to stop.

 

[Mikey_Fitzgerald]

He's made a rod for his back with those relegation comments

It may very well be true, but there's no need to verbalise it like that

Even more reason why he won't be here next season

 

[Dogs_of_War]

I'd rather have Gary Rowett when it comes to the Championship.

It's not that I think we should be looking at the Championsip, he's a good young manger whose proven himself to be tactically capable and able to compete with some of the best managers in the country. He could potentially lead a 5+ year project etc. rather than a short term-appointment (Koeman, Allardyce)which haven't been suited to Moshiri's plans for the club.

He ticks alot of the right boxes - keen on sports physcology, improving the mindset of the player, using the latest technology to improve player performance, brings through young players and prefers to use a high pressing style.

 

[bluestevon]

And I can understand why Kenwright wanted Unsworth. I wanted Unsworth. It was the romantic option of the youth coach stepping up and laying his claim to the job

Sadly it didn't work and with relegation looming, along with Watford standing strong on Silva, times got desperate and Moshiri went for Allardyce as a short term fix to keep us up

From what i gather there was a strong feeling of not wanting to go with anyone without 'premiership experience' mate, only guessing ofc - but i don't see that coming from Moshiri and see it as more the 'old guard' and walsh if you will. that immediately massively reduced the options for recruitment, fact we did speak to some overseas managers makes me believe it wasn't a consensus in the boardroom to go that way (prem proven) either...

Either way people (like you) wanting desperately to get Walsh out, but not wanting to get Allardyce out with the same urgency i don't truly understand, Walsh picked and wanted Allardyce for a reason

 

[chazzle_dazzle]

From what i gather there was a strong feeling of not wanting to go with anyone without 'premiership experience' mate, only guessing ofc - but i don't see that coming from Moshiri and see it as more the 'old guard' and walsh if you will. that immediately massively reduced the options for recruitment, fact we did speak to some overseas managers makes me believe it wasn't a consensus in the boardroom to go that way (prem proven) either...

Either way people (like you) wanting desperately to get Walsh out, but not wanting to get Allardyce out with the same urgency i don't truly understand, Walsh picked and wanted Allardyce for a reason

Was more then a strong feeling mate... was sheer panic by some at the thought of it apparently.

 

[Mikey_Fitzgerald]

From what i gather there was a strong feeling of not wanting to go with anyone without 'premiership experience' mate, only guessing ofc - but i don't see that coming from Moshiri and see it as more the 'old guard' and walsh if you will. that immediately massively reduced the options for recruitment, fact we did speak to some overseas managers makes me believe it wasn't a consensus in the boardroom to go that way (prem proven) either...

Either way people (like you) wanting desperately to get Walsh out, but not wanting to get Allardyce out with the same urgency i don't truly understand, Walsh picked and wanted Allardyce for a reason

I'm not pushing for Allardyce because I truly believe he's going regardless in the summer anyway, so what's the point?

Plus, as an Allardyce backer, if Walsh goes then so does Allardyce's biggest supporter

You cut the head off a snake, not the tail

 

[bluestevon]

It was desperate times and we sought a desperate measure

Sadly the desperation was all of our own doing by sacking Koeman without a replacement lined up

Problem is mikey, i think we did have the replacement lined up when we pulled the trigger and silva had already said he wanted it, but then when we went trough the proper channels to watford we found out they where willing to tank their own season to 'stay firm'

 

[bluestevon]

I keep seeing this message peddled and I think this is absolute nonsense.

Last season;

View attachment 43634

Absolute league of our own.

Look at the distance from us in 7th to every side below us.

We lose Lukaku/Barkley, we sign Pickford, Keane, Sigurdsson, Rooney and more.

Upfront aside, we've strengthened.

Allardyce has come in, and Tosun and Walcott are now in as well.

Our side is just as good now as last season - our Director of Football with his "take away Lukaku's goals and we still finished 7th" - they've took them away, and still spent a fortune so go and finish 7th.

Allardyce is in PR mode at the moment talking up relegation possibility and his "back to basics" crap.

Because the only thing that had some fans deciding we needed him was them crapping themselves over relegation, so it's in his interests to keep banging that drum to keep them scared, bad news for him, a lot of those who wanted him to 'save us' have already seen the light and now realise they dont want him.

Allardyce saying about the players deserved the boos was a nice swerve, as pretty sure he knows a large proportion of those boos where aimed squarely at his fat head.

NEVER seen a crowd turn on a new manager this fast, and Goodison is going to become very very toxic this season mate - safest thing to do right now is get shut of him, as a toxic Goodison will be like every games an away remaining...

 

[bluestevon]

I'm not pushing for Allardyce because I truly believe he's going regardless in the summer anyway, so what's the point?

Plus, as an Allardyce backer, if Walsh goes then so does Allardyce's biggest supporter

You cut the head off a snake, not the tail

Fair enough mate, but i honestly think the only chance we have of going down this season is if we stick with Allardyce now, we change we will get a bounce im certain of that, but look at the remaining games and say where you expect this team right now with this manager to get points?

 

[lesbattersby]

Relegation battles are meat heads thing. It's what he does. He's out of his comfort zone trying to win things. Hire a manager for a relegation battle, prepare for a relegation battle.

 

[bluestevon]

Was more then a strong feeling mate... was sheer panic by some at the thought of it apparently.

I'd 'guess' Moshiri wasn't one mate who was panicking.

Of the rest i can see anyone with shares still left to sell (Bill, Woods) or with a position to keep (Walsh, Elstone) being in that group