I made a similar post last season after Barnsley last season. But the players just need a bit of TLC after today. We need to find out very calmly what went wrong with them today. Theyt need to stick together. A little calm chat is needed both indervidually and collectively. It wasn't gutless or spineless. It was a lack of confidence and self belief. and they need it back urgently obviously. They are very honest boys who just need good man management.
If I see one response saying "If I performed like that at work, I would be sacked I will scream!" This is not work it's football and the nature of football at the end of the day.
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To be fair it is what they're all lacking
What a load of bollocks. They have probably already forgotten about the game yesterday.
What they need, is to have been called in to the training ground this morning, made to sit through a DVD of the game yesterday and then worked like dogs on the training pitch.
My toe their arses.
I thought we were talking about the Players in this instance... How many times do you see them agreeing a compensation package
I remain convinced THE challenge is the construct of the squad. It is a construct driven by a policy to fulfil the Duchatelet vision of the development and promotion of youth. As people will know I have no problem with the vision indeed I fully support it. I have many problems with the policy being used to deliver it.
It places far too great a burden on the coaching position (no matter the personality involved). I will argue such policy has determined the whole playing style, player selection in evidence from Day 1.
It is placing far too great a burden on the senior professionals.
We started with just 11 senior players with any real Championship experience - Henderson - Solly - Wiggins - Ben Haim - Bikey - Morrison - Jackson - Moussa - Cousins - Church - Wilson.
Off those;
- Morrison hardly featured and has left to be replaced by the equally peripheral Onyewu
- Henderson, Wiggins, Moussa and Church have been subject to long term or regular injuries
- Sollys' injury will always have to managed
- Jackson has regularly carried injury
So just FOUR players left in the SQUAD with the core league experience. One of those Cousins is still in only his 2nd season and has been fitted in to play wide left while Wilson has also been a peripheral figure.
Leaving Ben Haim and Bikey to consistently carry the load of;
- Buyens - Vetokele - Berg Gudmonsson - Bulot - Tucudean all of whom have talent to a lesser or greater degree but for whom Championship football is new. It is more physically demanding, more intense and more competitive, week after week after week and over time that takes its toll. It takes time to adjust both physically and mentally. They will be inconsistent.
- Pope, Etheridge, Gomez, Fox, Harriott, Pigott, Ahearne Grant all trying to make their way in the game.
We now have added Watt and Dmitrovic - neither has any real track record anywhere!
In addition we have carried the imbalance of a minimal attacking threat wide left and no leader of the forward line, not for a week or two but, for half a season. In the face of such challenges if you were Ben Haim and Bikey when would you throw in the towel?
I have commented elsewhere on the recent re-engineering of the goalkeeping position. It was/ is reckless.
I have a real problem with the dismissal of Peeters not in respect of his coaching ability but for all of the allegations emanating from Sparrows Lane, there has never been any suggestion of such prior behaviour in his previous positions.
The accusation he and his staff insulted and denigrated players in Flemish behind the players backs is hardly the crime of the century. In my experience most professional football coaches very happily give you both "barrels" in anglo saxon on a regular basis. You are not running a crèche. The head coach is not there to be popular. He is there to do a job, in this instance specifically tailored to meet the Duchatelet vision.
My overriding concern is the appearance the executive has responded to "player" unrest and in doing so has empowered the "dressing room" or more accurately "factions within the dressing room". No matter the justification of their feelings you never, never empower the dressing room - it is a recipe for anarchy.
I genuinely fear the performance against Watford could well be a foretaste of things to come.
Just exactly what are you going to do when the dressing room faction decides it does not like the next coach!
I sincerely hope I see the leadership and the evidence of the resources necessary to put the whole thing back on track but I am not holding my breath. The potential exists for this to turn into a monumental blunder.
I am not sure TLC quite hits the spot.