How does McCall change this?

Well that's where Stuart has been going wrong. He needs to play a starting 12.

 

Exactly, if he'd done that yesterday, the red card would just have evened things up instead of putting us at a disadvantage,

 

CEO as in Cheerleader ExtraOrdinaire, or Club Entertainment Officer ?

 

Maybe playing him in midfield is an option but surely we can find players who’ve played that position all their career. We’ve recruited players who are jack of all trades and masters of none. AOC fits into this category for me.

 

Thanks, Stu.

 

Whoops yeah he could try that?; but failing that I get the point. So I would go Pritchard left; Clarke on the bench. The idea stands.

 

What I noticed yesterday was Barrow pressing high the first half giving us no time on the ball which led to us playing long into the wind.
The second half we didn’t do that which allowed them to play out easily from the back. It might have been because we were down to ten. But it was very noticeable

 

You've answered your own question, and so far this season, the answer is no we can't.

 

You've too many midfielders mate

Clarke can't play on the left. He'll be ineffective and has no pace. He'll be coming in to the middle of the park all the time and leaving Wood exposed who won't be confident in getting forward.

I'd swap BRE for Paudie. Think he needs a break.

Not sure Evans will be fit but needs to play if he is.

 

Agree. They were just keeping the ball on the ground more. They didn't aggressively press though. We just preferred to hoof it. We could have tried to play it out more but the defenders didn't seem interested in passing to Sutton, Finn or Cooke.

 

I've got an enormous amount of time for McCall. He's my favourite ever City player and he's always seemed to be an all-round decent bloke.

But I can't let that cloud my gut feeling that without something changing (either some fresh recruits or a change of manager, or maybe both), I fear a relegation battle is almost certainly on the cards.
I'm also cognisant of the fact that, from previous similar occasions, he doesn't seem to be able to turn poor results and performances around.

From what I've witnessed thus far, it's not like the performances have been OK, but they've been unlucky with results. The team has looked bereft of ideas going forward and liable to concede soft goals. The only time we look like scoring is when the opposition gifts us chances.

I know that McCall would be the last person that would want to see the club exit the football league with himself at the helm. In a way, I think the lack of supporters is doing the manager and team a favour. I think the atmosphere at games would be on the verge of turning ugly around now if the fans were present.

 

Good post. Sums up my feelings as well.

The team seem bereft of any sort of game plan. Stu bereft of answers in post match interview.

We had a real chance to put them under pressure yesterday in second half using the wind. Instead we just lumped the ball hoping for it to drop for us. They sat back with plenty behind the ball knowing we would not be a threat to their goal and so it proved.

 

He can't turn it around because he doesn't know where to start. His base is all wrong.

He creates teams that are soft and give the aura of not giving a shit. All these posts about man management but apart from Mark Marshall who has he ever improved?

From the team with Matt Clarke and Conlon taking the mick to Boulding, Brandon, Lee and McLaren to the dross that followed the year after. Then we have players being smashed with fans in pre-season and barely even being able to speak at the end of year event, to Jake Reeves, Shay McCarten et al, to the bag of dross we have now. The teams show the same characteristics and none ot them are good. The only time its been different is when he inherited a group of 'men' that basically looked after themselves.

We need to have defenders who love defending rather than being encouraged to think they're midfielders. Be physical, head it, kick it, kill yourself to block shots, get out there quickly to stop crosses coming in, be demanding of the players around you to do the same.

In midfield, have a bit of devil, be able to physically compete and have a bit of composure. Have a winger with pace but also willing to work.

Those are the starting points. But how many of these have EVER been part of a McCall team, how many players have we had in his own playing image?

So I suppose in theory theres lots of ways he could turn it around but we're basically asking him to do things he has never done. Not hopeful.

 

To be fair to Stuart i was at that end of year event, it was one of the most memorable nights i've ever been to. The speech from McCall was both emotional and inspiring and i've never seen a group of players get on so well together. My lad has still got his shirt with all the signatures on. Whether McCall gets the bullet next week or stays till the end of the season, i'll always remember the 2017/18 as one of the best of my days supporting city.

 

Do you know what. I bet it was. When I saw the photos and videos I wished I was there, same with the piss up in Germany.

It's great for bonding between players and fans and maybe even between the players themselves. But does it build an atmosphere where people are demanding of each other and disciplined, I don't know. I would prefer the memories to be on the pitch if I'm honest.

On it's own it's not a big deal. I remember reports of Carl McHugh loving life after the Villa game I think it was, so you can still have a beer and bond with fans at the right time. But put together with all the other stuff and the general outlook that all his teams seem to have. I don't feel it.

 

That was my point about why sack him. Who else could get a tune of of this lot. The goods are defective. Not that good and lower level players. I think he will walk as he takes it all very personally. We need to start all over. This season is done. Survive hopefully and start the building blocks.

 

Sadly you are spot on. Half of this squad are his picks. And we look like a sunday pub team who have just met and have rung around to get a few mates to play centre half and goalie.

Its quite shocking to see the recent performances and not one player on that pitch seems to be angry. All the talk in the press by the players and management is definitely not manifesting itself on the pitch.

 

Excellent summary.

 

I made a big deal about that pre-season piss-up at the time and plenty of people thought I was some old-fashioned puritan, but I was right. Stuart just hasn't got the instinct you need to manage and almost everything he does from worrying about the opposition to bragging about his many 'systems' to car crash interviews confirms that.

 

Spot on, one of the best posts on here about McCalls management abilities or rather lack of,