Mark Hughes your football is...

Because they didn't expect Cook to make the start the way he has, when Cook got his chance he took it, he grafted got his weight off and started scoring, we started our first two league games with Oliver as our first choice striker.

 

Thats exactly my thoughts too Dave. I'm not sure Cook was even part of Hughes long term plans.

 

We all thought he had sitting pretty 4th in the league after our away win at Sutton, then the wheels came off against Northampton. Orient and Carlisle and we find ourselves 9th but with a game in hand, win it and were joint 4th with Carlisle, funny old game this football lark

 

It is, and optimism rises and falls on the basis of the previous result..

 

Without doubt we'll be down at Valley Parade Thursday night expecting 3
points, we'll most of us will .

 

so if it’s not working now then why not go with the original plan ????? What I’m getting at is that Oliver must have been brought in as a target man ???? Surly the whole basis of his signing was crosses into the box or the odd long ball to bring others into play ............ if that wasn’t the case then we’ve basically wasted our money ................ would it be actually so wrong to play the two together ????? Folk have said it doesn’t work when there together but do we actually train for a front two ????? I doubt it if he insists on going with this system week after week ............. still no doubt Cook will get started on now if his run continues I just folk would wake up and realise it’s not the players it’s the fooking system

 

I think most fans are questioning the way Hughes is asking them to play, the way he spoke in his post match interview at Carlisle I believe we could see a different formation come Thursday night, as someone posted at the latter end of last season we saw better football from players he inherited, where as he's brought players in he and Gent thought would play Hughes formation successfully.
We've got results without looking good in fact we've looked mediocre at times but still got results.

 

Posted this on the wrong thread, basically I don't necessarily think this is a match made in heaven by any stretch, it's a matter of convenience for Hughes to get his name out there and somebody, when given all that has gone on previously, we weren't in a position to turn down.

1. The thing with Hughes taking this job is that he cannot lose. If we got promoted his stock has risen, his name will be mentioned in certain circles and before long he would have got a championship job. Fail here and it doesn't matter a jot, as it was a final shot at being a coach/manager and countless other managers have failed here because we are a basket case.
   
   He will also get free reign to an extent of what he wants simply due to his standing in the game, I can't expect too much challenge from sparks and rupp towards Hughes, they will still be creaming themselves due to the association, and lauding themselves with managing to attract him.
   
   This won't be a long drawn out love affair with Hughes, it's decent chance for him, a shot to nothing, and to keep the coffers ticking over nicely for a couple of years.
   
   We do well, he gets his move, things get sticky and he won't be that arsed and soon get fed up of crap he doesn't need

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Of course we will, Bronco.
And our next 3 games are at home.
It's all aprt of being a City fan.

 

He is promising changes maybe in style and players. What worries me on his recent past decisions. It will end up worse

 

Simple game is football, no need for fancy plans in league 2. 3 5 2 everyone gives 100 percent from the off, all out attack getting the ball forward as quickly as possible (this usually means goals). All forward as one - all back as one, might get caught on the break but won't matter because your 3-0 up by that time. All players should be knackered at the end of the game and be sure in there own minds that they have left nothing out on the pitch. All players must have a never say die attitude and a burning desire to win and be very fit, oh well dream on eh.

 

Aye, forms picked up, but they’re still shite! Whole of L2 is dire. Orient only good team in it!

 

Don't worry , it'll be a double bluff, prepare to be bored stiff ...

 

For me, MH is making the same mistake a lot of top players have made as managers, asking players to do things
they can't, then persisting when it's obvious a change of approach is needed.
We are not good enough to football our way out of this division, in L2 you have to win the battle first.
MH, by his own admission, doesn't want the team to get into battles as it's not their strong point, the opposition knows it and gets at us at every opportunity. Think where we would be without Lewis and Cook, who badly needs support.
I don't think I'm alone in thinking midfield is the major problem, ideally, it's the root of attack and defence, protecting the defence, and instigating and supporting the attack.
Let's not kid ourselves, we only play with a midfield 2, Wright, Banks, Chapman, Eisa and Pereira are wingers, they don't contribute to winning the midfield battle.
Gilliead and Smallwood are regularly outnumbered and the midfield is overrun. We need a midfield 3 with at least 1 positive Gary Jones type character.
Smallwood is very good at breaking up play and making an easy pass to a teammate, that's it, his game, we need an extra player, East for starters, to take it positively from there.
Also on Smallwood, his set pieces are woeful, surely we have someone who can do better. GH has been a set-piece coach and should be able to sort it.
Gilliead is a skillfull neat footballer who covers a lot of ground, but he is weak in the tackle and has never produced an end product, he should not be a starter, we need incoming.
So, win the battles, play three in midfield, play positive, and get others (incoming?) apart from Cook to contribute goals and improve set pieces.
All easier said than done, recognising what's needed will be a start.

 

But I thought it was all about next season & not this?

 

Sattelmaier

 

How many responded to a WUM?

 

It is but unfortunately the club can’t manage expectations.

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 100% this .

 

Tomorrow really feels like a ‘crossroads’ match doesn’t it.

There is the humiliation at losing to Harrogate every year and after a bad result at Carlisle we’ve dropped out of the playoffs and could soon be bottom half.

The signs had been there for a while and neither the form table, nor our xG, has made pretty reading lately.

Time and time again we approach matches in the same manner and end up with predictable disappointment.

Hughes has now hinted there could be changes, so let’s see you do something Mark, as if we line up with that terrible 4-2-3-1 again tomorrow there will be sighs from the stands.

A cold, wet, damp night and the prospect of more home disappointment. If we don’t win this, that will be it for many.

however, we have three homes coming up and these should be games we should win (just the type of game we bottle) to kick on and get back in the playoffs.

carpe diem, lads, show some balls, ambition and have a go tomorrow. Entertain us, you know, like you are supposed to, or at least win the damn game.

time for Eisa to be binned off and Gillead/Smallwood needs breaking up. The whole system needs changing. Banks, walker and Wright MUST start if fit. I wanna see big Vadaine bullying their CBs and Cook with a rocket up his arse - he best not be coming back in bad condition after Xmas.

Crich will sort us out at the back and we just need to get some belief back in a system that works. Nobody but Hughes, and maybe Hodges, believes 4-2-3-1 is the answer - what the players are (not) doing on the pitch proves it, and the noises from the stands and on the forums/social media show the fans hate it too.

Let’s bloody av it.