Would all the people saying Coyle is on borrowed time and that he should be replaced, be quiet! You would think that the way half the fans are going on we'd just lost to Wigan 5-1.
When we got the fixtures in July//August we all knew that we would be lucky to out of the relegation zone before October. If I could be bothered to scroll back that far, I could fine countless tweets and posts about how people were expecting 6 points maximum by this point. So bar one game, we have performed to how most people thought we would. All the games we've lost this year, we lost last year to. So whats changed? The only difference is that these games have been back to back which at the end of the season, changes nothing.
I know some are complaining about the manner of the loss but I believe the back to back fixtures play a heavy part in this two. The players get depressed because they keep losing and being faced with another daunting team next week, and then they play bad because their depressed.
I would like to point out to those blaming the strength of the squad, that of course we're going to look poor in front of some of the best teams in Europe. When we play teams of a similar ilk however, bar Norwich, we look very good; 4-0 QPR, 2-0 Villa.
Despite the scoreline, today gave me a bit of hope. 2 goalkeeping errors which I think we can safely assume Jussi would of got. Ngog looked very dangerous, and we knocked it about fairly well in this formation. We had one goal not given and one hit the post. On another day, Jussi saves those two, the other two go in and it could be 3-3.
Yes it's hard to sit and watch back to back losses every week, but I think more of us need to learn to take a breath and keep their heads.
Just Be Quiet!
posted on 2/10/11
Aaron totally agree with you. A defensive caoch is required as we under Coyle seem to have lost that ability which was always our strength.
posted on 2/10/11
Petrov I understand your frustration. I really do but I honestly think you are far too quick to assume we are doomed and that Coyle should be looking over his shoulder. I've followed the trotters for thirty five years and have seen some wonderful highs and horrific lows along the way and this is just a bump in the road compared to the mid eighties as I'm sure you know.
I agree today and the game against Utd were shocking and that Owen got his tactics wrong especially in the first half. Unlike you I believe he'll know that himself and learn from it.
Woody Cornish makes a valid point about our confidence being hurt by facing one top team after another and heads dropping but so do you when you say it's the manager's job to get them back up. Unlike you I firmly believe that Owen can and will do that. He now has two weeks in which to take stock, learn from some of the errors we made and remind the lads that we are not new to the prem by any means and if I were him I'd be telling them that everyone gets a clean slate for the wigan game.
Robbo has got to be dropped. If I had to I'd play a YTS kid there instead of him because every team in the prem knows he's slow and can be turned easily by any right winger with even a modicum of pace.
Jussi can't come back fast enough for me although I still firmly think we made a mistake in selling Ali. Adams just not ready and it showed today.
As to your comment about Mark Hughes I sincerely doubt he'd come here even if Owen was sacked tomorrow and frankly I wouldn't want him anyway.
For now all I can suggest is that everyone takes a deep breath and relaxes a little over the next two weeks and we should get ready to back the manager not sack him and give the players our maximum support because it's times like this when they need us most. We need to be unified, singing with one voice and show them that we are behind them. Of course we have the right to our individual opinions but perhaps we could be a touch more circumspect about how we air them and not be ready to jump on each other's backs seven games into the season when just one win would see us make a significant upward move. I hope we can put our differences aside at least for now because the last thing the trotters need is a divided fanbase again like we had in the last days of the megson era or like we saw at Blackburn yesterday.
COME ON YOU MEN IN WHITE!!!!
posted on 2/10/11
PS A really good point from Aaron about a defensive coach or an experienced assistant for Owen. How about Peter Reid?
posted on 2/10/11
I honestly believe coyle needs to get rid of the 2 assistants he brought in from burnley and especially the goal keeping coach who also brought with him.
Who ever is the coach at organising set-pieces (I think it's stewart) needs sacking as if that is his job, he doesn't do it well
posted on 2/10/11
LPP I want to be positive and take your point but it is not the 80s and in this day and age mangers have to deliver. I personally will give him till after the everton game. I am not happy and voiced that on here yet get behind the team at the bok. If after the everton game we have gained less than 4 points I will call for his head. That will be the end of november and would give someone else a chance to assess current squad and to prepare for jan window. If we are in the bottom three at crimbo and coyle us still boss get ready fizzy pop league. Thats not negative it's reality.
posted on 2/10/11
Fair enough Petrov. But can I just ask you to do one thing? Between now and the Everton game will you please give Owen and the lads your complete support? I fully understand your frustration and agree that football is now a results business and the results haven't been good enough YET.
While I don't feel we need to panic I agree that we need to improve fast and I believe we will. If I'm wrong I'll be the first to say so but right now I honestly think that constantly saying we're doomed and talking about replacing the manager harms only ourselves.
Personally I can see us getting a lot more than four points in the next five games and that the break couldn't have come at a better time for us. Owen will turn it around I'm sure and if he gets some help in the backroom I think he'll be able to concentrate on what he does best which is motivating the players to perform above themselves. In a lot of ways he reminds me of Big Sam that way and given some time and some real money I think he could match or even better the results we got in the heady days of Sam's heyday.
So what do you say Petrov? do we stick together and back him 100% at least until the Everton game? I hope so because now is the time when he and the players will need us most
posted on 2/10/11
I always back him and I am with you all the way. I reserve one thing! If we get battered like today before Everton to be able to complain.
posted on 2/10/11
Absolutely Petrov. If we get battered by a lesser team like we got hammered today I'll be complaining right alongside you. I just don't think that will happen though. There's just no way Owen will allow the players to switch off like that first half again. I honestly feel that by the time Wigan come up the players will know exactly what they have to do and Owen will have instilled in them the self belief to go and do it.
posted on 2/10/11
Let's all just be quiet! Bury your heads in the sand, immediately!
posted on 2/10/11
I agree today and the game against Utd were shocking and that Owen got his tactics wrong especially in the first half. Unlike you I believe he'll know that himself and learn from it.
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Yes, but WHEN will he learn? That's the $64million question? He's certainly not shown any signs so far since that game! There's not a one of us on here that WANTS Owen Coyle to fail ..far from it .... but if he doesn't turn things around relatively soon .... suffice to say, no player is bigger than the club, as managers are often heard to say ... but neither is any manager!
The club's best interests have to be at the forefront of everything, not personalities, no matter how nice they are ....