Redcar Red
Beat me to it. Your comment about this being a disparate bunch of individuals and not a team is spot on. Once again, Boro produced a woefully inadequate display, this time against a side with a makeshift defence and that had conceded more goals than any other side in the division. Until today, Reading hadn’t kept a clean sheet. Yet we managed a paltry two shots on target, one of which was just a flick by Crooks that hit the keeper in the face.
Here’s a prime example of this lot not playing as a team:- for much of the game Sporar was isolated on his own. Boro had two wide men in Tav and Jones, but they were never close enough to Sporar. I can only recall two occasions in the game when either got beyond their full-back. Similarly, neither Crooks nor Payero supported Sporar enough.
I would have thought Uche would have been perfect to come on and challenge the 2 midfielders-turned-centre halves, but our manager, as his so often his wont, opted for a more puzzling option by putting Olosanya out on the wing.
And I find myself despairing at Warnock’s reported comments after the game. ‘ I can’t fault the players - the effort was superb.’ Isn’t that the least we expect?
He had another go at Jones, as he did last week - ‘I thought he should have got his cross in earlier.’ Bloody hell. The lad did well to reach it in the first place! How is this constant carping meant to boost the lad’s confidence?
And Warnock is quoted as saying. ‘We have to get the lads who’ve come in from abroad fitter. What more can we do?’ And then came the inevitable line of the struggling manager, ‘We have to keep going.’ You know you’re in trouble when your manager comes out with that one. It means he’s run out of ideas. As for me, I’m running out of patience.
Right now I see no plan or any sign that things are starting to come together. I notice also that Warnock talked about persevering and not being able to fault his players. That's what a manager says when he knows things are dangerous and his team are losing belief.
Just read this after I’d posted my comment, Deleriad. Again, you beat me to it! Looks like he knows he’s struggling. It certainly doesn’t give me any optimism that he can turn this around.
Just to add to the problems, I now see Hernandez is now out with a thigh injury until after the international break.
Warnock and his two assistants are like some fading rockstars, brilliant for a great number of years but eventually they try to keep going in their later years and not realising they are well past it and should retire gracefully and remember the good times that they had. Nothing wrong with that of course but you have to be honest and accept the fact. That's life.
If only the ball hadn’t gone out of play before Jones crossed it… Fine margins.
I think a change has to come, because basically the squad is ok. What must the new players be thinking, particularly those from overseas?
I foolishly stayed in on one of the last days of our holiday break in Suffolk to watch that display. Hopeless.
I suspect the only English words Payero has picked up from his manager all begin with 'F' judging from what he appears to shout from the technical area.
They're looking more like one of those rock musicals that attempts to shoe-horn in a lame storyline to second-rate covers of their greatest hits - 'We Will Crock You' judging by the rate at which Boro players are dropping...
Before the match I thought we needed to beat Reading and Sheffield Utd to show that we had a chance of challenging for a playoff place rather than a mid-table or worse season. I decided to watch (NOW 1 day pass) to see how we did though even with Reading's injury problems I didn't feel confident and correctly opened my bottle of wine before kick-off! We were worse than I expected. If Warnock really can't fault his players then we are in deep trouble. Lumley saved us from a deserved more humiliating defeat and as far as I could see the players are not yet ready to work as a team and I doubt if there will be an improvement by Tuesday. It looked like Jones was our only hope of creating chances so I was disappointed that he was taken off. We needed a good display from Tav but he was "missing" in the 1st half and not that much involved in the 2nd. Sporar had no service and I can only assume Ikpeazu hasn't shown enough in training to get a run out.
Tuesday could be the match when the crowd turns on Warnock. I don't however expect Gibson to get rid of him any time soon as he is always reluctant to replace a manager and we might need Warnock's ability to save a team from relegation rather than look at promotion.
Unfortunately, on Tuesday, I will have my evening meal before the match so I expect the night to go downhill from then! Hull, Peterborough and Barnsley will next be looking to drag us down further.
@werdermouth. And NW appointed one of his mates as a fitness coach at the start of the season. Unbelievable Jeff! 😎
@werdermouth That is about normal given his recent track record.
I thought that we had turned that corner of injury prone players, but no we appear to retain them and bring them in. I won’t mention Ameobi??
@plato. My comments were based upon what has tended to happen in the past as far as SG is concerned and the way in which he disposes of managers.
I have said previously that if results continued as they have since the start of the year then the crowd would turn on NW and he would probably walk of his own volition and that may well be SG's strategy.
I can't believe that NW wants to embroil himself in a relegation battle which is becoming more likely as each match passes and nor would he want relegation as his final act as a manager so I feel he will go sooner rather than later.
As far as sacking him tonight is concerned then I believe that would be irresponsible if there is not a replacement lined up and a strategy in place to take the club forward but there again as an outsider, the lack of a strategy has been apparent for many years with us stumbling from one manager to another every two years or so. 😎
An excellent interview with Grant Leadbitter in the EG. A great footballer and leader and a Boro legend who for me is "one of our own".
What wouldn't we do to have him back in the side now during his prime!
An excellent interview with Grant Leadbitter in the EG. A great footballer and leader and a Boro legend who for me is "one of our own".
What wouldn't we do to have him back in the side now during his prime!
I'd have Grant back in a coaching capacity if that is where he sees his future.
He was the one that galvanised the troops when we hit stonewalls and things were creaking from time to time under Karanka. I'd even consider going one further and have him as AK's No.2, they know each other and there is mutual respect plus a good balance between good cop/bad cop but both on the same hymn sheet. I probably wouldn't enjoy the football but I'd settle for not being a pushover each week.
Reality however is that it never works out second time around.
Djed Spence has been man of the match in all three of Nottingham Forest's games. Over to you NW?
Everything you say is true, as are the complaints of many other contributers. The simple explanation is that this man has contrived to cause absolute chaos within this club. I do not exaggerate the facts. Consider the following. He is a part time manager, which means that the players are not under continual discipline as at any fully functioning club, his judgement of individual players is outstandingly bad, so what chances of him buying well? To remove (and criticise) Jones was laughable, he and Tav. Are our most productive players, i.e. They can beat a man and get away a shot. Which can lead to goals (remember them). It is madness to delay for one moment his dismissal. Our next move should be to poach a German Manager, even if he came here with the express object of making his name and moving on. I'm sure he could recommend his replacement.
The Reading match was the first one I did not see live on Riverside Live nor on TV. The match was on the telly in here but I needed to go and paint my doughter's new flat. A hard 10 h work both days during the weekend.
As we lost (again) perhaps it was more interesting to watch the paint dry. At least we got a result and the flat looks magnificent inside. We worked hard even the colour was light grey. Enjoyed it, me.
So back to basics. I will watch the match again on Tuesday. And dreaming. Up the Boro!