• Due to a recent spam attack on the site we have switched user registration to require administrator approval. Please bear with us as this could take a few hours to approve new registrations (depending on availability) but all genuine registrations will be approved

Relegation? Should We Be Worried?

I think it's fair to say we need a complete reset in terms of attacking philosophy for us to get back on track. Sheehan showed promise in the tail end of last season that we could move away from the C-shaped heat map we've seen for years, and we might actually start considering the middle of the park as somewhere to venture, but at this point we're back to where we were.

I remember Laudrup saying his main attacking focus is the advanced central areas because that's where most goals ultimately get scored from. Width is still good as it creates space for runners and pulls defenders away, but central areas and inside channels are where we'll focus. We're so far away from that now, it's laughable. The advanced central areas of the pitch have been a deserted wasteland to this club for years now (exaggeration, but you get the point...). I truly hope Matos is not a part of that trend and he actually values and wants to use ALL the pitch and not be a one-trick pony that has players run into dead ends with no plan B.

Honestly, I'm done with clipboard wankers at this point; We need this guy to be an eccentric maverick, not another cone-boy from the Pro-License factory. If he's not smoking a cigar, talking in riddles and wearing a band t-shirt at his first press-conference I'll start worrying...Vitor, I need you to be a crazy bastard, as I think we need crazy bastard right now.
 
We seem to have been in the relegation mix every season at some point since Cooper left. This season It seems even more concerning as we cannot score and create very little.
I hope Matos has the answer but we started the season with a rookie manager and that didn't work. So we have turned to someone who has managed less games.
I'm more hopeful than confident we can avoid the trap door.
 
This is a worry for me. The coaching has been bad and can be improved a lot but the fact we are such a dull knife going forward has me concerned that we just lack the talent to score goals in the team. After 16 games, you would expect someone to have sparked something and looked dangerous for a spell, even if there was no manager or coach. None of Eom, Inoussa, Ronald, Cullen, Yalcouye or Widell look to be capable of moments of individual magic or to really be goalscorers or creators for us and that is something we massively lack. Neither Idah or Zipotnik are creators or dribblers either and both need to be in the box.

Hopefully Matos is a genius and something clicks but he needs the raw materials to succeed and if only one of the strikers can play at the time, I am not sure who the other players are who will chip in with 10 goals. Maybe that is why Cullen always ends up back in the team.
I still don't get all the hate for Eom. I think there is a player there. And though he is hot and cold, he was alright yesterday
Galbriath looks like our best asset. Cullen for me is a dud and only turns up now for Wales. Idah I thought did well yesterday as well. Again I'm in the camp this team can do better. Alot will disagree based on the evidence at present.
 
I think it's fair to say we need a complete reset in terms of attacking philosophy for us to get back on track. Sheehan showed promise in the tail end of last season that we could move away from the C-shaped heat map we've seen for years, and we might actually start considering the middle of the park as somewhere to venture, but at this point we're back to where we were.

I remember Laudrup saying his main attacking focus is the advanced central areas because that's where most goals ultimately get scored from. Width is still good as it creates space for runners and pulls defenders away, but central areas and inside channels are where we'll focus. We're so far away from that now, it's laughable. The advanced central areas of the pitch have been a deserted wasteland to this club for years now (exaggeration, but you get the point...). I truly hope Matos is not a part of that trend and he actually values and wants to use ALL the pitch and not be a one-trick pony that has players run into dead ends with no plan B.

Honestly, I'm done with clipboard wankers at this point; We need this guy to be an eccentric maverick, not another cone-boy from the Pro-License factory. If he's not smoking a cigar, talking in riddles and wearing a band t-shirt at his first press-conference I'll start worrying...Vitor, I need you to be a crazy bastard, as I think we need crazy bastard right now.
1000004040.webp
 
Honestly, I'm done with clipboard wankers at this point; We need this guy to be an eccentric maverick, not another cone-boy from the Pro-License factory. If he's not smoking a cigar, talking in riddles and wearing a band t-shirt at his first press-conference I'll start worrying...Vitor, I need you to be a crazy bastard, as I think we need crazy bastard right now.

One million percent agree.

The club should want this as well, because if he does turn out to be just another cab off the same rank, then I can see it being a snapping point for another couple of thousand on the gate. And things could really start to get ugly.
 
In hindsight, maybe a series of shyte performances against lower league clubs in pre season games ought to have sounded alarm bells?
You’re not allowed to say that. Apparently preseason friendliest are about fitness only. Everyone could see it was a disaster and no one was wanted to admit it.
 
In answer to the original question, in my opinion we should be very worried about relegation and I suspect the owners harboured similar sentiments when they decided to relieve Sheehan of his duties.

I’m of the view things have been deteriorating steadily for a number of years. Despite my high hopes for this year based on the last years end of season surge under Sheehan it’s gone pear shaped.

The club is in the bottom 3 in a lot of metrics including form over last 6 matches, form over last 10 matches, Xpts over last 6 and last 10 matches, Norwich and Sheffield Wednesday are the 2 teams sitting below the Swans.

There are some tidy players in the squad who are capable of performing well and can turn it on, but the performance level needs to be consistent.

We’ve seen a succession of managerial appointments that haven’t worked out, I think appointing Vitor Matos is a brave move considering he’s stepping up in to what is one of the hardest leagues in football. If he doesn’t hit the ground running, I think we’re toast.
 
In hindsight, maybe a series of shyte performances against lower league clubs in pre season games ought to have sounded alarm bells?
It did for a lot of us , but we were told by a good few posters " oh , it's only a friendly and players are just upping their fitness" . I took pelters off a few on here for getting very irate after the Boro defeat first game of the season. My thinking was that if that diabolical performance was the best we could muster after a full pre season under their belt then the manager hadn't done his job. Nothing since that day had improved prior to his sacking.
 
The way this club is run it's only a matter of time. Early days but we should all be very worried about relegation....I bet the owners are.
They just appointed somebody with 12 games experience in the 2nd division of Portugal.

That screams the exact opposite of being worried about relegation. If anything, it's having absolutely no appreciation for the position we are in at the moment.
 
They just appointed somebody with 12 games experience in the 2nd division of Portugal.

That screams the exact opposite of being worried about relegation. If anything, it's having absolutely no appreciation for the position we are in at the moment.
I get what you are saying but if they had no appreciation of our position then they wouldn't of sacked Shezza. I think they are very worried but not enough to spend some proper money on a manager.
 

West Brom v Swansea City

Back
Top