Just not seeing it.

[Copamundial]

Ok so last night I asked for the sensible people on here to give me their opinions on yesterday’s performance.

Not really going to go over the game again but I simply don’t see the levels of improvement that some of you seem to be seeing.

Let’s be honest Vitor didn’t have to nudge the needle that far to improve on Sheehans tenure, the only difference I really see is at its most basic level….effort!!

Still have no idea what the game plan is other than a high energy press or headless chicken football, no overall improvement of quality or the ability to control the game.

I don’t think there’s been a single game including the hapless Wednesday match where we’ve managed to control or exert any authority on our opponents.

Vitor is a likeable guy and will have the opportunity to have a full pre season and some input into recruitment next season so I guess I’ll have to wait to see what he does then.

As for the four points claim that I made I genuinely hope we surpass that amount, not interested in being proven right or wrong that’s for the usual clowns on here.

 

[Smurph]

Biggest improvement is moving away from the insomnia inducing sideways and backwards crap we've had to endure from the previous incumbents in the home dugout.

Win lose or draw the football is far more entertaining.

The squad we currently have is a mid table one.

It's not the manager that needs evaluating, its the expectations of certain fractions of the fanbase.

 

[TruckerJack]

Vitor has been in charge for over half a season now, 24 games. In those 24 games we have won 37 points, which is 71 over a season and enough to usually get you in the top 6.

We have a mid table budget and performing at top 6 levels in order to amass the points we have. Clubs like Middlesborough and Coventry will always have the ability to look a lot better than us at times though and that’s why they are fighting for the top 2.

 

[Gors Buster]

Vitor has been in charge for over half a season now, 24 games. In those 24 games we have won 37 points, which is 71 over a season and enough to usually get you in the top 6.

We have a mid table budget and performing at top 6 levels in order to amass the points we have. Clubs like Middlesborough and Coventry will always have the ability to look a lot better than us at times though and that’s why they are fighting for the top 2.

This is what’s frustrating me.
I don’t think Boro or Coventry were that much better than us - just far, far more positive when on the ball.
When Boro won the ball yesterday, it hardly ever made its way back to the centre half or keeper.
Franco kept the ball in and was just outside their box, guy behind us said “how long until this is back in our half with Cabango?!” It turned out to be <5seconds. Everyone chuckled. That’s where we are… still.

 

[malc]

Matos has brought us back to a possession based side different to Duff & Sheehan .

He wants to use the full width of the pitch .

Wants to attack quicker getting balls into the box .

Very few matches in the Championship this season are dominated by one side .
We went toe to toe with the best side Coventry having more possession.
We lost to Wrexham where we had 66% of the ball .

Unlike the last few seasons this Championship is very open .
Good sides I have seen this season .
No particular order Hull , Millwall , Watford ,
Bristol City , Ipswich , Leicester , Coventry ,
Middlesbrough .

We are probably 3 or 4 quality players short of being a good side pushing for the playoffs .

 

[sit_down_jack]

There has been a definite improvement in attacking output, the numbers don’t lie, we have improved in almost every metric since Matos has come in. All the set piece goals in the league we’ve scored this season have come in the 24 games that Matos has managed us. We’re also scoring more goals generally despite having to rely on Vipotnik.

The part I agree with you on is the control aspect. Even in games where we’ve had more of the ball there hasn’t been that sense that we are dominating. I think that’s because we’ve had a big rotation of midfielders this season and Galbraith at RB hasn’t helped us. We should focus on bringing in technical quality this summer to go alongside our effort and workrate.

I don’t think this is a Matos issue, Klopp is probably his biggest influence and he liked his Liverpool side to dominate. If our aim is to improve and get to the playoffs, we are going to need to control matches so it’s an element that I think will come with time and new players. I said this yesterday but I think the current coaching team are just being realistic with the players we have at the moment.

 

[CurtessECarr]

Moving away from the foot of the table is an improvement as is being stronger at home.
In my opinion we are more watchable than we have been for some time.
At the start of the season the clamour was we had a squad capable of reaching the top 6.
This was based by some watching the You tube clips of the players coming in and not their ability in this league.
Despite these new arrivals Fulton and Cullen were thought by some to be surplus to requirements. That is clearly not the case.
Our squad is an OK squad but there are many clubs that to have better squads in my opinion who are not performing(Sheff U/Leicester).
I would hope now for the remaining games Sam Parker remains in the team to show if he's ready for the starting berth next season.

 

[Stopthebus]

Agree on the original points of this post.

I always think it’s a little bit of a cop out when a Manager says about giving up possession against teams like Middlesborough & Coventry and talk about our off the ball play. We should be looking at dominating every home game - even against teams in a higher position.

My main negative since Matos has come in has been the way we needlessly hoof the ball away in defence. All 4 defenders yesterday seemed to hoof every clearance and near enough resulted in another Middlesbrough attack. There is absolutely no desire to search for a teammate or an outlet and this is clearly an instruction to just get rid at all times.

apart from that - stats don’t lie. We’d probably be in the playoffs if we had Matos at the start of the season. Will be interesting to see where we are this time next season.

On another note - I don’t agree that this squad is mid table quality. I’d argue we have more individual quality than the Boro starting 11 yesterday.

 

[SwanseaBoy123]

The players you have determine your style of play.

People overate what a manager is capable of with a squad. If you dont have the players to play a certain way no manager is capable of making that work.

80% of it comes down to player recruitment which we just simple arent good at.

We have nobody comfortable in build up when Galbraith is out (except Tymon) so you won't see good build up play. Its something we have to adress in the summer.

Right now we have too many players who arent comfortable enough with the ball (both Cbs, Stamenic, Franco, Fulton) in the defensive 3rd which is why you see alot of loose passes or pointless balls in the channel.

 

[magicdaps10]

It's much better than what was being served up under Sheehan at the start of the season.

We are lacking quality in regards creativity that's for sure.

 

[Michu78]

The squad needs an overall

Goalkeepers and the striking depart is fine even with Cullen for 3rd choice striker.

The players that need to go are:-

Josh Key
Jay Fulton
Melker Widdell
Jisung Eom
Goncalo Franco
Ricardo Santos
Joel Ward
Oliver Cooper
Marko Stamenic
Zeidane Inoussa
Ronald

 

[sit_down_jack]

Not sure this squad needs a full overhaul. Players like Widell and Stamenic have been brought in to develop and we have to give them that time to show what level they can reach. What we do need in my opinion are some different profiles from the ones we have now. The current midfield are all too similar so somebody who can create is a necessity will that be Walta? We don’t really know yet.

What we might see is players who are starters this season becoming squad players rather than being shipped out, and that’s how it should work when you’re gradually getting better.

 

[Vetchonian]

We would never have got the last two draws coming from behind as we did under Sheehan.
Matos has instilled some spiirit into the players which was missimg previously

 

[Frankie Burrows Cap]

We would never have got the last two draws coming from behind as we did under Sheehan.
Matos has instilled some spiirit into the players which was missimg previously

I agree with this. My only caution would be that I thought the same about Sheehan this time last year compared to the post Christmas Luke Williams team.

I think/hope that the difference this year is the manager appears to have a longer term plan, albeit it’ll require some good recruitment and improvement of some of the current players over the summer for it to come to fruition.

 

[Copamundial]

Why are people measuring our progress ( or lack of it ) by what happened under Sheehan, that’s an extraordinary low bar to set.

I don’t think anyone has yet addressed the lack of a discernible style of play or game plan that I mentioned in my original post.