Cardiff 2 v Wolves 1 verdict thread

[Alan]

I think it's way too early to write him off too but he's not helping himself with some of his selections.

But I don't think he's happy with his players. He didn't sound particularly impressed on that video but he's also not slagging off the players to the media. I'm not paying much attention to what he says in interviews though.

I'm pretty sure he knows he's got a $#@! squad to work with and I hope he's got some names lined up for January 1st.

I just don't understand the impatience that I see so often in English (and indeed European) football. I get that relegation adds a very real threat to a "lost" season, but IMO expecting anyone to turn around what has essentially been a rudderless ship in 5 weeks is absolutely absurd.

Honestly, none of us are happy with Coady and Saville and Edwards being in the team, but who else is there? Price, who continues to fall out of favor for some reason, and... No one. At least no one else that is healthy. As far as I can tell, Paul's hands are more or less tied right now in terms of player selections. I'll grant that his subs have been poor at times, but again, how strong of a bench have we had recently? Not very.

Managerial press conferences and interviews are an absolute load and have been since the advent of 24 hour sporting news. To lay into Lambert for that is just silliness (he's not exactly tossing around Saunders level bullshit).

I keep harping on this negativity because I think it's doing far more harm than good. When Fosun's takeover was finalized, we seemed to accept that we were in for a rollercoaster and should enjoy the ups and the downs as we went. Well, obviously we're in a down right now but we're not even halfway through the season! For all we know, Fosun could blow an insane wad of cash in January and we could pull a Reading and end up as Champions. Who can say?

I dunno. I just want more patience on display. If we go on like this we'll never let a manager stay long enough to figure out if he can do any problem solving. Which means that our problems will never be solved.

 

[Tony Towner]

Most seemed fairly happy with the selection before the game started, and before Saturday's game?

Nobody was happy with Saville today or Coady on Saturday or the failure to protect or defence with a 4231 formation

 

[Alan]

I've edited my original response, but please wind your neck in. Apart from the first game when you could defend his line up, his team selection and in game management has been pitiful

Wind my neck in, right. I must have forgotten that he should be able to turn Batth into John fucking Terry.

He's got our best attackers in the same team and he's at least got Saiss playing regularly which is improvement in and of itself.

"Pitiful" is outlandish at best.

 

[Parkins left foot]

The worry, as has been said, is who (with any quality) is going to want tocome here in Jan

Possible return of Williamson & Graham (and thats assuming that they can pick up where they left off) - otherwise????

 

[Alan]

The worry, as has been said, is who (with any quality) is going to want tocome here in Jan

Anyone who likes money, I'd guess.

Last season I'd see our current place in the table as a big recruitment issue. This year, much less so. Fosun can write some big checks for this level.

 

[MARKakaJIM]

Cheques Alan, cheques!

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I keep harping on this negativity because I think it's doing far more harm than good. When Fosun's takeover was finalized, we seemed to accept that we were in for a rollercoaster and should enjoy the ups and the downs as we went. Well, obviously we're in a down right now but we're not even halfway through the season! For all we know, Fosun could blow an insane wad of cash in January and we could pull a Reading and end up as Champions. Who can say?

I didn't expect the downs to include us being lower in the table with fewer points, fewer goals scored, more goals conceded and playing with less of a gameplan than we were at this stage last season. At which point I despised the way we were set up, thought we could well get relegated the way we were going and wanted the manager sacked.

If you're replacing Jeremy Helan, James Henry and Bjorn Sigurdarson with Ivan Cavaleiro, Helder Costa and Jon Dadi Bodvarsson from what we had nine months ago, even if everything else is the same (which we know isn't good enough) - then how in the blue fucking hell are we doing worse? Because the options as to where to point the finger are fairly limited, my instinct is to do so at the bloke who's setting the team up.

 

[Tony Towner]

Wind my neck in, right. I must have forgotten that he should be able to turn Batth into John $#@!ing Terry.

He's got our best attackers in the same team and he's at least got Saiss playing regularly which is improvement in and of itself.

"Pitiful" is outlandish at best.

No I wouldn't but your superfan shite is tiresome. He's come in and made some of the same mistakes as his predecessor and yes his in game management is pitiful, today we scored an early goal and he played for a 1-0 we don't have the players to do that. His substitutions are often questionable, he couldn't close a game out on Saturday when we scored on 90 minutes. I accept he wasn't ever going to get a honeymoon period, but he's been poor so far.

 

[Alan]

I didn't expect the downs to include us being lower in the table with fewer points, fewer goals scored, more goals conceded and playing with less of a gameplan than we were at this stage last season. At which point I despised the way we were set up, thought we could well get relegated the way we were going and wanted the manager sacked.

If you're replacing Jeremy Helan, James Henry and Bjorn Sigurdarson with Ivan Cavaleiro, Helder Costa and Jon Dadi Bodvarsson from what we had nine months ago, even if everything else is the same (which we know isn't good enough) - then how in the blue $#@!ing hell are we doing worse? Because the options as to where to point the finger are fairly limited, my instinct is to do so at the bloke who's setting the team up.

For me, five weeks is far too soon for that. Point fingers at Zenga all you like, but as yet I cannot in good conscience say that Lambert is at any fault for our current position as it was mostly set before he got here.

Yes, in some facets of the team we uave improved, but the back four have been embarrassing that I don't particularly see how Lambert is supposed to improve them without new faces coming in.

Whoever it was that allowed Stearman and Silvio to be our only incoming defenders over the summer, be it Zenga, Thelwell, or even Jeff Shi, THAT is where our ire should be directed.

 

[Johnny75]

I just don't understand the impatience that I see so often in English (and indeed European) football. I get that relegation adds a very real threat to a "lost" season, but IMO expecting anyone to turn around what has essentially been a rudderless ship in 5 weeks is absolutely absurd.

Honestly, none of us are happy with Coady and Saville and Edwards being in the team, but who else is there? Price, who continues to fall out of favor for some reason, and... No one. At least no one else that is healthy. As far as I can tell, Paul's hands are more or less tied right now in terms of player selections. I'll grant that his subs have been poor at times, but again, how strong of a bench have we had recently? Not very.

Managerial press conferences and interviews are an absolute load and have been since the advent of 24 hour sporting news. To lay into Lambert for that is just silliness (he's not exactly tossing around Saunders level bull$#@!).

I keep harping on this negativity because I think it's doing far more harm than good. When Fosun's takeover was finalized, we seemed to accept that we were in for a rollercoaster and should enjoy the ups and the downs as we went. Well, obviously we're in a down right now but we're not even halfway through the season! For all we know, Fosun could blow an insane wad of cash in January and we could pull a Reading and end up as Champions. Who can say?

I dunno. I just want more patience on display. If we go on like this we'll never let a manager stay long enough to figure out if he can do any problem solving. Which means that our problems will never be solved.

I suggest you read DW's response and take TT's advice. Nobody has called for Lambert's head as far as I can tell.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I've already said how you improve the defensive record, you do a better job of looking after the ball - so you actively instruct the team to keep possession more, and you pick players who are going to help your chances of doing that - and you play a system which allows for greater protection in front of the shitty back four (who lest we forget, Ken had keeping clean sheets last season in dribs and drabs - 8 in 24 after Christmas as it happens, which is some way better than the 4 in 21 we've managed this season, with the exact same defenders barring Stearman instead of EEL). If Paul Lambert wants to pretend that neither of those things are an option at all for us then that's up to him, he's very misguided if he does think that though.

There is no silver bullet with the options we have at the moment. No-one was expecting him to come in and propel us to 2PPG form, even though we've actually only played one good team in his games so far, so it's not like we've come up against a raft of teams who are miles better than us man for man. But he should be doing better. Or at least something different to Zenga. Other than his interviews are primarily missing the point whereas Zenga's were plain incoherent, you tell me the difference.

 

[Alan]

I suggest you read DW's response and take TT's advice. Nobody has called for Lambert's head as far as I can tell.

I apologize if it comes off as holier than thou but you yourself said he's "lost it already".

Given he's barely got any options in midfield and defense I just can't wrap my head around the negativity, even it's not explicit headhunting.

 

[Parkins left foot]

Think that we need to calm down (or have a coronory episode - whichever is preferred)

We have enough to stay up, plus some money which will help

Not going to achieve much more than mid table from here - issue is can PL solve the problem or not - jury out at the moment

 

[Johnny75]

For me, five weeks is far too soon for that. Point fingers at Zenga all you like, but as yet I cannot in good conscience say that Lambert is at any fault for our current position as it was mostly set before he got here.

Yes, in some facets of the team we uave improved, but the back four have been embarrassing that I don't particularly see how Lambert is supposed to improve them without new faces coming in.

Whoever it was that allowed Stearman and Silvio to be our only incoming defenders over the summer, be it Zenga, Thelwell, or even Jeff Shi, THAT is where our ire should be directed.

This is exactly what you do when you change managers. See Warnock, Neil for a very recent example of this.

I apologize if it comes off as holier than thou but you yourself said he's "lost it already".

Given he's barely got any options in midfield and defense I just can't wrap my head around the negativity, even it's not explicit headhunting.

I don't see how that is calling for his head? Lambert blames just about everything in his post match comments and has the gall to say they played well. Even Britney said the first half was a poor game and he's a cheerleader for the current Wolves regime.

Just because you can't see options doesn't mean there aren't any. DW has eloquently posted on the sheer ridiculousness of playing the same players in the same formation and the same tactics.

I don't think changing the manager will work without gutting the backroom as there is clearly something rotten. The last 4 managers we have had (including Edwards) have all played the same. It isn't right.

 

[Alan]

I've already said how you improve the defensive record, you do a better job of looking after the ball - so you actively instruct the team to keep possession more, and you pick players who are going to help your chances of doing that - and you play a system which allows for greater protection in front of the $#@!ty back four (who lest we forget, Ken had keeping clean sheets last season in dribs and drabs - 8 in 24 after Christmas as it happens, which is some way better than the 4 in 21 we've managed this season, with the exact same defenders barring Stearman instead of EEL). If Paul Lambert wants to pretend that neither of those things are an option at all for us then that's up to him, he's very misguided if he does think that though.

There is no silver bullet with the options we have at the moment. No-one was expecting him to come in and propel us to 2PPG form, even though we've actually only played one good team in his games so far, so it's not like we've come up against a raft of teams who are miles better than us man for man. But he should be doing better. Or at least something different to Zenga. Other than his interviews are primarily missing the point whereas Zenga's were plain incoherent, you tell me the difference.

I would say that keeping the ball is basically a non-starter if you're picking between our midfielders. For whatever reason Price is out of favor. Most here seem to agree that Tex can't play central midfield.

If Prince and Evans get back to fitness and we're still going with two of Edwards, Saville, and Coady, then Lambert will really have some answering to do. But again I think at the moment his hands are basically tied.

 

[Alan]

This is exactly what you do when you change managers. See Warnock, Neil for a very recent example of this.

I just don't buy that as an absolute across all squads. Our defenders are horrible and have been for some time. I don't see any coach coming and improving that group measurably. Just as I don't see any coach, including Lambert, not having told Batth to not get of position like he was for Cardiff's winner today. And yet there he was. That's down to shite individual play, and has been for months now on his part.

You can't make a cake out of mud. Not an edible one, anyway.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I can't see any obstacle to playing:

------------Price----------Saiss-----------

-------Costa-----Enobakhare-----Cavaleiro------

Now given this gives you a) Price, who keeps the ball better than Edwards, Saville or Coady, and isn't really out of favour given Lambert picked him as soon as he came in and has explicitly praised him on two separate occasions since he's been here, b) someone actually alongside Saiss rather than expecting him to protect the defence all on his own, right across the entire width of the pitch, c) two players who look for the short pass off our clogging back four (who can just about pass the ball five yards if they put their minds to it) rather than turning their backs 20 yards away and waiting for the ball to be wanged above their head and d) a genuine number 10 who might, shock horror, actually be able to link play between the midfield and our wingers/striker...

How is this not a viable option to help us keep possession and protect the back four? Which are the two things we need to do if we want to stop leaking goals. I'm not saying it would definitely work. I'm saying it would give us a better chance. Lambert is sending out a midfield and a general formation which gives us no chance. We know it doesn't work. We know that from watching us for the last three months.

It'd be harsh on Edwards given he's scored a lot of goals lately, but meh. That's football. Lambert isn't scared of making decisions, he told us so. More than once.

 

[Johnny75]

I just don't buy that as an absolute across all squads. Our defenders are horrible and have been for some time. I don't see any coach coming and improving that group measurably. Just as I don't see any coach, including Lambert, not having told Batth to not get of position like he was for Cardiff's winner today. And yet there he was. That's down to $#@!e individual play, and has been for months now on his part.

You can't make a cake out of mud. Not an edible one, anyway.

Whether you buy it or not it is what everybody expects (bar you it seems). A change of manager should equal different results.

 

[FrankMunro-371]

Whether you buy it or not it is what everybody expects (bar you it seems). A change of manager should equal different results.

We changed McCarthy for Connor, and Solbakken for Saunders. Neither of those changes equated to different results.

Given our current situation, maybe Jackett deserved more credit than he was given.

 

[Johnny75]

We changed McCarthy for Connor, and Solbakken for Saunders. Neither of those changes equated to different results.

Given our current situation, maybe Jackett deserved more credit than he was given.

You're wrong, the results got worse!!

Chairman and CEO's don't change manager to get worse results as a rule do they?