Steven Gerrard

[sparrow1988]

I’ve just been reading Richard Keys’ blog slating Gerrard for the Mings decision and saying that there’s trouble in the dressing room, and Stevie has made a problem for himself.

I've never been more convinced that everything will be alright and that Mings and Gerrard are best buddies. 

[Zatman]

Including Mings he has now frozen out 6 senior players since arriving and whether you think they are good enough having Traore, El Ghazi and Guilbert training with reserves is shameful. Sanson I think will be sent next as he already got rid of Targett

Not an unprofessional in the bunch except the manager. Not to mention the Buendia treatment, rotten man management 

[blandy]

5 minutes ago, TRO said:

SG is now making some mistakes imo.....He has to be given time, to revisit them.

The biggest problem for me is......signing players too puny, with no fight.....we already have an abundance of them.

He’s been making them for 7 or 8 months. Over and over.

I disagree completely about signing players with no fight. It’s complete nonsense. I feel they don’t believe in the way the team is set up and this causes doubt in their minds and it leads to too many instances of starting tentatively and conceding early goals. The players are way ahead of the fans in seeing which of Gerrard’s  selections, his decisions and all the rest play out. What it takes us a little while to pick up, they pick up much more quickly because they’re out there having to put it into action.

To demonstrate this, have a look at how we’ve been able to come back from being 2 goals down, twice recently against Man U, when Gerrard has made changes. It’s to his credit that he’s made the changes, but it’s also a concern that he then reverts back to how it was for the next game, in terms of his plans and player selection.

He’s making a lot of obviously bad decisions.

[TRO]

5 hours ago, Tom13 said:

Problem is Gerrard's views on what makes a good side are very concerning. Leaving out Buendia but playing McGinn full 90 every game, very worrying. It's not just performances and results, it's the decisions contributing to them that everyone bar him seems able to see.

I think not playing Mings Saturday, was tantamount to suicide.....Unless he was not available, the decision was mind blowing, when you consider the size of their team....unless there are issues, I am not privvy to.

Buendia, should be playing too.

The full backs too leave me, full of melancholy and I know that won't go down well on here.

The whole team at present is insipid.

Edited August 8, 2022 by TRO

[cheltenham_villa]

I think SG has to be careful now. The first game was poor but you can't rip up a whole pre season and you can't constantly change the starting 11. I'd make one or two tweaks and go again, give the players chance to play through some bad form and build relationships. 

[daft]

Hahaha, I can't be arsed any more. Joke of a club we are. The owners obviously fluked onto Deano, because the SG appointment is unforgivable, reading what's going on here. Figures we'd get rich owner with absolutely no clue as to who to appoint.

Dear lord, this gets worse by the minute and the season has barely started. 

Great job Steve-O an co.! 

[Wurzel]

Personally I want Gerrard to sort out our playing style and get the team performing. I don't expect to win every game, but I do expect endeavour and quality in every game. All this other stuff is a side issue, if the team is winning, or playing well and losing, then nobody will care about Tyrone Mings. If it needs Mings to be sold to improve the teams performances then so be it. But time is ticking, he was brought in as the man to take us to the next level, and with that comes a pressure that previous managers would not have faced. 

[Keyblade]

Making players train with the reserves never sat right with me. Going back to the original bomb squad, it just seemed disrespectful. Must have been embarrassing for Lambert to bring back Hutton into the fold with his tail between his legs.

Don't play them if you think they're not good enough, but until you find a buyer why make them train with kids? 

[Tom13]

4 minutes ago, TRO said:

I think not playing Mings Saturday, was tantamount to suicide.....Unless he was not available, the decision was mind blowing, when you consider the size of their team.

Buendia, should be playing too.

The full backs too leave me, full of melancholy and I know that won't go down well on here.

The whole team at present is insipid.

Yeah, regarding the FBs, as someone just said in the Cash thread, once KKH makes that spot his own, I think he'll give us another dimension. As much as I love Cash's energy and enthusiasm, he's a very limited footballer.

Edited August 8, 2022 by Tom13

[Pinebro]

11 minutes ago, Zatman said:

Including Mings he has now frozen out 6 senior players since arriving and whether you think they are good enough having Traore, El Ghazi and Guilbert training with reserves is shameful. Sanson I think will be sent next as he already got rid of Targett

Not an unprofessional in the bunch except the manager. Not to mention the Buendia treatment, rotten man management 

Think we need to offload players before we can buy.

 Probably freezing them out as a signal to other clubs that they are for sale.

The problem is if there are no suitors.

This could lead to a toxic dressing room as the season progresses.

Almost always a bad move to treat players like this. It's a risky move.

Edited August 8, 2022 by Pinebro

[Dale]

1 minute ago, Pinebro said:

Probably freezing them out as a signal to other clubs that they are for sale.

And attracts absolute low ball offers! 

[Talldarkandransome]

9 minutes ago, Keyblade said:

Making players train with the reserves never sat right with me. Going back to the original bomb squad, it just seemed disrespectful. Must have been embarrassing for Lambert to bring back Hutton into the fold with his tail between his legs.

Don't play them if you think they're not good enough, but until you find a buyer why make them train with 

It undermines the u23s. It was the same when they punished refs by making them ref a championship game. It shouldn't be like that. They are first team players so should train with the first team

[Pinebro]

17 minutes ago, TRO said:

I think not playing Mings Saturday, was tantamount to suicide.....Unless he was not available, the decision was mind blowing, when you consider the size of their team.

Buendia, should be playing too.

The full backs too leave me, full of melancholy and I know that won't go down well on here.

The whole team at present is insipid.

Hindsight is a beautiful thing, and a lot of people were happy with the team selection in the match thread.

Balance in midfield is the main problem. It's way off. The engine room is what it is, if it isn't working it doesn't matter who your forward players are.

Introducing  Buendia isn't gonna magically solve this I fear.

Sanson should be tried and tested but I don't know what happened there.

[TRO]

28 minutes ago, blandy said:

He’s been making them for 7 or 8 months. Over and over.

I disagree completely about signing players with no fight. It’s complete nonsense. I feel they don’t believe in the way the team is set up and this causes doubt in their minds and it leads to too many instances of starting tentatively and conceding early goals. The players are way ahead of the fans in seeing which of Gerrard’s  selections, his decisions and all the rest play out. What it takes us a little while to pick up, they pick up much more quickly because they’re out there having to put it into action.

To demonstrate this, have a look at how we’ve been able to come back from being 2 goals down, twice recently against Man U, when Gerrard has made changes. It’s to his credit that he’s made the changes, but it’s also a concern that he then reverts back to how it was for the next game, in terms of his plans and player selection.

He’s making a lot of obviously bad decisions.

Much of that I agree with, and  I am happy for you to disagree, with the lack of fight in certain games......but I am confident, we lack it.....we lack aerial competence too, basic stuff, for a team coping with all styles of opponent.

We were completely out muscled in that game and had no answer to their aerial threat.....that is not the first time we have struggled in this way.....even against lesser teams than us.....you might like to cast your eye over my pre-match predictions, I could see this coming, but rather hoped I would be wrong.

I am not saying, its the only issue.....but its a bloomin big one.......we simply haven't got the players in the squad bar Mings to negate it......and looks like no sign of signing any.....I would put money on sub six footers coming in.

Man U pete, are suffering similar to us.....too may piano players, not enough Piano carriers.......Even Pep declared a while back his team was too small in general, even after taking the title.....then signs a 6'4 centre forward......Liverpool doing the same. Whether its the ideal scenario or not....the ball does get played in the air, we are as capable of dealing with it there, as a team of dwarfs......you have to have players who can deal with high balls, and they are in small supply, in our squad.

To claim he has been making them for over 7/8 months smacks of not wanting him in the first place........He had to find his own way with this team, so to pick up on early mistakes is disingenuous imo......making mistakes now, will inevitably be less tolerant.

This team has been puny for 5 years or more.....and the disappointing thing for me is, I thougt he would change this......I thought he would change the mentality and the physical capability.....not so, so far.

Some of our players, are simply over hyped and are not producing what they should be.....thats not ALL down to tactics.

 

 

Edited August 8, 2022 by TRO

[TRO]

23 minutes ago, Wurzel said:

Personally I want Gerrard to sort out our playing style and get the team performing. I don't expect to win every game, but I do expect endeavour and quality in every game. All this other stuff is a side issue, if the team is winning, or playing well and losing, then nobody will care about Tyrone Mings. If it needs Mings to be sold to improve the teams performances then so be it. But time is ticking, he was brought in as the man to take us to the next level, and with that comes a pressure that previous managers would not have faced. 

Playing well and losing, is a misnomer......you only play well, when you win.

The game is about attacking and defending and to win,regualrly,  you have to be competent at both.

 

[nick76]

14 minutes ago, Pinebro said:

Hindsight is a beautiful thing, and a lot of people were happy with the team selection in the match thread.

Balance in midfield is the main problem. It's way off. The engine room is what it is, if it isn't working it doesn't matter who your forward players are.

Introducing  Buendia isn't gonna magically solve this I fear.

Sanson should be tried and tested but I don't know what happened there.

I was ok with team selection.  

Yes it had issues re height and some players not starting.  

That is deflecting from the issue, that team we put out should’ve beaten Bournemouth.  

That team we put out was a lot stronger than Bournemouth’s plus the subs we brought on.  

Yes we have midfield balance issues, we didn’t have enough height and we can’t create anything but we played into their hands, we didn’t play our game (not that I know what our game is) but we certainly had enough talent on the pitch to win that game.

He may have got the team selection slightly wrong which we all agree and even more so in hindsight but forget that for the moment, the team out there was more than enough to win that game.  

We weren’t playing a top six team, we weren’t even playing a mid table team, we were playing a newly promoted team that have serious issues at the moment.

The issue we have is cohesion, style of play, tactics and everything else re playing the actual match.  The pieces (the footballers) were good enough but the game play was poor and that is on Gerrard’s shoulders and nothing has changed from last season to this and it’s wearing thin on me because he doesn’t seem to know or able to change it/fix it.

Edited August 8, 2022 by nick76

[TRO]

32 minutes ago, daft said:

Hahaha, I can't be arsed any more. Joke of a club we are. The owners obviously fluked onto Deano, because the SG appointment is unforgivable, reading what's going on here. Figures we'd get rich owner with absolutely no clue as to who to appoint.

Dear lord, this gets worse by the minute and the season has barely started. 

Great job Steve-O an co.! 

We are anything other than a joke of a club.....but on the playing side, we are doing some things wrong.

Perspective, guys.

Edited August 8, 2022 by TRO

[daft]

2 minutes ago, TRO said:

We are anything other than a joke of a club.....but on the playing side, we are doing some things wrong.

Perspective, guys.

Yeah, I really want you to be right.

But reading all this about Gerrard with players falling out, being sent to play with the kids, no tactical understanding (which few English managers have tbf) etc. 

It really worries me how they owner could allow Purslow to **** up that bad.

I hope it's just temporary despair, but we feel properly ****. 

[sne]

Just now, daft said:

Yeah, I really want you to be right.

But reading all this about Gerrard with players falling out, being sent to play with the kids, no tactical understanding (which few English managers have tbf) etc. 

It really worries me how they owner could allow Purslow to **** up that bad.

I hope it's just temporary despair, but we feel properly ****. 

Very on brand with your avatar tbf

[Davkaus]

40 minutes ago, Keyblade said:

Making players train with the reserves never sat right with me. Going back to the original bomb squad, it just seemed disrespectful. Must have been embarrassing for Lambert to bring back Hutton into the fold with his tail between his legs.

Don't play them if you think they're not good enough, but until you find a buyer why make them train with kids? 

Seems to do nothing at all but encourage resentment and division in the training ground, as well as drive the value of those players into the ground.

It's stupid and counterproductive. I was holding my tongue on Saturday expecting to calm down after sleeping on it, but the more I think about it, the more I think he's incapable, and frankly, a bit of a word removed, and there is a genuine danger that the damage he does to this squad will take a very long time to recover from.

Get rid, asap.

Edited August 8, 2022 by Davkaus