20 Sep 2018 10:09:15
Hi all,

I have been posting discussion topics and they have been receiving fairly good responses by our members here. Thanks for that.

Looking at our next 3 games against Chelsea, liverpool, and Everton, what is the realistic expectation for points gained, especially after our Brighton s*** performance (apologize for hinting at the dirty language but I feel we should have taken all 3 points. )?

I see us losing all 3 games. Liverpool and Chelsea I can see us losing by more than 2 goals and Everton might be a close-ish game but still don't see us winning. I now see us as relegation fighting as early as winter break. If so, we have to seriously think about coaching change right? Also player changes need to happen. I know some players give their all most of the time while others seem to just go out there to get their paycheck. Any thoughts on this by any of you?

Maybe I have been playing too much fifa and football manager but I think I could do a better job and get results with our squad. Our 4-4-2 system doesn't work. Need to focus on our strengths. We have a good midfield who need more guidance, wingers that can attack and support stickers, and good defence who also need guidance. I think a holding 4-3-3 might be best.

We could do something like this:
---McCarthy ---
---Bertie, hoedt, vestergaard, Cedric---
---lemina, Danish (cdm), romeo
---ely, ings, redderz---

We obviously need a better right winger and also another midfielder. Romeu and hoj can fight it out for cdm but we still need another strong attacking midfielder to partner them. Any ideas?

1.) 20 Sep 2018
20 Sep 2018 15:17:04
I agree, don't see us taking anything from these games. Would be amazing if we were the first team to beat Liverpool and Chelsea this season. But realistically, we'll lose. I think Hughes shouldn't have been given a full time contract at the club. Looking at other managers the are currently out of the job:
- Vincenzo Montella
- Markus Weinzierl
- Ralph Hasenhüttl
- Juan Carlos Unzué

I agree with the 11, I don't think we need anymore wingers or midfielders. Elyounoussi has the potential to become a good winger. Don't think we currently have the correct coaches in the squad to help improve and motivate these players.

2.) 20 Sep 2018
20 Sep 2018 17:01:44
Even if we were doing a bit better I don’t think many would expect us to get points from Liverpool or Chelsea given the starts they’ve made. There’s little point in reading much in to either result and any points that can be picked up should be seen as a great bonus.

You missed out the Wolves game which comes after Liverpool. That’s a game we should be looking to get something from. They’ve made a good start but their quality is patchy and we have a chance to knab a point at least if we approach the game properly.

Couldn’t give a monkeys about the Carabao cup so the Everton result is of no concern to me either. The other important game coming up is Bournemouth, after Chelsea. Shame its also on the road but it presents another opportunity to get something. Bournemouth have been flying but we don’t play them for a few weeks so plenty of time for them to go off the boil.

I’ve never had faith in MH. He was hailed a hero for keeping us up but his points tally was pretty much the same as we were achieving under MP2. In the end, it was more about Swansea’s failings then our success in deciding which of us was to stay up. He was a sticking plaster but we needed a long term appointment. Someone who would come in with a vision for the first team; a project to enhance the team, the playing style and the league position through quality coaching. That’s not MH. To offer him a new contract in the summer was folly. Its another short-termist appointment that’s more likely to see us appointing another new manager at some point in the next year than looking forward to the next three seasons or more of consistent leadership.

The team’s still all over the place. The signings made over the summer were positive and we still have a good squad of players, but there are fundamental issues that have not been addressed by MH. This was perhaps forgivable when he took over with 8 games left to keep us up. But now he’s had a full summer to prepare, make signings and get his ideas across to the squad. We should have started to see signs of change if there was going to be any but there’s nothing but the same dross as last year. Worse, after 60 minutes of the season, MH abandoned the 5-3-2 he based our entire pre-season on and we’re using a formation that doesn’t fit our squad. I can’t help but think, given the number of times MH is quoted as saying he thinks we’ve a talented squad and he doesn’t understand why we are where we are, he thought the job was going to be easy. Not so much last season, but certainly this. Why else would you change so little in the team and expect things to turn around by themselves?

I’ll continue to defend the players as, until they receive adequate coaching and tactical preparation for matches, they are being set up to fail. I don’t think any just turn up to collect their pay cheque as they’re paid whether they play or not. Rather then being incompetent or uncaring, they are low in confidence, poorly coached, poorly prepared for games and being asked to play out of position in a system that doesn’t permit them to play to their strengths. If your square pegs are struggling to fit in the round holes you’ve cut, only an person blames the pegs.

3.) 21 Sep 2018
21 Sep 2018 06:29:34
Yep my bad. Forgot Everton was a league cup game that I do not care about. And also we play bourn. After Chelsea. Think if we lose to liverpool and Chelsea, we should at least get wins against wolves and bourn.

4.) 21 Sep 2018
21 Sep 2018 10:20:32
Ah, if only football worked that way.