Revolution rather than evolution

[Spandaubaggie]

One thing has become apparent of the past few months and our ownership they've decided they've started a revolution of where we were as a club.
 
Whether it's an ill-thought through concept or some masterplan only time will tell. However, by appointing Ishmael they've bought into his philosophy regardless of what we think of it. They'll give him time barring proper plummeting.

They've bought into it as he did so well at Barnsley- a club with pennies to spend who he turned from relegation candidates to promotion nearly men. Now he's left look at them?

Now, I have gone on record stating I've been more fed up of him than any manager of late. However, I've also said he does need time.
Time, it's worth adding, is in scarce supply anywhere nowadays in this ridiculous age of impatience where an Amazon parcel arrives the next day.

What I'm currently seeing from the negative, having been there today, and having seen most of our games either on TV or been there, is simply we don't commit enough bodies in the penalty area. It leads to lame 25 yard efforts on target being regarded as attempts as well as other 25 yard efforts with packed penalty areas and blocks also efforts. it's given a totally false feel of the games.

Today I'm hard pressed to recall so many up and under as Eddie Waring used to call them. It was real hoofball.

Now, trying to be balanced we are defensively solid, yet I'll admit that matters not a jot when you know you let a goal in and there's no way back. We have to be more adventurous and we are not.

However, we have been crying out for Dike. We have been crying out for a proper barrel chested heavyweight giant and I think he looked the business. Once those around him start getting on the right wavelength it can change.

Also some big players are missing.

Simply though, looking at the big picture as a club, we've not bought well for 4 years or so. This style requires players of a certain kind. It's a bigger revolution than most.

I'm willing to even miss out on the play-offs if we see the philosophy taking shape by the end of the season. I think it's worth a gamble as we have gone stale.

I can''t recall a rebuild like this since 2006. 

Incidentally, some of the stuff on here beggars belief whilst we are still in the top six. I can see why Birdman lost it last week as the hissing and spitting bile and pure entitlement is childish by people who, by and large, have seen us in similar positions many times over the past 20 years. 

Those 8 years in the Prem has made some of you every bit as arrogant as our neighbours.

I'd like to add, finishing positively, generally great support today and I can see Dike being a big star who will at least get us out of a hole financially if you soothsayers with your portents of doom prove yourselves right.

[Pragmatist]

At least there now appears to be a plan, even if it’s not being very well executed yet. Early days.

Looking at what was left of our relegated club in the summer it was totally unrealistic to expect everything to click into place instantly with a new playing style. Val arrived with just 15 first team players, several of which are unsuited to playing his way.

I love the signing of Dike and I love the introduction of several youngsters into the squad. The rest of this window and the summer are absolutely crucial as to how things go from here. Val clearly now knows what he is short of, and who has to go (if he can ship them out - and that’s such a huge point).

That’s my gut feeling, but I fear he’s going to be hounded out without getting another season, which may or may not be the worst possible thing to happen.

We should get a play-off spot. Anything less would be failure. But frankly it would terrify me if we went up this season.

[Pontificator]

It's shite football. Same old every week. Predictable boring. It's all wrong and everybody knows it. Ok, behind the scenes Albion are a croc of shit, but don't make excuses for this manager!

[Duffers]

We revolve but we do not evolve.

[Lillwall's left foot]

One thing has become apparent of the past few months and our ownership they've decided they've started a revolution of where we were as a club.
 
Whether it's an ill-thought through concept or some masterplan only time will tell. However, by appointing Ishmael they've bought into his philosophy regardless of what we think of it. They'll give him time barring proper plummeting.

They've bought into it as he did so well at Barnsley- a club with pennies to spend who he turned from relegation candidates to promotion nearly men. Now he's left look at them?

Now, I have gone on record stating I've been more fed up of him than any manager of late. However, I've also said he does need time.
Time, it's worth adding, is in scarce supply anywhere nowadays in this ridiculous age of impatience where an Amazon parcel arrives the next day.

What I'm currently seeing from the negative, having been there today, and having seen most of our games either on TV or been there, is simply we don't commit enough bodies in the penalty area. It leads to lame 25 yard efforts on target being regarded as attempts as well as other 25 yard efforts with packed penalty areas and blocks also efforts. it's given a totally false feel of the games.

Today I'm hard pressed to recall so many up and under as Eddie Waring used to call them. It was real hoofball.

Now, trying to be balanced we are defensively solid, yet I'll admit that matters not a jot when you know you let a goal in and there's no way back. We have to be more adventurous and we are not.

However, we have been crying out for Dike. We have been crying out for a proper barrel chested heavyweight giant and I think he looked the business. Once those around him start getting on the right wavelength it can change.

Also some big players are missing.

Simply though, looking at the big picture as a club, we've not bought well for 4 years or so. This style requires players of a certain kind. It's a bigger revolution than most.

I'm willing to even miss out on the play-offs if we see the philosophy taking shape by the end of the season. I think it's worth a gamble as we have gone stale.

I can''t recall a rebuild like this since 2006. 

Incidentally, some of the stuff on here beggars belief whilst we are still in the top six. I can see why Birdman lost it last week as the hissing and spitting bile and pure entitlement is childish by people who, by and large, have seen us in similar positions many times over the past 20 years. 

Those 8 years in the Prem has made some of you every bit as arrogant as our neighbours.

I'd like to add, finishing positively, generally great support today and I can see Dike being a big star who will at least get us out of a hole financially if you soothsayers with your portents of doom prove yourselves right.

Thank SB.  I couldn't watch the game yesterday so won't comment but had, like Birdie, thought I might just need to avoid the bored for a couple of weeks.

This is where we are and no amount of whingeing and bleating will change that.  Its not accepting the results or style of football, it's not making excuses or beind blind to what is happening its just stating the situation as it is.

The owners have gambled on Big Val, they went all in. They will have to give him time to ride this out.

[EastMidsBaggie]

It’s fine saying give him time.
However, we are really just relying upon a young player being a Championship Lukaku.
That seems the plan at the moment with so many things wrong with Val’s team.
From an exciting start to the season we have got worse and worse as an attacking team and, despite looking good defensively, we always have a costly mistake in us. Add in the poor discipline and poor tactical nous and the revelation doesn’t seem to be going well.
This us our best season to be promoted as the finances will be more limited next season onwards yet we are failing week by week and have been caught up by all kinds of sides now; sides we were told that are struggling to complete with us financially yet out perform us on the pitch.

[Remi_Moses]

It’s fine saying give him time.
However, we are really just relying upon a young player being a Championship Lukaku.
That seems the plan at the moment with so many things wrong with Val’s team.
From an exciting start to the season we have got worse and worse as an attacking team and, despite looking good defensively, we always have a costly mistake in us. Add in the poor discipline and poor tactical nous and the revelation doesn’t seem to be going well.
This us our best season to be promoted as the finances will be more limited next season onwards yet we are failing week by week and have been caught up by all kinds of sides now; sides we were told that are struggling to complete with us financially yet out perform us on the pitch.

I would be happy to give him more time, but we don't have any. We need to be brave and bold. This ostrich style won't change anything. We have to change the way we play. 
Is Val going to do that NO he ain't. So he has to go. The longer he stays the worse it becomes. 
The 4 year contract is not an excuse to keep him. The owners have to pay the price for its own stupidity.
Promotion as I have said several times is vital this season and we were challenging for the top two automatic places. Now we are struggling to stay in the play offs. 
Put Mozza and Brunty in charge until we sort a new manager.

[Brentbaggie]

I could have got a ticket to the game yesterday and live less than twenty minutes away but for the first time in an age I didn't go to one of many games I normally would have done. I just couldn't face it. I've been to several games this year - the last one with my daughter, who spent the last twenty minutes looking through the splayed fingers of her hand in dread. While I buy the idea that results are (almost everything) I didn't go simply because I knew the type of football that was going to be played and while there's no way could I know the result I could have guessed how depressed I would have been watching regardless.

It's one thing losing games, it's quite another having a manager who simply refuses to face up to the fact that the team is so predictable opponents' managers probably only have to spend a couple of hours drilling their team in how they need to play against us. I've seen people post that he has occasionally altered our approach during the season but the 60 minutes sub and goofball is still plan A so far as I can tell. We can't get rid of him but I'd be surprised (despite what we're told) that the players are happy. They may not be good enough but I can't see some of the players constantly being asked to just lump it forward like they last did in primary school.

I didn't even follow the match thread like I do when I don't go. Looked for the result around 6 and was not even remotely surprised - and could have guessed the scorer once I knew he'd come on! Aaargh!!!

[Spandaubaggie]

I could have got a ticket to the game yesterday and live less than twenty minutes away but for the first time in an age I didn't go to one of many games I normally would have done.  I just couldn't face it.  I've been to several games this year - the last one with my daughter, who spent the last twenty minutes looking through the splayed fingers of her hand in dread.  While I buy the idea that results are (almost everything) I didn't go simply because I knew the type of football that was going to be played and while there's no way could I know the result I could have guessed how depressed I would have been watching regardless.

It's one thing losing games, it's quite another having a manager who simply refuses to face up to the fact that the team is so predictable opponents' managers probably only have to spend a couple of hours drilling their team in how they need to play against us.  I've seen people post that he has occasionally altered our approach during the season but the 60 minutes sub and goofball is still plan A so far as I can tell. We can't get rid of him but I'd be surprised (despite what we're told) that the players are happy.  They may not be good enough but I can't see some of the players constantly being asked to just lump it forward like they last did in primary school.

I didn't even follow the match thread like I do when I don't go. Looked for the result around 6 and was not even remotely surprised - and could have guessed the scorer once I knew he'd come on! Aaargh!!!

An eloquent opinion well stated Brent. 
I’m not going to position myself as his big fan, but I would add that we also are missing several players. Our defence has been makeshift for weeks. 
Part of this though is due to ill discipline leading to suspensions.
I don’t blame anyone feeling the way they do. It’s frustrating, but we have to wait and hope. Even if there seems little to be hopeful of. 
It isn’t the end of the world if we don’t go up this season. Plenty of clubs come back after a season or two away.
It may be miserable but some thinking it’s the 86-01 era again is stretching the gloom to a suicidal degree.

[wba13]

This is just my opinion and it’s about all clubs. But I still think some fans are only fans when a team is doing well when a team is riding high like we were at start of season fans go wow this is a terrific start and are right behind the manager, when things go wrong wow the total opposite happens get rid he’s crap don’t know what he’s doing. Well me I will stick with the manager no matter what, he’s relatively new trying to implement a new style, bringing in new players , has made our defence stronger has now got the vocal point up front he has wanted since the start of season. Now let’s see what happens when all injuries and suspensions are over and he can put out his first choice side. Some of you want instant success well it ain’t gunna happen. I won’t and never have missed a match because of anything that’s wrong with the club I only miss matches because of illness to anyone in the family.