Could Oxford be Manning's Waterloo?

[PFree]

So, we are ten places behind Oxford in the league, so are we the underdogs going into this one, who would have thought it hey

[Mr Popodopolous]

11 minutes ago, PFree said:

So, we are ten places behind Oxford in the league, so are we the underdogs going into this one, who would have thought it hey

Not the club clearly.

Family Day, that usually is earmarked with a strong performance in mind. 22k tickets sold as of 10th September.

We may see a strong performance but not sure it'll be from us.

[chinapig]

Apparently Milan fans set up a banner outside San Siro for Paulo Fonseca before their game that said "This is your last chance". They won 4-0.

Not that I want to give S82 any ideas.

[LeftSideBoy]

On 15/09/2024 at 08:40, 1960maaan said:

That said they have lost their 3 away games

We’ve lost 2* away games in the league and we were unlucky to come away with nothing in both of those. We put out a third string side in the WhoCaresCup and lost to Coventry. I wouldn’t use that as any barometer of where we are as a team. We’ve started well and we have already beaten some well established Championship teams. We’re going to be well up for this. I hope that you are, also! 

[maxjak]

More like Manning's Portaloo?....................I'll  get my coat  

[SecretSam]

I want my beloved reds to do well, every game. But I remain unconvinced by LM. We are capable of amazing performances under him, and we genuinely have played some great football, but as others have said, getting pummelled by two pretty average teams is really worrying. 

But it's not just the manager/first team coach, it's much, much deeper than that. The whole footballing side of the business looks a bit of a mess, TBH. 

[Clutton Caveman]

On 14/09/2024 at 17:41, sludge said:

Lose to Oxford and he’s toast. 

I don't think its so much about just the result. If he sticks to playing the same old formation with players out of position and loses then he's in trouble.

If Oxford set up like Derby and Blackburn knowing 100% how we will line up and LM has no answer to change our system it will prove that he is a classroom coach and not fit for a real world role.

My feeling is that he is weak and finally Joe Williams display at Blackburn will finally justify him being dropped and allow everyone to slot back into their best position and we will squeeze a narrow victory.

Hate to say it but this feels more and more like LJ's time.

[johnbytheriver]

What decent coach wants to work for the lansdowns?

[Galley is our king]

1 hour ago, SecretSam said:

 

But it's not just the manager/first team coach, it's much, much deeper than that. The whole footballing side of the business looks a bit of a mess, TBH. 

And who is now in charge of this?

Tinnion.... get rid NOW!!!

[CyderInACan]

2 hours ago, SecretSam said:

The whole footballing side of the business looks a bit of a mess, TBH

And given we're a football club, that's quite the problem! 

[CyderInACan]

1 hour ago, johnbytheriver said:

What decent coach wants to work for the lansdowns?

Or CEO, for that matter 

[mozo]

On 15/09/2024 at 08:40, 1960maaan said:

First off , lets be realistic Manning will be going nowhere until Christmas. The one thing that could bring it forward is this run of 3-0 defeats carrying on for another few games. The Board/Club/Lansdowns have backed him as much as they could , after penny pinching with a much more experienced man .  In a way they have nailed their colours to the mast.

If you look at the table , they are 7th (us 17th) and have already beaten Preston , Norwich and Stoke , anyone under the impression we will get an easy moral boosting win is mistaken . That said they have lost their 3 away games, all be it only by the odd goal. 
Next week is all on Manning. I know I , and others, have said wait for 10 games to really judge him and his team but it ain't looking great just now. 

I have said several times we shouldn't start with Mayulu , not yet and not away. Armstrong sets out our stall to chase, press and fight . Mayulu is more of a technical player reliant on service into him . That's how it looked yesterday , until Armstrong came on we were slow, tentative and passive . More intent on possession than hurting them. 
I missed the first 15/20 , but from what I saw although I didn't think there was much between the sides . What I will say is we looked like we were playing safety first football. 

At 2-0 I'm not sure you can take much from how we played , Blackburn were comfortable to play on the break , though if Twine scores one of his chances we may have had a look in. The Mehmeti & Yu subd smacked of sheer panic.

At Derby I thought we played well , Armstrong had chances and we bossed the game until they scored through a crowd of players. What happened after that was worrying. 

We have discussed the Twine/Bird pairing not working , but also Sykes looks like he's playing within himself (orders?) . The left side looks ineffective and we have stopped getting support to the striker. Add that we are giving away goals for fun and it's a worrying combination . I would accept that some of those goals have been while we are chasing the game, but I worry that we are chasing a game against pretty average sides and get dismantled
I hoped that the break would give us time to tighten up at the back while getting more cohesion up front. What we got was all the bad bits from the Derby game but without the threat we carried early on. 

For my two penneth's worth , we have to sort out where we want players to play and not fit them in. 
Twine was Manning's golden child , signed as a 10 so play him there.
Pretty sure Bird could play that LMF role more naturally as a left footer , might link with Pring better too. 
Mayulu's heatmap looks like a player searching for the ball , infact Roberts had nearly as many touches as our 2 CF's added together , the service was rubbish. 
Funny enough before yesterday I would have thought the home game against Oxford would have been a good time to give him his start . A game you might think we would have the lions share of possession and they may be sitting a little deeper than Blackburn were likely to . 

Oxford will relish coming to the Gate , we look a shambles . Minus 5 GD with two 3-0 defeats on the spin and looking susceptible on the break . 

I said yesterday Manning has work to do. In the cold light of day I think it's more of a total rethink . 

I agree with all of what you say, with the only exception being that I haven't reached the conclusion of 'total rethink' yet. There was enough encouragement for me in the first three games that the system could work, and I'd personally only make 3 changes to the lineup for the Oxford match. Obviously, if results and performances continue to disappoint, I may start thinking that we need to rip it up and start again!

[Sir Geoff]

1 minute ago, mozo said:

I agree with all of what you say, with the only exception being that I haven't reached the conclusion of 'total rethink' yet. There was enough encouragement for me in the first three games that the system could work, and I'd personally only make 3 changes to the lineup for the Oxford match. Obviously, if results and performances continue to disappoint, I may start thinking that we need to rip it up and start again!

What happened to mozo the Optimist throughout the summer ?

[BobBobBobbin]

Just now, mozo said:

I agree with all of what you say, with the only exception being that I haven't reached the conclusion of 'total rethink' yet. There was enough encouragement for me in the first three games that the system could work, and I'd personally only make 3 changes to the lineup for the Oxford match. Obviously, if results and performances continue to disappoint, I may start thinking that we need to rip it up and start again!

Indeed, although that's championship football. At some point Manning needs to pre-empt the "tweaks" his team needs to continue being successful. 3 games of playing okay is enough time for every other coach and analyst team in this division to pick holes in the "plan". It seems to take Manning a hell of a long time to a) acknowledge it's been "found out" and even longer to b) change it/tweak it. 

 

It's his biggest weakness. 

 

[redsquirrel]

2 hours ago, CyderInACan said:

Or CEO, for that matter 

 

4 hours ago, johnbytheriver said:

What decent coach wants to work for the lansdowns?

even less now they have seen what to expect from their employer

[Swede]

I really hope that the penny drops with him and he eats humble pie for the good of his career come Saturday and play his boy more central, include Roberts for more balance on the left side of the defence, drop Williams and have Bird and Knight playing alongside each other. 

I have a distinct feeling it will be more of the same as much like a leopard doesn't change its spots, the lesser winged Manning takes so much time deliberating & is not known for changing. 

[mozo]

41 minutes ago, Sir Geoff said:

What happened to mozo the Optimist throughout the summer ?

Haha! He saw City lose 3-0 twice in a row!

After the first 3 league games I thought we had potential to kick on and have a good season.

2 games later, we've been stuffed a couple of times and you have to be open to other possibilities.

Ask me again after Oxford!

Optimistic Mozo might have got back on the saddle... or he might have been trampled on by the horse.

To be continued...

[mozo]

3 minutes ago, Swede said:

I really hope that the penny drops with him and he eats humble pie for the good of his career come Saturday and play his boy more central, include Roberts for more balance on the left side of the defence, drop Williams and have Bird and Knight playing alongside each other. 

I have a distinct feeling it will be more of the same as much like a leopard doesn't change its spots, the lesser winged Manning takes so much time deliberating & is not known for changing. 

I agree with those changes 100%, and I hope he does that and not something baffling.