With our current squad

[ruocul]

we should not be only 3 points above the relegation zone. This really is totally unacceptable.

I think the team selection does not reflect the strengths we have in our squad, but what bothers me most is the tactics and in particular the formation of the team.

For a lot of our games our formation has been

Standard 4 defenders
1 central midfielder
3 advanced midfielders
2 forwards

Our team is so unbalanced and vulnerable to counterattacks it iis frightening to watch when you consider none of our advanced midfielders are noted for their defending duties.

Playing with this current formation it is difficult to see where the next win will come from. Unless we start to play with a better balanced midfield I can only see us dropping further. Turning our fortunes round is the responsibility of our management. Less of the arguing with the officials and more concentration on the balance of the team.

[AlexLeicester]

That, to me, reads like the voice of reason. Thank you ruocol
I've been at all the home league games, and Yeovil. What has stood out is an initial better attitude (for about ten minutes v. Carlisle) and then a lack of purpose and direction. I still believe that this squad has the talent, but it needs a mature, experienced guide and director.
I want Artell to be like an orchestra conductor: we know he is passionate about the music, but I want him to be just that little bit ahead of the game.

[alexmick]

Something just doesn't seem right after a promising start back in January. We have lost some key personnel in the scouting and coaching areas from what I can gather. Is there something wrong at the Alex? I was extremely optimistic going into this new season, but following recent results and displays, plus hearing about people leaving for pastures new, I am now rather concerned for our future.

[MikeSB]

Something just doesn't seem right after a promising start back in January. We have lost some key personnel in the scouting and coaching areas from what I can gather. Is there something wrong at the Alex? I was extremely optimistic going into this new season, but following recent results and displays, plus hearing about people leaving for pastures new, I am now rather concerned for our future.

Maybe the players are not good enough? If so, it doesn't matter who the manager is and why there are so many that are changed in football with no real difference? ManC are top because they have better players than ManU and anyone else. Sometimes a manager like Brian Clough can break that mould by having good players and making that great TEAM players for a short while. But they had to be good in the first place.

I'm not a fan of coaching and so its immaterial to me who comes and who leaves. Playing by numbers and a coaching manual is not my idea of playing this game and never was. Also just to add and nobody has yet disproved my thesis that your academy can only get what generally is available locally and why its actually a poor and expensive idea when you can see what is available when they are mid to late ****s across the world actually. Whether they would come here is another question? Its good to ask yourself at each match, which of the away team players are better or perform better than ours. Our results over the last few seasons doesn't lie.

BTW, I heard at the end of the match at Colchester DA had to tell his players to come back and go over the Crewe Fans who had obviously travelled a long long way and must have been expensive as well. To me this shows that players are not interested in the fans and are only interested in their next club for higher pay of course. Its at all levels, not just Crewe though. Players should NOT have to be told to do that on short away trips, never mind long ones. and shows DA heart is in the right place and cares about things like that and the fact that if he is struggling to get them to play its not because he is poor but because the players are not up to it....The fact that the club has spent millions on some of these players who have come through the academy and then can't be ars*ed to pay some of it back again by signing contracts until the last minute, should p*ss all the fans off and so who cares what they want and where they go next!

[alexmick]

Maybe the players are not good enough? If so, it doesn't matter who the manager is and why there are so many that are changed in football with no real difference? ManC are top because they have better players than ManU and anyone else. Sometimes a manager like Brian Clough can break that mould by having good players and making that great TEAM players for a short while. But they had to be good in the first place.

I'm not a fan of coaching and so its immaterial to me who comes and who leaves. Playing by numbers and a coaching manual is not my idea of playing this game and never was. Also just to add and nobody has yet disproved my thesis that your academy can only get what generally is available locally and why its actually a poor and expensive idea when you can see what is available when they are mid to late ****s across the world actually. Whether they would come here is another question? Its good to ask yourself at each match, which of the away team players are better or perform better than ours. Our results over the last few seasons doesn't lie.

BTW, I heard at the end of the match at Colchester DA had to tell his players to come back and go over the Crewe Fans who had obviously travelled a long long way and must have been expensive as well. To me this shows that players are not interested in the fans and are only interested in their next club for higher pay of course. Its at all levels, not just Crewe though. Players should NOT have to be told to do that on short away trips, never mind long ones. and shows DA heart is in the right place and cares about things like that and the fact that if he is struggling to get them to play its not because he is poor but because the players are not up to it....The fact that the club has spent millions on some of these players who have come through the academy and then can't be ars*ed to pay some of it back again by signing contracts until the last minute, should p*ss all the fans off and so who cares what they want and where they go next!

OK Mike. You mention that you are not a fan of the coaching aspect and I will accept your opinion. The other element I did mention perhaps does add weight to your argument that the players are simply not good enough. The fact that we have lost certain key personnel in the scouting department is perhaps significant here. One of those was Neil Baker. The other one is the guy who brought Jon Guthrie to the club (and no doubt countless others of the required standard too). I have heard (although I have no concrete evidence) that the scouting for the academy leaves a lot to be desired nowadays. I am not giving up just yet, but these are worrying times right now.

[MikeSB]

OK Mike. You mention that you are not a fan of the coaching aspect and I will accept your opinion. The other element I did mention perhaps does add weight to your argument that the players are simply not good enough. The fact that we have lost certain key personnel in the scouting department is perhaps significant here. One of those was Neil Baker. The other one is the guy who brought Jon Guthrie to the club (and no doubt countless others of the required standard too). I have heard (although I have no concrete evidence) that the scouting for the academy leaves a lot to be desired nowadays. I am not giving up just yet, but these are worrying times right now.

This site needs giving up on Mick as the page adverts are just making replies so difficult to do and appreciate it needs paying for but do they have to be so intrusive and disruptive that has turned most people away from posting? What is their point if they all disappear? We used to see players that were seasoned Pro's and so they didn't need to be told what to do on the pitch as they knew what was expected. The coaching staff must confuse the players by forensic investigation with a don't do this or don't do that thing the whole time so they are trying to remember what they were told instead of playing naturally. One thing where there is no excuse is the energy levels and running for 90 mins and if they find that hard at age 20 then they shouldn't be a football Pro. I only listen to McGarry and Morse and they say the players heads go down and they stop running.