If we dont go up...

[AngryRam]

In your serious opinion ... if we dont go up...why ??????

Not just coz we thru away to Brum etc...why long term ???

Consistency, we have just not managed to maintain it.
Injuries and selection have all had a part to play.
That Zenit game has much to answer for... It's worrying that one man can be so integral to us...

[tricky1972]

Because we are not improving.

The managers signings have been poor except when he throws money at it and he's not been able to weed out diamonds in the rough like other managers before.

If you drew a line of year on year improvement that plateaued last season and now it looks like we are on a downward slope.

On the other hand if you want to wear rose coloured glasses and slag people off who say it how it is ...

So we did improve last season then ... thought your 'like for like' showed we didn't! You were making exactly the same comments about not improving this time last year.


The problem is that we haven't replaced Clough's defence - Buxton and Keogh just not good enough and right-back position not solved since the sale of Brayford, except for Wisdom's loan.[/quote]

So the point you are making is that in a season and a half, Steve has done nothing to address the weakn

[blackandwhite56]

Because we are not improving.

The managers signings have been poor except when he throws money at it and he's not been able to weed out diamonds in the rough like other managers before.

If you drew a line of year on year improvement that plateaued last season and now it looks like we are on a downward slope.

On the other hand if you want to wear rose coloured glasses and slag people off who say it how it is ...

So we did improve last season then ... thought your 'like for like' showed we didn't! You were making exactly the same comments about not improving this time last year.


The problem is that we haven't replaced Clough's defence - Buxton and Keogh just not good enough and right-back position not solved since the sale of Brayford, except for Wisdom's loan.[/quote]

So the point you are making is that in a season and a h

[Ramondo]

I think the point Rats was making was that where we finished last season was not down the SM but down to the work done in building the side that Clough built. A point I don't agree with by the way.

Now, if we haven't improved this season (even with the significant increase in money being spent) the you can see how the argument pans out. If SM masterminded the improvement last season then by introducing new players and with over a year under hs belt, he should get a further improvement this year. Otherwise there 'could' be a case to argue that last seasons finish was more down to Clough's team, rather than SM's management.

[tricky1972]

Because we are not improving.

The managers signings have been poor except when he throws money at it and he's not been able to weed out diamonds in the rough like other managers before.

If you drew a line of year on year improvement that plateaued last season and now it looks like we are on a downward slope.

On the other hand if you want to wear rose coloured glasses and slag people off who say it how it is ...

So we did improve last season then ... thought your 'like for like' showed we didn't! You were making exactly the same comments about not improving this time last year.


The problem is that we haven't replaced Clough's defence - Buxton and Keogh just not good enough and right-back position not solved since the sale of Brayford, except for Wisdom's loan.[/quote]

So

[FindernRam]

We are better than last year in some ways. With the ball we are technically better and more assured going forward, although we play to intricately at times. At least Ince has a go.
Where we are no better is closing games out. 2-0 is never enough. Clough would unashamedly bring on defenders and play deep. It didn't work. Mac brings on attackers BUT we still play deep. We wasted the subs yesterday. Hardly a kick as the defence went further and further back.

[KingCharlieGeorge]

But to be fair, given that we have beaten Bournemouth and Boro in the last 2 weeks without Hobbs, Reid, Cohen and Assombalonga maybe it is.

But to be fair you have been outclassed and outplayed but somehow managed to win. Good results for us though

[tricky1972]

But to be fair, given that we have beaten Bournemouth and Boro in the last 2 weeks without Hobbs, Reid, Cohen and Assombalonga maybe it is.

But to be fair you have been outclassed and outplayed but somehow managed to win. Good results for us though [/quote]

We have defended brilliantly and scored decent goals.

Both teams have dominated possession but haven't battered our goal - Bournemouth had 75% possession and the same number of shots on target as Brum had against you!

[blackandwhite56]

I think the point Rats was making was that where we finished last season was not down the SM but down to the work done in building the side that Clough built. A point I don't agree with by the way.

Now, if we haven't improved this season (even with the significant increase in money being spent) the you can see how the argument pans out. If SM masterminded the improvement last season then by introducing new players and with over a year under hs belt, he should get a further improvement this year. Otherwise there 'could' be a case to argue that last seasons finish was more down to Clough's team, rather than SM's management.

Sorry but this won't do at all ..

Where's the law that says that when you are operating at the top of the league i.e. in the top 6 consistently which we have done this year and last, it will be easy to keep on improving? Look what happened to Wigan - even though they have spectacularly declined was their good

[Ramondo]

Until he accepts that MacClaren has improved the team his judgement is suspect.

But that's just an opinion. You're saying that unless he agrees with you, he's wrong?

What if you're wrong and he's right?

Mac did well last season, with mainly Cloughs team. He added Thorne and Wisdom and Bamford (all loans until Thorne was made permanent), the only player I remember him signing was Dawkins. Jury is out on that one. But he certainly had them playing better.

Now he's spent quite a bit on transfers and loans but are we playing better? I think most people seem to think we've struggled to get into our stride, no doubt that Thornes absence has impacted that.

But it's a results business and so far we have been very inconsistent. But it's a tough league this year, everyone else is inconsistent too.

The point I'm kind of making is he has his view, you have yours. Nothing has been proven or dis-proven yet, this is Steves first