The players.

[Leicesterbaggie]

While I agree that when players are being paid the vast amounts of money that they are, then they should be 'busting a gut' for the club. However, perhaps we need to look at the other side of the coin. It cannot be easy if they don't agree with, or find it difficult to play, the system that they are being asked to and the results are poor. If you like to play a passing game and you are being asked to run at a 100 mph for ninety minutes and hoof the ball aimlessly upfield, would you be that enthusiastic and enjoy your football? You only had to look at the faces of our players in the last month or so. To my mind they looked lost, didn't really know what they were supposed to be doing and were not enjoying their football. A recipe for disaster. Some may claim that this as an excuse but I think it's a very valid viewpoint and one worth thinking about.

[regis80]

While I agree that when players are being paid the vast amounts of money that they are, then they should be 'busting a gut' for the club. However, perhaps we need to look at the other side of the coin. It cannot be easy if they don't agree with, or find it difficult to play, the system that they are being asked to and the results are poor. If you like to play a passing game and you are being asked to run at a 100 mph for ninety minutes and hoof the ball aimlessly upfield, would you be that enthusiastic and enjoy your football? You only had to look at the faces of our players in the last month or so. To my mind they looked lost, didn't really know what they were supposed to be doing and were not enjoying their football. A recipe for disaster. Some may claim that this as an excuse but I think it's a very valid viewpoint and one worth thinking about.

Agree with everything you’ve stated here. When I was playing sunday league in my 30s, our team started off playing well the first season. Nothing complicated but the team gelled well and played to its strength. Next season, new incoming manager (because he was player of last season).. turned up in a suit to one of our nights out.. next training session he turned into Pep and wanted us to play to the feet. Knowing full well we have lanky CF who might have an aerial advantage over opposition sides. But insisted we play passing. Bear in mind, this tiki taka passing can only work if you grew up playing it. Many of us didn’t, as much as I like the passing game.. sometimes as the saying goes you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.

[Yarmbaggie]

Please oh please stop letting the players off all the time. It happens every time we struggle.

Sack the Manager, get a new one in and all will be well. It is all the Managers fault.

Well in my opinion it ain’t. These players should be at least in the top 3. So many have underperformed and the effort just isn’t there.

I for one blame the players at least as much as the Manager and we need to get rid of at least 6, if not more, to be successful. Greedy prima donnas most of them.

[Leicesterbaggie]

Yarm, do you honestly believe that the style of football that Ismael advocates has any place in today's game. There is attacking football, a mixture of both, defensive football and then Ismael football. We all have different opinions but to my mind his one dimensional ideas regarding style of play, selection, substitutions and an inability to alter tactics depending on the situation of a game are all unacceptable. Let's see how things pan out under new management, whoever it is.

[SwedishBaggie]

Please oh please stop letting the players off all the time. It happens every time we struggle.

Sack the Manager, get a new one in and all will be well. It is all the Managers fault.

Well in my opinion it ain’t. These players should be at least in the top 3. So many have underperformed and the effort just isn’t there.

I for one blame the players at least as much as the Manager and we need to get rid of at least 6, if not more, to be successful. Greedy prima donnas most of them.

Well said!!! 👍

[Yarmbaggie]

Yarm, do you honestly believe that the style of football that Ismael advocates has any place in today's game. There is attacking football, a mixture of both, defensive football and then Ismael football. We all have different opinions but to my mind his one dimensional ideas regarding style of play, selection, substitutions and an inability to alter tactics depending on the situation of a game are all unacceptable. Let's see how things pan out under new management, whoever it is.

I said I blame the players as much as the Manager.

Val is far from perfect and has got a lot wrong. To me, as I have said previously, he seems to keep doing the same thing and expecting different results.

However, I am sure he doesn’t tell our midfielders to pass the opposition most times they pass the ball forward or to hoof it anywhere but where our players are. I don’t for one minute believe his plan is for the forwards to keep mistiming runs, missing easy chances and not converting enough of the shots we do have. That is all down to the players.

Why can’t we criticise the players as well, they damn well deserve it. For me not one of them deserves the huge pay packets they are getting and I don’t seem many really hurting at the end of the games either.

I don’t want him but I see Roy Keane is being interviewed for the Sunderland job. Just think what our prima donnas would make of that appoints he did come here instead. Player power is ruining our club.