Have you taken to Steve Clarke yet?

[leww_rfc]

So really if the real problem is playing too many games in a short space of time, who`s fcuking bright idea was it to re-arrange the Brighton game for the 10th, right in the middle of this run of midweek games?

They had no choice due to the Quarter Final.

[old woman]

I had until last night. He played Guthrie. He'll have to do a lot to win me round now

[melonhead]

agreed- his stock with me dropped a fair bit last night after making 6 changes to a winning team.


how he thought we would win any game with a midfield of norwood, taylor and Guthrie is beyond me

[windermere_royal]

So really if the real problem is playing too many games in a short space of time, who`s fcuking bright idea was it to re-arrange the Brighton game for the 10th, right in the middle of this run of midweek games?

They had no choice due to the Quarter Final.

Why, as far as I am aware the season doesn`t finish till May. I know we were due to play Brighton on QF day, but to arrange it for 3 days later when many of our players may be leg weary after the Bradford game is just irresponsible

[TBM]

So really if the real problem is playing too many games in a short space of time, who`s fcuking bright idea was it to re-arrange the Brighton game for the 10th, right in the middle of this run of midweek games?

They had no choice due to the Quarter Final.

Why, as far as I am aware the season doesn`t finish till May. I know we were due to play Brighton on QF day, but to arrange it for 3 days later when many of our players may be leg weary after the Bradford game is just irresponsible

We don't have much choice - the club doesn't get to choose the week it is moved to and our midweek home games have always been on a Tuesday

[Maguire]

how he thought we would win any game with a midfield of norwood, taylor and Guthrie is beyond me

I doubt that he did. He's playing a longer game than those 90mins.

[melonhead]

yeah fair enough I guess.
but its those who were idiotic enough to travel up there I feel sorry for.

actually, no I dont

[Vision]

I wasn't surprised he made changes last night (he signposted that fact in his post match interview at Ipswich).

I was surprised however that Federici played when we know he's carrying an injury at present.

[Sanguine]

I wasn't surprised he made changes last night (he signposted that fact in his post match interview at Ipswich).

I was surprised however that Federici played when we know he's carrying an injury at present.

Does seem Mikkel Andersen is destined never to play for us.

[Extended-Phenotype]

how he thought we would win any game with a midfield of norwood, taylor and Guthrie is beyond me

I doubt that he did. He's playing a longer game than those 90mins.

Not sure what his game is called. Could have easily rested players, rotated the team a bit and not fielded that car crash of a formation.

Bit baffled by this fella so far.

[Sanguine]

how he thought we would win any game with a midfield of norwood, taylor and Guthrie is beyond me

I doubt that he did. He's playing a longer game than those 90mins.

Not sure what his game is called. Could have easily rested players, rotated the team a bit and not fielded that car crash of a formation.

Bit baffled by this fella so far.

Still rare, but increasingly frequent, E-P agreed here.

There's rotating players but sticking with the nucleus of a gameplan and the players that have really helped us get those good results - and then there's nonsensically changing the formation and strategy and putting square pegs in round holes, like Guthrie on the left.

[floyd__streete]

Clarke's team selections and tactics are at best thus far. I particularly enjoyed the hugely ineffective 4-5-1 against Leeds, followed by the lunacy of Chalobah at centre-half against Wigan when we had Cooper on the bench. Last night's team selection was bizarre and the thrashing we suffered can be laid squarely at Clarke's door once again.

Not even sure I am that keen on the bloke's attitude at times tbh. "I don't have to explain my team selections"; erm yes you do "The players are tired"; oh do f*ck off, you made 6 changes and brought a load of ineffectual dross into the team

The only real positive I can say about the bloke thuis far is at least he doesn't come out with the management-speak drivel of his predecessor. Otherwise, totally underwhelmed by Steve Clarke thus far.

[No Fixed Abode]

He's looking at the bigger picture Floyd. Just relax. You can't really judge him until next season, and even then that may be a little too early.

He needs time to get rid of players and bring some in, then they need time to bed in.....

[TBM]

He's looking at the bigger picture Floyd. Just relax. You can't really judge him until next season, and even then that may be a little too early.

He needs time to get rid of players and bring some in, then they need time to bed in.....

but i feel he isn't that fussed about being our manager....he just see's it as a stop gap before grabbing a Premier League job

Other managers seemed (or came across) like they really cared about the club

[Whore Jackie]

He's looking at the bigger picture Floyd. Just relax. You can't really judge him until next season, and even then that may be a little too early.

He needs time to get rid of players and bring some in, then they need time to bed in.....

That is of course true, but it does somewhat cloud your views on Clarke when he continues to put square pegs in round holes unnecessarily. Bar the tedious drivel spouted by his predecessor, that was his worst fault too.

[No Fixed Abode]

He's looking at the bigger picture Floyd. Just relax. You can't really judge him until next season, and even then that may be a little too early.

He needs time to get rid of players and bring some in, then they need time to bed in.....

but i feel he isn't that fussed about being our manager....he just see's it as a stop gap before grabbing a Premier League job

Other managers seemed (or came across) like they really cared about the club

But if he fails miserably at Reading it would scupper his chances of a Premier League job. That's Steve Clarke's demeanour. He's quite dour. So he fits in the Steve Coppell and McDonut mould.

[Pepe the Horseman]

I wasn't surprised he made changes last night (he signposted that fact in his post match interview at Ipswich).

I was surprised however that Federici played when we know he's carrying an injury at present.

Does seem Mikkel Andersen is destined never to play for us.

Apart from those times he played for us?

[leon]

how he thought we would win any game with a midfield of norwood, taylor and Guthrie is beyond me

I doubt that he did. He's playing a longer game than those 90mins.

Not sure what his game is called. Could have easily rested players, rotated the team a bit and not fielded that car crash of a formation.

Bit baffled by this fella so far.

same here.

I hope he's not a manager who over thinks everything and always changes his team. I get him making changes to protect the team but we're not out of the relegation woods yet and some of his decisions are frankly very odd - such as wholesale changes in a team short on consistency.

[Big Foot]

He's looking at the bigger picture Floyd. Just relax. You can't really judge him until next season, and even then that may be a little too early.

He needs time to get rid of players and bring some in, then they need time to bed in.....

but i feel he isn't that fussed about being our manager....he just see's it as a stop gap before grabbing a Premier League job

Other managers seemed (or came across) like they really cared about the club

But if he fails miserably at Reading it would scupper his chances of a Premier League job. That's Steve Clarke's demeanour. He's quite dour. So he fits in the Steve Coppell and McDonut mould.

Agreed 100%

[Snowball]

There is an awful lot of faux-fuss here


Federici,
Kelly, Obita, Pearce (c), Hector,

No argument with the back five being played after a 1-0 win at Ipswich

Akpan, Norwood, Guthrie, McCleary, Taylor,

Nothing much wrong with Norwood/Guthrie in front of Akpan
except (maybe) Norwood-Guthrie too similar

Many on here have said Akpan is important to the side as he does the
dirty work allowing others to play

That APPEARED to be a midfield three with McLeary and Taylor wide, and as such
I'd've had no problem at all with the selection given his need to rest players

(see later)



Yakubu up front (resting Pog & Cox) seems perfectly sensible.

From the radio it sounded like The Yak did very little but the manager is still
testing two players (important) and giving The Yak a chance to show he can
still do it. Not the manager's fault if Yak doesn't step up to the mark (other
than, I presume, he looks sluggish etc in training)




What seemed odd was playing Guthrie wide and McCleary at Number 10. McLeary has played 0ff the striker before for Forest and scored four in one game from that position, but Guthrie wide was a surprise.

However, McCleary hasn't been brilliant wide in recent games and his raw speed seems to have
(temporarily) gone. There was a second half at home where he was a total passenger and fell
out with Williams.

I'm guessing the manager is trying to find a way for McCleary to regain his best form.


Added to all that I think SC felt he had a free ticket at Huddersfield, could afford to lose
and thought the threat of a loss was worth it, all other things considered.

OK we let in three, but they were all down to individual errors as was the error that led to Huddersfield hitting the post.

Surely the manager has to look at his squad and make decisions? Why not now when there's a reasonable margin for error?

I'd expect our strongest team at home on Saturday v Forest, then Rag-Tag & Bobtail at Bolton (unless we lose badly Saturday and the bottom three gain points on us.)