Steve Cooper - New Manager

[ronnup]

Its in our hands..  

[katieakita]

Comes across as not as bad as some on here want him to be. Really fine margins and those calling for his head after 3 games need to give their heads a wobble. For some whatever he does it will be wrong, some of his decisions have worked some not and as long as he learns he deserves at least the chance to keep us up. Find it weird we have people desperate for him to fail on here. Hopefully the break gives him and the players the chance to work together and come back gelled more. We have held our own so far against some decent sides and for those saying that wuill be the worse Spurs and Villa play this season he might have got some of the luck MON got when he managed here because every result we got was down to the other team having an off day

[Dr The Singh]

10 games and then decide

[The_77]

I don’t understand this man at all. I cannot fathom how he looks at the squad and thinks he’s playing our best XI in a setup that allows them to succeed. 
 

I don’t understand this club at all. I cannot understand why our top three choices at CB don’t care about defending. 

[CyprusFox]

10 minutes ago, The_77 said:

I don’t understand this man at all. I cannot fathom how he looks at the squad and thinks he’s playing our best XI in a setup that allows them to succeed. 
 

I don’t understand this club at all. I cannot understand why our top three choices at CB don’t care about defending. 

Or probably our best creative player (SM) isn't a starter. He took the piss when he came on

[The_77]

2 minutes ago, CyprusFox said:

Or probably our best creative player (SM) isn't a starter. He took the piss when he came on

PREACH!

[Ric Flair]

6 hours ago, Steve Earle said:

Well.

 

Where to start? I can only start by assuming all the Cooper-out bedwetters won’t read this.

 

I thought we were decent yesterday, by some way our best performance of the season. We showed intensity from the off, players were determined to win their duels, and you could see a team working together & for each other. 
 

The selections of Ndidi & Ayew made perfect sense. Ndidi showed his limitations in possession but lead the press superbly with Vardy. While Ayew did what he was brought here to do: held the ball, carried it up the pitch, drew fouls & protected his full back. Expect to see that 433 against top 8 sides, because it largely worked.

 

The timing of the first substitutions was spot on IMO. We were on top & looking likely to get the next goal, so why change? The reason to change was Villa scoring against the run of play, & Cooper reacted immediately. The change then to 4141 worked too. We actually ended in stoppage time playing 316!

 

More positives: Mads was superb, the back four wasn’t going to be embarrassed by pace, Okoli showed promise on his full PL debut, as did Skipp & Ayew.

 

We lost to a better team & because we as a unit were asleep for their first.

 

For the first time this season I have hope. I can see a plan. We were well coached yesterday, and I have some optimism that we might get the results we need against bottom half teams.

El Khannouss is a far better presser than Wilfred Ndidi. Hopefully we see that in this system, even against the top sides as there's no place in the game for deploying 3 DCMs, but deploying one as an ACM.

[Ric Flair]

4 hours ago, Mickyblueeyes said:

It was perfectly understandable to be worried with a number of decisions made so far this season. When the results are not coming, regardless of expectations, there is going to be questions raised when the “stars” are sitting on the bench for large parts of the game. 
 

The thing about all three games, including Fulham which I think was our overall worse performance so far, we’ve walked out of games, wanting more, disappointed, angry but essentially feeling we’ve been competitive. That’s different from two years ago - and with a much weaker squad this time around. 
 

The difference from two years ago is that I’m probably not expecting exceptionally good performance. That year we had a number. Villa away, Spurs at home, Wolves away. Compare that to Forest whose best three performances were against Liverpool at home, 1-0, Arsenal at home, 1-0 and us at their place, 2-0. In all three games, they far from exceptional, they were smash and grabs in every definition of the word. They didn’t play anyone off the park but our team actually did on a few occasions. Yet, they stayed up and we went down. 
 

We all knew we were in a relegation battle this year. 10 wins, 10 draws is usually the target - even with the points deduction, that number may still be the magic target - the teams that finish in the bottom 3 very rarely get there.
 

So, 3 games in, am I frustrated with the approach ? Absolutely. Do I think we have a chance - also, absolutely. 10 wins, 10 draws and a bit of luck on the points deduction. Shithouse the survival - couldn’t care if he never gets the formation/personnel right as long as he gets the results where it matters. The bottom 6 - none of which we have played yet. 
 

I also think (more so know) that the board are not ready for a mid-season change. We’d lose 3/4 games if it happened. And panic into a decision. 
 

This squad is better than a lot thought and hopefully the creative lot start to influence it more. 

I tend to agree with almost every one of your posts but this part makes no sense.

 

And then what? He suddenly makes logical decisions in the 2nd season or we sack him and upgrade him, in which case we might as well do that now.

 

My preference is he quickly learns, my 2nd preference if he's unable to do that and his track record suggests he might struggle is we bounce him out of here pronto whilst we still have a chance of being amongst it.

 

Got a nice 2 week break not to have to get pissed off by his team selections and then hope when we return he's worked on some stuff and we get at least 1 win vs Palace or Everton. If not then action needs to be taken.

 

 

[The_77]

1 hour ago, katieakita said:

Comes across as not as bad as some on here want him to be. Really fine margins and those calling for his head after 3 games need to give their heads a wobble. For some whatever he does it will be wrong, some of his decisions have worked some not and as long as he learns he deserves at least the chance to keep us up. Find it weird we have people desperate for him to fail on here. Hopefully the break gives him and the players the chance to work together and come back gelled more. We have held our own so far against some decent sides and for those saying that wuill be the worse Spurs and Villa play this season he might have got some of the luck MON got when he managed here because every result we got was down to the other team having an off day

Fine margins. But obvious margins.

 

We’d probably have the same number of points at this stage but there is absolutely no justification for leaving Ricardo out of this side. None. A non-league manager could pick a better XI than Cooper. 

Edited 1 September by The_77
Typo

[Pick Good Name Later]

Linking in a couple of threads here. I don’t believe we’ve had the worst transfer window. We’ve acquired better players than we currently have at our disposal. Skipp is an upgrade. Okali will absorb the reliance on a questionable CB partnership. Buonanotte offers a layer of creativity that has been missing. El Khannouss, again, will add creative depth. Ayew, for all of the question marks has been there and done it, season after season for a team that calling a spade a spade, is an outfit we want to look to emulate this season. Edouard, I believe will provide a goal threat.

 

My overriding question mark from the first three matches. What’s our identity? What are we trying to achieve in the 90 minutes? We have a squad that should have the capability to survive, and better yet, win games. I question the intent and understanding of Cooper to ensure this happens.

 

Sometimes, it’s better you act quickly and address something before it becomes untenable. Rodgers case in point. I worry under Cooper. Has he got a game plan? 
 

 

[katieakita]

16 minutes ago, The_77 said:

Fine margins. But obvious margins.

 

We’d probably have the same number of points at this stage but there is absolutely no justification for leaving Ricardo out of this side. None. A non-league manager could pick a better XI than Cooper. 

Surprised RickyP has not featured and think Mavs could have had more game time but we are 3 games into his tenure as manager + a cup tie where nobody could really argue about the result. Think the general view on Nigel Pearson was a Club legend and one of the better managers he also had Shakey and Steve Walsh for support. Looking at our great escape season and looking at some of the early team selections Riyad was dropped, Simpson could not get in the team Albrighton could not get in the squad and big Nigel had been here a couple of seasons to mould the team. Hindsight is a gift we all have and believe anyone would struggle to justify some of his selections at the start of the season. Cooper will not the get the 30 odd games Nigel got but just think he deserves a bit of a break, the next few weeks hopefully sees us working out a direction and style

[Steve Earle]

38 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

El Khannouss is a far better presser than Wilfred Ndidi. Hopefully we see that in this system, even against the top sides as there's no place in the game for deploying 3 DCMs, but deploying one as an ACM.

We’ll see! My point was simply that you could see why Ndidi played yesterday. He didn’t play as a DCM at all, but a right-sided KDH.

 

Alas, his limitations in possession remain significant.

[The_77]

2 minutes ago, katieakita said:

Surprised RickyP has not featured and think Mavs could have had more game time but we are 3 games into his tenure as manager + a cup tie where nobody could really argue about the result. Think the general view on Nigel Pearson was a Club legend and one of the better managers he also had Shakey and Steve Walsh for support. Looking at our great escape season and looking at some of the early team selections Riyad was dropped, Simpson could not get in the team Albrighton could not get in the squad and big Nigel had been here a couple of seasons to mould the team. Hindsight is a gift we all have and believe anyone would struggle to justify some of his selections at the start of the season. Cooper will not the get the 30 odd games Nigel got but just think he deserves a bit of a break, the next few weeks hopefully sees us working out a direction and style

Riyad was still adjusting and developing as a player, his gradual integration into the starting XI helped him gain confidence and become such an accomplished player.
 

Mike Stowell offered some interesting insight into Albrighton on the WYS pod this week. Pearson deserves slack for not immediately understanding what he had in Albrighton and everyone at Villa also couldn’t figure out what kind of player he was.
 

Ricardo’s attributes are much more of a known quantity than Mahrez’s or Albrighton’s at that stage in their careers.
 

I would be much more patient with Cooper if he played our players who we clearly know are our best.
 

But I won’t call for his head just yet and any manager in this position deserves time to figure out what to do with his squad. 

[Mickyblueeyes]

57 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

I tend to agree with almost every one of your posts but this part makes no sense.

 

And then what? He suddenly makes logical decisions in the 2nd season or we sack him and upgrade him, in which case we might as well do that now.

 

My preference is he quickly learns, my 2nd preference if he's unable to do that and his track record suggests he might struggle is we bounce him out of here pronto whilst we still have a chance of being amongst it.

 

Got a nice 2 week break not to have to get pissed off by his team selections and then hope when we return he's worked on some stuff and we get at least 1 win vs Palace or Everton. If not then action needs to be taken.

 

 

You are absolutely right to call that part out. I don’t disagree with your concerns. My mentally at the start of this season and remains and will remain for the entirety of this season is that we have 38 games and I want 17th. I don’t care how we do it but we have to. For the future of the club. I fear for us going down to the championship again, it won’t be plain sailing and we have the world’s greatest spa resort around our neck.

 

Very short sighted and I appreciate that but I also doubt our board and the decisions they will make. We are not Bournemouth in that they sacked Parker and hired a fantastically innovative coach - our board doesn’t have that in them. When under pressure they’ve hired Smith and Cooper.

 

So yes, I don’t know what happens in the 2nd season but for the first time in a long time, my thoughts with the club are very much here and now - I think the next few years and the division we are in are absolutely humongous to us. We can’t go down this year. 

Bilal, Facundo, Mav, Fatawu have to do what they need to do to make sure Cooper can’t drop them. 

 

[Dr The Singh]

1 hour ago, CyprusFox said:

Or probably our best creative player (SM) isn't a starter. He took the piss when he came on

Soumare?  He didnt come on.

[Sol thewall Bamba]

1 hour ago, katieakita said:

Surprised RickyP has not featured and think Mavs could have had more game time but we are 3 games into his tenure as manager + a cup tie where nobody could really argue about the result. Think the general view on Nigel Pearson was a Club legend and one of the better managers he also had Shakey and Steve Walsh for support. Looking at our great escape season and looking at some of the early team selections Riyad was dropped, Simpson could not get in the team Albrighton could not get in the squad and big Nigel had been here a couple of seasons to mould the team. Hindsight is a gift we all have and believe anyone would struggle to justify some of his selections at the start of the season. Cooper will not the get the 30 odd games Nigel got but just think he deserves a bit of a break, the next few weeks hopefully sees us working out a direction and style

They're not comparable examples though. Simpson and Albrighton were both new signings that season and Mahrez had been here 6 months. 

 

Ricardo and Mavididi are established here and were two of our best players last season. That's like Pearson dropping Nugent and Kasper after getting promoted which he obviously didn't do.

 

You're right that Cooper won't get to 30 game though.

[robski]

54 minutes ago, Mickyblueeyes said:

You are absolutely right to call that part out. I don’t disagree with your concerns. My mentally at the start of this season and remains and will remain for the entirety of this season is that we have 38 games and I want 17th. I don’t care how we do it but we have to. For the future of the club. I fear for us going down to the championship again, it won’t be plain sailing and we have the world’s greatest spa resort around our neck.

 

Very short sighted and I appreciate that but I also doubt our board and the decisions they will make. We are not Bournemouth in that they sacked Parker and hired a fantastically innovative coach - our board doesn’t have that in them. When under pressure they’ve hired Smith and Cooper.

 

So yes, I don’t know what happens in the 2nd season but for the first time in a long time, my thoughts with the club are very much here and now - I think the next few years and the division we are in are absolutely humongous to us. We can’t go down this year. 

Bilal, Facundo, Mav, Fatawu have to do what they need to do to make sure Cooper can’t drop them. 

 

Spot on 

[Muzzy_no7]

3 pts minimum from Everton and Palace or else he has to go already.

 

ideally need 4. 

[FoxOnWheels]

Pressure turned up on him now, club will not be wanting to relegated after bypassing PSR and I’m sure they’ll be more cut throat if needs be! The squad is good enough to be safe under the right management

[Happy Fox]

He needs to be sacked go and get a decent manager pretty please.

[STUHILL]

16 minutes ago, Happy Fox said:

He needs to be sacked go and get a decent manager pretty please.

Well, it is not going to happen for at least another 10 games, so park this idea until it is at least a realistic option. 

[STUHILL]

48 minutes ago, FoxOnWheels said:

Pressure turned up on him now, club will not be wanting to relegated after bypassing PSR and I’m sure they’ll be more cut throat if needs be! The squad is good enough to be safe under the right management

I don't think our squad is much better than anyone else's actually, if we take off our blue tinted glasses that is. 

I suspect Cooper will be given 10 more games, and if we are being cut adrift from 17th, then he will go. 

We are a much better prospect for a Manager without the -6 points, but I expect it will be Moyes... 

Let's give Cooper a chance in the next handful of games though. He may surprise us. 

 

[Happy Fox]

Cooper is abject at this level, go and get someone class please whether it’s Moyes , Potter etc. 

[em9999]

The appeal win means we have a fantastic chance to stay up, if cooper doesn't bring results let's not lose this wonderful chance we have been given by sticking with cooper it would be extremely wasteful 

[Simonb]

I'd like to see him go now, but it won't happen

 

But if don't start riccy against Palace and/or opts for 3 cdms then he has to go.

 

We'll concede every game, so we need at least 2 to win a match.. just go for it every game.. there are goals in this team if he loosens the belt