Would you make any changes for our next game?

Interesting (well maybe not that much really) that Anderson has already sent out his latest message - following the Wolves game - and talks about possibly changing the side for our next match.

We start to get into dangerous ground when the Chairman and not the manager has the last say in team selection - but let's for now let us just read it as Ken's thoughts rather than laying down the law.

My question though is, is it time to change the team and/or tactics?

Yes we've just been battered by Wolves but they are going to be the Champions at the end of the season and already on the way to next years Premier League - good luck to them with that.

And yes we have sunk again to the bottom of the league - thanks Sunderland! - so its obvious we need to change things now - right?

Well I'm not too sure myself.

We've just had a run of unbeaten games - which shows we must have been doing something right.

Of course the lost leads have cost us points - but we have had those leads to lose in the first place.

People moan about how Parkinson sets up the team and the tactics (I would argue the correct word to use is strategy but for some reason in football parlance the word tactics are invariably used instead) he deploys.

I think Parkinson's team selection and 'strategy' is probably about the best he can get out of the current squad (a few new players in January please Mr Chairman) but where perhaps he could do better are his 'tactics' in the final third of the match - revolving around substitutions and changing the shape of the team when they are done/not done.

I can't see many changes for Barnsley - even though I think many of us would wish us to be more attacking right from the off.

I don't think we are into 'must win game' territory just yet so I think it is more important not to drop points to the like of the Tykes for now - hence the cautious first two thirds of the match I expect.

Maybe I'm wrong though and a complete change is needed - what do you think?

Which players would be in your team next Saturday?

I think Ken is wrong if he believes there are squad players who could come in and do better job.The likes of Karacan, Cullen and all the young attacking players aren't good enough for the 2nd tier in my opinion.Of all our attackers I'd say there's only Amoebi who is Championship standard but he is inconsistent and injury prone.After 3 or 4 good games it seems that word has got out that if you stop Amoebi, Bolton have no attacking threat and teams are marking him closely
Ken has been  the owner for 18 months now and has not paid 1p in transfer fees, the lack of investment while selling Clough and Holding is telling.
I had a problem with Parky's negative tactics last season in the 3rd tier.We went ahead several times, and then instead of going for the 2nd and 3rd goals sat back and lost points.This was against smaller clubs with players on lower wages and less ability.
Its happened again this season against Reading and Qpr at home although the clubs in this league obviously pay bigger wages and have better players than us.

The only change i'd make for Barnsley would be the enforced one of Burke for the suspended Wheater but id change the stragegy of sitting back on a lead until we are 3 goals in front

I'd also say that if every team fielded its strongest team every match, i think we'd end the season in the bottom 3.

You know I don't trust Anderson, but surely even he wouldn't be stupid enough to publicly suggest team changes without having first consulted the manager.  He is unwilling to invest in getting a new manager so why would he undermine the one he's got? 

We don't have the luxury of a points cushion that would let us experiment with the reserves and young players so any such move would be a gamble and Parky is not a gambler. Their may be the odd personnel change but Parky loves his system so perhaps the best we can hope for is that they play the same system 5 yards further up pitch and hold the line better.

If Anderson IS telling Parkinson to make changes then it can only be the beginning of the end, my theory is that Anderson is trying to piss Parkinson off enough to make him walk, that way no money need depart Andersons pockets.

One change I'd definitely consider is the goalie after Alnwick again gifted two goals and generally had a stinker. Ben Amos got slaughtered by our fans for making errors that were arguably less horrendous than Alnwick's but seeing as Anderson won't invest the money to bring him back from Charlton where he's playing well, maybe it's time Turner stepped up to the plate to further his England credentials?

The only thing we can change is the mentality. Parky is so negative and always wants to sit on a lead if we can manage to get one and is happy to gift most of the possession to the opposition. 

The prime example is the Reading game, we somehow managed to get a 2-0 lead with only having 20% possession but did press them in the 1st half as they were constantly trying to play out from the back. We needed to carry on pressing in the 2nd half to force them to play it long but we just got deeper and deeper and that comes from the Manager and no one else.

We need to be on the front foot and getting in the oppositions faces but i suspect we just aren't fit enough to do that for most of the game which again is an issue that goes straight back to the Manager and the conditioning team.

Selling the  training facility to Wigan won't have helped regarding the players fitness.Ken goes on about the Premier League infrastructure at the club but there isn't even a PL training ground any more let alone the PL standard fitness staff.That's one area of the club that has completely deteriorated since Sam left.It's no coincidence that from finely tuned athletes under Sam we now have Amoebi blowing out of his arse pleading to be subbed after an hour

It all comes back to the finances. We haven't paid a transfer fee for a player for several years now so we've been basement bargain shopping and pretty much got what we could afford which are players who have been released (and usually for a very good reason). In Ameobi's case, I'm not surprised he's struggling because he's asthmatic  and needs to catch his breath during games, but since he's scored a few he's a marked man and doesn't get the time or space so often now.
We don't have the athletes for 90 minutes of pressing so it's understandable that Parky's team cedes possession so much however if we are going to do that we need to hold the line a few yards further up the pitch, be better organised at the back and break with pace (which I presume is why Armstrong starts).
The thing that is difficult to bear is getting pushed back so far that the goal is always under threat and it almost seems inevitable that sooner or later we'll concede. We can't really expect much from the season given our finances and squad, but I'm convinced Parky could make it a lot harder for the opposition. New players would help but there won't be any meaningful investment in the squad whilst Anderson is around so don't hold your breath.
The only consolation is that despite being bottom of the league, we haven't been cast adrift yet and that was a distinct possibility not so long ago.

I believe the season is over and we will be relegated.

The players, the lack of possession, the pump it long to Madine plan, the lack of funds for new players in January and the negative approach of our manager mean only one thing.

Relegation!!

That's my head talking, but I still look forward to each game thinking if we can just get a couple of wins under our belt we will be clear of that bottom three.

Then I think, but not for long.

Cajunboy wrote:I believe the season is over and we will be relegated.

The players, the lack of possession, the pump it long to Madine plan, the lack of funds for new players in January and the negative approach of our manager mean only one thing.

Relegation!!

That's my head talking, but I still look forward to each game thinking if we can just get a couple of wins under our belt we will be clear of that bottom three.

Then I think, but not for long.

As long as there is hope, there is disappointment just around the corner. 

Exactly, hope is the killer.

Despite my negativity, when I look at the bottom of  the table I think we haven't lost touch, survival is possible.

Cajunboy wrote:Exactly, hope is the killer.

Despite my negativity, when I look at the bottom of  the table I think we haven't lost touch, survival is possible.

I think it's all down to Ken Anderson. If he can stump up some cash for reinforcements in January then we may have a chance. We haven't lost touch just yet and there is every chance we can lift ourselves out of this with a couple of quality signings.

No improvements and I think it's Burton, Bolton and Millwall for the drop.

It's not over but the bookies don't make money for being wrong. Still plenty of games left.

As for Parky he just can't see that back passing to the goalie who then aimlessly belts it up field is a tactic long abandoned by Premier leagues clubs.

Plan A ......hump it to Gazz who then will nod on to nobody in particular.
Plan B ...... see Plan A
Parky supposedly watches the opposition and adjusts our tactics accordingly to take advantage of their weaknesses.......see Plan A

When 2-0 up at half time go out and kill the match off. We were lucky Norwich scored in the 94 th minute,also that the referee v Sheff W didn’t give a penalty at 2-1. Especially as Madine had hit the post from 4 yards out with the net gaping at 2-0. We cannot sit back and absorb 45 minutes off constant pressure. Parkinson was at fault v Reading in not replacing Ameobi ( he was knackered) leading to his size 15 boots clipping Reading wingers foot. He was running in to 4 defenders ready to clear the ball when he was clipped by the knackered Ameobi. Parkinson should take Ameobi off after 60 minutes has he has contributed nothing after an hour. He either scores in the first half or plays his best but tires for some reason. His legs are twice as big as Armstrong’s but he’s slower.
We are in a much better place than 8 games ago even though we are still bottom. With Barnsley,Burton,Cardiff at home in 3 of our 4 next matches we need a minimum 7 points.
Expecting anything on the road other than a point is just a hope. Fulham was our best hope at 1-0 we got stiffed with 6 minutes added time. With a keeper that can’t collect from corners and punched the ball out from the corner which was played to the wing and crossed in for the equaliser on 94 minutes plus is one of our weaknesses which I guess everyone identified at the beggining of the season. Alnwick/ Howard Leauge 1 keepers. I’m hoping we stay up as we are a better viability to buy in the Championship than in league 1 which we were lucky to get out off when we won 5 on the bounce away. I was shocked that Wolves were bought for £40 million. Molineux is a shithole even rebuilt. We have a great stadium,a hotel and for £25 million a snip. Let’s stay up and see what the Summer brings.