THE CONCRETE ROUNDABOUT (TCR)

Today's essay :

"Is Lewie the only player who cares if we go down or not ?"

You have 5 seconds to answer the question. No talking permitted. No mobile phones. If you wish to go to the toilet, raise your hand and wait for attention.

Any player will tell you that a team needs leadership.

They need to respect and trust the manager. Robbo was one-dimensional and had no answers to the opposition sussing it out. Neilson seems to have upset too many players and didn’t have much of a plan. DM is a complete novice at adult league management and they know it.

You always need leaders on the pitch too, and they can sometimes make up for management weaknesses. For example, it wasn’t RDM’s management that won the Champions League, it was Lampard, Cech, Cole, Drogba and, up until he was sent off in the semi, Terry.

But all we’ve got is Lewington, and he’s semi-isolated at left back. We do have Aneke, but he’s injured a lot and isolated up front. At times in the past we’ve had Williams and Cisse, but they have both suffered from loss of form and, in Cisse’s case, being played out of position.

This squad aren’t bad players. But any group of workers will underperform if they suffer a lack of coherent leadership, in our case we may have it both on and off the pitch. Our only hope could be Ward.

I don't think many of our players are really bad. They've been asked to play in ways which don't suit them, though. And we have too many injury prone players it seems to me. Are the fitness training regimes appropriate I wonder?

I've said it on other threads. I'm pretty sure that if these players had been asked to play in a straightforward 4-4-2 within their capabilities rather than in formations which need genuinely good players to make them work we would not be in the mess we are now. They aren't world beaters but they are reasonable League One players and with proper direction would have been OK.

Players yes, but the manager picks them. What the fuck did Landell do in his 10 minute Cameo on Saturday for DM to say, tell you what, he's starting Tuesday . We conceaded two and he was directly responsible for one . I mean WTF

What did he see in Cisses performance on Saturday to think, we'll keep him in . Just watch the highlights again and watch Cisse!! ambling around just not interested in the danger.
What is up with Ward? surly we haven't signed a CB who can't even get in this freaking side and if he's injured then he shouldn't be on the bench .
Mcgrandles , Nesbitt , Taverner ?
Whats Nesbitt done wrong btw? There was a time when it was just give him the ball and see what happens , he was taking all free kicks and corners and he did alright to to be fair to him . DM has given him 8 minutes to date !!!

You cant pick a team devoid of any ability because the pitch is shit .
Brittain grew into the game on Saturday, why drop him?

And anyway, we've learned this 3 at the back Markey don't work, all he needs to do is speak to the very people he's asking to do it

Nah, not having it, DM needs to learn quick and I hope to hope that he knows deep down his choices have have an influence on results .

I don't we realised how 'told you so' it was at the time.
But a large measure of the reason for where we are IMHO is RM who caused morale not only to hit rock bottom but to start F- digging towards the earth's core

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Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment