New broom in a new town MK Dons(a) 4th Feb 2017

[Worthy4England]

Why would the manager look for attacking, passing midfielders in the window, when he doesn't want them?

I'd say that is nonsense. He played Mark Davies and Sammy when they were available.

He had systems to get the best out of the creativity. He's not some reckless Owen Coyle/Neil Lennon all out attack fool. But neither is he ultra cautious. He picks balanced teams when he's been able to.

Final question from me on this....if he's a decent manager in your eyes, why does he continue to select the totally ineffective & useless stump Madine week in week out even though its not working, and also why does he continue his 'lets not play through midfield' system, and instead opts for lets play slowly at a snails pace and play sideways passing for a few minutes and then after passing sideways for a while then pass it back to Beevers to launch 60 yard balls somewhere in the direction of Madine.

Is he also not ultra cautious playing 2 holding midfielders in almost every game ?

Not unreasonable questions PT - but you need to qualify "not working" a little. We have the tightest defence in the league, the third best GD, the third highest number of wins and a couple of games in hand. It could always be better, but "not working" is a fairly large overstatement IMO. I still groan when I see a "punt in the general direction of Madine"...

[Peter Thompson]

Not unreasonable questions PT - but you need to qualify "not working" a little. We have the tightest defence in the league, the third best GD, the third highest number of wins and a couple of games in hand. It could always be better, but "not working" is a fairly large overstatement IMO. I still groan when I see a "punt in the general direction of Madine"...

No win to date yet in 2017 - successive home defeats against Swindon & Charlton, one shot on target at MK Dons

[Worthy4England]

Not unreasonable questions PT - but you need to qualify "not working" a little. We have the tightest defence in the league, the third best GD, the third highest number of wins and a couple of games in hand. It could always be better, but "not working" is a fairly large overstatement IMO. I still groan when I see a "punt in the general direction of Madine"...

No win to date yet in 2017 - successive home defeats against Swindon & Charlton, one shot on target at MK Dons

Three League games. Two losses and a draw - following November/December's six league wins and two losses. So yes - not great over the last three League Games.

I can usually find three games in a season where we've been a bit shit - when we got 98 points, in the November and December there were 8 consecutive games where we lost 2 and drew 6. We should probably have sacked someone for that.

[Nicko58]

Coming to something when 'four decent games a season' Mark Davies is being spun as the problem missing from midfield.

He might well be a permacrock (well, he definitely IS a permacrock) but I think we'd have gained more points than we have now if he'd have been fit.

[Peter Thompson]

Not unreasonable questions PT - but you need to qualify "not working" a little. We have the tightest defence in the league, the third best GD, the third highest number of wins and a couple of games in hand. It could always be better, but "not working" is a fairly large overstatement IMO. I still groan when I see a "punt in the general direction of Madine"...

No win to date yet in 2017 - successive home defeats against Swindon & Charlton, one shot on target at MK Dons

Three League games. Two losses and a draw - following November/December's six league wins and two losses. So yes - not great over the last three League Games.

I can usually find three games in a season where we've been a bit shit - when we got 98 points, in the November and December there were 8 consecutive games where we lost 2 and drew 6. We should probably have sacked someone for that.

Worthy its not just the results and I've never said sack Parkinson - its the slow, predictable, easy to play against style of play, lack of creativity and lack of chances created that IMO means its not working & something needs to change to try and get some momentum and confidence back in the team. Again as I've always said its only my opinion, and if people think things don't need to change and results will simply improve playing the same way / tactics etc. then fair enough - I suppose time will tell.

[BWFC_Insane]

Not unreasonable questions PT - but you need to qualify "not working" a little. We have the tightest defence in the league, the third best GD, the third highest number of wins and a couple of games in hand. It could always be better, but "not working" is a fairly large overstatement IMO. I still groan when I see a "punt in the general direction of Madine"...

No win to date yet in 2017 - successive home defeats against Swindon & Charlton, one shot on target at MK Dons

Three League games. Two losses and a draw - following November/December's six league wins and two losses. So yes - not great over the last three League Games.

I can usually find three games in a season where we've been a bit shit - when we got 98 points, in the November and December there were 8 consecutive games where we lost 2 and drew 6. We should probably have sacked someone for that.

Worthy its not just the results and I've never said sack Parkinson - its the slow, predictable, easy to play against style of play, lack of creativity and lack of chances created that IMO means its not working & something needs to change to try and get some momentum and confidence back in the team. Again as I've always said its only my opinion, and if people think things don't need to change and results will simply improve playing the same way / tactics etc. then fair enough - I suppose time will tell.

But they've brought players in to "try and change" things round. Parky, Anderson have all said that.

But as with last time the players coming in haven't played games, aren't match fit and it will take time to find our feet. That is not Parky's fault.

[Worthy4England]

Not unreasonable questions PT - but you need to qualify "not working" a little. We have the tightest defence in the league, the third best GD, the third highest number of wins and a couple of games in hand. It could always be better, but "not working" is a fairly large overstatement IMO. I still groan when I see a "punt in the general direction of Madine"...

No win to date yet in 2017 - successive home defeats against Swindon & Charlton, one shot on target at MK Dons

Three League games. Two losses and a draw - following November/December's six league wins and two losses. So yes - not great over the last three League Games.

I can usually find three games in a season where we've been a bit shit - when we got 98 points, in the November and December there were 8 consecutive games where we lost 2 and drew 6. We should probably have sacked someone for that.

Worthy its not just the results and I've never said sack Parkinson - its the slow, predictable, easy to play against style of play, lack of creativity and lack of chances created that IMO means its not working & something needs to change to try and get some momentum and confidence back in the team. Again as I've always said its only my opinion, and if people think things don't need to change and results will simply improve playing the same way / tactics etc. then fair enough - I suppose time will tell.

Indeed - I'd have it in the "could work better" category myself...Reality is, results are everything and agree they've been poor last few games - if he gets us up by any means, then I think "it's worked" and if he doesn't then it hasn't.

As long as I can remember, some people have questioned our creativity (including when we were riding high in the Prem) - some folks wanted to get shut of Allardyce iirc. Problem has always been having the financial clout to get that type of midfielder on the money we have available. Who do you think was the last "creative midfielder" we had?

[Peter Thompson]

Mark Davies....

[Worthy4England]

Mark Davies....

Ok. So one like that who can play more than 4 decent games a season? He appeared 39? times for us last season, not that it helped much...

[Peter Thompson]

Mark Davies....

Ok. So one like that who can play more than 4 decent games a season? He appeared 39? times for us last season, not that it helped much...

Worthy your question was 'Who do you think was the last "creative midfielder" we had?' not who was the last consistent good creative midfielder we had....

[Worthy4England]

Mark Davies....

Ok. So one like that who can play more than 4 decent games a season? He appeared 39? times for us last season, not that it helped much...

Worthy your question was 'Who do you think was the last "creative midfielder" we had?' not who was the last consistent good creative midfielder we had....

Good point, well made!

[Jugs]

All I'll say is that we have some deluded fans on here at times....I appreciate that in the main I'm overly negative, but I'm sure some are overly positive just for the sake of it.

It doesn't really matter how Sheff Utd and Scunthorpe play or whether they have a slight wobble, because at the moment the team is awful and doesn't look like being able to win games consistently. We have absolutely no threat up front with cart horse Madine and very little if any creativity in Midfield.

I'm not saying all is lost but unless Parkinson stops playing hoof ball to the simply terrible and totally ineffective Madine, and tries to get the team to play better passing football through midfield, we will struggle to create enough chances for ALF (that's if Parkinson will play him enough) and I don't think that we will win enough games for the rest of the season basically because we don't create enough goal scoring opportunities in open play, we don't score enough goals and the odd ones we score are mainly from set pieces.

We appear to have been worked out by many opposition teams and our midfield is so pedestrian & slow with no one good enough to run with the ball, so because they can't create anything in the opposition's half they resort to Madine hoof ball - so IMO Parkinson needs to change things quickly otherwise we could drop like a stone, especially with the away games coming up at Sheff Utd, Bradford & Scunthorpe....but he won't change because he's in capable of playing any other way and I suspect that he'll continue to play hoof ball to Madine, so if we are lucky we may finish in the play offs but we don't have a chance of the top two in my opinion.

I think it's more that people know things can change very easily, especially in this division.

I remember a year ago (when I last posted pretty much) people on here were saying we should sell Vela because he's shite. And now look.

I don't think it's a case of being positive for the sake of being positive. We still have a very good chance of going up (we're third). There are still lots of points to play for. We've hit a blip, but we hit one earlier in the season.

Things (including our expectations, hopes and perceptions) can change a lot in 90 minutes. I admit if we lose on Saturday we're in a proper pickle, but it still won't be irreversible. Remember when we lost at Rochdale earlier in the season and to Oxford at home? We got it back together. It can be done again. Sheff United and Scunthorpe aren't gods. They're going to hit a a sticky patch again at some point.

But I agree that Madine is doing my head in I wanna see Le Fondre starting.

[boltonboris]

DSB(?) Pointed out previously just how streaky Parky's teams have been form wise. Win consistently in large blocks, then go winless in large blocks - It's what he does. Hopefully, by the end of the season, the big blocks of wins will accumulate enough points to see us top 2, because we certainly not the type of team I'd fancy in the playoffs where it's blood, thunder and usually good away performances

[bristol_Wanderer3]

I think Parky is the kind of manager who likes a formula that is likely to deliver a clean sheet first and foremost. A Mourinho/BSA type, over a Wenger/Coyle type. So even if our players are capable of playing stylish, quick, passing football, if that leaves the side insecure at the back, he won't go for it. Of course if he has the luxury of a team that can deliver both, he will obviously go for it, and I think we got close when Clough and Ameobi were at their best. Right now it must be a question for him if the qualities Madine gives the team (ability to hold the ball up front, tiring out opposition defenders (questionable), effective in defending set pieces) are undermined by the lack of goals and chances we are creating.

The team for Walsall is going to be interesting. They are in great form and have beaten us already when we couldn't break down 10 men. I wonder if our full back issues could lead to a 3-5-2?? Something like:

Alnwick
Thorpe Wheater Beevers
Vela Osede Spearing Morais Moxey
Le Fondre Long

[Worthy4England]

I remember a year ago (when I last posted pretty much) people on here were saying we should sell Vela because he's shite. And now look.

Well, he was.

Some of that will be down to being played in all sorts of different positions. Fact we were relegation fodder. Players not getting paid and the like. Lots of stuff going on. Whatever the cause, if we weren't going to change where he played and how he played and what system, then he was about as much use to us as a fart in a space suit and we might as well have cashed in.

One league down, different system, different position, he looks adequate. Guess if we go back up again, we'll have another look.

[Jugs]

I remember a year ago (when I last posted pretty much) people on here were saying we should sell Vela because he's shite. And now look.

Well, he was.

Some of that will be down to being played in all sorts of different positions. Fact we were relegation fodder. Players not getting paid and the like. Lots of stuff going on. Whatever the cause, if we weren't going to change where he played and how he played and what system, then he was about as much use to us as a fart in a space suit and we might as well have cashed in.

One league down, different system, different position, he looks adequate. Guess if we go back up again, we'll have another look.

I disagree!

[Worthy4England]

I remember a year ago (when I last posted pretty much) people on here were saying we should sell Vela because he's shite. And now look.

Well, he was.

Some of that will be down to being played in all sorts of different positions. Fact we were relegation fodder. Players not getting paid and the like. Lots of stuff going on. Whatever the cause, if we weren't going to change where he played and how he played and what system, then he was about as much use to us as a fart in a space suit and we might as well have cashed in.

One league down, different system, different position, he looks adequate. Guess if we go back up again, we'll have another look.

I disagree!

Fairy Nuff.

[boltonboris]

I see the lad Samizadeh scored a brace l;ast night in a 2-0 win against Hull

He seemingly scores in every single game he plays - Everybody complains about his size and him not being ready and looking a little overawed against centre ba... Oh he's just scored again

[boltonboris]

Sink or Swim time for me. Still a teenager (apparently) and if you can hit the net, you can hit the net

[BWFC_Insane]

Sink or Swim time for me. Still a teenager (apparently) and if you can hit the net, you can hit the net

He's not even getting into the U23 side. Came off the bench didn't he?