Bedsheets, Pitchforks and colours nailed etc.

[wigan white]

Currently Lennon has my full support and backing to get us out of this shite, but I do have a concern over the appointment of Steve Walford, who was brought in to replace Mjallby, now he only joined 1 day before the Huddersfield match, so wouldnt have had chance to have any input into the team, but due to his involvement with the Eire side, he's now been away for almost the full 2 weeks of the international break, when we would have had a full squad to work with due to none of them being internationals anymore. In the position we are in, can we afford to have a "part-time" assistant manager to work with Lennon and the squad or is he another Lennie Lawrence. He may work wonders in the future but looking at our results and performances since he came in, we seem to have gone worse??? As a premier league team you can afford your coaching staff to "have another job" as most of your players are away at the same time, but now at our level and especially how crap we are, surely we should have someone working with the players full time?

[BWFC_Insane]

Currently Lennon has my full support and backing to get us out of this shite, but I do have a concern over the appointment of Steve Walford, who was brought in to replace Mjallby, now he only joined 1 day before the Huddersfield match, so wouldnt have had chance to have any input into the team, but due to his involvement with the Eire side, he's now been away for almost the full 2 weeks of the international break, when we would have had a full squad to work with due to none of them being internationals anymore. In the position we are in, can we afford to have a "part-time" assistant manager to work with Lennon and the squad or is he another Lennie Lawrence. He may work wonders in the future but looking at our results and performances since he came in, we seem to have gone worse??? As a premier league team you can afford your coaching staff to "have another job" as most of your players are away at the same time, but now at our level and especially how crap we are, surely we should have someone working with the players full time?

Well it is a good point. I'm not entirely sure who is there for the coaching matters it is more about the quality of the coaching and the things it focuses on. We do need to do far better on set pieces, but apparently don't practice them much. I feel that given we lack quality we don't maximise the areas that can be coached. Lennon and his staff can't turn Madine into a goal machine. They could though work out a corner delivery and movement that get him onto stuff at the near post. But we don't seem to bother with any of that.....

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Assistant manager (Walford) is different to first-team coach (Garry Parker).

In the general run of things, the AM is the gaffer's soundboard and ideas generator – often with the FTC involved, but it's a more cerebral role. If the AM is a young man he may get involved with coaching (as Mjallby did) but if he's old he might not - that's why you get the auld fellas as assistants.

Maybe Lennon wanted an older guy who could help him get through the tough times – O'Neill obviously rates his experience, getting him in alongside Roy Keane. Obviously it's a pity Walford is away, and it's handy if he's around to watch training, but it shouldn't necessarily stop anything happening while he's away.

Not sure who's working on defensive training, though...

[wigan white]

Currently Lennon has my full support and backing to get us out of this shite, but I do have a concern over the appointment of Steve Walford, who was brought in to replace Mjallby, now he only joined 1 day before the Huddersfield match, so wouldnt have had chance to have any input into the team, but due to his involvement with the Eire side, he's now been away for almost the full 2 weeks of the international break, when we would have had a full squad to work with due to none of them being internationals anymore. In the position we are in, can we afford to have a "part-time" assistant manager to work with Lennon and the squad or is he another Lennie Lawrence. He may work wonders in the future but looking at our results and performances since he came in, we seem to have gone worse??? As a premier league team you can afford your coaching staff to "have another job" as most of your players are away at the same time, but now at our level and especially how crap we are, surely we should have someone working with the players full time?

Well it is a good point. I'm not entirely sure who is there for the coaching matters it is more about the quality of the coaching and the things it focuses on. We do need to do far better on set pieces, but apparently don't practice them much. I feel that given we lack quality we don't maximise the areas that can be coached. Lennon and his staff can't turn Madine into a goal machine. They could though work out a corner delivery and movement that get him onto stuff at the near post. But we don't seem to bother with any of that.....

This is the thing, we've Parker and Brunskill is also involved with the coaching alongside Lennon and Walford, but realistically they can only train the players to how the manager wants them trained. One criticism of Lennon, is that he plays the Zonal marking system on defensive corners (watch tomorrow, we have 3 lines of 3 in the box) and that just doesn't work. But on attacking corners (which were shocking), it appears they have now worked on them as every bugger was stood in a queue at the edge of the box and ran in as it was hit. But it seemed that was our only plan as we did the same on every corner we had. now I'm hoping Walford (being an "old head") will advise Lennon as to differing methods, but its not seemed to have happened so far.

[wigan white]

Assistant manager (Walford) is different to first-team coach (Garry Parker).

In the general run of things, the AM is the gaffer's soundboard and ideas generator – often with the FTC involved, but it's a more cerebral role. If the AM is a young man he may get involved with coaching (as Mjallby did) but if he's old he might not - that's why you get the auld fellas as assistants.

Maybe Lennon wanted an older guy who could help him get through the tough times – O'Neill obviously rates his experience, getting him in alongside Roy Keane. Obviously it's a pity Walford is away, and it's handy if he's around to watch training, but it shouldn't necessarily stop anything happening while he's away.

Not sure who's working on defensive training, though...

I do agree with the fact that he may be here just for his Idea's and for Lennon to bounce of, but exactly as you say, Mjallby worked with the defenders but Walford doesn't seem to, maybe behind the scenes he does, but its not evidenced on the pitch. During a game, Mjallby was up constantly talking to the defence but that doesn't seem to be the case now.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I'll say it again: we conceded plenty this spring with Mjallby jumping up and down.

[wigan white]

I'll say it again: we conceded plenty this spring with Mjallby jumping up and down.

I know what you're saying and agree, BUT prior to Walfords appointment this year, we looked more solid as a defensive unit (goals conceded tended to be from individual error rather than rank bad defending). Things might improve given time, but at the minute it doesn't seem good.

[Enoch]

I'll say it again: we conceded plenty this spring with Mjallby jumping up and down.

I know what you're saying and agree, BUT prior to Walfords appointment this year, we looked more solid as a defensive unit (goals conceded tended to be from individual error rather than rank bad defending). Things might improve given time, but at the minute it doesn't seem good.

Anyway, while the defnce isn't perfect, it wasn't the problem last night

I felt that way after QPR. Our goalie threw one in and they scored a couple of screamers, otherwise I thought we defended quite well.

I know some folk like to habitually criticise certain players and some like to apportion blame for every goal we concede no matter how far back in play they need to reference, but sometimes the opposition just do something that's too good.

A game of opinions.

[Worthy4England]

Yes, but mine's always correct!

[Enoch]

My psychiatrist told me I was crazy and I said I want a second opinion. He said okay, you're ugly too.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

My psychiatrist told me I was crazy and I said I want a second opinion. He said okay, you're ugly too.

He's two for two!

[Enoch]

Doesn't make me a bad person!

[Hoboh]

Yes, but mine's always correct!

Yawn!

[Worthy4England]

Yes, but mine's always correct!

Yawn!

[thebish]

my point was that he promises to stop moaning about the players, the board, and the lack of money - then goes on to moan about the players, the board, and the lack of money...

not quite what Lenny does here - but out of the manager's masterclass for any sport - most recently, Wales and the rugby...

"Some might be tempted to blame all the crippling injuries that we have had losing players X,Y,Z,A,B,C and D, and some might blame bad refereeing decisions that clearly cost us very dearly, but you won't find me mentioning any of those things!"

[Prufrock]

[SmokinFrazier]

I think Lennon is a good manager and I hope he's given more time. It's not like we're playing horrible football and there are clear issues with the strategy that the players are being instructed to follow, I just think our squad has had a massive overhaul since Freedman went and it'll take time to get things right. Our back four today consisted of three new signings, who each spoke a different language, so you can't expect these players to work together and immediately form strong partnerships, it's a process that'll take time. Not having a goalscorer has been an issue too but it's primarily small mistakes that can be ironed out which are costing us points, not fundamental tactical flaws that a better manager could fix like we saw under Coyle and Freedman. I'm confident Lennon can take us up the table and even though results are poor, I'm not too bothered because I see enough reason to have hope.

[Enoch]

I know how you feel CAPS.

[thebish]

I think Lennon is a good manager and I hope he's given more time. It's not like we're playing horrible football and there are clear issues with the strategy that the players are being instructed to follow, I just think our squad has had a massive overhaul since Freedman went and it'll take time to get things right. Our back four today consisted of three new signings, who each spoke a different language, so you can't expect these players to work together and immediately form strong partnerships, it's a process that'll take time. Not having a goalscorer has been an issue too but it's primarily small mistakes that can be ironed out which are costing us points, not fundamental tactical flaws that a better manager could fix like we saw under Coyle and Freedman. I'm confident Lennon can take us up the table and even though results are poor, I'm not too bothered because I see enough reason to have hope.

I agree with you that he should be given more time - absolutely. I think he is out of his depth and needs the time to work out what he has taken on - and I also believe that Lenny has the gumption/intelligence to do that, eventually... give him the time (and that might involve relegation) - and we might well reap the benefits...

i disagree that it is acceptable to make excuses around players being new and not speaking the same language - not if the current manager has signed them with only very limited funds and therefore has to be very careful with every penny he sends... that sounds like a very desperate excuse...

also - some of the football I have seen us play has been pretty horrible... and those who have seen more than me have spoken of shortish spells of ok/decent football - overshadowed by longer spells of horrible football - by horrible, I mean a seeming lack of any plan or idea about how we are actually going to score...

when you are bottom - a confident prediction about Lenny taking us up the table is less impressive!! there's no other way he could possibly take us now!

[BWFC_Insane]

I know how you feel CAPS.