What is going on?

[MikeW]

I hope the Mr Khan's and others read this because I, like many others on this site, are more than a little bemused with 'what is going on?'
First, due praise for the investment.  I haven't seen the lads live this season but (on paper) investment in Fonte, AK and Djalo is considerable and welcome.  Plus the behind the scenes work that has ensured we have kept our stars for the time being at least.
The manager is a worry.  He has no great rapport with the fans, comes across as a bit surly and insulated.  OK his English isn't great but to be honest – should it be better if he is that interested?  (Pochettino anyone?)
He is starting to get a reputation as a walker.  That said, if we believe everything, he is not picking his team.  Seriously, can you believe that? Nearly £15M of signings he had no say in.  Sorry, I don't buy it.
We do seem to have a lot of players some way short of the first team. The youngsters who played Tuesday I support fully.  Great experience for them.  But there were a few others that a fixture against a robust Div 1 side found out.  Again, you question the investment. 
A mate said to me the other day –"really good to watch Fulham, but a team of dancers".   Add to that 'sideways' and in truth he's right.
I'm not going to start procrastinating about line up's or shape or whatever.  I'm not qualified and haven't watched first hand. 
But yes – we need a solid robust leader (from where?) who is preferably a centre half and a striker in the (younger) Glenn Murray style who simply knows where the back of the net is.
It doesn't seem a happy ship when viewed from outside (Witness Tom Cairney body language in recent interview).  Communication is poor and impersonal and the whole place seems very short of charisma.

[BestOfBrede]

Come back in a couple of months, I reckon you will be saying the complete opposite.
Why are people having a dig at Slav all of a sudden?
The man is the best thing that's happened to our club since Tigana and Woy!
Let's get/stay behind the team and when it clicks I believe we will be a force to be reckoned with!

[bill taylors apprentice]

Lots of words, not sure what your getting at?

Seem's your saying the investments been made but the Managers not up to it, really?

Otherwise you're guessing or talking nonsense!

[jarv]

Don't panic. Early days. If TC looks miserable, maybe because he is not 100% fit, that will do it.

[hovewhite]

League wise follow the team home and away ,not sure about the coach,But still support whoever wears the shirt but sho my frustration when i am not sure whats happening with my team as this is the place to do it.
Sat v ipswich i will be there trying to be the extra man!
This site allows me to get it  off my chest!

[Artful Dodger]

I am annoyed that we didn't put a stronger team out as I think the EFL cup is a great chance at a good cup run which we don't seem to acknowledge so putting a team with 11 changes that had never played before and you reap what you sow. That was SJ's decision but it doesn't make him a bad coach all of a sudden.

It's all ifs and buts...but had we held on at home to Norwich (or scored a second our play deserved), not had Kalas sent off after 39 seconds at Reading to a terrible decision and Cisse's shot gone in off the post at Leeds, we could have had 9 points before we played Wednesday and we would all be saying last night was one of those things. OK, we don't have 9 points but those are the margins in this league and no-one was complaining about SJ last season as we finished top scorers and had a brilliant run after the team settled down. So, he hasn't gone from a good manager to a bad one overnight and if he was a 'walker' he would have gone over the summer when his stock was at it's highest following a good season, so I am not buying that either.

Football management is about luck otherwise good managers would succeed at all clubs they go to and it doesn't work like that. We now play a good brand of football that was so much better than the last 3 or 4 years, so 4 games shouldn't detract from that. Yes, we need to get scoring goals again but I am sure it will come when players settle down and the window closes and players like Aluko wont have agents whispering in their ears about moving.

So, be a bit more optimistic and lets stick together - there's still another 126 points to play for......  049:gif

[SuffolkWhite]

Fonte was captain at Braga I believe so he is a natural leader on the pitch hopefully.

It will come together, just needs time and yes I appreciate the clocks ticking and other teams are ahead on points. But do we all think Cardiff and Ipswich will be top at the end of the season?

Give it ten games and lets see where we are, anywhere near the Paly Offs is good in my book as this league is a pain to get out of and we have to view this season with fresh eyes because it ain't a given that we will finish in the top 2 or 6 for that matter.

Get behind the team and be vocal it may help  049:gif

[hovewhite]

Fonte was captain at Braga I believe so he is a natural leader on the pitch hopefully.

It will come together, just needs time and yes I appreciate the clocks ticking and other teams are ahead on points. But do we all think Cardiff and Ipswich will be top at the end of the season?

Give it ten games and lets see where we are, anywhere near the Paly Offs is good in my book as this league is a pain to get out of and we have to view this season with fresh eyes because it ain't a given that we will finish in the top 2 or 6 for that matter.

Get behind the team and be vocal it may help  049:gif

Support the boys sat v ipswich clubs doing a great deal coach wise on travel turn up help be the extra man.coyw Believe!

[Twig]

You haven'r been to see them so a lot of words but little insight.  You say Joka has no connection with those fans. Really? I'd have to disagree with that, and as for starting to tout a replacement, Pochettino, I think you are bang out of order.
You imply some of the recent transfers were found out by a div 1 team, who exactly? Most are very much at the setttling in stage.
This just seems like a fishing expedition to see if, on an ill informed basis, you can drum up some negative sympathisers.

[aaronmcguigan]

I'd have to disagree with that, and as for starting to tout a replacement, Pochettino, I think you are bang out of order.

I think he was referring to Pochettinos grasp of English compared to Slavisas, but yea even thinking of a replacement for Slav is premature and inappropriate I think

[Woolly Mammoth]

Your guess is as good as mine.
This is how I see it, for what its worth.
I don't think Slav is the problem, he may recently have made some errors of judgment reference team selection and substitutions, and the preseason preparation will not go down in history as a class act.
However, My feeling is that he is being undermined by nuisance numbers one and two Khan Junior and Kline and their dam stats.
Some of the players are not his choice, but theirs. They prevent him from signing his choices cause of the stats.
Everything about Joks body language and demeanour at the match v Bristol Rovers was negative vibes. In fact it's written all over his face.
Because of that, it wouldn't surprise me if it's a divided camp. That would be the last thing the club needs.
Nothing surprises me in football anymore, if Jok leaves because of the way these two operate, I wouldn't blame him.
I also do not think there would be many decent candidates queuing up to replace him, knowing they would have to work under that pair and their ideas and format. 

[MikeW]

Thanks for some good observations: Newry you are correct - I wasn't touting Potchettino as a replacement, simply using him as an example of someone who has grasped the lingo from scratch.

I'm certainly not looking for negative sympathisers but I do question why the manager so often comes across as down beat and disheartened.  To me it suggests all is not happy behind the scenes. That's an observation but body language can sometimes be a strong indicator.

[Lighthouse]

Over the last one and a half games it has seemed as if we have lost the plot a bit. But it has just been one and a half games. I think the complete lack of positive subs on Tuesday was a sign of one of two things. It could be following on from the Saturday and Joka made tactical errors and seemed disinterested. OR he was interested more in watching his young players react on Tuesday than caring about the result.

Joka had a great season last year. His first season he could do little without the much criticised system of new players coming in. This season he seems to have lost the team a bit. They certainly are not passing or doing the basics as well as they have done. Plenty of excuses for that, injury, new players etc. Certainly the fighting spirit with ten men seemed pretty good at Reading. Although some fans still criticised the team and said that Reading will struggle this year. In fact all the teams we have met have been poor according to a few fans.

I am not sure there is anything that different this season other that Jokas apparent disinterest. He has a reputation of leaving clubs and his demeanor has been off. But then his supporters will say that is imagination. Like many I suspect we may see a better performance against Ipswich. Not any reason or suggestion for him to go. But after the break it will be interesting, with the squad as good as it is going to be. How Joka reacts and is seen to react.

[toshes mate]

If, and I mean a Kipling 'if', SJ knows what is wrong at Fulham and also knows the exact strategy needed to overcome that wrong, then he'll win through in the end, if he is given the time and space to do so.  But, just like on here, when something small kicks-off it can get out of hand very quickly, and I believe all is not well behind the scenes.  It may be much more than just one thing and it bothers me that we haven't seen a 'pulling together' exercise in PR terms as in 'we are all behind SJ and know exactly what he needs to make his team better than ever'.  That, of course, would require a decent club leader/communications person to instigate. 

I have seen SJ in moody poses before and he expresses himself as best he can in English which I believe is at least his third language.  Can any of us claim to have three plus languages we can make sense in? 

[Luka]

None of us will ever really know, understand or get to grips with Slav. He is his own unique and quite complicated character that expresses himself in his own way.

If Slav was/is as unhappy as some on here think then he would walk. But he hasn't, he is still here.
If the players were unhappy then Sess would be pushing for a transfer as would TC and some others, but they are not they are still here.
Our recruitment policy is no different to last season, Slav is no different to last season, his English skills are no different to last season and his body language is no different to last season.
I dont think all is unwell in the club or that Slav has lost the plot.
We just aren't firing on all cylinders yet.
It happens !!

[michaeldavidheat]

 


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[Artful Dodger]

None of us will ever really know, understand or get to grips with Slav. He is his own unique and quite complicated character that expresses himself in his own way.

If Slav was/is as unhappy as some on here think then he would walk. But he hasn't, he is still here.
If the players were unhappy then Sess would be pushing for a transfer as would TC and some others, but they are not they are still here.
Our recruitment policy is no different to last season, Slav is no different to last season, his English skills are no different to last season and his body language is no different to last season.
I dont think all is unwell in the club or that Slav has lost the plot.
We just aren't firing on all cylinders yet.
It happens !!

Absolutely, I think there are some looking for problems where none exist. It's not been a great start but we have played teams who would also think they are top 6 contenders so let's give it a few more games before we start to panic!

[toshes mate]

'All is unwell' and 'all is not well' are not the same things.   

[berba]

I will tell you a truth:  Life through exposing others' mistakes will never be reformed. If we expose each other, we will never improve. Now I will say one thing: I am truly satisfied with the team. You see I am satisfied, because they do everything they can. I cannot ask for more.   Sometimes they even do more than is required and this is where their mistakes come from - from excessive zeal. Tomas Kalas sent off after 33 seconds shows that. This is why it is hard.

[Berserker]

I will tell you a truth:  Life through exposing others' mistakes will never be reformed. If we expose each other, we will never improve. Now I will say one thing: I am truly satisfied with the team. You see I am satisfied, because they do everything they can. I cannot ask for more.   Sometimes they even do more than is required and this is where their mistakes come from - from excessive zeal. Tomas Kalas sent off after 33 seconds shows that. This is why it is hard.

My hubby who is neutral and sometimes comes to matches, used to row for his school in Scotland. When he is at a match and people are swearing and booing the players he says they should try being out there on the pitch for 90 mins and just see how difficult it is before booing etc.

Mind you maybe peoples expectations are higher now due to the very high wages players get now than years ago, or did some people boo then, I don't know, old timers may know

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