optimistic

[ToodlesMcToot]

I think we would all wholeheartedly agree that Jocanovic should be given a free hand with transfers providing he operates within a budget and that Stats Boy should be there only in an advisory capacity.

Jocanovic has now had his complete squad,  with fourteen new signings , together for some weeks and results are no where near satisfactory so we really can't say we have a brilliant manager. Yes, the football at times looks pretty but remember its goals that count and we are not scoring goals.

Yes a good target man / striker may turn things around but knowing we were to lose possibly the best pair of strikers in the division over the summer a replacement should have been the manager's priority.

How do you know it wasn't? Isn't it just as likely, nay more probable that stats boy or Rigg messed up the signing of his targets

Hard to believe that Jocanovic accepted the job without having the final say on transfers.

Final say? Any say is more like it. I am not so sure that was the case. Why would he line up a loan signing from Jose, just to see it get turned down from stats boy? I remember reading he was in for a few other players that were also rejected by stats boy. It sounds like he ended up with egg on his face, and was operating as if he had a say in the players that were bought in, and they were all turned down. It sounds like all the signings were controlled by stat boy.

Yes, you can call it a 2 way street, but when you are going to get none of the players you want, you'll take anyone.

How do you know he didn't get any of the players he wanted? You make this out to be incredibly one-sided, which it isn't, when all evidence save for SJ's rant says otherwise. He was angry because he didn't get everyone he wanted, not because he didn't get anyone he wanted.

I thought he mainly got the KINDS of players he needed and at the end of the window - after his rant, but not necessarily the ones he specifically wanted. I thought it was pretty one sided and that stats boy put the kibosh on most of his choices. Perhaps someday we'll know more. If you have any stats to prove me wrong I am all ears. I don't have stats to back up my one sidedness - it's jsut my take away from the whole thing.

I'm no more informed than you. I just believe that the truth is more toward the middle than what Slavisa laid out. He said what he needed to say to pressure the club. It got him at least some of what he wanted. The club laid out how transfers work and not a single peep has leaked since to refute that. My guess was/is that he was getting players that he liked but had a string of players that were denied and that was getting in the way of his preparation, so he made a point of it. I'd wager that this method, however new it is to the club, doesn't run smoothly enough for any manager's liking. All my own take of things, of course.

[Barrett487]

I admire your optimism Nose, and i respect your opinion.

I haven't seen a live game so far this year, and as a result will be possibly lambasted for that reason alone.

My opinion is that we need either
1) fast strikers, if we're playing counter attacking football, or
2) strikers who never stop running and provide openings by their movement, if we play possession and create.

We have neither, and for that reason i am apprehensive.

[ScalleysDad]

I still hanker for the evidence that shows this guy can actually coach before I let any optimism take over. No player under his tenure has improved their game, be it ball control, using the ball or space et al, many have gone backwards or at least sideways and any combination of eleven seems to lack something. If Matt Smith is to be the target man feeding off crumbs his coaching should focus on mastering a powerful header away from the keeper with a split second change in the point of contact so that the most is made of those crumbs. With some leniency regarding injuries LVC seems to have lost everything that gave him that great goal against Sheffield Wed. He just seems burdened and Woodrow will remain a mystery. He has much to offer with the right development, including a loan spell, but his progress seems to have stalled. The list goes on.
It is stated that he studies the opposition and puts plans in place to counter their strengths and exploit their supposed weaknesses. It has to be said that several managers have out thought him and had the ability to make the changes needed way better than SJ and the learning curve can only carry on for so long.
Optimism has to be earned and it's a way off yet.

[Barrett487]

I admire your optimism Nose, and i respect your opinion.

I haven't seen a live game so far this year, and as a result will be possibly lambasted for that reason alone.

My opinion is that we need either
1) fast strikers, if we're playing counter attacking football, or
2) strikers who never stop running and provide openings by their movement, if we play possession and create.

We have neither, and for that reason i am apprehensive.

Consider yourself lambasted.

Cheers Woolly, it makes me feel wanted, in an extinct sort of way.....

[davew]

Funny how our views change, at the end of the window we were all quite pleased with the signings we had made including the late loan signing of Martin. Now after a poor run we are saying that we have made bad signings and some of us are leaping to the defence of our manager and readily blaming Stats Boy.

Last season Jocanovic's poor results were blamed on having to use Kit's players.

Look , no way should we think of replacing Jocanovic but he has to take responsibility for what he has said is a good squad and come up with some results soon.

Totally agree with you, good posting!!!!

[davew]

I admire your optimism Nose, and i respect your opinion.

I haven't seen a live game so far this year, and as a result will be possibly lambasted for that reason alone.

My opinion is that we need either
1) fast strikers, if we're playing counter attacking football, or
2) strikers who never stop running and provide openings by their movement, if we play possession and create.

We have neither, and for that reason i am apprehensive.

Consider yourself lambasted.

Cheers Woolly, it makes me feel wanted, in an extinct sort of way.....

Your welcome Barrett487, I always try my best to please.

[nose]

I said i was optimistic and wonder of wonder the team turned up with a brilliant result!

[abfg]

You are a genius, nose

[nose]

You are a genius, nose

i am