And if I'm honest, everything I see coming out of or to do with the club is negative. The football certainly is, there is no pride, no passion, nothing. It's like a group of lads turn up are given shirts and left to sort themselves out. It's wrong.
Lets look at the defence. This is the best, on paper, defensive line up we've had for donkeys, 3 internationals ffs. These players have been playing that position throughout their careers, they should in all honesty know what they're doing. So why don't they?
On paper, this is the best squad of players we've had for, well, since the inception of the Premier League. So why isn't it happening?
I see continual reports that the training is slack, there is no intensity, players turn up, have a jog about and go home. Players have been saying things like "I couldn't believe how relaxed the training was when I got here compared to XXXX". Why? Why is this allowed to continue.
Now, lets look at the first 3 fixtures away from home. Manchester United; we were 1 down before the ball was kicked with their signing of Lukaku. I don't think anyone in their right mind had this down as anything but a loss. But the way we lost was farcical. Southamption; we don't have too bad a record there so it should have been at least a draw probably a win. Yes you can argue the Arnautavic rush of blood sending off cost us but did it? Southampton hadn't scored for over 9 hours until we turned up. They managed 3 past us, 2 penalties one of which was questionable. With the defensive unit we had they shouldn't have been suckered into giving them away. Yes, we managed to claw two back from our only threat on the day, Hernandez who does look to be an excellent signing.
Finally Newcastle. What can you say in defence of our team. Nothing, there really is nothing there. We beat Cheltenham mid week, which we should have done at a canter with the youth team in all fairness. Newcastle lost to Nottingham Forrest and hadn't won either of their first two Premier League fixtures. Their manager is looking for an exit, continually bemoaning the lack of transfer activity. They were ripe for the picking. Again, on paper, this had us full of confidence after a win going up there and trouncing them making significant inroads into our negative goal difference. But again we turned up and rolled over.
Then this morning I see the comments by Mr Snodgrass, a player I have admired since seeing him playing for Leeds. We should have got him then, he would have been an awesome player for us. However, we didn't and when we did finally get him I was quite excited about what he would bring to the team. But the manager decided not to play him where he's played his entire career, gave him a role he wasn't comfortable with and was surprised when he didn't perform. To be honest, I'm not.
The buck stops with the manager. It is up to the manager to sort out what's wrong. It's up to the manager to motivate the players. It's up to the manager to play the players in the position they've played all their career, not try and make them fit his system.
People are saying "it's only 3 games into the season, give him time". It's not though, is it. 5 wins in the last 23, 123(?) goals shipped is not good enough. Give him 5 games or until Christmas people say. It could be too late by then, the board need to act now and either give Mr Bilic the opportunity to resign or if he will not do that, sack him.
There, I said it.
Lets look at the defence. This is the best, on paper, defensive line up we've had for donkeys, 3 internationals ffs. These players have been playing that position throughout their careers, they should in all honesty know what they're doing. So why don't they?
On paper, this is the best squad of players we've had for, well, since the inception of the Premier League. So why isn't it happening?
I see continual reports that the training is slack, there is no intensity, players turn up, have a jog about and go home. Players have been saying things like "I couldn't believe how relaxed the training was when I got here compared to XXXX". Why? Why is this allowed to continue.
Now, lets look at the first 3 fixtures away from home. Manchester United; we were 1 down before the ball was kicked with their signing of Lukaku. I don't think anyone in their right mind had this down as anything but a loss. But the way we lost was farcical. Southamption; we don't have too bad a record there so it should have been at least a draw probably a win. Yes you can argue the Arnautavic rush of blood sending off cost us but did it? Southampton hadn't scored for over 9 hours until we turned up. They managed 3 past us, 2 penalties one of which was questionable. With the defensive unit we had they shouldn't have been suckered into giving them away. Yes, we managed to claw two back from our only threat on the day, Hernandez who does look to be an excellent signing.
Finally Newcastle. What can you say in defence of our team. Nothing, there really is nothing there. We beat Cheltenham mid week, which we should have done at a canter with the youth team in all fairness. Newcastle lost to Nottingham Forrest and hadn't won either of their first two Premier League fixtures. Their manager is looking for an exit, continually bemoaning the lack of transfer activity. They were ripe for the picking. Again, on paper, this had us full of confidence after a win going up there and trouncing them making significant inroads into our negative goal difference. But again we turned up and rolled over.
Then this morning I see the comments by Mr Snodgrass, a player I have admired since seeing him playing for Leeds. We should have got him then, he would have been an awesome player for us. However, we didn't and when we did finally get him I was quite excited about what he would bring to the team. But the manager decided not to play him where he's played his entire career, gave him a role he wasn't comfortable with and was surprised when he didn't perform. To be honest, I'm not.
The buck stops with the manager. It is up to the manager to sort out what's wrong. It's up to the manager to motivate the players. It's up to the manager to play the players in the position they've played all their career, not try and make them fit his system.
People are saying "it's only 3 games into the season, give him time". It's not though, is it. 5 wins in the last 23, 123(?) goals shipped is not good enough. Give him 5 games or until Christmas people say. It could be too late by then, the board need to act now and either give Mr Bilic the opportunity to resign or if he will not do that, sack him.
There, I said it.