Garcia out

[Surf's Up]

Leaving aside the lack of a proper pre-season and subsequent injuries to key players the main problem OG has, as others have said, is that we do not have the players with the skill to play the attacking game OG wants to play. To obtain such players will require a significant cull in the summer and a significant influx of new players. The key issue is going to be whether the club can afford to fund this overhaul without driving a coach and horses through FFP.

 

[Tubby-McFat-Fuc]

Leaving aside the lack of a proper pre-season and subsequent injuries to key players the main problem OG has, as others have said, is that we do not have the players with the skill to play the attacking game OG wants to play. To obtain such players will require a significant cull in the summer and a significant influx of new players. The key issue is going to be whether the club can afford to fund this overhaul without driving a coach and horses through FFP.

I dont think the club can get those players. I think the style belongs to a top ten premiership team. It is well above what we are capable of.

I see this seasons squad as strong, if not stronger than last season.

That squad was ONE result away from finishing in the top 2. I dont see much change in that.

Bridcutt was a big loss. Ince has been a big gain.

Bridge was a big loss. Ward is a big gain.

I feel we have a top 4 squad, and I think you will find the board think that as well. I think this squad is a close on as good as it gets in the championship

 

[Tubby-McFat-Fuc]

If anyone thinks that we have a right to a top six place under those circumstances then they are deluded.

Why do you think that? We were one result away from a top 2 finish last season. We've added some great players, and lost one major starter. I think we have a stronger squad, and so it would appear do the board. I think deluded is a bit over the top.

 

[Luke93]

Since my last POLE another 10% have joined the OUT movement and at this RATE it will be 100% OUT soon

That's mathamatically impossible... becuase a) votes for IN have already been made and b) most people are not deluded haters of Oscar.

 

[Hotchilidog]

Less of the deluded please can we keep the debate civilised.

We had plenty of injuries last season too Bruno, CMS, Vicente - we didnt have our best players Ulloa and Upson for most of the games but the job got done (in regular season at least) regardless of excuses.

We've always missed good chances every season, how do you think Barnes got his reputation? But good teams keep going and get the result - and that's the difference this season, we falter too often.

So are you saying we SHOULD be in the top six with the hand we have been dealt this season or not? I'd say we could be in the top six, but we are not operating at full strength for a whole host of obvious reasons. Quite I'm frankly getting hacked off with the petty dissection of what has actually not been too bad a season given the difficulties we have faced.

Hopefully the coming offseason will be less dramatic than last and we can actually start to really build this team up. Sadly this year for one reason or another it has not been possible, and it doesn't bother me in the slightest.

That said, despite everything, we are still in with a shout of the playoffs. Surely this should be a credit to Oscar, but he appears to be taking an awful lot of stick for it.

 

[The Wizard]

This thread is the exact reason I give NSC a swerve when we lose. 2 losses and people want the manager out. Unbelievable.

 

[Seasider78]

This summer is going to be far tougher than last as with FFP and so many players out of contract we will more than likely see wholesale changes to the squad. At least this season Oscar inherited a team who had largely played a good number of months together

 

[Tubby-McFat-Fuc]

That's mathamatically impossible... becuase a) votes for IN have already been made and b) most people are not deluded haters of Oscar.

Why do people keep referring to posters as deluded or haters, just because they disagree with how things are happening.

Is it not time to start handing out bans to these sorts of posters. What point is there to keep them on here??

 

[Hotchilidog]

Why do you think that? We were one result away from a top 2 finish last season. We've added some great players, and lost one major starter. I think we have a stronger squad, and so it would appear do the board. I think deluded is a bit over the top.

we've played most of the season with one striker due to the absence of the other three, we have sold two key players, lost our major driving force in midfield, as well as other creative contributors (Orlandi, Buckley to injury Lopez to form). On paper we may be strong, in reality this squad is held together with sticky tape, because of illness we were one short on the bench on tuesday night. Oscar is not playing with a full deck here, yet we still create good opportunities to score with his style of play. The players just haven't finished them off.

This has not been an easy season to be the manager of BHA yet despite that our season is still alive. That suggests to me that we are not doing as badly as some are making out.

 

[London Irish]

we've played most of the season with one striker due to the absence of the other three, we have sold two key players, lost our major driving force in midfield, as well as other creative contributors (Orlandi, Buckley to injury Lopez to form). On paper we may be strong, in reality this squad is held together with sticky tape, because of illness we were one short on the bench on tuesday night. Oscar is not playing with a full deck here, yet we still create good opportunities to score with his style of play. The players just haven't finished them off.

This has not been an easy season to be the manager of BHA yet despite that our season is still alive. That suggests to me that we are not doing as badly as some are making out.

On the contrary, our squad has been so strong that we could afford to leave a guy with Premiership experience like Kemy A because we dont like his attitude. Imagine that in the days of Leon Knight and Kazim-Richards and you can see how well off we are now.

We've played one striker out of choice, not necessity. Lita and Obika haven't got games. Rodriguez and Lingard are played as wingers while our real wingers are left out (who can forget the 3 on the bench).

Lopez hasn't lost form, it's Oscar's more direct tactics not suiting his passing game but it suited Croft's - that's Oscar's choice.

I've already listed the players we were without for a significant part of last season, Ulloa, Bruno, Upson, CMS, Vicente - it's special pleading to think it's just been a blight on this season.

Managers have to manage with the deck they are dealt with - there are big question marks that Oscar hasn't done that with rigid defensive tactics that haven't maximised what goal potential there are in the squad.

But I will forgive all if we beat Reading to the last play-off spot. If we don't, like plenty of others I'll make my criticisms!

 

[keaton]

we've played most of the season with one striker due to the absence of the other three, we have sold two key players, lost our major driving force in midfield, as well as other creative contributors (Orlandi, Buckley to injury Lopez to form). On paper we may be strong, in reality this squad is held together with sticky tape, because of illness we were one short on the bench on tuesday night. Oscar is not playing with a full deck here, yet we still create good opportunities to score with his style of play. The players just haven't finished them off.

This has not been an easy season to be the manager of BHA yet despite that our season is still alive. That suggests to me that we are not doing as badly as some are making out.

Until now we've always had two strikers to pick from, if the one's we've signed aren't good enough (Lita, Obika) that's is the manager's responsiblity.

Also in our run to the play-offs last year, Hoskins missed nearly all the season, CMS and Barnes missed around 20 games and we only had Ulloa for half the season.

We also only had Upson for half the season, and it took three or four months of the season before Lopez and Orlandi hit form and fitness.

While we've been unlucky with injuries, Garcia has started games with injured or semi-fit a few times which has made the situation worse

 

[glasfryn]

we've played most of the season with one striker due to the absence of the other three, we have sold two key players, lost our major driving force in midfield, as well as other creative contributors (Orlandi, Buckley to injury Lopez to form). On paper we may be strong, in reality this squad is held together with sticky tape, because of illness we were one short on the bench on tuesday night. Oscar is not playing with a full deck here, yet we still create good opportunities to score with his style of play. The players just haven't finished them off.

This has not been an easy season to be the manager of BHA yet despite that our season is still alive. That suggests to me that we are not doing as badly as some are making out.

maybe so
but with a little more thought we could do better
God this does remind me of Wendy's season so near yet so far

 

[glasfryn]

Until now we've always had two strikers to pick from, if the one's we've signed aren't good enough (Lita, Obika) that's is the manager's responsiblity.

Also in our run to the play-offs last year, Hoskins missed nearly all the season, CMS and Barnes missed around 20 games and we only had Ulloa for half the season.

We also only had Upson for half the season, and it took three or four months of the season before Lopez and Orlandi hit form and fitness.

While we've been unlucky with injuries, Garcia has started games with injured or semi-fit a few times which has made the situation worse

why spend money on borrowing players like Obika and Lita when you are going to play them on the wings they are basically strikers, we did this with Barnes and yet when he played out and out striker he done OK

 

[Ernest]

We have a strong defence, even with injuries, the midfield is strong in defensive duties but all the time we concentrate on that we leave Ulloa isolated up front which is why we aren't scoring the goals. Expect the same tomorrow, as leopards don't change their spots.

Sack Oscar and get a decent experienced manager like Malky Mackay in and we will waltz the league next season

 

[Hotchilidog]

On the contrary, our squad has been so strong that we could afford to leave a guy with Premiership experience like Kemy A because we dont like his attitude. Imagine that in the days of Leon Knight and Kazim-Richards and you can see how well off we are now.

We've played one striker out of choice, not necessity. Lita and Obika haven't got games. Rodriguez and Lingard are played as wingers while our real wingers are left out (who can forget the 3 on the bench).

Lopez hasn't lost form, it's Oscar's more direct tactics not suiting his passing game but it suited Croft's - that's Oscar's choice.

I've already listed the players we were without for a significant part of last season, Ulloa, Bruno, Upson, CMS, Vicente - it's special pleading to think it's just been a blight on this season.

Managers have to manage with the deck they are dealt with - there are big question marks that Oscar hasn't done that with rigid defensive tactics that haven't maximised what goal potential there are in the squad.

But I will forgive all if we beat Reading to the last play-off spot. If we don't, like plenty of others I'll make my criticisms!

We clearly have a different view on the same set of circumstances and could talk each other round in circles for hours (already done this in the pub with friends ad nauseum this season). I absolutely dispute the notion that we are negative, I just think the quality of our attacking play has let us down. We have scored far too few goals, but I believe this is not for the want of trying (I accept that this is not a universally held view). We need to be more clinical, and I think Oscar has got a lot out of a side that now features two development players on a regular basis with another also making an earlier than anticipated contribution.

The lack of quality attacking options has crippled us in my view, not being able to replace CMS, Hoskins or Barnes (Lita and Obika are not like for like imo) has made it hard for us, and especially Leo who has had a disproportionate amount of responsibility in this regard (not too mention his own injury and illness concerns)

We are not, and have not been at any stage this season at full strength. Injury, illness, transfers and suspensions have disrupted this season from the first minute to last. You can argue that none of these things should not affect us, but I'd disagree with that. Still it is a game of opinions after all.

I think Oscar has been a far more pragmatic and adaptable coach than Gus (disclaimer here, I liked Gus as a manager). We do change things in games, the solidifying the midfield second half against Bolton and the change of pace in the last 30minutes against QPR being two examples. That said if the players cannot convert one on ones, put away headers from six yards out or get a cross past the first defender then there is a limit to what a manager can do.

 

[London Irish]

That said if the players cannot convert one on ones, put away headers from six yards out or get a cross past the first defender then there is a limit to what a manager can do.

And that's at the core of our disagreement - the manager can't do anything about that in one isolated game. But if it happens game after game across the entire season, then a manager can do PLENTY about it - but Oscar hasn't.

 

[Tubby-McFat-Fuc]

And that's at the core of our disagreement - the manager can't do anything about that in one isolated game. But if it happens game after game across the entire season, then a manager can do PLENTY about it - but Oscar hasn't.

And that is my point exactly. No one expects to be perfect week in week out. Teams always have good and bad games. But when you spend the season seeing the same pattern game after game after game, IMO a manager worth his wages, would address it, and change in an attempt to improve it.

 

[Tubby-McFat-Fuc]

we've played most of the season with one striker due to the absence of the other three,

Okay so answer this question honestly. If we had the personal to play, do you think he would have played two strikers (as strikers)

If we start the next season with Ulloa, CMS, Hoskins, AN Other all fit, do you honestly believe that Oscar will play a striking partnership?

 

[Hometownglory]

To be honest, I know some games have been frustrating at times but they were under Poyet too. I don't really understand what OG has done wrong to deserve being sacked etc. Being 3points of the playoffs to the premier league with 10 or so games to go isn't a shabby record for a first season in charge...? Is it really that bad.

 

[zoogull]

Realistically top ten was always going to be the best we could hope for this year. Top marks to Garcia for keeping our hopes of a play off place alive.