Alex Neil

[chuckrocky]

Three defeats out of the last four league games and only one goal scored. Despite being told every week by the manager that we now have more tools to break sides down it’s all looking very similar to last season.

We still look clueless after going behind and our start to the second half in every home game has just been bizarre.

I’ll give him until the new year before I start sharpening the axe but he’s done very little in his twelve months here to suggest that he’s the man to take us up.

[jesusmcmuffin]

Sept 2, 2023 16:55:36 GMT biddulphchav said:

Sept 2, 2023 16:52:41 GMT Gawa said:

14 wins - 10 draws - 21 losses in the league.

52 points from 45 games

Let’s call a spade a spade, that’s garbage.

To be fair, he needs a bit of time now as he’s just overhauled the entire club. But he has to get it right before Christmas, if we carry on with that sort of return between now and then with this squad then I’ll be baying for blood

What's garbage is give him time

Not his players

Let the team gel



The actual stats are the only thing that are real and the excuses are getting ridiculous

[jesusmcmuffin]

Sept 2, 2023 16:57:26 GMT Gawa said:

Sept 2, 2023 16:55:36 GMT biddulphchav said:

Let’s call a spade a spade, that’s garbage.

To be fair, he needs a bit of time now as he’s just overhauled the entire club. But he has to get it right before Christmas, if we carry on with that sort of return between now and then with this squad then I’ll be baying for blood

I have to agree with you. While it's a poor league start, there have been some promising signs too such as the midweek victory.

No point changing now, should be given an opportunity to try and blend the players in first and see how he gets on.

It was Rotherham . Let's be realistic .


The same as last season when 3 results were a blanket to throw over the rest

[iglugluk]

He's got an international break to solidify the team cohesion, I'm not entirely sure he should've needed it but he's got it, so he had best start producing some consistency. Knowing his best team would be a good start.
16th place after 5 games just isn't good enough and neither were last season's efforts.

He's been backed.. now it's time to step up!

[peterthornesboots]

Sept 2, 2023 16:58:41 GMT chuckrocky said:

Three defeats out of the last four league games and only one goal scored. Despite being told every week by the manager that we now have more tools to break sides down it’s all looking very similar to last season.

We still look clueless after going behind and our start to the second half in every home games has just been bizarre.

I’ll give him until the new year before I start sharpening the axe but he’s done very little in his twelve months here to suggest that he’s the man to take us up.

This.

AN really has no excuses. He has got the players that he wants and undoubtedly has a better group of players to work with compared to last year.

So far it is very much same old, same old.

This team needs time to gel and some of the new lads who have come from abroad might take time to adapt. However, AN needs to work out what his best team is quickly.

[vidigal7]

Sept 2, 2023 16:02:11 GMT sportsman said:

Battered them and lost. Simple as that. Campbell shouldn't be anywhere near the squad.

Battered them, I thought we were shit and I'm a Neil fan myself.

Campbell is not a left sided player ffs

[sealion100]

Problem with Neil is he’s not learning from his own mistakes
….. their second goal is exactly the same as the goal conceded in the last minute on New Year’s Day!!!!
Ball over the left (Stevens) head
Ball over the left ( Fox) at new year
They got a better manager!!!!!
Number 25 for them changed the game
Straight after the break

[milton58]

Sept 2, 2023 15:55:22 GMT glpotter said:

A competent manager would do well with this team

Cost us against Millwall and this is a poor result

what a wobble

[xchpotter]

Sept 2, 2023 15:59:00 GMT idle said:

We aren't good enough today, but PNE are just a shit team like Millwall. They've been ridiculously lucky with a baby-skin-soft peno and what looked like an offside goal to me. Crooked ref, no doubt, it's not possible to be this shit.

Preston are proof that hard work beats talent.

Some of our lot think they only have to turn up but already a couple of them are starting to show their true colours.

The subs we made showed them the way and I hope those lacking in effort are confined to the dressing room let alone the bench.

[Deleted]

Sept 2, 2023 16:32:38 GMT thevoid said:

Sept 2, 2023 16:30:17 GMT @theonlooker said:

We need another manager change like a hole in the head.

We certainly don't need another 16/17th placed finish. It's starting to get tedious

I just think we need to calm down, take stock and let things settle down. We've had a huge change of personnel in the dressing room and it was always going to take time to settle. There were one or two on here that said it wouldn't take time and that gelling a squad is overstated but that is just plain nonsense.

We are going to be inconsistent for quite some time and we need to accept that we are going to swing from giving someone a hiding to a drab 2 nil defeat at home.

The one question I would ask the manager tonight is why at 2 nil down did he swap a right back, centre half and defensive midfielder in a treble substitution. That change was baffling, borderline insanity.

[matelot1996]

He gets till January for me. Nothing has changed results wise. The new squad, so far, gives no confidence that they can turn things around. I know we have players to come in but if he still continues with Laurent / Campbell then he can fuck off right now.

[biddulphchav]

Sept 2, 2023 16:58:41 GMT chuckrocky said:

Three defeats out of the last four league games and only one goal scored. Despite being told every week by the manager that we now have more tools to break sides down it’s all looking very similar to last season.

We still look clueless after going behind and our start to the second half in every home game has just been bizarre.

I’ll give him until the new year before I start sharpening the axe but he’s done very little in his twelve months here to suggest that he’s the man to take us up.

I would agree, but if he keeps shitting the bed and serving up home performances like that too often I’ll be getting the axe out this side of Christmas. AN has talked about never being so confident of being successful as he is here, because he’s been backed to transform the club from top to bottom. That’s all well and good, now is the time to put his money where his mouth is. I’m sorry to say i think it will end in tears in 3 months from now

[milton58]

Sept 2, 2023 17:04:15 GMT iglugluk said:

He's got an international break to solidify the team cohesion, I'm not entirely sure he should've needed it but he's got it, so he had best start producing some consistency. Knowing his best team would be a good start.
16th place after 5 games just isn't good enough and neither were last season's efforts.

He's been backed.. now it's time to step up!

FFS give him and the players time ffs

[mrcoke]

I think some expectations are wildly optimistic. 

Someone once said you can't win anything with kids. They were proved wrong, because those kids had been playing together for years at a junior level . They knew each others game inside out and moved up to the top level and succeeded because they were a team.

We have had a great month and final week bringing in loads of fresh players. It is going to take month's to drill them into an effective unit. It is all very well the trainers having  videos, charts and clipboards to explain what is needed but is going to take hours and hours of playing together to build up the mutual understanding. Today most of the squad were "strangers".

It was clear to anyone that there were some superbly talented players in our side today. We just have to be patient while they build that teamwork. Hughes took over the basis of a sound squad brought in a few players and changed the style of play and it took months to establish a successful team that achieved 9th place. Neil is starting from scratch with an almost entirely new squad.

[jesusmcmuffin]

Sept 2, 2023 17:05:01 GMT peterthornesboots said:

Sept 2, 2023 16:58:41 GMT chuckrocky said:

Three defeats out of the last four league games and only one goal scored. Despite being told every week by the manager that we now have more tools to break sides down it’s all looking very similar to last season.

We still look clueless after going behind and our start to the second half in every home games has just been bizarre.

I’ll give him until the new year before I start sharpening the axe but he’s done very little in his twelve months here to suggest that he’s the man to take us up.

This.

AN really has no excuses. He has got the players that he wants and undoubtedly has a better group of players to work with compared to last year.

So far it is very much same old, same old.

This team needs time to gel and some of the new lads who have come from abroad might take time to adapt. However, AN needs to work out what his best team is quickly.

The formation again was the problem today so the gel excuse doesn't really work. They knew what they had to from obviously watching Ipswich and Millwall and was way too easy for them. They made one sub at HT and was a clever tactical one. We were ...you you you you and you...get on and try and go something when behind

[stokiedan17]

Let be real here… milwall and Preston did exactly what we did under Pulis. We dominated today couldn’t break them down and they nicked a soft penalty and a goal on the break.

They were physical but the ref seems to decide he would let them get away with it whilst pulling us up for everything. They were all over Wesley, holding and pulling him back but apparently because he’s a big bloke it doesn’t count as a foul

It looked like a performance of new players still gelling Not helped by campbell and Laurent having poor games. Campbell needs to be played through the middle or not at all.

As for getting rid of Alex Neil… Behave it will come good this season and we will make the playoffs.

[Biblical]

Sept 2, 2023 17:05:01 GMT peterthornesboots said:

Sept 2, 2023 16:58:41 GMT chuckrocky said:

Three defeats out of the last four league games and only one goal scored. Despite being told every week by the manager that we now have more tools to break sides down it’s all looking very similar to last season.

We still look clueless after going behind and our start to the second half in every home games has just been bizarre.

I’ll give him until the new year before I start sharpening the axe but he’s done very little in his twelve months here to suggest that he’s the man to take us up.

This.

AN really has no excuses. He has got the players that he wants and undoubtedly has a better group of players to work with compared to last year.

So far it is very much same old, same old.

This team needs time to gel and some of the new lads who have come from abroad might take time to adapt. However, AN needs to work out what his best team is quickly.

No excuses other than a squad that’s largely been assembled this summer.

We were poor though and I expect much better than what we’ve been served today.

[The Toxic Avenger]

Sept 2, 2023 16:41:09 GMT satoshi said:

Sept 2, 2023 16:39:28 GMT The Toxic Avenger said:

If this manager is sacked, what happens to Dublin and Martin? At least one of those is the manager’s man and we seem to be a manager driven club still.

It’s upto them and the club. Either way, it’s difficult to argue that this approach is working. They’re irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.

Is it that difficult? We scored six goals in the week?

There’s been some bad and some good, I’m amazed anyone was expecting anything else at this stage?

[jesusmcmuffin]

Sept 2, 2023 17:09:08 GMT @theonlooker said:

Sept 2, 2023 16:32:38 GMT thevoid said:

We certainly don't need another 16/17th placed finish. It's starting to get tedious

I just think we need to calm down, take stock and let things settle down. We've had a huge change of personnel in the dressing room and it was always going to take time to settle. There were one or two on here that said it wouldn't take time and that gelling a squad is overstated but that is just plain nonsense.

We are going to be inconsistent for quite some time and we need to accept that we are going to swing from giving someone a hiding to a drab 2 nil defeat at home.

The one question I would ask the manager tonight is why at 2 nil down did he swap a right back, centre half and defensive midfielder in a treble substitution. That change was baffling, borderline insanity.

He's been here a year and his loss record is bordering relegation form and counting as a %age of losses in that time . I think we need to start focussing on what is actually happening on the pitch and not what we hope might happen.

[spiderpuss]

Goals that's what Alex needs to get this team finding. 1 goal against our "peers" in league games isn't good enough.
Sort that and we're going places. So Alex, sort it.

[thevoid]

Sept 2, 2023 16:58:41 GMT chuckrocky said:

Three defeats out of the last four league games and only one goal scored. Despite being told every week by the manager that we now have more tools to break sides down it’s all looking very similar to last season.

We still look clueless after going behind and our start to the second half in every home game has just been bizarre.

I’ll give him until the new year before I start sharpening the axe but he’s done very little in his twelve months here to suggest that he’s the man to take us up.

He talks a good game but most of his achievements have piggybacked off what other managers put into place (which flies in the face of the 'needing your own team' myth).

The only club where he built a side from scratch was Preston, and they were the epitome of midtable filler.

[hamsta2]

Sept 2, 2023 16:08:49 GMT idle said:

Sept 2, 2023 16:07:36 GMT scfcno1fan said:

I’ve seen quite a few replays of it.

On balance it probably wasn’t a penalty, but can see why it was given.

Nevertheless, we’re at home. We need to take it to them.

He 100% dived, not a chance that microscopic touch did anything to his balance. Just look at his feet going backwards!

We were level with it. Not a penalty imo.

[peterthornesboots]

Sept 2, 2023 17:12:40 GMT Biblical said:

Sept 2, 2023 17:05:01 GMT peterthornesboots said:

This.

AN really has no excuses. He has got the players that he wants and undoubtedly has a better group of players to work with compared to last year.

So far it is very much same old, same old.

This team needs time to gel and some of the new lads who have come from abroad might take time to adapt. However, AN needs to work out what his best team is quickly.

No excuses other than a squad that’s largely been assembled this summer.

We were poor though and I expect much better than what we’ve been served today.

I agree that the team needs time to gel.

My comment was more in terms of AN not having any excuse for another season like last year.

I think we have the makings of a decent team. AN now needs to earn his money on the training ground and get everyone playing collectively.

[biddulphchav]

Sept 2, 2023 17:10:35 GMT mrcoke said:

I think some expectations are wildly optimistic. 

Someone once said you can't win anything with kids. They were proved wrong, because those kids had been playing together for years at a junior level . They knew each others game inside out and moved up to the top level and succeeded because they were a team.

We have had a great month and final week bringing in loads of fresh players. It is going to take month's to drill them into an effective unit. It is all very well the trainers having  videos, charts and clipboards to explain what is needed but is going to take hours and hours of playing together to build up the mutual understanding. Today most of the squad were "strangers".

It was clear to anyone that there were some superbly talented players in our side today. We just have to be patient while they build that teamwork. Hughes took over the basis of a sound squad brought in a few players and changed the style of play and it took months to establish a successful team that achieved 9th place. Neil is starting from scratch with an almost entirely new squad.

I presume you are talking about Manure? I can see the link you are making, and sure, you have a point. But the big difference is, they won the league, we can’t even beat Preston at home, so it’s a bit different.

Not only that, we’re bottom of the form table over the last 15 league games and I don’t really see an improvement. It’s not the players, it’s the constant tweaking of systems and personnel, it’s like AN is the reincarnation of the original Ranieri. The players look confused. The best we’ve played this year was away at Millwall in the 2nd half, with 3 brand new players on the pitch - probably because AN hadn’t had the time to fill their heads with his tactical jargon. He has some of the best players in the league at his disposal, get out there and get after teams and have a go. Pick a system that suits them and perfect it, stop changing it every week

[The Toxic Avenger]

Sept 2, 2023 16:45:33 GMT biddulphchav said:

Sept 2, 2023 16:40:12 GMT The Toxic Avenger said:

Which ones do?

I’d say Moyes has, used to be somewhat negative but when I watch West Ham these days they are a far more progressive team.

Eddie Howe is another - Newcastle play a very different way to the way Bournemouth did when he was there.

Steve Bruce was / is a good example too. Set up far more attacking sides when he was in the Championship (not including his West Brom stint) than the did in the Prem.

Marco Silva - big difference in style and shape at Fulham after they went up.

I’m sure there are other examples.

See I’d disagree with almost all those.

West Ham still look like a typical Moyes side to me and plenty of their fans wanted him sacked for being negative last season.

Villa fans and even Brum fans towards the end were frustrated with Bruce’s football.

Think there’s plenty of similarities between Howe’s Bournemouth and Newcastle too.

Silva is a good shout, when he’s motivated he’s a very smart cookie.

[jordan2009]

Sept 2, 2023 17:11:28 GMT stokiedan17 said:

Let be real here… milwall and Preston did exactly what we did under Pulis. We dominated today couldn’t break them down and they nicked a soft penalty and a goal on the break.

They were physical but the ref seems to decide he would let them get away with it whilst pulling us up for everything. They were all over Wesley, holding and pulling him back but apparently because he’s a big bloke it doesn’t count as a foul

It looked like a performance of new players still gelling Not helped by campbell and Laurent having poor games. Campbell needs to be played through the middle or not at all.

As for getting rid of Alex Neil… Behave it will come good this season and we will make the playoffs.

Campbell and Laurent were poor no doubt. Hoover has been terrible though. He seems too be getting away with it

[The Toxic Avenger]

Sept 2, 2023 16:47:20 GMT peterthornesboots said:

Sept 2, 2023 16:39:28 GMT The Toxic Avenger said:

If this manager is sacked, what happens to Dublin and Martin? At least one of those is the manager’s man and we seem to be a manager driven club still.

The impression that I got at the Meet the Manager evening was that Dublin and Martin are very much part of a structure that will not change. I think that the phrase used by Coates to describe them was 'club appointments'.

AN will carry the can for poor results. Dublin and Martin are here for the long haul.

They would say that though wouldn’t they? Proof will be in the pudding.

[Deleted]

Sept 2, 2023 17:13:55 GMT jesusmcmuffin said:

Sept 2, 2023 17:09:08 GMT @theonlooker said:

I just think we need to calm down, take stock and let things settle down. We've had a huge change of personnel in the dressing room and it was always going to take time to settle. There were one or two on here that said it wouldn't take time and that gelling a squad is overstated but that is just plain nonsense.

We are going to be inconsistent for quite some time and we need to accept that we are going to swing from giving someone a hiding to a drab 2 nil defeat at home.

The one question I would ask the manager tonight is why at 2 nil down did he swap a right back, centre half and defensive midfielder in a treble substitution. That change was baffling, borderline insanity.

He's been here a year and his loss record is bordering relegation form and counting as a %age of losses in that time . I think we need to start focussing on what is actually happening on the pitch and not what we hope might happen.

I am focusing on it. We have a brand new squad and it's going to take time to settle.

Why do you think I was moaning my tits off at how slow our transfer business was? I've resigned myself to the fact that this season is a write off regardless given the upheaval, and that anything we get is a bonus.

Changing managers this side of Christmas just adds to the lottery.

[peterthornesboots]

Sept 2, 2023 17:11:08 GMT jesusmcmuffin said:

Sept 2, 2023 17:05:01 GMT peterthornesboots said:

This.

AN really has no excuses. He has got the players that he wants and undoubtedly has a better group of players to work with compared to last year.

So far it is very much same old, same old.

This team needs time to gel and some of the new lads who have come from abroad might take time to adapt. However, AN needs to work out what his best team is quickly.

The formation again was the problem today so the gel excuse doesn't really work. They knew what they had to from obviously watching Ipswich and Millwall and was way too easy for them. They made one sub at HT and was a clever tactical one. We were ...you you you you and you...get on and try and go something when behind

One of my biggest concerns is that AN very rarely seems capable of changing the direction or momentum of a game. Talking generally about his time here, most of his substitutions tend to be quite ineffective.

[thevoid]

Sept 2, 2023 16:45:33 GMT biddulphchav said:

Sept 2, 2023 16:40:12 GMT The Toxic Avenger said:

Which ones do?

I’d say Moyes has, used to be somewhat negative but when I watch West Ham these days they are a far more progressive team.

Eddie Howe is another - Newcastle play a very different way to the way Bournemouth did when he was there.

Steve Bruce was / is a good example too. Set up far more attacking sides when he was in the Championship (not including his West Brom stint) than the did in the Prem.

Marco Silva - big difference in style and shape at Fulham after they went up.

I’m sure there are other examples.

Ian Holloway's Blackpool were a lot easier on the eye than most of the other sides he produced. I don't think he maintained that in his following jobs though?