Warburton apologises but are we in for the long haul?

[pj_1872 0]

Since they utilise all of this tech for analytics I'm sure they chart mistakes in some sort of Pareto way and are easily able to spot the repeat offenders. Or do they?????

 

You've really got to wonder what these analysis sessions involve don't you? Several players comment on how into the analysis of games MW is but what's the point when he/the players learn nothing from it. We're making the exact same mistakes that were made even a year ago in the Championship. i.e. slow play out from the back doesn't work against a team playing a high line; how to deal with crossed balls 101... What do they even look at in these analysis sessions if these things aren't being improved on??

[aweebluesoandso 290]

After watching us being slaughtered by a poor Hearts side, and after months of defending the manager i have to admit it's becoming a major problem, this system is not working at all we are far too open and exposed.

 

For the forseesable i want to see the formation changed and a consistent team selection the constant tinkering is causing the players to be unable to build an understanding with each other,

The formation itself is just not working for us and if the manager wants to remain here he has to stop being stubborn and start changing the formation for each team we face.

 

Hearts weren't poor, we were. They had a good game, all be it we gifted them two goals, but they scored another two well taken goals.

Edited February 2, 2017 by aweebluesoandso

[ascender 352]

Individual errors aside, how long do you give a managerial team who seem unable to acknowledge, let alone address, the seemingly obvious issues we have?

 

We'll win the next few games and it will all be forgotten about because we're fickle like that. Playing devil's advocate here, I could even see us making it to the end of the season, finishing second, but having been beaten by our closest rivals in similar fashion again. Is finishing second in spite of that considered enough to give MW another season? Because the very real risk is that we find ourselves in exactly the same position this time next season. Or do you make a change now - just admit that this isn't going to work out and at least give his replacement the rest of this season to get his feet under the table and plan for next year?

 

I wouldn't bet against a new manager coming in and still finishing second this season as Hearts and Aberdeen will continue to drop points against others in the league.

[stewarty 2,027]

I think one of the galling aspects is that there aren't that many of the Hearts squad (if any) that you would get into our team. Maybe the boy that got two of their goals - he looked decent.

 

What they clearly had done though, is analyse our strengths and weaknesses and put in place a plan to win the game. Positionally they were clever, they pressed high and worked hard in transition phases to stop us getting the ball forward quickly - often causing us to make mistakes or to play it long. They out fought us and were regularly first to second balls (good positioning). When we did get forward, they doubled up on our main attacking threat in McKay. Miller hardly got a sniff all game.

Edited February 2, 2017 by stewarty

[Tannochsidebear 2,420]

I havent seen his apology, nor his supposed explanation of his changes, but lets be honest, we could replay the post-match from any one of a number of sub-standard away performances in the last 12 months.

 

Since 1 Feb 2016 our away league results are as follows;

 

W 1-0 at Raith

D 1-1 Alloa

W 1-0 QoS

L 2-3 Falkirk

D 3-3 Raith

L 2-3 Hibs

L 0-1 Livvy

D 2-2 St M

W 2-1 Dundee

D 1-1 Killie

L 1-5 tims

L 1-2 sheep

W 1-0 ICT

D 1-1 Ross C

W 2-1 Partick

L 0-2 Hearts

W 2-1 Hamilton

D 1-1 St J

W 2-0 Motherwell

L 1-4 Hearts

 

Adding them up it's P20 W7 D6 L7 F27 A32

 

27 points out of a possible 60.

 

Our away games against the top 2 from 15-16 and the top 3 from 16-17 show the following results;

 

L 1-2 Hibs

L 1-2 Falkirk

L 2-3 Hibs

L 2-3 Falkirk

L 1-5 tims

L 1-2 Sheep

L 0-2 Hearts

L 1-4 Hearts

 

P8 W0 D0 L8 F9 A 23 GD -14

 

Sometimes stats dont show the whole story, but in this case the overwhelming evidence is that Warburton just cannot find a way of playing tough away games to get a result. Arguably, in only one of these 8 games have we put in a decent performance, against Dolly, where we should have got a draw at worst - but we didnt!

 

Look again at those 8 fixtures, that is nearly 3 goals a game we are conceding when up against decent sides, and we are scoring about 1 goal a game, so on average we are losing 3-1 every time we come up against a challenge.

 

I dont know any manager of any shit club that could survive those stats over two seasons, never mind a manager of a club of our size, where our budget, cut as it is as a result of the fraud against us, still dwarfs 4 of the 5 clubs listed above, in some cases many times over.

 

When the discussion moves on to "who would come in" or "could anyone do better" then you know we are royally goosed in several ways.

 

And yet, there is still a lot of love and desire for Warburton to get it right, to get more time. A lot of credit goes to him for what he is doing off the pitch, and most fans have an realisation and acceptance of what he found when he came in and the magnitude of the task in hand. I for one dont want him to go, but he is making it more difficult with each passing week to defend him. His continual selection of the failures in the team, his blindness to the weaknesses of his favoured players, his insistence that his formation/tactics will work with the players he has bought when clearly it doesnt work when pressured, all add up over time to a very difficult situation that no Bear can be sure that MW has the necessary quality or experience to work his way through and out of successfully. Most, myself included, will certainly hope he can do it.

 

I believe the board will let this season run its course. If we do not finish clear second it's an unfortunate no-brainer. Any shock cup defeat (Morton for example) should see the timeline move forward. A cup win and second place finish would certainly see him earn another crack at it next year. A close (last-day) second place finish and a cup defeat to the tims or say at Pittodrie/Tynecastle in the QF would leave the jury hung.

 

Moving on to this weekend, we have to see at least 5 changes to the starting line-up IMO. Definately OUT should be Kiernan, Halliday, Miller. None have performed sufficiently over 18 months and have been given more than enough chances. I would perhaps also leave Toral on the bench as his return to match-fitness may be stretched by 3 games in a week, Tav is under real pressure from Hodson for his place, and while not likely to be popular, Wes would make way for the new guy to see if he knows when it is safe to pass or not, and how to position yourself to give you a chance of saving good shots. Wes shot to save rate is abysmal. The odd fantastic save like the one tipped over the bar last night is outweighed by very poor positioning for the second, and a disaster at the fourth. Adding in his continual putting Halliday and others under pressure with poor choices of pass and the new guy we spent money on for a reason surely deserves his chance.

 

Jak

Hodson Senderos Hill Wallace

Forrester Hyndman Holt McKay

Waghorn Dodoo

 

It's only my opinion, but that selection in a 4-4-2 formation would wipe the floor with Ross County.

[colinstein 294]

If we don't get second place at the end of the season Mark Warburton will be gone. Last night was a turning point for me, as I believed in him until now.

[Oleg_Mcnoleg 50]

Hearts weren't poor, we were. They had a good game, all be it we gifted them two goals, but they scored another two well taken goals.

 

All the goals were entirely avoidable. Although Walker certainly finished his chances well, they were the result of our balls-ups. I know the line about all goals being the result of a mistake somewhere but those were fucking embarrassing, to be honest. I'm not calling for the manager's head at all and I fully appreciate that we are where we are in terms of rebuilding and finances. But that is the sort of stuff that loses managers jobs (especially as we score so few that we can't accommodate defensive flakiness).

Edited February 2, 2017 by Oleg_Mcnoleg
typos

[trublusince1982 243]

He might of apologised but the most important parts of his interview are being excused away. He has no idea what went wrong and doesn't question the players desire/fight.

 

He's a novice who is massively out his depth. The evidence has been plain to see for a while. Not one part of the team is running well or successfully. He's bought our league position not earned it. A very poor manager who comes across as a gentleman.

[limeburner 0]

Re letting MW go,yes it could mean the same sheep in different clothing.Then again,nothing ventured nothing gained.

Its seems to be down to stick or twist-------imo I think we should twist.Were going nowhere fast.

[Walterbear 557]

I think what went wrong was we played the wrong tactics on a heavy pitch and let hearts get on top from the start. I don't want to throw the baby out with the bath water and resort to highland league tactics but we simply cannot play the same tactics in every situation with the quality of player we have. Fine style of football if we are playing at Ibrox every week on a sunny day with a perfect pitch but the manager needs a reality check. We need to rebalance the squad with more physicality and better leaders to allow us to counter certain teams and individuals but we only have money for a small squad. It's a catch 22. I wish warburton would be more direct in his answers but I fear now that his management style internally is non-confrontational which isn't always appropriate in team sport. JB was a basket case and I dislike him (I know folk from his estate and his network of people are avoided - where possible) but there was an element of reality in that whole fall out with JB which has been ignored and it is that these guys are not up to the job in terms of concentration, experience and ability.

 

Waghorn presents a danger to passing seagulls and his own shoe laces, Halliday doesn't have the ability or concentration (he asked wes for the ball for their second then switched off!) tav can't concentrate, kiernan doesn't concentrate, McKay is not a player for last nights conditions, windass is an Accrington player and not much more, we can't score goals and we make poor decisions constantly, no one can cross a ball, no one is in the box if we do manage a cross etc etc. I could go on however the point is that even if we decided to change style I don't think we have the physicality or experience in our squad to play differently. So MW needs to see that (if he can't he should leave before being pushed) and say to DK that he can do this differently if he has the cash and DK has to say yes or no and clarify that the court cases are holding us back or clarify that he has no intention to spend more money.

 

I cannot see why our board and managent team cannot convey a simple joined up business and football strategy to the fans. If the only long term strategy is to come second this year and somehow catch Celtic over 5 years with no explanation then that is not enough. The fans want to know what will happen over 5 years in terms of the way we play and how we are going to tackle it from a business mess perspective and given the potential for Ashley to be in situ for 6 years.

 

MW is accountable for what goes on in the park but tying all ends together is DK and the board and I have to say DK is AWOL for reasons best known to himself.

 

Given all of the above finishing second or indeed in a European place after the disasters of recent years would be pretty remarkable, but fans need to see more of the future or ST sales will suffer and we will be f****d.

 

Last night was a watershed in the patience of fans. Over to you DK. What is your plan?

Edited February 2, 2017 by Walterbear