Here are my reflections on the game between Blues and Charlton at St Andrews.
The game as a whole was shockingly bad. Charlton were pretty awful, and Blues were worse. There was no invention, creativity or anything noteworthy about either side with the sole difference between the two realistically being that the one real chance Charlton had they took; when the opportunity dropped to Peter Lovenkrands four yards out he fluffed his lines and blazed over rather than equalising.
As ever after a game like that there is an inevitable post mortem as to whose fault it was. I’m going to be bold and say I’m not sure it was Lee Clark; I was happy enough with the team and the formation pre-match so I don’t think he was tactically clueless on this one. In hindsight I’d maybe have played Ferguson rather than Gray and I think that Novak struggled to play in the hole behind Zigic but that’s hindsight; I have to be honest about the way I felt prior to play.
I think it’s tough to pick on any particular players as being at fault too as I think maybe Tom Adeyemi apart most of them were pretty poor. They weren’t helped by a referee who didn’t seem to have a clue; Zigic should have just started charging for piggy back rides in the second half the amount of times the Charlton players climbed over him and there were definite appeals for handball in the second half that seemed to ilicit an angry response from all the Blues players when they were denied.
I think Chris Burke struggled massively; I’m not sure if it was because he had been targeted as a threat and thus shadowed intensely but he couldn’t seem to get onto the ball to do anything with it; he had a couple of driving runs but more often than not the ball went out of play behind the goal as he was forced into the corner or the cross would be tame and non-threatening – and with Dimmi Gray struggling to impose himself on the left it wasn’t until Shane Ferguson came on we had any sort of threat attacking-wise that we could sustain.
In defence I thought Kyle Bartley looked okay; Dan Burn had his moments where I thought he could give away a penalty but he also had moments when he looked a class defender. Paul Robinson did what he could but he’s nowhere near mobile enough any more to be a full back and Paul Caddis seemed to be very up and down defensively; worryingly so at times. Callum Reilly had one of those games that remind you he’s still an inexperienced pro at twenty – there is talent there but he will have these games where he’s going to be off the boil somewhat.
So where do we go from here? I’ve seen the calls to sack Clark but I don’t think that’s financially viable whatsoever and I don’t think we’d get any calibre of manager in at this moment in time with things looking so precarious and the possible eventuality of players being sold again in January. I think all we can do is hope that the players dust themselves down and go again next weekend against Huddersfield and that maybe we create more chances – but long-term things will not improve until this club is sold; and that I fear is still a long way off.
Tags: Charlton Athletic, Dan Burn, Demarai Gray, Kyle Bartley, Lee Noivak, Nikola Zigic, Peter Lovenkrands, Shane Ferguson, Tom Adeyemi
I asked the question yesterday I am sure we kicked off first half and second half if aim right it shows how poor the ref was but we were poor yesterday but I am one of those who was prepared for this season to be a battle
The Blue,
The Ref did get the Kick Off’s right – Charlton Kicked off first half and we kicked off second half.
Such a difference from the game against Stoke. I hope this massive inconsistency and unpredictability from the players, will not result in flirtation or actual relegation from the Championship. With LC saying before the season that the squad was capable of mounting an outside challenge for the play-offs, I hope that he sits down with his team and they review the season so far and what direction they wish to take.
Surely Lee Clark could organise the team in a better way than this? Shouldn’t Feguson have neeb playing, is Novak the answer ahead of Lee, Allen and Shinnie? Where is Matt Green. Why is Packwood loaned out. What is his first choice side. Why was there no spark? All of these need answering before we can give him our full support. Otherwise its just suspicion of his abilities.
I agree with Dave I was happy with team selected didnt expect players like Burke to have such a bad day. Hindsight is a wonderful thing on a day like yesterday some supporters always believe those players not in the team are better.
every weekend the players are dusting themselves down for another go,but fact is they are not good enough for this level as 9 defeats out of 14 suggest .league don’t lie after 14 games,the 3 games in league we won have been against pretty awful teams on the day,sell up yeung!!!!
If the players are so limited, then they need to be organised in a different manner according to their limitations so we are difficullt to beat. There needs to be a siege mentality instilled, with fantastic organisation and consistency. This is where Lee Clark seems to be lacking.
I said it before at the start of the season and villa had this problem last season, when you buy or in our case don’t buy but bring in cheap players from lower leagues then over the course of a season they will get caught out, you’ll have your ups but more likely it’s going to be a struggle, coupled with loan players, the players out of contract at the end of the season, players knowing there’s a good chance they’re going to be sold in jan(Burke) then I’m afraid lee Clark has got a mamouth task keeping this lot motivated week in week out, they guy really is screwed whichever way you look at it, if he can keep us up this season, he will have done an outstanding job because basically he’s got everything going against him, his one positive out the situation is the kids, and it’s a big ask on them
This just proves the quality of the present squad is not good enough. It will not improve
untill the club is in the hands of new owners. Untill then just hope and pray.
I have to say I disagree somewhat with Clark not being largely at fault yesterday.
It was clear to me sitting in block 13 that Chris Burke struggled from the start, Charlton seemed to flood the flanks when we were on the attack – yet Clark withheld his substitutions until it was too late. And rather than replace the worst winger on the pitch in Burke, he chose to let him struggle for the full 90 minutes.
And then there’s Novak, who quite clearly isn’t cut out for this level, playing in ‘the hole’ when we have players like Andrew Shinnie for whom that is their natural position.
Zigic, Adeyemi and perhaps Reilly are really the only players who could come out of yesterday’s game with any praise. All worked hard and we’re let down by a suspect selection and poorly timed/incorrect substitutions.
I genuinely do not believe Clark’s fortunes would increase dramatically with transfer funds to spend, and I also believe that – had we been owned by people who were based in this country – he would likely have been sacked long ago.
Roll on a takeover, there are more than just money issues at Blues.
I must watch football different to you blue mac coz zig if was awful he did not look interested never jumped for a ball and yes I do agree a lot of the time he was being founded but he did not put up much of fight
You must watch football as differently as you type and spell.
Burke did struggle Bluemac.But do you get over a hamstring problem in a week ? More poor management ?
Of course it’s poor management, he simply should not have been picked if he wasn’t 100% fit – especially when there were other options available. Novak had one of his better games on Tuesday, playing much of the match out wide on the right – the sensible option, surely, would have been to have Novak there for a while (with Gray able to switch for a Ferguson substitution if required) with Shinnie behind Zigic or Lovenkrands up top with Zigic?
Burke was awful. Full stop. Clark’s fault? Novak played well first half and played well behind Zigic at Derby. Shinnie has had ONE good game there. Accept the players we had two years ago compared to this lot and ask yourselves why
The money issues which you refer to are the top and bottom of the problems of our current playing situation. There aren’t any other issues. Whether or not Lee Clark is the right man long term is irrelevant. He has nothing to work with and a new manager would be in the same position.
The club, as a trading entity, should not be in the difficulty which the owners are trying to, and succeeding in Tattum’s case, have the world believe. Pannu is leaching £1.6m out of the club and the sale of assets must be to reduce the losses of the owners on their overblown purchase price and to feed Yeung’s further straitened circumstances arising from his legal problems.
He has been unable in court to demonstrate a believable record showing where his money came from. Similarly, the accounts for the club are yet again delayed, following on from long-delayed published accounts which have had the minimum legally possible support from the auditors.
The fact that some reporters and some fans believe the Hong Kong crew about the club’s trading position amazes me. Neither Yeung’s nor BIHL’s overall performance warrants any shred of credibility. If we ever come to know the truth about the trading position of the last few seasons it won’t be until we have new owners, and probably not even then, unless it is a fan-based takeover with a desire to inform abused Blues fans.
Sad though our league position is, the fact is that we don’t have a team which we can call ours. The best thing would be for us to be relegated, which would put pressure on BIHL to sell. If it further takes administration to finally throttle them then, so be it. The primary concern is to be rid of BIHL. We can then pick the club up from wherever it has fallen and get behind new, hopefully trustworthy, owners.
Yeung had a 1.8 times overblown view of the value of the club when he bought it. According to his reported view of its current value he is between two and three times out. Only the reality of lower league revenues and greatly reduced attendances will have any chance of bringing him to a realistic view and thence to his departure, which we must all surely crave.
We are what we are !! A team of kids,freebies and 5th rate tryers. No disrespect to any of our players as they are doing their best even if they are not even sunday league standard . The blame lies fairly and squarly on Yeung and Pannus shoulders. They have decimated our club, and left us a smouldering wreck !
Relegation is a cert , this season AND next season, unless new owners are found and even then it would take a considerable investment to even get a half decent championship squad , thats if we ever get back into it !!
Well done to the chinese morons for wrecking a great club!! GET OUT YEUNG AND PANNU NOW !!!!!!
I think the day was summed up in a moment when Zigic won a header, brought the ball down, passed out to Burke on the right who took a run down the wing, on to the edge of the box, Zigic went full tilt into position on the penalty spot then Burke lost it!
A few teams this season have marked Burke close on the wing and Blues have failed miserably.
Unfortunately, the players we have are probably the best Lee Clark could get with the limited amount of spends in his purse. We know they’re not all really good enough and he probably knows they’re not good enough… but he’s not actually going to come out and say that is he? That would be rank bad management. All he and his staff can do, is work each day to try to improve them. Some will make it, some will probably be offloaded at the end of the season. But that’s the same with any club.
But, it must be demoralising sometimes for the manager and coaches, to see them making good strides, only to then see them turn in performances like yesterday. But, like the manager, I’m still optimistic that we can get out of this mess. I just hope the players feel that way.
I think that sums it up perfectly.
No one would come to Blues, though I do think LC is trying to do the right things he seems at a loss when things are not going right on the pitch, or he has no one on the bench who can change a game.
Tactically, he sets out the team and the players on the bench can only slot into that system.
I thought Adeyemi had a poor game, their seemed no or little confidence at the back and Burke was never in the game either he was unfit or, as you say, Charlton targeted him as the main danger and snuffed him out.
Charlton were probably the poorest we have seen at St Andrews this season which doesn’t say much about us.
This season will not end quick enough for us loyal fans and even then I doubt we will be in a much better come the start of next season.
Hopefully Santa has some nice presents for LC, a Lionel Messi or Ronaldo… We can only dream and hope we get some good fortune sooner than later. We need some against Huddersfield as we can’t afford a gap to come between us and safety, we haven’t got the players.
KRO+DNM
To me yesterday was the day Clark threw in the towel. Agree that at start the team looked ok but after a dismal first half it was has inability to motivate or tactically change it that marked it out as he day he gave up. Nobody emerged with credit yesterday and that has happened too many times this season whatever our plight. No pace, no tempo, no invention, and worse still not even any passion. Another performance like that and I think he’ll walk.
No one seems to be commenting on the need for consistency, and a difficult to beat siege mentality. Surely this is the way forward if our players are so limited? Also questions regarding the consistency and team selections?.
One of the key elements of a quality player is consistency, that’s what people pay for, you know your getting a level of performance week in week out from a player, we’ve paid f*ck all for ours, one of the reasons players are loaned out is to get experience, games under their belts so they can perform at a good level consistently, we bring them type of players in, seems to me that people are very quick to call someone a useless f*cker even though he has just about every worst case scenario to deal with at the same time, no one would do a better job right now, no one who’s any good would want to
My issue is consistency of tactics and team selection. If I was LC I would be deciding my best route forward which will be horrible to watch but effective, difficult to beat, and decide upon my best team and tactics for the rest of the season and stick to it. I don’t care if we play 4-5-1 or 5-4-1 as long as we scrape results and do not lose!! Siege mentality!
I agree with you, our squad at best is average, the overall picture tho is saying week in week out it finished mid table last season, since then it has got weaker, yesterday you had three or four key players out, with injuries and suspensions yesterday’s game was only expected, you just have to accept that our squad is piss poor basically and to expect anything else then your dreaming, on a good day with a full side to choose from then maybe we might have won, at home against charlton, but not now, be realistic, we all know we’re shit and until we have new owners who can spend a bit more than nothing then I’m afraid the level of football we’re being dished up is going nowhere, you pay peanuts you get monkeys
I think that because of the level of player we have now, freebies, loans etc, we knew and the management certainly knew, that there would be ups and downs this season and that it would be a struggle. I think that we’ve only played really p1ss-poor about 4 times this season (Burnley, Reading, Leeds and Charlton yesterday.) Some we’ve been excellent in and the rest, although not setting the world on fire, we’ve nearly always been in with a shout. Over 14 games, 4 real stinkers isn’t that bad for this squad… we just need to turn those close games into wins, instead of defeats, giving that extra 10% to make it happen. Easier said than done I know, but that’s what it will take. Time for the players to stand up and be counted…. maybe then, we’ll know who our first XI are, because everytime we think we’ve found it, they let us down.
And you pay cashews you get Zigic
With Lingard, Murphy, Spector and Elliott missing it is difficult to keep a consistent side. But it makes me wonder what it takes to get Arthur, Allen, Green and even Lee in the side or even match ready. We could do with a defensive midfielder, Let’s hope this Polish lad works out.
November and early December are massive. We play three teams in the bottom half. Donny are dropping down the table like a stone, Huddersfield are inconsistent and Barnsley have struggled all season, just like us. I think where we’re sitting in the table at the beginning of the month could have a massive say on how the rest of the season will go. Get some decent results and confidence will be high as well as the positive psychological position of not bing in a relegation berth. Fare badly and we could becseripusly in the brown stuff and not be able to recover the confidence.
Time for Lee Clark to earn his money.
I think this also answers the question why some fans stay away. After travelling from Yorkshire to Brum and back again yesterday I was questioning weather I should bother. I believe support is a 2 way thing and I feel I give my support but yesterday I was given nothing to inspire me to cheer.
Not feeling good at the moment. I have a team not putting any effort in a game described as a must win game we have a fat baldy chairman who does not talk to us. A owner in court on money laundering charges who cannot talk to us and now Lee Clark cannot be bothered to come out and apologise for that dross performance
At least I don’t have that far to travel next week just down the road at Hud but I don’t want to see a copy of the cack I was fed yesterday
I’m sick off all the excuses that are coming out who’s to blame just take a look at Coventry they are in the same situation as us worse probably I know they are in a league below us but that league is just has hard as the championship yet they are flying. All we need is a half decent manager with a couple of decent coaches and we could be doing the same these players are supposed to have skill to get where they are in the first place yet they play football like they have never played the game before can’t pass to each other can’t keep the ball totally frustrating.
The sight of Lee Clark leaving the pitch after that performance really said it all, his head was bowed not only in defeat but complete hopelesness.
Maybe the full realisation has finally hit him the guy just does not know where to turn, what to do, or how to deal with things I agree with an earlier post, yesterday was the day the towel was thrown in.
Gone was the gum chewing arrogance, the annimated gestures,he was a broken man, if it was not for the harm he is doing this club I could almost feel sorrry for him.
This squad is good enough for mid table respectibility, its solely down to Clark we will be relegated if he is left in control. Its his complete inability to deal with things when they are going wrong he just does not know what to do. he is out of his depth. in the words of a man who enjoyed a game of football albeit with human heads (In gods name go now you have been here too long for any good you may have done)
The same squad beat swansea and gave stoke a run for their money so its just a case of the manager getting them to perform at that level every week. I didnt expect to get more than a draw against charlton after a hard game in midweek with extra-time so maybe some fans need to lower their expectations !! k.r.o.
He could have changed some of the team if the poor things were tired. Green and Lovenkrands could have started up front for a start. But Clark is using that poor excuse that Green isn’t working hard enough in training.Bollox what they do in training,it’s match day that counts.Lovenkrands scores two and doesn’t get a look in.If Zigic is just back from a long term injury he could have probably done with being left on the bench.Poor management imo. Young kids shouldn’t be tired. As i’ve said before,the players are fed up with the changes in team and formations.Pick a team and formation and stick with it for a bit.For all those fans that have stopped going,i don’t blame you.If i wasn’t a STH i wouldn’t be going either.When you think you’ve seen the worst performance of the season,they go and beat it.
sorry have to agree with terry macs comments cant use extra time tec as an excuse its not like they have to work a 10 hour day in a factory like the hard grafting people in the stands also its quite easy to raise your game against a prem league team charton and fighting for your championship suvival obviously dont mean that much to most the squad
if blues go in to admin dose he lose the club
I think he would have to sell Dave.Bot even Paladini said that administration isn’t a threat.Also,would we have signed the Pole ?
some body needs to go over there, and confront CY, at least we can find out what is going on, it dose not make sense, if it dose go in to admin, he loses the offer from paladini and the loan he put in to b,ham, can any body answer that for me
not quite as simple as that Dave – you can confront him all you want (that’s if you can even get to him, that’s hard enough) but he doesn’t have to answer your questions…
I don’t want to get into the old Zigic argument again, but the fact is, when he is in the team, we’re one-dimensional. It’s an easy get-out ball just to pump it up to him. But the fact is, we’re not as mobile when he plays. Plus, if we’re going to play the ball to Zigic’s head, we have to put in accurate crosses… and how many of those have we seen this season? We need players with a bit of speed and agility, who can play in and around a defence… not try to bulldoze their way through and keep getting penalised for it. I know that he’s as much sinned against as sinned… but refs are never going to see it that way unfortunately.
I’d at least go with maybe Green and Lingard for a couple of games and see how that works out… with possibly a Shinnie or an Arthur in behind them.
The long ball is a Blues thing Staffs.When he was in Spain they never played that way.the ball was played into his feet,he would lay it off and then get into the box.McLeish said he would only head it a couple of times in a game in Spain. I think he’s quite skillful when it’s played into his feet.
Fair point.
Play it to his feet Steve ? you must be joking,Zigic failed to control the ball several times yesterday, when it was played to his feet. He is not brave enough and has no positional sense. When his contract is up at Blues,that will be the end of his big money contracts in football. I feel sorry for the rest of the team,knowing that he’s being paid a vast amount of money and not earning it. Most of them are out of their class,but at least they try and make up for their lack of skill,with hard work. Yeung and Pannu have ripped our club to pieces and unless and until, they are removed, the future looks bleak.
Money has nothing to do with it John.If other players have a problem with what he earns that’s not his fault.You’re telling me you wouldn’t take that money.His best performances for us have been when we’ve kept the ball down.Imo,he’s not 100% fit.9 times out of 10,when he flicks the ball on there isn’t anybody beyond him.
That’s bullshit – he had the ball to his feet quite a lot yesterday and played some superb passes and made some great runs. I see you have a very selective memory.
Thank god for Blue Mac.
I am bored with Blues fans making Ziggy a scape goat, he was one of the few players who passed it to a blue shirt. It’s not his fault the team have been told to knock the ball into his throat.
Dan Burn needs to be dropped, he has been woeful for a few games now and I wasn’t impressed when he had good games. I think Doyle should be pushing for a game also as Randolph should have done better with at least 4 of the goals we have let in recently (Bolton x 2, Leeds and yesterday).
The midfield of Adeyemi and Reilly hasn’t worked against Bolton or Charlton, with the later giving the ball away far too often. They need some guile in there.
It can only get better……
I,m not making him a scape goat.I live the bloke.
I thought Lee Clark was useless when he started…but he has grown on me… In impossible circumstances he’s doing the right thing in bringing through the kids Worrying thing is we need another 10 points in case we go into administration but personally I think we are being lined up to let Burke go…and will be OK in January At the end of the season if we can hang on to Championship status we’ll lose Zigic and sadly Burke Maybe Ambrose Mullins and Lovenkrands can be offloaded too Club will be sold May 2015 if we are lucky when the last chunk of £8 million runs out We’ll end up like Carlisle…an Academy club ..living off selling youngsters we’ve groomed until we are bought BTW I would do the same if I were Yeung/Pannu after what we sing about them and the opportunity to earn £millions for doing relatively little …knowing they will be able to sell when they wish for a reasonable sum. ( No point yeung selling until the court case decided and he knows where he stands either)
Anybody know why Clark didn’t do the media duties yesterday/
?
According to McDermott, who did the media stuff, Clark was going over the dvd of the game. I think he was probably that livid with the performance, he didn’t want to say something he’d later regret. Kinda makes sense. At the end of the day, McDermott’s not the only No.2 who does the media stuff sometimes.
After a performance like that though Staffs i want to know what the manager has to say.But having seen some of his post match interveiws,i,m glad he didn’t cause he really winds me up.Normally i get over a defeat and enjoy my night out.Last night i went straight home.It bugged me all night and it’s still bugging me now.
After a performance like that though Staffs i want to know what the manager has to say.But having seen some of his post match interveiws,i,m glad he didn’t cause he really winds me up.Normally i get over a defeat and enjoy my night out.Last night i went straight home.It bugged me all night and it’s still bugging me now..
Sorry.Alcohol induced posting.
Yesterdays showing in front of a pitiful crowd was heart breaking, the team and the support were as flat as a board and it was compounded by niggly things like faulty PA system and no big screen there was genuinely gloomy atmosphere in and around St Andrews.
On a football front we were definitely “tired and weary” in physical and mental attitude to the game and despite Charlton being the singular worst team I can recall seeing at St Andrews for my 29yrs attendance we lacked behind them in simple endeavour and desire, they appeared to want it just a bit more.
We all appreciate the on and off field complexities that LC and Co are operating under but my empathy for them ceased yesterday. Our squad is made of “off cuts” from the lower leagues and “has beens” that are hanging around BUT I still view that there is enough about them that we should be comfortable for mid table mediocrity.
So you may ask after all this dreary rhetoric whats my point, well one honest and obvious statement, LC & Co plus every single Player are under absolutely no pressure to perform from above, yes the lack of a Chairman to thump desk and demand success lets LC et AL repeatedly off the hook, theres no threat of the Sack, no threat to players of being sold (most would welcome it) and so all sit pretty grinding our Club into the once hallowed and feared turf of St Andrews.
If I am not mistaken thats 3 wins in 14 leagues games this current season and its worse when you look at longer time scale under LC & Co. I believe we are destined for relegation if the board (thats ghostly spectre from HK) don’t act it some fashion, either knock heads, read riot act or dig deep and force a managerial change. Yes I know we are broke and after yesterday the general feeling is that were now actually broken, can we get 50+ points on the board before season end in the vague hope that we will survive and thats without the possible points deduction if administration hits home.
It could be an astute albeit risky political move by PP and CY to actually sack LC & Co. and chance our survival with another fresh talent from the lower leagues or maybe an experienced head.
Birmingham City needs a step change measure not a sit, hope and grind attitude if ever a need for some form of change was required at a Club it right here right now at Blues.
Couldn’t agree more and Neil Warnock on a short term contract would be ideal to save us from relegation.
As for paying off Clark -everything is negotiable and I think we would be doing him a favour by paying him off now.
The clock is ticking!
Art Watson, Neil warnock was the very name I had in mind he is available put himself up as possible new man for Paladini two weeks ago. I can’t say I actually like Warnock BUT his track record speaks volumes and he would keep us up and be able to transition between owners and progress for playoffs / promotion.
Bhamcity Julian, I actually thought that of TF he struggled to manage players who didn’t have his ability and it was his eventual undoing. I am not sure Clark was ever that good a player that he has the same problem though? LC sulking after a game is not a display of passion its a display of shame, you can not only step up to the press box when things are rosy you have got to take the flak and the praise together.
A bit like Sir Alex? How many times did Phelan do the after match interviews?
Only on the Beeb.
Only when he had that fall-out with BBC
The reasons don’t matter…. he still made the choice not to speak to them. Petulant.. much?
They accused his son of being dodgy.
I can’t see 10 wins this season with this squad. I just hope there are 3 teams below us come the 46th game.
What would the answer be if Lee Clark were to turn round and sod off? To be honest that is what mostwwould do when it wad getting this hot in the kitchen! I for one would not blame him as a lot of this is well out of his hands. Working for the lunatics into what could soon become the asylum! KRO
Bobby Charlton said he wasn’t cut out to be a manager because he couldn’t work with players who couldn’t do what to him was natural. Lee Clark’s Achilles Heel is that he let’s his heart rule his head. This inevitably leads to poor decision making and bottling out of a press conference yesterday. Would he have dropped Joe Hart yesterday?
Zigic needs to grow a pair. He didn’t look at all interested, never competed, out muscled by players of smaller stature. i fear the worst this season, i really hope i’m wrong.
comment edited – Steve, you were warned. If you don’t like how I moderate comments, feel free to look at other websites. Thanks :)
Al I’m not rude or abusive I feel I’m adding a little bit of democracy to your fantastic site, I also encourage lots of blues fans to look @ often partisan, so point taken ,please put my last thread back on please as it does not deserve to have been removed. Thanks steve
;)
It was removed for a reason mate – you can’t say some of the stuff you’ve been saying for legal reasons. I’ve already had legal threats because of what people have commented on here so you’re going to have to tone it down – you say I sit on the fence – I’m sorry, you don’t know the half of it.
Ok truce
Unfortunately, freedom of speech is just a myth. You can’t put everything you feel down in black and white. The next writ is always just around the corner. We all have to consider this when posting.
Just sack him and let him take us to court.
Based on his performance that’s exactly what I would do or perhaps another way out would be to demote him and get an experienced manager in.I do get the feeling that he would welcome the sack and would settle for a reasonable amount of compensation.
LC has had enough time to prove himself at this level and Unfortunately has failed…move on Lee.
Ziggy was a disgrace yesterday. He seemed to have things on his mind like how he is going to spend his next weekly £65000 mugging money rather than where the next goal is coming from. We all know that Palladini wants the club and that Pannu agreed to sell. Now Yeung has decided he doesn’t want to sell after all. While Rome burns and all that!!
Our problems begin and end at the door of BIHL/CY/PP. Everyone else just has to get on with it.
Nero had an excuse…. he was off his chuffin’ rocker. What’s Yeung’s excuse?
Yes -our problems are caused by what’s going on in HK but this may take months to sort out – in the meantime we need to address the issues on the pitch by replacing Clark with an experienced manager who will adopt a “siege mentality playing style “which will make us hard to beat.
At the moment we are rolling over to teams we should be capable of beating and Clark despite his “press hypes “is incapable of doing this.
Sat watching yesterdays dribble wondering thati n the 45 years of going down had I ever seen a worse Birmingham side didnt take much thought cos the answer was NO !
Feel sorry for Lee Clark as he has had not much to work with but do feel theres very little motivation, the
squad there deperately need some motivation and inspiration so why not give Ian Hollloway a call.
If Clark had to leave, I’d be happy with Holloway… as long as we didn’t get promoted to the prem. :-)
After watching the Bolton game I described it as watching shit versus shitter. This comment perfectly sums up the game versus Charlton as well.
Why wasn’t Hancox and Fergy on the left. I totally agree Robbo should only play at CB. If Burke was being marked out why wasn’t Shinnie brought on to give Charlton something else to worry about. There was no spark on the pitch and unfortunately the manager could not see that. Some people on here may defend LC because of off field events however a good manager knows how to best set out his side to get the best out of his team no matter how poor and get them playing to their strengths. The Blues squad is not as bad as some people think it’s a poor manager who can’t get it to play.
Hancox was ill.
Still could’ve played Fergy there.
Hes off his rocker to Staffs
If you’re referring to Carson Yeung… I don’t think he is. He’s made loads of dosh over the years, but this company is running at a loss. There has to be reason why he’s hanging on. It can’t be because he expects his £81m back. He has to have something up his sleeve (apart from his arm)… but he won’t let us in on it until at least the end of the trial.
If you’re referring to me…. then you’re probably right. :-)
Changing the subject And I know it may be of
little importance but I’ve asked the question
twice and no answer but at yesterday’s game
I am sure we kicked off first half and kicked off
Second can someone please answer just in case
I am going mad!!
We didn’t. Charlton kicked off the first half.
Nope. Charlton kicked off first half… Blues playing towards the Gil Merrick.
Charlton kicked off the first half…
KRO+DNM
Ok thank you for answering I must being seeing
things I will get my glasses checked and before
U question I was at game been season ticket
Holder for 30 years but I am sure Novak knocked
It back and Robbo sent it forward
Any way thank u for answer kro
Just looked at the statistics, we are the 39th best supported team in the country. 39th!!! Portsmouth in League 2 have a higher average than we do. I never thought I’d see the day when Watford had a higher average than us. And before people talk about lack of success and off field problems causing the apathy, it doesn’t seem to affect Sheffield Wednesday does it? Worse still even the ones who turn up are either silent or negative most of the time. What has happened to the days when it took me half an hour to get my hearing back after a game because we had been so loud? Sadly it seems disinterest rules, and perhaps as a club we are where we deserve to be.
Looking forward to putting LC on the dole next week, inadvertently saving the Blues from relegation hopefully. A Warnock/Holloway type will keep you up, with some spirit, organisation and application plus a desire to fight to the end. All is not lost, you just need to get rid of LC before its too late.
not gonna happen mate.We can’t afford to sack him.Don’t take it for granted your’e gonna win next week.Inconcistency is our big problem.After Saturday’s woeful performance,i wouldn’t be surprised if we beat you on Saturday.After Leeds spanked us a couple of weeks ago most of us weren’t expecting to get anything at Derby.We put up a decent 2nd half performance and got a point.So underestimate us at your peril.
Can we try looking for some POSITIVES?
1. We’ve had the odd decent result and performance this year and last — so there could be another unexpected big win around the corner when we least expect it.
2. The Polish lad might be the catalyst for kickstarting our season.
3. A club better than us in the Championship goes financially belly up and they get docked 10 points for going into administration.
4. We get a bit of luck from a dodgy ref who gives us a totally undeserved penalty.
Um, that’s all I can think of. Anything else anyone?
Clark should resign! We can’t afford to sack him! He’s as much to blame as carson yeung if he won’t walk either! 9 defeats in 14 games that’s disgraceful. WALK AND DO US ALL A FAVOUR!
Very poor performance yesterday, he should have started with lovenkrands ,he was his signing.big ask to play gray ,in a pressure game, should have replaced Burke, when it was obvious he couldn’t beat the full back.big turning point yesterday.
I have resisted the darkness but I have succumbed: yesterday was atrocious on all levels. Kids who aren’t quite there yet, indifferent unmotivated ‘pro’s’ and apparently non- existent tactics. I honestly believe Chris Houghton could mold our disparate and less than stellar elements into a fighting whole. I don’t think LC is capable of doing so.
With the greatest of respect that comment is rubbish. No manager would be able to make a success given the fire sales and lack of resources. Why do you think CH walked! The only thing I am surprised about is that we managed to get applicants for what is a toxic job.
Matt no one has seen him since yesterday, maybe he has walked ,or he has picked up that pearl handled revolver by his desk.
I seem to remember – not too long ago – there being a lot of positivity about LC! People who think we’d get anyone like a Holloway or Warnock with the current board are (almost) as crazy as CY.
We have the best manager we could hope for at the moment. He isn’t The Special One. At best he is one of The Average Many. But he is fighting for this club to survive. One thing I don’t think you can accuse LC of lacking is passion to take this job on. A job that’s surely one of the hardest in English football at the moment?
This team is full of inexperienced heads and old legs. They will put in some very poor performances over the course of the season. We’ve just got to accept and move on.
Talk of sacking LC is a waste of time.
I’ve got ndaw,s match shirt &happy to give it away if some one is doing something for charity?
If Lee Clark has to leave.. and I think he’s deserved better from everyone, then so be it. I’ll always support whoever is in the manager’s chair. But I think most of the players should follow him out the door. They are the ones that have let him and me down. The ones who have made schoolboy errors, the ones who can’t defend for toffee, the ones who can’t create a decent chance, the ones who can’t cross a ball, the ones who couldn’t hit a cow’s ar$e with a banjo. The ones who get paid to give us lack of real effort. I’m sure everyone will have a different view… but that’s mine.
Staffs, I am usually as positive as the next guy. I wont write us off this season just yet. I hope that events in court next week make a sale more likely or sooner rather than later, but what really worries me is that although it may have been the onset of a 24 hour virus yesterday, but I looked around me and actually wished I was somewhere else.
… and that’s what I think Lee Clark was thinking mate. I think the team may be in for a big shake up. A lot of players let him down yesterday. Maybe it’s time to bring another couple of kids into the team and give them an extended run, like Arthur and Brown. It would be nice to see Matt Green and Scott Allan given another chance too. Even so, the defence worries me the most, but we don’t have many options.
Steve, I wouldn’t be surprised either because without JV we look average. But whatever happens Saturday, LC has not got the know how to keep Blues up. Only my view based on 3 years of watching bewildering tactics, poor sub choices, a plethora of ‘quality ‘players (46 in all) that turned out to be shit(apart from 3) plus an amazing knack of turning wins into draws.And absolutely no idea how to organise a defence. All this in Div 3.
Who is JV?
I think he means James Vaughan (Hudd’sfld)
Yesterday was like visiting a dieing friend knowing there is nothing I could do to put things right, this was also made even more real by seeing a guy dressed as an undertaker taking his seat in the Kop. Failing PA and big screen even the floodlights seemed to have a couple of duff bulbs.
I dont see any future as we are and it is only a matter of time before we end up in Admin.
I thought the carrier bag in he second half ran the channels well but even that couldnt find the net.
Lets face it if we wasnt in such a mess off the field lee clark should of been sacked last season after our home defeat against Barnsley i think it was five nil.That was the warning sign and since then we have sokd more players, The papers are saying we need to sell more players ,really I dont see any of the current squad that has any sufficient value. Sad times.
I have to agree about the player’s worth. I can’t see any that are worth more than 10 bob… and that includes Randolph and Burke. We can’t level too much criticism on the likes of Hancox, Reilly, Arthur and Gray… because they’re kids being expected to do a man’s job. My question to the players would be, “Where are the men in the side? When are you going to prove it? Why is it only the kids who are showing real heart and fighting for the shirt?” Show us at Huddersfield.
We don’t have to worry about the January sales, who would want any of our players except maybe Burke
If selling just Burke in January allows us to keep and nurture the kids… so be it.
£200k for Burke and the same for the keeper. At least we can then pay Ziggy’s wages for another 2 months.
Zigic will be gone in 6 months or so… no point getting worked up about it anymore sol.
OP the overall majority from your blog, from SHA and Freeforums say that its time for Lee Clark to go and to have an old hand ie Neil Warnock in charge short term to organise the side. I think the overall majority in that view is 70/30. Any further thoughts/additions to the blog?
Only problem with that… is where does the money come from to pay off, not only Clark, but McDermott, Fazackerly and Watson? And Warnock ain’t gonna be on peanuts either.
I wonder also if we can afford not to take action, and how much further loss of revenue if we were relegated to Division One.?
AF Why has it taken so long for them to realize the need for change? the question is is it too late?.
Perhaps because there is absolutely no sign of a consistent, organised approach to tactiics and team selection. There seems to be no gameplan. Siege mentality – grind out results is possibly the only answer with a limited set of players?
The only players who are willing to put in a shift are those coming through from the academy, all the others have nothing to prove and will be paid regardless what they do on the pitch, LC and his backroom staff know they wont be sacked because the club can’t afford it, so they all talk about how bad and upset they are, then all go home and put their feet up laughing at us supporters who spend our hard earned money.
For us it is not an option, we support the club and we will hand over our cash because we are Blues through and through.
Who is actually running the club, PP, I doubt it, we are his cash cow, CY, he has enough problems to care about BCFC, if he is found not guilty he will be worried about the Triads who want their money back, if guilty, he will have the triads wanting their money back, realisticley CY is up the proverbial street. So that leaves LC, who has no one breathing down his neck demanding results, when the time comes and he looks for another job he can blame CY for lack of support and not providing the tools to be successful, so he is in a win win position.
Would a change of manager change the apathy of those who are at the club either playing, managing or coaching, I doubt it, Warnock or Holloway would just use it as a meal ticket, just as LC and Co are doing…
Nothing is going to alter until the ownership is sorted, that may not be till next summer and then the damage might be terminal and we become a modern day Accrington Stanley.
Clark seems to have sloped off with nothing to say and left McDermott to face the music. With the offer of an over sized pay packet and the opportunity to exercise cronyism being too much to resist, he should at least show his face! Yes we have a ragbag group of players to select from, but we shouldn’t be losing to Charlton. Relegation is a very real possibility, if after that we go into administration it could spell worse than disaster, one league down and starting with a minus 10 points! That is a very real probability rather than a possibility, unless Yeung sells or we go into administration now. You can’t change your colours, I was born with mine, it’s my tribe, I just wish our tribal chief would pack up and move on.
I let my heart rule my head by thinking his summer strategy would prove him to be a wise man. My head said as he couldn’t improve Huddersfield with money how could he improve us with more loans and freebies?
How about if we, the so call true supports get off our backsides and show the rest of the league that we are a big club and drive up to Hudderfield with at least 4 thousand fans, as going to away games are more fun for the fans than at home games. Remember we took 18000 to Derby can we beat that?
Can anyone shed some light onto why the electronic screen and the p/a system were not working Saturday or Tuesday?
KRO+DNM
Yup, I can.
The screen was affected by a massive power surge in the storm we had; the contractors weren’t able to fix it in time for Saturday’s game. I was at the ground on Friday and I saw them working on it. As for the PA, imagine it could well have been a similar issue.
Thanks, once again you are the man in the know, fancy picking the team for Saturday and giving a rousing team talk…..
KRO+DNM
Nope, wouldn’t do it for all the tea in China
Players are crap, manager is crap, finances are crap, performances are crap, owner is crap, board is crap.
I think the only decent things about the club are a) the staff at St Andrews and b) reading this blog every day!
Every effect has a cause. So what is the cause of all this crap you refer to? What has caused us to slip from a Prem club and cup winners to the Championship relegation zone? I’ll tell you, it is simple and the reason is Carson Yeung.
I don’t want that prat Warnock anywhere near my club.
I’d rather be relegated.
Next…
I’ve always liked the guy as a person and a character. His passion for the game is second to none. I could listen to the guy all day long, but I don’t think I could stand watching his brand of long ball week in, week out.
Lee clark and his staff work with these players every day and still dont know what his best team is last season I said tactically he was the worst we have had and gives me no reason to think otherwise the excuses about what he has had to spend and locan players etc sclcchould stop he bought them to the club so he should take responsibility and face the press not go and hide with a dvd kro
A thought crossed my mind this morning as I sipped the first brew of the day.
Pannu employed LC and the one thing LC has been consistent in is getting kids out of the academy and pushing them on in the 1st team squad to a level that they become a saleable item.
I now think that is exactly what is happening at the expense of the club as this is the only reasonable way PP can keep his revenue flow going. Why else would Clark still be here if only to serve the will of PP because he is not serving the will of the fans is he?
It will be interesting to see who gets sold in January
Makes me laugh how some people are blaming LC for the current situation! Some are even blaming Zigic’s wages and some seem to thing that CH could waltz back into the club and make everything OK again (I remember some slating CH after the playoffs). I just waiting to someone to blame Terry McDermot or the kit man next.
Well people the problems we are facing today are down to one man – Carson Yeung and his cronies who have bled the club almost dry. THE ONLY PROBLEM WE HAVE IS CARSON YEUNG!!!!
No one is blaming Lee Clark for the overall state of the club. This is clearly down to CY and BIHL. However Lee Clark is in control of what happens on the pitch, the tactis, the organisation, the motivattiuon, team selection. That’s where he can make a difference but clearly isn’t.
Think Agent McLeish summed it up quite succinctly there.
NO manager could be doing a better job than Lee Clark is right now.
We are inconsistent because we have many young inexperienced players in the side.
Players make mistake, all of them do, read the silly press reports about Joe Hart.
Unless we get a 10 point, I think we’ll be good enough to avoid relegation, it will be tight but all realists would have expected that given the circumstances.
Until we rid ourselves of this Chinese necrosis then we can only tread water.
I believe Lee Clark is a good manager… but I doubt he’ll ever get the chance to prove it at Blues. Everything has gone against him from Day 1. Every time he starts to get things right, players are sold from under him. Every time he relies on players, they let him down. They can do it, as they proved against Sheff Wed, Millwall and Swansea, Stoke…. but I truly believe it’s down to attitude. They don’t care enough. They pick up their wages every week/month, whether they win lose or draw. I don’t think they realise that, this is probably the highest level they’re ever going to play.. and this is their one and only chance. They should take it, before they end up back where they started.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the players are letting him down but how much of this is due to the constant changing tactics, baffling team selections, sidelining of players etc?
I have to admit, some of his selections are a bit baffling. There are some players I’d have at least on the bench every game… then there are others I wouldn’t let near the first team. But I would wager that my choices would be different to the next man’s. And I suppose it’s the same with managers… they see what we don’t. They have the inside info.
But, I’m not one for the modern penchant for squad rotation. I, like most, would say that you find your best XI, and play them every week, except for injuries and suspensions. But therein lies Lee Clark’s problem… what IS our best XI? And if you picked them…. would it guarantee that we wouldn’t have performances like we saw against Burnley, Leeds and Charlton? Of course not. That’s what I’ve been saying… it’s his so-called better players who are letting him down.
It’s a tough one… but that’s what the manager is paid for.
I just don’t buy that LC only has youth players, loanees and lower level players to make up a decent team – look at the facts! Zigic, Burke, Robinson, Murphy, Elliott, Spector and even newer players like Novak, Randolph and Shinne are experienced and decent players.
Most 11’s LC puts out have a at least 4-5 experienced players most of whom also played with Chris Houghton, so our relegation battle is entirely down to the manager. CH also utlisied the loan system effectively as did Steve Bruce before him, so nothing new there.
I reiterate – we have a good enough squad to finish between 14 and 8 in this league at least, so why are we in the relegation zone?
Lee Clark.
Utter nonsense.
You hear people at St Andrews, talking about : tactics and formations and its hard not to laugh.
Lee Clark works with the players all week and believe me he DOES know more about the game than ANY of us.
Aa you wouldn’t ‘second guess’ your surgeon in the operating theatre .. leave it to the professionals !
hi all…….sorry can not agree…we may not have coaching badges or other qualifications but most of us posting on here can tell when things are not right….!!!!!!
and clark does not seem bright enough to quickly change tack…………
Do you remember when Steve Bruce got Blues promoted first time round with the same set of players that Trevor Francis had (apart from Paul Devlin). I think its true to say that the manager does definitely make a difference on the field of play.
Hughton had money and wasted it and also cost us promotion with poor tactics against Blackpool. Bruce had money and quality players. You cannot compare and if you do, clearly you do not understand football and where this club has sunk to because of Yeung and Pannu.
We have a good enough squad on paper. Unfortunately, it’s on the pitch that counts. It’s our defenders not defending properly that’s killing us. The manager has tried 3, 4, 5 different formations, with much the same players in defence… and STILL they can’t defend. 2 clean sheets in 18 games says it all.
Not every manager is successful at every club he’s with. Look at Hughton with £20m+ to spend. Sometimes, it just doesn’t work out.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2487429/Norwich-City-relegation-zone-having-spent-13-5million-strikers.html
Carson Yeung must be thinking this is great, they are all blaming Lee Clark, for my sheer incompetence.
Makes me laugh all these fans (who probably don’t go) slating Clark. What ‘mystifying’ selections? They only one all season that was odd was Lee at Leeds. We had a goal disallowed that should have stood and when we beat teams 4-1 and 4-0 he gets no credit only gets hammered when we lose or don’t perform when people have the benefit of hindsight and someone was asking where Hancox was and didn’t even know he was ill! Get rid or all your quality players, rely on old players, loans, kids and players who have not played at this level before what do you actually expect? It is not Clark who played as badly as Burke did it is not Clark who cannot pass a ball to another player like Adeyemi or Reilly every time it is not Clark who cannot defend like Burn and Bartley. These are the players we have got because of the mess created by Yeung and Pannu they have no consistency for a reason! Any manager would struggle with this lot
First baffling decision. Why play Gray on the left when you have a more experienced option in Shane Ferguson. Second baffling decision agreed Burke was poor but possibly wasn’t fit, then why not keep Gray on the bench in case Burke is not fit. Next baffling decision why are Green and Allen excluded from the squad. And so it continues with probably another change of formation and personnel next week.
Summed up in a nutshell.
Mark1875 I meant.
Frankie are you related to Clark? if so get back up north and take him with you your a lunatic
Tony, you are talking like a true Tilton football aficionado …
ie know nowt !
Tony
Everybody is entitled to their own beliefs it helps to explain why some people on board thought the Titanic wasn’t sinking. Just as there are those who believe LC knows a bit about footy.
Isnt that right Frankie
Aaah Stevie Wonder .. sees everything …..
Staffs, you are right and the players DO have to take the majority of flak if that is what is necessary.
Wasting our time though because once the cognoscenti of the Tilton make their ‘mind’ up about something thats it really.
We saw it with Damien Johnson and the like, no matter how well they play, when something goes wrong, its I told you time amognst the grazed knuckle crowd.
Actually agree with you Frankie, I think some players deserve a lot of blame for Saturday. Not sure what happened to Burke, for example, but he was poor and we suffered.
Agreed Burke was poor and possibly came back too early after injury. Wasn’t the obvious choice to play Ferguson on the left and leave the untried Gray on the bench in case Burke was fully fit?
It’s time the blame fell on the players… the ones who are actually shipping goals and losing games.
Do you remember when Steve Bruce got us promoted with the same set of players as Trevor Francis. Isn’t it wrong to say that the manager doesn’t make a difference?
Didn’t Bruce bring in Tebily, Vickers, John and that ex Blackburn and Ireland right back?
Jeff Kenna
Why is it when we win it’s well done Lee clark and the players.When we lose it’s just the players fault.
Did anybody else see Geoff Horsfield in the George after the game?
Burke wasnt fit, the only thing Clark is a pro at is being a Pra– Dan its his job to get the players up for it and he cant do it.