Millwall

ivoralljack

ivoralljack

Grizzled Veteran
Staff member
KVetch said:
At least there's an early match Tuesday to turn this around.
Click to expand...
But will we? We've dropped disappointing points before at home but lessons are still not being learned. How many more home cock-ups is Cooper going to preside over before he gets the message? True we've often bounced back after a poor display but, in my opinion, there's a trend developing here, one which I don't like in the least.

I think that Cooper is beginning to be found out. More savvy managers are out-thinking him and we are losing points because of performances that a more experienced manager wouldn't tolerate. His team selection is dubious to say the least (eg Byers), his game plan is a mystery to most of us on here and his substitutions often beggar belief with the fans wondering what on earth he's playing at with a completely disrupted team formation that doesn't resemble anything, I for one, have ever seen on a football field.

Look, I have been a qualified coach, although it was so long ago I can barely remember it, but the basics have always remained with me. And they remain for a damned good reason. I was taught good habits by people who knew the game and have discussed football and tactics etc etc at length with many household names in the world of football and actually played with and against some of them. Suffice to say I learned a lot and I know what I'm looking at when I watch a game of football. And not always the obvious things.

But the football I'm watching under Steve Cooper has bemused me. How on earth we've managed to threaten the top of the table is completely and utterly beyond my ken. Sure, we've looked great in some games but soon followed by a performance that stunk the stadium out. Today was one such game. We were awful and Cooper sounded like he didn't have a clue how to put right what was going wrong. NOT what we want from a manager!!!

Frankly I'm of the opinion that had we appointed an experienced hand such as Slaven Bilic for instance, we'd have been riding high at the top of the table right now. But we are paying the price for Steve Cooper's learning curve, as he finds out that coaching experienced adult footballers in a tough league, is a world of difference from coaching kids in a competition. I'm sure that in time Cooper will go on to become a very good coach indeed but as I write, I'm far from convinced that he's the right man for us. And, you know what? Even if we win our next game I won't be changing my opinion because I know that yet another nightmare performance will be lurking just around the corner.
 
Borini

Borini

Key Player
Today's performance was awful Byers and Grimes were worse than non league players.
What the hell is going on with goal kicks, 3 pressing and ball going nowhere or over to the opposition. Why was the ball not played out long cutting out their pressers and half the midfield, in the end ,Woodman looked like a rabbit caught in the headlights not knowing what to do.
Borja should be given his place back immediately, as he was the only one making runs to leave gaps for others. He was really unlucky at the end when he was really composed with a pressurised chip under pressure that was not so far off getting us an undeserved equaliser.
I have been saying since September that this side is rubbish and will finish 10th or 12th. We are now sixth and slowly sinking....
 
ivoralljack

ivoralljack

Grizzled Veteran
Staff member
Borini said:
The Swansea City player ratings as midfield duo sum up miserable day
Stick it to them ..
They deserve it.
Click to expand...
From talking to people and listening to the game some of those ratings were generous. Steve Cooper has to accept his share of the blame for that performance: it showed a complete lack of respect by his players for him. I'm quite certain they wouldn't have dared play like that for a stronger manager who'd have had their guts for garters in the changing room afterwards.
 
Yankee_Jack

Yankee_Jack

Key Player
A team plays as it trains ... it can’t possibly do anything better. If we can play this poorly in general and this apathetically and direly in midfield, what must practices be like. Are they just going through the motions because that’s how they are playing.

The Millwall goal was a peach of a direct kick. I don’t have any confidence that anyone on our team could produce something like that.
 
Jackflash

Jackflash

Midfield General
Staff member
KVetch said:
What does Cooper do here? Give it to them in the dressing room, make a substitution. Fulton for Byers is likely. Borja needs to get in a game and do something to get the team going. Surridge will come in for Routledge.
Click to expand...
What will Cooper say to them in the dressing room at Half time? Exactly what he would have told a bunch of schoolboys a year ago, being that's the only experience he's had as a profesional manager.This is a game that involves money to progress, something he's not accustomed to in his youth managerial career.He's way way out of his depth at this level, he stands in his area with that half vacant look on his face,watching the visiting manager screeming his head off at his team. We are in fact playing very little more than schoolboys football. What spiel he gave Curt & Leon to get the job is beyond me.
 
CroJack

CroJack

Key Player
I've been defending Cooper tooth and nail since he was appointed, but I have also said I would give him time until December. It's almost December and I can't defend him any more, and here is why.

When he was appointed he promised to bring back our Swanselona style of play, and when interviewed for the job he said he knew how to do that! Well, what I've seen so far has nothing to do with Martinez, Rodgers, Laudrup and Potter's ball. In patches yes, but that's probably what our players remember from what they've learned under Potter. Actually, we don't have a style of play at all. Do we dominate games? No. Do we run lile crazy? No. Do we press high on the pitch? No. Do we play passing football? No. Do we play well organised defensive football? No. Do we play play counter-attacking football? No. Wtf do we play? We lack identity, and what we play is a little bit this and a little bit that.

Without a clearly defined style of play we won't be able to progress. Cooper has to go.
 
Last edited:
Jackflash

Jackflash

Midfield General
Staff member
When I think of some of the managers we have sacked prior to his appointment we must surely by now have reached the bottom of the barrel. As Yankee says, he is completely void of any ideas, he may just as well pick the team out of a hat.
 
Yankee_Jack

Yankee_Jack

Key Player
Cooper acted out of desperation today. Having three #9s across a front line of 4, with the only acknowledged winger Peterson being told to play inside, leaving the midfield with 2 knackered under-performers, and width, what there was, provided by two FBs, is the equivalent of running out of ammo and throwing the gun at the enemy. None of us on here would have come up with that .... because it defies any logic and common sense. It was tactical stupidity.

The net of this is that despite having only 32% possession, Millwall had more shots total, and more shots on target. These metrics scream out how bereft was our performance, and most importantly the match management. It hurts me to say this, but not even BoBo did anything this stupid.

The last quarter of the game saw the center of the park outside their box packed with players, no space to thread a needle never mind a pass, oceans of space on the flanks, and nobody on the field to take advantage of it. So what did we try to do ... players that couldn’t pass for shit all game were trying to thread needles.

Cooper should be fired for fraud.
 
Yankee_Jack

Yankee_Jack

Key Player
Caption competition .... all submissions will be edited for polite language and forwarded to Birch, Curt and León, then posted on the Club’s Facebook page.
C498C6E7-9586-415A-AC5B-73372FF25AB9.jpeg
 
Yankee_Jack

Yankee_Jack

Key Player
I showed this photo to somebody - a woman - that knows nothing about the Swans or football. Her first impression was “he looks bored out of his mind”. My response .... if he has one?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom