"It’s not just the results. It’s the tone of the performances. A side that looks cautious when it should be confident. Passive when it should be proactive. There’s a flatness to the football that feels at odds with the ambition that defined the off-season. And while it’s true that the Championship is a brutal, unpredictable league, it’s also true that clubs with serious aspirations don’t settle for beating only the bottom three.
Supporters aren’t asking for miracles. They’re asking for signs. Signs that this team is capable of more than just surviving. Signs that the manager has a plan that goes beyond containment and damage limitation. Right now, those signs are hard to find.
But different is not what we’ve seen. The team has beaten only the bottom three. The football has been flat. The goal difference is neutral. And the mood, both in the stands and behind the scenes, is starting to shift. The owners didn’t greenlight a strong transfer window to watch the club tread water. They didn’t appoint Alan Sheehan on a permanent basis to see the same patterns repeat.
Right now, Sheehan looks like a continuation of the last three managers. Cautious. Reactive. Uninspired. The football lacks identity. The performances lack conviction. And the ambition, at least on the pitch, feels muted. There’s a growing sense that Sheehan fits the mould too well. That he’s another safe pair of hands who won’t rock the boat but also won’t steer it anywhere new.
That might have been acceptable in years gone by. It’s not acceptable now. Not with the investment. Not with the exposure. Not with the expectations. This isn’t about demanding promotion in October. It’s about demanding progress. Demanding identity. Demanding performances that reflect the ambition shown off the pitch.
Because right now, there’s a disconnect. The club is talking like a top-six contender but playing like a mid-table placeholder. And that’s not what the owners ordered. If the football doesn’t start matching the ambition, the manager might find himself the next thing they decide to change.
It’s a familiar pattern. Russell Martin. Luke Williams. Now Sheehan. Three managers, three iterations of the same problem. Possession without penetration. Structure without spark. A tactical approach that prioritises control but forgets ambition. While Sheehan was supposed to be different, he’s starting to look like a continuation."
Read the article here:
jackarmy.net
Supporters aren’t asking for miracles. They’re asking for signs. Signs that this team is capable of more than just surviving. Signs that the manager has a plan that goes beyond containment and damage limitation. Right now, those signs are hard to find.
But different is not what we’ve seen. The team has beaten only the bottom three. The football has been flat. The goal difference is neutral. And the mood, both in the stands and behind the scenes, is starting to shift. The owners didn’t greenlight a strong transfer window to watch the club tread water. They didn’t appoint Alan Sheehan on a permanent basis to see the same patterns repeat.
Right now, Sheehan looks like a continuation of the last three managers. Cautious. Reactive. Uninspired. The football lacks identity. The performances lack conviction. And the ambition, at least on the pitch, feels muted. There’s a growing sense that Sheehan fits the mould too well. That he’s another safe pair of hands who won’t rock the boat but also won’t steer it anywhere new.
That might have been acceptable in years gone by. It’s not acceptable now. Not with the investment. Not with the exposure. Not with the expectations. This isn’t about demanding promotion in October. It’s about demanding progress. Demanding identity. Demanding performances that reflect the ambition shown off the pitch.
Because right now, there’s a disconnect. The club is talking like a top-six contender but playing like a mid-table placeholder. And that’s not what the owners ordered. If the football doesn’t start matching the ambition, the manager might find himself the next thing they decide to change.
It’s a familiar pattern. Russell Martin. Luke Williams. Now Sheehan. Three managers, three iterations of the same problem. Possession without penetration. Structure without spark. A tactical approach that prioritises control but forgets ambition. While Sheehan was supposed to be different, he’s starting to look like a continuation."
Read the article here:
From Modric to Mid Table: Is Sheehan Out of His Depth?
Ten games in. Three wins. Three defeats. Four draws. A goal difference of zero. It’s a record that doesn’t scream crisis, but it certainly doesn’t whisper
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