BFS "retired " and put us in a position where we needed a new manager. The board decided that they wanted a change in direction. They wanted to play a more possession game and selected FdB to achieve it. The board are the holders of the purse strings and decide if they are going to release funds in order to purchase the players the manager requires. If we fail to convert to possession football and do not collect ant points there is only one body responsible and that is the booard. They selected the manager and provided the funds to bring in players. If neither were up to it then the fault always rests at the top as a result of poor decision making.
On the other hand as it is very early in the piece we may well find over the next couple of weeks players come in the fortunes of the team turns and we start picking up points and we will all be happy again.
If not the poor decisions of the board will be where the fault lays or if it succeeds where the praise should be directed.

Rudi, we get it. You don't agree with FDB deciding that he wants to play the 3-4-3 formation. You are repeating the same message in pretty much every post.

You continuously stress about us playing to our strengths. What are these? Being defensively solid by playing 4-4-2? We haven't been that for 18 months and we don't have the one player who provided some defensive strength for about 6 games last season.

Getting the ball into the box earlier instead of passing the ball around? Listen to the quotes from De Boer, he isn't asking us to be Barca...he just wants us to stop thumping aimless 60 yard balls from back to front and conceding so much possession. If our players cannot make the correct decisions as to when to pass and when to be more direct then they are not good enough regardless of any formation that we employ.

Sorry you don't get it.

Read posts about 'gradual change.' There's one above. Read posts about Frank's drastic change. Read continuous posts inferring Frank's possession football requires 3-4-3. It does not. We didn't have the players when he came in even though he said we did. We didn't have the players vs Huddersfield even though he ploughed on anyway with players who hadn't played there all summer and we need at least 3 just to possibly keep up with Huddersfield at home.

And I'm sorry but it wasn't just Sakho but Luka too who made the difference, but now he's not just a shield but more because we only have 2 central players because we've got 3 players standing high up the pitch. A lot of our problems would've been addressed with a number 10, Luka and Cabaye together and just quality players all over the pitch with no weak links. But no, let's all lie that 3-4-3 is so imperative to the point it could see us in serious trouble.

Oh and it was just Delaney who thumped 60 yard balls. Where we struggled was only threatening from wide, hence why I talk about a number 10 rather than just 2 midfielders and still no attacking midfielder. Jeez

Edited by Rudi Hedman (17 Aug 2017 9.51am)

Oh I did. So did Bexleydave and a few others but are viewed as too negative and nobody wants to hear the truth. But this is not the only issue.

Frank is new in the country, League and club, yet has ploughed on with this 3-4-3 with some mind boggling preparation and changes league day 1. Unnecessary unless you're trying make your point to the football world asap and risk it going t1ts up. He's here long term. What's the rush with 3-4-3? Slow down, play to our strengths a bit more, get some points on the board, keep yourself in the job and is in the league.

Only one match gone but I wouldn't experiment regardless for long if I was him.

You mention "Owners" but in reality it was Steve Parish who selected him.

If this doesn't work out and the axe falls sooner rather than later, one suspects that Steve will come in for a great deal of vituperation and will have to don a tin helmet and tighten the straps.

FDB might also be seen as 'Damaged goods' following his exit from Inter Milan.

Edited by Willo (17 Aug 2017 10.31am)

Kind of makes you wonder if it was Pardew or Parish who wanted the more expansive type of football we tried last season.

Sam knew what was coming and knew he couldn't do it again on the small budget he was given, knowing how many players were leaving and needed replacing.