Juande Ramos - Yay or Nay?

[Stavi]

i just worry that he hasn't got a plan. we seem to fundmantally shift from one thing to the next. yesterday we played one tired striker up front with support from 5 players. of those five one was a left-back by trade, one a defensive midfielder, another a defensive midfielder, one a winger bereft of confidence and fitness, and the last jenas (who is hated and loved on here). where was the support going to come from? we could see this so why couldn't wendy and gus?

additionally compounding this concern is that modric is unused on the bench. why is this? he's our record signing but we're not able to find a role in which he can play.

 

[SpurSince57]

Yet how are we to find this consistency without running out a consistent starting XI? I'm in the US so I generally DVR the gams as they're on too early for me cuz I work nights as a chef. So I willfully avoid the internet and my soccer (again I'm here in the US) buddies' phone calls/texts until I get to squeeze watching the game into my schedule. And today when I sat down to the game and Gilberto (GILBERTO?) was at LM I just logged on to find out the inevitable result instead of agonizing through the details. I know we want to compete on all fronts, etc., but we've not got the squad of Chelsea or ManU. We've got training for evaluation, but come Saturday (or in this case Sunday), we've got to put out our best eleven and if it's not good enough after an hour, then take some chances with the bench. Continental tactical nous is all fine and good if you've got a deep squad of relatively equal players quality-wise OR if you've got league points in the pocket to play with, but as we've got neither, I think it's scandalous for JR to send out yet another speculative XI in the hopes of something magically clicking. IMO we've played one game out of six well this year--at Stamford Bridge-- so why not run those guys out there again and again to build off that performance until they prove it was a fluke.

And yes I realize that the squad is slightly different than that last Sunday in August by way of a couple of notable additions (Corluka & Pav) as well as injuries (King, Bale?), but instead of overhauling the whole formation/philosophy due to some minor changes, why not try to make the new variables fit into the only semblance of a functioning team that we've run out all year? I mean if the only healthy natural right back we've got (Gunter) is good enough to start at Stamford Bridge and produce a result, then how could he not have gotten a sniff since then? Yet today we push Corluka out there despite the fact that he's only looked comfortable at CB in order to accomadate who? Michael Dawson? Brilliant.

Good post.

As it happens, Daws had his best game—defensively, at least—for some time yesterday, but that's beside the point. We know Ledley can manage only one game a week at the moment at the moment and that Charlie's cup-tied for Europe, so let's just keep things as simple as possible within those enforced limitations. I've not been overwhelmed by Gunter, but he's done a pretty good job. One of our biggest problems over the past two seasons has been an ever-changing back four, but that was largely unavoidable because of injuries. Yesterday just seemed to be change for change's sake.

 

[onemorespursfan]

I have been thinking for a while that the win in the Carling cup was a bad thing. It could have been forgiven last year as we achieved the seasons objective. (i.e. getting into Europe), however the lacklustre performances continue.

As for who to blame, we can easily have a go at all people connected... the players for not trying, the manager for not motivating, the DOF for not finding the right players (although Levy seems surprisingly untouchable IMO as he has been prepared to spend the money, but has not had to sanction anything and given that Berbatov was going, his part of the role was to get the best deal that we could expect not to replace him)

Anyway, with regards to this thread, I still believe Ramos will come good. I was expecting Portsmouth to perform well yesterday on the basis that they had been spanked twice in a week and the players would have some pride. There is a concern that the midfield seems to change weekly, but I am sure that when Hutton returns to the side, we will be defensively more stable meaning that the midfield could contain a bit more attacking flair (Modric, Bentley, Lennon, JJ and GDS) allowing us to play with just Pav up top and we could overrun teams.

I am convinced that the corner is just ahead and we will be in all competions (if you count Europe through the league as a competition rather than winning the league) after Christmas. This team, once the confidence in their ability returns, has more ability to go on a long unbeaten run than any that I can remember. All it takes is the catalyst for that run... Ramos can be the spark whilst changing manager will never be.

 

[beals]

Although its pretty miserable at the moment, we can't sack our manager again just because things aren't going right. With all the changes made to the squad in the summer we knew it was going to take time for the team to gel. The only thing we can do at the moment is get behind the team and the manager and hopefully over the next few games we will begin to see some improvement. This is where Ramos has to earn his money and get the players motivated to come out of the blocks like rabit dogs, COYS

 

[beals]

And decide what system he is going to use and stick with it so that the players can become fimilar with it and with each other at the same time.

 

[fozzi44]

its amazing how ur perspective on a season can change in a couple of games. if u were to offer me certain saftey now with 16th position in the league i would honestly take it.

 

[teddyboy]

Well surprised at how many think JR can turn things around.

I wonder if people are voting with their heads or their hearts...??

I can't see him turning this one around.

 

[Delboy10]

3 wins in the league since the Carling cup suggests that he doesn't have what it takes to turn things around. :-(

 

[THX2208]

Not only does Juande deserve more time but he also deserves better support from our fans. He is responsible for the demolition of Arsenal last season and the truly amazing day at New Wembley. Lets not forget how well we played against Celtic and Roma this Season.

 

[PLTuck]

Not only does Juande deserve more time but he also deserves better support from our fans. He is responsible for the demolition of Arsenal last season and the truly amazing day at New Wembley. Lets not forget how well we played against Celtic and Roma this Season.

So 2, admittedly great games (Arse and Chavs) means he is above criticsm with the poor 30 odd league games so far?

Celtic & Roma don't count. Results in friendlies mean nothing, or have you not worked that out yet?

 

[THX2208]

Celtic & Roma don't count. Results in friendlies mean nothing, or have you not worked that out yet?

Yes the games themselves mean nothing as regards to league position improvement or further cup advancement, but they did prove that we do have the ability to play free flowing attractive football and defend as cohesive unit.

 

[jrio]

Less than 50% is worrying. In my mind he needed to be at about 60%.

 

[joey55]

Yes the games themselves mean nothing as regards to league position improvement or further cup advancement, but they did prove that we do have the ability to play free flowing attractive football and defend as cohesive unit.

But at the time posters (nidge I think) pointed out that those games were played at such a slow tempo they would tell us nothing concerning how we do in the Prem. Those posters were right.

 

[Mullers]

I'm not sure whether Ramos can make us great but I'm not interested in seeing him sacked. I want to see us stick with the manager for a change. The board made their bed and now they have to lie in it. Maybe now they and some of our supporters will appreciate the two 5th place finishes we had under the tactical inept Jol.

 

[gibbs131]

Not only does Juande deserve more time but he also deserves better support from our fans. He is responsible for the demolition of Arsenal last season and the truly amazing day at New Wembley. Lets not forget how well we played against Celtic and Roma this Season.

I am looking from a purely financial point of view. We have won only 3 games since we lifted the CC. Ramos is on INSANE wages. 6,000,000 Euros a year. We are paying him money because we demand instant change in fortunes as we all know our players are superior on paper bar the top 4.

Ramos has still admitted he does not know his best team yet and will continue to tinker until it is solid. He has been here almost a year and he still does not know what his best team was? I thought it was pretty obvious the best suqd is based on these players:



-------------Gomes---------------
Hutton--Woody---King------Bale
Bentley---JJ--Modric------Lennon
-----------------Dos Santos-------
---------------Bent----------------

Corky, Pav, Zok etc on the bench.

The problem is our best team is a liability in defence. I just wish he would tell the truth and say we need better ballance and our transfer window was not put to good use.

 

[SpurSince57]

Not only does Juande deserve more time but he also deserves better support from our fans. He is responsible for the demolition of Arsenal last season and the truly amazing day at New Wembley. Lets not forget how well we played against Celtic and Roma this Season.

To set against the CC triumph only Ossie and Fruitini (who scarcely counts) have worse league records. Of his ten league wins, seven were against sides in total disarray.

We have to stick with him; sooner or later, though, there is going to come a tipping point when someone's going to have to make a decision.

 

[Chris12345]

Celtic, as in the Scottish team, and Roma, as in the team that lost at home to some Eastern European nobodies...

I'm usually very positive and supportive, but I'm really starting to lose the faith

There's a piece on F365 today about the insane amount of changes he'd made...

http://www.football365.com/story/0,17033,8750_4214332,00.html

 

[kishman]

Thing with Ramos he is a cup manager, he's said it already said the UEFA cup is the priority this season. Which is not what the fans want. Even at Seville the season before last, they were challenging for the title and I remember Ramos resting his big guns (Kanoute, Alves etc) in the league games so he keeps them fit for the cup, the games leading up to UEFA cup games cost them a few points which could've won them the title. I would take the UEFA cup this season but what I really want is for us to do well in the league. Luckily for us we have Stoke and Hull two promoted teams in the next two game so hopefully these games will be the turning points in our season (despite Hull beating Arsenal).

 

[Dibby]

Bump :-(

 

[Jody]

To set against the CC triumph only Ossie and Fruitini (who scarcely counts) have worse league records. Of his ten league wins, seven were against sides in total disarray.

We have to stick with him; sooner or later, though, there is going to come a tipping point when someone's going to have to make a decision.

ray: