Parkerball

[aggi]

Well, this is what Bournemouth/Fulham fans and various journalists warned us about.

We had some hopes in the first few games that it may go differently and some fans were big on him saying the right thing.

But, it all about protecting the ball and not risking an attack seems to be what we're doing and have done for a good few games.

[NewClaret]

Really sad to watch this pan out.

For us and for him

[JohnMcGreal]

Scott Parker is making Steve Cotterill look like Rinus Michels.

[Quicknick]

Six goals conceded in 13 games. Terrible, isn't it.

[AGENT_CLARET]

Six goals conceded in 13 games. Terrible, isn't it.

8 goal's scored in are last 11 league game's so yes it is terrible, the total price of this team including a keeper that cost more than a lot of teams have spent in total on their entire team is terrible.

After the fire sale since Parker took over he's technically had around 10 Pre season games to improve this team and get it running but and if anything we're getting more and more boring and duller each week.

Teams like Millwall would kill for our bench never mind the starting 11 yet Parker plays them with the handbrake on, he really needs to pick it up before January or it's season over because we've no chance of a top six finish and with this bunch of players compared to 95% of the rest of the league that would be criminal

[Murger]

8 goal's scored in are last 11 league game's so yes it is terrible, the total price of this team including a keeper that cost more than a lot of teams have spent in total on their entire team is terrible.

After the fire sale since Parker took over he's technically had around 10 Pre season games to improve this team and get it running but and if anything we're getting more and more boring and duller each week.

Teams like Millwall would kill for our bench never mind the starting 11 yet Parker plays them with the handbrake on, he really needs to pick it up before January or it's season over because we've no chance of a top six finish and with this bunch of players compared to 95% of the rest of the league that would be criminal

Wouldn’t even give him til January. If there’s no improvement straight after the international break, he can go for me.

[JohnMcGreal]

8 goal's scored in are last 11 league game's so yes it is terrible, the total price of this team including a keeper that cost more than a lot of teams have spent in total on their entire team is terrible.

Only 3 goals from open play in the last 7 games.
5 of those games were against teams that currently sit in the bottom 7.

Alarm bells ought to be ringing.

[hoosier-daddy]

I forget who it was but they passed the ball from the final 3rd back to defence when Koleosho was free to run towards goal. It was bizarre and just showed a lack of vision/awareness. And why do so many passes only just about reach the receiver. Parker is playing the opposite of how I want us to play, but I think we also lack quality to attack like we want to see us attack.

[TsarBomba]

I forget who it was but they passed the ball from the final 3rd back to defence when Koleosho was free to run towards goal. It was bizarre and just showed a lack of vision/awareness. And why do so many passes only just about reach the receiver. Parker is playing the opposite of how I want us to play, but I think we also lack quality to attack like we want to see us attack.

I thought we started quite crisp yesterday. For the first 15, we looked to spread it quicker, and Esteve played direct on a few occasions for us to pick up on the second ball.

The delay for the linesman didn’t help, and once Millwall got a foothold in the game, we just reverted back to the safe option of keeping the ball for the sake of it.

I do have sympathy with Parker. This is a young squad, confidence is fragile, and the window was a complete mess. Someone gave an analogy of it being like rushing in to Tesco 10 minutes before closing time, which is true.

The handbrake has to come off, but the worry is Parker has already evidenced at both Bournemouth and Fulham that this is how he plays.

I’m fully expecting WBA to be turgid, but we need to evidence some learning against Swansea to give us all, players and fans, a bit of confidence going into the international break.

We might only be 13 games, but it does feel like we’re at a bit of a juncture already.

[ralph8]

I think he needs to realise that making 500 plus passes a game with most of them pretty meaningless is not going to win games and is very boring to watch for the fans.
More performances like that today over the next few months and he will be gone by February.

[Vincent'sCap]

His after match interviews are getting more and more painful to listen to he doesn't half talk some shite the time is ripe for Pace to act and admit he dropped a bollock appointing him

[ClaretPete001]

8 goal's scored in are last 11 league game's so yes it is terrible, the total price of this team including a keeper that cost more than a lot of teams have spent in total on their entire team is terrible.

After the fire sale since Parker took over he's technically had around 10 Pre season games to improve this team and get it running but and if anything we're getting more and more boring and duller each week.

Teams like Millwall would kill for our bench never mind the starting 11 yet Parker plays them with the handbrake on, he really needs to pick it up before January or it's season over because we've no chance of a top six finish and with this bunch of players compared to 95% of the rest of the league that would be criminal

The fire sale largely happened after the start of the season. If you recall we battered Luton away at the start of the season.

[burnley007]

His after match interviews are getting more and more painful to listen to he doesn't half talk some shite the time is ripe for Pace to act and admit he dropped a bollock appointing him

I actually felt sorry for him yesterday, he looked completely lost in his post match interview. I don't think he knows how to fix the problems, but he clearly cares.

[aggi]

Six goals conceded in 13 games. Terrible, isn't it.

Yes.

I don't think their keeper had a shot to save yesterday so if we concede it becomes very tricky. If it was a one-off then fair enough but it is the same performance each week (and by all accounts similar to his previous clubs).

[TsarBomba]

I actually felt sorry for him yesterday, he looked completely lost in his post match interview. I don't think he knows how to fix the problems, but he clearly cares.

I would agree with you there. He looked very uncomfortable during the interview, and he has quite a few behavioural tells, such as the scratching of the ear and neck which were very pronounced yesterday.

[burnley007]

I would agree with you there. He looked very uncomfortable during the interview, and he has quite a few behavioural tells, such as the scratching of the ear and neck which were very pronounced yesterday.

It was almost like he had no fight left in him, which is weird after such a short period of time.
Could it be so-called 'fans' like me who are putting pressure on that is affecting him? Surely he has thicker skin than that, he certainly needs to if he wants to be a successful manager.

[Goliath]

I would agree with you there. He looked very uncomfortable during the interview, and he has quite a few behavioural tells, such as the scratching of the ear and neck which were very pronounced yesterday.

Plus the constant repetition of his catchphrases. Tends to be a sign of increased anxiety.
I am starting to question whether he is comfortable in the role. He sounds nervous whenever he speaks, I presumed it was because he was new but he it doesn't seem to have settled down.

[Swizzlestick]

I actually felt sorry for him yesterday, he looked completely lost in his post match interview. I don't think he knows how to fix the problems, but he clearly cares.

Yeah, he looked a bit shell shocked yesterday which is a worry at this stage of the season.

[burnley007]

Also, can you imagine Parker going in this morning and kicking arse?
I just don't see that in him.

The players look very comfortable, too comfortable.

[Quicknick]

8 goal's scored in are last 11 league game's so yes it is terrible, the total price of this team including a keeper that cost more than a lot of teams have spent in total on their entire team is terrible.

After the fire sale since Parker took over he's technically had around 10 Pre season games to improve this team and get it running but and if anything we're getting more and more boring and duller each week.

Teams like Millwall would kill for our bench never mind the starting 11 yet Parker plays them with the handbrake on, he really needs to pick it up before January or it's season over because we've no chance of a top six finish and with this bunch of players compared to 95% of the rest of the league that would be criminal

Teams that don't concede many goals tend to win leagues. Sure, they score, as well, but we will start scoring more.

[Firthy]

Teams that don't concede many goals tend to win leagues. Sure, they score, as well, but we will start scoring more.

Keep on believing that. I really don't know where the goals are going to come from. And come January it might be too late to sign a couple of strikers who can actually score goals.

[Big Vinny K]

I really want to give SP a chance and some more time as never been an advocate of chopping and changing managers.
But we look truly clueless at the moment and whilst I think Pace and VK are equally (if not more) culpable for the mess we are in we all know the buck stops with the manager.

The new players we have bought in look bang average - with the exception of Flemming. Forget about the money we have paid for them for a combination of reasons they just look ordinary - and that will not get you out of this league.
When you add that to the poor form of some of the established players a couple of which are soon out of contract, the injuries and missing players we have and the awful tactics and style of play then it’s just not working.

Maybe it’s SP and it’s tactics or maybe it’s that a lot of the players just aren’t that good. When we have spent the last few games picking out Egan Riley as one of the only positives then it’s not hard to see that something is fundamentally wrong.

All that said I would give him up to January to turn things round. If there are enough positive signs of things improving he probably deserves to get some funds to spend in January. If we have not improved then for me we need to go in a different direction with somebody else. If it’s the latter I don’t think we need to get promoted this season but just start to get going in the right direction again

[Big Vinny K]

Teams that don't concede many goals tend to win leagues. Sure, they score, as well, but we will start scoring more.

That’s just like saying teams that let in loads of goals don’t tend to win the league but we will start keeping clean sheets soon !!

We are showing zero signs with these players and these tactics of scoring goals….what makes you think it’s just round the corner ?

Yes ideally you want to be great at both ends of the pitch but I am not sure that teams who concede few goals but struggle to score are the ones that win titles. I’d say they are probably more mid table mediocrity or worse. The teams who score plenty at least always have a chance of winning games

[agreenwood]

I think Parker is the victim of his own reputation to some extent and it means there’s less patience then there probably should be.

He came with a reputation of playing boring football and seemingly being unpopular with large sections of his previous fan bases. Unfortunately for him that means that there’s reduced scope for “wait and see”, because the narrative is that this isn’t a team growing, but rather it’s already settled into the style of play we were told we’d see.

He’s getting absolutely hammered by the dedicated EFL pundits at present too. The negativity that had followed his career around has bubbled up very, very quickly. I’m not sure it’s particularly fair, but it’s already starting to feel like it could be a short reign.

[burnley007]

I see he's been blaming the players again in the papers.
Nice

[Goody1975]

Certainly is a big week with the timing of the games doing us no favours.

Once we get into the 'Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday' element of the season, then things can unravel very quickly.

Obviously the opposite can be said when a team is playing well and picking up points.

We just need to stick in there and stay in touch.

[TsarBomba]

I think Parker is the victim of his own reputation to some extent and it means there’s less patience then there probably should be.

He came with a reputation of playing boring football and seemingly being unpopular with large sections of his previous fan bases. Unfortunately for him that means that there’s reduced scope for “wait and see”, because the narrative is that this isn’t a team growing, but rather it’s already settled into the style of play we were told we’d see.

He’s getting absolutely hammered by the dedicated EFL pundits at present too. The negativity that had followed his career around has bubbled up very, very quickly. I’m not sure it’s particularly fair, but it’s already starting to feel like it could be a short reign.

Completely agree.

He’s also at a disadvantage that he’s followed VK. 101 points, and the complete domination we showed isn’t the norm, but there’s an expectation that we do that again.

Had Parker followed Dyche and not VK, I think there’d be more patience.

[ClaretAL]

I think Parker is the victim of his own reputation to some extent and it means there’s less patience then there probably should be.

He came with a reputation of playing boring football and seemingly being unpopular with large sections of his previous fan bases. Unfortunately for him that means that there’s reduced scope for “wait and see”, because the narrative is that this isn’t a team growing, but rather it’s already settled into the style of play we were told we’d see.

He’s getting absolutely hammered by the dedicated EFL pundits at present too. The negativity that had followed his career around has bubbled up very, very quickly. I’m not sure it’s particularly fair, but it’s already starting to feel like it could be a short reign.

As I have posted on the other thread, I was not aware that SP had it in his locker to walk away from a club if it was not working, as he did at Brugge. As much as I don't like the football we are playing, I feel this would really set us back, and I think we need to back him. That said if other external media are hammering him, as well as some of the fan base, on top of the rug being pulled at the beginning of the season, it cant be long before he starts to niggle.

[RVclaret]

I think Parker is the victim of his own reputation to some extent and it means there’s less patience then there probably should be.

He came with a reputation of playing boring football and seemingly being unpopular with large sections of his previous fan bases. Unfortunately for him that means that there’s reduced scope for “wait and see”, because the narrative is that this isn’t a team growing, but rather it’s already settled into the style of play we were told we’d see.

He’s getting absolutely hammered by the dedicated EFL pundits at present too. The negativity that had followed his career around has bubbled up very, very quickly. I’m not sure it’s particularly fair, but it’s already starting to feel like it could be a short reign.

Completely agree. What’s interesting is those EFL pundits like being modern and using xG, and very quickly point out ours is very low (absolutely correct), yet have never mentioned how his Bournemouth teams xG/90 (the stat they are using against Parker now) was > than Kompany’s Burnley, by a relatively decent-ish amount too.

Better analysis would be asking questions around this - was it that Parker had a better team at Bournemouth, was it purely down to Solanke who created space for himself in the area and therefore chances, does it suggest Parker CAN develop chance creating teams and things should improve in that sense, has he just been dealt a tricky hand here with the squad turnover and injury crisis, would Kompany’s team have been promoted with this many injuries (I seem to recall how toothless we looked when he had to play Vitinho on the wing several times that season)? But you don’t seem to get that level of analysis, it’s all surface level stuff for clicks and fans generally bite at it, next thing you know, like you say, it’s the narrative embedded.

[Steve1956]

Scott Parker is making Steve Cotterill look like Rinus Michels.

[kentonclaret]

Corberan was the first choice of many posters on this message board to be appointed as manager following the departure of VK. So, I just had a look at West Brom’s last 6 results to see what exciting, entertaining football we are all missing out on.
They read 1-1, 0-0, 0-0, 1-1, 0-0 and 0-1.

[Scampi]

Something that really struck me on his post match interview was how he mentioned 'emotion', saying to the effect that we lost our way when the game got 'emotional'. Now, that was not by any stretch of the imagination an 'emotional' game. Millwall got worked up for the first time when they thought they should have had a penalty in the first half, then there was all the faff with the linesman, but no one could really call that emotional.

I think what it betrays is that his tactical approach, and I don't mean this to sound pejorative, is aiming for nothing to happen ie we retain passive possession to control the game. If something, anything, happens to disrupt that, it's seen as an unexpected problem, rather than just the ordinary cut and thrust of the game.

[CrosspoolClarets]

As I wrote the other day, the big issue for me is that nobody asks him the right questions so we fill the vacuum with guesswork, e.g. to what degree are his teams risk taking. We know he is defensive minded but is it a lack of player confidence to take a man on?

As for signing duds, which I read above:
— Sarmiento I like - aggression and running like an Englishman, craft like a South American (as we’d expect from someone here since 7)
— Anthony has good stats from 3 years ago and is really two footed, two good assists from left footed crosses, it is his decision making at fault
— Worrall we have missed badly, his leadership is something Egan Riley cannot replace and results have gone south
— Flemming I really like, a bit of craft and an old fashioned machine
— Hannibal has something, he can play at a high tempo and is aggressive but like Anthony is playing it too safe
— Laurent has pleasantly surprised me and is squad backup

Really I am coming around to the view that it is the manager’s choices to blame - he has his favourites, Laurent and Anthony, the former he tried to sign multiple times. So he squeezes them in, which can affect our flow. We should have 4 attacking minded players playing as well as two attacking fullbacks. We know Roberts loves to get in the box, so it is instruction that he doesn’t.

We aren’t going to get Parker to play as risky as Kompany. The question is whether we can get him to take the brakes off enough. He needs to be told by the board that he is on thin ice with these tactics, too much loyalty and the decline could set in. The players have a role in this too. I still feel a small tweak and we could look transformed. It’s just about getting a lead and drawing out the opponent. We have to take more early risks and get one.

[CrosspoolClarets]

(unrelated, but to add to my above, after the next 2 away games we will have played away from home 6 of the top 8, excluding us, plus an ex Premier League side in Luton. That is a really positive thing to have out of the way as we go into the new year)

[Quicknick]

That’s just like saying teams that let in loads of goals don’t tend to win the league but we will start keeping clean sheets soon !!

We are showing zero signs with these players and these tactics of scoring goals….what makes you think it’s just round the corner ?

Yes ideally you want to be great at both ends of the pitch but I am not sure that teams who concede few goals but struggle to score are the ones that win titles. I’d say they are probably more mid table mediocrity or worse. The teams who score plenty at least always have a chance of winning games

Your first line is nothing like the equivalent of what I said. Conceding goals/scoring goals are things at opposite ends of the pitch. Letting in loads of goals/starting to keep clean sheets are at the same end.

We are definitely short of a striker, so you may be right, but I'm sure Parker knows enough to adjust his tactics.

People point to the complaints from fans of his previous clubs - fans all complain - but he took both of them up at the first attempt.

[Clive 1960]

Also, can you imagine Parker going in this morning and kicking arse?
I just don't see that in him.

The players look very comfortable, too comfortable.

like Kompany did and that didn't work...

[Quicknick]

Parker was a true leader on the pitch at WHU. You don't need to shout and swear to get your point over convincingly.