It’s easy to blame Iraola…

zigger zaggar said:
I don't see Semenyo as "more of a winger" at all. For me, at least, he is more of a rampaging centre forward and he deserves to be given a few starts ahead of Dom.
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I thought that too until he was terrible as centre forward against Stoke, where he looked very uncomfortable playing with his back to goal and surprisingly lightweight. So I actually agree with him if he believes his best position is out wide where he can run directly at defenders. Could work if he has Dom or PhilBil behind him doing the donkey work and playing him in behind defenders but I doubt we'll ever see that.
 
king-bedwetter said:
I thought that too until he was terrible as centre forward against Stoke, where he looked very uncomfortable playing with his back to goal and surprisingly lightweight. So I actually agree with him if he believes his best position is out wide where he can run directly at defenders. Could work if he has Dom or PhilBil behind him doing the donkey work and playing him in behind defenders but I doubt we'll ever see that.
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Fair comment, I wasn't at the Stoke game. So he really didn't look good as a lone centre forward?
 
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What worries me is supposing Bill Foley does see a problem with Hughes and/or Blake's performance, how does he go about moving them on without it being seen as a vote of no confidence in AI, if they were so influential in bringing him in? And how does that help the mindset of the players who have been signed in that time? Feels like a **************** storm brewing if any action is to be taken and it'll need to be handled a lot more delicate than the way we parted with GON.
 
Irola had no PL experience with no team coming with him so legacy coaches were with youth squad a year ago

He has been handed rookie signings with no PL experience who may have impressed in European leagues in patches with better players around them but are struggling in the white hot heat of the PL

He has an ownership team that know diddlysquat about the English Premier League other than it is moneyball whilst you are in it
We must be perilously close to breaching FFP limits and Blake’s spreadsheet would probably burst at cost of firing and hiring in current season.
 
I'm sure AI isn't exactly an encyclopedia on the managerial career of Sean Dyche, I mean why would he be.

So I'd wonder who at the club would have been in a position to chat with AI and advise that Dyche is someone who's often had the indian sign over AFCB, and that one way you definitely don't play against him is with no midfield and long ball.

We have a couple of senior older heads in the squad in Smith and Cook maybe, there's Elphick and Cooper, but not sure if they'd be able to have that discussion.

We are very green as a whole club. Wily old dogs like Dyche can eat us up.
 
king-bedwetter said:
What worries me is supposing Bill Foley does see a problem with Hughes and/or Blake's performance, how does he go about moving them on without it being seen as a vote of no confidence in AI, if they were so influential in bringing him in? And how does that help the mindset of the players who have been signed in that time? Feels like a **************** storm brewing if any action is to be taken and it'll need to be handled a lot more delicate than the way we parted with GON.
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I don't think Americans do delicate
 
AFCBade said:
Combination of AI learning curve; tough fixtures and injuries always made this a tough start. So no surprise we are in a tough spot. Much as i supported GON, I feel we would be in a similar position if he had stayed tbh and he would have gone now after May results too.

We have had plenty of positives but the last two defeats have seen a step down in performance. Time to be ruthless for those 2 massive home games vs wolves and Burnley.

Seen worse in 94/95 and 08/09 of course but expectations higher now given over £100m spent.

Lack of defensive cover and cdm is a worry but, for all the AI hype, we do lack a cutting edge. I think a GON team would have scored more - so we are failing at both ends of the pitch with some daft mistakes conceding goals and not scoring in 4 of the last 6 games so far.
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We look completely devoid of any attacking threat whatsoever and it stops us from being competitive….
 
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king-bedwetter said:
What worries me is supposing Bill Foley does see a problem with Hughes and/or Blake's performance, how does he go about moving them on without it being seen as a vote of no confidence in AI, if they were so influential in bringing him in? And how does that help the mindset of the players who have been signed in that time? Feels like a **************** storm brewing if any action is to be taken and it'll need to be handled a lot more delicate than the way we parted with GON.
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I'd be surprised if B/H aren't firmly under the microscope right now.

I'd imagine Foley and associates look at the whole picture. Why are we where we are now. Main points imo being:

1) Who sourced, recommended and conducted the new manager hunt?
2) who sourced, recommended and conducted the new players/transfer hunt?

Most of that comes back at board level, and I expect a very significant part of those two things and main responsibility comes under Blake and Hughes I'd have thought. If not, why are they even employed, what else are they doing if not those two things?

Theres no way B and H are getting out of this unscathed imo if things continue as they are. They've effectively overseen it. Thats a lot of money... doubt Foley will be 100% confident in them with his money after this episode (so far).
 
MB1980 said:
I'd be surprised if B/H aren't firmly under the microscope right now.

I'd imagine Foley and associates look at the whole picture. Why are we where we are now. Main points imo being:

1) Who sourced, recommended and conducted the new manager hunt?
2) who sourced, recommended and conducted the new players/transfer hunt?

Most of that comes back at board level, and I expect a very significant part of those two things and main responsibility comes under Blake and Hughes I'd have thought. If not, why are they even employed, what else are they doing if not those two things?

Theres no way B and H are getting out of this unscathed imo if things continue as they are. They've effectively overseen it. Thats a lot of money... doubt Foley will be 100% confident in them with his money after this episode (so far).
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I try not to repeat myself to often. Especially across threads but obviously at the moment that’s happening.

So I’ll just leave this here, for what’s it’s worth, which isn’t much, this was my thoughts on it.

Dawsons Head

Where wherefore art thou Dawson, a fine tuned machine of a manager, hand picked by thou. Do we blame you, Richard Hughes, Blake or Foley for your anointed chosen one?
bournemouth-forum.vitalfootball.co.uk
 
I think the fixture list has screwed us more than just being a hard start. Confidence in football is huge and it’s clear a lot of players are very low on it. How often have we seen the same players look brilliant after a win or two after looking terrible in other periods.

Also surely people can now see Kelly is comfortably our best defender? I think Zab will be good but needs taking out of the firing line as soon as someone is fit.
 
daveyboy19 said:
I think the fixture list has screwed us more than just being a hard start. Confidence in football is huge and it’s clear a lot of players are very low on it. How often have we seen the same players look brilliant after a win or two after looking terrible in other periods.

Also surely people can now see Kelly is comfortably our best defender? I think Zab will be good but needs taking out of the firing line as soon as someone is fit.
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Its a fair point mate. Its not like players are robots is it. You have to handle the hand you're dealt of course, but its far from ideal being given an opening 8 fixtures like that, compared to spread more evenly amongst so called more winnable games.

Thats the thing I've always mentioned about GON. He must have had something about him, players on side. If he was that useless, or not respected, theres no way the players would have bounced back after that absymal run for a couple of months, after the world cup.

One of the reasons its usually considered better to face promoted sides a couple of months or more into the season. They#';ve had their promotion confidence smashed/ebbed away, and the gulf in class becomes more apparent, versus meeting them in the first few games.
 
daveyboy19 said:
I think the fixture list has screwed us more than just being a hard start. Confidence in football is huge and it’s clear a lot of players are very low on it. How often have we seen the same players look brilliant after a win or two after looking terrible in other periods.

Also surely people can now see Kelly is comfortably our best defender? I think Zab will be good but needs taking out of the firing line as soon as someone is fit.
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Confidence and losing Kelly are the two key things over the past game and a half.

Does Zabarnyi look worse alongside Senesi to when he’s with Kelly? (Kelly and Zabarnyi of course were far from the ideal pairing)
 
AFCBmattjamr said:
It was brain-dead to sign a player that no one else would touch because of injury issues, especially in a absolutely critical position where we have no back up
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Pre season it was brain-dead to miss out of signing injured Jackson, now it's brain-dead to sign a player on an expiring release clause because he is injured.

Feels a bit more like a result hasn't gone out way triggering a search for a scapegoat.
 
Kudos said:
Pre season it was brain-dead to miss out of signing injured Jackson, now it's brain-dead to sign a player on an expiring release clause because he is injured.

Feels a bit more like a result hasn't gone out way triggering a search for a scapegoat.
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It was January, but yes the inconsistency has managed to make us remarkably on the side of getting it wrong on both occasions.
 
DJ said:
Confidence and losing Kelly are the two key things over the past game and a half.

Does Zabarnyi look worse alongside Senesi to when he’s with Kelly? (Kelly and Zabarnyi of course were far from the ideal pairing)
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Senesei I would call an entertaining footballer, all action and interesting to watch. Not a quality I personally like for a centre back. Mepham and Kelly when fit for me.
 
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