I think that's a perfectly sensible thing to say and probably applies to most clubs. It's a bit different from saying that 4-3-3 is mandatory for the manager. This again seems to come back to people thinking formations are the be all and end all. I'd have thought that in reality anyone in football using the terms 'playing style', 'philosophy' or 'system' is talking about something a bit more detailed than just playing a particular formation.
The very notion that Ehab Allam has a footballing philosophy - you guys crack me up! It’s just something he said a couple of times in a desperate attempt to sound feintly knowledgeable. The formation, love it, loathe it or think it’s a bit overemphasised, is the work of Grant McCann. He didn’t fall under the spell of Master Allam when he was gaffer at Peterborough and Doncaster and playing the same way.
I don’t buy into the theory that our players can’t compete in this league. Sure they are not promotion candidates but they are good hearted lads with plenty of fight. We have seen so many times how teams like that can survive. What we are is incapable of defending set pieces employing the most stupid tactics more suited to a wrestling match. We have no ability to change those tactics. We lack some quality up front and don’t play to our strengths. We could do with another experienced centre half and steady hand but we are not as bad as people make out. Our manager is a different proposition. He does not inspire confidence in his interviews. He appears naive in the extreme. He thinks the paying customer does not have a right to ask the hard questions. He also has the most abysmal championship record which would have resulted in any other guy getting sacked. He has got very lucky with this job and the current owners but on the pitch his luck is running out and his bloody awful tactics are being exposed.
totally agree. You can't fault the effort of the players. Its the formation & the coaching they are receiving from McCann that is the issue. A proven Championship manager could sort these current issues out . Under McCann they persist week in week out
Ehab did say playing philosophy, not recruitment. Recruitment then fits the playing style and the (mid-table ) playing budget. Yes, McCann had previously played 4 3 3 at other clubs, which is why he was recruited .... as that is the 'playing philosophy' chosen by Ehab and Darnborough. It comes from 'the top', but if McCann had anything about him .....
Yep, this squad is inexperienced but with the right guidance, is capable of competing in this league. Even after Grosicki and Bowen left, the 2019-20 squad had enough to stay up as well. Grant McCann is a League 1 manager at best. I think he himself knows this as well, hence why he gets so defensive and prickly when asked difficult questions. I think he's conscious of his own lack of tactical awareness and he's insecure about it when facing the media but arrogant enough to not give a **** about answering the difficult questions because he knows Ehab won't sack him. I think his attitude might change if and when he leaves City because he'll never get a more cushier job in his life again. None of the other clubs in the Championship will touch him with a barge pole but he'll likely find a job at a mid-table League 1 team. However, should he struggle in his next job, I can't see an owner of say MK Dons or Accrington Stanley being as patient with him as Ehab has been.
IF, and I mean IF, Terry is on his way, Ehab will leave the associated cost of getting rid to any prospective buyer of the club, so don't see any change happening any time soon, unfortunately!
I could do it. All I'd need is this board to help me out with formations and team selection. I wouldn't even need to give up my day job.
Just another sign that they are not going anywhere, this month, next month, by Birmingham or the second week of November.
That’s a pretty **** salary. Sorry, the above was a lazy response and I should have added to this. It’s not a great salary as I imagine a lot of the work involving the analysis of other teams will mean a lot of anti social hours and weekends. I’d think with the salary on offer they’ll be lucky to get a graduate with no experience.
Companies in this country have a habit of advertising high-skilled jobs requiring years of experience for disproportionately low pay. Makes complete sense though once you look at the data and it shows that wage growth compared to living costs is the second worst in Europe after Greece.