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It's November now and four points from ten matches is a quite embarrassing record. Most worryingly, we don't seem to be improving - in fact we're getting worse. I just don't have any confidence that Hughes is going to turn it around. For me, he is an extremely uninspiring figure - negative, uninteresting and uncharismatic. I can't imagine the players feeling particularly motivated by his pre-match and half-time team talks. Yesterday, I felt that our performance was extremely lethargic (particularly in the first half) and, although we improved after the break, for much of the match I was wondering whether our players even interested in what was going on. I don't know about other people, but I've got a feeling that he may have 'lost the dressing room'.
I know much has been written about our defending, but I'm going to moan about it a bit more. What summed it up was that moment in the first half when a Reading throw-in sliced open our defence, almost leading to a goalscoring opportunity. We are not even doing the 'basics' right. Anton Ferdinand's positional sense is absolutely abysmal and at several points he was standing miles and miles behind Nelsen. Bosingwa offered absolutely nothing. Reading must have had at least five free headers over the course of that match - I dread to think of what Stoke will do to us next week with the amount of high balls they put into the box and their aerial presence up front. Seriously, what on earth is going on in the training sessions? Clarke Carlisle and Danny ****tu in League One genuinely looked far more solid and organised than the current lot. It is just pathetic, it really is - and I hold the coaching staff responsible.
What also struck me was our lack of shape. People seemed to be charging around aimlessly. I only realised Mackie was supposed to be playing a central attacking role about 30 minutes in, since he was running around all over the place. Reading, on the other hand, looked fairly well organised despite their players lacking Premiership quality.
Hughes has had long enough. I wasn't overly impressed with him last season - he only just kept us up despite spending large amounts in the January transfer window - and we look even worse this season. We also have an absolutely appalling disciplinary record and it wouldn't surprise me if we get yet another man sent off at Stoke next week with their hostile crowd influencing the referee. I do understand Fernandes' reluctance to sack him - yes it's true that 'stability' is something we should be aiming for in the long term - but sometimes changes are needed and this guy seems to be absolutely clueless. Terrible results, bizarre (and negative) tactical decisions, hopeless defending, bad signings, the obsession with SWP (although he was dropped yesterday) - all these factors mean that he has to go.
I know much has been written about our defending, but I'm going to moan about it a bit more. What summed it up was that moment in the first half when a Reading throw-in sliced open our defence, almost leading to a goalscoring opportunity. We are not even doing the 'basics' right. Anton Ferdinand's positional sense is absolutely abysmal and at several points he was standing miles and miles behind Nelsen. Bosingwa offered absolutely nothing. Reading must have had at least five free headers over the course of that match - I dread to think of what Stoke will do to us next week with the amount of high balls they put into the box and their aerial presence up front. Seriously, what on earth is going on in the training sessions? Clarke Carlisle and Danny ****tu in League One genuinely looked far more solid and organised than the current lot. It is just pathetic, it really is - and I hold the coaching staff responsible.
What also struck me was our lack of shape. People seemed to be charging around aimlessly. I only realised Mackie was supposed to be playing a central attacking role about 30 minutes in, since he was running around all over the place. Reading, on the other hand, looked fairly well organised despite their players lacking Premiership quality.
Hughes has had long enough. I wasn't overly impressed with him last season - he only just kept us up despite spending large amounts in the January transfer window - and we look even worse this season. We also have an absolutely appalling disciplinary record and it wouldn't surprise me if we get yet another man sent off at Stoke next week with their hostile crowd influencing the referee. I do understand Fernandes' reluctance to sack him - yes it's true that 'stability' is something we should be aiming for in the long term - but sometimes changes are needed and this guy seems to be absolutely clueless. Terrible results, bizarre (and negative) tactical decisions, hopeless defending, bad signings, the obsession with SWP (although he was dropped yesterday) - all these factors mean that he has to go.
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