Gary Megson

[The Baron]

Most players and employees at our club have a sneaky look at this site to judge the opinions of our fan base so I will assume, although I don't know, that also reads the site.

I have been watching Sheffield Wednesday for quite some time and I think that this is the lowest point I have ever seen since supporting the club as a child, lower even than the dark days of the third division in the 1970's. We are in the third tier of English football now, as we were then, but at least in the 1970's we had a few players who looked as though they were bothered and the odd player who possessed a bit of ability and trickery.

Almost every Wednesday fan I speak to, and I speak to many, are talking about the same things when attempting to identify why we are not winning games. Why doesn't Mr Megson listen to these opinions and try and rectify what everyone believes to be the common problems? Some of the main issues identified by myself and other the fans are:

1. Decide on your best side and stick to it even if it doesn't work straight away, we need consistency and understanding from players. We will not achieve this by changing the team every single game. Stick with players even if they have an off game or two.
   
2. Stop playing people out of position, if you can explain your decision to me to play Darren Potter on the right wing last night when you are sober and without laughing I would be intrigued to hear your explanation.
   
3. Add some pace into the team, even if some of them are not what you consider to be our best players. People like Coke, Otsemobor, Jermaine Johnson and Daniel Jones possess pace, this is a quality severely lacking in the teams you seem to select. Every team we have played at Hillsborough for several months have made us look pedestrian and play at a tempo we simply can not live with due to our lack of pace. Players like Teale seem to be getting slower as the season goes on.
   
4. Our ball retention is horrendous, we need to hold on to the ball and string passes together rather than lumping the ball long and surrendering possession to the opposition every time our defence wins the ball. We make the centre halves of every team we play look like world beaters. If we don't keep hold of the ball for longer than a couple of passes we will not win football games.
   
5. Play with wingers and full backs who have some pace and the ability to get past defenders and drum into them that their job is to cross the ball. Tommy Spurr will never deliver the crosses that Madine and Heffernan need to get us goals, neither will Buxton, Potter, etc and the other players you play in these positions who severely lack either pace or the ability to cross a ball. Stop Jermaine Johnson cutting in and shooting, 99.9% of his shots are woeful so just get him to cross the ball into the penalty area and create chances for others, that is his job.
   
6. If you are going to play Gary Teale explain to him that all the pace he used to possess has gone, if he is to continue playing for us he needs to stop making himself look stupid by trying unsuccessfully to get round the full back and realise that he must set himself and deliver the ball from deep at times.
   
7. Play with real adventure. I am sick of seeing the team sheet and wondering why we have chosen such a defensive team and formation when playing at home. Throw caution to the wind and go for it. Get players in front of the ball. Without trying to win games we will get what we deserve, a string of defeats followed by relegation!
   

If we want to stay in this division and build this summer you need to have a serious look at the way you are managing the team, you can't blame the players all the time and have to shoulder some of the blame for the way we are playing.

[Guest Deleted member]

Most players and employees at our club have a sneaky look at this site to judge the opinions of our fan base so I will assume, although I don't know, that also reads the site.

I have been watching Sheffield Wednesday for quite some time and I think that this is the lowest point I have ever seen since supporting the club as a child, lower even than the dark days of the third division in the 1970's. We are in the third tier of English football now, as we were then, but at least in the 1970's we had a few players who looked as though they were bothered and the odd player who possessed a bit of ability and trickery.

Almost every Wednesday fan I speak to, and I speak to many, are talking about the same things when attempting to identify why we are not winning games. Why doesn't Mr Megson listen to these opinions and try and rectify what everyone believes to be the common problems? Some of the main issues identified by myself and other the fans are:

1. Decide on your best side and stick to it even if it doesn't work straight away, we need consistency and understanding from players. We will not achieve this by changing the team every single game. Stick with players even if they have an off game or two.
2. Stop playing people out of position, if you can explain your decision to me to play Darren Potter on the right wing last night when you are sober and without laughing I would be intrigued to hear your explanation.
3. Add some pace into the team, even if some of them are not what you consider to be our best players. People like Coke, Otsemobor, Jermaine Johnson and Daniel Jones possess pace, this is a quality severely lacking in the teams you seem to select. Every team we have played at Hillsborough for several months have made us look pedestrian and play at a tempo we simply can not live with due to our lack of pace. Players like Teale seem to be getting slower as the season goes on.
4. Our ball retention is horrendous, we need to hold on to the ball and string passes together rather than lumping the ball long and surrendering possession to the opposition every time our defence wins the ball. We make the centre halves of every team we play look like world beaters. If we don't keep hold of the ball for longer than a couple of passes we will not win football games.
5. Play with wingers and full backs who have some pace and the ability to get past defenders and drum into them that their job is to cross the ball. Tommy Spurr will never deliver the crosses that Madine and Heffernan need to get us goals, neither will Buxton, Potter, etc and the other players you play in these positions who severely lack either pace or the ability to cross a ball. Stop Jermaine Johnson cutting in and shooting, 99.9% of his shots are woeful so just get him to cross the ball into the penalty area and create chances for others, that is his job.
6. If you are going to play Gary Teale explain to him that all the pace he used to possess has gone, if he is to continue playing for us he needs to stop making himself look stupid by trying unsuccessfully to get round the full back and realise that he must set himself and deliver the ball from deep at times.
7. Play with real adventure. I am sick of seeing the team sheet and wondering why we have chosen such a defensive team and formation when playing at home. Throw caution to the wind and go for it. Get players in front of the ball. Without trying to win games we will get what we deserve, a string of defeats followed by relegation!

If we want to stay in this division and build this summer you need to have a serious look at the way you are managing the team, you can't blame the players all the time and have to shoulder some of the blame for the way we are playing.

Totally agree with everything

[The Baron]

Another point I forgot to mention:

We are all fed up of seeing Clinton Morrison back into players and try and win fouls, that is all he ever does other than shout at people and wave his arms around. If he really had the passion that he seems to falsely display to get into the team he would attempt to play football a little more. He, like several other appears to be way off the required standard of fitness.

[cardiff05]

Totally agree as well

The best post I have read in ages. I hope GM reads. I never thought it was possible that he would do a worse job than boring AI - but he is.

[Guest Deleted member]

A few weeks ago - Megson was telling us all he thought the squad was too big. Then he signed 4 players on loan. Ive yet to really get a handle on why any of them were signed.

FWIW I would see out the season with

GK - O'Donnell

RB - Otsemobor - pace where we need it

CB - Beevers

CB - Buxton

LB - Spurr

A defence thats played together and knows what to expect from each other. Its not ideal - and I'd be tempted to change Spurr for Jones

LM - JJ (regularly swapping with RM)

CM - Miller

CM - Coke/Osbourne

RM - Teale

ST - Madine

ST - Mellor

And swap and change it minimally between now and the end of the season. Jones and JJ down the left would be great pace wise. Teale and Otsemobor would be good enough down the right. Madine and Mellor would hopefully bully some defenders and not just back into them and fall down waving their arms about

[The Baron]

The Baron and Grandad, the new Clough and Taylor?

[Mike Hunt]

A few weeks ago - Megson was telling us all he thought the squad was too big. Then he signed 4 players on loan. Ive yet to really get a handle on why any of them were signed.

FWIW I would see out the season with

GK - O'Donnell

RB - Otsemobor - pace where we need it

CB - Beevers

CB - Buxton

LB - Spurr

A defence thats played together and knows what to expect from each other. Its not ideal - and I'd be tempted to change Spurr for Jones

LM - JJ (regularly swapping with RM)

CM - Miller

CM - Coke/Osbourne

RM - Teale

ST - Madine

ST - Mellor

And swap and change it minimally between now and the end of the season. Jones and JJ down the left would be great pace wise. Teale and Otsemobor would be good enough down the right. Madine and Mellor would hopefully bully some defenders and not just back into them and fall down waving their arms about

You would go with Teal and Spurr after last nights shambles ?

[Guest Deleted member]

You would go with Teal and Spurr after last nights shambles ?

Yes

None of the players know who is playing, what style they are playing, they need consistency. They have shown enough over the season (ignoring Spurr being played out of position for a large percentage of it) to warrant a place in the settled team for the run in.

[brian joicey]

You would go with Teal and Spurr after last nights shambles ?

teale would be nowhere near any squad that i picked!!! nor would cliton morrison

[bigrbuk]

Let the players pick the team, might ring home a few truths.

PS Beevers in injured, you'll need to pick another of the other 8 centre halves we've got at the club, all seemingly incapable of putting a tackle in.

[AJowl]

I actually thought Jones looked ok at the back in the first 10 minutes last night, I would have him in place of beevers if he is ok after last nights injury, any news on that?

Also I think Palmer needs to be utilised more, he will be dying for the chance to show he is better than the other options we have.

[Guest Deleted member]

I actually thought Jones looked ok at the back in the first 10 minutes last night, I would have him in place of beevers

Me too - there you go thats Beevers stand in sorted. any more?

[TheBoyBeevers]

I'd pick Miller at RM for the rest of the season.

His legs are gone and he can't play in CM as part of a 2 any more, but if we're going to have an ageing pro who has lost all of his pace in a wide position, Miller has SO much more quality on the ball than Teale does.

[The Baron]

I'd pick Miller at RM for the rest of the season.

His legs are gone and he can't play in CM as part of a 2 any more, but if we're going to have an ageing pro who has lost all of his pace in a wide position, Miller has SO much more quality on the ball than Teale does.

Why have an "ageing pro who has lost all of his pace in a wide position" at all?

[TheBoyBeevers]

Why have an "ageing pro who has lost all of his pace in a wide position" at all?

Because we've got so few wingers with any pace at all, we're a bit stuck.

JJ picks himself for me (regardless of how he has played in the previous game played) because even if he only turns up one game in 4, he'll at least win you the game that he does turn up in.

That leaves Teale or Sedgwick of the conventional wingers. Daniel Jones has said himself he is a full back, so i'd pick him there ahead of Tommy Spurr.

And in a choise between Teale or Sedgwick, I'd pick Tommy Miller.

[The Baron]

Because we've got so few wingers with any pace at all, we're a bit stuck.

JJ picks himself for me (regardless of how he has played in the previous game played) because even if he only turns up one game in 4, he'll at least win you the game that he does turn up in.

That leaves Teale or Sedgwick of the conventional wingers. Daniel Jones has said himself he is a full back, so i'd pick him there ahead of Tommy Spurr.

And in a choise between Teale or Sedgwick, I'd pick Tommy Miller.

You can see that we lack quality wingers with pace, I can see that we lack quality wingers with pace, how come that Alan Irvine and couldn't see this and failed to sign any?