Thomas Frank - Head Coach

[fernadez]

It was v Burnley, this was a pretty average performance and an awful result. Not for the first time this season.

Not for the first time in the last two years

 

[Gutter Boy]

Honestly, I'm fuming at the result today, as we really needed he 3pts.
I'm convinced I want TF gone...
BUT... the last two matches have been alot better in terms of the type of football I'm seeing on the pitch, at least there's a more attacking focus approach and there's a more competitive mindset from the team, compared to what we've seen all season so far.
I don't want us to sack TF unless we have already got a top quality attacking principled Manager already lined up. Otherwise I think we stick with TF for the rest of the season.

There's definitely been some improvement in performance and in the style of play over the last two games, which is all I've ever wanted from TF in his first season, but the rubbish football and pragmatic approach he continued to give us has convinced me that, no matter what, he has to go at the end of the season and Poch has to come back and have a 2nd shot at building a competitive team.

I really don't want an interim manager, I'd rather stick with TF for now, unless we have a someone lined up now like Alonso ready to take over, or give Poch the job after the WC.

Frank will take us down at this rate. An interim should at least take us back towards more of a par finish

 

[harr1984]

Bit of a different job picking up a declining team to overseeing the decline though.

Last season i read results were acceptable because of injuries, not sure why they're not now

They weren't acceptable, hence why most wanted him gone and why he got sacked. If all this is acceptable, then we might aswell have kept the guy we had last season....

 

[parj]

Intent vs a return to the usual none

I thought we had intent today but I wasn't a fan of the formation. I felt we didn't really win the midfield battle, and slowed our attack down too much.

There were times we broke and the options were poor.

 

[fernadez]

They weren't acceptable, hence why most wanted him gone and why he got sacked. If all this is acceptable, then we might aswell have kept the guy we had last season....

Surely you don't want either of them in that case?

 

[totalspurs]

Frank will take us down at this rate. An interim should at least take us back towards more of a par finish

I know what you're saying, but really depends on who the interim is and how the players respond to him.... it's also just as big as a risk as keeping TF.

All I'll say is that currently I still see these players playing for him (especially recently) rather than against him.

That's why I'd rather keep him for that, if nothing else.

I'd only replace him for a top quality manager who is here to stay...not an average interim.

 

[harr1984]

Surely you don't want either of them in that case?

Me personally? I thought Ange deserved to stay after the trophy, but understood why he got sacked. I never wanted Frank but there were many claiming he played good football, so assumed I was just unlucky in the matches I saw so was open to him.

Lo and behold the football has been brick, and the results are no better. So if Ange wasn't good enough, I don't see how this is either.....

 

[Gazza Dazzla]

Me personally? I thought Ange deserved to stay after the trophy, but understood why he got sacked. I never wanted Frank but there were many claiming he played good football, so assumed I was just unlucky in the matches I saw so was open to him.

Lo and behold the football has been brick, and the results are no better. So if Ange wasn't good enough, I don't see how this is either.....

Exactly the same as my thoughts on Ange, the sacking and Frank.

 

[Mcfee]

Surely you don't want either of them in that case?.

Correct in my case. I thought Ange had to go (though the cup win caused me to doubt if I’m honest). But choosing Frank to replace him was uninspiring to say the least.

 

[Baleforce]

Didn't watch but read that their goalkeeper kept them in it. Can't blame Frank for not having a striker firing on all cylinders.

It's Romero giving goals away thats the problem. He's probably cost us 10 points this season alone through stupid moments of concentration failure.

We were head and shoulders the better side today. Again, as we have been in most games lately.

I still back Frank to turn the results around.

 

[Jurgen the German]

It's Romero giving goals away thats the problem.

We were head and shoulders the better side today.

But he also scored the goal that got us back in it. So VDV and Romero’s contribution are neutral at worst. I completely give up with our totally useless forwards. The fact that the CB’s have to bail them out every fudging game is bordering on embarrassing. I agree they should do better defensively, but if they don’t play then who scores the goals for us?

 

[thfcsteff]

Thought we played with the right mentality and intent.

Seeing as that's been people's criticisms alongside that they don't mind not winning as long as we play the right way, there must be more people who want Frank to stay?

I'm finding it hard to lay the blame for the lack of quality in the final third at his door.

I want us to have a clue as to how to play progressive, attacking football with control. We have not done that since the start of the season. Where is the control in our attacking game? Where is the plan beyond 'spank it in from the wide positions'? Today we were the better side, no argument. Call me entitled, that is least I expect when playing a bottom three side who are pretty much certain to go down.
In the end, we were lucky not to lose.

BTW, we all want to win. Some of us want to win with style, yes. At this point of the season I'd take wins any way we can get them. We aren't even doing that! 2 wins in 14 PL games I believe? Look, blame the 'lack of quality in the final third' on others than the manager if you wish, but it is the manager's job to create systems that make the best of what he has and find answers.

 

[SpurMeUp]

I want us to have a clue as to how to play progressive, attacking football with control.

I thought we controlled that game. Obviously the goals conceded were poor, but we were fully in control. Romero looks up and doesn’t trap the ball. Then we don’t defend properly to stop the cross and let their attacker have a free run at the cross!!! Terrible. We dominated the first half and should have been out of sight on chances created.

We have not done that since the start of the season. Where is the control in our attacking game? Where is the plan beyond 'spank it in from the wide positions'?

We played through the middle at times. In the first half it resulted in us losing possession. Second half Romero played some passes through the centre as the game opened.

Today we were the better side, no argument. Call me entitled, that is least I expect when playing a bottom three side who are pretty much certain to go down.
In the end, we were lucky not to lose.

That’s your glass half empty thing again. Stats don’t back this viewpoint up. 2.5 XG vs 1.5 and what those stats don’t tel you is we handed them chances on a plate and didn’t convert lots of promising breaks into shots.

BTW, we all want to win. Some of us want to win with style, yes. At this point of the season I'd take wins any way we can get them. We aren't even doing that! 2 wins in 14 PL games I believe? Look, blame the 'lack of quality in the final third' on others than the manager if you wish, but it is the manager's job to create systems that make the best of what he has and find answers.

I agree here. Franks job is to turn these players into a success. Odobert and Spence he has helped them develop. But tucking the ball away isn’t something any of our attackers are good at - including Solanke. Still, Odobert had a lovely curling shot saved well, Simons struck the underside of the bar, Spence was through a couple of times. Frank is getting them playing. But they aren’t finishing. And it has been like this since the first game of the season. We are missing Son, Kulu and Madders. No doubt.

For the rest of the season, can these promising players step and start to deliver goals? Or do we actually consider playing Romer or VDV upfront!

 

[thfcsteff]

I thought we controlled that game. Obviously the goals conceded were poor, but we were fully in control. Romero looks up and doesn’t trap the ball. Then we don’t defend properly to stop the cross and let their attacker have a free run at the cross!!! Terrible. We dominated the first half and should have been out of sight on chances created.

We played through the middle at times. In the first half it resulted in us losing possession. Second half Romero played some passes through the centre as the game opened.

That’s your glass half empty thing again. Stats don’t back this viewpoint up. 2.5 XG vs 1.5 and what those stats don’t tel you is we handed them chances on a plate and didn’t convert lots of promising breaks into shots.


I agree here. Franks job is to turn these players into a success. Odobert and Spence he has helped them develop. But tucking the ball away isn’t something any of our attackers are good at - including Solanke. Still, Odobert had a lovely curling shot saved well, Simons struck the underside of the bar, Spence was through a couple of times. Frank is getting them playing. But they aren’t finishing. And it has been like this since the first game of the season. We are missing Son, Kulu and Madders. No doubt.

For the rest of the season, can these promising players step and start to deliver goals? Or do we actually consider playing Romer or VDV upfront!

Appreciate the conversation mate.

I think we had more possession and presence but did not see us control the game in a true sense.
Romero always plays some passes through the centre; he is pretty much the only one who dares.
Most of our chances come as a result of crosses. I want more than that personally.

 

[Lemonade Money]

Love those 'supporters' who probably didn't watch the game and are so fast to get on and post down with Frank. Especially the Ange-lamenters who have undermined Frank from day one. They are a special kind of divisive non-supporter.

Terrible not to win, not becuase its a gimme, but because we deserved to win. Our attackers can't put it together in the final third. As usual a lot of passes and shots weren't good enough. And that is the simple issue. Odobert played well, Spence showed his passion and pace. None of them could keep their cool and make the right pass or coldly finish, and we relied on defenders again to score. And it is to be expected with an unsettled young side who aren't yet familiar and polished.

Frank should have made some earlier subs when it was 1-1 and we were dominating trying to win the game. The tide turned as players tired. And he didn't get fresh legs on quick enough imo. But otherwise, you have to say, Frank set us up well. Right out the blocks we were a threat. Unable to convert two great openings in the first couple of minutes. As we pushed to find goals and dominated we forgot that we need to defend and keep them out too. Had we, that was a walk in the park. A lot to refine for Frank, but if you watched the game, it was clear we were the better side.

I think you need to give up on this Ange/Frank thing. It's just you, and you are beginning to sound a bit nuts.

 

[SpurMeUp]

I think you need to give up on this Ange/Frank thing. It's just you, and you are beginning to sound a bit nuts.

Just look above your original post and you’ll see the likes of tommysvr, adamant Ange admirers, twisting the knife on Frank. They just happen to correlate with the most anti-Frank posters

 

[Baleforce]

But he also scored the goal that got us back in it. So VDV and Romero’s contribution are neutral at worst. I completely give up with our totally useless forwards. The fact that the CB’s have to bail them out every fudging game is bordering on embarrassing. I agree they should do better defensively, but if they don’t play then who scores the goals for us?

It’s not neutral, goals you concede are more influential than goals you score.

In the modern game, clean sheets are everything.

 

[afsoc4life]

Me personally? I thought Ange deserved to stay after the trophy, but understood why he got sacked. I never wanted Frank but there were many claiming he played good football, so assumed I was just unlucky in the matches I saw so was open to him.

Lo and behold the football has been brick, and the results are no better. So if Ange wasn't good enough, I don't see how this is either.....

For me once I compared Frank's record vs Ange in head to head matches - There was no reason to get Frank if we were insisting we wanted a better manager than Ange. No reason easily apparent to me.

 

[Lemonade Money]

Just look above your original post and you’ll see the likes of tommysvr, adamant Ange admirers, twisting the knife on Frank. They just happen to correlate with the most anti-Frank posters

That's one person.

 

[parj]

But he also scored the goal that got us back in it. So VDV and Romero’s contribution are neutral at worst. I completely give up with our totally useless forwards. The fact that the CB’s have to bail them out every fudging game is bordering on embarrassing. I agree they should do better defensively, but if they don’t play then who scores the goals for us?

I wouldn't shift all the blame to attack. There are times we are slow to support, or when they do support they run right into the opposition defensive line instead of moving into spaces.