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Press conference? Would have been interesting
Yep, heard the interview Raio Wales. No punches pulled took full responsibility, but made it very clear there would be big changes in the squad. He made the point of saying many of the players who had gained promotion were older, they I effect no longer the players they were.
So, in effect, he blamed the players?
And he'd be right. One of the things that I never got was fans, at the start of the season, saying we had a great chance as we had many players who had won promotion 2 years before. Logic suggests players have ups and downs in form while they age. The thought that the players would simply do the same as before was nonsense.Originally Posted by jeremy corbyn
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50971209Manager Neil Harris called Cardiff City's performance in the New Year's Day 6-1 defeat at Queens Park Rangers 'unacceptable'.
Harris apologised to supporters and questioned the desire of his squad who he said need to "look at themselves".
The 31-year-old who succeeded Neil Warnock in November was clear changes will be made.
"Neil lost his job because of the performance of the players, well I don't owe the group anything," he said.
"I support them and if they work for me great…obviously January is a busy transfer window.
"I've come into a group that's got a great reputation as individuals and at times as a group…well at times I don't see it.
"The players need to look at themselves, individually and collectively, some big names. Do they do enough? Do they want enough? Do they do enough for the football club? Do they do enough day to day?
The former Millwall manager has made no secret of the fact that he would like to reshape his squad and said the poor display in west London had confirmed that.
"I think it adds to it. I have to be really careful to isolate today (the 6-1 defeat) for what it is, but some of the instances have re-affirmed what I know already.
"Today is a reality check that the team that got promoted a couple of year ago isn't the team of today.
"The players aren't the same, the players are older, the group's different and ultimately it's the characteristics in the group personality wise and attributes to do that mentally and physically, is it there?
"January is a notoriously tough window, we're looking at trying to get some players out to free-up opportunity to bring some in, that doesn't change for me.
"I just think what players have done is just highlighted that some of them can't reach the standards I demand."
Harris has won four, drawn four and lost two of his 10 games in charge of the club.
"I knew it was going to be bumpy when I took the job, I've been really pleased with the start I've had, how we've gone about it and a lot of the players buying into what I want.
"Today is a step back…well it doesn't have to be a step back, it can be a reality (check) and we have to make sure it doesn't happen again.
"All I can promise the fan base that travelled is it won't happen again under me."
Good. They deserve the blame.
Unlike his predecessor he hasn’t given them excuse after excuse about the ref, or the quality of the opposition, or carrying a few injuries.etc.
He’s going to find it hard to ship some of this dross out in January because of the ridiculous deals handed out by the committee that isn’t fit for purpose, but at least he’s called it for what it is. The players are not good enough, and unlike the previous manager they won’t be getting a free pass because they won promotion 2 years ago.
Lee Johnson School of Management right there.
I think he's done the right thing to be fair, as long as they didn't do what they were told.
It would do them no harm to have the riot act read when needed. He's the manager and needs to put his foot down. He's leaving the 'new manager' timeframe now too.
I understand blaming the team but the fact he went with five at the back and it failed so badly means he has to take some blame himself.
We had Peltier available along with Paterson and he put Bacuna at wing back.
It is very much square pegs into round holes when there was no need and I hope that we do not see Bacuna used as a wing back again as he simply isn't good enough.
I can take it at this early stage but if he is still blaming the team in a few months then he has to look at himself for not being able to get them performing better and listening to what he is trying to get them to do.
If they are ignoring him and doing their own thing then the problem lies with him as this is what he is ultimately paid to do.
I'm not sure how he can guarantee it won't happen again under him if he is laying the blame firmly at the feet of players who he is hinting are making mistakes and playing how they like.
I was never a fan of his appointment and was desperate to be proved wrong.
His results so far have been better than expected and I have to say, he has inherited a squad that is way below anything Cardiff have had for 6-7 years.
He can’t be blamed for that and as they say “if your 3 card brag hand is 3,5 & 7 you can shuffle all you want but you won’t make a winning hand” (providing they are not all of the same suit).
It will be interesting to see if he can offload or bring in any new players in January although I suspect we will have to wait for the summer to realise any major changes.
I still want to give him time although I still believe he is the wrong person to spend the next 3-4 years at the club laying down plans and changing our style.
Finally, a message to Camron Coxe - if you are not on the team sheet in the next couple of weeks, get out fast...
Congratulations for not 'kicking us when we are down'.
What was the Robins forum like after being drubbed 4-0 at home?
Did 'our' Ash get a lot of stick?
Could not have been as big a meltdown as here!
Off topic - how is your pitch holding up with Rugby also being played on it.
Saw some of the Bristol v Wasps game.
Bacuna was brilliant on Sunday there. Paterson cannot defend, he's embarrassingly bad at it. Makes Fabio look like Maldini.
Coxe has Declan John syndrome. He's welsh and doesn't play, so he's brilliant. Most have never seen him play. Harris doesn't fancy Coxe like Warnock before him.
The funny thing is Bacuna is actually a RB, played his whole career as a rb up until a few seasons ago
Sadly, a high risk strategy these days, to do so publicly.
Managers need to accept responsibility for both good and bad. That is the basis of good leadership.
With player power what it is today, even at Championship level, this could go one of two ways.
He was primarily a right winger in Holland and played pretty much everywhere except as a striker at Villa and Reading. Saying he played "his whole career as a RB" until a few seasons ago is very inaccurate. He's a winger that ended up being the definitive utility player (without the talent to actually play in any position).
At the end of the day the players are out there on the pitch - the formation contributing to the performance is a red herring. Maybe as others have said, Harris doesn't carry the same authority as NW with this group of players. We saw some 'green shoots' of football at the 1st home game under him, but that was it - as if the players just couldn't maintain it. We've now got the situation that apart from a few, most of the players know they could be on their way this month. Probably doesn't bother them either way. Providing we don't go down, I'd say get rid of as many as is possible now, and the same in January. Come August we'll then see whether Harris can do a decent job here.
I think you've summed it up pretty well. These are Warnock's players and whatever Harris does he is not going to get the best out of them. On top of that a good number know their days at CCS are limited.
I am expecting some big names to be gone, if not Jan, certainly June, which will raise eyebrows.
Only then can we truly judge Harris.
Whether the board give him time is another matter. A bad slump in form over the next few weeks could be curtains for him, imo.
Your last sentence sums up what I am trying to say.
If the players chose to ‘down tools’ due to him blaming them for the fiasco at QPR when I suspect they don’t hold him in especially high regard anyway, then a run of defeats will see him gone and the players get another chance with someone else.
It happens all the time (Mourinho, Ranieri, Pellegrini etc although I’m not putting Harris in that bracket of course!)
Player power will always win unfortunately and whilst not a fan of his appointment we never really know what goes on behind the scenes? Do some of the squad have a lack of respect for Harris as a manager? Were they getting dropped off in taxis on Boxing day because they had over indulged Christmas day, equally were they out on the lash New year's eve?
A few seasons ago Tony Pullis scrapped the Stoke players annual Christmas party, some of the squad just arranged it behind his back, leading to him and the main culprit having a dust up in the showers where he was alleged to have put the nut on the player
If someone senses a weakness and they have half a mind to exploit that they will!!! Maybe that's what Harris was alluding to in his press conference when he said there needed to be a change in the culture?
Has Harris improved the side from where Warnock left us? Yes, in just 10 games he's made a positive difference. Surely he deserves support until end of the season to see how the changes he's made start to take hold rather than fans talking about whether players respect him or not?
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