Karanka/Dong/Squad rant/discussion

[MarkGregory]

Is it Karanka or the players?

Defence

We play a 4-2-3-1. That means we have 6 core players to deal with defensive scenarios. 8 including wingers. We should NOT be getting opened up the way we are. If there is an attack down our right-hand side, cover should be someone dropping in from the left to cover. We are conceding a worrying number of goals, not just from “individual errors” but from having gaping holes in the middle of defence because players are getting pulled out of position too easily. The biggest culprit for this is (and has been since the day he arrived) is Pedersen. The number of times he is nowhere to be seen and Friend/Dean/Sanchez/Sunjic have to cover for him is embarrassing for someone who has been wrongly identified as one of the best left backs in the league. We cannot blame attacking players losing the ball and leaving the back 4 exposed because we do not play attacking football so there are usually 7/8 players behind the ball. I don’t think this is all down to Karanka though. When Rowett came in, we had very similar issues. Michael Morrison came in and Robinson made the CB position his own. That solid foundation is where the success came from. That should have been the impact Friend had but the inconsistency of who plays at LCB has made that impossible. Dean has the odd game that he looks like the player Redknapp brought in but most weeks he looks panicked off the ball. San Jose tackles thin air most the time after charging into situations. So, although Karanka can’t do anything about misplaced headers or poorly timed tackles, and he isn’t helped in any way that we have some diabolical defenders, he is absolutely to blame for the shambles of a structure at the back.

Midfield

The idea of playing San Jose, or even Clayton, to control the tempo and style of play hasn’t worked. We lose the ball too easily and in positions that put us under pressure straight away. We have a group of players that a midfield 2 and a number 10 or 3 CMs can provide a lot of energy and really screen the back 4. That would mean we concede far fewer goals. It would also mean that we have energy in attacks. This isn’t rocket science. We are shocking in defence and with a midfield with no legs in it, they are going to be exposed. This is probably the easiest area to solve and I think in turn is Karanka’s biggest failure. I was not necessarily against Kieftenbeld leaving the club, especially with the introduction of Harper. But Karanka seems to want to persist with Sunjic and San Jose being the usual 2 in the middle. San Jose’s appalling work rate is leaving Sunjic to look second rate because he is not a ball playing midfielder. Sunjic was only meant to be a Kieftenbeld upgrade. The next midfielder through the door should have been the Gleeson upgrade we never got. Instead we have taken chances on past-it quarter backs like San Jose and Clayton. A consistent Harper and Sunjic screening the back four and Harper having the ability to bring the ball out from the back will allow us to unleash something we haven’t had in a long time. An exciting front 4.

Front 4

Regardless of how much we paid for Cosgrove, Hogan is the first choice when on form for me. Sanchez looks an absolute steal for a free as has been Bela. Halilovic has shown flashes of absolute quality. The main issue in the attacking third isn’t the personnel, it’s the fact that they are left isolated. When we get the ball up the pitch by playing football, they show glimpses of what could be one of the most threatening teams in the league. But they have an average height of 2’6” and we play this non-sensical long ball up to Hogan to hold up. Then fans have an issue when he doesn’t chase a lost cause because the long ball isn’t accurate or it is going to be picked out the sky by a much bigger defender. When he does hold the ball up, there is no one there to support him because the ball has gone forward too quickly. We need to play through the midfield to create the spaces for the creative players to move into. This might not be as big a failing by Karanka as the midfield, but it is the area I trust him the least. I do not think he has it in him to cater to these players as an ex-centre back and defensive minded manager.

Other

Karanka isn’t soley to blame for all of the abysmal displays this season. Much of it comes down to the board for poor recruitment in key areas. Clayton and San Jose should never have been sanctioned and why a first-choice centre back was not sounded out in the opening days of the transfer window is a complete mystery. There is still a mismatch of players in the squad. Our best 2 CBs are left sided, our worst 2 are right sided. Our worst 2 are also arguably 2 of the worst in the league, certainly playing as the dominant CB. You can’t help but wonder, would quality defenders mean we wouldn’t be questioning Karanka at all? Another issue which shouldn’t be made too much of (and is embarrassing at this level that it is an issue in the first place) is the pitch. Sanchez and Halilovic and arguably even Toral, can make football look easy with the ball at their feet. They can spot a pass, dribble and strangely from a Blues perspective these last few years, they’re quite good at it. The mud bath that is St Andrews this season just doesn’t help. Granted, with a nice pitch I imagine we would still be in the drop zone, but other pitches have held up better. And I don’t accept the ground share as a reason in the 21st century in the second season of it. For me, sacking Karanka is the only short-term option but ironically, long-term, I think he is the man for the job. But I think he is the man for the job with his own scouting team that hasn’t been outsourced, money to back him up and absolute freedom to get us out the league the way he knows how. We have a mix of some of the best and some of the worst players we have ever had and shutting up shop to hide the deficiencies isn’t working. A manager who will come in and play direct (not long ball) attacking football with a Ferguson mentality of if we can’t shut you out, we’ll just outscore you seems to be the only hope we really have this season now.

[carlbcfc]

I think MSJ is at the stage where his brain knows what’s to do, but his body is just not capable and he usually arrives half a second late, hence the tackling air comments I keep hearing. He was a genuinely good player. It was always a strange place to pick as an end to your career the Championship, especially coming from a place of such time on the ball as LaLiga.


Dean is not trying. He’s watching danger unfold where in the past he’s reacted to it. He wants out I’d say. He’s one of the glaring consistencies in our defensive troubles these last few seasons.

If not 442 with traditional wingers....

We should go 41212 diamond, I’d say, because we don’t use the width anyway, with Sunjic deep, and Halilovich behind Juke & Hogan, with Cosgrove proving himself off the bench. L & R side would be a debate, but you could use Bela & Sanchez starting from a more narrower and head on position as opposed to the the predictable cut back, pass back, pass sideways, which 1 ball in to see it cleared as Hogan is 5 5”’and doesn’t stand a chance on his own.

Or 4312. Again with the same front 3, but a flatter 3, which I’d imagine would be Sunjic, Gards, + maybe Harper.


Honestly I’d really be scouring that freebie market for a Steven Carr or Robbo type right this minute if it’s still an option.

[Screamoblue]

Hogan 5ft 5 . Did he lose 6" during lockdown?

[Bluemachine]

Said this the other day but there genuinely isn’t one player in that team I would be gutted if we sold they are all a bunch of fannys no gut no heart no fight we don’t have one we have always had a few tough characters and I don’t necessarily mean hard men just someone with a bit of fight FFS e.g Keift

We Always thought deep down we could do better but what I’d give to see Maghoma ect (monk team) playing now.. even without che

fast pacey direct counter attack.

I probably will give the game a miss Wednesday for the first time in since we hired Redknapp.

its painful to watch im sick of the fanny players and negative manager

[KROJim]

Well with no halting of the share trading we are now only just hoping that Zhao will take action. Big game on wednesday to see how the players have reacted to Karankas comments.
Whatever happens, Kee Right On!

[carlbcfc]

Hogan 5ft 5 . Did he lose 6" during lockdown?

I was being overly dramatic regarding his height. The point I was making is that he is not a target man

[carlbcfc]

However it pans out, just remember that we will be here long after those owners, that manager, and all of that squad, have long departed. ‘We’ are Birmingham City. We are on the train forever, but we are never in control of it. Just enjoy the joys & sorrows as always.

Remember we are real football fans, not plastics. We celebrate the things many top clubs fans will never understand, and are not in a state of eternal disappointment like those tramps across the road. The only way is down for them from where they currently are.