[bangkokbaggie]

Quite how Phillips gets ahead of him only Billic can answer.

[ex coseley kid]

He has played as a left wing-back for Hull and for Poland but will Slaven pick him? Ah I think I know the answer.

This is my personal biggest issue with Slaven.

[costa blanca baggie]

None of us know what really goes on behind the scenes at our club. Never have done, and most probably never will. If we did, most would then understand. There’s a reason for everything.

[johnny Cash]

None of us know what really goes on behind the scenes at our club. Never have done, and most probably never will. If we did, most would then understand. There’s a reason for everything.

True, however it isn’t always that the manager is in the right.

[costa blanca baggie]

True, however it isn’t always that the manager is in the right.

However, we don’t know what he’s having to deal with.

[WorcsWBA]

However, we don’t know what he’s having to deal with.

Bilic said this yesterday: "Kamil is a quality player. He’s working very hard. He was very close to going to Forest on loan, but he didn’t go - he stayed here. He’s a good professional so he’s involved in training. We watched that game [the U23 game in the week], my staff were there. Of course, he scored a couple of goals and scored three goals for Poland in the last international break.

What has also affected him is that we changed the system, we are playing without wingers. I’m not saying that he can only play on the wing, but on the wing is where he is best, if you ask him that he’d say that’s his best position. Is he teasing me in my head, even for Sunday? Yes, he is. Like everyone else. I said to the players - in training, even in the under 23 games, not to mention the games, five or ten minutes even, everyone is finishing with small or big pluses, or small or big minuses. Kamil Grosicki is picking up pluses."

Source: B'ham Mail

It doesn't seem like Bilic is having to deal with too much, other than why he's unjustly leaving a player out of the match day squad.

[alex1]

Although he was on for only 10 minutes today, he brought something different. Some pace down the wing. I hope he's back in the running for a starting position.

[frazzle]

Although he was on for only 10 minutes today, he brought something different. Some pace down the wing. I hope he's back in the running for a starting position.

But also played a part in their winner by not closing down the cross perhaps.

[LiamTheBaggie]

Although he was on for only 10 minutes today, he brought something different. Some pace down the wing. I hope he's back in the running for a starting position.

I don’t recall him doing anything in the slightest. He didn’t beat a man, he didn’t make a cross and nor did he get back to help out.

The much derided Phillips was far better.

[baggie82]

I don’t recall him doing anything in the slightest. He didn’t beat a man, he didn’t make a cross and nor did he get back to help out.

The much derided Phillips was far better.

Grosiki was on the pitch for ten minutes. You judge a player over a period of games when they get a chance to get a run going, not the briefest of cameo appearances.

[frazzle]

Grosiki was on the pitch for ten minutes. You judge a player over a period of games when they get a chance to get a run going, not the briefest of cameo appearances.

Think Liam was replying to the original comment from Alex on the ten mins Grosicki was on the pitch.

In my view he had one opportunity to influence play and found a nice ball inside. But I also think he should have been there to stop Murphy’s cross - which was absolutely outstanding.

[LiamTheBaggie]

Grosiki was on the pitch for ten minutes. You judge a player over a period of games when they get a chance to get a run going, not the briefest of cameo appearances.

Yes - and I can still offer an opinion on his ten minutes on the pitch, which is the opposite to the one provided by Alex, in that he did absolutely nothing in ten minute cameo.

[alex1]

Yes - and I can still offer an opinion on his ten minutes on the pitch, which is the opposite to the one provided by Alex, in that he did absolutely nothing in ten minute cameo.

What I was getting at was his ability to move the ball forwards at pace. You can see he has that quality. Alot of our players are just too slow on the ball giving the opposition defence time to organise.

[alex1]

Still Grosicki not getting a look in. Strange. Wonder if there's something he's not doing in training. I thought a new manager might revive his career here, but as it is, wouldn't be surprised if he's off to Forest. 

[WorcsWBA]

Still Grosicki not getting a look in. Strange. Wonder if there's something he's not doing in training. I thought a new manager might revive his career here, but as it is, wouldn't be surprised if he's off to Forest.

I criticised Bilic for not giving him a run and will do the same with Allardyce. It's not like the players being preferred to him are producing performances to make them worthy of their place.

[gazberg]

I criticised Bilic for not giving him a run and will do the same with Allardyce. It's not like the players being preferred to him are producing performances to make them worthy of their place.

Fair point. Had nothing to lose by playing him 45 mins tonight.

[Dexy]

Food for thought from Saturday , possibly our best player looking bright and attacking but not a lot of tracking back going on .
Suspect he's heading for the exit door but then again Allardyce might have seen something .

[lewisant]

Food for thought from Saturday , possibly our best player looking bright and attacking but not a lot of tracking back going on .
Suspect he's heading for the exit door but then again Allardyce might have seen something .

I certainly felt I seen something and him and Pereira seem to have a synergy that was seen last season too. Grosicki on the pitch has shown more than enough to get a chance for me. Conversely, those that have had a chance have mostly not done anything to keep their starting berths.

[alex1]

I think Grosicki was one of the few bright spots from the game at the weekend. One of our biggest problems is getting the ball up the pitch quickly and he can do it.  Normally our attacks are so slow that the opposition defence have all the time in the world to get into formation. He just needs to improve on some of his crossing, but that's something he can work on. I think it would be a big mistake to let him go.

[seteefeet]

I think Grosicki was one of the few bright spots from the game at the weekend. One of our biggest problems is getting the ball up the pitch quickly and he can do it.  Normally our attacks are so slow that the opposition defence have all the time in the world to get into formation. He just needs to improve on some of his crossing, but that's something he can work on. I think it would be a big mistake to let him go.

He made some great runs but he had to keep stopping to wait for our midfield to catch up, meaning he ended up outnumbered and the chance gone.
It was embarrassing how little desire the likes of Sawyers, Livermore, Krovinovic, Edwards and even Pereira showed to get in their box.

[Atomic]

Grosicky created both goals on Saturday. He supplied the cross for Ajayi's header and also the cross for the hand ball which was a definite penalty.

[alex1]

He made some great runs but he had to keep stopping to wait for our midfield to catch up, meaning he ended up outnumbered and the chance gone.
It was embarrassing how little desire the likes of Sawyers, Livermore, Krovinovic, Edwards and even Pereira showed to get in their box.

Absolutely key point. I mean, we're not expecting him to run on and take on a whole defence by himself.

Players like Gallagher, Sawyers, Livermore and Krovinovic have got to make runs forward.  I don't know if this is the coaching staff preventing them, or if its because these players don't feel confident going forward. You can't win football matches unless the team get forward in numbers. I know it means they have to get back down the pitch again, but its what most teams do. 

[boinging_along]

Absolutely key point. I mean, we're not expecting him to run on and take on a whole defence by himself.

Players like Gallagher, Sawyers, Livermore and Krovinovic have got to make runs forward.  I don't know if this is the coaching staff preventing them, or if its because these players don't feel confident going forward. You can't win football matches unless the team get forward in numbers. I know it means they have to get back down the pitch again, but its what most teams do.

I'd say it's a bit of both but we know the manager likes us to sit deep - so you're asking your midfielders to sprint 40-50 yards to get up to play and that takes time.  Then if play turns over, 40-50 yards to get back again.

[seteefeet]

Absolutely key point. I mean, we're not expecting him to run on and take on a whole defence by himself.

Players like Gallagher, Sawyers, Livermore and Krovinovic have got to make runs forward.  I don't know if this is the coaching staff preventing them, or if its because these players don't feel confident going forward. You can't win football matches unless the team get forward in numbers. I know it means they have to get back down the pitch again, but its what most teams do.

He just needs to give it a go sometimes, cut in and let fly, like he does for Poland.
I think with Gallagher and Pereira it's confidence as both of their shooting has been pretty gash, with both ballooning chances. With Krovinovic it's just poor technique, he had two shots from distance that went straight at the keeper and also ballooned his best chance. Livermore just does not venture forward as that would put him in a position of responsibility, which he prefers to leave to others.
As for Sawyers, I think we are as likely to see him in either box as we are Lord Lucan riding through Great Bridge market on the back of Shergar.

[alex1]

I'd say it's a bit of both but we know the manager likes us to sit deep - so you're asking your midfielders to sprint 40-50 yards to get up to play and that takes time.  Then if play turns over, 40-50 yards to get back again.

Look at the Liverpool's Man City's when they are attacking. Never mind just them, look at most Prem League teams. You see 6 or 7 players within TV screenshot in and around the opposition penalty box. Sometimes more. That's how they put defences under sustained pressure. They have to get back down the pitch too. Why is it they can do it, but we can't, or won't? We have to learn to defend without needing to keep 8 or 9 players permanently in our own half.