Alarm Bells Ring!

Last updated : 26 January 2002 By Paul Bryant

Little out? That’s the question most City fans are starting to ask. Does Brian Little really have what it takes to take City up? Have City ‘lost’ it? There are so many questions that need answering at the minute as City have just slumped to another loss away from home. It is now 9 games with only one win for City and quite frankly it is totally unacceptable.

Little has to be questioned after being given the funds to bring the players he wants to City in the summer, in fact £1 million is more than enough to build a team capable of getting out of division three, So what IS going on? Many people are pointing the finger at Littles tendancy to bring in players he has managed before are not producing the goods on the pitch. Our away form is the worst in the top 7 teams. Little needs to ring the changes, and quickly.

Okay, so the team is totally different to last season but rather than gelling together City seem to be getting worse as they play more games. Some players are just not producing the form they are capable of, Ryan Williams is just one player who falls into this category not to mention the inconsistency of most of the other players. Still the blame needs to be on Brian Little. As manager it is his responsibility to make sure players are performing and to make sure the team wins on the pitch.

What’s happened to the heart that City showed last season to drag us into the play-offs despite all the off field problems? Different players, true, but still there is no excuse for our recent displays. Maybe the players need an incentive, a win bonus maybe if that is not already being offered.

The way things have gone recently City will be lucky to even reach the play-offs again. promotion is essential, after all how many of our best players have non-promotion release clauses in their contracts? If several players do have this ‘luxury’ where will we be next season if we are not promoted? We will be left with a severely weakened squad.

Most teams do go through a rough patch at some point in the season and maybe this is City’s. however, City have not played well away from home all season, maybe the wrong tactics are being used or maybe it’s a mental thing within the players. Either way Brian Little is beginning to lose sympathy from the City faithful and no one, Adam Pearson included, will tolerate many more of these ‘dire’ displays and unless City turn things around soon Brian Little is living on borrowed time.