07 Jun 2020 13:35:25
Hope everyone is well and keeping safe, like many I'm sure we are looking forward to the footy starting again. I read the thread of posts suggesting team selection and formations and i see nothing had changed. Bring back Taylor, one up front etc, to me these are the reasons we are at the bottom and will continue to be so unless Deano changes things.
He has had plenty of time to reflect and I really hope he tries something different, obviously Mcginn is going to make a big difference and I hope the rest of the team play as though their life depended on it.
The start of the "new normal" is our chance to try something different, just remember the the sign of stupidity " doing the same thing over and over and expect different result". I hope we really give it a go and I will be cheering all the way, however if we serve up the same old dross we were playing before the break I will be as vocal and consistent as I have always been. Let's go down fighting if that is the ultimate outcome but let's finish the season with fight and dignity.
07 Jun 2020 15:41:42
Hi Scotty, it’s been a while, hope you’re keeping well mate,
I would just say I’m not part of the one up top brigade, I would go with Samatta and Davis and be looking to involve Louie Barry. With 9 players allowed on the bench and 5 subs, now is a good time to involve some of the younger players who will be raring to go. They won’t have the worry of having young families either and could definitely add fresh young legs in the last 1/ 2 hour of the games.
I like your battle cry mate, and hopefully Jack and McGinn will be the inspiration and driving force that makes the difference between staying up and going down, UTV.
07 Jun 2020 18:04:05
Hi Scotty, hope you and your family are well mate.
I agree Deano has got to change something, Mentality, Formation, Attitude, etc etc, whatever it takes to improve our chances of survival and too progress.
As it stands we have what we have, McGinn should make a difference of sorts, given his drive and willingness to work hard.
But as you know I am a big fan of two up top, and for me if we continue with a lone striker, I am sure we will go down.
There has to be more football played in the final third, keep it away form our back four, from the seasons start, our back line has worked overtime, they are not good enough to sustain that kind of pressure.
I would like to think, providing we score, 4 or maybe 5 clean sheets, from our remaining 10 game, would be enough to keep us up.
07 Jun 2020 19:00:08
Hi Mark/ Dave, good to hear from you both, sounds likes we are all on the same page, if things are going well I am sure this will continue. I hope you guys will continue to split your contributions between the two platforms. Keep safe and hopefully we will continue to have a positive outlook culminating in us being in the premier league next season.
07 Jun 2020 19:56:04
For sure mate, I can only speak for myself of course, but that was my plan anyway.
Mark and I have had some good banter over the last couple of weeks, and are in regular contact.
08 Jun 2020 18:36:48
1 out and out striker does not mean 1 up top. Having Jack staying up and Mcginn primarily supporting the front is 3 up top.
We have to work with what we have and prolific strikers we do not have. Teamwork is great but you can't leave Grealish or Mcginn out otherwise guaranteed to be dire due to lack of creative ideas.
How many jobs have you had where they completely changed their systems because you didn't get it straight away? I've said it before and will say it again that your analogy only works in situations where repetition doesn't create improvement.
A square block doesn't become round just because you keep trying to put it in the round hole but that's because the block cannot practice at being a round block. A more suitable analogy is that you don't give up toilet training because your white carpet is no longer white and you don't completely change your approach, you persevere through minor adjustments and encouragement.
08 Jun 2020 21:18:02
Sorry rk, which poster are you referring too mate?
Who has said anything about one up top, and leaving McGinn or Grealish out.
And the square block bit, you have lost me mate.
Please clarify if it is me you are answering.
08 Jun 2020 21:23:59
Rk, far too deep for me, forget analogies, we haven't just started out we are 28 games in, it's far too late for minor adjustments and tweeks, we need to adopt an approach for the remaining ten games different to the first 28 or the outcome will be the same, fact not analogy.
08 Jun 2020 21:57:50
I was referring to Scots reuse of the 'definition of madness' quote. Disagreeing with an approach is fine, misusing a phrase to denigrate that approach undermines the argument.
Take out individual howlers and we'd be mid table, we've lost 10-15 points from them. Would we be saying the approach has failed if players had not made those misjudgements?
Football has changed, Burnley are the only team who really play 2 up top and they are regularly down there. I'd argue that while Barnes and Wood aren't great footballers they are pretty handy at finding the net. A lack of protection in their midfield leads to being under pressure consistently.
Prem football is often less exciting, the quality of coaching and players means chances are at a premium. Regardless of formation we're not going to see us creating chance after chance like we saw in the Championship.
08 Jun 2020 22:15:25
Mid table beggars belief, look at the table, the league position is based on our performance not if and and maybe, there isn't a league in the world that uses your formula. My point is, 28 games under a system that has patently failed, the next ten games must be different not with minor adjustments.
08 Jun 2020 22:31:35
As I try to point out at the top of the page, in my latest post.
But I still thing we need to go two up top mate, the ball goes up there and comes straight back, because we have no control, no outlet, and nobody running in behind.
Its schoolboy stuff mate, football is a simple game made difficult by ridiculous tactics.
09 Jun 2020 08:27:52
Scot, as usual you are completely ignoring my point to be argumentative.
I'm not saying we aren't where we are and where have I said the league position is decided any differently?
How can you deny that once in a career level errors have happened multiple times throughout the season costing us games we were winning/ drawing?
The system didn't cost us at Bournemouth at the start of the season, we'd have drew the first Spurs match if not for an error. Reina threw away points when he thought he was a midfielder.
Of course it is hypothetical but if those errors don't happen then we are not in a relegation battle and for all the times you say 'fact', this actually is one.
We should be focusing on teaching players how to pass the ball more than 2 yards and still find their teammate and also to find space when not with the ball.
That is the back to basics approach I would take rather than completely overhauling the system which takes weeks/ months to adjust to tactical positioning.
09 Jun 2020 12:12:42
Rk, we seem to be agreeing that there needs to be some change in what format that may take, your change appears to be fundamental, that footballers who haven't been able to make simple passes or make constant defensive errors have a coaching update.
This is a change to what's previously been happening and I whole heartedly agree with you. I think this is a start that should be a given, either the players we have aren't capable or our coaching methods are in question. This is my main gripe of the season so far and my point is the previous 28 games haven't worked and my sincere hope that next ten will be different and keep us up.
So I go back to my whole point, I want to see something that is different not radical. Deano, I'm sure will be doing everything he can to keep us up, I just hope he has accepted what he had served up in the season so far is neither working or good enough.
09 Jun 2020 21:43:51
Any real football fan knows improvements need to happen, we all just have a range of ideas on how that looks.
Man City have proven that you have to continually evolve and improve to achieve and maintain success.
In addition to improved passing I want to see people being more vocal. I don't know if it's Smith's philosophy but I've never seen Heaton or Reina so quiet in previous teams.