Minority Report v Stoke City

As I have said many times, Minority Report is about systems. Today, that leaves me with a bit of a problem. I would normally talk about the press, but tonight there wasn’t one. Stoke did not want to play from the back, and when a team hits the ball back toward us long, there is little point in playing a forward press. The early goal meant that for the rest of the game we could let Stoke have the ball and play the game on the break. In the first half, that worked well and we saw a much more open game than we have seen at Oakwell recently. However, in the second half it became attritional. It was mainly a problem for Stoke. They were the team that was behind, and whether their manager likes it or not, it is their responsibility to do something differently in order to change the game. I have always thought that O’Neil lacks imagination. He has better players to call on in his squad but he failed to give us any problems in spite having the lion’s share of possession. They were dull, dull dull.


Having said that, in the second half, we were little better. The ball was looped forward in a way that I have lamented upon before, but at least our front 3 scrapped for the ball, often making a poor ball forward into something a bit better. In that second half, there were few chances at either end and what there was were only half chances. Stoke had one or two half chances from set pieces, but they fell to defenders who did not have the skill or composure to make anything of them. Equally, we created very little on the break, and nothing at all from set pieces. With time ticking away, Stoke became more desperate and the game got a little more open. Palmer had played well, but Halme is an improvement late in the game against an opponent with big players who want to compete for high balls. Although Woodrow had played well, I was grateful for his late substitution by the speedier Chaplin, who I felt would present a different challenge against tiring defenders. Even so, our second, when it arrived right at the end of normal time was a series of mistakes by a tiring defence that had lost concentration. They had cleared the first ball without too much trouble, but not only did they fail to mark up properly for the second ball, there was also a straggler who played Dike on side when he should not have been. Obviously, no-one in red, in either mind or shirt will care, but it is that sort of thing that will drive a coach insane.


I no longer publish my pre-amble on the BBS because I got fed-up of the abuse it attracted. However, if you could see it, you would note my resolve to change my attitude towards VI. It has to be said that VI has performed miracles with the Barnsley playing staff. Their lack of quality and particularly pace is more than compensated for by their patience and adherence to the game plan. I would still prefer to see the game played with more flair, but I guess wins will have to do until then. I also resolve to be more patient.

 

Sounds like you're gutted we won.

 

the pitch is a bog, you do not get out of the championship playing pretty football for 90 minutes,we can play when we get chance, we scrapped for every 2nd ball, think your reports are very blinkered ,the reason they were at 6s and 7s for 2nd goal was because Victor bust a gut to get the ball back, when it looked like they were going to break,good that you like writing them but can not remember one I have agreed with for ages,you are wanting the team to play a game that no longer exists,its not the 90s anymore and you got to scrap to get out of this league

 

That’s exactly how I read his posts each week but not away from home because he doesn’t watch us so how he believes he has this huge insight into how we play week in week out is beyond me but you’re right it’s like he’s waiting for us to lose so he can say I told you so and call out VI

 

Try responding specifically to the points that he made, and take issue with them, one by one, if you can.

If you can't, then leave him alone.

To persever in flimsy attempted character assassination is quite frankly pathetic.

Challenge his words.

 

Also I find your level of criticism aimed at our squad rather insulting too you seem to believe that we’re winning games through other teams being poor not through our own players ability. Or Lack of ability as you say the two Callum’s, mowatt, Morris, Palmer must be just dogs bodies in a system getting results rather than producing quality moments with their ability.. I mean styles goal was a result of stoke being poor yeah

 

I've had a superbly entertaining evening. I listened to the first half on Radio Sheffield, then eventually figured out how to get the 2nd half on Sky Go. In between I was refreshing on here, calculating league tables, chatting with fellow fans on WhatsApp, giggling at Owlstalk and following the Stoke owners' helicopter on FlightRadar. We changed our game to cope with a different challenge, defended brilliantly, they hardly had a shot in the second half. All accompanied by a few nice glasses of red. What a magnificent evening!

 

Congrats.

Your the very first person I will stick on ignore.

I'm convinced if you were shoved into a brothel full of virgins, you will still not be happy


Edit

Anyone, how do I do it?

 

Normally I'd agree, but whenever I've seen people do this he's just ignored it. It's not fair to expect everybody to treat RR with respect while allowing him to do whatever he likes in return. It goes both ways.

 

You are starting to appreciate VI and the players for the effort they are putting in. This is a quality league, with quality players. We are currently sitting in 8th position in this league. Also VI' s team is currently in 5th place in the form table since VI arrived. I make that remarkable progress.

I would need to see our second goal again, but I think more praise needs to be given to Victor, Chaplin and the goalscorer DD.

 

And they say blokes can't multitask!!!!

 

I assume you pay the lady and have sex with her but I'm not expert. You're better off asking deetee.


Alternatively click on a user's name and it brings up the little box of information and a few links like profile and start a conversation etc. One of the button/links says ignore.

 

I'm not asking people to be respectful.

I'm asking them to respond to the points he's made or leave it.

But if you agree with them, while you're on, can you point out which part of RR's post indicates that he'd like us to be losing?

 

mate.

we are 3 points off 5th with a game in hand.

that is an outstanding achievement given our budget. Outstanding. We out work our opponents in every game I watch. Our manager’s substitutions have an impact on games. We nullified Stoke in the second half which was down to his tactics. We play some excellent one touch stuff up top quite often. Styles’ strike was sublime.

To some degree I agree with your analysis but I am sorry I find it way too negative. For example, the winning goal of the game from:-

superb determination from Vic - they could have had a break on but his sheer determination won the ball back at pace;
Because the ball was won back at pace their man wouldn’t have been able to get out from the corner quickly enough so would inevitably play Dike onside;
The ball comes to Chaplin who plays a sublime ball to Dike;
Who steadies himself and finishes calmly and cooly.

No offence intended but find it a bit odd that you find a negative spin to out on it?
they were bringing players off the bench who earn in excess of 30/40k a week and cost millions. I think you need to reflect on that for a moment - incredible things are happening at Oakwell

COYR

 

That is not the reaction that I expected tonight. Why not start by listening to Ismael's comments on his Radio Sheffield interview, and then tell me again how wrong my analysis is.

 

I think that’s fair enough, and I’ve had a lot of problems with some of your comments in the past.

That was a great win tonight because #TeamslikeStoke, and teams who take the muscular approach that they did, are just the type of team who would have rolled us over in the past. No problem.

You can’t honestly say we won tonight because of our flowing football. We won principally because we were industrious and at times industrial! But so what? We don’t really have the personnel who can go into a game and impose our football on other teams. We are far more reactive (I would say flexible) and we play what is in front of us. As you say Stoke were going to play long so we had to compete with that individually and collectively - and we did. The fact that we won the game when not all our players were at their best really says something for the drive, work ethic and togetherness of this squad.

You have to give the Coach huge credit for that. Rather like McCarthy at Cardiff, he’s made some very quick judgements on the quality of what he’s got and introduced a method that has taken us to the brink of the Play Offs. ( all Reds Fans should read that last sentence again and let it sink in). I think you deserve credit for acknowledging that even if you’re not a fan of the style(s).

One last point, even during tonight’s game, the rare bits of footballing quality came from us when we got it down and passed around them. There wasn’t a lot on display in the overall game, but it’s there and maybe we’ll see more of it in future if players are retained and continue to develop and more quality additions are added to the squad.

 

It is totally pointless attempting to converse with RR. He is the most arrogant member on here and will not listen to anything remotely critical about him on here as it may damage his fragile ego.

Try by all means but I can assure you, you are wasting your time. RR is only interested in everyone else bowing down to his superior intellect.

 

We scored our second goal because Stoke defenders were tired

 

Respond to his view on the game tonight. To what he's said. Just try it.

I agree or disagree with him from time to time. If it rouses me enough. But I don't hold with simply posting a perception of his character, as you've just done.

If you don't like it, ignore it.