Big Val put our club back years with his style of play. It was all about him and not developing these young players.High back line, hoof it up front and chase it down, use all the subs fresh legs chase down the ball again and bundle in a goal. The likes of Brittain, Styles, Moon, Halme, Palmer, Frieser, Vic, Woodrow, Oduor, Kane, Helik, Anderson now suffering for losing a year of their footballing life at such an important stage of their development because of Ishmael. I went today other than 2 bad defensive goals we were ok, effort, decent passages of play with some nice football on show, away fans were in general ok with the performance just a poor result.
I for one one have big Val back tomorrow to get results like we did last year.. the football wasn't that bad. A damn site better than vinnie jones and friends played at Wimbledon. Oh! And where are west Brom this season. A lot higher than us. We have had the bloke training with us for weeks that would have made a difference. But these tosses that run us don't believe in signing players over 25. Even if they are for nowt. I wonder how many over 25s or even over 30s play in premier league
We have some good young talent and the right coach will turn them in to a decent team. Under Val the players development was irrelevant, he would gain some short term success with the system he uses but not by improving the players individually. Schopp was a mistake and with Poya time will tell but our players have missed a season of development and are playinng catch up but they are still good young players.
I agree. I didn't enjoy Val's style, but our midfield is so weak that we might as well go back to the vertical approach. 5 at the back with one just in front. 3 up top with one just behind.
Uv seriously got to be taking the piss if you think it's Val that has took our club back years. You must be Paul Conway, that's the only explanation. Players were flourishing, they had fitness and confidence, all the things young players need to develop.
There's a gallows type of truth in this. We were great passing it about with Struber. No massive end result, but enough. We were great launching it up front with Val. Massive end result. Cos of Dike. Val left us with a team that don't know what to do now, when a different coach takes over.
I don’t know if this is a wind-up or not, but one of my biggest regrets of the covid era is that we never got to watch this “terrible football” under Val. Because I think Oakwell would have loved it. Watching our young hungry players chase down the opposition, dispossess them and make a chance of our own. The Oakwell crowd would have lapped it up. A far cry from the total lack of anything to cheer currently. The tactics Val had were perfect for the group he had. To stray from those tactics that almost got us to the Premier League to the polar opposite is unforgivable, and whoever sanctioned it needs their head checking, because it is THAT that has put our club back years.
What a load of crap. We finished 5th in the league. What Val did was move us up a gear but our owners decided that they had gone as far as they wanted and wouldn't back Val to go to the next level
Setting aside your overall point, can I just ask that we don’t re-write history to suit a particular narrative just yet - as quite a few are doing. It is just not true to say that last season under Val was just ‘hoof ball’.
Our 3rd best ever season (4th if you include our FA Cup winning season?!) and people make posts like this! Crazy world this football world