Agree with virtually everything you've said in this thread Loko (and in most others usually) but I can't agree that we've been difficult to play against. We compete (less effectively the longer the game goes on due to fitness issues covered elsewhere) but the reason we haven't conceded many more goals is primarily down to some excellent Brad Collins performances, strong performances from Helik and some occasional last ditch tackles / blocks, from Kitching in particular. I don't think our keeper being excellent and a couple of defenders being strong adds up to us being difficult to play against overall. Going forward we're not making it difficult. Other than the first half at QPR, I can't remember another game this season where teams have been on the back-foot for a prolonged period, where they couldn't cope with our movement, where they were having to make desperate last ditch tackles, where we got in behind regularly, where we launched long balls onto them and then incessantly pressed (I use this purely as an illustration as I recognise we don't have the big CF to do that). That's part of the problem in my view, teams are comfortable playing us. We were difficult to play against last season but this time around we're anything but. I think that's at the root of the problem. MS has no strategy to focus on a strength, something / anything which makes us difficult to play against. It feels like we're waiting until injured / unfit players return in order for it to change when it's his job right now to find a way.
Competed is probably a better phrase than saying we've been difficult to play against, you're right, especially considering that we haven't made it difficult for them to keep a clean sheet! I think teams find it difficult against us up until the final third though - we're not always easy to break down, we have competed in midfield in some games, and sides like Luton and Blackpool have resorted to ten men behind the ball and booting it long. Collins aside, who's had some phenomenal games, I think the defenders have just been doing their jobs and making the tackles, blocks, performances you'd expect if you want to be top half rather than bottom half. It's at the other end of the pitch we've been so disappointing. Fair comments and don't disagree really. It's all very uninspiring so was a bit of a reach on my part trying to be positive.
Definitely good to try to remain positive! I usually dislike the interruption of international breaks but am glad of a few extra days to try to find some
I would imagine it was more the Val effect. He came in, gave the staff an experience they had not experienced before. He was clearly by all reports very respected in the club by everyone, so when he came with a ‘I’m going to one of the bigger clubs in the league with an excellent chance of promotion, fancy it?” They followed the man and his vision, which no doubt was sweetened with a significant pay rise.
This; and how is Val not being seen as the villain of the piece here? He was brilliant when he was here, but he did build on some solid foundations, the sports science we all know was head and shoulders above most of our rivals. If only Val, Alex and Dike had left, we’d have been in a strong position for a top half finish. But losing more of the coaching staff, sports scientist, CEO and others from the back room staff ripped the heart out of what we had achieved up to May.
Yep, Val is a villain of the piece imo. Came in, did an incredible job but making use of structures that he inherited, and the club did everything he asked of them in January. Then he walked and ripped it all to pieces. Would've been better off finishing 12th.
Tbh I wish we'd either gone up or were top half. Then Val wouldn't have been on other clubs radar, we'd have got to see his team play down at the well and maybe the top 6 finish we had last season. But nothing ever goes according to plan!
Good question, lots criticised Stendel for allegedly doing similar, but I think this is first post I’ve seen on the subject.
To precis : My entertainment index is shot to ****, so how can I try and excuse/mitigate the absolute chaos that the current head coach is imposing on the squad. Because I didn't like Ismael's tactics.
So, do you think that Ismael's tactics would have been successful this season? Just a refresher We have reverted to 3 substitutions from 5 so he can no longer substitute the front 3 after an hour. We have lost Dike Morris is injured and so is his obvious replacement Mowatt has left and the young player we bought to replace him has played very few games due to injury/COVID Our tallest player at the back, a player who is vital for defending set pieces has not played this season. The forward press is impractical, not only because we have only 3 substitutes, or because we have lost all of those players and have in the main replaced them with youngsters, or because the players are not fit enough to make it work. It is impractical because towards the end of last season, the way that you beat it was well understood. Ismael's system was rumbled. I have explained why I think Ismael's system would not have worked this season. Can you explain to me again why it is actually my fault, or why I have written the opening post in this thread to cover for the unpopularity of the Index system, as I am struggling to understand how the two are related.
"Can you explain to me again why it is actually my fault" If that's your take then you need a course in comprehension. For someone who supposedly 'welcomes' debate you've got a skin that thin it must be transparent. I think Ismael's tactics would have had us out of the bottom 3, as opposed to the shapeless, directionless shambles that we've been, save for 45 mins v QPR. Last season he chose a formation & tactics that covered our individual and group weaknesses and played to our strengths. Teams hated playing us - they can't wait to this season. The players look lost, Callum Brittain thinks we're playing 'off the cuff' and not paying enough attention in training to the final third. Schopp has a holding midfielder on the bench, but instead single handedly tries to end Jasper Moon's career by sticking him in there. He seems incapable of addressing the left hand side issue - Styles needs to be there, or this lad we've brought in from Bayern Munich. But that's individual positions - whoever he sends out there's no game plan, no method. Woodrow was in the left back spot last Saturday trying to get the ball - it's a complete & utter shambles and that's down to the coach.
We love a myth on the BBS. From the last 14 games of the season our record was W8 D3 L3. Yes we struggled in the odd game, but this whole 'we were found out' notion just isn't true. The performances against Huddersfield, Luton and Norwich were as good or as dominant as anything that season - how the former wasn't 3/4-0 I'll never know and if Dike doesn't get selfish we win by three clear goals at Luton. Pointing at the Playoffs doesn't help either considering Swansea beat us twice in the league and we actually bettered that performance/result over the two games.
I welcome debate relating to the points and the arguments that I have used. I do not welcome debate about me or what you think I am like.
I do not attend away games and I judge on what I have seen (home games). So of your list, I saw only the games at home v Birmingham (1-0), Derby (0-0), Sheffield Wednesday (1-2), Middlesbrough (2-0), Rotherham (1-0) and Norwich (2-2). The Birmingham game was very poor and was headed for a 0-0 draw until Dike's wonder strike. We were very poor in the Deby and Sheffield Wednesday games. Mowatt scored direct from a corner for the first and vital goal in the Middlesbrough game. I do not remember the Rotherham game, but the Minority Report written at the time but not published describes how Carlton Morris had his arm across the Rotherham keeper's neck as he won the header for the vital opening goal, and how the Rotherham keeper could take no further part in the game owing to concussion. It also describes how we held on after that and were grateful to our keeper for a string of saves. The final game against Norwich was a dead rubber, because neither team could alter their finishing positions. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it. So of the games I watched we won 3 drew 2 and lost 1. Nevertheless, our poorest performances were against Derby, Sheffield Wednesday and Rotherham, who were all desperate for points and who all finished in the bottom 4. None of those team tried to play from the back, and in fact, they all used the immediate long ball against us. I remain convinced that for any team who lacked the confidence to play from the back, because their league position negated against taking risks, Ismael's tactics were blown.
Still not sure that his tactics were blown. We kept a clean sheet in four of the six games mentioned. Got a draw against the Champions in another game, and the defeat came at the end of a fairly gruelling run of fixtures just before an international break. Two of the games were won thanks to set piece goals breaking the deadlock, and set pieces are pretty fundamental to Ismael's plans.
So you're giving an opinion based on 50% of the data available and only picking out the performances that were poor? You're also doubling down on your criticism of Val's tactics and style of play, even though you've just provided a stat that shows one defeat in six? The best teams have to win when not playing well. it's the only way to finish in the top six. Considering that chasing the playoffs was something new to our group of players, and striving for success can bring it's own pressures, I thought our dogged and determined approach to games meant that we were always in games to win points and often converted to points. Despite our style of play and players being more familiar to the opposition as the season progressed.
It sounds like we are going to have to differ on this one. Obviously, we will all arrive at conclusions in different ways. I have been honest about the way that I have arrived at my conclusion, and your point is fair that I used only 50% of the games in order to reach that conclusion. However, it is subsidiary to the main points that I was making in this thread, and as a result, it does not affect the main conclusions that I draw.
Keeping a clean sheet was fundamental to the way that we played. The system worked better when we were not trying to come from behind. In fact, it worked best when we scored first.
Should be more than embarrassed, they should be ashamed. As I've said recently, if I had an extremely well paid job which required a certain level of fitness, I'd make sure I maintained it 365 days a year.
