Manager was assistant to Mr Thurlhammer so its possible he could have been here at Oakwell instead of sunny Devon.Just a thought.
Battered Millwall last night, watched their highlights, impressive workrate and pressing and getting the ball upfront quicker. Looked dead a buried under Rooney, Muslic has given them a great chance to stay up now.
They're an odd team. Their home form puts them in lower mid-table, but they've been abysmal away, losing by 5 at Cardiff and Norwich and by 4 at Coventry, Bristol and Wednesday. They've only scored 5 goals on their travels all season. Though, half of their points and almost half of their goals away from home have come in the last 2 away fixtures.
They look to have massively improved performance wise, look a completely different team, ultra aggressive in the press putting teams under pressure in the final 3rd, Blackburn away followed by Luton away then Cardiff at home might see them out of the bottom 3
I've always thought the coach is the key recruitment piece in any team. Can turn poor players into ok ones and ok players into good ones in the right formation/tactical shape. Which begs the question/s many on here ask quite a bit....is our coach no good or is the squad now so poor that he's actually done a good job so far?
My opinion is that he's not all that DC. Players have to take responsibility too for their own performances and mistakes but I don't think DC is getting the best of what we have. A lot is said on here and other platforms that this side is terrible etc. but I don't think that's the case, we have issues in some areas for sure, but the bulk of this side was in playoffs last season with us and are decent enough players. I don't see the style and ethos DC promised at the start of the season. They don't seem willing to run through walls for him like Plymouth do for this coach or our side did under Val etc. I can't name one player that's improved under DC either. As you say, a great coach can make average players better. Big Val took a bottom end championship side to playoffs and we looked genuinely good. Near enough the same squad then finished dead last under a dreadful couple of coaches.
Have they got better though or is it just the output is slightly better? Russell is one I can possibly give DC as he's played him further forward and Russell looks a bit more comfortable. O'Keefe still to me is the same player as before, with the same weaknesses etc. it's just his assist output is better, but mainly as he's main set piece taker. Watters certainly looks more interested this season. But it's also down to the fact he's number one choice which he wasn't in last two seasons. Again, I don't think he's majorly better as a player, certainly not better as a goalscorer that's for sure.
Brought in 2 new international CB'S and an international left back in January. Puchaz form Poland Katic from Bosnia Talovyerov from Ukraine Looks like they've helped make a massive difference.
