Big Val played to the strengths and weaknesses of his players.

I can't imagine for one second that he would have allowed this current shower to mess around at the back.
His ideas were based on lumping the ball up front as quickly as possible so as not to get caught in possession due to his believing that his players weren't good enough. Then the press came into play.
Somebody must think that this lot are good enough.

 

I don’t think he thought his players weren’t good enough to play any other way, he just brought a style that was effective and MADE his players play that way. I don’t buy into this he just lumped it forward and we all charged forward. The squad we had could be adapted to play other ways

 

But no-one phoned up asking about our players.. so that plan was immediately scrapped.

 

The phone won’t exactly be ringing off the hook this summer

 

I’m not sure Val played to our strengths to be honest. Mowatt was probably our best player and the ball was often going over his head, unless he dropped deep to get it. The strikers we had weren’t really suited to it until we had Morris and Dike.

What Val did do though was get everybody pulling in the same direction, working their knackers off for each other. He also had the “shock and awe” factor, which teams just didn’t expect.

I loved Val when he was here. I just wished we could’ve been in the ground when he was here. Yes, the “footballing purists” would’ve been moaning but I reckon the atmosphere would have been great.

 

Val had better players. Simple as that really, but some still moaned about his tactics when we didn’t win. Nowt changes really.

 

I don't particularly like route one football but would have Val back in a shot

 

He’d be absolutely hammered by the fans trying to play those tactics with this squad.

 

Exactly this.

By the time we got to the end of the season, we were found out. Which is why we couldn’t really break down a poor Swansea team. He had no Plan B, and that’s why he’s not succeeded since.

Also, he had the bonus of zero crowd pressure as well.

 

He didn't have better players than the teams who he was competing with Bournemouth for example who had spent 100s of millions. Collins does have better players than the majority in this division.

 

We will not have the majority of these players next season, but if we had, they have proved time and time again they cannot play out from the back, so would they be better with route one ? I don't know but anything must be better than the crap we are seeing at moment

 

Wouldn't have been my choice for head coach as I felt we could have capitalised on our over achievement last season and brought someone in with more experience at this level. However he has had to start the season with a brand new defence and goalkeeper (with many changes in between and the loss of a player signed to plug an obvious weakness in Pines) and we have lost the same number of games as last season. Considering everything getting into the play-offs would be an achievement. Time for some perspective and realism IMO

 

Swansea had 2 great loan players from the Prem though, made the difference especially the first leg!

 

He had WBA in the top 6 when he was sacked for starters!

 

Val was shxt, anti football, shouldn't be allowed any where near coaching young players.
He got lucky with the Covid season.
Set us back years.
If he ever came back then no season ticket for me.

The players at his disposal then compared to our squad now.

 

We were in the league above. Amd he improved big Vic for starters!

 

Collins, Helic Anderson Styles Mowatt Kitchin Morris Woodrow Chaplin Dike all still above league 1 now.

I just didn't like his football whether we were challenging or not. It was a freak season that gave us false hope but looking at the players above we should have been there abouts.
Even Frieser Bahre Solbour Sibbick would get in our current side. Big Vic would still be on the bench though.

 

Val had a side with callum styles, Toby sibbick and romal palmer in the top 6 and above the likes of Bournemouth who had players like Dominic solanke who they paid over 20 million for and Phillip billing a similar fee.
The football wasn't great but it hasn't been all this season but he got results.

 

You've named 3 players there whose careers he played fundamental part in fxcking up and they never hot back on track.Same with Mowatt who he continued to ruin his potential by taking him with him to West Brom and trying the same there. Mowatt was and should have been so much better than he has been.
Not sure if I've mentioned it but I am not a Val fan.