Minority Report v Birmingham City

First of all, your basic point is correct. Birmingham played 3-4-3. They often hit long balls forward, although not quite in the manner that we did last season, and they had a forward press, although not quite as effective as ours was last season. They also changed 2 of their front 3 after an hour and the third was well and truly spent for the final 20 minutes, just as we changed our front 3 last season. I am not arguing that the Ismael system was not effective. Quite clearly, it was effective. My point was that I did not enjoy watching my team play that way.

Later today, I shall be writing a piece on the Entertainment Index and the Performance Index. I introduced the entertainment index last season to widespread derision among the BBS faithful. I hoped that it would show that Ismael's system of play was not entertaining. It didn't. Although, I only published my figures once last season, I continued to produce them because I was interested in what they would say about the team. I think that they are interesting, and I hope others will find them interesting too. However, they do not prove that direct football is not entertaining. In the end, that is just my opinion.

 

Still bitter that our best season in 20 years was a result of tactics you didn't like. Relax, I'm sure pointless passing across our own half will levitate your entertainment index.

 

Ref could have ignored the foul throw like most of the others he'd allowed. Would it have given the ref a decision to make with the player stopping the break by oduor?

 

Me... Bitter...

I can assure you that I am not bitter, even in the slightest. What is your point here other than personal insult?

 

Big Val got the best out of what he’d got,Schopp still doesn’t know what his best side/formation/style of play is.I was hoping for improvement year on year and it’s still early days and with a bit of luck and good recruitment we may still get there.I can understand the bitter comment because you were very quick to criticise Val but very slow in praise.Managers/Head coaches live and die by results.

 

Yep he wants us to give this manager time but had no time at all for Ismael.

 

Entertainment index?

Please explain it.

 

Sorry, I am still not clear. I see only things to be happy about. A manager whose way of playing I did not like has gone. Personally, I am happy about that. The club has made £2m in compensation, and I am sure that the club is happy about that. Ismael is managing a club with better finances and playing staff for better pay. I am sure that he will be happy about that. Who has reason to be bitter?

 

it is a minority report, no its not even that, the fact that its stated that Cauley was a lone striker makes everything else pointless to read, he wasn't ,a man on a galloping horse could see he wasn't ,you can not take a report seriously if blatant untruths are the formation of it , lol no pun intended

 

I did not like Ismael's way of playing, although there is little doubt that it was successful. I can debate all day the reasons I had for holding those views, and in fact I am quite willing to do so if those who hold me personally responsible for Ismael's departure wish to provide me with evidence that it is all my fault. Until then, I shall continue to regard these comments about my attitude towards Ismael as personal abuse.

 

It does not say that Woodrow was a lone striker. I acknowledge that our system was 3-4-3 but Woodrow was the one that was targeted for most of our long ball forward.

 

This. 100% this. I was expecting a tactical change when hoof all was clearly failing but instead of utilising weakness down the wings to get in low crosses we just hoofed to Woodrow who was outmuscled

 

Who said it was it was your fault Ismael left. Personal abuse give it a rest, you can regard them how you like. Be saying yer being bullied next. Bye.

 

So what was your point. Do you not think that we should give Schopp time, or do you have some new insight into the way that Ismael played that you would like to share with me.

 

I wouldn't bother arguing Red Rain. There are a lot on here who offer zero tactical insight and I'm happy you actually offer some very coherent arguments on the game and point out tactics I often miss. I don't always fully agree, but that's the beauty of football.

So many just come on to say 'x player is ****', 'we are ****', 'we need to spend more money', 'we need to sign Danny Drinkwater', amongst other incoherent nonsense.

 

That is the problem. I like to talk about the game, and I will talk about the game with anyone. However, all I seem to get in return for my reasoned argument is personal attack. The individuals responsible have no idea that they are causing offense because that is their usual method of argument, but to someone like me, who wants desperately to talk about the game, and learn new things by doing so, it is deeply disappointing. I was going to explain my indexes today, but I have decided against doing so. The indexes were meant to be the start of a debate about the game, but it is so clear now that any debate would go off in an entirely different direction. It is so disappointing.

 

Why did you use your opening sentence to take a swipe at the previous manager?

 

"The tactics last year were clear and obvious, but in spite of that, the team accumulated enough points to finish 5th".

That is what I wrote. Last year, I was able to describe Ismael's tactics to anyone who wanted to know. I also described what I would do to negate those tactics, which is what clubs started doing towards the end of the season. If the tactics and the response was obvious to me, and I am no football expert, why did it take the league so long to catch on. It was not a swipe at Ismael. It was a swipe at the rest of the league, and in particular, at those coaches who did not have the talent that the top teams had.

 

Obviously the league haven’t learned much considering the start WBA have had.

 

Are you saying you are surprised that one of the best squads in the league, with a great manager and straight-forward dynamic tactics are doing well?