The other day, someone asked what was the plan that Flicker continually to refers to. Well, I have no access to the blueprint either, but I have surmised the following from my observations. Last year, Flicker performed miracles and we managed to survive, and even put together a reasonable cup run. In fact, the team played 20 odd cup games, because that is how we survived. We played league games as though they were cup games. We outworked the opposition, we pressured the ball, we won the ball back early and we delivered the ball early to the front players. Etuhu and O'Grady were vital to that strategy. Can we use that strategy for a full season? I doubt it. Pressing the ball is tiring. Players cannot play two games a week for very long before the edge goes from their pressing game, and the opposition begin to get that extra second on the ball that they need to find a better pass. Tired players get injured, and when the squad is as thin as our squad was last season, the injured players cannot be replaced adequately. Things had got to change. We needed more quality and there is a little money, from the sale of John Stones to do it. The question remains, how can we improve our quality. We appear to be applying three strategies a. Improve the post academy structure, quality and competition Whether you think that our academy has produced sufficient players over the years, and I do not, there has been an obvious gap for players graduating from the academy. They are not yet ready for the first team, but unless the club can provide new challenges and competition for them, there is a tendency for them to stagnate. To tackle this problem, the club has brought in a new level of coaching between academy and first team. They have addressed the problem of lack of competition by signing a group of additional players who were not considered up to the standard at Premiership academies. There is also the under 21 league, and in addition, they are playing friendlies in order to give them more games. Of course, this is a long term strategy, because these players will not be ready for the first team for some years, and many will fall by the wayside in the mean time. It is part of what Keith Hill used to describe as layering. b. Bring in players that Flicker believes have potential. This type of player may be someone who has shown promise at a lower league club, or perhaps a player who has not taken his chance for one reason or another. Flicker and his team are confident that, if the player has the right attitude towards hard work, and applies himself properly, then they will be able to improve him. This will benefit both the player and BFC. However, because the player has faults in his game, he is often not ready for the first team, or for prolonged exposure in the first team environment when his faults will be recognised, and ruthlessly exposed by the opposition. This is the second layer. c. Bring in players who will improve the first team This type of player is difficult to recruit, not because a transfer fee is involved, more because the wage demands of players from higher up the league structure would break our pay structure. The team bond is harmed when one of the team is paid at a level that is well beyond that of his team mates. How many times have we read that we have missed out on players who have subsequently signed for another club. These are players who have had the Flicker talk about how he will work with them in order to make them a better player, but who have signed for some other club for more money. Of course, we could improve our pay structure, but then, our nest egg would simply disappear into the pockets of the existing players. The only way to improve our pay structure is by increasing our ongoing revenue stream, principally by attracting bigger crowds. The difficulties listed above will have ruled out most chances to improve our quality, leaving only the loan market, which is the market we have finally had to turn to. I think that the strategy is sound. However, as demonstrated above, it is a long term strategy and any improvement will be measured in years rather than weeks. The short term aim for this season is to put down the foundations under the new manager, and I regret that, once again, survival will be a real achievement. In this respect, I hope that everyone will try to be patient because each time that we survive, we have beaten the odds once again and will have finished somewhere near the top of the "pounds per point" table.
Problem is, every time we survive a few more fans become that bit more disillusioned and stop attending and then we can't attract anyone else to take their place.
agreed,,but what we want also is all barnsley fans to get behind flicker and team,even if things hit the fan,,too many moaners lol
I don't disagree with that at all. But is it any different a strategy to what Hill was setting out? The big difference I hope which isn't touched on there is the realisation of assets and getting better value from player sales. We've shown signs of that with contract length and supposedly what we've got for Golbourne. That's the biggest difference and in time gives us the opportunity to grow and develop, attract better players to buy and be more appealing to fans. I'd say without getting that right (as perhaps we've done historically) the layering would make very little difference at all
You dont get time in football it is a results business and at times, the long term plan has to go out of the window in favour of getting a result. To some degree, you're only as good as your last result, hence the attitude on here this week compared to last. Hope Flitcroft doesnt lose sight of that, while ever we are out of the bottom 3 we can absorb and dissect a defeat or two but drop to the bottom and his formation and tactics will come under criticism and momentum will gather. Treating every game like a cup final is a cliche but if it focuses on picking the best 11 and motivating them to win, its not a bad ethos. If he's afforded time to rest his best players, try out formations, blood youngsters a bit at a time whilst working on a long term plan he'll be in a very, very small minority of football managers.
Re: You dont get time in football Not read this (!) but a fit Etuhu fit Perkins and fit Dawson in middle seems to be the winning formula
Re: You dont get time in football Are we the supporters (and all supporters of teams in similar positions to ours) to blame for this? I think we are to a major extent, we all want to win, now not tomorrow and at all costs. Too often short termism clouds the judgement of fans and especially the board of directors. Having said that they obviously invest large amounts of money and expect certain standards,
Re: You dont get time in football The fans are the only people not to blame for the state of modern football.
