Reply With QuoteGiven this a lot of thought as the season has progressed, and I think that playing "the long ball", with a simple set of instructions, was the quickest and most effective way of getting us out of the doggy~do 12 months ago....it worked, and with surprising results at the start of this season as well.Originally Posted by BanjoPie
As the crowds started returning, and AH was cranking up the publicity machine, there was pressure on Nolo to put a bit of entertainment on the table, instead of kick~n~rush...plus a lot of teams had figured us out and also our "big 2" were now a year closer to getting their free bus passes.
With hindsight, Yates had been propping up the battling side of midfield...we tried to replace him with players of more silky skills.....the infamous "you are in for a treat" tweet by AH before the home game to Exeter backfired dramatically as we lost 2 home games on the bounce, crashed out of the FA Cup...and were beaten by Barnet, who look like a Division 5 team in everything but name.
In summary, we are a team in transition....Nolo is not a fool, he knew hoof~ball was only going to work for so long but unfortunately we have not yet learnt to adapt to trying something different, even for parts of a match.....Nolos angry comments after the Barnet game included "there are players out there back~chatting...but cannot string 2 passes together".....mmmmm......is that cannot or would not.....interesting.
Finally, someone asked the other day why we could not pick up a class striker in January?.......if you were a decent goal~scorer, would you want to come to a club that plays Route One for 95% of the game....most decent strikers like the ball to feet occasionally, a ball into the channels, a winger crossing from the byline ......it is damned difficult to score a goal when your back is to goal, two huge defenders are climbing all over you... and the ball is coming down from 60 feet above you with snow on it.....Houdini was not a great striker!!
