Look to yourself, Harry Kewell

[miles3659]

For 60 minutes today we were by far the better team, against the worst opposition I've seen at Meadow Lane this season. But we blew it. How?

After the game Harry Kewell laid into his players (all of them, it would seem) and made no mention of the game-changing decision he made.

He removed Elliott Hewitt from a solid midfield with Rob Milsom - and moved him to right back - where we all know he's had a number of shockers this season.

He replaced him with David Vaughan, who has not shown any empathy with the rest of the team either in pre-season or the regular campaign. (Although he is a big name signing - any selection pressure there?)
I don't recall a single good pass by Vaughan all season - let alone a good performance.

When he came on the field the whole team pattern was disrupted and players were forced to fit in with his style rather than vice versa. It all culminated in a bizarre pass from Vaughan to absolutely no-one and Swindon coming straight back to score a winner.

I'm sorry Harry - I really thought you'd worked out the midfield formation that works for this group of players.
To blow that apart by totally dismantling a system that was working - to replace it with one that has been shown to be disastrous on too many occasions already this season - is not what I suspect of a competent manager.

Stop blaming players and look to your role in the whole sorry saga, Harry!
And I for one will not be sorry if I never see Vaughan in a Notts shirt again.

[tarquinbeech]

For 60 minutes today we were by far the better team, against the worst opposition I've seen at Meadow Lane this season. But we blew it. How?

After the game Harry Kewell laid into his players (all of them, it would seem) and made no mention of the game-changing decision he made.

He removed Elliott Hewitt from a solid midfield with Rob Milsom - and moved him to right back - where we all know he's had a number of shockers this season.

He replaced him with David Vaughan, who has not shown any empathy with the rest of the team either in pre-season or the regular campaign. (Although he is a big name signing - any selection pressure there?)
I don't recall a single good pass by Vaughan all season - let alone a good performance.

When he came on the field the whole team pattern was disrupted and players were forced to fit in with his style rather than vice versa. It all culminated in a bizarre pass from Vaughan to absolutely no-one and Swindon coming straight back to score a winner.

I'm sorry Harry - I really thought you'd worked out the midfield formation that works for this group of players.
To blow that apart by totally dismantling a system that was working - to replace it with one that has been shown to be disastrous on too many occasions already this season - is not what I suspect of a competent manager.

Stop blaming players and look to your role in the whole sorry saga, Harry!
And I for one will not be sorry if I never see Vaughan in a Notts shirt again.

A little harsh on Vaughan, IMO, but the rest of it is spot on.....why tinker with a midfield that looked solid?......if Toots was injured, stick another "proper" defender on, you had 3 sat on the bench.....simples

[deadyoyomagpie]

For 60 minutes today we were by far the better team, against the worst opposition I've seen at Meadow Lane this season. But we blew it. How?

After the game Harry Kewell laid into his players (all of them, it would seem) and made no mention of the game-changing decision he made.

He removed Elliott Hewitt from a solid midfield with Rob Milsom - and moved him to right back - where we all know he's had a number of shockers this season.

He replaced him with David Vaughan, who has not shown any empathy with the rest of the team either in pre-season or the regular campaign. (Although he is a big name signing - any selection pressure there?)
I don't recall a single good pass by Vaughan all season - let alone a good performance.

When he came on the field the whole team pattern was disrupted and players were forced to fit in with his style rather than vice versa. It all culminated in a bizarre pass from Vaughan to absolutely no-one and Swindon coming straight back to score a winner.

I'm sorry Harry - I really thought you'd worked out the midfield formation that works for this group of players.
To blow that apart by totally dismantling a system that was working - to replace it with one that has been shown to be disastrous on too many occasions already this season - is not what I suspect of a competent manager.

Stop blaming players and look to your role in the whole sorry saga, Harry!
And I for one will not be sorry if I never see Vaughan in a Notts shirt again.

This was my exact rant after the match. You're spot on. I described the concession of the two goals today as the 'Vaughan effect'.

[i961pie]

For 60 minutes today we were by far the better team, against the worst opposition I've seen at Meadow Lane this season. But we blew it. How?

After the game Harry Kewell laid into his players (all of them, it would seem) and made no mention of the game-changing decision he made.

He removed Elliott Hewitt from a solid midfield with Rob Milsom - and moved him to right back - where we all know he's had a number of shockers this season.

He replaced him with David Vaughan, who has not shown any empathy with the rest of the team either in pre-season or the regular campaign. (Although he is a big name signing - any selection pressure there?)
I don't recall a single good pass by Vaughan all season - let alone a good performance.

When he came on the field the whole team pattern was disrupted and players were forced to fit in with his style rather than vice versa. It all culminated in a bizarre pass from Vaughan to absolutely no-one and Swindon coming straight back to score a winner.

I'm sorry Harry - I really thought you'd worked out the midfield formation that works for this group of players.
To blow that apart by totally dismantling a system that was working - to replace it with one that has been shown to be disastrous on too many occasions already this season - is not what I suspect of a competent manager.

Stop blaming players and look to your role in the whole sorry saga, Harry!
And I for one will not be sorry if I never see Vaughan in a Notts shirt again.

Couldn't agree more, It changed the game completely.

[slack_pie]

A little harsh on Vaughan, IMO, but the rest of it is spot on.....why tinker with a midfield that looked solid?......if Toots was injured, stick another "proper" defender on, you had 3 sat on the bench.....simples

Yeah, I don't know why he didn't bring on Brisley and move Turley to RB. Vaughan is the last player in the whole squad I'd bring on when defending a lead. That and the bizarre decision to bring on Dennis with two minutes remaining. If you're going to bring on a striker to try and get a goal, give him at least ten minutes.

[kill_the_drum]

Yeah, I don't know why he didn't bring on Brisley and move Turley to RB. Vaughan is the last player in the whole squad I'd bring on when defending a lead. That and the bizarre decision to bring on Dennis with two minutes remaining. If you're going to bring on a striker to try and get a goal, give him at least ten minutes.

But had we still lost he’d be getting stick that he moved Turley and disrupted the back 4.
Toots was injured and without a recognised RB on the bench he had to change something. Ironic that the opinion now is Hewitt is the linchpin of the midfield, yet he’s been the main scapegoat for the majority of this season.
He didn’t change the system until we fell behind.
I totally agree with Kewells comments. The players need to work harder and have a backbone. We basically have to score 3 goals to stand a chance of winning. What chance has any manager got if we’re accepting that one forced substitution means we will collapse?

[tarquinbeech]

But had we still lost he’d be getting stick that he moved Turley and disrupted the back 4.
Toots was injured and without a recognised RB on the bench he had to change something. Ironic that the opinion now is Hewitt is the linchpin of the midfield, yet he’s been the main scapegoat for the majority of this season.
He didn’t change the system until we fell behind.
I totally agree with Kewells comments. The players need to work harder and have a backbone. We basically have to score 3 goals to stand a chance of winning. What chance has any manager got if we’re accepting that one forced substitution means we will collapse?

Unless I was watching a different game...he brought Tootle off on 61, shuffled Hewey into RB immediately and put Vaughan into the midfield "hole" that Hewey had just vacated....Swindon said YUM YUM, and scored 4 minutes later....then scored the winner on 80 by firing in a low-n-hard cross, from the RB position

[Notts78]

He still didn’t change the system though Tarks. You said as much yourself. The personnel changed.
We lost a game we didn’t deserve to lose. HK can not rely on 11 players to get points. He needs the squad and that is what let him down. HK is seeing what all of us know which is a squad over loaded with the same types. He is not responsible for that.
HK was probably hoping that Vaughan would pick up where he left off on Tuesday. Sadly, the only similarities with Tuesday, was imploding after an hour.

[i961pie]

But had we still lost he’d be getting stick that he moved Turley and disrupted the back 4.
Toots was injured and without a recognised RB on the bench he had to change something. Ironic that the opinion now is Hewitt is the linchpin of the midfield, yet he’s been the main scapegoat for the majority of this season.
He didn’t change the system until we fell behind.
I totally agree with Kewells comments. The players need to work harder and have a backbone. We basically have to score 3 goals to stand a chance of winning. What chance has any manager got if we’re accepting that one forced substitution means we will collapse?

He was only a scapegoat when played in defence because most fans know he can't play there.

[kill_the_drum]

Unless I was watching a different game...he brought Tootle off on 61, shuffled Hewey into RB immediately and put Vaughan into the midfield "hole" that Hewey had just vacated....Swindon said YUM YUM, and scored 4 minutes later....then scored the winner on 80 by firing in a low-n-hard cross, from the RB position

As I said, he didn’t change the system until we fell behind?