Leadership and Mentality - Same as Last Season

[SlockyNCFC]

I think our biggest problems are the same as for a lot of last season. A lack of leaders in the squad and of a winning mentality. Granted we are presently missing Cameron, Slocombe and Rawlinson, but we have a major problem if the loss of just 3 players destroys all semblance of leadership or organisation within the team. Either the rest of the squad step up and take some responsibility, or the recruitment team need to get some leaders in.

If our problem were just rubbish players, we wouldn't have dominated Woking for 70 minutes or been 2-0 up tonight. Both games we largely played well, did the hard work and took the lead, before the other team scored and came at us. Instead of rising to their challenge, keeping calm under pressure and either forcing back control of the game or professionally seeing things out, we lost our heads, disintegrated as a unit and threw both games away.

I am reminded of Ardley's final interview, ranting about having to work far too hard to motivate the players and not being able to play the game for them. Seems like Burchnall faces similar problems. I think we badly need another Ellis and a younger Doyle. How we draft in such players at this stage of the season though, I don't know.

[jackal2]

I am reminded of Ardley's final interview, ranting about having to work far too hard to motivate the players and not being able to play the game for them. Seems like Burchnall has similar problems. I think we badly need another Ellis and a younger Doyle. How we draft in such players at this stage of the season though, I don't know.

We definitely are missing a big man in midfield, by which I mean both size and personality. Dare I say the Neal Bishop type? I generally don't go along with posts on other threads asking the owners to 'splash the cash' because we've got a budget and we must stick to it, but if they were going to provide the money for one key signing, a midfielder of this type would be the priority IMHO. It's asking too much of Ed Francis or Frank Vincent to fill that role directly.

[durhampie]

We definitely are missing a big man in midfield, by which I mean both size and personality. Dare I say the Neal Bishop type? I generally don't go along with posts on other threads asking the owners to 'splash the cash' because we've got a budget and we must stick to it, but if they were going to provide the money for one key signing, a midfielder of this type would be the priority IMHO. It's asking too much of Ed Francis or Frank Vincent to fill that role directly.

Both are too small to fill that roll..

[uysapie]

Both are too small to fill that roll..

Willie Carlin wasn't too small.

[i961pie]

Willie Carlin wasn't too small.

Brenner and Giles weren't giants and neither was Bobby Collins and Archie Gemmil.

[laddo]

Come on folks we can do more up-to-date examples than these. How about Dennis Wise, 5'6" at least that gets us into the 90s

Although I don't disagree with Jackal 2's thoughts. It's a key area of the pitch as we all know and having a big physical effective presence in there would be a huge plus.

[SaltySeaDog]

I think our biggest problems are the same as for a lot of last season. A lack of leaders in the squad and of a winning mentality. Granted we are presently missing Cameron, Slocombe and Rawlinson, but we have a major problem if the loss of just 3 players destroys all semblance of leadership or organisation within the team. Either the rest of the squad step up and take some responsibility, or the recruitment team need to get some leaders in.

If our problem were just rubbish players, we wouldn't have dominated Woking for 70 minutes or been 2-0 up tonight. Both games we largely played well, did the hard work and took the lead, before the other team scored and came at us. Instead of rising to their challenge, keeping calm under pressure and either forcing back control of the game or professionally seeing things out, we lost our heads, disintegrated as a unit and threw both games away.

I am reminded of Ardley's final interview, ranting about having to work far too hard to motivate the players and not being able to play the game for them. Seems like Burchnall faces similar problems. I think we badly need another Ellis and a younger Doyle. How we draft in such players at this stage of the season though, I don't know.

Great post Slocky