Just flat numbers is not the way to look at it surely it depends on the circumstances that each manager has entered into.
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I get the individual mistakes thing. But Dawson cannot pass a football. He's had years and years of practice and he still can't do it. He's as poor of a passer that you are likely to see. So..... Why are they asking him to pass the ball out from the back?
I'm fairly confident Baggieal, but maybe more realistic. You say we HAVE to go up, which is what we all want of course, but is it a divine right?....Stoke must be thinking the same and yet they are a shambles. We have a new manager getting us to play a new way and for the first season I would have to conclude that Darren has done amazingly!...we should all be proud, however there are no guarantees in football. If we don't go up first time maybe we were just expecting too much. If we do go up great!
Morning Boingy! You say Darren has done amazingly - come on Barry Fry with our squad would get us in the top six! Some of the decisions/performances have been awful. There are many on the board who love Big Dave, but say he's not the man to get us promotion. Whilst in the stadium, nobody has really turned on Moore, there are many not convinced and not happy. If you are - then good for you, and that's your opinion.
"No there is no divine right for promotion". Even Leeds and Norwich supporters would admit there's more quality in the West Brom side than their own. Both sides though have tactically better managers hence their positions. Both sides have consistently played well. Have we? Don't get me started on all those matches where we have been awful. Barnes was a huge loss and if Livermore plays on Saturday instead of the in form Harper, then Big Dave is stupid. Almost as stupid for playing Gayle on the wing FFS.
I don't mind losing but playing crap, and seeing players out of position plus seeing the same pathetic goals conceded week in week out, is losing the will to go to matches, with hours of travel and huge expense. Whicka made a good point - playing from the back for good football is great if you have the right players. Evidently, we don't!
If you look at Man Utd under Jose they did the opposite. He tried to get attacking players to park the bus. Step forward OGS and they attack with an large upturn in results.
Horses for courses or donkeys as far as Bartley is concerned.
We have had work ethic being the prime recruitment policy for over three years. Players bought to play a certain way with little emphasis on quality.
Barnes or Gayle would have never got in a Pulis team.
Respect to BD for changing the mindset and his philosophy towards the playing style and club are superb. But it's a bit like trying to get Chris Tavare to bat like Ian Botham with certain individuals.
My view is that we should set up as a 4-4-2
Keeper
Holgate
Hegazi
Dawson
Gibbs
Phillips
Harper
Barry or Field
Brunt or Montero
J Rod
Gayle
I’m not fixated on personnel though.
We need one defender who can step up 10-20 yards and carry the ball at times.
We also need J Rod and Gayle between the width of the goalposts and not out wide most of the time with J Rod dropping into the number ten roll behind Gayle if necessary.
4-3-3 with present personnel with J Rod and Gayle wide is a nonsense.
Coaches try to make a simple game difficult,4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1 is by far the most stable way to operate in a team lacking legs and ball carriers at the back and in midfield.