Originally Posted by
TSANHO
Great post, and nicely written. I’ve attended all but one of the home games up to now so I’ll try and add my two penneth worth to the pretty accurate observations you have already made!
I think it was after the pre-season game against York that I, and some others, came on here and voiced (maybe prematurely - maybe not) our concerns about the style of play, the vulnerability at the back, and the perennial lack of presence in midfield. Any opposing manager that saw that game would have immediately identified how to play against us.
The York number 9 caused havoc all game and won every ariel battle and the resulting knock downs and second balls resulted in numerous panicked defensive patterns and play and, eventually, three goals conceded. Our midfield was too easy to play through and large areas of space would open up for them to play passes out wide or even run into to make up ground. Our slow build up play would allow them to get back into position and set up a solid defensive base which they would happily sit in whilst we had the ball and unfortunately this is the kind of plan we have taken into our first ten games.
I my hasn’t all been negative but I’d go as far as saying that the 15 points we have accumulated so far may even flatter us a little bit because before the sending of for Torquay they too were having joy with a direct approach against us. We have been muddling through games, shining in spells for 15-20 minutes but on the whole we have allowed the opposition too much respect and not enforced ourselves on them when we are in the ascendency. When we score we gift teams possession and territorial advantage and forget how to play or continue how we were playing. We are often the architects of our own downfall most of the time, not because we are torn open by slick passing or clever attacks.
Our approach to winning games is naive, and the manager must take a lot of the responsibility for that. I do like IB, and his post match interviews do reflect what has been both good and bad about the performances, but the goodwill and understanding about his methods is rapidly wearing thin because very little changes from game to game. We do have talent in the squad but how it is being deployed or managed isn’t conducive to winning football matches at this level, there is a serious problem with the balance in which IB wants us to play and how we have to play to get results.
I’ve seen some posts criticising our recruitment policy and that IB is a passenger in those decisions but I don’t fully believe that is the case. The owners went all out to get their man so I don’t believe they would force players on him. He is probably given a list of players within their budget that fits the style of play he/they want to use but it looks at the minute that they’ve got it badly wrong. It is a big test for them all now to see how stringently they hold on to their ideals about plying football this way. We can consistently win football matches playing good football, but not without winning the right to do so first, and this will be true until the day that football no longer exists.
Winning the right to boss football matches comes from a mental, and more often than not, physical domination. You need to win your individual battles early and keep your foot on the throat of the opposition until they either tire or succumb to your will. At the minute I don’t see that in us. There isn’t a winning mentality through the squad and I don’t see it in either our captain or vice captain. We are a joy to play against because all of our players want to get on the ball but not do the hard yards and physical work to win the right to do so. We are just too nice…probably like IB at the minute. Training is a joy, full of good lads who get along, great facilities etc etc but who is keeping them grounded…driven and shouted at to do better?
Our recruitment has been poor in finding ‘that’ midfielder who will hold firm in the proverbial stormy weather but also in instilling the same mentality amongst the squad. Where is the character needed to win these games we are letting slip us by? There is a lot of good stuff going on at the club at the minute, better than at any time I have followed the club I think, but they need to find a bit of ‘nastiness’ amongst them….even the owners come over as just really nice guys! I was actually glad IB got into a fight last night, and also that the players responded to it, we need that to a certain degree, and even more so in the coming weeks now the fans are turning with the weather. We have most of the ingredients in place, but a change of mentality in how we go about things wouldn’t go amiss….I bet James Rowe and Paul Hurst don’t give two hoots about who he or the clubs upsets, we’re in a business where winning is pretty much everything.
In terms of style of play I think we need to rope it in a little. I’ve been critical of 4-4-2 before but in our case going back to basics, and getting it right, would be our best way forward instead of trying to be too clever. We almost have all the players to play the system that they’d all be comfortable with and it would still allow for good football.
Our back five of Slocombe, Brindley, Rawlo, Lacey and Chicksen aren’t a problem..that should be easily as good as anything in the division. Midfield is slightly harder and where our problems stem from in my opinion. Nemane on the right, Roberts on the left interchanging with Nemane throughout the game and Wootton and Rodrigues up front in a two. Obviously there is one space left to fill…the centre mid place amongst Palmer. Here is where the owners really need to look at themselves. One semi decent physical domineering CM to sit alongside Palmer in a 4-4-2…will they be willing to spend on such a player? It’s all trivial though I guess, talking now of a change of system, as the owners and IB appear absolute on their position regarding this issue, but at what cost?
Finally a little bombshell, and I imagine this will get a hostile response, but I think we play better as a team without Roberts in the line up….there, I’ve said it!
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