New Signings

[magpie_mania]

The same with Richardson, at times. Begging for him to take people on but he'd turn back in. Definitely a patient, risk averse approach to the build up play, waiting for a gap in the opposition wide areas for the wing-backs to run on to a through ball. Teams quickly worked this out. Only issue is whether this was purely a Burchnall approach or if the whole style of play is directed from above......

If teams quickly worked it out, I can't see that they really dealt with it that well.

Only the top 3 scored more than we did, scoring 12 more than Chesterfield, 13 more than Grimsby and 19 more than Halifax. Hasn't it also been documented that we made more moves into the opposition penalty area than other team?

I get that we let in far too many, but it is worth noting that we also had a better GD than any of the teams mentioned above.

My take is that Burchnall did a good job, played good football and came fairly close to taking us up.

Now he's moved on (I don't hold anything against him moving - wouldn't it have been the same if the Altrincham or Gateshead managers had come to us?) and we will move on too. Far happier that our HC has left to move up 2 leagues than yet another sacking.

I am ever the optimist and have a good feeling about Luke Williams - but we do need some good signings.

[laddo]

Is there ever?

Very very rarely.

Personally I haven't spoken to any of the players since the Grimsby game, I want them to enjoy their holidays and time away from football with their family and friends, so have no idea either way.

Seemed an overall happy squad last season, as is the case with all clubs you can't keep everyone happy cos you can only name 11 players to start and 5 on the bench each game so some will miss out more often than not.

[Bushwacka]

You really think the owners say slow it down and Richardson has that in his mind when playing?

No, I'm not saying that, I just wonder how much the owners/analysis team dictate the level of risk in our play, demand a certain % of possession, ask for below a certain % of ball turnover etc (or whatever their stats are).

As you say, the minutiae is probably the coach and it will be the coach who decides the methods to achieve his brief, but none of us actually know what that brief is.

Players have been researched and signed before we had a coach, so there will definitely be a theory and style dictated to the coaching team (I don't have an issue with this, it's worked for Brentford and I'm hopeful that our owners are finding their way and will get it right here).

[ThaiPie]

Devon White isn't even 60 yet, - get him on board as well.

He'd add some spark to the attack. and plug-in to the tactics quickly. He'd charge at the opposition and switch tactics at the pull of cord. He'd definitely get the crowd buzzzing.

[Notts78]

No, I'm not saying that, I just wonder how much the owners/analysis team dictate the level of risk in our play, demand a certain % of possession, ask for below a certain % of ball turnover etc (or whatever their stats are).

As you say, the minutiae is probably the coach and it will be the coach who decides the methods to achieve his brief, but none of us actually know what that brief is.

Players have been researched and signed before we had a coach, so there will definitely be a theory and style dictated to the coaching team (I don't have an issue with this, it's worked for Brentford and I'm hopeful that our owners are finding their way and will get it right here).

Although players passing back can be frustrating, a player in the heat of battle won’t be thinking about stats. It’s a frustration of mine when I watch my kids play that sometimes they shoot or play a pass that isn’t on instead of ‘starting again’. I would rather a player play back instead of hit and hope.
I’m sat in Cyprus and spoke to a Liverpool fan about the lack of genuine passers of a ball. I’m not on about the cheeky 5-10 yard passes, I’m on about the 50-60 pin point passes that players like Beckham and Pirlo played.
It’s easy for any half decent footballer to dump the ball in an area, and I’m glad that we don’t play that percentages game.

[jacobncfc]

No, I'm not saying that, I just wonder how much the owners/analysis team dictate the level of risk in our play, demand a certain % of possession, ask for below a certain % of ball turnover etc (or whatever their stats are).

As you say, the minutiae is probably the coach and it will be the coach who decides the methods to achieve his brief, but none of us actually know what that brief is.

Players have been researched and signed before we had a coach, so there will definitely be a theory and style dictated to the coaching team (I don't have an issue with this, it's worked for Brentford and I'm hopeful that our owners are finding their way and will get it right here).

I think there’s an important distinction here - I don’t think the owners dictate the style to the coaching team, I think they appoint the coaching team based on the style they favour. They’re similar but different in quite a big way IMO.

[Oldstripy]

I think there’s an important distinction here - I don’t think the owners dictate the style to the coaching team, I think they appoint the coaching team based on the style they favour. They’re similar but different in quite a big way IMO.

As I see it, the analysts supply the Head coach with data and he takes what data he thinks will be best for his teams next game.

[ncfcog]

As I see it, the annalists supply the Head coach with data and he takes what data he thinks will be best for his teams next game.

Pretty much but not quite as simplistic as that.

In the old days managers and/or scouts would watch their next opposition to work out how best to beat them. This still happens but there’s a bit more to it now in that the opposition analyst will also create video clips of the opposition and annotate them with information detailing areas of the oppositions game that represents a threat and likewise any areas of their game they can look to take advantage of.

The principles of opposition analysis haven’t changed over the years, but the technology and methodology has.

[Elite_Pie]

The principles of opposition analysis haven’t changed over the years, but the technology and methodology has.

I don't doubt that's correct, but due to our extensive backroom team that should give us a big advantage over the vast majority of our rivals.

[ncfcog]

I don't doubt that's correct, but due to our extensive backroom team that should give us a big advantage over the vast majority of our rivals.

I wouldn’t disagree