Give the manager more time

[Elite_Pie]

Trying to be objective, I would have to say the jury is out on the club's ambition, but that could be down to FFP. The jury is also out on on Football Radar's ability to analyse defenders.

I'm also trying to be objective and look at the bigger picture as to why things have suddenly gone tits up after enjoying a continuous upward curve for 18 months. I think that on and off the pitch we've lost three important parts of our success, maybe the three most important parts. Jason Turner, Luke Williams and Matty Palmer were the heartbeat of the club and would always be very difficult to replace. Hopefully we can arrest the downward spiral soon, it would be sad to end the season on a downer.

[ThePieWhoCameIn]

Interesting point about the Radar and defenders. I would love to know what criteria they use to identify possible targets. It feels to me that it's the hardest position to analyse, a lot of it is done without the ball being involved, or without vast distances being covered.

Suppose a CB marks his striker out of the game, but barely touches the ball or makes a tackle. How do you analyse that with stats?

[Jampie]

Interesting point about the Radar and defenders. I would love to know what criteria they use to identify possible targets. It feels to me that it's the hardest position to analyse, a lot of it is done without the ball being involved, or without vast distances being covered.

Suppose a CB marks his striker out of the game, but barely touches the ball or makes a tackle. How do you analyse that with stats?

This is an excellent question.

You can correlate the presence of a defender in a match with results if you have enough data, and isolate their impact (to an extent) vs. that of other players. With the team sheets and results of hundreds of matches, you can say with some confidence that Fred the defender has a strong negative impact on the opposition scoring goals, and that his impact is, for example, 1.3x stronger than the average across all defenders analysed etc.

Analysing all of his other performance metrics is important too of course. Tackles, interceptions, corners against, alla that.

I think we have recruited defenders this year but as usual the radar plan is focused more on up-and-comers rather than ones who will necessarily make an impact right away. This season is definitely an example of that not working out as well (in this season - the future is yet unwritten) than we might hope.

[queenslandpie]

This is an excellent question.

You can correlate the presence of a defender in a match with results if you have enough data, and isolate their impact (to an extent) vs. that of other players. With the team sheets and results of hundreds of matches, you can say with some confidence that Fred the defender has a strong negative impact on the opposition scoring goals, and that his impact is, for example, 1.3x stronger than the average across all defenders analysed etc.

Analysing all of his other performance metrics is important too of course. Tackles, interceptions, corners against, alla that.

I think we have recruited defenders this year but as usual the radar plan is focused more on up-and-comers rather than ones who will necessarily make an impact right away. This season is definitely an example of that not working out as well (in this season - the future is yet unwritten) than we might hope.

Perhaps the best thing to do is analyse the performances of the people the defender is marking. Not a perfect science but it gives a strong impression at worst. i.e if the striker being marked has less than average marks when the defender is marking him its extra points for the defender and so on.

[SmiffyPie]

Interesting point about the Radar and defenders. I would love to know what criteria they use to identify possible targets.

Hasn't it been said that they look for players on the fringes of teams with potential for developement and potential for resale and that they cost little if anything? That must include players carrying injuries because we have had a few (and I don't really get that? Must be a gamble that the player recovers enough to warrant the risk (some have I know)). They most certainly don't look at players that are currently performing well for their teams and would cost.

[BigFatPie]

The defenders situation is bad enough but we find ourselves going to Bradford tomorrow with the prospect of LAH, Aidan Stone or Sam Slocombe in goal, while our own young prospect is tearing it up at Rochdale. A thoroughly unappealing and unforgivable scenario.

None of those keepers have been helped by the people playing in front of them, but what happened to the recruiting team who found Anthony Patterson? Or was that Burchnall?

[OldBanksy]

They specifically said he was their first choice.

Did they say that? Do you think they would ever say he wasn't if he wasn't?

[matt_magpie]

Did they say that? Do you think they would ever say he wasn't if he wasn't?

Yes in the first presser, said he was everyone’s first choice, style of play, getting the best out resources and someone they could work with.
I got from that he genuinely was by the way they spoke. I said at the start I didn’t mind where he came from or nor would the players as it didn’t matter, what mattered was that he was a leader and now we truly will find out.

[jackal2]

Yes in the first presser, said he was everyone’s first choice, style of play, getting the best out resources and someone they could work with.
I got from that he genuinely was by the way they spoke. I said at the start I didn’t mind where he came from or nor would the players as it didn’t matter, what mattered was that he was a leader and now we truly will find out.

I don't like some of the snobbery implicit in the criticism of Maynard's relatively humble background. Judge him by results by all means, and so far they haven't been good enough, but he hasn't had anywhere near enough time to truly show what he can do.

The fact that Maynard isn't a big name with previous Football League experience doesn't mean he can't become one in the future. We've had more than our fair share of experienced/marquee/big name managers with great careers behind them and it didn't stop us ending up in the National League. As with Luke Williams, I'm not bothered if nobody knows his name when he arrives, I'd much rather he makes his name with us.

Like I said in another post, Maynard has basically inherited a team that can't defend at this level. If he can find a way of getting this group of players to stop conceding so many goals, at least until we have the opportunity to bring in reinforcements in the summer, then he'll be due some credit. That's his biggest challenge at the moment, and regardless of whether we agreed with his appointment or not, we surely all want him to succeed in that, in which case give the man a chance. There's no point making his job more difficult than it already is.

[i961pie]

I don't like some of the snobbery implicit in the criticism of Maynard's relatively humble background. Judge him by results by all means, and so far they haven't been good enough, but he hasn't had anywhere near enough time to truly show what he can do.

The fact that Maynard isn't a big name with previous Football League experience doesn't mean he can't become one in the future. We've had more than our fair share of experienced/marquee/big name managers with great careers behind them and it didn't stop us ending up in the National League. As with Luke Williams, I'm not bothered if nobody knows his name when he arrives, I'd much rather he makes his name with us.

Like I said in another post, Maynard has basically inherited a team that can't defend at this level. If he can find a way of getting this group of players to stop conceding so many goals, at least until we have the opportunity to bring in reinforcements in the summer, then he'll be due some credit. That's his biggest challenge at the moment, and regardless of whether we agreed with his appointment or not, we surely all want him to succeed in that, in which case give the man a chance. There's no point making his job more difficult than it already is.

I had never heard of Jimmy Sirrel, Neil Warnock or Like Williams when they arrived but they weren't to bad were they?😋