BFTG Preston

[Mid Sussex Royal]

Don't agree with this 'loved up' feeling for McDermott tbh .. people keep saying it's not his team, give him a summer to get his own player's in blah blah blah .. Warnock doesn't seem to have had the same problem at Rotherham, winning game after game since he went in and he had no prior knowledge of the player's he would be managing .. and now with Hammond gone I think the glory day's are now well and truly over .. hope to be proved wrong mind but I just can't see it myself.

Exactly - lack of effort/motivation/tactics/playing players out of position stops at his door. No loanees for the Brian fan club to blame today.

What exactly is his points per game record since 2012? Must be appalling.

[Ian Royal]

Adkins (whose hand was somewhat forced) played the youngsters at the start of his season and got slated by the afficionados on here

f
But if you look back at that period, our results were no worse than than have been in the 18 months or so since. Look at what Barrett did for 45 minutes today and Fosu at the end of last season. Better and more talented tha this other bunch of twats we have at the moment

It's all well and good to say someone who hasn't been tainted by the season's performances who had a good 45 minutes should have played more, but Fosu has not performed very well in the U21s and only just gone on loan at a lower level to score the odd goal. And Barrett (and I'm not escapegoating him just pointing out that no player at that age is going to be the complete deal) was one of those significantly at fault for Preston's winner. On top of that you've had Cooper making mistakes week in week out.

That's why the younger kids haven't played more, because they aren't as reliable as the senior pros and make more mistakes. A team full of them would have been a disaster. We certainly could have given a few more opportunities, but playing several regularly would not have worked out well in all probability. I for one am glad most of them were insulated from that dross and have picked up experience elsewhere.

I disagree more talented too. The main difference was more positive and confident.

[Longhorn1970]

Don't agree with this 'loved up' feeling for McDermott tbh .. people keep saying it's not his team, give him a summer to get his own player's in blah blah blah .. Warnock doesn't seem to have had the same problem at Rotherham, winning game after game since he went in and he had no prior knowledge of the player's he would be managing .. and now with Hammond gone I think the glory day's are now well and truly over .. hope to be proved wrong mind but I just can't see it myself.

Exactly - lack of effort/motivation/tactics/playing players out of position stops at his door. No loanees for the Brian fan club to blame today.

What exactly is his points per game record since 2012? Must be appalling.

+1 totally inept again ...

[sandman]

Rotherham is a club with stability and have been gathering momentum for years since they moved to their new stadium. They may have been at the bottom when Colin went there but they have had something to fight for and it's a club which is moving together with a solid structure in place at the club.

Comparing that to a club which has been going backwards ever since Zingarevich sacked McDermott due to an ideal and bowing to fans who wanted something they considered "better" football is ridiculous.

This club is fractured, all its momentum has gone. It's not together, it's owners aren't even in the same country, they take forever to make a decision because they aren't even working together in their own country.

The questions should be all on them and what they are going to do this summer in order to help the manager.

Brian can build a team, he proved it when Sigurdsson left, he proved it when Long left and if he's backed there is no reason why he can't do it again. Getting rid of him now would just repeat the mistakes made by the previous owner and the fans who called for Brian's head last time.

[wingnut]

I am hoping McDermott changes the system over the summer too, and puts some wingers on the pitch. I've banged on about this for weeks now, we have no width and pace. Which is okay when you've got technical players with skill and a range of passing and crossing, but... It just makes us so easy to play against.

A-fcuking-men to that.

[Lower West]

Exactly - lack of effort/motivation/tactics/playing players out of position stops at his door. No loanees for the Brian fan club to blame today.

Shows how poor our squad is. Last summer has proved to be a shambles. Mass clear out. Loan signings. Nothing for the future. Even Tishabola was a bonus for Clarke. A year wasted. And another year going backwards.

[RoyalBlue]

Yesterday clearly demonstrated how demotivated the players are. End of season, nothing the win or lose so only a token effort put in at best by most players. Hammond has left, two loan players gone, no loanees in the starting line-up.
Look back at the start of the season, Williams, Mcleary and Norwood are very good players, but yesterday you have to wonder what is going through their minds. Whilst a lot of players will leave in the summer, there will be a core that will / should stay, hopefully. So I have to ask, why are they so demotivated ?, the fans still paid the same price for this game as any other. It's the managers job to motivate the team to put in maximum effort and win a game. So that questions sits firmly with McDermott. LLLLDL

Exactly this. I fear that McDermott's only way of motivating is being nice! That works fine with some but others respond far better when the manager//coach tells them exactly how it is!

The last thing I wanted to hear from my coach when I had a bad race were platitudes. I knew I had let myself and others down and didn't want anyone making light of that - b*ll*cking and then a positive discussion as to how we were going to make sure it didn't happen again.

Nor do we want or need a team that is full of players who respond well to a nice manager, you need a mix of personalities for maximum strength, just the same as you have to add sand and aggregate to cement!

[tmesis]

Yesterday clearly demonstrated how demotivated the players are. End of season, nothing the win or lose so only a token effort put in at best by most players. Hammond has left, two loan players gone, no loanees in the starting line-up.
Look back at the start of the season, Williams, Mcleary and Norwood are very good players, but yesterday you have to wonder what is going through their minds. Whilst a lot of players will leave in the summer, there will be a core that will / should stay, hopefully. So I have to ask, why are they so demotivated ?, the fans still paid the same price for this game as any other. It's the managers job to motivate the team to put in maximum effort and win a game. So that questions sits firmly with McDermott. LLLLDL

Exactly this. I fear that McDermott's only way of motivating is being nice! That works fine with some but others respond far better when the manager//coach tells them exactly how it is!

The last thing I wanted to hear from my coach when I had a bad race were platitudes. I knew I had let myself and others down and didn't want anyone making light of that - b*ll*cking and then a positive discussion as to how we were going to make sure it didn't happen again.

Nor do we want or need a team that is full of players who respond well to a nice manager, you need a mix of personalities for maximum strength, just the same as you have to add sand and aggregate to cement!

So you're slating him, and saying he needs to go, based on your assumption of what he says to players after the game?

[sandman]

Yesterday clearly demonstrated how demotivated the players are. End of season, nothing the win or lose so only a token effort put in at best by most players. Hammond has left, two loan players gone, no loanees in the starting line-up.
Look back at the start of the season, Williams, Mcleary and Norwood are very good players, but yesterday you have to wonder what is going through their minds. Whilst a lot of players will leave in the summer, there will be a core that will / should stay, hopefully. So I have to ask, why are they so demotivated ?, the fans still paid the same price for this game as any other. It's the managers job to motivate the team to put in maximum effort and win a game. So that questions sits firmly with McDermott. LLLLDL

Exactly this. I fear that McDermott's only way of motivating is being nice! That works fine with some but others respond far better when the manager//coach tells them exactly how it is!

The last thing I wanted to hear from my coach when I had a bad race were platitudes. I knew I had let myself and others down and didn't want anyone making light of that - b*ll*cking and then a positive discussion as to how we were going to make sure it didn't happen again.

Nor do we want or need a team that is full of players who respond well to a nice manager, you need a mix of personalities for maximum strength, just the same as you have to add sand and aggregate to cement!

So you're slating him, and saying he needs to go, based on your assumption of what he says to players after the game?

Who cares? RB is an oddball, pay him no heed.

[Platypuss]

So you're slating him, and saying he needs to go, based on your assumption of what he says to players after the game?

Who cares? RB is an oddball, pay him no heed.

And miss out on some proper LOLz?

[under the tin]

Berry said:

Unfortunately today's game is what modern football has ended up giving to the fans, players that don't really care and are playing for money, owners that are (just) looking to make money but are cautious to open the bank, young academy players who are untainted at present just enjoying their football and a manager who has now having to try to get the best of what he has rather than planning and building a successful squad.
+1

Sandman said:

Comparing that to a club which has been going backwards ever since Zingarevich sacked McDermott due to an ideal and bowing to fans who wanted something they considered "better" football is ridiculous. Bowing to fans? All 14,000 odd of us? Do you think we're any sort of club with any sort of national/international profile that can justify that ?

Brian is not the messiah. He's also not a naughty boy.
Football is fcuked.

[3points]

Adkins (whose hand was somewhat forced) played the youngsters at the start of his season and got slated by the afficionados on here

f
But if you look back at that period, our results were no worse than than have been in the 18 months or so since. Look at what Barrett did for 45 minutes today and Fosu at the end of last season. Better and more talented tha this other bunch of twats we have at the moment

It's all well and good to say someone who hasn't been tainted by the season's performances who had a good 45 minutes should have played more, but Fosu has not performed very well in the U21s and only just gone on loan at a lower level to score the odd goal. And Barrett (and I'm not escapegoating him just pointing out that no player at that age is going to be the complete deal) was one of those significantly at fault for Preston's winner. On top of that you've had Cooper making mistakes week in week out.

That's why the younger kids haven't played more, because they aren't as reliable as the senior pros and make more mistakes. A team full of them would have been a disaster. We certainly could have given a few more opportunities, but playing several regularly would not have worked out well in all probability. I for one am glad most of them were insulated from that dross and have picked up experience elsewhere.

I disagree more talented too. The main difference was more positive and confident.

So Barrett was significantly at fault for the goal? Norwood, our defensive midfielder, wasn't even in the frame on the TV highlights, and Williams was also nowhere near Johnson. Cooper should have been taken out of the headlights a few games ago. I would have preferred seeing Ferdinand with McShane for the past few weeks. Mistakes made by a central defender are much more obvious than if Barrett had been playing in the no10 role. It's been a long season for Cooper, and he hasn't hit the highs of a very impressive display against Everton. He probably needs a rest.

There's little reason why Barrett shouldn't have received more game time playing at the top of the diamond instead of Piazon or Cox. It would have been better for him and the club than playing a disinterested Ola John in that position off the bench recently. Even if it was only the last 15-20 minutes of a game. Watson could have got some game time yesterday at right back, moving McCleary further forward.

I'm not saying we should play 10 guys from the U21s together. But they could have been blooded (and also removed from the firing line where necessary). Re: Fosu - if you don't play him in the Champioship, you won't know he's good enough. Perhaps he hasn't done that well in the lower divisions, but it is also a different type of football. Much in the same way HRK looked better in the Prem than he has done for most of his career in the Championship.

[Top Flight]

I wasn't pleased with Brian playing a diamond system. Every time we play that shape we look total sh*te.

But, having reflected, I don't think there was much else he could do.

He wasn't going to play any loans as they definitely won't be here next season so that immediately ruled out Taylor, Vydra, John and Fernandez.

The whole thing was experimental, he wanted to find out about the players who probably will be here next season.
The performance was rubbish, the players didn't care, the shape looked terrible.

Brian knows all this and he will rebuild over the summer.
It will be a similar load of b*llocks against Blackburn next Saturday.

There really is no point analysing these performances because this it is all just the end game of an awful season. It gives no indication of what Brian is thinking or planning for next season or how things will be next season at the club.
Everything will be different next year. Let's give Brian our full backing and keep the faith.

[Ian Royal]

He could have played 4-4-2 with McCleary on the right and Quinn on the left.

He could have played 4-3-3 with Rakels on the left and McCleary on the right.

There were definitely other options, not necessarily great ones and it's disappointing he persisted with a system that consistently saw us massively exposed down our flanks when we don't have the best fullbacks defensively at the best of time. I don't think we'd have done significantly better with any other system given Ferdinand is immobile, Cooper is young and error prone and no one in our team could score five goals to save their lives.

[Hoop Blah]

There really is no point analysing these performances because this it is all just the end game of an awful season. It gives no indication of what Brian is thinking or planning for next season or how things will be next season at the club.
Everything will be different next year. Let's give Brian our full backing and keep the faith.

There is little value to over analysing these performances no, but you also have to realise that the last few games has seen McDermott give the players that will be here next season a chance to put a marker down to earn his trust and respect. Have many done that? I doubt it.

As for the formation, if McDermott isn't using the last few games to experiment with this new formation (it must be half a dozen attempts since I remember it first being used against a shockingly poor Forest) then I really don't get what he's been trying to do. And I'd question his approach if he isn't using them to think or plan for next season.

The performance itself was pretty shoddy too. I think enough been said about how poor it was, and how much of a relief to the last few months dross Barrett was. Lets hope we see more of that enthusiasm from both the kids coming into the side and the senior pros who look increasingly disinterested as the season has stuttered to a close.

Bring on the summer, some positive transfer business and hopefully a bit of good news on the owners plans/interest in taking the club forward.

[RoyalBlue]

Yesterday clearly demonstrated how demotivated the players are. End of season, nothing the win or lose so only a token effort put in at best by most players. Hammond has left, two loan players gone, no loanees in the starting line-up.
Look back at the start of the season, Williams, Mcleary and Norwood are very good players, but yesterday you have to wonder what is going through their minds. Whilst a lot of players will leave in the summer, there will be a core that will / should stay, hopefully. So I have to ask, why are they so demotivated ?, the fans still paid the same price for this game as any other. It's the managers job to motivate the team to put in maximum effort and win a game. So that questions sits firmly with McDermott. LLLLDL

Exactly this. I fear that McDermott's only way of motivating is being nice! That works fine with some but others respond far better when the manager//coach tells them exactly how it is!

The last thing I wanted to hear from my coach when I had a bad race were platitudes. I knew I had let myself and others down and didn't want anyone making light of that - b*ll*cking and then a positive discussion as to how we were going to make sure it didn't happen again.

Nor do we want or need a team that is full of players who respond well to a nice manager, you need a mix of personalities for maximum strength, just the same as you have to add sand and aggregate to cement!

So you're slating him, and saying he needs to go, based on your assumption of what he says to players after the game?

Not just after the game but before and during. How else do you explain his obvious inability to get any fire into his teams? And if you claim it's solely down to the players (which is rubbish) then he should have played some others from the squad, including the 'great character' Ferndandez.

[leon]

Exactly this. I fear that McDermott's only way of motivating is being nice! That works fine with some but others respond far better when the manager//coach tells them exactly how it is!

The last thing I wanted to hear from my coach when I had a bad race were platitudes. I knew I had let myself and others down and didn't want anyone making light of that - b*ll*cking and then a positive discussion as to how we were going to make sure it didn't happen again.

Nor do we want or need a team that is full of players who respond well to a nice manager, you need a mix of personalities for maximum strength, just the same as you have to add sand and aggregate to cement!

So you're slating him, and saying he needs to go, based on your assumption of what he says to players after the game?

Not just after the game but before and during. How else do you explain his obvious inability to get any fire into his teams? And if you claim it's solely down to the players (which is rubbish) then he should have played some others from the squad, including the 'great character' Ferndandez.

Why do hate everything? Have you ever been happy as a Reading fan?

Are you mental?

[Top Flight]

He could have played 4-4-2 with McCleary on the right and Quinn on the left.

He could have played 4-3-3 with Rakels on the left and McCleary on the right.

There were definitely other options, not necessarily great ones and it's disappointing he persisted with a system that consistently saw us massively exposed down our flanks when we don't have the best fullbacks defensively at the best of time. I don't think we'd have done significantly better with any other system given Ferdinand is immobile, Cooper is young and error prone and no one in our team could score five goals to save their lives.

Yeah, but Ian, he was deliberately excluding the loans.

Brian really can't win with us nobbers. Whatever he does he'll get criticised in different quarters.

He wanted to play Reading players. Even if they have to be out of position to fit.

That's what we've all been calling for on HNA in recent weeks. He does it and gets criticised again.
His players right now don't give a sh@t. Whether because of the Euros or some returning to their parent clubs, they just don't care. This season just needs to be shot and put out of its misery. Let's start afresh next season. I've renewed my season ticket and I'll be supporting us to the hilt next season. If Brian keeps us up I'll be happy and will consider that a job welldone as far as next season is concerned. Anything achieved above that I'll be absolutely delighted.

[tmesis]

Exactly this. I fear that McDermott's only way of motivating is being nice! That works fine with some but others respond far better when the manager//coach tells them exactly how it is!

The last thing I wanted to hear from my coach when I had a bad race were platitudes. I knew I had let myself and others down and didn't want anyone making light of that - b*ll*cking and then a positive discussion as to how we were going to make sure it didn't happen again.

Nor do we want or need a team that is full of players who respond well to a nice manager, you need a mix of personalities for maximum strength, just the same as you have to add sand and aggregate to cement!

So you're slating him, and saying he needs to go, based on your assumption of what he says to players after the game?

Not just after the game but before and during. How else do you explain his obvious inability to get any fire into his teams? And if you claim it's solely down to the players (which is rubbish) then he should have played some others from the squad, including the 'great character' Ferndandez.

Firstly, why is it clearly "rubbish" that the players are much of the problem?

Secondly, we didn't seem to have any problem with effort during his first spell in charge.

Again, it seems like you've decided on the problem (Brian can't motivate the players) and are working everything backwards from that premise.

Maybe he should have played other players, although I've no idea why you seem to believe I think Fernandez was a great player.

I think he played the players he did because on pure ability, they were the best players we had, and for whatever reason, he didn't have confidence in the understudies.

I believe he also said that it would be better for some players currently on loan, doing well in winning teams, to stay there - presumably to avoid the negative atmosphere at the club.

He has a summer to bring his own players in, players who'll fit into a style of play he wants to play (which he couldn't do at all with the current lot), and we probably can't judge him too much until the end of the year at least.

[Top Flight]

There is a lot of trial and error in football management. We saw that a lot during Coppell's reign. He brought players in: Owusu, Les Ferdinand, Brooker, Keown.... It didn't work, he moved them on and brought more players in Doyle, Hunt, Gunnarsson, Long, Lita etc. Then things worked.

Managers need time, patience and understanding so that they can make their mistakes, solve the problems and improve the team. It is completely unrealistic to expect a manager to take over a bunch of losers and turn them into a great side in 3 months without even a summer window to work with.

McDermott needs three years minimum before he should be judged.

Right now, he needs our support. That's why to quote one nobber "my head is so far up his arse I can't see the light of day".