Brian - is he getting it wrong?

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Cypry
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Brian - is he getting it wrong?

by Cypry » 11 Sep 2011 11:16

Loads of gnashing teeth on here today, not suprising given yesterday's "performance" - I have to say I'm a touch surprised that nobody seems to be questioning Brians role in all this?

Don't get me wrong, I like the fella and nobody can argue with the fact that he's had a good run since he got the managers job, but I'm starting to wonder if he's just a little bit too "nice"....

It's a bit of a cop out to just blame the Chairman and come to the conclusion that Brian is doing the job with one hand tied behind his back - at the end of the day Hammond and McD get a budget, but they make the decisions as to how they build the squad and not SJM. Brian told us himself that in January he promised Long he would do everything he could to make sure he played in the Premiership this season - so at face value we have a manager who is not exactly committed to keeping his best player. I suspect the Mills deal is what has caused the biggest issue - I don't think the club saw that coming, if they had, suspect we would have pursued Zurab with more effort and/or held on to Ingi.

A lot of folks are critical of Jobi being captain - well who made him captain? If people see that as a poor call then I'm afraid there's only one person to blame....

I think my biggest concern at the moment is that he simply seems to have run out of ideas - unusually, during the second half yesterday he barely spent any time in his technical area - he spent most of the time talking to Gibbo. The substitutions were questionable at best - in fact his team selection (reluctance to start Cummings for example) just seems to be symptomatic of someone who's in danger of losing the plot.

I don't want to see any knee jerk reactions - it's still very early and we need the new players to bed in, but I just don't think Brian should be above criticism in all of this....

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Re: Brian - is he getting it wrong?

by urz13 » 11 Sep 2011 11:20

+1

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Re: Brian - is he getting it wrong?

by North Somerset Royal » 11 Sep 2011 11:29

Agree with what you say. However the scope for meaningful substitutions was limited from the outset by the make up of the bench which in turn is a product of having a small squad once we discount youngsters not yet up to Championship standard. At the end of the day it comes back to money.

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Re: Brian - is he getting it wrong?

by leicsRoyal » 11 Sep 2011 11:32

Agree with many of your points Cypry.

Anyone who is involved in man management, will know that the honeymoon period is often at the start of your reign when you adapt to the characteristics of your team, this then gets the team thinking what a great person you are and performances reflect this.
I think Brian was in a great position to do this as many of the players knew him so well and trusted him, as did he with the players.
Then after the honeymoon period you often get the 'pat on the back era' when everyone is admiring the fruits of success, thus bringing everyone even closer together.

Unfortunately at some point there is a spanner or many spanners thrown in the works and at that point Mr Nice has to be Mr Manager, take full responsibility and do everything they have learnt from both experience and the training that they have received to turn the ship back around. You just have to hope that the rest of the crew have the same desire as yourself to do this, especially your boss!

I also like Brian and hope he can be the Manager to turn things around and not the Manager that everyone says 'he's a really nice guy'. At the same point I would like a captain that everyone says is a great leader of a team and not one that I would like to just be an example to the kids in the community scheme.

One thing for sure is that BM will be far more annoyed and frustrated than anyone on here, hopefully he will do his best weeks work ever and we will bounce back with a great performance next week.

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Re: Brian - is he getting it wrong?

by Cypry » 11 Sep 2011 12:04

North Somerset Royal Agree with what you say. However the scope for meaningful substitutions was limited from the outset by the make up of the bench which in turn is a product of having a small squad once we discount youngsters not yet up to Championship standard. At the end of the day it comes back to money.


I'm not convinced by that argument - with 5 subs, the bench is limited anyway effectively to four outfield players.....we have 30 players with squad numbers.....sorry but "having a small squad" is a myth....


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leicsRoyal
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Re: Brian - is he getting it wrong?

by leicsRoyal » 11 Sep 2011 12:05

Cypry
North Somerset Royal Agree with what you say. However the scope for meaningful substitutions was limited from the outset by the make up of the bench which in turn is a product of having a small squad once we discount youngsters not yet up to Championship standard. At the end of the day it comes back to money.


I'm not convinced by that argument - with 5 subs, the bench is limited anyway effectively to four outfield players.....we have 30 players with squad numbers.....sorry but "having a small squad" is a myth....


I believe that Burnley won promotion a couple of seasons ago with the smallest squad in the championship and no reserve team.

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Re: Brian - is he getting it wrong?

by PieEater » 11 Sep 2011 12:09

There's also the fact that as a team we've been found out by the opposition. We get closed down everywhere and doubled up on the wings, if Jimmy and Jobi can't beat 2 or 3 players and then find a great cross then we're fooked, there is no plan B. There's little overlapping of the full backs and nobody to run the channels so the end result is a blunt attack.

You can't blame selling key players totally, look at Watford, Palace and Posh, they all sold off their best players but seem to work harder as a team. Buying isn't necessarily a solution either, just look at the money Leicester and Ipswich have spent. Brian needs to work on building the team spirit and then the confidence will come back.

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Re: Brian - is he getting it wrong?

by sandman » 11 Sep 2011 12:30

Love how when a team is on a bad run the "honeymoon period is over" cliche rears its head.

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Re: Brian - is he getting it wrong?

by Friday's Legacy » 11 Sep 2011 12:37

he said on the radio yesterday "i can't keep making changes"

what???

griffin needs to be dropped. not only his performances are bad but his attitude stinks at the moment.
leigertwood should be dropped. he's been awful. not the same player as who came here on loan. we ddin't go up, he's seen our best players sold and he like others has lost interest.
kebe should be dropped for a kick up the arse at least. probably same as above. just awful.

but "i can't keep making changes" - and that will be why we could go down this season.

grow some balls, make big changes and stick that team and give them a chance. the likes of obita, taylor and cummings deserve a chance. they would run their hearts out where as griffin and co just cruise about and shrug their shoulders when a pass goes misplaced, or another needless free-kick is given away (griffin, griffin, griffin)


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Re: Brian - is he getting it wrong?

by Cypry » 11 Sep 2011 12:44

leicsRoyal Unfortunately at some point there is a spanner or many spanners thrown in the works and at that point Mr Nice has to be Mr Manager


And that's where Brian worries me a bit - can he drop the nice when needed....?

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Re: Brian - is he getting it wrong?

by Friday's Legacy » 11 Sep 2011 12:49

and what about our style of play? are they ignoring him and playing hoofball against his will? i doubt it. you have to ask questions about the managers style of play and tactics. he has to tell them what he expects and they have to abide by it. if they don't, he has to be strong enough to enforce his decisions.

what ever the system right now it needs to be changed.

even consider going three at the back???

----------------------- fed/mccarthy -----------------------

---------- bongani ------- pearce ------- gorkss ----------

----------------------------- tabb ----------------------------

-- mcanuff ---- karacan -------- leigertwood ---- kebe --

------------------- hunt -------- le fondre ------------------

:?:

/on the basis he doesn't seem to want to "keep making changes".
Last edited by Friday's Legacy on 11 Sep 2011 12:51, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Brian - is he getting it wrong?

by leicsRoyal » 11 Sep 2011 12:51

Think that depends on the opposition FL.

I'd be scared stiff of using that formation against many teams.

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Re: Brian - is he getting it wrong?

by Sarah Star » 11 Sep 2011 12:57

How would that improve our leaky defence, FL? Or are you improving the attack at the expense of the defence?

That's a question, not a criticism.


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Re: Brian - is he getting it wrong?

by Friday's Legacy » 11 Sep 2011 13:05

Sarah Star How would that improve our leaky defence, FL? Or are you improving the attack at the expense of the defence?

That's a question, not a criticism.


well ideally your wingers drop back to create a five at the back and go forward to support the attack in numbers, but i can't see kebe managing that. he's no michael gilkes.

i'm just toying with change.

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Re: Brian - is he getting it wrong?

by Plymouth_Royal » 11 Sep 2011 13:31

PieEater There's also the fact that as a team we've been found out by the opposition. We get closed down everywhere and doubled up on the wings, if Jimmy and Jobi can't beat 2 or 3 players and then find a great cross then we're fooked, there is no plan B. There's little overlapping of the full backs and nobody to run the channels so the end result is a blunt attack.

You can't blame selling key players totally, look at Watford, Palace and Posh, they all sold off their best players but seem to work harder as a team. Buying isn't necessarily a solution either, just look at the money Leicester and Ipswich have spent. Brian needs to work on building the team spirit and then the confidence will come back.


I agree. I hate to say it but the more I look at our performances the more it reminds me of our last season in the prem and the latter of Coppell's last year with us. it's just hoof or get it to the wings as quick as possible. We spend over a million on the pitch every season and never use it effectively. I'm not saying we should become a short passing side looking for the perfect killer pass but surely a bit of variety in our play wouldn't go amiss. Take man utd for example. They can play direct, they can pass the ball about, they have overlapping full backs, creative DMs, creative midfielders, they have 2 fantastic wingers, they have a striker who can hold up the ball, a striker how is very creative, a goal poacher and they all work there socks off.
We have 2 fantastic wingers for our level, we work hard, we play direct, but we have no creative DMs, 1 creative midfielder who wants to leave, we cant pass the ball about without someone panicking and hoofing it, and our full backs are not overlapping. No wonder we're easy to predict.

BM. sort it out!

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Calm down, all will be fine. Brian will sort it.

by Millsy » 11 Sep 2011 13:48

Weird coming from me I know but seriously, calm down everyone.

I'd love to continue my gloat about Madejski ruining the club but it's just foolish to complain so early and it's old news anyway.

We've just lost our star striker and a rock solid defender. We could have spent 20 million replacements and still get the same result as losing key players disrupts the team and new players need to gel.

Brian has proven himself beyond doubt already and results will follow.

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Re: Brian - is he getting it wrong?

by handbags_harris » 11 Sep 2011 13:58

Plymouth_Royal I agree. I hate to say it but the more I look at our performances the more it reminds me of our last season in the prem and the latter of Coppell's last year with us. it's just hoof or get it to the wings as quick as possible. We spend over a million on the pitch every season and never use it effectively. I'm not saying we should become a short passing side looking for the perfect killer pass but surely a bit of variety in our play wouldn't go amiss. Take man utd for example. They can play direct, they can pass the ball about, they have overlapping full backs, creative DMs, creative midfielders, they have 2 fantastic wingers, they have a striker who can hold up the ball, a striker how is very creative, a goal poacher and they all work there socks off.

We have 2 fantastic wingers for our level, we work hard, we play direct, but we have no creative DMs, 1 creative midfielder who wants to leave, we cant pass the ball about without someone panicking and hoofing it, and our full backs are not overlapping. No wonder we're easy to predict.


That mirrors almost exactly what my thoughts are on all of this, particularly the highlighted bits. I have said it since we started playing this formation with the core personnel that have been deployed that, ultimately, it is limited and will only get you so far. It worked last season with the fairly solid base of a standard back four and two midfielders with better defensive attributes than attacking, but last season we had what turned out to be an exceptional talent at the top with Long. Under Coppell we had the likes of Kitson initially, then Doyle, under McDermott we had Long. Now we have no exceptional talent up front we suddenly look very, very ordinary because our only two attacking outlets - the flanks - are effectively and easily nullified. We are now in a situation where we have no creativity through the middle, our flanks are stifled, and therefore in order to at least abate the situation we absolutely have to play a ball-playing midfielder in the middle of the park, and we have a more than capable man who can do it at this level sitting twiddling his thumbs hoping for a loan move. He won't be a world beater, he'll make mistakes, he'll lose the ball trying to thread little balls into the channels but he rarely loses it in dangerous areas. Who do we drop though? We can only drop one of two - Karacan or Leigertwood - and up until yesterday's performance I would have said drop Karacan because he is the more limited of the two, but Leigertwood has just looked so full of lethargy that he is literally half the player we had last year.

What am I basically saying? We need another dimension to our attack, and that can only come from one area of the field in my mind - the middle of the park.

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Re: Brian - is he getting it wrong?

by MeMeMe » 11 Sep 2011 14:07

Friday's Legacy and what about our style of play? are they ignoring him and playing hoofball against his will? i doubt it. you have to ask questions about the managers style of play and tactics. he has to tell them what he expects and they have to abide by it. if they don't, he has to be strong enough to enforce his decisions.

what ever the system right now it needs to be changed.

even consider going three at the back???

----------------------- fed/mccarthy -----------------------

---------- bongani ------- pearce ------- gorkss ----------

----------------------------- tabb ----------------------------

-- mcanuff ---- karacan -------- leigertwood ---- kebe --

------------------- hunt -------- le fondre ------------------

:?:

/on the basis he doesn't seem to want to "keep making changes".


I like that formation, shame we wont see it in practice though :( another thought:

----------------------- fed/mccarthy -----------------------

---------- bongani ------- pearce ------- gorkss ----------

-----------------Karacan- ------leigertwood ---------------

-- mcanuff ................................---- kebe --

.....................Hal Robson Kanu..................

------------------- hunt -------- le fondre ------------------

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Re: Brian - is he getting it wrong?

by winchester_royal » 11 Sep 2011 14:15

handbags_harris
Plymouth_Royal I agree. I hate to say it but the more I look at our performances the more it reminds me of our last season in the prem and the latter of Coppell's last year with us. it's just hoof or get it to the wings as quick as possible. We spend over a million on the pitch every season and never use it effectively. I'm not saying we should become a short passing side looking for the perfect killer pass but surely a bit of variety in our play wouldn't go amiss. Take man utd for example. They can play direct, they can pass the ball about, they have overlapping full backs, creative DMs, creative midfielders, they have 2 fantastic wingers, they have a striker who can hold up the ball, a striker how is very creative, a goal poacher and they all work there socks off.

We have 2 fantastic wingers for our level, we work hard, we play direct, but we have no creative DMs, 1 creative midfielder who wants to leave, we cant pass the ball about without someone panicking and hoofing it, and our full backs are not overlapping. No wonder we're easy to predict.


That mirrors almost exactly what my thoughts are on all of this, particularly the highlighted bits. I have said it since we started playing this formation with the core personnel that have been deployed that, ultimately, it is limited and will only get you so far. It worked last season with the fairly solid base of a standard back four and two midfielders with better defensive attributes than attacking, but last season we had what turned out to be an exceptional talent at the top with Long. Under Coppell we had the likes of Kitson initially, then Doyle, under McDermott we had Long. Now we have no exceptional talent up front we suddenly look very, very ordinary because our only two attacking outlets - the flanks - are effectively and easily nullified. We are now in a situation where we have no creativity through the middle, our flanks are stifled, and therefore in order to at least abate the situation we absolutely have to play a ball-playing midfielder in the middle of the park, and we have a more than capable man who can do it at this level sitting twiddling his thumbs hoping for a loan move. He won't be a world beater, he'll make mistakes, he'll lose the ball trying to thread little balls into the channels but he rarely loses it in dangerous areas. Who do we drop though? We can only drop one of two - Karacan or Leigertwood - and up until yesterday's performance I would have said drop Karacan because he is the more limited of the two, but Leigertwood has just looked so full of lethargy that he is literally half the player we had last year.

What am I basically saying? We need another dimension to our attack, and that can only come from one area of the field in my mind - the middle of the park.


Spot on. We need to look for another option in the centre of the park, and if Brian simply doesn't think that Howard is up to it then he needs to look elsewhere. Maybe it's worth looking to one of the youngsters, seeing if d'Ath or Taylor can step up, or perhaps consider moving Jobi inside. If he doesn't want to do that, then he should look at bringing in someone on loan.

Either way, something's gotta give.

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Re: Calm down, all will be fine. Brian will sort it.

by RoyalJames101 » 11 Sep 2011 14:28

+1

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