Eight points ahead of third place, seven games to go. Would you send them out to press for a win ? Would you tell them just don't give away goals ? Would you try to go back to the team that started the season ? Would you play the same tactics home and away ? We all think that we know what's needed, but could never agree amongst ourselves what it was. I find myself amazingly astute, but not until AFTER the game. My only thought ? Take them away somewhere quiet, and launch a new league competition over six games. Get contributions from the players with no holds barred, and no offence taken. Freshen it up. What do others think.
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Show them videos, dvds or whatever the modern word is, to demonstrate that when we lump it in the air our tiny little players come off second best against other teams whom are normally far more imposing physically. Tell them that getting suckered into head tennis is a large part of why things have deteriorated of late.
Remind certain players that a match lasts 90 minutes.
last 5 mins of the 1st half of the Yeovil game, we stopped bombing balls down the channels and took an extra second to hold onto the ball & pick a pass. have confidence in their own ability to do that. they will make mistakes but as long as someone else is around to pick up the pieces, we'll be alright. tell them that if they THINK they are better than any team in this division they are wrong, they have to go out and prove it. and tell them for this Saturday, we owe Orient one.
Tell all the players if the League One trophy is not sitting in the board room at the end of the season those contracts will be in the bin due to a major clear out.
It was done last year and can be done again in this tin pot division.
All joking aside though I would say press for the win because we are not good when we invite teams on to us. The opposition cannot score if we have the ball in their half so.................attack, attack, attack.
Alex Dyer would then say, "No boss we are only 6 points ahead of the Blades."
"Well we are 15 points ahead of third though"
"No boss we are only 8 points ahead of third now" He would reply, setting me straight once more.
"Then there is only one thing left for us to do." I would say sagely, "PANIC!!!!" I would then start crying and curl up in a ball, shivering in a dark corner and hibernate through to May 5th
If the opposing team scores first....we then resort to lumping it up field......this only works occasionally
When the ball is at their feet I would put our Boys against anyone in this division to beat them.
It wasn't that far back that we adopted the Long Ball with a certain Mr Uwelumo....that didn't work either......(well only until he went off to Wolves to score for fun that is!!)
I believe that there is a lack of confidence with most of our players in retaining the ball, which could possibly be the reason why they are normally so keen to get rid of it. That alongside the booing and jeering minority who look at any opportunity to give their 'managerial' opinion when a ball is given away may or may not be the reason.
In any case, I would take a balanced approach to the last few games by which I mean this:
Get Hughes back into midfield to enhance Hollands playing skill and ability and to provide an experienced head in the engine room. I have yet to see DH partner up with anyone else this season and look fluid. Stephens is a talented player but a bit too Lone Ranger for my liking
Get BWP and Kermy to sort out their tactics up front. If Kermy's gonna flick it on...he needs BWP at the end of it!! They need to be more fluid up front as was the start of the season. (4-3-3 could be an option with BWP, Kermy and Waggy)
Forget impact substitutions.......get Waggy and Green on the starting X1 out wide as their youth and pace in itself will create problems for any team in this League. For all the critisisms I've heard of Green, he had a fantastic start for us and I certainly believe he has it in him. Feeds the ball in early which is what we have been lacking for a while now and as we know.......delivery into the box creates chances, creates goals.
Most importantly.........don't panic
We have come this far........... and will reach the summit soon. Trust in the Boys and in SCP.
I'm off to play Manager Mode on Fifa now :-)
- We are 6 points clear at the top of table with 7 games to go.
- We have an average of 2.1 points per game.
- We have won more games than anyone else in League 1.
- We have the best goal difference of all 72 clubs in the Football League.
Now, I understand that some are concerned about a 'loss of form'. But, if us, Wednesday and United all score the same number of points from the next 7 games that we scored from the last 7, we will still win the league. Even with 10 points from a possible 21.
So in summary, I think I would carry on doing things the way we've done them all season, which has got us into this amazing position to start with.
Anyone who seriously expected us to walk the league winning every game obviously doesn't understand football. And I can't say how ashamed I am of that attitude amongst some fans, i.e. 'tinpot league', etc. We are here for a reason, and I think that lack of respect for our opposition is one of the key reasons that we are still here 3 years after relegation. What would your reaction be if a Wednesday fan said something like that?
Great post and I agree with your reckoning so I hope you are correct.
However I reffered to League One as a "Tin Pot" league, and I stand by it. I was not intending to show a lack of respect to the other league one clubs because we are in this league as well.
However the sooner we are out of it the better because I feel the quality of football (including some of ours), the standard of Ref's and some of the crowds both home and away are "Tin Pot"
As for my reaction if a Wednesday fan said the same, I suggest you take a look at the other clubs forums in this league who are near the top i.e. both the Sheffield clubs and Huddersfield because "Tin Pot" is amoungst a lot of other things being said about this league.
We will win the league --when we beat Orient this week and Take 7 points pout of 9 over easter we will be up
I am so confident - we have been a cut above any team in the league......
Knock up a fake Championship League Table for the start of next season which (assuming one of Bolton or Blackburn go down) would put us in about 8th position and tell the boys that's what they are playing for. No more incentive needed, it's what they want. I'd also add Sheff Utd & Sheff Weds to that, they'll be toward the bottom alphabetically, further telling the boys they are better.
The issue is confidence. They have been the best so far so tell them that but tell them they need to prove it 7 more times to pick up that Championship medal. Break that down for them too, 7 games will seem long at this stage of the season.
Tomorrow is only 90 minutes, 45 minutes per half...we need 2 x 45 minutes of 110% from them. Can they do that? They know they can and therefore they'll run out confident.
Apart from the other issues of injury and, dare I say it, tiredness after a long season, there must be some nerves creeping into the minds of the players. Winning a league title, even League 1, is a big deal and something that will be on their CVs forever should they achieve it.
Our team plays for 90+ mins and we've have had a fair number of late goals this season.
Let the other team get frustrated, chase loose balls and lost causes.