Adventurous or Conservative

MuttleyCAFC

I think it is important to preceed this post by saying that I absolutely support Chrissy Powell and acknowledge he is the best person to take us forwards. But one thing that does frustrate me is his apparent onservatism in his approach to games. This i think was clearly demonstrated in his post Boro match comments. He indicated the importance of a point when you are not playing well and the need to not make silly errors. I think this is quite telling and explains why this aspect does frustrate me as I think a point is no big deal in terms of you can make it up by winning your next game! I'm probably more a Kevin Keegan than a George Graham! I’d rather we took a few risks tro try and change the pattern of the game – which may or may not of course pay off. I think Chrissy was happy for the game to continue in the way it did on Saturday as Boro didn't really look like they would score - like we didn't and changing that could have had a negative impact!

You get conservative managers and adventurous managers in the game and both have been successful. The team often reflects the manager and some teams after equalising against Bournemouth for instance, may have seen an opportunity to put them on the back foot. I think we think – a point away from home is good, let’s be tight and be ready if an opportunity comes our way. Of course you need a crystal ball to know what would have happened had we really tried to push on – maybe we would have let in more goals – but I do feel we lost more points than we gained last season through this approach.

I’d love to see Chrissy be a bit more adventurous – for instance – taking off a defender for an extra striker against Boro to try and change things. It is clear that is not Chrissy’s way though and I’ll just have to put up with it. Does it frustrate others – it would be interesting to see what the consensus is on this matter!

thenewbie

There are times when either option is equally valid, or equally risky, but CP will 99% of the time play it safe. Saturday was a good example, Boro were coming forwards but not particularly looking dangerous in the main. We could feasibly have bought on the likes of Pigott, Wilson and Church much earlier and tried catching them on the break. CP seemed instead to try and ride it out - and when they did score, we never looked like coming back.

LenGlover

Chrissy is Son of Curbs in many ways and that caution is part of the package.

It can be frustrating at times but, just as with Curbs, overall our results to standard of personnel are reasonable to good so I'll live with it.

On Saturday we lost Jackson, a vital player, at half time and, although Stephens flattered to deceive for 10 minutes, the midfield was poor and largely overun throughout.

I can therefore understand Chrissy's reluctance to expose us any more by bringing on a third striker for a defender.

Viewfinder

I too fully understand the logic of a relatively cautious approach, especially with the players at our disposal. But instinctively I favour a more adventurous strategy, bearing in mind the old cliché about attack being the best form of defence. I disagreed with Powell's formation that included just one striker for many home games last season, and I think he's learned from that.

MuttleyCAFC

I think in the Premiership I would be finding it easier to come to terms with, but at Championship level there can be more in it to give it a go in certain situations!

Off_it

Maybe we could get Ossie Ardilles in as a coach. biddy biddy.

Granpa

Sorry Muttley, but how on earth could you say ' it didn't look as if Boro were going to score ' ? If you watched the way the second half evolved, you could have put your house on them scoring. We were only saved from further embarassment by some very dogged defending.

MuttleyCAFC

Bcause their final ball was terrible throughout the game. They had one run and a cross/shot that went wide just eluding a touch. At no other time did they really look like they could string what was required together in the final third. We had Green's chance from Harriots cross - so both teams were similar in that respect! I was thinking we would have to make a mistake for them to score! Well that is how I was reading it and their goal was as I had feared more our doing than incisive play on their part!

Viewfinder

Granpa said:

Sorry Muttley, but how on earth could you say ' it didn't look as if Boro were going to score ' ? If you watched the way the second half evolved, you could have put your house on them scoring. We were only saved from further embarassment by some very dogged defending.

Yes. Boro were swarming all over us in the second half, putting together pass after pass that culminated in balls flashing across the box: very dangerous. We were nowhere.

Garrymanilow

With our finances a conservative style is a good way to go. See Peterborough for what happens when a limited team tries to play all-attacking football all the time.

stilladdicted

I'm adventurous until I have to put my own reputation on the line and then I tend to become conservative. At other times, I'm indecisive. Unfortunately given the players at his disposal, I can't see how CP can be anything other than conservative.

MuttleyCAFC

Viewfinder said:

Granpa said:

Sorry Muttley, but how on earth could you say ' it didn't look as if Boro were going to score ' ? If you watched the way the second half evolved, you could have put your house on them scoring. We were only saved from further embarassment by some very dogged defending.

Yes. Boro were swarming all over us in the second half, putting together pass after pass that culminated in balls flashing across the box: very dangerous. We were nowhere.

You ought to write film trailers - makes it sound much more threatening than it actually felt like to me! I saw overhit and hopeful crosses that were easy to defend I'm afraid!

Still - our next couple of games are crunch relegation matches and if we win them we will have a couple of promotion games to follow!

Off_it

Viewfinder said:

Granpa said:

Sorry Muttley, but how on earth could you say ' it didn't look as if Boro were going to score ' ? If you watched the way the second half evolved, you could have put your house on them scoring. We were only saved from further embarassment by some very dogged defending.

Yes. Boro were swarming all over us in the second half, putting together pass after pass that culminated in balls flashing across the box: very dangerous. We were nowhere.

One ball flashed across the box, as far as I could remember.

Equally you could say that Harriott skinned Richardson and whipped over crosses time after time.

He did it once by my reckoning.

MuttleyCAFC

Green's chance was probably the best of the game too - he decided to hit it low and hard and keeper did well, but I think had it fallen to Kermogant he would have put it away. It was a chance that required a bit of quality to put away with the best chance of success -reading what the keeper was doing.

Off_it

MuttleyCAFC said:

Green's chance was probably the best of the game too - he decided to hit it low and hard and keeper did well, but I think had it fallen to Kermogant he would have put it away. It was a chance that required a bit of quality to put away with the best chance of success -reading what the keeper was doing.

and he took far too long to try and get it under control (from memory). Was probably the chance of the match in terms of the ball being worked through to someone in space and with a genuine shooting opportunity.

Their goal was a soft header that would've been fielded by any keeper, assuming he hadn't already rushed out and missed the thing!

MuttleyCAFC

Apart from a shot that went straight at him akin to a back pass - did HAmer actually have a save to make! Their keeper had to make 2 from Green!

Bedsaddick

I thought Boro looked like scoring at any time as we layed off them. Sorry Muttley i can't agree.

Lincsaddick

I wonder if Powell is naturally a rather shy, retiring rather anxious and nervous type and his doubts, fears and (yes) his conservatism is transmitted to the players when things are not going too well.
Just a thought as I have never met him and am going purely on observation and guesswork.

Off_it

MuttleyCAFC said:

Apart from a shot that went straight at him akin to a back pass - did HAmer actually have a save to make! Their keeper had to make 2 from Green!

Fair point.

It was a pretty dull game, which although Boro definieltely looked the better and more coherent team, kind of had 0-0 written all over it, until we contrived to throw one in.

MuttleyCAFC

He doesn't come over like that though. He has played under a number of different managers and in many games and has formulated his views on what is the best approach. I am not saying it is wrong - just that it feels wrong to me. Not saying I would do a better job than him, that would be ridiculous, but I'd feel better if he became a little more adventurous over time.