Tactics and Attitude.

Woolwich_Blade

Hi there.

I'm a Blade living in Woolwich, and wanted to start off by passing on my praise to your fans yesterday - commiserations on the result - but congratulations to everyone I spoke to afterwards, who were the eptiomy of being a good sport.

I registered on your site, not to come on here on the wind up, but more to voice a bit of surprise about how you seem to have changed since I saw you last. When the Blades played at Charlton under Danny Wilson (January 2012) you were great to watch. You played open, attacking football with pace and verve. You won the game 1-nil (a freekick from Jackson if I recall) although I came away thinking both clubs looked strong contenders for promotion. You made it, we fell short.

Obviously 2 years can be a long time in football - but I was surprised how much things were different yesterday. I thought you'd really come and have a go, but you seemed quite passive and static. If anything, it seemed like you'd taken steps backwards rather than forwards since promotion. As I say, this isn't a dig - but I wondered if it was just a bad day at the office or if you've had to adopt a more defensive style of play to survive in the Championship? I ask this because it seems that teams who have done well from League 1 have tended to perservere with open and expansive football. With the position you now find yourselves in, if you have had to become more defensive, is there an argument it's not working?

I sincerely hope the league games in hand coming up go well for you. A lot of my friends in Woolwich are season ticket holders at the Valley and you have some crucial games on the horizon. It would be a genuine shame to see you relegated, as the team that I watched at the start of 2012 had a hell of a lot of potential.

Cheers again for yesterday - Blades I know were well impressed with your fans. Good luck for the rest of the season - hope you guys can turn it around.


Woolwich Blade.

shine166

we are worse now than 2 years ago thats for sure, cant imagine anyone will dissagree with that

Woolwich_Blade

What do you think the main reason is Shine? Should have a bit more money, a bit more experience at a higher-level. I know United have been guilty of 1 step forward, 2 steps back throughout recent years so I sympathise!

smiffyboy

We now have no decent strikers, no decent wingers that can run with the ball or even cross, and a midfield that couldn't create a chance to save there lives.

floydroadfaithfull

Unfortunately we've played like all season
Enough posession but absolutely no end product
We was getting a few goals via hoofball and kermorgant and a few great free kicks from Stevens now both gone and we now offer nothing?

Kap10

@woolwich_Blade The regime that invested in us to take us up, then withdrew funds and once we were in the Championship failed to invest in the squad, as a result we have been unable to bring in players who could have helped develop the expansive game. At best out squad is slightly better than tier 3, although with the departure of Kermogant and the new owners so far failing to replace adequately, i fear we are merely tier 3. CP has had a rough time with a low quality squad for the level we are in and little depth, this has affected his decision making and he tends to err on the defensive .. second nature to a defender? .... So its not really a sunny valley at the moment.

Woolwich_Blade

I was reading in the local press about the new ownership. Whilst there would obviously be concerns about your better players being sent abroad and you being used as a feeder club, there perhaps exists the possibility that players may come the other way.

Squad investemnet is obviously going to be key. United have shown what a difference one or two astute signings can make. I also think our neighbours across the city have shown that a well-timed loan (Wickham in their case) has managed to lift them freefrom trouble.

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. Hope you turn it around.

StigThundercock

The tactics and selections have been baffling for large chunks of the season and maybe that's got through to the players and delivers the attitude you saw yesterday. The few in the team with any nouse know that most of their teammates aren't much cop or are given jobs they're ill-suited to so the chances of a positive outcome are remote at best, eventually that must sap the enthusiasm of the staunchest pro. Either that or the majority of the team really couldn't be arsed yesterday, it's hard to tell from the terraces.