duncanjwitham

It’s not so much about being representative of recent performances, but as the culmination of a downward trend.  I think we’ve been getting slowly worse, pretty much since the Cheltenham away game.  We’ve stopped keeping clean sheets and started conceding sloppy goals. We’ve stopped playing through midfield and started hitting aimless long balls all game. We’ve started giving the ball away cheaply.  We’ve stopped pressing as aggressively and so on and so on. That hasn’t always translated into poor results, in part because we have good players that can bail us out (Dobbin away at Port Vale, for example).  But we can’t keep playing below par and winning, and it’s starting to catch up to us IMO.

He genuinely seems to think individual players don't really matter, as long as they all work hard.  He'll quite happily play players out of position, have players trying to do jobs they can't do, swap players for radically different players and expect the same results and so on.  I know some of it is forced due to squad restrictions etc, but certainly not all of it is.

I'm not even sure we needed to do that.  The big problem was the gaping hole in front of our back 4 - every time they broke on us, they were running straight at our defence.  Warne seems to want all his midfielders to play like box-to-box midfielders, running forwards to press or support, then running back to defend.  That's just about okay when everyone's fit and understands their role, but when your team is tired or not used to it, it's a recipe for getting caught out when they all run forwards and nobody runs back.  White (or any of the midfielders really) just needed to go and stand in front of the back 4 and stay there.  Then he can spot attacks early and get in place to deal with it, and when we get the ball back, offer a simple pass so we're not hoofing it to nobody all the time.

I'm not even sure we needed to do that.  The big problem was the gaping hole in front of our back 4 - every time they broke on us, they were running straight at our defence.  Warne seems to want all his midfielders to play like box-to-box midfielders, running forwards to press or support, then running back to defend.  That's just about okay when everyone's fit and understands their role, but when your team is tired or not used to it, it's a recipe for getting caught out when they all run forwards and nobody runs back.  White (or any of the midfielders really) just needed to go and stand in front of the back 4 and stay there.  Then he can spot attacks early and get in place to deal with it, and when we get the ball back, offer a simple pass so we're not hoofing it to nobody all the time.

I'm not so much talking about altering things now, as saying we shouldn't have gone down this route in the first place.  Given we have a small squad of relatively unfit players, we were never going to be able to sustain this intensity all season.  So if anything, I'd say it's the management that are unable to recognise the squad limitations.
But even now, there's no point going all out for 45 minutes, getting knackered and then losing the game second half.  We should be paying much more attention to keeping the ball and making the other team run, less time pressing and more time getting set in defensive shape etc.  We can't sustain Warne's style for 90 minutes with the squad we have, and we can't change the squad, so we should be changing the style.  Keeping the same style, failing with it, then saying we don't have the players to play it, doesn't help anyone win football games.

But if you haven't got the squad depth to play a high intensity pressing game for 90 minutes every match, then maybe don't play that way? It's just setting us up to fail, and then shrugging like it's not our fault when we do fail.

He genuinely seems to think individual players don't really matter, as long as they all work hard.  He'll quite happily play players out of position, have players trying to do jobs they can't do, swap players for radically different players and expect the same results and so on.  I know some of it is forced due to squad restrictions etc, but certainly not all of it is.

I'm not so much talking about altering things now, as saying we shouldn't have gone down this route in the first place.  Given we have a small squad of relatively unfit players, we were never going to be able to sustain this intensity all season.  So if anything, I'd say it's the management that are unable to recognise the squad limitations.
But even now, there's no point going all out for 45 minutes, getting knackered and then losing the game second half.  We should be paying much more attention to keeping the ball and making the other team run, less time pressing and more time getting set in defensive shape etc.  We can't sustain Warne's style for 90 minutes with the squad we have, and we can't change the squad, so we should be changing the style.  Keeping the same style, failing with it, then saying we don't have the players to play it, doesn't help anyone win football games.

But if you haven't got the squad depth to play a high intensity pressing game for 90 minutes every match, then maybe don't play that way? It's just setting us up to fail, and then shrugging like it's not our fault when we do fail.

I'm not even sure we needed to do that.  The big problem was the gaping hole in front of our back 4 - every time they broke on us, they were running straight at our defence.  Warne seems to want all his midfielders to play like box-to-box midfielders, running forwards to press or support, then running back to defend.  That's just about okay when everyone's fit and understands their role, but when your team is tired or not used to it, it's a recipe for getting caught out when they all run forwards and nobody runs back.  White (or any of the midfielders really) just needed to go and stand in front of the back 4 and stay there.  Then he can spot attacks early and get in place to deal with it, and when we get the ball back, offer a simple pass so we're not hoofing it to nobody all the time.

I'm not even sure we needed to do that.  The big problem was the gaping hole in front of our back 4 - every time they broke on us, they were running straight at our defence.  Warne seems to want all his midfielders to play like box-to-box midfielders, running forwards to press or support, then running back to defend.  That's just about okay when everyone's fit and understands their role, but when your team is tired or not used to it, it's a recipe for getting caught out when they all run forwards and nobody runs back.  White (or any of the midfielders really) just needed to go and stand in front of the back 4 and stay there.  Then he can spot attacks early and get in place to deal with it, and when we get the ball back, offer a simple pass so we're not hoofing it to nobody all the time.

Those are the markets we're allowed to shop in though.  You don't get many players in their mid-20s on free transfers - clubs tend to either extend their contracts or sell them.  They only get released on frees when they have little-to-no resale value, which is older players.  Loans are the opposite end of the spectrum, they're mostly all going to be youngsters looking for first team experience.  Unless the restrictions are massively relaxed next season the squad will have a very similar make-up.

He genuinely seems to think individual players don't really matter, as long as they all work hard.  He'll quite happily play players out of position, have players trying to do jobs they can't do, swap players for radically different players and expect the same results and so on.  I know some of it is forced due to squad restrictions etc, but certainly not all of it is.

He genuinely seems to think individual players don't really matter, as long as they all work hard.  He'll quite happily play players out of position, have players trying to do jobs they can't do, swap players for radically different players and expect the same results and so on.  I know some of it is forced due to squad restrictions etc, but certainly not all of it is.

He genuinely seems to think individual players don't really matter, as long as they all work hard.  He'll quite happily play players out of position, have players trying to do jobs they can't do, swap players for radically different players and expect the same results and so on.  I know some of it is forced due to squad restrictions etc, but certainly not all of it is.

He genuinely seems to think individual players don't really matter, as long as they all work hard.  He'll quite happily play players out of position, have players trying to do jobs they can't do, swap players for radically different players and expect the same results and so on.  I know some of it is forced due to squad restrictions etc, but certainly not all of it is.

We were catastrophically awful when we played 3 at the back.  It doesn’t suit any of our players.  You can’t play Curtis on the right of a back 3, he’ll get destroyed whenever he has to come out and engage a quick winger or fullback.  If you start playing wingers at wingback, you’re restricting their ability to get forward and create. If you play the likes of Roberts there, he isn’t good enough going forwards to be a primary creative player in the team.  And anyway, none of that solves the problem that the players are basically dead on their feet after 45 minutes of hard running.

What was the actual game plan supposed to be? What were we actually trying to do to win that game? As far as I can see we had nothing at all, other run around a lot and lump it forward all the time.  It’s embarrassing to watch.  Managers can’t control refereeing errors or individual players mistakes, but they sure as hell should by trying to instil something in the team.

What was the actual game plan supposed to be? What were we actually trying to do to win that game? As far as I can see we had nothing at all, other run around a lot and lump it forward all the time.  It’s embarrassing to watch.  Managers can’t control refereeing errors or individual players mistakes, but they sure as hell should by trying to instil something in the team.

It's actually even worse than that - there are 2 versions that are currently used, one with 2 repetitions and one with 3, both of which are cut down and assembled from a much longer version (so both have jump-cuts in).  I think they pick one depending on how close to kick-off we are, so it will fit in before the whistle.  But because they want the big ending after the 3rd cycle, they skip the first cycle if they want a shorter version.  And because each repetition gets faster, you don't actually know what tempo it's going to change to when it does the horrible mis-timed jump-cut at the start.  So that's why it seems to be a different tempo each week.  
It also means that the majority of the crowd don't know whether the end of the 2nd cycle is the last one with the finale on, or they've got another go round before they do that.  So if they do the 3 version, you often get a half hearted finale after 2 as well.  The whole thing is just dreadfully done.  I certainly think the editing was done by someone that doesn't have a musical ear.

First half, they played a really narrow 352, and that left our fullbacks completely free to attack.  They were an easy out-ball for us when playing out from the back, and caused them all sorts of problems (the first goal being an obvious example, with major contributions from both of them).  As well as we played (and we did play very well), it was at least in part because they allowed us to.
Second half, they switched to a 343 and put their 2 wingers right on our fullbacks and completely stifled them.  At no stage did our bench react to that change and ultimately that’s what’s cost us today.  They pressed us into a mistake for the first goal, then our overall tiredness and fragile confidence started rearing it’s head.  We needed to change something very quickly in the second half, as it was obvious what was happening. It didn’t have to be a sub, it could have been a tweak to the team shape or style of play or something. But we did nothing until we made a couple of basically like-for-like subs after 70 odd minutes that didn’t really change anything anyway.  
I know some people don’t want to hear it, but to me that match epitomises Paul Warne’s management. He can get a group of players fit and working hard for each other, but sometimes that’s not enough on it’s own.  You can’t win every game just by running around more than the other team.  Sometimes you need to be smarter than they are.  And I worry that the higher you go up the leagues, the more of those games there are. 
 

First half, they played a really narrow 352, and that left our fullbacks completely free to attack.  They were an easy out-ball for us when playing out from the back, and caused them all sorts of problems (the first goal being an obvious example, with major contributions from both of them).  As well as we played (and we did play very well), it was at least in part because they allowed us to.
Second half, they switched to a 343 and put their 2 wingers right on our fullbacks and completely stifled them.  At no stage did our bench react to that change and ultimately that’s what’s cost us today.  They pressed us into a mistake for the first goal, then our overall tiredness and fragile confidence started rearing it’s head.  We needed to change something very quickly in the second half, as it was obvious what was happening. It didn’t have to be a sub, it could have been a tweak to the team shape or style of play or something. But we did nothing until we made a couple of basically like-for-like subs after 70 odd minutes that didn’t really change anything anyway.  
I know some people don’t want to hear it, but to me that match epitomises Paul Warne’s management. He can get a group of players fit and working hard for each other, but sometimes that’s not enough on it’s own.  You can’t win every game just by running around more than the other team.  Sometimes you need to be smarter than they are.  And I worry that the higher you go up the leagues, the more of those games there are. 
 

First half, they played a really narrow 352, and that left our fullbacks completely free to attack.  They were an easy out-ball for us when playing out from the back, and caused them all sorts of problems (the first goal being an obvious example, with major contributions from both of them).  As well as we played (and we did play very well), it was at least in part because they allowed us to.
Second half, they switched to a 343 and put their 2 wingers right on our fullbacks and completely stifled them.  At no stage did our bench react to that change and ultimately that’s what’s cost us today.  They pressed us into a mistake for the first goal, then our overall tiredness and fragile confidence started rearing it’s head.  We needed to change something very quickly in the second half, as it was obvious what was happening. It didn’t have to be a sub, it could have been a tweak to the team shape or style of play or something. But we did nothing until we made a couple of basically like-for-like subs after 70 odd minutes that didn’t really change anything anyway.  
I know some people don’t want to hear it, but to me that match epitomises Paul Warne’s management. He can get a group of players fit and working hard for each other, but sometimes that’s not enough on it’s own.  You can’t win every game just by running around more than the other team.  Sometimes you need to be smarter than they are.  And I worry that the higher you go up the leagues, the more of those games there are. 
 

First half, they played a really narrow 352, and that left our fullbacks completely free to attack.  They were an easy out-ball for us when playing out from the back, and caused them all sorts of problems (the first goal being an obvious example, with major contributions from both of them).  As well as we played (and we did play very well), it was at least in part because they allowed us to.
Second half, they switched to a 343 and put their 2 wingers right on our fullbacks and completely stifled them.  At no stage did our bench react to that change and ultimately that’s what’s cost us today.  They pressed us into a mistake for the first goal, then our overall tiredness and fragile confidence started rearing it’s head.  We needed to change something very quickly in the second half, as it was obvious what was happening. It didn’t have to be a sub, it could have been a tweak to the team shape or style of play or something. But we did nothing until we made a couple of basically like-for-like subs after 70 odd minutes that didn’t really change anything anyway.  
I know some people don’t want to hear it, but to me that match epitomises Paul Warne’s management. He can get a group of players fit and working hard for each other, but sometimes that’s not enough on it’s own.  You can’t win every game just by running around more than the other team.  Sometimes you need to be smarter than they are.  And I worry that the higher you go up the leagues, the more of those games there are. 
 

First half, they played a really narrow 352, and that left our fullbacks completely free to attack.  They were an easy out-ball for us when playing out from the back, and caused them all sorts of problems (the first goal being an obvious example, with major contributions from both of them).  As well as we played (and we did play very well), it was at least in part because they allowed us to.
Second half, they switched to a 343 and put their 2 wingers right on our fullbacks and completely stifled them.  At no stage did our bench react to that change and ultimately that’s what’s cost us today.  They pressed us into a mistake for the first goal, then our overall tiredness and fragile confidence started rearing it’s head.  We needed to change something very quickly in the second half, as it was obvious what was happening. It didn’t have to be a sub, it could have been a tweak to the team shape or style of play or something. But we did nothing until we made a couple of basically like-for-like subs after 70 odd minutes that didn’t really change anything anyway.  
I know some people don’t want to hear it, but to me that match epitomises Paul Warne’s management. He can get a group of players fit and working hard for each other, but sometimes that’s not enough on it’s own.  You can’t win every game just by running around more than the other team.  Sometimes you need to be smarter than they are.  And I worry that the higher you go up the leagues, the more of those games there are.