Post by andyl on Oct 5, 2015 21:19:48 GMT
I found myself in conversation today about essential managerial qualities. It was a conversation prompted by the English and Welsh Rugby experience, Brendan Rogers'dismissal and an article in the paper about the lost arts of building teams over time sacrificed to quick fix responses. Newcastle Utd was a subject of debate. I of course was obsessed with BWFC
Motivation, recruitment, dealing with press and public and being knowledgeable about the game featured prominently. This last included history, previous games, players in World and national football at all levels. An ability to strategise and respond to situations also came up.
One aspect which got consensus was the paramount importance of selection. This unified those who thought defeats could be laid at the manager's door and those thinking that ultimate responsibility lay with players. Both camps were dependent on selection
And at this point it occurred to me that Neil makes a good study. Initially he built around Chungy. He pushed Pratley wide left, used Danns to get the ball back in midfield and backed up Feeney with a gamble, Vela, at right back. And he stuck to this for as long as he could and we did well. He didn't as Dougie did commit to looking at everyone. He backed players of his choosing. We armchair commentators were impressed
But as time has gone on games have got away and Neil's selections have surprised and in my opinion he has gone away from backing players to sidelining players. And critically results would suggest that especially away from home his selections are impulsive. The use of Kellett at left back at Rotherham came from left field. The three man defence successful at Sheffield Wed
was embarrassed this year at Middlesbrough. Most recently the reintroduction of Dervite cost us a win at QPR, that and the premature return of Pratley who as with Clayton was clearly not match fit. It had to be correct to depart from two flankers and two in midfield. But was it correct to manoeuvre the position of Davies at the same time?
Meanwhile Spearing,Trotter Medo and Vela are out of favour. Wilson who made a couple of high profile errors but also played very well at home has vanished behind Pisano who again if promising lacks readiness. Twardzik has disappeared and the arrival of the mercurial Silva has relegated Walker who hitherto had been included however he played. Holding was tried. Now Finney is back up
it's all a bit ad hoc and if we allow that Neil has good PR seems to have generated good spirit seen at home with late equalisers and in a good fightback on Sat and that we all want him to do well it's neverthelessi hard to see the consistency of team selection and we have to wonder if within the squad he's backing the right players for the right scientific reasons?
Of course we are armchair critics. He is to be respected ( as are all managers!) and if he gets the selections right then he can reasonably blame player error as he has started to do.... And it's hellish stressful . But in and amongst the non shooting issue or the spectacle on Sat of the back four warming up as if they had never met being coached on stepping out together Well I'm persuaded that selection policy is very very important. If Neil doesn't get it right soon we will be going down. And it can only be a matter of time before questions are asked more forcefully?
Motivation, recruitment, dealing with press and public and being knowledgeable about the game featured prominently. This last included history, previous games, players in World and national football at all levels. An ability to strategise and respond to situations also came up.
One aspect which got consensus was the paramount importance of selection. This unified those who thought defeats could be laid at the manager's door and those thinking that ultimate responsibility lay with players. Both camps were dependent on selection
And at this point it occurred to me that Neil makes a good study. Initially he built around Chungy. He pushed Pratley wide left, used Danns to get the ball back in midfield and backed up Feeney with a gamble, Vela, at right back. And he stuck to this for as long as he could and we did well. He didn't as Dougie did commit to looking at everyone. He backed players of his choosing. We armchair commentators were impressed
But as time has gone on games have got away and Neil's selections have surprised and in my opinion he has gone away from backing players to sidelining players. And critically results would suggest that especially away from home his selections are impulsive. The use of Kellett at left back at Rotherham came from left field. The three man defence successful at Sheffield Wed
was embarrassed this year at Middlesbrough. Most recently the reintroduction of Dervite cost us a win at QPR, that and the premature return of Pratley who as with Clayton was clearly not match fit. It had to be correct to depart from two flankers and two in midfield. But was it correct to manoeuvre the position of Davies at the same time?
Meanwhile Spearing,Trotter Medo and Vela are out of favour. Wilson who made a couple of high profile errors but also played very well at home has vanished behind Pisano who again if promising lacks readiness. Twardzik has disappeared and the arrival of the mercurial Silva has relegated Walker who hitherto had been included however he played. Holding was tried. Now Finney is back up
it's all a bit ad hoc and if we allow that Neil has good PR seems to have generated good spirit seen at home with late equalisers and in a good fightback on Sat and that we all want him to do well it's neverthelessi hard to see the consistency of team selection and we have to wonder if within the squad he's backing the right players for the right scientific reasons?
Of course we are armchair critics. He is to be respected ( as are all managers!) and if he gets the selections right then he can reasonably blame player error as he has started to do.... And it's hellish stressful . But in and amongst the non shooting issue or the spectacle on Sat of the back four warming up as if they had never met being coached on stepping out together Well I'm persuaded that selection policy is very very important. If Neil doesn't get it right soon we will be going down. And it can only be a matter of time before questions are asked more forcefully?
. Holding has slipped down the order behind Finney who wasn't deemed good enough to replace a vomiting Prince at Huddersfield and of course behind the scenes the young players are reportedly separate once more?