Post by andyl on May 21, 2017 9:50:14 GMT
It's quite difficult to get a sense of perspective at the season end and watching Millwall nick promotion yesterday it felt like an anti climax but one which scould so easily have involved us and one we were planning for in February/March? And we might have gone the way of Fleetwood and S****horpe?
Promotion within a transfer embargo must be one of the finest achievements BWFC have managed. We had injuries to Davies and Pratley for pretty much the whole season and Madine crawled bravely over the line and some others too. It would have to be said that we pulled some rabbits out of the hat in the transfer and loan market. Beevers this time last year was a real coup as was the resigning of the released Wheater. Promotion was surely won as much by these two as anyone. Our defence was miserly and that in front of goalkeepers who went in an out of form and injury and with no settled full backs.
The statistics of Madine's contribution are inarguable and there's no doubt that PPs tactics only really worked when he played whether he was playing well or not it seemed to me. Taylor proved adaptable and made us solider. Wilson had a good run and if error prone played his part.It was however the whole team that defended well. Clough and Ameobi learnt their defensive roles in early season and Vela and Spearing with a bit of support from Derik came to press the oppositions much more realistically and deeper. Pratley's energetic returnn was vital to our end of season form and we were far more physically imposing than our oppositions, something we haven't really been since the Allardyce era... and all this helped that excellent defence. No team dominated and threatened us other than in the early days of experimenting with three at the back with Derik at right back.
It was in midfield and attack that we were less impressive. Our passing was poor throughout and we were often outplayed in midfield- for example by Coventry twice, Southend at the Macron and even by Chesterfield. away at Walsall we just didn't get a look in . But we got away with it, thanks to some early season toughness by Madine and Proctor in harness at Wimbledon, flashes of inspiration from Clough and Vela, some exciting dribbling and shooting from Ameobi, our main early season ball carrier. If ameobi left we recruited Morais and his wing contribution compensated not just for Ameobi but the absence of a creative midifield. Alf came back and after a slow start he got himself to fitness and worked so hard that he made it possible to bring Madine back half fit and he got some goals. How silly have Cardiff and Wigan been not to be patient with him.
So, even if some games were dull and frustrating and even if we were transparently second best at Sheff Utd over the season KA and PP have surely juggled their resources quite magnificently.
it's a shame this hasn't been more vociferously recognised by the BN and the new Supporters Trust which promised much but in my opinion dispappointed. It's a shame to see the BN so detached from what's going on and so unable to catch up and get things right. Maybe they got too close to the ST's agenda? Of course the juggling act KA has been trying to manage not lest with saviour Deano has been difficult and managing the cashflow through to now was always going to require ingenuity. luck, player sales and a lot of negotiation. Can we get out of the woods now? Don't know but for now I think we have to back KA- he has served us very well so far- and if at some future point it goes pear shaped again well we can respond to that at the time. 2017 has worked out very well
So now we are in the season of transfer speculation. Moxey, Wilson, Trotter, Wilkinson ( probably), Davies have gone. Amos returns. Taylor, Henry and Le Fondre have left the dance floor and await suitors. We know that salaries will be pared back. There are no miracles especailly if recruitment is delayed by an ongoing embargo. Pre-season is everything in the championship. I just want to see us advance slowly. If we can keep the defensive structure and are more like say Preston have been and less like Wigan or MK Dons in our relegation year then the better our chances. It would be great if we could get some entertaining and exciting home victories but it will be tough. In Div 1 teams missed a lot of sitters against us- that will reduce.
I'm looking forward to next season. It seems to me that momentum is with us. It should be easier for us than say Millwall. But it's up to KA and PP behind the scene. Whatever else they did or did not do it seems to me that their wheeling and dealing in the transfer market wheethr he sales of Holding and Clough or the recruitment of Beevers Ameobi and Morais and later Le Fondre and Karacan were very astute and clever and if Long, Henry and Otabor only flickered all the lot boosted what otherwise would have been a most beleaguered and injury crippled campaign which in the end was something of a triumph against all odds.?
Promotion within a transfer embargo must be one of the finest achievements BWFC have managed. We had injuries to Davies and Pratley for pretty much the whole season and Madine crawled bravely over the line and some others too. It would have to be said that we pulled some rabbits out of the hat in the transfer and loan market. Beevers this time last year was a real coup as was the resigning of the released Wheater. Promotion was surely won as much by these two as anyone. Our defence was miserly and that in front of goalkeepers who went in an out of form and injury and with no settled full backs.
The statistics of Madine's contribution are inarguable and there's no doubt that PPs tactics only really worked when he played whether he was playing well or not it seemed to me. Taylor proved adaptable and made us solider. Wilson had a good run and if error prone played his part.It was however the whole team that defended well. Clough and Ameobi learnt their defensive roles in early season and Vela and Spearing with a bit of support from Derik came to press the oppositions much more realistically and deeper. Pratley's energetic returnn was vital to our end of season form and we were far more physically imposing than our oppositions, something we haven't really been since the Allardyce era... and all this helped that excellent defence. No team dominated and threatened us other than in the early days of experimenting with three at the back with Derik at right back.
It was in midfield and attack that we were less impressive. Our passing was poor throughout and we were often outplayed in midfield- for example by Coventry twice, Southend at the Macron and even by Chesterfield. away at Walsall we just didn't get a look in . But we got away with it, thanks to some early season toughness by Madine and Proctor in harness at Wimbledon, flashes of inspiration from Clough and Vela, some exciting dribbling and shooting from Ameobi, our main early season ball carrier. If ameobi left we recruited Morais and his wing contribution compensated not just for Ameobi but the absence of a creative midifield. Alf came back and after a slow start he got himself to fitness and worked so hard that he made it possible to bring Madine back half fit and he got some goals. How silly have Cardiff and Wigan been not to be patient with him.
So, even if some games were dull and frustrating and even if we were transparently second best at Sheff Utd over the season KA and PP have surely juggled their resources quite magnificently.
it's a shame this hasn't been more vociferously recognised by the BN and the new Supporters Trust which promised much but in my opinion dispappointed. It's a shame to see the BN so detached from what's going on and so unable to catch up and get things right. Maybe they got too close to the ST's agenda? Of course the juggling act KA has been trying to manage not lest with saviour Deano has been difficult and managing the cashflow through to now was always going to require ingenuity. luck, player sales and a lot of negotiation. Can we get out of the woods now? Don't know but for now I think we have to back KA- he has served us very well so far- and if at some future point it goes pear shaped again well we can respond to that at the time. 2017 has worked out very well
So now we are in the season of transfer speculation. Moxey, Wilson, Trotter, Wilkinson ( probably), Davies have gone. Amos returns. Taylor, Henry and Le Fondre have left the dance floor and await suitors. We know that salaries will be pared back. There are no miracles especailly if recruitment is delayed by an ongoing embargo. Pre-season is everything in the championship. I just want to see us advance slowly. If we can keep the defensive structure and are more like say Preston have been and less like Wigan or MK Dons in our relegation year then the better our chances. It would be great if we could get some entertaining and exciting home victories but it will be tough. In Div 1 teams missed a lot of sitters against us- that will reduce.
I'm looking forward to next season. It seems to me that momentum is with us. It should be easier for us than say Millwall. But it's up to KA and PP behind the scene. Whatever else they did or did not do it seems to me that their wheeling and dealing in the transfer market wheethr he sales of Holding and Clough or the recruitment of Beevers Ameobi and Morais and later Le Fondre and Karacan were very astute and clever and if Long, Henry and Otabor only flickered all the lot boosted what otherwise would have been a most beleaguered and injury crippled campaign which in the end was something of a triumph against all odds.?
