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Post by westandlower on Dec 26, 2014 21:38:36 GMT
Surely the first time in several years when with a local derby and big crowd, the players turned up. From a marketing point of view: about time too. Hopefully some of those attending for the first time in a while will be buying tickets for the next home game and the one after that and ...
Better support can only help the team and the extra income help the club.
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Post by riochforthereebok on Dec 26, 2014 23:49:44 GMT
Is this Sam Allardyce type stuff or is that the wrong type of back handed compliment for Neil Lennon??? I mean, is he gonna be better than BSA?? Well my take is, if we can keep the grubby hands of the lower half Premier League chairmen away from the ReeMac Stad, especially Leicester, as I'm sure Pearson will be the next head chopped, Bolton then, could be in tremendous hands I think... I still want to be the first for 2015 to say Gartside out though
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Post by whitesince63 on Dec 27, 2014 9:12:10 GMT
What will be will be RFTR and we all know NL's ambition is to manage in the PL, after all that's why he left Celtic. Clearly all those who may have doubted him are wishing they hadn't but with the amazing turn round he's created here he must be a favourite for any positions that come up for him. Despite the recent run it's still unlikely we'll make the top six so who could blame him for wanting to leave if the right offer came up. I for one wouldn't begrudge him that though I'd very much prefer to keep him so we could both get into the PL together.
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Post by joanna on Dec 27, 2014 11:00:08 GMT
Apart from the obvious inspired form of CYL and Lonergan, it's also great to see confidence and joy throughout the team, resulting in massive improvements in the performances of most of those we had once dismissed as rubbish under previous managers, improvements mainly due to the new roles they have been given.
For example, it's become really noticeable how often Pratley has got himself into the opponents' penalty box recently.....and he will tuck away a decent proportion of chances. Feeney and Danns are improving both defensively and offensively, as is Ream. It's really uplifting and yesterday's comeback was an exhilarating spectacle, even if we had to ride our luck a little at times.
What's more, the purchase of two classy veterans may well strike fear in opposition defences, and, combined with NL's excellent tv appearances, has also put us back on the map, so that there is nationwide interest in our "little" club. Attendances must surely increase, especially if Heskey and Eidur's combination-play continue to keep us in the spotlight.
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Post by andyl on Dec 27, 2014 11:46:55 GMT
A day later and I feel I've just floated down the M6 borne on wave of exhilaration after that most splendid derby game and result. I really feel that we saw the most entertaining game since the Arsenal thrillers of our Premier League days. A full crowd lent atmosphere to the spectacle and the first half near misses built drama.
In hindsight the game revolved around a sublime moment when Eidur threaded his pass to Heskey. We have become so used to players neither able to see still less craft such a pass and on Heskey's part to run forward into the correct position. He got one against us like that for Liverpool once and it was no fluke. The art concealed the artistry.
In that midfield we have progressed from Spearing's very average yet spirited endeavours and leadership to an altogether different set up. Some weeks ago in the DF era I suggested that Chungy be made captain. At the moment for me he is our inspirational leader in everything but the armband. His movement and ball retention was always good but moved to a central yet free role in from the peripheral speed reliant wrong shaped holes he was plonked in by our last two managers he has been a revelation. And now with Eidur and Heskey he has alongside a couple of teammates on his wavelength. At times yesterday not least in the first half when allegedly Blackburn were on top he nevertheless reigned supreme in possession.
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Post by OohMac on Dec 27, 2014 17:06:17 GMT
Good atmosphere. 23,000 making it a much better atmosphere than what we've had previously. We had luck on our side, not sure how we kept the ball out of the net in that scramble and Rhodes disallowed goal was very harsh. His finishing was off today. But that 2nd half spell we created afew chances we could have done better with too Lee off the line and Heskeys header could have been better. They then went route one which caused a few of those panicky moments but think we were good value for the win in the second half. (Couldn't see if King was offside for the goal, highlights on website didn't clear it up either.)
Lonergan did well again but his distribution was awful. He either sliced it wide or pinged it to their midfielders. Mills seems to have cut that from his game thankfully, which i'm sure Lennon told him and that shows he's got more confidence in himself and the people around him.
Lonergan 7 Vela 7 Mills 7 Dervite 6 Ream 7 Danns 6 (5 first half, 7 second) Pratley 7 Lee 7 Eidur 8 Hall 5 Feeney 6, Heskey 7. Trotter and Wheater brought on for height and didn't have much to do.
Hall doesn't seem to be able to cut it, the games i've seen him start usually ends with him being subbed off but he's young and maybe a run of games will see him improve but January market we should be looking for cover for both wings and a striker.
And Spearing and Medo looks like the end for them.
Plus talk of Baptiste coming back. Not sure but could mean Vela playing more advanced and he can put good crosses in.
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Post by whitesince63 on Dec 27, 2014 17:17:09 GMT
I think yesterday just proves the old saying that "Class is Permanent".
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Post by joanna on Dec 27, 2014 20:19:28 GMT
The ability of Lennon and his henchmen to improve our players, no matter of what vintage, has got me wondering what they would have been able to do with some of the members of our squad who, in hindsight, may have been released too easily by the hapless Dougie: could they have prolonged SKD's career, using him wisely? what might they have got out of Eagles or Ngog, players who clearly had something to give but which never really materialised consistently in their time here? I'd like to see what he could do with Benik Afobe who clearly has lots to offer at this level.
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Post by Pedro on Dec 28, 2014 2:21:05 GMT
Agree with Andy and David's comments. What an absolutely great game - I am still buzzing and just watched the extended highlights yet again on the BWFC YouTube site. www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUyhPgbzK6c. I cannot get over the absolute fact now that one man and his two henchmen can change a group of players so quickly. Freedman, I hope you are squirming in shame at your incompetence and delusion. He should be sued by the club for millions, as should Coyle, for fraud and negligence. Neither of them were "fit for purpose"
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Post by joanna on Dec 28, 2014 10:22:45 GMT
Yes, Pedro, in our euphoria over Lennon, we've not really paid enough attention or lavished enough praise on Garry Parker and Johan Mjallby, who would seem to have worked miracles in every position throughout the squad. We are very lucky to have been able to appoint these three because otherwise relegation would have been staring us in the face and we'd have been forced to continue to watch the most abysmal football imaginable. You get the sense that the players are now a million times happier. The training ground is presumably a fun but professional place now.
I'm intrigued to imagine which players NL will try to recruit in a few days' time, but suspect they will fit right in. Commons? Personally, I have a hunch that Afobe would do well; he showed some skill when with us previously and he has the one thing we need most:-speed! He is ripping defences apart at MK Dons. I wonder if Spearing and Medo feel cold-shouldered or if NL has managed to keep them committed too......
As for today, I never make predictions that are so subject to refereeing decisions, injuries, luck, individual errors, but let's just say I'm far more optimistic right now!
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Post by thekraken on Dec 28, 2014 10:29:42 GMT
Just watched the highlights on BWFC player. Very exciting. Whilst we rode our luck at time I thought that the passing and running off the ball in these brief highlights was really good.
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Post by andyl on Dec 28, 2014 10:51:11 GMT
Yes there is progress in most aspects of our all round play. We are running well off the ball in possession . Pratley is holding the ball well too and buying time for these runs. Only once on Friday did he do the 360 degree turn and back pass to Mills that so often characterised the later Freedman era. It's Chungy who is the driving force but the others are working for him.
You can see also that Lonergan looks straightaway for a thrown release to advancing full backs. We waited years through three managers for that to be the norm. And I mentioned Mills above. He has clearly been told not to punt.
We still struggle with throw ins and having two veterans won't help that. BSA made sure he had a long thro variation- Okocha, Nolan and Campo all had a go and Ricketts persevered during the late SKD era. I wonder if with Heskey we might see it return. Whether or not we do there were safer throws on Friday and one or examples of unwanted hiatus as a thrower was confronted by a still life tableau rather than a dynamic hive of movement. Maybe Mjallby and Parker will sort this as well as they have the ambition of midfield.
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Post by natfan on Dec 28, 2014 11:42:02 GMT
Can't understand the complaints about the throw ins. Every time Ream is taking a throw there is always time to nip out, buy a pint, drink it and pop to the loo without missing any of the play.
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