Holmes_and_Watson

Hospital

Well, that's spoiled any number of my future moans. 🙂 I'll need to start them all off with "It's not as bad as the club going bust, and I hesitate to even mention such a relatively trivial thing, but..." Still being in with a chance of promotion is not massively disappointing. 4th and going out with a whimper might well be. It's partly just where we could have finished, with our resources. Finishing lower than Leeds won't matter if we go up. If we don't, we've once again managed to finish below them both. So no change. So, the manager's philosophy and SR's supposed abilities made no difference (unless people felt that it could have been a lot worse without them). Recruitment and game management follow on from that. The stat Alex put up about losing points from winning positions. The uniped striker purchase. Disappointment considering the opportunity.

Bedders and KWP (possibly some McCarthy) would have been part of RalphBall when it was working. Also when it went pear shaped. But they can be good in the right system. And that applied to Martin's at times this season. THB and Bedders have looked solid a fair bit. With full backs pushing up, and deliberate flaws when it comes to dealing with counters, and on the flanks that's not been the easiest of asks. The whole defence is left exposed when our midfield can't disrupt, control or transition the ball. Often all 3, when JWP went and when Downes isn't playing. Chez pointed out the limitations. But a lot of the players aren't helped when the system isn't likely to work, or when the game changes. That's why it's so frustrating. There were time when I'd be watching other games, pleased that Martin was getting results from our possession game. But that faded when, even though he tried a few things, clearly wasn't going to change enough to help us see games out. While our poor end may have put some suitors off, the clubs most likely to pick him up, are the data obsessed ones, who will be looking at other things. I can't see them parting with him short of losing the dressing room. A poor start next season, if we're a bit adrift might make them reconsider. If he is staying, then hopefully, SR will actually recruit fully to back his system. It would a decent thing to do for at least 1 manager in 4.

Dressing

There could be some twists and turns on the final day. Providing us with something to distract us as our side ping the ball around their own half. 🙂

"Ipswich need one point! Leeds United need a miracle." If not a miracle, an underperforming Saints team might help them a bit. 🙂 Replacement ref didn't give anything for players falling over. So, a good flowing game. Two very tire teams, with Ipswich carrying some knocks, at the end. But they wanted it forward all the time. Quite controlled about it too. It pushed Coventry back, and made them make some errors in their own box, while on the back foot.

11 mins added time after the ref switch.

Coventry had played some daft stuff across their box, giving Ipswich momentum. Shot from a tight angle. Ipswich, who switched their attackers around, are always looking for forward passes.

Ipswich back in front

Coventry equaliser

Tuck

The older you get, the more difficult it is to move with the times, leaving you with outdated concepts like ... going for the win and defending. 🙂

On the occasions that Martin's system was clicking along nicely, Baz played his part as the base of a lot of our moves. When it was going well, he was spared from having to make a lot of saves though, which also helped.

Oh for... Don't ask for a whole packet! 🙂

Not just, but sadly he really isn't an excellent shot stopper overall, either. The combination...

Well, that explains the effectiveness of VAR 🙂

We don't hear much about Martin's tireless work at making all levels of the club adopt RussBall. Well done, the U21s!

Oh Rover, how could you?

If we go up he's earned the chance. If we don't, the club have to look at the resources available, the cost of the gaps we need to fill both to make it work better and to fill departing players, and the returning players and the role they could be playing in the system of a new manager.

I agree with this. Paul was one of a list who didn't fit Martin's philosophy. And that's fair enough really. Martin has always been clear that he has one way of playing. He's not shown any sign of changing that. So why, in what was a bloated squad, where we're trying to offload costs, would he stick with them? He'll stand or fall playing to his principles. At least we won't have to go through the "That's not my team out there. From now on..." phase. Sadly, we've got quite a list of players that don't suit the system, either at all or not quite enough. Add to that those that seemed to be progressing a bit, going a bit flat too. I watched a lot of Paul's movement. He was wasting his time thinking the ball would ever get to him, let alone in a way that would give him a chance. He'd make the runs and trot back to his starting position on a regular basis, before he left.

Triumph

Salad

We manage to get shot of the, still large, number of players we don't want, that don't fit the system, or who want away. We use those funds to strengthen the core group. We get a couple of options in CM, and some reinforcements up front. RussBall flies out the traps next season. And this is all after we've already secured promotion from the play offs. 🙂

Chamois

Not once did they allow the opposing defence to reset, and then meticulously try and pass it through them. I'm not sure any of those goals count. 🙂