Holmes_and_Watson

Another little reminder from Coventry. Needed a challenge, and Has wasn't close from the corner. Meanwhile, we're getting chances, but well within ourselves, rather than upping our tempo across the team and driving to create. Same as we usually do. And as I type that, they score. Because that's the result when we do that. In nearly every game. When will Martin learn?

"Brooks, in the Championship, looks a real talent." As he blazes one across the box, pulls his shirt over his face, apologises, and gets subbed. 🙂

I know we like to start moves quickly. But that was so early a lot of their players were still around our box from their corner.

That was a decent chance for them. We got done by some simple passes. Aribo raced to make it up. But the ball was decent into the box. A little reminder to us about tempo and picking out a direct pass.

At half time?! Martin was busy with that, the team talk and putting stuff on his hair. 🙂

It's the relief of that second goal going in, talking. Not today going one up and faffing around until they equalise.

"Bazunu is quick to check on him" Baz collected the ball. Played it out. Eventually walked over after the ref blew the whistle. 🙂

Early effort from AA. We had lots forward too. Corner.

Lots of posession. A decent number of attempts A good number of crisp passing moves, at some pace. 2 goals from 4 attempts. They missed a penalty early, and had a little spell of momentum when we did one of our giving it away from a counter attack. But we're used to that, and we're solid enough. Coventry are either giving us a lot of space or simply can't deal with RussBall. I'm going for the latter. Good off the ball movement to create space. Also those balls into space Martin was looking for. He'll have told them if they hit it into s position where someone should get onto it, then it's the target player's responsibility to get into that area. Martin will be looking for a lot of the same, if not pushing for even more pace and tempo. Take advantage of being on top without taking more risks. He'll also be looking for the subs to get on and deliver the same, with no drop off.

Applause for that passing move at pace right from the back. That's the system at work.

Bah! Downes got the ball

Well wide from Brooks. But we're seeing a lot more space to run in behind them.

Yay! That often elusive second. Goal machine Adams. But only playing up there unless someone else asks loudly enough. 🙂

Lovely pass from deep. AA free on the back post, but you can see why he had a go.

Momentum: we have a good spell. We try a trick to get past someone. It doesn't come off. But we commit so many forward, they get a break. That extends into them getting a decent spell. I guess there's a RussBall lesson in sticking to the system.

Fusion

One of his chums ("the saucers are real") was talking about Project Blue Beam. That had a bit about our secret rulers having an earthquake machine, mind control lasers and global hologram projectors. I guess his weather control fits into that. All part of the insidious picture. If only we'd wake up and see it. Utter nutters.

Cushion

Exactly. If things are that far gone that players pick their positions, something is very wrong. I mean, if Baz were to ask to go up front instead of in goal, would...actually that's a bad example. 🙂

Is that not the speed limit change? Walking pace if you're in the Saints midfield. 🙂 Yup, I had that second line, and I wasn't for wasting it. 🙂

Thanks, as always, for that @AlexLaw76 Lots of interesting points. As aware as we are, that Autos are gone, with far too many games available. 7 games to prepare for another 3, if we do well. Ended up the weakest in that race out of the 4. Hopefully, his "if I leave" comments were honest ones, based on our position and the cub's expectation. If he's looking for any "oh no, don't leave!" responses he's kidding himself. The expectation is to go up. Without Wilcox, and returning players who can play different systems, the button might get pushed. If it doesn't, the squad he gets next season is very likely to be his last stab at taking us up. That's the cold reality for managers. He's wrong about there being no criticism during the run. There were plenty of eyebrows raised at some of the draws. Lots of the same things. Cites the possession but can't understand how we can't transfer that into wins. Well, that's sort of the point of his system. So, if he can't figure it out... Odd that he says it's not about styles, when he is welded to his, and it has a definite impact on all the things he highlights as issues. Martin mentions fight and momentum, when those are the things he trains the squad out of. We have work rate and a desire to win. But we play a style that clearly stops players taking risks, and Martin has chucked those crisp, short passing moves in recent times. Yes, running would help, but it's going to take more than that. I'll take the picking the desperate to play players, as a call to arms from them. Otherwise, he's basically put Stephens on the teamsheet in permanent marker. While the foundations of the club might be better than at the start of the season, that just underlines the utter shambles SR made of it last season. And I typed all that having seen the benefits for his approach; aware of the games we've had efforts in and even appreciating what Stephens brings to the squad. And it's not over yet, with the play offs to come.

Pain

Interests

Baz KWP, THB, Bedders, Manning Smallbone, Downes, Stu AA, Adams, Fraser Plenty of bench options available depending on what's needed. Bree, Stephens, Brooks, Charles, Aribo, Sule, Edozie, Lumley, Rothwell Yup. Manning. Smallbone is picking up the Stephens duties first half. Manning just giving Stu some needed support higher up and centrally, as Stu supports the attackers. Just more balanced.

There is no plan B 🙂 From 2021: "We have a Plan A because we really believe in it. There’s going to be pain, because it’s a big change and a lot of the players haven’t played this way before, but if we really believe in it and enjoy the process, let’s stick with it. I said that if I get sacked at least I will do it doing it my way and I’ll be comfortable with that. Plan B suggests doing it completely differently. If you watch our team, we tweak it all the time - we change the formation, we change the way we do things in certain games depending on the opposition - but we are passing the ball a lot, we are trying to dominate possession." Martin seems to be casting around for solutions. We've had games where we create a lot, but don't finish. Behind the surface stats, we see opponents get lots of time to reset, impacting the quality of our attacking play. We still get chances, but can we be making better ones. We struggle to change tempo, to change possession into sustained attack. We struggle to have clear directions in play, with players interchanging to do lots of good build up and control, while not being able to anticipate or be well placed to get on the end of it. And Martin is fine with the basics of that, saying "“For us, it is about taking as much fight out of the game as we can and controlling it with the football.” We've got the control, but the fight goes out the team with it. We work hard, and we've worked to the last minute and had some success when we've needed it. But all too often, we've not turned control into outcomes at key points in the game, where there is an element of emotion and momentum. We reset, forgetting that there's often a reduced risk in putting rattled opponents out of the game. You can still control and press an advantage. So we've seen Stephens getting an expanded role; Or trying to unlock Sule, or try 3 mobile attackers, or a more physical side. And variations between. Martin hasn't stuck with any of it, except having Stephens involved. We had one player early in the season saying what a change it was to have to relearn everything. But Brooks and Rothwell get dropped in. Often alongside the weaker links in his system. We've got players good a lots of things, but not quite enough of them to really unlock what Martin is looking for. Other managers play to the strengths they have. Often, they've no resources to do anything else. We're well down the path, with many of the same issues. One problem is that it's probably beyond teams at our level to be well stocked with such all rounders. Unless we go up, Martin will know he's failed to find a consistent solution, with the best squad he's had by a mile. Next season, he'll be following Plan A with a number of new faces. With a 2 year tenure being the average in this league, he'll really have to get it clicking enough for another promotion push.