BadgerBadger Posted 1 March, 2009 Share Posted 1 March, 2009 ....and we've finally found a formula with the players we have that works. Euell up front and giving it 'I'm the daddy' McGoldrick in attacking midfield Gillet holding player These three seem to have found their place and the others responding to a well mannered team performance. Am I allowed to feel a little optimistic!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hypochondriac Posted 1 March, 2009 Share Posted 1 March, 2009 I don't think anyone supported the one up front thing apart from Jan and Rupert! Now we have two up front it gives a lot more balance to the formation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tedmaul Posted 1 March, 2009 Share Posted 1 March, 2009 Hello. I don't post on here very often but am an avid lurker and fan. I keep reading so many arguments on here between fans. Unfortunately my job, I spend every Saturday filming other CC games and don't have the chance. I know Lowe, with Woodward (the guy he listened to) had this dutch idea 3 years ago. Head coach, all playing the same system, like Ajax. Wotte was targeted as head coach then. With another guy whose name escapes me sorry. Why not have him at the start? His track record and experience is ok. Why JP? Seems a bit strange. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint Fan CaM Posted 1 March, 2009 Share Posted 1 March, 2009 There have been many on here calling for Euell to be put in attack (and an equal number perhaps saying how crap Euell is). However, Wotte has managed to get some essential things right so far... 1. He's found a winning formula - Euell and Saga in attack. 2. McGoldrick actually looks good as a playmaker type attacking CM - in fact far better than a striker, although he needs to work on his fitness a bit more. 3. He has kept the winning side consistent - no tinkering for tinkerings sake. Credit where its due - he has it seems helped the lads turn a corner. I was especially pleased to see him come out on the pitch and keep the lads back for a huddle and to congratulate the fans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BadgerBadger Posted 1 March, 2009 Author Share Posted 1 March, 2009 There have been many on here calling for Euell to be put in attack (and an equal number perhaps saying how crap Euell is). However, Wotte has managed to get some essential things right so far... 1. He's found a winning formula - Euell and Saga in attack. 2. McGoldrick actually looks good as a playmaker type attacking CM - in fact far better than a striker, although he needs to work on his fitness a bit more. 3. He has kept the winning side consistent - no tinkering for tinkerings sake. Credit where its due - he has it seems helped the lads turn a corner. I was especially pleased to see him come out on the pitch and keep the lads back for a huddle and to congratulate the fans. Me too - starting to show some real team ethic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hypochondriac Posted 1 March, 2009 Share Posted 1 March, 2009 There have been many on here calling for Euell to be put in attack (and an equal number perhaps saying how crap Euell is). However, Wotte has managed to get some essential things right so far... 1. He's found a winning formula - Euell and Saga in attack. 2. McGoldrick actually looks good as a playmaker type attacking CM - in fact far better than a striker, although he needs to work on his fitness a bit more. 3. He has kept the winning side consistent - no tinkering for tinkerings sake. Credit where its due - he has it seems helped the lads turn a corner. I was especially pleased to see him come out on the pitch and keep the lads back for a huddle and to congratulate the fans. Also: Defence seems to be a lot more solid. Especially impressed with Skacel and James and obviously Size. Perry is no longer in and out of the team as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tedmaul Posted 1 March, 2009 Share Posted 1 March, 2009 Absolutely, I think Wotte's got everything spot on so far and the spirit seems great. I'm just perplexed why he was academy or reserve coach for much of this season? And JP was considered a better coach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hypochondriac Posted 1 March, 2009 Share Posted 1 March, 2009 Absolutely, I think Wotte's got everything spot on so far and the spirit seems great. I'm just perplexed why he was academy or reserve coach for much of this season? And JP was considered a better coach. I reckon it's something to do with that Van der Waals bloke. Mark Dennis said he has left the club and he expects that "more will come out next week." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint Fan CaM Posted 1 March, 2009 Share Posted 1 March, 2009 Also: Defence seems to be a lot more solid. Especially impressed with Skacel and James and obviously Size. Perry is no longer in and out of the team as well. Agreed again - I really like Size - he is in the same mould as Killer and Claus IMO...perhaps even better as his work rate is superb. I think Perry really works well with him also. I've always rated Skacel TBF and I think he's clicked with Surman on the left now. James is really looking to be a proper RB now and every game looks a little more composed, although I fear he is too slow to make a step-up to Prem level perhaps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint Fan CaM Posted 1 March, 2009 Share Posted 1 March, 2009 I reckon it's something to do with that Van der Waals bloke. Mark Dennis said he has left the club and he expects that "more will come out next week." I wonder if he was brought in as a consultant to find out what the f*ck was going on in training? It goes to show just how massively JP was out of his depth. Despite him supposedly being a nice guy, it would appear he was not particularly competent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tedmaul Posted 1 March, 2009 Share Posted 1 March, 2009 "It goes to show just how massively JP was out of his depth. Despite him supposedly being a nice guy, it would appear he was not particularly competent." That is exactly what I've heard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BadgerBadger Posted 1 March, 2009 Author Share Posted 1 March, 2009 I reckon it's something to do with that Van der Waals bloke. Mark Dennis said he has left the club and he expects that "more will come out next week." Thats very interesting, sounds like somethings also happend behind the scenes that fuelling this revival :smt115 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Professor Posted 1 March, 2009 Share Posted 1 March, 2009 Whats changed? Quite a bit. In defence, JP Size has definitely added stability and Skacel is settled with his transfer plans over for the season. More emphasis on attack has taken some of the pressure off. Euell has never really succeeded in midfield, failed at Middlesborough when he switched from striker, but is still effective up front. Saga is as good as a new signing. Overall, the younger players do now have the experience that playing regularly was always going to give them, but more importantly, there is now a better balance between youth and experience. Today's staring line-up had 6 players aged 29 or older. That is quite a change from September. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hypochondriac Posted 1 March, 2009 Share Posted 1 March, 2009 "It goes to show just how massively JP was out of his depth. Despite him supposedly being a nice guy, it would appear he was not particularly competent." That is exactly what I've heard. I don't think anyone had to tell you that . It was blinking obvious! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RinNY Posted 1 March, 2009 Share Posted 1 March, 2009 Team stability has been key, imo: not chopping and changing all the time, letting players get used to playing as a unit. Knowing what your team is and sticking with it, so the players aren't playing nervous all the time, looking over their shoulders, afraid to make a mistake. A solid back four, a solid front pairing, midfielders who know what their job is. I've always thought the squad had the talent, if only we could find some consistency. Wotte seems to be providing that, so far. Here's hoping it continues! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rattlehead Posted 1 March, 2009 Share Posted 1 March, 2009 James is really looking to be a proper RB now and every game looks a little more composed, although I fear he is too slow to make a step-up to Prem level perhaps. I wouldn't worry too much about that. As long as he's up to League One level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brightspark Posted 1 March, 2009 Share Posted 1 March, 2009 Im still not going to get carried away with this team until we are out of the relegation zone with a bit of breathing space. The mood on here if we lose to Ipswich with a tame performance will be just as vile as a few weeks ago, and the fierce calls for Lowe and even Wotte to go will only be renewed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belgiansaint Posted 1 March, 2009 Share Posted 1 March, 2009 Absolutely, I think Wotte's got everything spot on so far and the spirit seems great. I'm just perplexed why he was academy or reserve coach for much of this season? And JP was considered a better coach. In fact it does make sense, theoretically at least. If you take it that the basic philosophy was to develop an "Ajax culture" at Saints, you need to implement things like they do over there. As of the age of 10, kids wearing the Ajax shirt play the same system and it is no paradox that the best trainers in terms of footballing education at Ajax are to be found with the youngest kids and the bloke who manages the senior pros is "only" there to coach the team. He may be better than those working in the youth system in terms of international football experience, man-management, working with stars, etc. but he works with the end product and gradually breeds the most talented teenagers in and doesn't teach the skills. But this system only works because they start very early and are absolutely ruthless with those deemed not to be good enough (while keeping an eye on potential late developers). The problem at Saints was at least threefold: a) the youth system doesn't seem to work that way in England (do Saints have 10 year old sides?), b)the youngsters were thrown into the battle way too early in their development and c) if we stick to the Ajax comparison, they do have that mix of seasoned pros and youth which RL didn't seem to want to have around. So to come back to my inital point, if you accept that MW is better than JP, it comes as no major surprise that he was made to work with the youth/ressies to help them cross the bridge towards the 1st team and JP was there to implement the devised system at the highest level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHAPEL END CHARLIE Posted 1 March, 2009 Share Posted 1 March, 2009 So to come back to my inital point, if you accept that MW is better than JP, it comes as no major surprise that he was made to work with the youth/ressies to help them cross the bridge towards the 1st team and JP was there to implement the devised system at the highest level. This strikes me as a correct appraisal of what happened last summer . To summarise the Youth/Reserve team is seen as more important than the 1st team - hence the more senior coach (Wotte) gets to work with academy players while the junior coach (Poortvleit) runs the less important 1st team Anyone with 5 minutes experience of the game or indeed a shred of common sense should comprehend that in the highly competitive world of English football the success of the 1st team is all important to the survival of the club , long term planning is all well and good but in the long term we're all dead - or in this case the football equivalent of death - relegated . We were in a survival fight from day one this season , trying to reinvent the English game rather than concentrating on the next match may still cost us dearly , the blame for this lies in the Boardroom . If you can't understand that the 1st team gets first call on all the available talent , money & resources at the clubs disposal then you really shouldn't be in charge of a pub side let alone a grand old football club such as SFC . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
View From The Top Posted 1 March, 2009 Share Posted 1 March, 2009 Just goes to show how insane Lowe's Dutch experiment was in the 1st place! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trousers Posted 1 March, 2009 Share Posted 1 March, 2009 I reckon it's something to do with that Van der Waals bloke. Mark Dennis said he has left the club and he expects that "more will come out next week." At last...perhaps one of my hair brained conspiracy theories will actually come true....?! I've suspected for several months now that Waals somehow convinced Lowe to take "two for the price of one" (Dutch coaches) when Lowe was probably happy to go with his 'original' plan of Wotte at the helm. If true, just begs the questions: What did Waals say, or do, to convince Lowe to take on JP as well as Wotte? and Why did the club keep Waals' role under wraps until he was 'uncovered' on here? Who knows? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trousers Posted 1 March, 2009 Share Posted 1 March, 2009 (edited) Just goes to show how insane Lowe's Dutch experiment was in the 1st place! As above, perhaps Lowe's "original" plan was a relatively sound idea, but he somehow got convinced by 'others' that it should be expanded....given Lowe isn't a football man at heart he may have been hoodwinked by other supposedly more knowledgable 'advisors'...? The irony being that Lowe could actually be the victim in all this....?! Edited 1 March, 2009 by trousers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legod Third Coming Posted 1 March, 2009 Share Posted 1 March, 2009 Yes something has clicked. It's called 'common sense': 1. Two CBs at Centre Back. 2. Two left-sided, left footed players on the left. 3. Two right-sided, right-footed players on the right. 4. Two strikers (one international standard, one experienced). Our team now has a spine. It has strength. It has people playing where they SHOULD be playing and staying there. TEN of these ELEVEN were here on day one of the season. Why did it take 34 games to work this out? We needed a CB - who didn't say it on day one of the season? We needed a striker to stay and not be loaned - who didn't say it on day one of the season? But we will probably still go down becuase of these crass, amateurish mistakes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpine_saint Posted 1 March, 2009 Share Posted 1 March, 2009 TEN of these ELEVEN were here on day one of the season. Why did it take 34 games to work this out? Jesus, never realised that. F**king ridiculous. We needed a CB - who didn't say it on day one of the season? Some of us have been banging on about this for over two years, mate... But we will probably still go down becuase of these crass, amateurish mistakes. Yep. If this were any other plc, Lowe would have gone ages ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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