The reason why we are doing well?

[Isaw Joeshaw]

I hope you’re right that “ we weren’t quite on it” for the first three games . We’re great at home, however, I think it’s a mixed bag away. Hate to be a bit reserved and hopefully not negative but we have won three away against poor teams. That said you can only beat what’s in front of you. We were apparently unlucky at Boro. Leeds might be a better test of “ where we are “

We definitely were unlucky at Boro and, on a positive note, there are plenty of teams we've yet to play who are just as poor as Sheffield Massive. Some, believe it or not, even poorer. Ha ha ha ..........

 

[stringer]

Didn't say you were Danny, more others who get a bit twitchy about it.
Just surprised you edge towards agreement that Brown was a bit one dimensional with his comments, the number of times you've (unfairly) received pelters on here for little or nothing other than your profession and employers.
I always respect your posts and work generally speaking.

I agreed with Phil's manager of the century suggestion, and did a piece on that too on Saturday evening. This wasn't a column aimed at Brown specifically, more going into the myth of momentum, on the back of his comments, and dispelling it a little bit, because of the two defeats at the start of the season.

 

[Isaw Joeshaw]

I wish he'd have just said 'they're a well organised bunch of athletes, big lads, good in the air and effective at set pieces'.

So would I but to his credit he didn't and his comment that CW must be " manager of the century " earned him maximum points in my book.

 

[Jonboy60]

We definitely were unlucky at Boro and, on a positive note, there are plenty of teams we've yet to play who are just as poor as Sheffield Massive. Some, believe it or not, even poorer. Ha ha ha ..........

And that's why the pigs will just manage to stay up.

 

[Grizzly blade]

Completely right mate. Imagine a snooker table where the green baize hasn't been laid properly, top quality players would struggle with this, and so it is with the Desso. As you've identified, we have players who respond to the surface they play on. It feeds their confidence and allows them to use their skill to the best of their capabilities.

For many of us laying this pitch was a first step in providing the type of surface that would suit skilful players. In time the investment in the pitch will be seen as a no-brainer, and it can't harm when it comes to bringing in the type of players we're becoming used to. When you look at the likes of Baldock, Stevens, CCV, Brooks, and whoever else can be added to the list of players who benefit from having this type of surface, then we surely have the beginnings of an infrastructure that talented players will respond to.

Another minor piece of detail that all adds up are things like the footballs. The balls they use are totally different to play with than your average ball used in the Sunday league. They ping about more, move quicker, travel further and are generally harder to control first time.
Couple that with the surface and sit a regular average larker on the pitch and you would soon see that getting the most from what you have is reliant on having the best equipment to do it.

It’s the same with golf.....I’m pretty sure Rory Mcilroy can hit a golf ball well with any club, but with certain equipment and the right ball he’s even better.
Tennis.....racquets do the same thing, but each pro has theirs set up exactly to get the best from them....it’s the same in pretty much everything.
So when United finally sorted the pitch, it was the first step on getting great players in who could play at their peak week in week out.

 

[tomtheblade]

For momentum just substitute confidence, surely.

Momentum doesn't mean much by itself, we're a football club not a rolling stone, which is why you can reasonably say our form is not due to it.

However you can take it to mean we are relentless (a word that Wilder has used often) in our desire, application and motivation.

This foundation brings good performances, which brings good results, which breeds confidence- which brings more good results. 'Momentum' is not a bad word to describe this.

 

[tomtheblade]

Either that, or Brown was talking our new Iranian winger, Mohammed Mentum, clearly the true catalyst for our success.

 

[Rodley]

Good article, I am starting to like the work of our very own mole at the star!

Agree great article.

 

[Snowman]

It's a simple game. Chris understands that. We attack they defend. They attack, we defend. We just do it better by keeping it very simple. (Apart from Knill's free kick routines which are a a complex thing of football beauty).

 

[CarlMcBlade]

Momentum is the same as "passion" and "hardworking" my book. Just throw away terms that you use when you don't want to admit a team i

Danny04's interesting article in the Star got me thinking about this...

http://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/foot...ris-wilder-not-all-down-to-momentum-1-8820050

Danny is questioning whether it's really about momentum, as Southend manager Phil Brown said the other day. I heard that Phil Brown interview and to be fair to him, he doesn't actually say that it's all about momentum, that's how he summed it up, but he also credits Wilder with good management and singles out players, like Paul Coutts, who he said he had at Derby and "is a very good footballer".

To me, "momentum" is what you may get when other things all come together. And those things are:

Technically good players
Hard working players who are motivated to do well
Strong team spirit amongst the group
Good man management
Shrewd recruitment
Shrewd tactics
Never say die attitude

I'm sure that list could be added to. But it's a combination of all things that, at the very least, increase the chances of doing well and result in positive forward movement of the club (or "momentum").

How about the terms "skillful" and "classy" Mr Brown?

 

[Northyorksblade]

This ^^^^^^^^

People seem to say it is our momentum which is gaining our results, as if the momentum that we have hasn't been earned by our hard work and good football. You don't just happen to come across a patch of momentum, it has to be worked for and built up.

Substitute the word momentum with the word success.

The harder you work, the more momentum you gain......

 

[Valleyblade]

In the context of football, momentum is a metaphor, as Danny explains very well at the beginning of his article. A football team is not a mass in motion.

The question is, should momentum be the best metaphor to describe the reason for our success?

If we could choose similes it would be easier,...

Like a gallon of magnots.....

 

[blade67]

My lucky pants

this stuff can be underated. I've had a lucky parking space since 2009 and last season it was the luckiest its ever been

 

[ForgeBlade]

The reason we're doing so well is because we have a team of good players, expertly managed by God, and expertly coached by God-jr (Knill). We do have momentum, as that is built up over a consistent period of success, but we only have it because we're so damn good at the moment.

Also, good article Danny04