Hecky Pre-Match Press Conference – Coventry Home - Mon 26th Dec 22

[Cappy]

Gaffer:


Ciaran Clark:

 

[Cappy]

HECKY - Notes semi-relevant to the game….

No new selection problems following Wigan

More and more players coming back to health and full fitness. Helps with team selection, in particular if there is something specific we need to address with an opposition style. Also helps us not need to take risks with players who aren’t quite right, e.g. Ozzie at Wigan (I didn't notice him mention whether Oz was fit and available for Cov)

No concerns about the busy Christmas period of fixtures. Said it’s nothing compared to earlier in the season.

Players won’t be coming in on xmas day. More time between the games has allowed them to switch the week around and let them have that day off from training

Robbo is back fit

Flecky recovering still – no timeframe mentioned (not asked)

Brewster and RND have had surgery and are long-term

Re the buyout. Said wheels are turning but he doesn’t get involved or have any say. Hasn’t met any individuals who may be coming in

Re JTW, said it could be impacted by any buyout but who knows whether that will be positive or negative. Things are at a standstill until it’s resolved. Agreed it could take days/weeks/months, so why waste energy on it when Coventry City is his focus

Re Coventry, lots of praise for them of course. Said they will be one of the toughest games we will have this season. He went to their game against West Brom. We know their threats and understand them and we need to be at our best to deal with them and cause them the problems we want to.

Said not many teams set up in their normal way when they come to Bramall Lane and we need to be ready for that too, so studying them only tells you so much. So we prepare for every eventuality and are always ready to react to the game.

Talked quite a bit towards the end about how we go about preparing for different teams, doing the homework properly and preparing properly to win the specific game.

 

[Nightsweats]

HECKY - Notes semi-relevant to the game….

No new selection problems following Wigan

More and more players coming back to health and full fitness. Helps with team selection, in particular if there is something specific we need to address with an opposition style. Also helps us not need to take risks with players who aren’t quite right, e.g. Ozzie at Wigan (I didn't notice him mention whether Oz was fit and available for Cov)

No concerns about the busy Christmas period of fixtures. Said it’s nothing compared to earlier in the season.

Players won’t be coming in on xmas day. More time between the games has allowed them to switch the week around and let them have that day off from training

Robbo is back fit

Flecky recovering still – no timeframe mentioned (not asked)

Brewster and RND have had surgery and are long-term

Re the buyout. Said wheels are turning but he doesn’t get involved or have any say. Hasn’t met any individuals who may be coming in

Re JTW, said it could be impacted by any buyout but who knows whether that will be positive or negative. Things are at a standstill until it’s resolved. Agreed it could take days/weeks/months, so why waste energy on it when Coventry City is his focus

Re Coventry, lots of praise for them of course. Said they will be one of the toughest games we will have this season. He went to their game against West Brom. We know their threats and understand them and we need to be at our best to deal with them and cause them the problems we want to.

Said not many teams set up in their normal way when they come to Bramall Lane and we need to be ready for that too, so studying them only tells you so much. So we prepare for every eventuality and are always ready to react to the game.

Talked quite a bit towards the end about how we go about preparing for different teams, doing the homework properly and preparing properly to win the specific game.

Anything about understanding it's allowed to use subs prior to the 80 min mark when players are out on their feet? Or that we can make 5 changes and with the quality on the bench noone should need to tread water.

 

[Pedro Verde]

Anything about understanding it's allowed to use subs prior to the 80 min mark when players are out on their feet? Or that we can make 5 changes and with the quality on the bench noone should need to tread water.

He subbed Khadra off before half time at Bristol City

 

[Weasel]

He subbed Khadra off before half time at Bristol City

And yet he did fuck all until 10 to go on Monday when it was clear some should have come off earlier. I guess that is where the original poster is coming from rather than what he did making a single substitution in a match ore the world cup when he had clearly got it wrong that night. Fair play to him changing it early that night. But fuck knows what he was thinking on Monday when it could have cost us dearly.

 

[Nightsweats]

He subbed Khadra off before half time at Bristol City

Got any more examples?

 

[Ndiayewillalwaysloveyou]

He subbed Khadra off before half time at Bristol City

That was nothing to do with using all subs available and player fitness. Hecky admitted a mistake in starting tactics.

 

[finlaytheblade]

And yet he did fuck all until 10 to go on Monday when it was clear some should have come off earlier. I guess that is where the original poster is coming from rather than what he did making a single substitution in a match ore the world cup when he had clearly got it wrong that night. Fair play to him changing it early that night. But fuck knows what he was thinking on Monday when it could have cost us dearly.

Like you I was concerned with the way it was going 2nd half on Monday .he gets paid for making these decisions and must have reasons for doing what he did
Berge is a good example I was Furious with his performance towards the end ,just lost his way totally! .
Out on his feet Hecki must have known this but left him on, must have had a good reason to do this ?
We had cover of a kind on the bench.
A deliberate attempt to get.
90 mins in his legs! Could have cost us as he became a liability.
Hecki decided to tough it out ! Tough business ! this managers game.

 

[Weasel]

I get the reason to try and get minutes into legs for players who haven't played a lot recently, but for example Berge getting 70 mins on Monday and perhaps putting on Bogle or Bash for 25 mins wouldn't have caused an issue, would have still got a good amount of football in Berge again and given a bit of a run for Bogle / Bash. It would have given us fresh legs and energy in the middle of the park. He only brought on Doyle with 10 to go. Genuinely baffled with his lack of subs (and the timings of those he did make) on Monday. No need to run players into the ground after he'd complained about having to do just that pre the WC due to lack of options. That excuse isn't valid now and he should be using all the armoury that he has at his disposal. Other managers are open to using their permitted subs a lot earlier. Didn't make sense to me. Still we got away with it and Berge and McAtee will have benefitted from the longer stints. Was unnecessary though.

 

[Nightsweats]

I get the reason to try and get minutes into legs for players who haven't played a lot recently, but for example Berge getting 70 mins on Monday and perhaps putting on Bogle or Bash for 25 mins wouldn't have caused an issue, would have still got a good amount of football in Berge again and given a bit of a run for Bogle / Bash. It would have given us fresh legs and energy in the middle of the park. He only brought on Doyle with 10 to go. Genuinely baffled with his lack of subs (and the timings of those he did make) on Monday. No need to run players into the ground after he'd complained about having to do just that pre the WC due to lack of options. That excuse isn't valid now and he should be using all the armoury that he has at his disposal. Other managers are open to using their permitted subs a lot earlier. Didn't make sense to me. Still we got away with it and Berge and McAtee will have benefitted from the longer stints. Was unnecessary though.

There have been occaisions where players returning from injury have re-aggravated it due to being overplayed. It really is very easy to spot a player blowing out of his arse. Leaving him on is mental. It does the player more harm than good and carrying passengers puts results in serious jeapardy.

 

[Cappy]

Mark Robins’ pre-match press conference

Nothing much to report other than he said they’re bringing ~2200 fans