Adkins style of play

[west_yorks_blade]

When he was first announced as our new manager, many of my neutral friends said that it was a great move. Not just because of his track record, but also because his style of play was exciting and attacking.

However the style has become increasingly negative and as we know this hasn't had an upside in terms of results being successfully ground out.

He's starting to become a Clough mark 2. Is this because he has lost his mojo, or is it because he can't trust the players at his disposal to play in an attacking way?

For me, with our ever leaky defence, we may as well take the game positively to the opposition and try to stick as many as possible in ourselves to outweigh the inevitable goals against.

 

[Bartleby]

For me, with our ever leaky defence, we may as well take the game positively to the opposition and try to stick as many as possible in ourselves to outweigh the inevitable goals against.

That'd mean NA would have to change his mantra though - stick it in at one end and don't keep it out at the other

 

[robbiez666]

I think the issue is that he knows the players we have can't play attacking football without considering 3 goals per game, so he's changed the style to try and sneak wins. Hopefully, when he's had chance to bring his own players in this will change.

 

[west_yorks_blade]

It would be nice to be entertained as well of course. Another benefit of playing positively.

 

[finlaytheblade]

I think the issue is that he knows the players we have can't play attacking football without considering 3 goals per game, so he's changed the style to try and sneak wins. Hopefully, when he's had chance to bring his own players in this will change.

Too right robbie Adkins played more progressive to start with trying different permutations of players he found we couldn't cope.
Most back 4s are vulnerable to pace even at higher levels,it's the cover given by the rest of the team which turns a defence into a tight one.
We are no exception and when the midfield melts away like it was doing earlier this season the back four are held out to dry,yes the back four could be improved but over all they have not been too bad (apart from the odd eccup re Gillingham ).Adkins had no option but to change our game plan !! digging wins out, that's not his natural style but he realised (maybe it took him too long)that with his present squad
open attacking football would get us no where.It's not pretty but if we continue to pick up points at our present rate we should make the play offs.A couple of game changers coming in before window shuts could make a big difference and potentially make the top 2 a possibility. He has said players who can step straight up to plate are his targets ,no point in bringing in players who can't make a difference, that sounds very sensible to me.

 

[robbiez666]

Too right robbie Adkins played more progressive to start with trying different permutations of players he found we couldn't cope.
Most back 4s are vulnerable to pace even at higher levels,it's the cover given by the rest of the team which turns a defence into a tight one.
We are no exception and when the midfield melts away like it was doing earlier this season the back four are held out to dry,yes the back four could be improved but over all they have not been too bad (apart from the odd eccup re Gillingham ).Adkins had no option but to change our game plan !! digging wins out, that's not his natural style but he realised (maybe it took him too long)that with his present squad
open attacking football would get us no where.It's not pretty but if we continue to pick up points at our present rate we should make the play offs.A couple of game changers coming in before window shuts could make a big difference and potentially make the top 2 a possibility. He has said players who can step straight up to plate are his targets ,no point in bringing in players who can't make a difference, that sounds very sensible to me.

I think our best bet, with the current players, would be to play Basham and Hammond deep as DMs and play Wallace at left back and use him and Brayford to bomb on. We have so little going forward.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

I think he’s discovered that this squad does not have the pace and athleticism to get bodies forward and back in time to defend. That means we don’t commit as many forward now. Hopefully, over this window and the next, he will assemble a squad more capable of playing pleasing football.


I disagree though that the more “negative” football hasn’t yielded better results. We had dropped to mid-table and were shipping goals left right and centre. Now we’re just outside the playoffs. Shame we couldn’t hold on Saturday (think Basham’s injury combined with some very questionable substitutions costs us) as we’d now be 6th and closing in on Wigan and Coventry after they both dropped points. Really hope we can get the win tomorrow as we’ve not got much room for error now.

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

When he was first announced as our new manager, many of my neutral friends said that it was a great move. Not just because of his track record, but also because his style of play was exciting and attacking.

However the style has become increasingly negative and as we know this hasn't had an upside in terms of results being successfully ground out.

He's starting to become a Clough mark 2. Is this because he has lost his mojo, or is it because he can't trust the players at his disposal to play in an attacking way?

For me, with our ever leaky defence, we may as well take the game positively to the opposition and try to stick as many as possible in ourselves to outweigh the inevitable goals against.

Eh?

We were adventurous and were outscored repeatedly. Shrewsbury???

After a readjustment we then won a few 1-0s.

We've got Clough's players, so Clough's set up is what they'll generally be suited to.

One thing I like about him is his adaptability: we've been adventurous, we've passed a team to death, and now we're grinding.

I think with his players we'll see better football eventually.

I'd like him to stay a long time.

 

[Alfreton14Blade]

When he was first announced as our new manager, many of my neutral friends said that it was a great move. Not just because of his track record, but also because his style of play was exciting and attacking.

However the style has become increasingly negative and as we know this hasn't had an upside in terms of results being successfully ground out.

He's starting to become a Clough mark 2. Is this because he has lost his mojo, or is it because he can't trust the players at his disposal to play in an attacking way?

For me, with our ever leaky defence, we may as well take the game positively to the opposition and try to stick as many as possible in ourselves to outweigh the inevitable goals against.

 

[brownie4583]

Negative Nigel?

 

[Alfreton14Blade]

He's starting to become a Clough mark 2. Is this because he has lost his mojo, or is it because he can't trust the players at his disposal to play in an attacking way?

Got to be the latter IMO. Had a check back before Saturday's game on the home games I'd seen this season & calculated I'd seen just short of 4 goals per game. Problem was we'd only scored 50% of them. Something had to change & Adkins clearly (& rightly) altered the approach.

What's galling though, given the clear problems that are being temporarily addressed in this way, is the total lack of any sort of proactivity in the transfer market come the new year (a lack which has continued on right through January).

After last January's totally uncharacteristic transfer window splurge we've seemingly reverted back to Club Retard mode, SUFC's default position.

 

[CarlMcBlade]

All out attack or an 11 man defence? Take yer pick, cos we can't do both in the same game.

 

[metalblade]

I have to agree with most of the posters on this thread Adkins started the season attack minded in style but soon found out (or not so soon for some) the players he was left with could not play that way. At least he has tried different ways of playing but it now looks like to get any success we have to play much the same way as Clough set us up to play which is admittedly awful and boring to watch, it is screaming out to me we need some height strength and most of all pace right through the team. Unless we can bring some in in the next few days we will just have to suck it up till next season while hoping we can get in the play off's and get very lucky. The big question for me is do we really have the funds to change anything in the next few days or have we reverted to type with the lies and false promises of jam tomorrow.

 

[Lord Bos of Eckington.]

When he was first announced as our new manager, many of my neutral friends said that it was a great move. Not just because of his track record, but also because his style of play was exciting and attacking.

However the style has become increasingly negative and as we know this hasn't had an upside in terms of results being successfully ground out.

He's starting to become a Clough mark 2. Is this because he has lost his mojo, or is it because he can't trust the players at his disposal to play in an attacking way?

For me, with our ever leaky defence, we may as well take the game positively to the opposition and try to stick as many as possible in ourselves to outweigh the inevitable goals against.

Adkins style of play now adopted is to prevent us conceding goals , which with the players we have , also prevent us getting drawn in to a relegation dog fight . The twist in all this , is that the league being much of a muchness , the style of play could get us promoted , via the play offs.

Where this club is going both short and long term is anybody's guess.

UTB

 

[Harry's Game]

This is going over old ground, it's clear why we can't play high tempo attacking football if you look at the midfield names in the squad list. Baxter, Hammond, Basham, Woolford, even Coutts , although he has shown something like his old Preston and Derby form is not a pace merchant.

None of them are box to box midfielders.

 

[Bergen Blade]

I think the current approach is embarrassing. But I doubt it is Adkins' preferred style. I assume we will see something very different next season.

 

[Rodley]

I think the current approach is embarrassing. But I doubt it is Adkins' preferred style. I assume we will see something very different next season.

Hope so. Need a huge overhaul of the squad.

 

[BeatleBlade]

In the interview today he talks about the importance of the next goal. Maybe sitting back wasn't the tactics, but it was hard for the team to get the ball off them and had to track back as a result.

 

[sheffielder]

The players reaction tomorrow I think is going to be the most telling of Adkins style and the real implications of Saturday.

 

[UnitedBlade]

It's not pretty but it certainly isn't stopping us scoring goals or getting a higher number of points per game.

Here's some facts. Since the debacle that was the defeat to Shrewsbury and he changed it for the Barnsley game:
- played 8, 15 points, 14 goals scored. 1.875 points per game and 1.75 goals per game.

- the previous 19 games, 26 points, 31 goals. 1.368 points per game, 1.632 goals per game.

37% increase in points per game and 7% more goals.

We know what the weaknesses are but he's changed it from going nowhere to a fighting chance of finishing 6th.

Tomorrow night is another important game. A loss would be a major setback but let's hope we get something from it.

I'm not expecting any signings but we've just got to keep grinding out results.

 

[Bladesince59]

Personally, after Saturdays subs (and other games), I don't think NA knows his arse from his elbow.

UTB

 

[BushBlade]

Did anyone really expect anything different? Putting aside the optimism we have at the start of every season and the excitement of a new manager, one with a good track record, it was clear that what has happened was quite likely to happen.
It's a fairly predictable outcome of allowing one manager carte blanche to build his own team, with his own style, and then sacking him before he's finished, bringing in a new man who has completely different ideas on how to play the game.
It wasn't inevitable but it was certainly very likely. And it's something we've repeatedly done since Warnock left.