shorehamview
Pink Sambuca drinking World Champion.
It's been suggested that we need to restructure our management, and after the scintillating display against Derby it would be very hard to argue against that. Bur how do we do it? Is sacking Blackwell all it needs? And what do we replace him with?
If we get a new manager in will the team be moulded around his vision? Or do we need to go further than that? My solution would be to change the whole system, and go about matters in a similar way to Barcelona. I'm not suggesting that we will immediately be playing to the same level, but bear with me.
Barcelona play a 4-3-3 system, to put it simplistically. The whole coaching system is geared up to this, from the kids to the first team. (It can often change to a 4-5-1 or even at times it looks like 4-6-0, but the front six players are essentially one unit, and can be just one very attack-minded midfield.) What we need to take from this is not the system they play, but their methods. Because they play the same basic system right through the club it was easy for Pep Guardiola to take over as coach - he had played in the system for over ten years and had also coached their B team for a season, so he was well versed with their way of playing.
We need to change the whole infrastructure - starting with with the manager but with a proper Director of football. It would be his responsibility to oversee all football matters, not just the first team. This sounds obvious, but it seems too many "directors of football" are just there to steer the club manager. The new Director should start with the Academy - talking to the coaches and staff there and starting a proper "Blades Way" - not for a snappy sounding press conference, but a new approach to running the club.
Whatever style we pick, be it 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 this should be our way as much as possible - not 4-5-1 away from home to nick a draw. I'd rather see us play to win and end up losing than play not to lose and end up losing anyway.
We also need to define our style, and it shouldn't be based solely around lumping the ball to a tall bloke, or a short arse who isn't going to win a heading competition against a man stood in a deep trench. The game is called football, not headball, and we are a football club. That's the clue to how we should play right there. To feet. There is a time and a place for a hoof, but it's not "all the time". If a coach can't grasp that principle there should be no place for him at either our Academy or near our first team.
The Director of football should take control of all transfers and contracts, with the manager/head coach telling the director which players to sign and which to sell. Let the manager manage. The director can do the business transaction parts. Once the manager has identified a potential signing then he should be able to forget about the nitty-gritty and concentrate on coaching the players he has at the moment.
The whole club needs to be playing the same style. There's no point having a youth team packed with speedy little wingers when the first team just hoofs it all the time, similarly there's no point signing a big target man if the ball is always played to feet.
I know that teams need to be flexible and sometimes change their line-ups and formations, but we need to have a definite style of playing better than our current one, which is plainly bloody awful. The management can take responsibility for it, bit if we had a definite and identifiable and nice to watch style then any new coach could be appointed on the basis that they too cam get teams playing that way. I'd rather be watching a team that lost a few more games and entertained than one that grinds out dismal victories.
I know this is a victory-led business, but what's wrong with the old way?
Grantland Rice, an American sportswriter wrote this -
"For when the One Great Scorer comes,
To write against your name,
He marks - not that you won or lost -
But how you played the Game."
Shouldn't it matter how we play? Not just that we play?
If we get a new manager in will the team be moulded around his vision? Or do we need to go further than that? My solution would be to change the whole system, and go about matters in a similar way to Barcelona. I'm not suggesting that we will immediately be playing to the same level, but bear with me.
Barcelona play a 4-3-3 system, to put it simplistically. The whole coaching system is geared up to this, from the kids to the first team. (It can often change to a 4-5-1 or even at times it looks like 4-6-0, but the front six players are essentially one unit, and can be just one very attack-minded midfield.) What we need to take from this is not the system they play, but their methods. Because they play the same basic system right through the club it was easy for Pep Guardiola to take over as coach - he had played in the system for over ten years and had also coached their B team for a season, so he was well versed with their way of playing.
We need to change the whole infrastructure - starting with with the manager but with a proper Director of football. It would be his responsibility to oversee all football matters, not just the first team. This sounds obvious, but it seems too many "directors of football" are just there to steer the club manager. The new Director should start with the Academy - talking to the coaches and staff there and starting a proper "Blades Way" - not for a snappy sounding press conference, but a new approach to running the club.
Whatever style we pick, be it 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 this should be our way as much as possible - not 4-5-1 away from home to nick a draw. I'd rather see us play to win and end up losing than play not to lose and end up losing anyway.
We also need to define our style, and it shouldn't be based solely around lumping the ball to a tall bloke, or a short arse who isn't going to win a heading competition against a man stood in a deep trench. The game is called football, not headball, and we are a football club. That's the clue to how we should play right there. To feet. There is a time and a place for a hoof, but it's not "all the time". If a coach can't grasp that principle there should be no place for him at either our Academy or near our first team.
The Director of football should take control of all transfers and contracts, with the manager/head coach telling the director which players to sign and which to sell. Let the manager manage. The director can do the business transaction parts. Once the manager has identified a potential signing then he should be able to forget about the nitty-gritty and concentrate on coaching the players he has at the moment.
The whole club needs to be playing the same style. There's no point having a youth team packed with speedy little wingers when the first team just hoofs it all the time, similarly there's no point signing a big target man if the ball is always played to feet.
I know that teams need to be flexible and sometimes change their line-ups and formations, but we need to have a definite style of playing better than our current one, which is plainly bloody awful. The management can take responsibility for it, bit if we had a definite and identifiable and nice to watch style then any new coach could be appointed on the basis that they too cam get teams playing that way. I'd rather be watching a team that lost a few more games and entertained than one that grinds out dismal victories.
I know this is a victory-led business, but what's wrong with the old way?
Grantland Rice, an American sportswriter wrote this -
"For when the One Great Scorer comes,
To write against your name,
He marks - not that you won or lost -
But how you played the Game."
Shouldn't it matter how we play? Not just that we play?
