Round pegs, square holes

[BushBlade]

right - so seeing as it is working now - could it work further up?

From what Bielsa quoted recently - he seems to think overlapping centre backs are ok, but can't reproduce it or doesn't want to.

It's certainly unique the way we do it.

UTB

I’ve no idea whether it would work, or if we’d try it if we went up. My gut feeling is that the best teams would just pick us off on the counterattack or high press us so we resort to hoofing it. But that’s probably going to be the case whatever we do.

The question is ‘could we beat enough of the poor and average PL teams to stay up playing that way?’ And I really don’t know the answer. All I can say is that I’d rather we did that than sit deep and try to nick points. We could get battered or we could be like Blackpool (before they sold Adam).

 

[I should coco]

I saw Bartley do it last night.

It didn't work that well for him tracking back though did it?

A Keystone Cops giveaway goal, minutes after he'd scored a shit liner's classic.

 

[BushBlade]

It didn't work that well for him tracking back though did it?

A Keystone Cops giveaway goal, minutes after he'd scored a shit liner's classic.

Yes, at times it almost looked like he was up against players from a higher league.

 

[Brian Deane]

Wilder and Knill put footballers in footballer shaped holes. They make it look easy - that's the true art.

Does that mean we have more than one Dowell ?

 

[AnglesWithDirtyFaces]

Good post. A serious point, Sits. Mourinho has won the lot, more than once. Is it a question of player ‘buy in’? And does that ‘buy in’ reduce the wealthier the player is or alter dependant on the nationality the player is? When a manager can’t implement his style and tactics on players, is the manager’s job being reduced to ego management? Eto’o and Pogba being two contrasting examples.

MANager, like it

 

[Fulwood Blade]

Bash feels like one of those players - like a Harry Arter at Bournemouth

Yep, could be.

I like Bash a lot - always have since he was signed. Never thought he was a centre half or full back or centre mid in a 4 - but his role in a back 3 is perfect. If I have any criticism, it's his final ball when just outside the opposition box. Bob Booker took great acclaim for who he was, where he came from and what he gave to the club - Bash for me has gone beyond that - question is, can he achieve legend status in the next few years? How about the winner on the final day next season in the Prem to seal our survival

UTB

 

[WORKSOPBLADE]

Yep, could be.

I like Bash a lot - always have since he was signed. Never thought he was a centre half or full back or centre mid in a 4 - but his role in a back 3 is perfect. If I have any criticism, it's his final ball when just outside the opposition box. Bob Booker took great acclaim for who he was, where he came from and what he gave to the club - Bash for me has gone beyond that - question is, can he achieve legend status in the next few years? How about the winner on the final day next season in the Prem to seal our survival

UTB

Nah ... Europe qualification!

 

[Fulwood Blade]

Nah ... Europe qualification!

and here's me thinking I was bonkers.

UTB

 

[ShockingBadBuy]

I would say Brian Howard was clearly a poor player ,and a shirker and a coward. Apart from that I agree with you. Some managers have no flexibility and it has to be their way ,Kevin Blackwell. I knock about with an ex pro and he is on the same wavelength as you ,telling me that is the way to get much more out of your players ,contrasting Wilder and Mourinhos methods. He told me the most flexible and best man manager he ever played for was Allardyce ,players loved him.

100% agree about Brian Howard. Came in with great expectations, and just hid from the ball, basically, game after game after game after game. Perhaps it was psychological?

It’s crazy that Duffy started to hit his peak at the age he did.

Wasn’t it Funny Little Nige who first played him as a ‘10’ instead of a winger at Burton? Then he came here and developed the role even further.

Don’t know enough about what FLN did with him to comment.

But Wilder certainly played Duff as a winger, initially, before switching him inside to no.10. For me, this switch was a key early indicator of Wilder’s willingness to accept he’d got it wrong, and to change things accordingly—cf his sacking off of Chris Hussey.

I’d say that Wilder’s willingness to accept it when he’s got something wrong, and to change it, has been one of the key skills he’s brought to our club. There’s a professional intelligence there, and an emotional intelligence, that is sometimes missed by the broader football ‘community’.

 

[Ranmoorblade]

People often say Britton never had a chance with Blackwell as manager but he only actually played 2 games under him. He played most of his games under Gary Speed.

Yes and he was home sick which is why he didn't stay long.

 

[SwissBlade]

Short answer...too many other managers are too concerned about nullifying the effectiveness of the opposition when they are going forward. I think Wilder starts with the intention of maximising our effectiveness when going forward.

I wouldn't say that we were pioneers in changing it, but before we arrived, that was what the Championship was all about. "Pulis' Middlesboro" are one of the few remaining, in the top half at least, which still try to play this way.

 

[bornablade]

Billy Sharp has been played in the wrong position by other previous managers. They would have had to re-write the record books if he'd spent time with us under an effective manager.

Leon Brittain should never have left Swansea. It's part of his CV that never seems to be commented on when he features on television. A little bit like Eddie Howe's period at Burnley.

 

[bornablade]

Here's a little game following your post - where in the EFL is the Basham replacement?

It was very interesting that in danny04's book - Bash was up for overlapping centre backs immediately where as JOC took a bit of convincing. Even now, nearly 2+ years latter - Bash is far more comfortable than JOC in doing the role.

To carry on playing our special 3-4-1-2 - we need overlapping players. Where's Bash Mk2?

UTB

'Bash Mk2?'

Would it be too much to ask that there's a youngster in the Academy all lined up to take his place?

 

[grafikhaus]

Howard was definitely over-rated. One decent season at Barnsley and a goal against Liverpool set him up for the rest of his career.

Exactly how I see it. Howard had a 'purple patch' which lasted for that Liverpool game (93rd minute winner). After that, Barnsley's chairman dangled the hook and we bit. He'd scored 27 in 121 apps. for Barnsley but only got 2 in 30 for us. Was he a 'square peg in a round hole' for us? Did the manager(s) not utilise him correctly? Well just 9 goals for 12 clubs over eight years after he left Barnsley would suggest not...

But just as a manager can 'make' a player, so he can destroy them. I always rated Jamal Campbell-Ryce as a skilful, tricky right-footer. Then Adkins decided to play him on the left...