BMcD - time to go? and other questions over his management

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SMorientes
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Re: BMcD - time to go? and other questions over his manageme

Post by SMorientes »

rss1969 wrote:I just cant see a way back from here. BM has been in charge for a year...........not long but long enough to put your own DNA into the teams ethos and style, their hunger desire and shape. This has not happened and we are going to end up with a squad of players that nobody wants. Whatever happened to managers that got the best out of the players they inherited?
Pulis has drilled and changed the attitude of his squad, without the addition of 6 or 7 players. They are probably not good enough man for man to compete in the prem, so he uses organisation to his benefit. Poyet has done the same.
Even better example is looking at how well and how quickly Hughes has got Stoke playing nice football ont deck. I mean, Stoke! They've been drilled into Pulis's horrible style for so many years and yet within a month or two Hughes had them playing a fluid(ish) passing game.
Strangely, immediately after taking over, when he made the 'best passing side in the championship' comments, McDermott did appear to be coaching the side into playing slick football: remember the 32 pass move for Austin's goal against Burnley? Even Jason Pearce can do it. It baffles me that we're now regressing. It must be his choice of style, it's not Warnock's leftovers; he proved at the end of last season that he could get this bunch to play nice football. So what's happened? Murphy's reputation heralded him as an ideal signing for a ball playing side, Zaliukas (last few games excepted) also is very capable with a ball at his feet, another signing in the right direction. Then we get in some wingers who can run at players with pace and get you ont edge of your seat, even more ammunition to enable us to play exciting football.
Basically it's not the squad or the lack of signing Wells or any other big name that worries me, McDermott has done fine in that department; echoing Mellor's posts here but I just don't understand where the 2-3 year plan and passing football ideals have gone. What's causing that disparity between stated ambitions and apparent actions? My instinct is it's the coaching that's the problem, but then it's BM that made those statements... I hope he's just getting his head around it, didn't expect us to be so high up right now and tried the wrong things, I don't know. Of course I want to give him time, I'm just more dubious about his plans at the moment than I ever have been. Football for me is all about enjoying the spectacle and so I want to believe what BM promised us. I will wait and see whether that faith will be repaid.
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Pecky10
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Re: BMcD - time to go? and other questions over his manageme

Post by Pecky10 »

rss1969 wrote: Pulis has drilled and changed the attitude of his squad, without the addition of 6 or 7 players. They are probably not good enough man for man to compete in the prem, so he uses organisation to his benefit.
As in Crystal Palace, now bottom of the Premier League? He's taken them to a place lower than when he took over (and only one place was available below at that time).... I'm not sure he'd be top of my list if I'm wholly honest :wtf:
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Sheepy
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Re: BMcD - time to go? and other questions over his manageme

Post by Sheepy »

Tony Pullis, is that not the manager who openly admits to playing the long ball game, who signed Crouch as the target man for Stoke?

The same long ball, hoof that we all hate?
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Re: BMcD - time to go? and other questions over his manageme

Post by PockWhite »

Agree, hoof ball, we all don't like.
But, also, there's aimless hoof and hope ball and then there's considered, measured long ball, mixed in with a bit of passing and moving type of more free flowing footie, that'd we'd all like to see a bit of.
Also, if we signed a Crouch type (PC imo is also a decent 'footballer' aswell, especially for a big fella) and then had a foil, or two, to play off his knock downs, together with 2 decent wingers (Gradel types), who could get to bye line and put decent crosses in, then that might not be such a bad thing?
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Sheepy
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Re: BMcD - time to go? and other questions over his manageme

Post by Sheepy »

I'd say the difference between hoof and considered long ball must be whether you win or not then!
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Re: BMcD - time to go? and other questions over his manageme

Post by Deleted User 2 »

I still think we don't go on the pitch with an aim to kick high and long, but that it's a default plan B that always ends up becoming plan A, simply because we don't have the movement or control in possession to give the defence (keeper included) any other option than kick the bejesus out of it. That problem must still come back to coaching, attitude and stamina, so ultimately the manager, but I don't think hoofball in itself is an ethos that we are deliberately "trying out" persistently.
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Sheepy
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Re: BMcD - time to go? and other questions over his manageme

Post by Sheepy »

I think our problem is the midfield, we just lack organisation and shape. As individuals I rate Murphy and Mowatt but I think they are too young as a partnership, we need someone to bind them together.

Too many times this season have we seen Tom Lees with ball at feet and literally nobody at all who seems to want the ball or move into space for it. At this point the inevitable chip over the top comes, or back pass to Paddy and then its lofted over the top.

We could be literally one player away from having a good side, just someone who can slot into the middle and take control. Christ knows who though.
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Re: BMcD - time to go? and other questions over his manageme

Post by Deleted User 2 »

Sheepy wrote:I think our problem is the midfield, we just lack organisation and shape. As individuals I rate Murphy and Mowatt but I think they are too young as a partnership, we need someone to bind them together.
Organisation and shape is a good place to start pinpointing the problem. Squad consistency is another. Can't remember who it was on here that mentioned a player like Murphy thrives through being given constant time in a side, yet the midfield has changed shape and names so many times this year. And then within the same formula, it's changed roles. If we think purely of Austin, who last year at least we knew gave us almost one-dimensional quality, but generally consistently so - sweep up in front of the back 4 through running and brute force. This year he's been everywhere from DM to right winger - all with varying success, but ultimately now with no quality in any part of his play.

Surely there is success to be found in sticking with a formation, modern or traditional, assigning players specific roles and drilling this into their game week in, week out?
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SMorientes
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Re: BMcD - time to go? and other questions over his manageme

Post by SMorientes »

No I don't think it's necessarily plan A, but howcome he got this same squad of Warnock's leftovers passing all over the pitch at the end of last season but now they're unable to do it? The Burnley game springs to mind and Diouf was integral there, moving around the pitch putting his foot on the ball and spreading play. I'm not as keen as some to get him back in the starting line-up, but maybe that's what's missing? As others have said, Murphy has the ability to be that cog, he just needs to be given the responsibility and confidence to show it.
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Mellor
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Re: BMcD - time to go? and other questions over his manageme

Post by Mellor »

Play the best 11 in a simple formation, drill the blighters, tell the goalie to roll it out etc. surely that's the start.

BM spent weeks 'finding a way' (looking for his best formation) only to find the wrong way at the end of it all.

What's your best 11 Brian? I wonder if he could answer that in 11 words!

Hopefully his basics sort him and the team out. Murphy, not Rudi, should be the fulcrum in midfield around which the whole thing pivots. He can pass, he can tackle, he can get ahead of the ball and he can shoot. He needs confidence, responsibility and to be released from watching Rudi try to tackle every job on the pitch at the same time while he gets subbed. Someone on here mentioned that BM had favourites at Reading. It seems he does?

At least there's a bit of tension in the air before the game. It's all got a bit bland. Something to play/fight for. I expect nothing more than a competitive game in which our lads look like they've played together, know their jobs, that playing for lufc matters and we are developing a 'Leeds way' - style of play (hoof being something you do with 5 minutes to go and 4 centre forwards on the pitch - oh for the happy days of Wise, not the 90 minute option).

I'm a bit excited cos this really matters - I can see the block and think heads are on it. This one feels like do or die to me (in truth they all should - to the great teams they are,).
When I was young I said to my mum, 'are the hills in the distance America?'
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