owl71

Actually that article was quite interesting if you stick with it and avoid getting wound up by the unnecessarily inaccessible terminology, likes pivots (wing halfs) and interiors (inside forwards). The most interesting bit was the part about teams only really being in their official “formation” when in possession and during a build up phase of play, and that how they actually get into that shape (after say defending a corner) is often critical to its success. Nobody is ever a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 or whatever out of possession, because they have to react to wherever the ball is, and whatever runs are being made.

The way these islands divide on sporting terms is idiosyncratic to put it mildly. Olympic Games - Uk and the Irish Republic. This is political and legal reality as recognised by the rest of the world for the last 100 years. Football - England, Scotland, Wales, NI, Ireland. One independent state and four top level sub-divisions. Other countries top level subdivisions do not get their own national teams. Lombardy does not play Catalonia. Texas does not play Sichuan. Rugby - England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. This reflects the political reality as it last was in 1284. Commonwealth Games - England, Scotland, Wales, NI, IoM, Jersey, Guernsey. Fuck knows.

“Sporadic verticalisation”. I assume that means the occasional early ball. 🤣

Casement Park named after Roger Casement. Yeah that’s a bold move, possibly something to do with Sinn Fein now being the largest party in the NI assembly. Hopefully the Reservoir Prods won’t try to blow the stadium up or anything.

I’m trying to visualise how it would work with Vaulks, Bakinson, Byers and Pato. Let’s face it, we need a sense of humour this season.

Defence was better organised, I’ll give him that. It was fairly turgid stuff going forward though. We actually created a bit more at West Brom.

Yes it was. The defence was better organised. Ihekwe was talking to people all game long. A huge on improvement on Bambo number 5. That apart yeah fair point. The side that got promoted last season has a lot of players not really good enough for the Championship. The fact that we’ve bolloxed up the upgrade doesn’t change that.

Yep that shows how much Tommo rates Fletcher. Suppose that proves he doesn’t need an eye test.

Yeah I’ll never forgot that comeback from 0-4 against Portsmouth… 🤣

Dean Smith? So we’re going for another Brummie? Like I said earlier we really need a fluent English speaker…

Looking back at my previous post in this thread about acceptable criteria for a left field appointment, and rewatching some of Xisco’s interviews, I think the point about English fluency is critical. Whoever comes in will need to motivate a squad which clearly lacks self belief. Xisco’s English was passable, but he clearly wasn’t confident enough in his vocabulary to sound charismatic when speaking in English, along the lines of a Pep, Jose, Klopp or even Carlos.

Garcia’s CV looks okay actually. He’s won league titles in two countries, and taken over a team who were in a relegation battle and kept them up (Celta Vigo). A lot more experience than Xisco. Also he’s a physically bigger bloke so might have a bit more touchline presence. Could do worse, and in fact repeatedly have done.

The opening three games being in South America is surely going to be a huge advantage for the other teams in those groups?!

Win percentages?! Bloody hell. Xisco went from a 58.33% win percentage at Watford to 0.00% win percentage at Wednesday. Hopefully it’s a case of all he had to do at Watford was get the team selections, formations and subs right because all the squad building had been done by someone else (Giraldi their former technical director probably). Whereas with us he had to bring in coaching staff, sign half a squad, and then try to win some games, all in a short space of time, and he was just basically wasn’t up to it…promoted to the level of his incompetence. I just hope someone else can get a tune out of this squad.

Interesting post. My criteria for a left field appointment would be… 1 At least 200 games as a manager 2. Successful, measured by the standards of the club’s expectations, at more than one place 3 Fluent English speaker 4 Already managed outside of his own country (if not UK national) 5 Young or fit enough to be energetic on training pitch

Rest of the season unless DC has changed his mind and decided he is going to put some more money in.

Saudi Arabia leading Qatar 1-0 in the dictatorships’ sovereign wealth fund derby.

Screaming kids. Yep, that’s the point. All the “get out of our club” and “we want Xisco out” chants were from young uns. The problem is this, when fans get in this mindset they think being negative about everything is helping, because it will somehow bring about rapid change. Well unless I, and many others, are completely misreading the situation at S6…it fucking isn’t going to. Chansiri will sell, if a credible offer comes along. He ain’t paying for any more big transfer spending, or any compo to bring in a currently in work manager. Maybe if things get too embarrassing Xisco walks, and we end up with a youth team coach or whatever. But really at the moment I think we are either looking at bottom by a mile with an embarrassing points tally, or a relegation battle, whether with Xisco or someone else. Might as well take any positives that are available.

This basically. If Xisco gets fired, don’t expect anybody expensive as a replacement. It’ll be an internal appointment as a caretaker until the end of the season. Unless Chansiri is bullshitting us, or has a massive change of heart.

Well I thought that was a bit better tonight, especially second half. Decent spirit and a semblance of shape. We kept possession better a man down than we did with eleven at the start. Still fairly shit, and I’m not sure where the goals are coming from, but…Moore’s new side lost 4-1 to weaker opposition.

And probably either from Sunderland or Liverpool…

It’s either 4-4-2 or 3-4-3 or 5-2-3, or something else.

All out defence and long balls on the break it is then.

Looks like Xisco’s been on the ales as well…

As G. K. Chesterton put it “say for what were hop yards meant, and why was Burton built on Trent?”. 🍺