Accrington v LATICS | Page 8 | Vital Football

Accrington v LATICS

You'd be up in arms if the manager sent the players out to play for a draw.

I think no manager goes to "play for a draw". Most set up to not lose and adapt from there dependent upon how the game goes.

I get the impression that should you predict a draw you seem be somewhat peeved if they manage a win.

I really don't care what you, me or anyone else says about what they think the result is going to be, just the scores on the board at 4.45 pm.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: GSM
I think no manager goes to "play for a draw". Most set up to not lose and adapt from hee dependent upon how the game goes.

I get the impression that should predict a draw you seem be somewhat peeved if they manage a win.

I really don't care what you, me or anyone else says about what they think the result is going to be, just the scores on the board at 4.45 pm.
Cooky had a penchant for doing both away from home (playing for the draw and playing not to lose) and he was a colossal failure at both.
 
Thanks for that mate, it saved me the bother.

Won't do any good though, he doesn't even go to games but has an opinion on everything.

Again making assumptions. How do you know what I have and have not been to?
As usual anyone losing the argument goes for the I am a better supporter than you because..... You don't go to games. I and my missus have both got season tickets and we have seen a couple away.

I notice that the poster was referring to a previous manager not the present one, so what that has to do with Saturdays result God only knows. But you grasp on to that straw of justification if you must.
 
What's with bashing a manager who got us promoted and finished mid table in the championship
The stats are there for all to see...

2018/19 - After beating Stoke City 3-0 in August 2018, we didn't win again away from home until Leeds Utd on Good Friday 2019.

2019/2020 - We didn't win away from home until New Year's Day 2020.

Now, how is that bashing him??? 🤔
 
If you want to see an abysmal away record check this one out

LLDLLLLLLDLLLLLDLDLLDL

That's my 22 consecutive games from 21st April 2015 (Brentford) to 29th December 2019 (Forest).
It wasn't Cooks or any ones else's fault, it was all down to me :yes:
 
We know that already.
What he did from then on was fantastic, but still doesn't detract from the fact what happened away from home before was abysmal...
Facts are he did well for our club and plenty fancied us to have a go at promotion last year had his team not been cruelly dismantled. Sure in time some of you will suggest that Richardson bought the League One title like Cook and wasn't quite up to it when we are in the bottom half of the championship. I mean what a joke Cook was getting a club with 9000 fans midtable in the second tier.
 
Facts are he did well for our club and plenty fancied us to have a go at promotion last year had his team not been cruelly dismantled. Sure in time some of you will suggest that Richardson bought the League One title like Cook and wasn't quite up to it when we are in the bottom half of the championship. I mean what a joke Cook was getting a club with 9000 fans midtable in the second tier.
Well, I'm sorry to tell you but, you are factually incorrect on that statement.
Cook never bought the League 1 title, as the majority of his star players were already here before he signed.

As for Cook... and I have said this on here before, he suffered a managerial "crisis of confidence" after the Stoke City game in August 2018.

Our first 2 away games of the 18/19 season was an unlucky last minute defeat at Aston Villa, in which we were the better team... And a thumping 3-0 win at Stoke City, then we went to QPR, and it all changed...
We went from playing the way we did away from home in 2017/18, to playing the way we did under Warren Joyce.
Every away game after Stoke City followed pretty much the same pattern (minimal attacking, a lot of defending, eventually leading to the inevitable defeat), and despite the win at Elland Road in 2019, it continued right up until just before lockdown last year.

It seems to me Cook has a major problem with his own self belief, and that's a crying shame, because his go to "play it safe" mode, is stifling his own creativity.
 
Last edited:
It was a fantastic away day - really pleasing result and performance obviously but Accrington was a lovely little club. All the staff seemed very friendly and I think little things like that make a good impression.

I felt 4-1 made it sound like it was easy but Accrington really made us work hard for the points after they recovered from us going 2-0.

Many teams would've rolled over and died being 2-0 down at home so early on but they never stopped battling and not only matched us for work rate, physicality and fight but also played some really good football. They are probably the best side we've played this season. The changes in personnel, formation and tactics at half time were excellent and really started to cause us problems. Even after we broke their come back momentum with our third goal they kept going - a real never say die attitude. When you consider what a tiny club they are, on likely a very limited budget what they've been able to build there has been phenomenal. Huge respect for them after what they showed today.

I felt from our perspective it was another step forward in our style of play. The def mids are getting involved more by the game which has certainly helped bring the play together. There were still plenty of long balls but they were quite different- very few big high diagonals looking for Wyke to flick on. Instead they were more deliberate, flatter, played more into channels and chest height so we could bring it down, turn or hold up easier to set up attacks - and it was more effective. I'm not sure if it was a smaller pitch that caused that or if it was a deliberate switch but it was a set forward.

We are very good at battling for second balls so we clearly aren't afraid of 50/50 football and seem to be trying to use it to our advantage by forcing the opposition to scramble clearances from long balls in their third - confident we will be able to pick it up in dangerous areas. But often this season we've ended up setting up the opposition on counters by aiming for Wykes head - Wyke isn't good enough as a target man to do that. But today the tweaks made it function much better. It's an interesting tactic - but one that we seem to be working out how to make work.

Amos was called on a couple of times but was overall protected very well. His composure and reliability makes a world of difference and gives everyone confidence.

Power was at the heart of everything at right back again and set up another goal from a cross. We were reliably told McGeady was the king of assists and Power was a bit of a donkey by Sunderland but those assist stats this season make interesting reading. Is that 4 in 6 league games for Max while McGeady in 1 in 7. His delivery has been a huge weapon for us this season and was excellent again today.

Darikwa, Watts and Whatmough were all superb again. Crazy to think Pompey didn't move heaven and earth to keep Whatmough (as others have said there is a aura of DeZeeuw about him) and Plymouth got so little out of Watts. The captaincy seems to have added a little extra fire in Darikwa and he has gone from strength to strength.

Naylor has been defensively good all season but he's starting to show he can play a bit too now. He was very good in posession today and getting involved far more than a couple of games ago. Played a big part in the build up to Wykes goal. He's more than just a destroyer, top class player- insane he nearly ended up in L2.

Cousins has been very understated this season, not exciting, not spectacular but he's been quietly very efficient and his influence and composure in the middle if the park is a calming influence. He just seems to know where he should be to prevent danger arising rather than reacting to stop danger as it happens. Like Naylor he's getting involved in the build up more which makes a world of difference. He's becoming a bit of an unsung hero.

McClean was typical 100 mph and covering every blade if grass and could / should've had a goal. His corner was responsible for the first goal. He's never been the classiest of players - his game has always been fitness, aggression and work ethic so at 31 you could be forgiven for thinking he'd not be able to maintain his non stop running and he'd fade badly without it. But he's not really lost anything and is still playing the same 'blood and thunder' style as he did when he was here 6 or so years ago.

In the first half probably the first time this season Lang was regularly getting the ball into his feet and chest so he was able to roll his markers take people on and run at goal. We were finally giving him balls where he could show his best and was running them ragged. But Accy switched things up at half time and in the second half he was up against a much more physical opponent in less space he struggled to have the same impact but worked his socks off. Ithe first half was a reminder of how much Lang has to offer if we play to his strengths. He's building up a good understanding with Power down the right too.

Keane is just pure class at this level - he's like a harder working Nick Powell. He got another goal and assist - he's in the form of his life. He is the brain of this side running the show. Richardson deserves the world of credit for transforming him into the player he is with the positional change. To think we were looking at Scott Fraser for that role early in the summer and maybe if we got him Keane wouldve been benched. Seems unthinkable now. He's become our talisman.

Wyke wasn't the focal point target man today for the first time this season and i think the player and overall team were far better for it. The balls to him were more in his wheelhouse and he was finally able to show what he can do. He looked classy and his finishing was clinical, considering his wait for his first goal you'd imagine he'd maybe snatch at the one Keane put on for him - it was a tight angle with the keeper advancing but he was cool and calculated and made it look easy. He's been asked this season to play a role he's not really that good at as an out and out target man and it's not been personally working for him - but he's never sulked or gone through the motions. Instead he's just knuckled down and worked harder to make the best of it and it's great to see that type of attitude finally getting rewarded. I previously mentioned Sunderland fans opinion of Power and i think a lot of the things they said about Wyke being just a big lump who taps in open goals McGeady puts on a plate are proving highly questionable. He's looked a lor harder working, fitter and mobile than they gave him credit for. Wyke also has more goals than McGeady has assists this season so it seems the 'Wyke is useless without McGeady' narrative is not standing up to much.

I think Richardson deserves a lot of credit tactically too. When any manager is leading and under pressure it's so easy to make defensive changes to try and see the game out. Inevitably that always invites more pressure and can be something that backfires - but Richardson refuses to make defensive subs even when most would probably want him to shut up shop he keeps trying to make offence the best form of defence and so far it's working for him. He's certainly far braver than Cook ever.

Overall we are still a work in progress but we can see every week we are evolving or tweaking our play to get a bit better and it's starting to come together. I think this was our toughest opposition so far and we put on probably our best performance. It's a long way to go but it feels like Richardson is building something very good and now we've hit top spot I can see us fighting like crazy to not let it go.

I never accepted the notion that a season of mid table mediocrity would be a success this season with the players we had. The only way the squad of this calibur isn't in the promotion mix is massive levels of under performance. But with so much change for us and so much competition it would've been understandable that we take time to get going and as a result we are looking at being in the pack fighting for the play offs. So to see us immediately putting ourselves in the frame for top spot is outstanding work from everyone involved. I don't think you can get carried away when it's so early but it's very encouraging so far.
 
Been seeing quite a few people on twitter say Naylor does what Morsy does but better, what are people's thoughts on that? From what I seen, he is much quicker on the ball and works his socks off. Think because Cousins is next to him who by the way is going way under the radar this season. Very good pairing.

I think some folks are probably getting a bit carried away.

Naylor has had a good start but it's only been a handful of games in L1.

Compare that to Morsy who was here to 4 or 5 years winning L1 twice and captaining us in the Championship.

I don't think we can fairly compare the two yet and I think if we did I don't think we could reasonably say Naylor was superior. We've seen so many players come in and start like a house on fire but struggle after that momentum of a hot start faded. I'm not suggesting Naylor will fade like that but I don't think you can put his promising start up against Morsy's proven track record.