hindleymonwafc
Vital Champions League
They did stay in...Sam played instead of the completely ineffective Jacob's.
Derby away predictions
- Thread starter RaggedTrouseredPhil
- Start date
They did stay in...Sam played instead of the completely ineffective Jacob's.
TRUE BELIEVER
Vital Football Hero
To be fair and honest mate I didn't see the whole game and I don't feel I could comment on the performance.
I asked the question because after watching Williams and Macleod on Sunday I came away from the game feeling that that pairing offered us something different and looked composed and assured against one of the better teams in the division. I am struggling to understand the managers reasons for changing something that clearly worked and can only assume that it was an attempt to fit Samy into the team even though, by his own admission, he doesn't like changing for the sake of changing.
He talks about forming partnerships, but has not given Williams and Macleod the opportunity to form one. Like yourself I am an admirer of Samy and believe he does a good job, but I feel that he has been shaded by Williams in the defensive position this season. I also think that Williams and Morsy are too similar to play in that combination as they both have the same attributes.
Personally I would have rather seen Samy on the bench for this one and given Williams and Macleod their chance, I may have been proven wrong, but there then would have been the opportunity to bring Samy on to change things.
As I say I have only seen the highlights and may be totally off the mark, but I think breaking up a winning formation was a dangerous tactic, could Cook be coming the new Tinker Man.
Coddenchips
Vital Reserves Team
Jacobs wasn't even on the bench, so there's a strong chance he picked up a knock, and in that case a change was necessary. We didn't lose the game because of the shape of our midfield and the way they played, but because we let them off the hook at the sharp end.
TRUE BELIEVER
Vital Football Hero
But replacing a forward with a defensive midfielder is a step backwards for me. Even so given that so many on here are saying we were bossing the game and that Derby were poor it surely should have followed that a defensive midfielder was taken off and replaced with another forward. If we are on top surely that is a practical move to try and secure the points.
Arthur_Itis
Vital Squad Member
Wow KDZ, you do tend to see everything as black and white, if we do lose on Sunday last night won't be an excuse, it will be (in my opinion) a contributing factor along with many others. The players are human beings not robots, there will be a whole rainbow of emotions involved over the next few days and I think it will be a mammoth task to try and lift some of these players in time for Sunday. If only it was as simple as just Cook saying "Come on players, you have to bounce back".
Coddenchips
Vital Reserves Team
There are a few on here who are destined to become the best managers to never manage.
Lazysid
Vital 1st Team Regular
FrancosLoveChild
Vital Football Hero
Thing is, I see us getting mauled on sunday, but my reasoning for that is because we seem to go shell-shocked and hide instead of going out there with an angry mentally and proving a huge point, look at Reading and then Blackburn last season, obviously the scale of that last minute winner for Reading was much more damaging than last night, it just feels we don't know how to bounce back from a game, the players don't have the mental strength to deal with this away form. I don't think Cook is giving the players any confidence away from home, look at last night, we played very well, we just for some reason invited so much unneeded pressure and started hopelessly hoofing it after 70 minutes, but I actually praise Cook for the line-up and for how we played, but the players choked yet again when in front of goal and defending. It is clear nobody at the club knows exactly how to beat through this issue mentally.
king_dezeeuw06
Vital Champions League
Football management is all about physchology - the players didn't get to this level without having the talent, your coaches will make sure your players are fit - as a manager your job is keeping their feet on the ground when they are on a high, bringing them back up when they are low, avoiding complacency when it's an easy game, making them feel they can win when it's a hard game, etc. Maybe you even bring in people from the outside to help - whatever the method it's the essence of management to not let the last result impact the next one. If the players go into the next game thinking about losing to Derby then the manager has not been able to succesfully manage the situation and we might as well not turn up. Of course the players are only human but that is what a managers job is to manager their emotions especially when times are challenging.
Up the tics!
Vital Newbie
Just watched the goal and Kipre goes from being close to shinnigan to dropping off so much thus unable to defend the shot, schoolboy error ...let's hope mulgrew is fit failing this fox for me.
TRUE BELIEVER
Vital Football Hero
Your analysis is right on the button KDZ, the manager is the one who, despite his own disappointment, along with the senior pro's gets the spirits in the dressing room up after a defeat.
Personally I don't think that will be as hard as some seem to think in this case.
The performance wasn't poor and there will be a feeling of injustice in the players minds, Cook needs to turn this to his advantage and motivate the players to use this feeling to produce a siege mentality amongst them and strengthen their bond. We all know that even the poorest squad is much better when there is togetherness in the dressing room and a feeling of us against them. Hopefully the players will feel they have something to prove and will put in a solid performance against Bristol to prove to all of those that doubt their abilities that they are not losers. It was obvious from the faces of the players at full time last night that they felt hard done by and if Cook emphasises this I believe spirits will be lifted.
The alternative to this is that their confidence is so shattered they try to be overly defensive and creep into their shells. We will no doubt find out on Sunday.
Arthur_Itis
Vital Squad Member
so what we are saying is that if we win on Sunday it's because Cook lifted the players spirits and if we lose on Sunday it's because Cook didn't lift the players spirits and I guess a draw means that he lifted them a bit but not enough and that there are no other factors involved. Simple. Game on.
dwdan
Vital Reserves Team
I thought we played well yesterday evening but our downfall was a lack of composure in the opponents penalty area. Neither Moore or Garner look like scoring so we need to give Gelhardt some game time surely. He's scored two goals in two appearances against Everton and Hull so despite his youth he needs to be introduced at some stage on Sunday. I'd rather lose having a go for all three points than lose going for a draw.
TRUE BELIEVER
Vital Football Hero
Neat come back Arthur. I guess if you want to read into it that way its possible to accept the premise.
I think we all know however that it is a little more complicated than that but the manager and senior pro's have a lot of influence on the mental attitude of younger players in a dressing room. There are a lot of different things that can influence the way they play but i think both mine and Kings responses were to the mental state after an agonising defeat and how we think a manager has to respond.
I must say though that if we win on Sunday PC must take a lot of the credit as I am sure he will be working hard to get the players mindsets in the right place before the game.
TRUE BELIEVER
Vital Football Hero
Dan, I like your post and would like to see "Joffy" unleashed but not as a one up front player. I don't think he has the experience to do that role, I would rather see him playing in a role behind the striker and supporting him. There is no doubt the lad has talent and a nose for goal but given that he would come up against some very experienced centre halves who would probably dominate him I don't think it would be the wisest decision. Playing off Moore, who would occupy the centre backs, I feel would be a better option and give him the confidence to play his own game.
I wouldn’t. But on the night it gave us a great basis to push on in the last half hour. Fantastic options on the bench to pit against a tiring Derby team. But that’s when Cook’s all too frequent poor decision making cost us. We’re misfiring up front but all too often it feels like Cook is costing us.
This squad should be comfortable mid-table.
truelatic4eva
Vital 1st Team Regular
How the hell is Cook still in a job with that away record?
He might think it's a big joke but the only joke I can see is him, it's worse than pathetic he needs to be sacked,Now.
He might think it's a big joke but the only joke I can see is him, it's worse than pathetic he needs to be sacked,Now.
Scharnerarma
Vital Youth Team
Same here, Joffy has done really well when hes come on, and I think he'd have given us some impetus and goal threat if Cook had brought him on against Derby, but he does seem the type of player that could thrive when played with someone who can distract defenders and allow him that all important half a yard (like Moore, or even Garner).
We do have other options to Joffy that could have been introduced instead of Garner and Naismith last night - Windass is quite direct, and when not injured, Pilks is probably one of our best players. So as much as I agree that we did play well, with some more positive substitutions, we might well have won it. Its a good step in the right direction though with the performance and initial line up, just need Cook to be a bit more attacking with the substitutes (when appropriate), a bit more trusting in Joffy (although I don't have a problem with him being slowly introduced into the squad), and to not sub on Naismith at any opportunity! Hes a good player to have in the squad, but theres better options to bring on when pushing for a win in the later stages of a game.
Coddenchips
Vital Reserves Team
Who thinks it's a big joke? Presumably you are using a bit of 2nd hand gossip posted on here about a bit light hearted banter at a fan's forum almost a year ago as the basis for your latest brain cell free contribution.
Out of interest who was the last manager you didn't call for to be sacked?
hindleymonwafc
Vital Champions League
Cook got the formation and selection correct last night...I would have introduced Windass for some composure at some stage because those forwards that played have little of that when the goal posts loom.
