king_dezeeuw06
Vital Champions League
I think some on here are giving Windass way too much influence to suggest that we were so poor so long down to his presence in the dressing room and him being gone is the difference maker. He may not have helped but I suspect he was a minor issues.
He wasn't responsible for picking dodgy sides, negative tactics, making odd subs and no one being able to concentrate on set pieces and generally a lot of players not playing well. Those were the things doing us in and Josh had little influence on most of that.
I think that Josh leaving probably has little or no difference in the turn around think it's been a combination of lots factors some deliberate and some accidental changed forced by injuries. We've haphazardly tried lots of things over the season and slowly managed to work out better way of doing things that lead us to the improvement we've seen. It's now a bit like the perfect storm of changes that have lead us to something like that one Martinez startling turn around - when we almost inexplicably turned into world beaters in a blink of an eye after being garbage all season.
It's hard to pin point everything for certain but my theory of the key changes are;
If you look back the seeds of the turn around started to shown after the terrible Reading and Luton back to back defeats. It felt like that was rock bottom and caused some re-evaluation in the camp and maybe even the development of a siege mentality. It wasn't like a switch flipped and we suddenly stopped doing all the things we did wrong but it was then the very noticeable change from relentless long ball to a more passing based game was made and i think that is the biggest individual factor. As it was just so ineffective offensively, while defensively just gave posession away so the ball came back at us every time. Plus all of the chasing both in and out of posession left us absolutely knackered and vulnerable to conceeding so many late goals - it made us look unfit because we were forcing ourselves to run so much more than the opposition. We still play a fair bit of long ball but it's not anything like it was and I think the very obvious concerted effort to try and play more football built the foundation that have allowed the other changes to start to work.
What also coinsided with this was Naismith moving to centre half. While people may point to his positive impact on carrying the ball out i think we miss the bigger difference which was Kipre moving from left to right centre half and being forced for the first time to lead the back line was a big difference maker. Kipre is right footed so it is probably a more comfotable fit for him and going from being the follower to the leader seems to have brought the best out of him and those around him. He mentioned this in an interview when it first happened and the organisation has gradually looked better. Along with this has been the decrease in last minute and set piece goals against us. We still have those weaknesses but it's nowherr near as bad which I imagine has been down to lots of work on the training ground too.
In line with the decrease of blind long ball i think we've finally started getting something out of Moore. Having the option to go long is different from trying to force it all the time and his presence in the side changes the opposition approach to us. As even if he doesn't cause much threat on goal he occupies the opposition and gives us an out ball to allows us to push up better more and gives us more space to play out more from the back.
I think Morsy has started to take more attacking responsibility and getting forward and willing to get involved. He always comes from deep so is often not marked and in space so that occasional extra potential threat has generated a few goals and assists from deep. Not just that but his overall game has improved and after a difficult start it seems him and Williams have found a way to make their partnership work.
Balogun added to the back line has obviously helped make things even better as he is a very good player. Helping us look more solid. Maybe he is even leading Kipre now but whoever is calling the shots it is looking a genuinely great partnership now.
I do wonder if Robinson coming out of the side has helped as we were very reliant on him taking the ball forward which he was excellent at but he had little end product. Meaning that the side has had to try and do things differently rather than just looking for him every time.
More recently Massey, Jacobs and Lowe have been non entities most of the season but have started to contribute and having everyone involved rather than 8 or 9 in the thick of it with a few passengers will obviously make a big difference.
The away win at Birmingham seemed like it exorcised the away day hoodoo. Keeping a couple clean sheet reccently seems to have helped shake off the last minute collapses too.
I think there has been a noticeable improvement in our game management in recent games. We've also generally been a bit more positive in our play and subs in terms of trying to win games where previously it seemed like we were more trying just not to lose.
Then on top of that some good luck going our way, some players finding better form and the obvious improved confidence better results breeds.
I also think when we went 7 adrift thanks to the postponed Sheff Wed game we had 10 days to think about everything and Garner said there was some kind of big meeting that he felt galvanised the players. So results since then have been better so that could be part of it. Someone previously mentioned something similar happened at Portsmouth.
And finally we're getting to the stage of the season where the league has settled into shape - teams know who is good, bad and indifferent and players know if they are playing for survival, promotion or nothing. Determination, motivation, laziness, complacency all rise and fall depending on which team you are and who you are playing and it's why you so often see the relegation sides pull out shock results in every league every season - you get a team fighting for it's life vs a side fighting for it's dinner and the difference in intensity can outweigh ability. So I think our poor season has made teams take us lightly and now we are getting our act together we are catching them cold.
I also remember last season Morsy said in an interview that the players were not worried about relegation during the poor middle run but there came a point where they started to get worried and they immediately upped their game and produced the Norwich and Leeds performances that saved us. I wonder if something similar happened this year, if there was a belief we would get out of it and suddenly that misplaced confidence broke and they upped their game.
Obviously all of the above happened at different stages rather than all in one big overnight go. And I'm sure there are lots of other bits and pieces and theories but whatever it was it has worked. So fair play to all involved in that including the manager. But if you'd have said when we had something like 14 without a win, 2 away wins in something like 36 etc heading into the new year that we'd end up with 4 away wins in the next 6, and top of the form league in the next 8 beating the top 2 away you'd haven been called mad. It truly is a remarkable turn around very reminiscent of the Roberto one. Let's just hope we finish the job now as still a long way to go and this remarkable come back could yet be for nothing if we take our foot off the gas.
He wasn't responsible for picking dodgy sides, negative tactics, making odd subs and no one being able to concentrate on set pieces and generally a lot of players not playing well. Those were the things doing us in and Josh had little influence on most of that.
I think that Josh leaving probably has little or no difference in the turn around think it's been a combination of lots factors some deliberate and some accidental changed forced by injuries. We've haphazardly tried lots of things over the season and slowly managed to work out better way of doing things that lead us to the improvement we've seen. It's now a bit like the perfect storm of changes that have lead us to something like that one Martinez startling turn around - when we almost inexplicably turned into world beaters in a blink of an eye after being garbage all season.
It's hard to pin point everything for certain but my theory of the key changes are;
If you look back the seeds of the turn around started to shown after the terrible Reading and Luton back to back defeats. It felt like that was rock bottom and caused some re-evaluation in the camp and maybe even the development of a siege mentality. It wasn't like a switch flipped and we suddenly stopped doing all the things we did wrong but it was then the very noticeable change from relentless long ball to a more passing based game was made and i think that is the biggest individual factor. As it was just so ineffective offensively, while defensively just gave posession away so the ball came back at us every time. Plus all of the chasing both in and out of posession left us absolutely knackered and vulnerable to conceeding so many late goals - it made us look unfit because we were forcing ourselves to run so much more than the opposition. We still play a fair bit of long ball but it's not anything like it was and I think the very obvious concerted effort to try and play more football built the foundation that have allowed the other changes to start to work.
What also coinsided with this was Naismith moving to centre half. While people may point to his positive impact on carrying the ball out i think we miss the bigger difference which was Kipre moving from left to right centre half and being forced for the first time to lead the back line was a big difference maker. Kipre is right footed so it is probably a more comfotable fit for him and going from being the follower to the leader seems to have brought the best out of him and those around him. He mentioned this in an interview when it first happened and the organisation has gradually looked better. Along with this has been the decrease in last minute and set piece goals against us. We still have those weaknesses but it's nowherr near as bad which I imagine has been down to lots of work on the training ground too.
In line with the decrease of blind long ball i think we've finally started getting something out of Moore. Having the option to go long is different from trying to force it all the time and his presence in the side changes the opposition approach to us. As even if he doesn't cause much threat on goal he occupies the opposition and gives us an out ball to allows us to push up better more and gives us more space to play out more from the back.
I think Morsy has started to take more attacking responsibility and getting forward and willing to get involved. He always comes from deep so is often not marked and in space so that occasional extra potential threat has generated a few goals and assists from deep. Not just that but his overall game has improved and after a difficult start it seems him and Williams have found a way to make their partnership work.
Balogun added to the back line has obviously helped make things even better as he is a very good player. Helping us look more solid. Maybe he is even leading Kipre now but whoever is calling the shots it is looking a genuinely great partnership now.
I do wonder if Robinson coming out of the side has helped as we were very reliant on him taking the ball forward which he was excellent at but he had little end product. Meaning that the side has had to try and do things differently rather than just looking for him every time.
More recently Massey, Jacobs and Lowe have been non entities most of the season but have started to contribute and having everyone involved rather than 8 or 9 in the thick of it with a few passengers will obviously make a big difference.
The away win at Birmingham seemed like it exorcised the away day hoodoo. Keeping a couple clean sheet reccently seems to have helped shake off the last minute collapses too.
I think there has been a noticeable improvement in our game management in recent games. We've also generally been a bit more positive in our play and subs in terms of trying to win games where previously it seemed like we were more trying just not to lose.
Then on top of that some good luck going our way, some players finding better form and the obvious improved confidence better results breeds.
I also think when we went 7 adrift thanks to the postponed Sheff Wed game we had 10 days to think about everything and Garner said there was some kind of big meeting that he felt galvanised the players. So results since then have been better so that could be part of it. Someone previously mentioned something similar happened at Portsmouth.
And finally we're getting to the stage of the season where the league has settled into shape - teams know who is good, bad and indifferent and players know if they are playing for survival, promotion or nothing. Determination, motivation, laziness, complacency all rise and fall depending on which team you are and who you are playing and it's why you so often see the relegation sides pull out shock results in every league every season - you get a team fighting for it's life vs a side fighting for it's dinner and the difference in intensity can outweigh ability. So I think our poor season has made teams take us lightly and now we are getting our act together we are catching them cold.
I also remember last season Morsy said in an interview that the players were not worried about relegation during the poor middle run but there came a point where they started to get worried and they immediately upped their game and produced the Norwich and Leeds performances that saved us. I wonder if something similar happened this year, if there was a belief we would get out of it and suddenly that misplaced confidence broke and they upped their game.
Obviously all of the above happened at different stages rather than all in one big overnight go. And I'm sure there are lots of other bits and pieces and theories but whatever it was it has worked. So fair play to all involved in that including the manager. But if you'd have said when we had something like 14 without a win, 2 away wins in something like 36 etc heading into the new year that we'd end up with 4 away wins in the next 6, and top of the form league in the next 8 beating the top 2 away you'd haven been called mad. It truly is a remarkable turn around very reminiscent of the Roberto one. Let's just hope we finish the job now as still a long way to go and this remarkable come back could yet be for nothing if we take our foot off the gas.
). 
