chris_ktf

Chris, In no way did I mean to denigrate your post, I just happened to post after you. If all the posts were of a similar objective view then OWTB would be a more interesting forum. I did say some. Some. Not all. Yours was the exact opposite of posts I was referring to.

Fair play singe. Thought you were replying to my post

LJ is a enigma to me. He's great on one hand an utterly baffling on the other. He can pick a player, we got a fee for smith- an ill wager we get money for JCH an Dieng- in time. He doesn't take :censored:. He's improved players- Brown number 1 example. He can wheel an deal- locky, J Wilson. He talks sense, not well or charming a la Dickov, he talks sense.

And yet, he won't play two strikers up front, in a side lacking goals at home. He routinely plays out an out strikers as wingers??????? He hasn't added a striker yet, but is keen to bring LLera in, when we've already got three cracking centre halfs already in IMO. As others have said, he won't give Winchester a run- yet he effects the game every time I see him play.

At home we've no one anywhere near clinical enough to be 'hard to beat' but take one of a few chances in a game an grab your 1 -0.

Away from home, different story- we are set up perfectly, less pressure, a draw is always a good result away from home. If we nick one, great. If not, we get a draw.

I'd like us to play the style of those last ten games away from home. I think we'll do very well.

But at home unless he gambles, and imposes us on the opposition- rather than us stopping them. then the idea we'll be better off points wise is fantasy to me.

I don't expect Barcelona. I just want players in natural positions, a willingness to commit players in the final third. An (as daft as it sounds) the sense we are trying to win at home, instead of not losing.

 

We wont hit anyone on the break at home - teams know how we played / play and will come for a draw unless they are a top side.

Spot on. We're not hard to figure out. Home games will be a stalemate. Away side happy for a point. An us supposed happy just not get beat.

I get why LJ is doing it. I really do. But I don't think we 're clinical enough to get enough wins to justify the vast majority of the football being hard to watch.

Bleeding hell, there is some premature ejaculating going on here.

I am sure it was not pretty, but

a) Its our 3rd pre season friendly, can't surely count Steaua

Seems pretty hot and humid, hardly great conditions to be running around like headless chickens

c) We are several players short of our team that will start the season.

d) 20% of the squad were trialists.

 

And already some have written off our season, and decided how we are going to play.

And conveniently ignore the other games performances.

Better check, but am sure the most negative posters offered no such comments after we beat Newcastle.

We are not going to walk this lead after beating Newcastle, but nor are we going to be relegated by September by drawing with Melbourne City.

Maybe distance adds some perspective.

I still don't get some peoples rush to for a judgement.

Reminds me of what Spike Milligan said he wanted on his tombstone "I told you I was ill"

"I told you Latics were crap" .I am convinced some want us to be relegated so that they can derive some perverse pleasure from saying "I called it on pre-season"

or "I called it once we changed our name from Pine Villa"

Eh?

I went today. Stand looked great. Brown, Kelly, an Dayton played well. I'd like us to be much more attacking at home, an finish top half. I don't think we will sadly. Does that mean we're :censored:ed? Er, no.

Think you an others like pigeon holeing people. Or moaning about perceived moaning. It's message board. Why does anyone have to have an agenda, instead of just an opinion.

All though I wouldn't be as doom an gloom as yard dog. He has a point. We are set exactly the same as those last ten games, hard to beat. We stop the opposition. Rather than imposing ourselves. Yes, yes, it's only pre season. . But the signs are there. Anyone who thinks we're going to any different to that is well wide of the mark IMO.

I'll wager we don't score many at home this season. 1, he won't play two strikers a lot, 2, JCH while a rough diamond, isn't clinical enough. 3 he likes playing strikers on the wing. . .

The point people are making about us progressing by being 'hard to beat' is irrelevant. Because your only as good as your strikers in this league, an if you can't score your 'one chance' or don't create a lot you won't win many.

Having said all that, I do understand LJ position,

we ain't got any money, we can't afford a really decent striker, so he's going with what he thinks will get us the most points on the budget we've got. I just don't think his style will bring anything more than lower mid table.

Liked forte, thought Kelly played well. Dayton looked far more effective in the hole. Brown was class- at left back! Gros- er noooooooo!

Funny how quite are a few are coming up with alternatives- that you could interpret as very similar to 'keep the faith.' It's all much of muchness.

People are saying, 'it's :censored:, it has no ambition'

Er. . . . For the vast majority of time in our history we've been :censored:! With nothing else to keep us going than hope. That's not having a go at the good things going on at the club at the moment, but let's be honest we're a small club in division 3. It would be farcical an totally cringeworthy to have something that's pretending to be something we're not.

That doesn't mean I want mediorcity for ever, I'm just realistic to who we are an what we could achieve- which for me 'keep the faith' fits perfectly.

I don't see it as pessimistic at all. On the contrary without hope of better days, why bother?

I think of it as a tongue in cheek reminder not to let the vast majority of :censored:e we watch get you down.

An the point about which division your in isn't important. Apart from a very select few, I think every club hopes an dreams of better times ahead.

Great news. Said when it was first mooted, the fact we're mixing it with Ashley an not trev's paper shop makes me feel a little bit big time again. The name sounds awful, but who cares!

It was a season of halves wasn't it?

 

1st we saw some pretty decent football played, and whilst we weren't getting the results, I for one was entertained & enjoyed what i saw.

 

2nd half of the season, the players and tactics changed, and we played some pretty dull stuff. But it saw us get the results needed to stay up and climb the league. But i didnt enjoy it and wasnt at all entertained in the slightest. Home and away games were actually pretty :censored:e. But it served us as a means to an end and we stayed in L1.

 

I hope he's learned, and can strike a balance between the dull but results driven 2nd half of the season added to the flair and entertainment of the 1st half.

 

He's a young manager though is LJ, and i dobt think you can pin him down to a specific style just yet. Cotterill on the other hand is a seasoned manager, who i argue you can do that to. And he is a functional style of manager. Gets sides organised and solid, with rigid tactics and a core of players. As i say, functional...

Id agree with a lot of that; but I'll wager it already has become his style. Similar to Cotterill. Which of the two halves of last season was more successful points wise? I could be wrong, but I don't think we've signed anyone under 6ft in pre season. To me, he wants to pick up where he left off. Solid, organised, look to bully teams. I'm sure LJ would say he wants to attack an be positive, but privately I think realises we were a soft touch at the start of last year. As you say it's a balancing act. Do we try an entertain an finish bottom 8. Or make us hard to beat ( an poor to watch) an finish top half? We haven't got the budget IMO for style an top half.

Hope I'm wrong, an he can find that balance; but I see a lot of the last ten games being served up this year. ( which if we finish top 10, won't be bad a thing)

Yep, beat me to it.

Pulling together a decent side, on a very healthy budget is one thing.

I agree its a very decent squad.

 

Cotterill is not my type of manager though. His football is functional at best, and he comes across pretty poorly in all the media i've seen.

Just my opinion mind.

 

Good luck for the coming season & all that...

 

EDIT: also, how many of those were already at the club when Cotterill arrived? A fair chunk no?

Isn't LJ's style functional sly? It ain't exciting. Truly hope we're more positive this season, particulary at home.

I've said it so many times, the football since shez is largely very, very boring. I sit there most home games playing on my phone, taking the piss out of oppo bench/subs. It is very dull.

I've never had blind loyalty, (total fair play to those that do because the club would fold without them) if it's particulary bad I give the next one or two a miss. Equally if they put in any kind of performance (not even result) I don't miss the next three.

What do you want for your money? I just want get off my seat once or twice, as see us try an be positive. That's it. Unfortunately we very rarely even see that.

I'll be there though come the start of the season. Quietly confident we can mount a challenge. . Until they inevitably sap my enthusiasm away.

Smith is a better footballer than wes.

Wes had a better season than Smith. ( see end of season awards. )

Wes has got the security of a three year deal. Good luck to him.

Neither of them are that good. Or they wouldn't play/played for us.

OK

 

 

Effective? How? Seriously please explain

 

He had a good season and was consistant but other than work rate how was he most effective.

He scored more goals for a start.

I'd have liked Wes to stay. I think he's a good player. But ultimately I don't give that much of a :censored: that he's gone, which I'd be saying about any member of the squad. Let's face it, they're all replaceable.

Spot on.

So all in all a better player IMO.

Better player? Not so sure about that. What I like about Mills is that he's a genuinely attacking full-back. That's the aspect of his game that's better than Grounds's but Grounds is the better defender.

 

That said, Mills is as good a signing as we could reasonably have expected for a new left-back. Good player, still young and may bag the club a few quid in time.

I think it's fair comment to say grounds is a better defender, but mills isn't :censored: defensively, and for me he offers the team so much more; namely Set pieces, crossing, and genuine pace!

The bottom line is that pretty much all of us think we've replaced Grounds, who was signed by one of the bigger Championship clubs in Birmingham City, with a better player.

And a more saleable player.

Spot on.

Great signing. Would have mills over grounds at LB any day of the week.

I'm not taking anything away from LJ's tactics for the last 9 games. He has found a solution and a settled side that performed admirably with backs against the wall, epitomised by the steady Lockwood. However, this can't be the future and I don't think that you can enter a new season with a brand of football like the one we have produced over the last 2 months.

 

Today LJ had the opportunity to play our own players and play an attacking, exciting brand of football which final days of the season (once safe) is all about. DP was ineffective once again in a deep role and I pray we haven't given him a two-year deal to play in a static midfield role; how Wes is the more advanced of the two is beyond me. JCH deserves so much credit this season for knuckling down and improving; surely a partner to play alongside would have been a better approach today. Worrall is a player who I just see as a hardworking midfielder and we simply need more creativity and ability out wide - Connor Brown looked the bigger threat on the right today. It was a perfect opportunity to play Winchester wide right today and if Kissock has a chance of a contract play him. Surely if LJ wants Worrall (and I hope he doesn't) he already knows what he can produce. As for the brain fart Lockwood had in that 2nd half - what on earth was he playing at? He is lucky most games that the officials allow his hands and arms approach to go unpunished, but he spolit the last 20mins for a ludicrous hauling down 35 yards from goal, having been given a yellow for arguing against a nailed on penalty.

 

It's been an acceptable first season for LJ. I hope he has learnt a lot from the tinkerman approach (40 players?), but really want him to remember his initial meeting and the style of play he brought into this season and finds a balance to take into 2014/15. We have not scored 2 at home, barring the anomaly against Posh, since the end of November and simply haven't looked like doing so. It can be no coincidence that LJ's Latics in 2013/14 have failed to go 2-0 up in any league game all season long, without ever really going after teams. Lets hope this changes.

 

Keep the Faith!

Top post. Totally agree.

10 unbeaten you miserable sods to end the season on a high. We've got something to look forward to with new stand and a gaffer with a long tough season experience under him where he will have learnt a hell of a lot.

 

Pitch invasions are :censored:ing embarrassing though.

The bigger picture is quite rosy. The fact remains we are so dull at home. Feel like I'm watching the same game on a loop. Competitive, resolute, but NO CUTTING EDGE. The subs he made were baffling.

Of our 'front three' Thought JCH had a cracking game, but was so isolated he got no reward for his flicks, headers, an hold up play.

Worral. Jury is out for me, think I saw one cross? Doesn't look like he can beat a man, but at the very least puts himself about.

Harkins. . I'm sorry but I don't see him as a winger. Obviously very technically gifted. An he does try. ( which for his type of player, is a pleasant surprise) but he is so slow it's scary. He doesn't effect the game anywhere nearly enough. which for his technical ability is a crime.

Quick wingers are what we need if he wants to play that system at home.

Great news!

 

LJ needs to decide where he wants him to play and let him improve in that position. Its very good to be able to switch all the time but a little continuity will help with the players over all improvment and form IMO

Agreed.

He's our top scorer, an IMO our best finisher. Yet has played big chunks of the season on the left wing. Very, very strange from LJ. Especially with our lack of goals.

Given a proper run up top I think he would have had 15+ this year. I'll be really miffed if he doesn't get a proper go in his preferred position next year.

He's quality for our budget.

Great result. Clean sheet. Excellent run of results continues.

 

Superb goal from Dayton, reminding me of John Barnes in the Maracana.

 

Horrible game of football. If that's the best Carlisle have got to offer then they're goners.

 

I'm still not totally convinced the 16 points from 8 games is the start of something special. While we were the better side we didn't really get at the Carlisle defence effectively. The defence is still static at set pieces, the middle five unadventurous and JCH ineffective in his isolated striker role. But I'll take ugly away wins like that.

 

Worrall had the first half from hell, wasting possession on numerous occasions. He was replaced by Dayton just as he was getting into the game.

 

Harkins has either lost his buzz or been sussed. When two defenders are on him the full back needs to overlap. Doesn't happen. Next week I'd drop the hardworking Philliskirk to the bench and play Harkins up top with JCH and get Dayton on the left.

 

Wes was my MOTM while Korey did carry the ball forwards well, but too often lacked support in advanced positions or delayed the pass too long.

 

It was poor to watch, lacking in any quality besides the Dayton goal, but it was a welcome win.

 

And Cumbria Constabulary, who let the dogs out? That was completely unnecessary.

That sounds very familiar.

I'm torn, Obviously pleased we've stayed up. We seem much more compact an resolute. An manky 1-0 away wins are always welcome.

However for very large parts of the season the football has been very poor to watch.

Genuine question. Is it impossible to compete playing the right way?

It seems consecutive managers come in wanting to play. Panic after 15 games. An for the rest of their tenture we're subjected to a don't lose mentality. Instead imposing ourselves an trying to win a game. I accept that it's their job on line, an it's a results business. However it's not massive changes- play your top scorer in his preferred position. Play two up at home.

Lots to forward to next year, but the style of play especially at home has got to change IMO.

As irrational as this may sound, it me makes feel like we're a little bit big time again. Chuffed for the club as a whole.

I think the target of 51 points has influenced the playing style, away from home where one point is seen as satisfactory it's fine, but at home such tactics will make some fans hesitant about renewing their season tickets.

Being a lone striker is physically and mentally demanding and IMO its too much to ask of Clarke-Harris to fulfill such a role throughout a season.

If the club is safe I will look to the Notts County game as an indicator, if LJ plays the same system against them I fear that's how it will be at home next season with very few goals scored.

Yeah I thought JCH struggled. Not his fault. I don't agree about the 51 points though BP. We've played like that at home all season. Bar the odd performance. Dayton header, an Harris free kick. The only two bits of anything to remember yesterday.

Its that time of year again.....

 

 

 

 

 

Only 3 games to go. The time when he comes into his own....

 

 

 

 

 

 

A time when he proves that he can play football.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can he once again con his way to another year as a professional footballer.....

 

 

 

 

Can he even get in the team this time.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is it as bird.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is it a plane.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is it a striker.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is it a winger.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Will Kirk Millar get another contract?

Haha. Class.

On paper it is but in those 9 games we've played the 2 teams getting promoted automatically, also the teams with the 2nd, 4th and 6th best away records (the 2 teams known to be going up are 1st and 5th). Take out those 5 games, and it's 4 games 3 goals, 2 wins and 2 draws, which is a lot better and results wise actually pretty good. The 3 goals in 4 games is still relatively poor though, however, we've only conceded once in those 4 games.

 

You are right in saying some fans want to be entertained if they are paying around £350 for a season ticket, personally I want to watch us win, and if not win draw, if that comes with entertaining high scoring games of football then all the better, but primarily I want to watch us win. The best way to win a football game, IMHO, is to make sure you don't concede, we've been doing that.

Totally agree with that last point.

If we were top six, but generally poor on the eye. No problem. But we've been bottom six for the most of the season, with uninspiring football at home. Not a good mix.