oafcprozac Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 Whilst I don't think shez is the man to take us up, nothing would please me more for him to succeed. The guy has been here over 10 years and gave us sterling service at pretty much every level. Getting rid of the manager is no guarantee of success of course it isn't, I said I'd give Shez 'til Christmas and there has been a lot of good this season alongside a fair bit of mystification and mediocrity. His hands are tied over Hughes and Taylor but I still think this squad is better than the one we had in 06/07 and it is unfortunate it is such a strong league this year - similar to 02/03 under Dowie. This squad with or without our two ginger talismen is good enough for the play offs. Hopefully Shez will make smart additions - he's done it in the past, to compensate for our lucrative losses in January. So Shez, I'll give you until valentine's day - prove me wrong! One last thing, I had a feeling we'd fall short yesterday. To avoid the ticket office queues I nipped for my Hudds tickets at 11.45am. Hughes amongst others strolled into the main entrance at this time. Bearing in mind kick off was just over an hour away is this sufficient preparation for a vital home game? How can a player's preparation be monitored if players are strolling in, getting changed and going straight out to play. How do we know what these guys are having for their pre-match breakfast or are they nipping to McDonald's or Tesco etc... ? Dowie and despite his other shortcomings Talbot would not have allowed this. Another question, I thought the Physio was involved in our matchday prep too? Corney was right, the preparation on matchday seems to be pisspoor. Sort it Shez, the minor details bring about bigger rewards and perhaps an explanantion why we are better away from home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opinions4u Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 Perhaps players should check in 3 hours before kick off and sit in the dressing room psyching themselves up. Be more specific about what you expect on matchday. I'm not suggesting the players should turn up 20 minutes before kick off, but what should they be doing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oafcprozac Posted December 29, 2008 Author Share Posted December 29, 2008 Perhaps players should check in 3 hours before kick off and sit in the dressing room psyching themselves up. Be more specific about what you expect on matchday. I'm not suggesting the players should turn up 20 minutes before kick off, but what should they be doing? They should at least eat a pre-match meal together, everyone doing their own thing does nothing for team spirit and how are the young lads monitored? I'm not having a dig at Hughes as i'm sure the guy is professional enough to look after himself but others in the squad are kids and perhaps do not know how to look after themselves as well. Probably why they seem to be permanently frequenting fast food outlets on Elk Mill at lunch-times through the week. Surely there needs to be a team meeting, time to get changed and to through a thorough warm-up, IMO just over an hour is not enough. Away from home there will be little option to do this and perhaps that is why we are reaping the rewards away from BP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opinions4u Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 There could be something in what you're saying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geordie Blue Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 Sheridans substitutions should be questioned too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kellys_discopants Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 (edited) They should at least eat a pre-match meal together, everyone doing their own thing does nothing for team spirit and how are the young lads monitored? For all you know they may well have done, but he`d just nipped to the shop or had to pick something up Edited December 29, 2008 by kellys_discopants Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Dowds Green Shirt Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 They should at least eat a pre-match meal together, everyone doing their own thing does nothing for team spirit and how are the young lads monitored? I'm not having a dig at Hughes as i'm sure the guy is professional enough to look after himself but others in the squad are kids and perhaps do not know how to look after themselves as well. Probably why they seem to be permanently frequenting fast food outlets on Elk Mill at lunch-times through the week. Surely there needs to be a team meeting, time to get changed and to through a thorough warm-up, IMO just over an hour is not enough. Away from home there will be little option to do this and perhaps that is why we are reaping the rewards away from BP. TBH Prozac, in my experience, not much has changed in terms of home match preparations since the Jimmy Friz era. Under Jimmy, Big Joe, Sharp, Warnock, Ritchie, The duffer from Newcastle, Dowie (with a couple of notable exceptions where he tried to instill an away mentality) Talbot and Moore, the players have been told to report in at between 1.00 & 1.30 depending on the manager. It's fairly common practice particularly at this level. Clubs will not spend the best part of £5-10K a season that they do not need to spend and believe that professional players act professionally on match days with their agreed diets. It's one of those things really, if your doing well, playing well, no one will question your methods, but if their is dissent in the ranks, then these type of questions get asked. Cheers, Harry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnny punkster Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 nicks papershop top o' sheepfoot lane does a roaring trade suppling butties for OAFC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peanuts Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 TBH Prozac, in my experience, not much has changed in terms of home match preparations since the Jimmy Friz era. Under Jimmy, Big Joe, Sharp, Warnock, Ritchie, The duffer from Newcastle, Dowie (with a couple of notable exceptions where he tried to instill an away mentality) Talbot and Moore, the players have been told to report in at between 1.00 & 1.30 depending on the manager. It's fairly common practice particularly at this level. Clubs will not spend the best part of £5-10K a season that they do not need to spend and believe that professional players act professionally on match days with their agreed diets. It's one of those things really, if your doing well, playing well, no one will question your methods, but if their is dissent in the ranks, then these type of questions get asked. Cheers, Harry didnt jobbo and currie once start on the bench after arriving at bp 5 mins after ko ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrikkiNikki Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 Each to their own, then. The away-day preparations are surely paying off and trying to replicate those circumstances at home has been tried before, without any obvious success. I agree about the youngsters, they need some sort of pre-match regime to get them in the right frame of mind. I used to enjoy watching Dowie put the team through its paces, it gave the fans a sense of appreciation and a belief that the team mean't business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
futchers briefs Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 Each to their own, then. The away-day preparations are surely paying off and trying to replicate those circumstances at home has been tried before, without any obvious success. I agree about the youngsters, they need some sort of pre-match regime to get them in the right frame of mind. I used to enjoy watching Dowie put the team through its paces, it gave the fans a sense of appreciation and a belief that the team mean't business. I agree, Dowies preps were top notch in terms of detail and having players prpared - however he had hand picked more or less, most of them players and they responded to the way he prepared. Each manager handles players and their pre match preparation very differently, whether you play in the premier league, 3rd division or N W Counties. looking at our squad, in terms of their fitness, they look as strong game wise as Dowies side did imo and i think a number of results this season would suggest that. I am sure Shez trusts his players pre match eating habits, the same as he seems to allow them a beer, when the time is right. If anybody can seriously suggest that getting together for a pre match meal, would have made Hughes, Taylor etc perform any better are really starting to look in the wrong direction. There seems very little wrong with the teams' togetherness and watching them hug and high 5 at Crewe, would suggest the same. Shez has his way and it can't be that far off, i'm sure the senior pro's know how to eat and i'm sure any of the 'focused youngsters' that we have at the club will be adhering to dietry advice as they will want to progress - anyone who doesn't i'm sure would be found out and gone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeslover Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 Aside from anything else, I'm not sure where you are going to put the whole squad to have their meal together on a match day. By the time corporates and blazers are sorted out you would probably end up with the players sitting in the changing rooms with a bowl of corn flakes on their knees. To say nothing of people liking to eat different things and at different times before playing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TafkaN Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 nicks papershop top o' sheepfoot lane does a roaring trade suppling butties for OAFC. My mother-in-law works for Nick part-time, and she sees the players regularly - she got one of the players (don't know who) to get my lad an away shirt signed by all the players as a Christmas present. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edhunteruk Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 Whilst I don't think shez is the man to take us up, nothing would please me more for him to succeed. The guy has been here over 10 years and gave us sterling service at pretty much every level. Getting rid of the manager is no guarantee of success of course it isn't, I said I'd give Shez 'til Christmas and there has been a lot of good this season alongside a fair bit of mystification and mediocrity. His hands are tied over Hughes and Taylor but I still think this squad is better than the one we had in 06/07 and it is unfortunate it is such a strong league this year - similar to 02/03 under Dowie. This squad with or without our two ginger talismen is good enough for the play offs. Hopefully Shez will make smart additions - he's done it in the past, to compensate for our lucrative losses in January. So Shez, I'll give you until valentine's day - prove me wrong! One last thing, I had a feeling we'd fall short yesterday. To avoid the ticket office queues I nipped for my Hudds tickets at 11.45am. Hughes amongst others strolled into the main entrance at this time. Bearing in mind kick off was just over an hour away is this sufficient preparation for a vital home game? How can a player's preparation be monitored if players are strolling in, getting changed and going straight out to play. How do we know what these guys are having for their pre-match breakfast or are they nipping to McDonald's or Tesco etc... ? Dowie and despite his other shortcomings Talbot would not have allowed this. Another question, I thought the Physio was involved in our matchday prep too? Corney was right, the preparation on matchday seems to be pisspoor. Sort it Shez, the minor details bring about bigger rewards and perhaps an explanantion why we are better away from home. i was one of those at the start of the season who said ill give him till christmas to sort it all out....then after the first 6 games i changed my view and said he has until the end of the season.... what are you going to do on valentines day if were just out of the playoff places....burn your season ticket outside bp in protest,send a letter to your local mp demanding shez be hung drawn and quartered in spindles.....send alan hardy or the 3 amigos a letter of exasberation....or never set foot in bp for the remainder of the season???? whatever happens between now and may,shez will be here....if he is to leave then it will be at the end of the season,any club that come january are sitting in the playoff spots only 6 points or so off automatic second are not going to change managers because the style of football or the use of substitutions arent quite what they should be.... i seriously doubt that players turning up an hour before kickoff has a detrimental effect on performances....the away day scenario is what it is because 9 times out of 10 the players travel the day before,stay overnight in a hotel,have a light training session the morning of a match then all eat together then turn up together and go through there warm up routines together.....there isnt the time at home games....players have families to attend to and other normal stuff and are trusted to stick with there dietry needs.... you may very well see players at elk mill fast food outlets during the week at lunch time...but they will have just finished a mornings training session and will burn it off 3 times faster than you or i would.... in an ideal world shez would adopt the dowie style of training,the players would be fitter and not get as fatigued during a game....but to be perfectly honest,the manager if an ex player will train his squad pretty much how he used to train himself....modern managers use modern techniques,sam allerdyce is a big fan of this,and one or two others,but there not the norm.... tbh i think your just picking away at little things that niggle you about shez,rather than looking at the bigger picture... now is not the time to judge,but come may if we have fallen away yet again and miss out on the playoffs,thats the time to say,sorry john...you have had 3 years and some of the best financial backing we have ever given to a manager..you havent produced and the club as a whole hasnt moved forward,thanks for your efforts but we wont be requiring your services any longer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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