Latics and England Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 I was very impressed with what I saw last night, particularly in the 1st Half. It was clear, however, that the fans are going to have to play a huge part by showing patience as the players develop the playing style. The philopsphy that Lee is trying to instill in the players is not something that is going to come easily to a lot of them. They are being asked to play an entertaining / passing style when at times it would be easier to revert to a big hoof up field. The decision to play the ball out from the back is going to lead to some almighty cock-ups but that doesn't make it the wrong decision. If we get the benefit that we should from playing this way, we have got to live with the inevitable consequences of conceding some stupid goals. For the players to have the confidence to carry on they can't be getting stick every time they give the ball away. Likewise, we need to show patience when we are chasing the game. Just before half time last night we were playing some lovely stuff around the half way line looking for the right ball to cut open the Derby defence. It didn't come off but it was the right thing to be doing. You could sense, however, that the fans were becoming restless with several shouts to just get it forward. We will need to develop a plan B for when this isn't happening but that needs to come over time. While they are developing this style they should not be trying to mix it up too much. If the players believe that they will ultimately revert to long ball, they won't fully believe in what they are doing. Unfortunately that will mean we lose some games in teh meantime. Unfortunately, Derby are a better side than we will see in League One and so they were able to figure out how to stop us. I can live with that if we learnt from it. I think we will win more games than we lose playing this brand of football and it will certainly be enjoyable. I just hope that the fans will back the amnagement and the players and give them time to prove it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slystallone Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 Here here I heard the groans and moans and shouts of get it bloody forward just before HT too. To be expected i guess. I lime this new style. Very easy on the eye. I hope the fans stick with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex_balls Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 Agree 100% and fully undestand the comment you make about fans getting restless when we were knocking it about, looking for that killer pass. Hopefully they'll find that ruthlessness to find the end pass and kill a few teams off starting with Walsall on Saturday, which I believe will be a real tough match, they've got a decent team at the moment and Westcarr certainly knows where the back of the net is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryBosch Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 I was very impressed with what I saw last night, particularly in the 1st Half. It was clear, however, that the fans are going to have to play a huge part by showing patience as the players develop the playing style. The philopsphy that Lee is trying to instill in the players is not something that is going to come easily to a lot of them. They are being asked to play an entertaining / passing style when at times it would be easier to revert to a big hoof up field. The decision to play the ball out from the back is going to lead to some almighty cock-ups but that doesn't make it the wrong decision. If we get the benefit that we should from playing this way, we have got to live with the inevitable consequences of conceding some stupid goals. For the players to have the confidence to carry on they can't be getting stick every time they give the ball away. Likewise, we need to show patience when we are chasing the game. Just before half time last night we were playing some lovely stuff around the half way line looking for the right ball to cut open the Derby defence. It didn't come off but it was the right thing to be doing. You could sense, however, that the fans were becoming restless with several shouts to just get it forward. We will need to develop a plan B for when this isn't happening but that needs to come over time. While they are developing this style they should not be trying to mix it up too much. If the players believe that they will ultimately revert to long ball, they won't fully believe in what they are doing. Unfortunately that will mean we lose some games in teh meantime. Unfortunately, Derby are a better side than we will see in League One and so they were able to figure out how to stop us. I can live with that if we learnt from it. I think we will win more games than we lose playing this brand of football and it will certainly be enjoyable. I just hope that the fans will back the amnagement and the players and give them time to prove it. Agree 100%. But I'm dismayed patience needs to a asked for on here after a 4-3 away win and a creditable narrow defeat against decent Championship opposition. I thought nothing could surprise me anymore on this message board. Every person I spoke to at and walking away from the ground, bar none, was positive and looking forward to Saturday. Yet on OWTB........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaticsChris Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 I agree 100% with these sentiments. My mate and I were saying during the game that whilst they learn this new style they will also have to learn when the hoof forward is the right ball, as sometimes that is what's needed to get out of trouble. Having said that it is brilliant to see a Latics team doing everything they can to find a blue shirt, keep possession and build an attack from the back. It was very enjoyable to watch last night, at least the first half. The second half became very frustrating as a decent Derby side got the measure of us and took a grip on the game, largely thanks to their superior use of possession. We won't face a team as well equipped as them in League One though, so I have no worries on that front. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OAFC10 Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 I also heard the moans of 'just get it forward' just before half time. What do some fans want!? We play long ball under Moore, they moan, we play a slick passing game under Johnson, they moan. I know which method of play I'd rather watch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hands on Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 The request is spot on. We got nothing from just hitting the ball forward and the shouts before half time to get it forward were not helpful. Beaten by a better, bigger and stronger team that resorted to time wasting because they couldn't get past our central defenders. Positives all the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slystallone Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 Just to add further. I highly doubt we will come up against a side as efficient and well drilled as Derby this season. Even from the relegated 'bigger sides'. Clough is now the longest serving manager in the Championship and some of those players have been with him since his early days. They have players who should either still be the Premiership (Sammon) or who will be there soon enough (Hughes, Smith, Jacobs) that side has taken 4/5 years to get together and to get te this point. I heard him say on Sunday on Sky that it is the strongest squad he's had in his time to date. They beat us 1 nil. I think some balance is needed. I havent read the thread yet, but i see there's one on the need for a CB. Now, i'm with many on here that currently don't see Mellor as a CB. But for me - he could be given a chance. Ball playing CB's who are comfortable on the ball and who can play it out from the back are central to the way LJ appears to want to play. I hear people asking for a Greegan-esq CB to come in. Don't we have 'almost' one of them already in Byrne? But - that's not the type of defender that suits the style of play we're looking at using. As I say above, I heard the moans and groans before HT. It's almost a football re-education that's needed for some. Simple choice really.... Big lumps who hoof it when they get it and te style of play that it promotes OR What we've seen during pre-season and the 1st 2 games of the season proper.....playing out fromthe back, playing to our player strengths, aying some lovely attack minded 'proper' football. I know which camp i'm in I hope the moans & groans don't have too much of an effect and force a change of tactics.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lags Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 Said it before and I'll say it here again now. We have most players who have been brought in this time on 2 or more year deals. The club learning to play LJ's way. Next season we'll have a well drilled squad with additions using Cliff and Wesso's wage money to boot. That's if they don't depart before. Again may I add I am not knocking both these two player's mentioned, just utilizing their wages better for the good of the squad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emcee Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 Well said Latics & England. Both central defenders have made mistakes but non of the mistakes have cost us a goal. Mellor made quite a few judgement errors last night but his head never went down and he always wanted the ball. They are a work in progress and I hope it works and the idiots keep off their backs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IceStationLatic Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 Yes, it's not just on here. There were a few "Forward" moans in the Chaddy too. Quite of few of the toned down but similar criticism - "One pass to many". Then they let rip the first time we give the ball away. Just waiting for the inevitable - playing passing football doesn't work at this level... Worked okay for Swansea didn't it... Our passing in that first half was Championship standard. JCH just needs to learn to read Rooney's flick-ons and touches etc and improve his movement. However, when we are playing with JCH, I do think it wouldn't harm to mix it up with the odd 'long ball' down the channel. JCH, if he keeps his head and discipline, would have the pace and muscle to trouble most full-backs (and a lot of centre-backs) in that situation and could hold the ball up in this division. It's a simple, effective alternative to always passing from the back. Derby use it well with Sammon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simoncorneyisgod Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 Had to really bite my tongue in the main stand last night.....5 mins in we took a quick goal kick to Mellor and 6 passes later Dayton was in behind but scuffed his shot over the bar...the fans were quite rightly on their feet...fast forward to the 2nd half and some were screaming for it to be hit long. Rooney won 1 header all night I think.....nothing against him as I thought Keogh was excellent but his game is better with ball to feet (back to goal) and then bringing the wingers into play. we have to continue playing the ball out of defence and there will be a lot of occasions when Smith or Baxter lose the ball in a dangerous position but overall we will create opportunities playing this way. Lumping it forward will not work with the players we have. I just hope the 'home' contingent stick with what LJ and the team are buying into especially with such a young side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opinions4u Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 In defence of the moans at 46 minutes, we were in the dying moments of injury time and were running the risk of ending the half with some lovely possession but no goal attempt. In the main I'm in complete agreement with the call for patience. But there are times to up the tempo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forever blue Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 Had to really bite my tongue in the main stand last night.....5 mins in we took a quick goal kick to Mellor and 6 passes later Dayton was in behind but scuffed his shot over the bar...the fans were quite rightly on their feet...fast forward to the 2nd half and some were screaming for it to be hit long. Rooney won 1 header all night I think.....nothing against him as I thought Keogh was excellent but his game is better with ball to feet (back to goal) and then bringing the wingers into play. we have to continue playing the ball out of defence and there will be a lot of occasions when Smith or Baxter lose the ball in a dangerous position but overall we will create opportunities playing this way. Lumping it forward will not work with the players we have. I just hope the 'home' contingent stick with what LJ and the team are buying into especially with such a young side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forever blue Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 Had to tune in to latics player last night and when the commentary broke down I switched over to the Derby reports. They were very complimentary of latics saying that they should be up there in the top ten of the division. And that will do for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daboke Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 In response to this, did any notice Baxter's rant at the end of the second half. It epitomises what has been said here. We were playing some nice football, passing it around, patiently waiting for that killer pass through the middle - unfortunately one of our players resorted to a long ball which was offside, thus losing possession. Baxter was as frustrated as many of us fans and made it very noticeable. Although I thought he should have waited to blast aforementioned player during the break, he was right to be angry at the wasteful ball - completely against what we were trying to do. All the players know what is required. There will, however be the odd lapse to pre-LJ days.... for a few games. I was very impressed with the team as a whole yesterday and am excited about this season. We will be promoted. Also very proud of the fans. Well done all round. Come on you blues! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pine Villains Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 Yet on OWTB........ It's as if there's a society of moaning bastards that secretly control the internet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryBosch Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 It's as if there's a society of moaning bastards that secretly control the internet. The Illuminarsey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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