Southport

[L1onheartNew]

47 minutes ago, JoeP said:

 

888!

Three fat ladies would fill any away end.

[JohnnyPimp]

51 minutes ago, JoeP said:

We generally set-up for home games in the National League in the way I'd expect us to set-up in an away fixture at The Etihad.  With the players we've got, I don't think we should be afraid to have a go at any team from the off, but (unless something drastic changes in Unsworth's thinking between now and the start of the season) that's exactly how Unsworth will set us up.

We did, in fairness, take the lead in the first half of our last five home games of the season, albeit, we only went on to win two and draw three, conceding late equalisers in those.

[LaticsLegend]

Did anyone ask him about this approach/style at either of the recent fans forums?

 

Seems to be lots of vocal opinions on it but don't remember anyone asking the questions that are being asked in here.

[Monty Burns]

13 minutes ago, LaticsLegend said:

Did anyone ask him about this approach/style at either of the recent fans forums?

 

Seems to be lots of vocal opinions on it but don't remember anyone asking the questions that are being asked in here.

yeah he said he is gona play winning Football and if we manage to look nice doing it then thats what everybody wants

[longtimeblue]

19 minutes ago, LaticsLegend said:

Did anyone ask him about this approach/style at either of the recent fans forums?

 

Seems to be lots of vocal opinions on it but don't remember anyone asking the questions that are being asked in here.

 

He gave an entirely expected generic answer. Not sure what else he could say to be fair.

[GlossopLatic]

3 hours ago, JoeP said:

 

But this is my issue with Unsworth - I don't think it's about signings, it's about his tactics.  It is a lower standard than we're used to, but we're supposedly going to be one of the big hitters next season, but I just don't think Unsworth knows how to set-up a team to take the initiative.  The whole way he sets up isn't going to change if he makes that one "code-breaker" signing.

 

We generally set-up for home games in the National League in the way I'd expect us to set-up in an away fixture at The Etihad.  With the players we've got, I don't think we should be afraid to have a go at any team from the off, but (unless something drastic changes in Unsworth's thinking between now and the start of the season) that's exactly how Unsworth will set us up.  If it gets results - fine (not great, but fine) but the second the results start to drop, he needs to go for me because it's not good enough.  From game one.

 

FWIW, I think Green is the most exciting player we have and Nutall should be last choice from our striking options.

 

I think Tactics are overrated interms of how much fans think they make a difference in 2021-22 we had 3 managers playing different ways they all failed because they didn't have the players. Yet a good group of players can play different tactics and will still win.

 

The Tactics employed between Jan and April didn't stop us winning games. If you play an open expansive game but win 4-3 one week and lose 3-2 the next week draw 3-3 the week after you might have seen 18 goals in that time but you will have only got 4 from 9 and that won't get you promoted. If we have a free scoring team that doesn't win matches because it ships goals in left right and centre then he will still get sacked because people will get frustrated about shipping too many goals and being mid table. Which won't be good enough for us next season.

 

Winning will come first regardless of tactics if we do it with abit of style that's a bonus.

Edited July 16, 2023 by GlossopLatic

[LightDN123]

His football is shite. I think that’s just how it is. He is simply making us compact and hard to beat, with a focus on work rate. Though the work rate will be focused more on getting back into shape rather than pressing the opposition. He will then hope that the superior quality of our players get us over the line when we do retrieve the ball. 

 

It’s not the football I like watching, I still maintain he’s a below average manager. But I banged that drum far too much last season m and accepted he isn’t going anytime soon.

 

I hope more than anything that he gets us promoted and we are able to win more games far more than we have in previous seasons and I believe we will. But a part of me is niggling away saying we won’t with DU in charge. 

[JoeP]

2 hours ago, JohnnyPimp said:

We did, in fairness, take the lead in the first half of our last five home games of the season, albeit, we only went on to win two and draw three, conceding late equalisers in those.

 

You can't argue with stats, but it's never felt like we've really bossed a game under Unsworth.

[League one forever]

5 hours ago, True Tic said:

He’s definitely insistent on playing a grinding, defensive game, which is fine if we come away with the points when we do it. A few games towards the end of the season back fired though and we conceded late on. There’s a lot more practice needed if he want to be successful with this method of playing .  It’s certainly hard to watch but if it eventually gets us out of where we are then so be it. 

Exactly where I am. 

[yarddog73]

26 minutes ago, GlossopLatic said:

 

I think Tactics are overrated interms of how much fans think they make a difference in 2021-22 we had 3 managers playing different ways they all failed because they didn't have the players. Yet a good group of players can play different tactics and will still win.

 

The Tactics employed between Jan and April didn't stop us winning games. If you play an open expansive game but win 4-3 one week and lose 3-2 the next week draw 3-3 the week after you might have seen 18 goals in that time but you will have only got 4 from 9 and that won't get you promoted. If we have a free scoring team that doesn't win matches because it ships goals in left right and centre then he will still get sacked because people will get frustrated about shipping too many goals and being mid table. Which won't be good enough for us next season.

 

Winning will come first regardless of tactics if we do it with abit of style that's a bonus.

My view is the complete opposite and early in the season last year I had a new found respect for managers at this level, they are better than you think mainly because they don't have the players a team like ours will have at our disposal, they are particularly good at exploiting weakness and creating overloads that generally we don't respond to, it's why we invite pressure as games go on because Unsworth is happy to just play Rhinoball, hopefully with better defenders we can hold on to more points but having seen us now I fear it is going to be more of the same turgid shite we've become accustomed to unfortunately. I hoped for a new approach but he literally only knows the one way to play and whilst we will obviously be okay my initial thoughts that we may challenge this season are now fanciful. 

 

[GlossopLatic]

10 minutes ago, yarddog73 said:

My view is the complete opposite and early in the season last year I had a new found respect for managers at this level, they are better than you think mainly because they don't have the players a team like ours will have at our disposal, they are particularly good at exploiting weakness and creating overloads that generally we don't respond to, it's why we invite pressure as games go on because Unsworth is happy to just play Rhinoball, hopefully with better defenders we can hold on to more points but having seen us now I fear it is going to be more of the same turgid shite we've become accustomed to unfortunately. I hoped for a new approach but he literally only knows the one way to play and whilst we will obviously be okay my initial thoughts that we may challenge this season are now fanciful. 

 

 

More of the same of what we saw between Jan and April is fine with me. He was never going to radically change. But an incremental improvement of what we saw in the second half of last season stretched over the course of the whole of this season is all that's required to get us in the top 3.

 

We are 2 games into pre season we have plenty of time yet. I'm not worried at all.

[yarddog73]

32 minutes ago, GlossopLatic said:

 

More of the same of what we saw between Jan and April is fine with me. He was never going to radically change. But an incremental improvement of what we saw in the second half of last season stretched over the course of the whole of this season is all that's required to get us in the top 3.

 

We are 2 games into pre season we have plenty of time yet. I'm not worried at all.

Serious question, what do think time brings to the table, I get it it's a new bunch but the culture remains the same, round pegs- square holes, defensive out of possession football, encouraging teams on to us with no obvious plan to turn us in to an attacking threat. 

 

I'm not worried, we will be just fine but we will be so easy to play against again because we can't put a team out capable of dominating possession. 

[GlossopLatic]

58 minutes ago, yarddog73 said:

Serious question, what do think time brings to the table, I get it it's a new bunch but the culture remains the same, round pegs- square holes, defensive out of possession football, encouraging teams on to us with no obvious plan to turn us in to an attacking threat. 

 

I'm not worried, we will be just fine but we will be so easy to play against again because we can't put a team out capable of dominating possession. 

 

Time playing with each other on the pitch for Hobson, Ward, Lundstrum, Willoughby, and Raglan and not forgetting whoever else we sign will develop understandings on the pitch how each player wants to receive the ball, and what each player will do when they get the ball, what runs people are going to make. Those understandings are crucial for any team.

 

I remember an interview with Paul Scholes about when the ball went wide when he played for Man United. He knew David Beckham would take a touch and whip the ball in he knew that Ryan Giggs would try and take his man on before crossing on the left and if it went on the overlap to Gary Neville he would more often than not whip the ball in first time for that reason he knew when to time his runs into the box. That comes from knowing your teammates games. I reckon the likes of Ritchie and Holden probably had the same understanding. 

 

I don't believe we necessarily need to dominate possession to go up. We will have to be clinical when we get it though.

Edited July 16, 2023 by GlossopLatic

[Flemboy]

3 hours ago, yarddog73 said:

Serious question, what do think time brings to the table, I get it it's a new bunch but the culture remains the same, round pegs- square holes, defensive out of possession football, encouraging teams on to us with no obvious plan to turn us in to an attacking threat. 

 

I'm not worried, we will be just fine but we will be so easy to play against again because we can't put a team out capable of dominating possession. 

Agreed but these players needs bit of time  time to  gel but with this squad I see no reason why we should not be in the top 7 from day one.

 

[penrhyn]

Im amazed at what experts can tell from two ninety minute training sessions. Especially as we have had a settled eleven for a whopping 45 mins . Couldnt make this shit up.

[Monty Burns]

2 hours ago, penrhyn said:

. Couldnt make this shit up.

actually, l did do on the pre season fixtures thread!!

[JoeP]

5 hours ago, penrhyn said:

Im amazed at what experts can tell from two ninety minute training sessions. Especially as we have had a settled eleven for a whopping 45 mins . Couldnt make this shit up.

 

The concerns aren't just based on the two friendlies...

 

Last season was a hard watch for the most part and with the signings we've made I for one was hoping for something different (and by different I mean better...) but these two friendlies have seemed to follow an all too familiar pattern.

 

As you say, you can't tell anything from friendlies and we hope for the best - but it'll have to be some turnaround between now and start of the season of we are going to see something different from standard Rhinoball.

[nzlatic]

38 minutes ago, JoeP said:

 

The concerns aren't just based on the two friendlies...

 

Last season was a hard watch for the most part and with the signings we've made I for one was hoping for something different (and by different I mean better...) but these two friendlies have seemed to follow an all too familiar pattern.

 

As you say, you can't tell anything from friendlies and we hope for the best - but it'll have to be some turnaround between now and start of the season of we are going to see something different from standard Rhinoball.

I’d settle for a continuation of the top 3 form we showed in the 2nd half of last season. 
 

After 30+ years without a promotion or even a top 3 finish I’m really not that picky about the style of our next one. 

[GlossopLatic]

I keep hearing this expression that last season was a "hard watch" I'm sorry I can't see last season as a hard watch when the 4 seasons previous to that we had people tearing the club apart.

 

That's a hard watch! Infact it was too hard I didn't get a season ticket.

 

Last season I saw the club being repaired and recover both on and off the pitch, and we made significant progress I can't see that as a hard watch at all.

 

Look how far we've come in 12 months.

 

The other thing is we have gone so long since we have seen a promotion winning team that we have put on a pedestal what one looks like. We don't need a drastic change on what we saw from Jan-Apr this year. Just a small incremental improvement and that will probably be enough to get us up.

Edited July 17, 2023 by GlossopLatic

[JoeP]

28 minutes ago, nzlatic said:

I’d settle for a continuation of the top 3 form we showed in the 2nd half of last season. 
 

After 30+ years without a promotion or even a top 3 finish I’m really not that picky about the style of our next one. 

 

I think as we've waited so long we should be doing it with a bit of style!

 

We've got the resources to do it.  I want to enjoy our promotion season not count the days down until it's over..

 

Frank et al have set us up to be a success.  Of course I'd take promotion however it comes (even if it's quite hard work to watch), but I think we should be asserting ourselves in games more and throwing our weight around.  As they say on the podcast - we are getting to the point where the club infrastructure is being set up so we cannot fail.  Unsworth's a lucky so-and-so to be a part of it, because I think there are probably managers who can do it better..

[League one forever]

7 minutes ago, GlossopLatic said:

 

I keep hearing this expression that last season was a "hard watch" I'm sorry I can't see last season as a hard watch when the 4 seasons previous to that we had people tearing the club apart.

 

You’re comparing apples and Oranges. 
 

The football became irrelevant before Frank, so the hard watch was nothing to do with tactics or style of the play. It was watching us slowly die. 
 

Frank saved us- and we all said how nice will be to get back to just talking football. 
 

Now we’re talking about the football and its merits- but it has to be seen through the prism of the takeover. 
How long are we going to keep bringing the takeover up- when taking style of play. It’s irrelevant in my view.

[Bobledgersheart]

There's a lot I agree with about the previous three posts, all bring relevant points to the  table.

 

My view is that although we'd sunk so low, on and off the field, when results went against soon after the takeover the reality of another relegation looked a distinct possibility. I think this concerned the management so much that the tenet was to make us hard to beat to pick up the necessary points to keep us safe.

When that goal was achieved the football was a little more relaxed and a bit more enjoyable to watch, and no doubt to play. Hopefully this trend will continue this season and take us where we all want to be. The performance at Southport showed a little progress was being made but do we need to push on from that once Unsworth has decided on his starting eleven. 

 

The players that have been assembled have plenty of attacking potential and that should be unleashed as soon  as possible once the season proper starts.

 

[oafc1955]

We could smash this league from the start with a bit of luck however If we start slowly which I suspect we will, it’s going to be toxic on here and in the ground.

 

There are 5 or 6 new players to integrate so it It may well take a month or two to settle.

 

Will he be given time by our fans?….I suspect not and the Unsworth outers will be in full voice!!

 

It appears that we have recruited well but that won’t guarantee success.

With our infrastructure, budget and fanbase we will be expected to challenge for top spot and rightly so, but there are a few teams who will also fancy their chances.

 

We will probably be able to predict how it will pan out by the end of October, however the fans are extremely impatient and craving for any sort of success…….I’m just not sure Unsworth will be allowed that long!

 

Everything points to us having a successful season but a flying start is absolutely essential for the majority of fans to be onboard!

 

 

 

[BP1960]

Highlights.

 

[nzlatic]

Mick Rathbone struck a chord with some of the stuff he was talking about on the phone in with regard to player fitness. I think the club has made a decision about the best way of getting promoted out of this specific league and that is by being hard to beat and by being fitter and more physical than every other team.

 

I can see the logic. If you rely on a pretty passing game then you could be in trouble against a team of bruisers who target your key players. Or if the weather or the pitches don't lend themselves to passing it around. Or if your playmaker gets injured.

 

By having ultra fit, physical players who can out run and out muscle the opposition no matter what the conditions it gives us in theory a better percentage chance of winning consistently.  Also, the players we've signed do actually look comfortable on the ball too, so should be able to outplay inferior players in favourable conditions.

 

Once we're out of this league things change as the higher you go the better the conditions are for passing football, the more likely you are to be playing passing teams and the standard of player is better. We can worry more about style when it matters more - when we're out of this league.

 

Until then, I think the club are playing the percentages and looking at what gives us the best chance of promotion - hence focus going on facilities, encouraging a strong team bond and a strong athletic playing squad.