Attention: Please take a moment to consider our terms and conditions before posting.

I am going to say it!! Yes I am, Nathan Jones......................

1303133353673

Comments

  • Genuinely not trying to be a wind up - originally I only wanted to make a point about style of play vs results as an argument for sacking a manager. As I see it, it’s part of the psychology of being a football fan to convince yourself that the two are more closely linked than they actually are but I guess I offended people.

    The football isn’t pretty but it’s really not that bad for the level we’re at either. That’s just the reality of our situation.

    We’ve recently convinced ourselves it must be extra bad because we didn’t win any games for a few weeks. But performance wise, it wasn’t much, if any, worse than when we won three in a row to start the season and almost everyone thought we were on to something good.
    Except that's pretty factually NOT correct. When we started the season we used a high press and the players went out with a purpose. We weren't scoring many but the defence was solid.

    In recent games the energy has notably dropped outside of a few exceptions. We're still not scoring many but now we are conceding many more.

    The TACTICS have not changed. The style has not changed. The performances HAVE changed... for the worse.
  • Genuinely not trying to be a wind up - originally I only wanted to make a point about style of play vs results as an argument for sacking a manager. As I see it, it’s part of the psychology of being a football fan to convince yourself that the two are more closely linked than they actually are but I guess I offended people.

    The football isn’t pretty but it’s really not that bad for the level we’re at either. That’s just the reality of our situation.

    We’ve recently convinced ourselves it must be extra bad because we didn’t win any games for a few weeks. But performance wise, it wasn’t much, if any, worse than when we won three in a row to start the season and almost everyone thought we were on to something good.
    🤦‍♂️
  • Genuinely not trying to be a wind up - originally I only wanted to make a point about style of play vs results as an argument for sacking a manager. As I see it, it’s part of the psychology of being a football fan to convince yourself that the two are more closely linked than they actually are but I guess I offended people.

    The football isn’t pretty but it’s really not that bad for the level we’re at either. That’s just the reality of our situation.

    We’ve recently convinced ourselves it must be extra bad because we didn’t win any games for a few weeks. But performance wise, it wasn’t much, if any, worse than when we won three in a row to start the season and almost everyone thought we were on to something good.
    The football is awful for a club aiming for promotion from this league. If we were good at route one I could accept it more, but we’re not.

    Powell played a flat 4-4-2 and we went long to Yann, but it was a more balanced approach than this. Even when Jones plays 4 midfielders we use two DMs with two ball winners in front.

    Jones raised the standards and expectations in terms of work rate, aggression and intensity while he came in. Powell and Bowyer did the same, but the difference with Jones is he’s not done it for our play in possession and in attack.

    Most games are kept tight so we could go on a run if we start scoring first and improve at the back, but longer term I don’t see this cautious, very direct and rigid style taking us much further. We’re set up as a small L1 club hoping to battle their way into the Championship where no doubt he’d try the same again at that level.

    I don’t think Jones will change so he’ll either find a way to make it work or if poor results continue lose his job.
  • Wigan and Orient were two dog turd performances. 
    We had the rub of the green to get those results and there were alarm bells going.
    Then Bolton brainwashed me in to thinking I was wrong cos it was a decent performance but we’ve been complete and utter turgid guff for most of the time since then , which is what will happen when you’ve a lack of attacking talent and your set up is let’s hang on and nick something, over a longer period of time you reap what you sow .
    Don’t forget the deadlock was broken against Bolton due to their defensive mistake (Santos) and not our skill 
  • Don’t forget the deadlock was broken against Bolton due to their defensive mistake (Santos) and not our skill 
    Tbf our whole game plan is about forcing teams into those kind of mistakes and punishing them
  • edited November 2024
    We can bore our way to promotion out of L1 for all I care. I don't expect the football to be marvellous in L1.

    Play badly and lose. Fans not happy.
    Play well and lose. Fans less unhappy.
    Play badly and win. Fans happier than a loss.
    Play well and win. Fans happy.

    On a scale of happiness, results have it.
  • Sponsored links:


  • edited November 2024
    I think everybody would rather us play lovely football and win but behind that comes not playing lovely football and winning. It beats playing nice to watch football and not winning. Let's be honest, Burton was on the face of it two poor sides and the game was a hard watch but it was softened by the win and we were the better side although the gripe is we were better than a side which has gained 8 points all season and we weren't spectacularly better.

    I think it is possible to get results playing the way we do and we saw it at the start of the season, the way to do it is to have a tight defence and you only need to nick a goal and you win. What has changed since then is the defence has started and continued to leak soft goals. Hackney Marshes standard goals. And when that happens it highlights an issue we have had all season, and that is we find it too hard to create and indeed put the better chances away.

    We are overall better defensively than last season but that isn't saying much. We haven't got a midfielder who can ping one in from 25 plus yards. We haven't got players who beat defenders, other than TC who is difficult to fit in the team and you need a couple of these types of players. The way to play against us is is to get defensive bodies behind the ball. It is well known and we seem to play better against better teams who might be more open because they are not adapting their game to us. We need space to be effective which we don't have in most games.

    The solution to improve the results can be found in improving the defence, midfield and attack. Obvious, but improving one of these areas will make a big difference on its own as even now we generally lose by one or draw. Improve two and we might be sniffing around the promotion places. Improve all three and we ought to be pretty confident. I believe one player could improve each area. We are missing Jones and indeed Ramsey. But Jones would make us stringer defensively. We lack a creative midfielder. A Ricky Holmes type would really elevate us too. 

    It feels to me that we are trying to play a system that makes up for what we don't have and the best solution is to try to get those players and the solution isn't always in changing formations. Its a bit like re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. 
  • I thought the first 3 games were pretty poor to be honest. I got panned for pointing this out in the xG thread, but captain cardigan and his entourage were convinced we were looking like a top of the table team we were temporarily masquerading in the table as.

    And yes the football is so dull, I wouldn't enjoy it even if we were winning. It's dreadful.

    But I wouldn't advocate sacking Jones because there's noone else I'd have confidence in that would be interested in us anyway.
    The first three games were poor despite us winning them, us and Wigan could have played until midnight without a goal being scored, it took a Wigan defensive error to allow us to break the deadlock 
  • The first three games were poor despite us winning them, us and Wigan could have played until midnight without a goal being scored, it took a Wigan defensive error to allow us to break the deadlock 
    We were incredibly lucky to win all of the first 3. Although we did defend very well.
  • I thought the first 3 games were pretty poor to be honest. I got panned for pointing this out in the xG thread, but captain cardigan and his entourage were convinced we were looking like a top of the table team we were temporarily masquerading in the table as.

    And yes the football is so dull, I wouldn't enjoy it even if we were winning. It's dreadful.

    But I wouldn't advocate sacking Jones because there's noone else I'd have confidence in that would be interested in us anyway.
    Jones has passion and seems to care, atm it's not worked out.  I'd give him another 12 months, that will see two more transfer windows and then we can reassess.
  • “It’s starting to turn around again. As I’ve said to the fans, who were magnificent again today, we’ve just got to stay in. Stay involved, stay close (to the top six) because when we hit the ground running, get everyone back and are the team I want us to be then that is exciting.”

    This is what I’m clinging to, things will get better, just stick to the plan and trust NJ and the process.
    We've got to cling to it though, that's kind of the problem. Just how bloody long is it going to take to "hit the ground running", what is stopping us being the team he wants to be and what is he doing about it?

    Because we simply don't have a clue. It's literally just been weeks of "Yeah I know we're shit but I don't like it either."
  • If you look at the team's form for the past 2 years, I think it would be very very closely aligned with Chuks Aneke availability and form.

    Current 11 we are putting out looks an extremely average league one team. Recruitment remains the biggest cause of our problems, as we have little attacking quality in midfield or up front.

    Who is to blame for recruitment? A mixture of Jones, Scott and circumstance. 

    Jones has to take full blame for odd team selections though. Seems desperate to exclude Terry Taylor, Dixon or any semblance of attacking ability from the club, but equally desperate to include Hylton to justify paying him a wage.
  • Take away the 'm'.
    I share it 
  • I’m glad yesterday’s game hasn’t swayed opinion too much .  I think that paceless team would struggle to beat anyone in league 1. 
  • Sponsored links:


  • edited December 2024
    One of the biggest changes and disappointment for me is they have stopped being on the front foot and chasing the opponents down and being agressive. I thought the games they did that showed determination. They have done it a few times since e.g. Birmingham but why has that not continued for every game?.
  • One of the biggest changes and disappointment for me is they have stopped being on the front foot and chasing the opponents down and being agressive. I thought the games they did that showed determination. They have done it a few times since e.g. Birmingham but why has that not continued for every game?.
    Exactly this ! If you are going to play a system that relies on long high balls you have to be pressing to win the 2nd phase. We are just not doing that anymore all we are doing is giving possession back to the opposition. Yes a 4-0 away win is great but I don’t think this style of play will win the amount of games we need to get promoted 
  • Didn't like his interview yesterday again... passive aggressive dig, based on justifying his position and defending how we're doing given our successful progression from the BSM trophy group stage (as well as the successful dispatch of two lower division teams in the FA Cup) - a very chastening emphasis of the state we're in as a football club, and how misaligned Jones is with the supporter base. 

    Nathan, just so you're clear. Whilst we are in L1, 99% focus on the league, 0.99% on the FA Cup, BSM you can play the U21s I don't care if we lose 10 nil mate. 

    Get us promoted. All that matters. We've been shit in the league and you know it so just acknowledge that and make sure it changes immediately, and be self aware enough not to brag about overseeing a win against lower division opposition in the cup
    I think he may be suffering from little man syndrome.
  • No one has told him it’s the Vertu Trophy now 
  • Are you Jacob Rees-Mogg?
    Nope I'm much better looking and humble.
  • Glad you are not being a snob. You should remember that whilst you may be travelling the length and breath of the country now you won't be doing it forever and a great, great many sitting at home now have done what you are doing now for years and years and for one reason or another have stopped. So we feel your pain but don't for one second think it doesn't hurt us as much as it hurts you.
    I bloody hope it ain't forever, barely want to do it the rest of the season. 

    Large I more mean the money mate, when I don't go, I think lovely, 150 or thereabouts saved. That's my point. If people feel differently that's fine, but I feel a lot more comfort if we lose and I ain't spent a penny. 

    Again, not a dig, just saying it how I see it. For me personally, there's a completely different level of frustration when you've forked out money and time compared to just time. That could be a personal thing and I more than likely don't speak for everyone.
  • Didn't like his interview yesterday again... passive aggressive dig, based on justifying his position and defending how we're doing given our successful progression from the BSM trophy group stage (as well as the successful dispatch of two lower division teams in the FA Cup) - a very chastening emphasis of the state we're in as a football club, and how misaligned Jones is with the supporter base. 

    Nathan, just so you're clear. Whilst we are in L1, 99% focus on the league, 0.99% on the FA Cup, BSM you can play the U21s I don't care if we lose 10 nil mate. 

    Get us promoted. All that matters. We've been shit in the league and you know it so just acknowledge that and make sure it changes immediately, and be self aware enough not to brag about overseeing a win against lower division opposition in the cup
    Can’t argue with any of that 
  • I bloody hope it ain't forever, barely want to do it the rest of the season. 

    Large I more mean the money mate, when I don't go, I think lovely, 150 or thereabouts saved. That's my point. If people feel differently that's fine, but I feel a lot more comfort if we lose and I ain't spent a penny. 

    Again, not a dig, just saying it how I see it. For me personally, there's a completely different level of frustration when you've forked out money and time compared to just time. That could be a personal thing and I more than likely don't speak for everyone.
    Not digging you out either but worth remembering that for some of us “just time” can be quite a sacrifice too. I would love to fork out £150 but I have things that mean I can’t leave my house for a weekend but I can just about squeeze 2 hours 
  • I'm sure Bowyer could turn CC into a decent all-round midfielder. Doubt Jones is capable of individual improvement to players. Perhaps turning TC into a striker.

    Small has regressed, Leaburn doesn't know whether to pass to a donkey CDM or go it alone,  Gillesphey the most technical player?
Sign In or Register to comment.

Roland Out Forever!