what changes do we want?

[TheBunnyBellEnd]

ok forget about getting rid of the management team for the moment. What do we want to see change on the pitch? For me we need to bin current tactics and learn how to play ugly. We need to become hard to beat, as we did initially under little. My team for the next game would be, daniels, creswell, goodison, broomes, logan, barnett, edds, mahon, moore, ricketts, gornell. For me edds will be a defensive midfielder who will sit in front of the back 4 and will give them some protection. When the opposition defence have the ball i would want the front 2 to put pressure on them whilst the midfield defend from the half way line applying pressure and forcing errors. When we have the ball we have 2 different strategies. If there is space we play the ball to moore or barnett and ask them to attack at pace. If space is tight long ball to ricketts and have gornell, moore, barnett and mahon bombing on looking for knock downs. It will not be pretty however if we learn how not to lose we can gain in confidence and move forward. Tactics need to be kept simple and need to suit the level of the players at your disposal.

 

[The Bootle Rover]

Ah if only it were that easy

Much as we all like to think that we could select a team and give them the tactics to go out there and win with, putting it into practice will never happen. So its best to stop the fantasy football games indulged in by pub bores and comic reading children.

What I would like to see is the team trying their best, working hard throughout ninety minutes and coming off the pitch satisfied that they had given everything they could. Irrespective of the results they would get heartfelt thanks and the fans admiration and respect. And this I think is most likely to be achieved by putting our trust in the younger players no matter what the short term consequences turn out to be - eventually they will come good.

 

[Boz]

Bootle Rover, surely the whole point of these boards is to put forward our thoughts/ideas on what's going on and how we'd like it changed? BunnyBell, I'm not sure that Ricketts is fit enough to last a full 90. While I doubt it will happen, wouldn't mind reviving one of Little's favoured formations 3-5-2. The change I'd most like to see is players selected on merit and fitness; no more sacred cows who cannot be dropped regardless of how badly they perform.

 

[SonkORLY?]

wouldn't mind reviving one of Little's favoured formations 3-5-2.

--- I say, old bean! I must express a degree of astonishment at your claim! Is the 2-3-5 'Pyramid' system a formation to which you are unaccustomed, my old chap?






...Oh, wait, this is 2009?

Did you say 3 defenders!?

My good sir, I must insist you refrain from such longsome and antiquated suggestions.

I'd like to see a standard 4-4-2. Wingers providing crosses, fullbacks prioritising defensive duties and two central midfielders playing...well, in the center. Shuker's on the bench. Michael Ricketts tops the scoring charts. Everyone gets along jolly well and we win the league. Pitch invasion. Tyrone Loran wins the Dutch Lotto and buys the club off PJ. Despite promotion, Loran sacks Barnes anyway (because if we're being honest, Barnes is a twat) and we get Ronnie Moore back and march into the Championship! Ei-ei-ei-o...

 

[Ian]

Don't any of you listen to what Barnes says. It's not about tactics!! The players just need belief (sorry, im even beginning to bore myself now)..

Whilst our time with Little in charge was less than perfect, the one thing he did, and possibly only thing he did was make us hard to beat when he came to the club. I'm not saying for a minute I want us to play the Little game, just making an observation.

We'll be OK. Broomes will strenghen the defence and we'll have some power up front. And like Bootle Rovers says, all we then need is for the players to play their best and put some god damn effort in.

 

[TheBunnyBellEnd]

I just think you need to learn to crawl before you can walk. Start by making us hard to beat not playing free flowing football but giving the players confidence in themselves and each other and keeping things simple, then when the team is settled players are motivated look at trying to adapt the style of play so it is more creative.


But as people have said nothing will work if the players dont put effort in. The question to ask perhaps is why arent they?:-k

 

[Ally]

Changes on the pitch?

Concede less and score more.

End of.

 

[merseyside bossman]

a blast from the past... Tyrone Loran.

I thought he was ace., superb player and suited our league very well.

Spoke to him a few days before he was released outside the club shop and he said:
"hand on heart I dont wanna leave the club"

He was the only player at the time in our league who could cope with Graham Cavangher (sp?) in his hey day playing for Cardiff. (and stop him feeding goals to Robert Earnshaw)

 

[SonkORLY?]

Yeas mate, he's one of my favourite players of recent times. Amazing in central-midfield with Gary Jones under Mathias. Think that was when we went on that amazing run to the edge of the playoffs...

Not sure if we've had anyone better since, including Jenno...

 

[Boz]

What a class act, Tyrone was, could do with players of his ilk now. Probably best in centre midfield, but perfectly capable in central defence too. Mention of him dispells any rose-tinted memories of the Little era. What a plonker that man was, getting rid of one of our most versatile and able players.

 

[SCooperSomersaults]

I agree with you guys about Loran, was a big fan he looked a great player and badly treated here me thinks. Always look out for him in the Dutch leagues but not sure where he is playing at the moment. He was at NAC Breda last season I believe, shall have to google him later! (edit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyrone_Loran appears he still is).

I was listening to CityTalk radio on the way home from work (bad signal but I can pick it up in Manc land). Had the interview with McAteer, or press conference which he did today. Was a bit more interesting than the reptitive "the players have to believe in the system" that Barnes gives the press boys.

Anyway, they were talking about it in the studio afterwards, and their guest was Ryan Lowe, ex-Crewe and Chester, who is now at Bury. He was explaining that it sounds similar to his team at Crewe when he was there, when they almost got relegated twice cos they had "too many footballers".

And a lot of what he was saying rang very true. Yes you can play good football in this division, but a lot of the teams in it get in your faces and stop you at the first hurdle. When you can pass it and play it that's fine, but you need some determined players to battle and fight in midfield when it gets a bit ugly, otherwise you'll just get outfought by most sides.

The midfield we have playing at the mo: Mahon, McLaren, Welsh, Shuker. All decent ball players (on their day) but not one of them would you think is going to roll their sleeves up when the going gets tough and scrap it out (apart from maybe Welsh). Think that's where we maybe are missing a Jenno type in their, someone to win it, but will run himself into the ground for you all day every day.

 

[SonkORLY?]

Well we haven't seen that from Welsh at all either. We just assumed he'd be like that. This is why I wish we kept Allot.

I said before the season started that we could very much end up like Crewe/West brom. Nice team, decent football, leak goals, don't pick up points.

 

[SCooperSomersaults]

Yeah could be the case, we definitely need some backbone in the side. When we don't have the ball it's looking like the opposition could score at any time. People who are going to run their socks off and get stuck in.

Welsh looks like the only one though who MIGHT be able to do that type of role, but like you say sonks, hasn't shown that side of his game at Prenton yet.

Hope Barnesey is reading this! Sure he does, right?

 

[roverstillidie]

Hope Barnesey is reading this! Sure he does, right?

He gets McAteer to do the reading for him #-o