We were also unable to beat Harrogate in both league games last season, albeit under both managers. Kind of highlights that using one game/opponent isn’t really the litmus test. It’s fairly obvious that some weren’t enamoured with the appointment of Dawes (some quite openly stated the fact at the time and have continued to do so) and there’d be a sense of perverse satisfaction and “I told you so” if it goes pear-shaped. Before anyone jumps down my throat, it’s a generic statement, not in response to you O4, based on social media/forum reactions and first-hand experience from various people who attend regularly. I was never a “Mellon-hater” and was sad to see him go, but the reality is that he has gone and it’s a new beginning and I’ll be supportive of Dawes, akin to my support of Mellon. Lastly, I find it interesting that there’s a thought-process that Mellon had his hands tied e.g. recruitment, by Palios and somehow Dawes has the freedom of PP (much like Salford’s 24!); personally, I’m not so sure about that one; attacking football was a referenced aim under both managers. We’ll never know the reality of what’s gone on or continues to go on behind closed doors and it’ll all be speculation on our part. Mellon for a third-term anyone.
I’ll go and hide behind the sofa now, be gentle!
All well and good but Dawes has been appointed to pioneer a change of style and get results, and I‘m starting to question whether he’s so focussed on the former that he’s losing sight of, or simply doesn’t know, how to get the latter.
Salford illustrates that point perfectly. Last season’s victories and clean sheets were achieved, maybe against the odds, by deploying smart tactics and pragmatism - essentials for any successful team. Now Dawes has spent the last two years supposedly learning from the arch pragmatist. He even acknowledged himself, just last Tuesday, that we there’ll be games in which we need to be able to grind out results, and surely no better example than a clash with a serious promotion contender (as Salford were both last season and this). For him to then get it so badly wrong on Saturday is utterly bemusing.
A further illustration of that point (style v results) is his current record of 3 league wins in 13, although I can give him some leeway for the end of last season, and give him more time to prove himself this season. But I’m still not seeing much evidence of smart tactics and pragmatism bubbling beneath the surface of all those draws and defeats. Gung ho football alone achieves nothing.
Beyond that, for me, Micky needn’t even be part of the conversation. For example at the top end of the scale we can draw instead on Kingy and, in a different way, Aldo, who both got us on the edge of our seats with attacking football allied with pragmatism, and achieved success. At the other end of the scale, Barnes and Worthy (bless him) tried to deliver attacking football but lacked any pragmatism, and failed. Dawes needs to find a decent measure of both pdq.