1 win in 5 14:39 - Mar 20 with 4067 views | MillsTash | For Cook now. And we still continue to play 1 up front. What’s changed? |  | | |  |
1 win in 5 on 16:11 - Mar 20 with 1701 views | chrismakin |
1 win in 5 on 16:00 - Mar 20 by stonojnr | but this is like being caught in infinite loop, the manager wants to play a specific formation, but doesnt have the players to play that formation very well, so just keeps playing the specific formation,even though we know its not working, because if we keep repeating it for long enough maybe a miracle will happen. why cant he adapt to play with what weve got in the meantime, and then by October time when weve picked up this great new team of players who can play the way he wants, he can then play it to his hearts content again. but it wont then feel like weve been banging our heads against a brick wall for 6months |
Just to confirm, you be happy to waste 3 months of a a new season, seeing if current players can play his way? |  |
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1 win in 5 on 17:20 - Mar 20 with 1670 views | C_HealyIsAPleasure |
1 win in 5 on 14:41 - Mar 20 by Kieran_Knows | What else do we do then? We have a manager that has had success wherever he has been when playing 4-2-3-1 ... why should he go away from that? I think it's time we looked at this group of utterly pathetic players. |
Because he accepted a job as manager of Ipswich Town in March 2021, and the players that Ipswich Town have in March 2021 are completely unsuited to playing that system? |  |
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1 win in 5 on 17:23 - Mar 20 with 1664 views | BryanPlug | [content removed at owner's request] |  |
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1 win in 5 on 17:25 - Mar 20 with 1656 views | Dubtractor |
1 win in 5 on 17:20 - Mar 20 by C_HealyIsAPleasure | Because he accepted a job as manager of Ipswich Town in March 2021, and the players that Ipswich Town have in March 2021 are completely unsuited to playing that system? |
Honestly though, I'm not sure what formation the squad are suited to? We don't have the type of hard working wide players for a standard 442 IMO, we have a glut of number 10's, albeit all massively underperforming. Without Downes I don't think we have the personnel for a 2 man midfield. Our squad is an unbalanced mess. Well done Lambert and Evans. I'm not absolving Cook of any of the blame for performances so far, but he hasn't been dealt the best hand! |  |
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1 win in 5 on 17:25 - Mar 20 with 1655 views | Kieran_Knows |
1 win in 5 on 17:20 - Mar 20 by C_HealyIsAPleasure | Because he accepted a job as manager of Ipswich Town in March 2021, and the players that Ipswich Town have in March 2021 are completely unsuited to playing that system? |
So we either spend time on the training ground trying to find a formation that suits this group ... or we let Cook do his thing and bring in his philosophy which is 4-2-3-1. I couldn't even tell you what I think the best formation this group of players is, to be honest. |  |
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1 win in 5 on 17:30 - Mar 20 with 1636 views | C_HealyIsAPleasure |
1 win in 5 on 17:25 - Mar 20 by Dubtractor | Honestly though, I'm not sure what formation the squad are suited to? We don't have the type of hard working wide players for a standard 442 IMO, we have a glut of number 10's, albeit all massively underperforming. Without Downes I don't think we have the personnel for a 2 man midfield. Our squad is an unbalanced mess. Well done Lambert and Evans. I'm not absolving Cook of any of the blame for performances so far, but he hasn't been dealt the best hand! |
Has to be 2 up top for me, agree that we lack wingers (other than Edwards) in it but we just look more dangerous in that setup - see the start of last season In 4-2-3-1 meanwhile we’ve been ponderous time and time again, it just doesn’t work and feels like he’s banging his head against the wall if he keeps persisting with it, until he’s able to put his stamp on the squad in the Summer anyway Of course I could end up with egg on my face here if a few more training sessions suddenly see us grasping the system! |  |
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1 win in 5 on 17:32 - Mar 20 with 1625 views | C_HealyIsAPleasure |
1 win in 5 on 17:25 - Mar 20 by Kieran_Knows | So we either spend time on the training ground trying to find a formation that suits this group ... or we let Cook do his thing and bring in his philosophy which is 4-2-3-1. I couldn't even tell you what I think the best formation this group of players is, to be honest. |
What’s the point in bringing his philosophy in with this group of players though - the squad is clearly going to get an overhaul in the Summer and at least three quarters of those starting currently probably won’t be next season In the meantime his job right now is to get the best out of the squad at his disposal - which for me doesn’t mean blindly continuing to play a system they’re clearly not suited to |  |
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1 win in 5 on 17:35 - Mar 20 with 1617 views | Kieran_Knows |
1 win in 5 on 17:32 - Mar 20 by C_HealyIsAPleasure | What’s the point in bringing his philosophy in with this group of players though - the squad is clearly going to get an overhaul in the Summer and at least three quarters of those starting currently probably won’t be next season In the meantime his job right now is to get the best out of the squad at his disposal - which for me doesn’t mean blindly continuing to play a system they’re clearly not suited to |
I do get what you're saying, totally, and maybe I'm coming across in staunch defence of Cook. That being said, it probably doesn't help when Evans keeps coming out talking about wanting a certain style of play as well .... |  |
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1 win in 5 on 19:35 - Mar 20 with 1575 views | Stewart27 |
1 win in 5 on 14:45 - Mar 20 by Town_Boy | What Norwood who has scored again.. you fool |
I was actually referring to Jackson |  | |  |
1 win in 5 on 19:40 - Mar 20 with 1571 views | chrismakin |
1 win in 5 on 17:23 - Mar 20 by BryanPlug | [content removed at owner's request] |
He's basically saying he can't really trust his midfield to be able to do its job, which tbf is true, you just can't |  |
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1 win in 5 on 20:51 - Mar 20 with 1551 views | Vic |
1 win in 5 on 14:41 - Mar 20 by Kieran_Knows | What else do we do then? We have a manager that has had success wherever he has been when playing 4-2-3-1 ... why should he go away from that? I think it's time we looked at this group of utterly pathetic players. |
We slaughtered Lambert for his unwillingness to change from a system we all think doesn’t work with our players. Cook has a reputation for unwaveringly playing the same system - he absolutely HAS to make it work or he’ll be history. Or else he can play a system that suits the players he has - which is what I’m pretty sure I heard him say you need to do. I hope he does it soon. |  |
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1 win in 5 on 21:17 - Mar 20 with 1529 views | chrismakin |
1 win in 5 on 20:51 - Mar 20 by Vic | We slaughtered Lambert for his unwillingness to change from a system we all think doesn’t work with our players. Cook has a reputation for unwaveringly playing the same system - he absolutely HAS to make it work or he’ll be history. Or else he can play a system that suits the players he has - which is what I’m pretty sure I heard him say you need to do. I hope he does it soon. |
But what system would actually suit the players we have? People keep saying 4-4-2, but how do we know over 90 minutes it will do any different to anything else we do. Our midfield is woeful and wouldn't cope. Our wingers no matter who you pick, can't take on their man and then put in a decent cross which is the biggest thing you need in a 4-4-2 I just feel no matter which way you go, this squad of players are in such a bad mental and physical shape it is playing the best it can for as many good minutes as it can It can not be coincidence that even in all of our wins, we're yet to put on a solid commanding win for more than 60 minutes of a game of football. |  |
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1 win in 5 on 21:19 - Mar 20 with 1529 views | Churchman |
1 win in 5 on 16:00 - Mar 20 by stonojnr | but this is like being caught in infinite loop, the manager wants to play a specific formation, but doesnt have the players to play that formation very well, so just keeps playing the specific formation,even though we know its not working, because if we keep repeating it for long enough maybe a miracle will happen. why cant he adapt to play with what weve got in the meantime, and then by October time when weve picked up this great new team of players who can play the way he wants, he can then play it to his hearts content again. but it wont then feel like weve been banging our heads against a brick wall for 6months |
My view is that it’s best to set out what you want to do from the off. The players either fit, or they don’t. Everybody knows where they stand. The more players he tries over the next couple of months the more he will learn what he’s got and what he can work with. Then comes the hard bit in the summer. I’m not blinded by 3 scraped wins before Lambert left. We’ve been awful for a very long time. |  | |  |
1 win in 5 on 21:26 - Mar 20 with 1522 views | chrismakin |
1 win in 5 on 21:19 - Mar 20 by Churchman | My view is that it’s best to set out what you want to do from the off. The players either fit, or they don’t. Everybody knows where they stand. The more players he tries over the next couple of months the more he will learn what he’s got and what he can work with. Then comes the hard bit in the summer. I’m not blinded by 3 scraped wins before Lambert left. We’ve been awful for a very long time. |
here here I'd rather PC is able to find out now who can and can't do what he wants, so he can start in advance his short list of players he needs and can finally start sitting down with players to let them know they won't be staying. I am still shocked at how rubbish this league is, that you can lose 13 games with a GD of 2 an be 7th 3 points off top 6. |  |
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1 win in 5 on 22:25 - Mar 20 with 1506 views | BlueForYou | You have to find the best way to win. If you blindly stick to your sole belief while losing match after match, & refuse to change, then I don't personally think you're a very smart guy. |  | |  |
1 win in 5 on 22:28 - Mar 20 with 1503 views | Mullet | You obviously weren’t watching Bennett’s being coached as a second striker from the kick off. Our shape and lines were totally different today. By all means, criticise they we lost the game and our heads went etc. But if you can’t see what Cook was trying to do differently today then there’s no hope. |  |
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1 win in 5 on 23:50 - Mar 20 with 1474 views | Keaneish |
1 win in 5 on 17:30 - Mar 20 by C_HealyIsAPleasure | Has to be 2 up top for me, agree that we lack wingers (other than Edwards) in it but we just look more dangerous in that setup - see the start of last season In 4-2-3-1 meanwhile we’ve been ponderous time and time again, it just doesn’t work and feels like he’s banging his head against the wall if he keeps persisting with it, until he’s able to put his stamp on the squad in the Summer anyway Of course I could end up with egg on my face here if a few more training sessions suddenly see us grasping the system! |
The system worked perfectly first half, a second goal would have been deserved. Why doesn’t it work? The issue is, that first half display is being overshadowed by the result. Playing at that intensity we were always bound to tire. The great thing was though, for the first time in a long time, we looked a threat going forward from open play; there was a freedom to our movement because we were getting players in the right areas. 4-2-3-1 is a good system. It’ll take a few to get up-to-speed with the intensity Cook wants to play at and we’re a couple of players short (three in my opinion) but other than that, i see reason to maintain it and defending as a 4-4-2 worked well for the most part too. [Post edited 21 Mar 2021 7:48]
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1 win in 5 on 01:03 - Mar 21 with 1444 views | haynes_toe1 | Nothing wrong with 4-2-3-1 in itself. I dont personally believe it gets the best out of this squad and the past 18 months is enough evidence of that. What I'm more concerned about is if all our players are naff and need shipping out so Cook can get his own team in then why wouldn't Cook play to suit our current team to get us promoted (well a chance at least) to give him more to work with financially next season? I'm not sure there's much the players need to learn differently, they're familiar with this shape they're just not that good at it. We lack conventional wingers and other than KVY we don't have fullbacks with the ability or energy to offer the width should we play narrower with the 3 behind and trying to get them close to Norwood and making runs off him. Cook needs to start showing something before the end of the season. |  | |  |
1 win in 5 on 09:07 - Mar 21 with 1377 views | townblue |
1 win in 5 on 14:46 - Mar 20 by Kieran_Knows | Or, we get ourselves some proper wingers, a proper no.10 who a) will actually create chances and b) score a few themselves to take the load off the lone striker. Jackson is sh*t, end of. |
All well and good but doesn't help us this season does it? I think the people suggesting a new system are looking at a short term change as an attempt to get us out of the league while we are on the verge of the playoffs. Build a squad for 4231 when we can actually do that over the summer. |  | |  |
1 win in 5 on 09:21 - Mar 21 with 1366 views | BluedanW |
1 win in 5 on 15:15 - Mar 20 by Churchman | What did you expect? Cook arrives at a mess of a club that embraces mediocrity and losing year in year out. He has at best a mid table overblown squad that ranges from over the hill 5 years ago to should be playing Blue Square League plus a few possible players whose confidence is zero. I never expected Cook to waft in and perform a miracle. I hoped that the players might start putting in a consistent shift, but if they were able to do that, we wouldn’t be in the state we’re in. It’s going to take a while for him to get rid of the large amount dead wood/bad apples and to build his own team. Let’s see what we look like in October. Again I’m not expecting too much. Just progress towards a team instead of a load of disparate mugs collecting a salary. He has to play the system he is comfortable with and find people who can play in it. Finding a system to fit players only works at the top level where the players are good enough and even then not every time. |
I will reserve judgement on Cook for now as he has 1 hell of a job on his hands. I will quickly lose confidence in him if he resigns Chambers in the summer and keeps him on as captain. The club needs new leadership |  | |  |
1 win in 5 on 12:20 - Mar 21 with 1331 views | Juggsy | Our pampered pansies wouldn't suit any system though would they? Goalkeepers are crap, defenders can't defend, midfielders cant tackle, create or score and the forwards (unless Norwood is on it) can't score. Factor in the lack of application and desire across the club and I defy you to tell me a formation change will fix it. |  | |  |
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