| Qualities 08:08 - Jun 24 with 1770 views | wrightsrightglove |
Interesting that KMK has talked about ‘qualities’ with regards to our transfer business. Saying that he’s really analysed what qualities we need to add to get out of the division and analysed the league. I think that’s really reassuring, rather than just saying ‘we need a LWB’ he’s looking at exactly what qualities the squad lacks compared to what we need to get out of the division. He’s obviously identified the need for more physicality to stop us being bullied and more pace to be able to break the lines when teams want to stick everyone behind the ball. I can see these signings working out perfectly, it seems like they’ve been researched in every way possible to be exactly what we need to drag ourselves out of this league. |  | | |  |
| Qualities on 08:16 - Jun 24 with 1700 views | Dubtractor |
I get the impression that Mrs McKenna probably sees very little of him since he has been here - he very evidently spends a LOT of time analysing, preparing etc to try and make sure that we're benefitting from the fine margins that decide games.
That's why I feel confident about this season in a way I've not felt confident for years.
It's going to be a good season! |  |
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| Qualities on 08:23 - Jun 24 with 1657 views | wrightsrightglove |
| Qualities on 08:16 - Jun 24 by Dubtractor |
I get the impression that Mrs McKenna probably sees very little of him since he has been here - he very evidently spends a LOT of time analysing, preparing etc to try and make sure that we're benefitting from the fine margins that decide games.
That's why I feel confident about this season in a way I've not felt confident for years.
It's going to be a good season! |
Yes absolutely, I can imagine he was sat up last night organising his folders into order now that he knows the fixture list. He clearly lives and breathes the game and those fine margins are so incredibly important in professional sport, anything that gives us an edge can make a massive difference and I believe he’s the man to implement it.
It’s so refreshing to be able to move on from the old school set up of Cook etc where they had to effectively run the whole club, KMK actually has the time to coach and prepare and analyse rather than having a million other things to be dealing with. | | | |
| Qualities on 08:29 - Jun 24 with 1629 views | Guthrum |
An evidence-based approach, rather than simply declaring "I have a system!"*.
* A quote from French general Nivelle, who thought he had a foolproof way of winning battles (whatever the enemy did) in 1917 during the First World War. Went on to preside over an offensive so disastrous it led to widespread mutinies in the French army and ruined them as an attacking force for over a year. |  |
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| Qualities on 08:39 - Jun 24 with 1577 views | markchips |
I agree and if we ever have the pleasure of seeing Mrs McKenna we need to look after her.
Happy wife, happy husband- who can get us promoted. | | | |
| Qualities on 08:54 - Jun 24 with 1504 views | Churchman |
| Qualities on 08:29 - Jun 24 by Guthrum |
An evidence-based approach, rather than simply declaring "I have a system!"*.
* A quote from French general Nivelle, who thought he had a foolproof way of winning battles (whatever the enemy did) in 1917 during the First World War. Went on to preside over an offensive so disastrous it led to widespread mutinies in the French army and ruined them as an attacking force for over a year. |
The nearest the French Army got to learning anything was dispensing with red trousers after 1000s had been mown down. Nivelle was a berk and one of the Verdun commanders and was over promoted to commander in chief for political reasons.
I believe it was Verdun that destroyed the French Army as an offensive force. It really was bled white. Nivelle’s inept 1917 offensive kind of topped it off and the French army was broken after that. I’m not surprised the men had enough and mutinied.
It’s very unfashionable to say it, but it was largely the British Army that learned how to win WW1 1916-18. They certainly ‘had a system’. |  | | |
| Qualities on 09:11 - Jun 24 with 1440 views | Guthrum |
| Qualities on 08:54 - Jun 24 by Churchman |
The nearest the French Army got to learning anything was dispensing with red trousers after 1000s had been mown down. Nivelle was a berk and one of the Verdun commanders and was over promoted to commander in chief for political reasons.
I believe it was Verdun that destroyed the French Army as an offensive force. It really was bled white. Nivelle’s inept 1917 offensive kind of topped it off and the French army was broken after that. I’m not surprised the men had enough and mutinied.
It’s very unfashionable to say it, but it was largely the British Army that learned how to win WW1 1916-18. They certainly ‘had a system’. |
Should also be borne in mind that the French army had taken by far the greatest strain of fighting on the Western Front throughout the difficult year of 1915, even before Verdun. Petain did a good job of preserving their strength as much as possible, but he was shuffled out of the way for Nivelle (as you say, a political schmoozer and, frnakly, a berk) and his quite brutal subordinate Mangin.
It is absolutely correct to say that it was the British leadership (yes, including the unfairly-maligned Haig) who learnt the lessons of trench warfare best and built the efficient machine seen in some of the battles of 1917 and the unstoppable final offensive of summer and autumn 1918. People forget (the nazis deliberately so) that German armies were in headlong retreat by the time of the Armistice. | |
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| Qualities on 09:18 - Jun 24 with 1407 views | Vic |
Agreed - with some caution.
I'm a bit KM fan, I like his calm, measured approach. I like the way he got us playing much better football, with better results a good deal of the time.
But the fact remains that he is still unproven. Yes, we rightly point to a 2pt per game average after his appointment, but the last 9 games yielded a declining pt average. Will he iron that out? Will his approach to recruitment prove correct or will we again fall short? Has he got the tactical nouse and ability to consistently outfox the other managers, and can he more times than not get the most out of the team?
Personally I'm confident that he answer all those questions this season, but right now, we're still living on hope rather than evidence! |  |
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| Qualities on 09:19 - Jun 24 with 1401 views | Keno |
| Qualities on 09:11 - Jun 24 by Guthrum |
Should also be borne in mind that the French army had taken by far the greatest strain of fighting on the Western Front throughout the difficult year of 1915, even before Verdun. Petain did a good job of preserving their strength as much as possible, but he was shuffled out of the way for Nivelle (as you say, a political schmoozer and, frnakly, a berk) and his quite brutal subordinate Mangin.
It is absolutely correct to say that it was the British leadership (yes, including the unfairly-maligned Haig) who learnt the lessons of trench warfare best and built the efficient machine seen in some of the battles of 1917 and the unstoppable final offensive of summer and autumn 1918. People forget (the nazis deliberately so) that German armies were in headlong retreat by the time of the Armistice. |
There is an interesting documentary on the Somme (Dan Snow I think) which points out the Somme was very much a battle the British Army was forced into the take the pressure off the French but that it only took them about a year to work out tactics that did work
albeit some of that is down to a rather maverick Aussie or Canadian, I cant remember which |  |
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| Qualities on 09:19 - Jun 24 with 1403 views | FrankfurtBlue |
Physicality and not getting bullied are great, so is pace, but I really hope that some of these qualities include creating and taking scoring chances: shooting from the edge of the box as soon as such an opportunity presents itself, and delivering a decent set piece, and getting on the end of them. If teams pack their defences, we need to 1) shoot more from distance, hoping for a deflection or a GK spill, and 2) find/create one v ones for the better dribblers, like Burns and Chaplin, hopefully Ladapo, and even more hopefully Celina, to beat their man and draw others out of position, thereby creating more space for the finish. I would like to see some improvement on attacking headers. Wolf, Fridge, and JD really don't pose enough of a threat at set plays. |  | | |
| Qualities on 09:41 - Jun 24 with 1309 views | wrightsrightglove |
| Qualities on 09:18 - Jun 24 by Vic |
Agreed - with some caution.
I'm a bit KM fan, I like his calm, measured approach. I like the way he got us playing much better football, with better results a good deal of the time.
But the fact remains that he is still unproven. Yes, we rightly point to a 2pt per game average after his appointment, but the last 9 games yielded a declining pt average. Will he iron that out? Will his approach to recruitment prove correct or will we again fall short? Has he got the tactical nouse and ability to consistently outfox the other managers, and can he more times than not get the most out of the team?
Personally I'm confident that he answer all those questions this season, but right now, we're still living on hope rather than evidence! |
Absolutely, agree with that. Although the same questions hang over most managers I think, take Paul Cook for example, a proven league one manager but couldn’t get the tactics right with us. It’s all very up in the air but the setup now seems a million miles away from this time last year so fingers crossed we see that reflected on the pitch. | | | |
| Qualities on 09:45 - Jun 24 with 1300 views | nodge_blue |
I thought this line is impressive:
"The players that come in will each have 20/30 different references."
It goes to show the thought and planning that is going into the recruitment now. Very encouraging. |  |
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| Qualities on 09:50 - Jun 24 with 1262 views | clive_baker |
Agree with that, he's looking specifically at what his squad lacks and what he wants and needs to add to it to be able to play the way he wants to play.
I think he's also signing the right people as well as the right players. The 3 senior players he's signed are good ages (29, 26, 27) not wet behind the ears, wouldn't say boo to a Goose kids. Players like Ball, Morsy, Evans, Donacien, Burns, Walton, Ladapo. In or approaching their prime, hopefully have that fire in their belly to achieve something this season and that's what gets you out of League 1. I still maintain part of the issue under Lambert is we seemed to have players that were either very young and inexperienced, albeit technically promising, or in the autumn of their careers. Couple that with a leadership vacuum throughout the club and we appeared totally rudderless. People spoke of an average age of our back 4 of 27 or something, but a mean average is pretty meaningless when the parts were 34 year old full backs in Ward and Chambers and very young centre backs in Woolfy and McGuinness. Charlton at home has to be the low point, against a so called promotion rival. A 3 man midfield of McGavin, Gibbs, Dozzell. A pair of 34 year old full backs and Toto Nsiala between them. Keanan bloody Bennets. We completely lacked leadership, arguably beyond Chambers. Horrific.
We need a core of street wise, engaged pros who are at a good age and where you know what you're going to get 9 times out of 10. 4 or 5 captians on the pitch at once. I really like the profiles of our core now:
Walton (26), Hladky (31)
Burns (27), Donacien (28), Woolf (23), Edmundson (24), Burgess (26), Leigh (27)
Morsy (30), Evans (27), Ball (26), Aluko (33), Chaplin (25), Edwards (24)
Ladapo (29), Jackson (28), Pigott (28)
Obviously supplemented with youth, but it actually feels like we're watching an adult mens team now, that are fit for the rigours of League 1, both physically and mentally. |  |
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| Qualities on 10:14 - Jun 24 with 1185 views | wrightsrightglove |
| Qualities on 09:50 - Jun 24 by clive_baker |
Agree with that, he's looking specifically at what his squad lacks and what he wants and needs to add to it to be able to play the way he wants to play.
I think he's also signing the right people as well as the right players. The 3 senior players he's signed are good ages (29, 26, 27) not wet behind the ears, wouldn't say boo to a Goose kids. Players like Ball, Morsy, Evans, Donacien, Burns, Walton, Ladapo. In or approaching their prime, hopefully have that fire in their belly to achieve something this season and that's what gets you out of League 1. I still maintain part of the issue under Lambert is we seemed to have players that were either very young and inexperienced, albeit technically promising, or in the autumn of their careers. Couple that with a leadership vacuum throughout the club and we appeared totally rudderless. People spoke of an average age of our back 4 of 27 or something, but a mean average is pretty meaningless when the parts were 34 year old full backs in Ward and Chambers and very young centre backs in Woolfy and McGuinness. Charlton at home has to be the low point, against a so called promotion rival. A 3 man midfield of McGavin, Gibbs, Dozzell. A pair of 34 year old full backs and Toto Nsiala between them. Keanan bloody Bennets. We completely lacked leadership, arguably beyond Chambers. Horrific.
We need a core of street wise, engaged pros who are at a good age and where you know what you're going to get 9 times out of 10. 4 or 5 captians on the pitch at once. I really like the profiles of our core now:
Walton (26), Hladky (31)
Burns (27), Donacien (28), Woolf (23), Edmundson (24), Burgess (26), Leigh (27)
Morsy (30), Evans (27), Ball (26), Aluko (33), Chaplin (25), Edwards (24)
Ladapo (29), Jackson (28), Pigott (28)
Obviously supplemented with youth, but it actually feels like we're watching an adult mens team now, that are fit for the rigours of League 1, both physically and mentally. |
Couldn’t agree with this more, great post! I think the signing of Ball encapsulates that, not a huge name or massive signing but he’s battle hardened, motivated, experienced at a higher level and still only 26. I think he’ll end up being a real fan favourite because we’ve long been in need of players who will put people on their arse when needed. It feels like so much more of a well rounded squad now. | | | |
| Qualities on 10:15 - Jun 24 with 1178 views | C_Jam_Blue |
The interview did feel a bit about managing expectations regarding signings, talking up the long term contracts and players back from injury etc but I suppose after last summer's antics that is inevitable. It does feel like their is real purpose to the players we have signed so far but I am still slightly concerned that we have not effectively dealt with our key issue, getting the assists and goals to match our domination in games. We no longer have Norwood, Celina and Bonne and while 2 out of those three did not really fire for us, collectively they contributed 13 assists and 24 goals. I guess creative players and goal scorers are the hardest deals to get done but I will feel much happier once we have added a couple more to Ladapo and JJ. | | | |
| Qualities on 10:19 - Jun 24 with 1145 views | wrightsrightglove |
| Qualities on 10:15 - Jun 24 by C_Jam_Blue |
The interview did feel a bit about managing expectations regarding signings, talking up the long term contracts and players back from injury etc but I suppose after last summer's antics that is inevitable. It does feel like their is real purpose to the players we have signed so far but I am still slightly concerned that we have not effectively dealt with our key issue, getting the assists and goals to match our domination in games. We no longer have Norwood, Celina and Bonne and while 2 out of those three did not really fire for us, collectively they contributed 13 assists and 24 goals. I guess creative players and goal scorers are the hardest deals to get done but I will feel much happier once we have added a couple more to Ladapo and JJ. |
I think the goals will come this season. It wasn’t through the lack of chances created last season but more a result of those chances not being finished. I get the concerns but I think Ladapo will absolutely smash it for us this season, especially if we can get Leigh bombing down the wing and getting balls into the box as well as Burns.
One more striker and an AM, which I think will both happen, and we look set to me. | | | |
| Qualities on 10:21 - Jun 24 with 1138 views | wrightsrightglove |
| Qualities on 09:19 - Jun 24 by FrankfurtBlue |
Physicality and not getting bullied are great, so is pace, but I really hope that some of these qualities include creating and taking scoring chances: shooting from the edge of the box as soon as such an opportunity presents itself, and delivering a decent set piece, and getting on the end of them. If teams pack their defences, we need to 1) shoot more from distance, hoping for a deflection or a GK spill, and 2) find/create one v ones for the better dribblers, like Burns and Chaplin, hopefully Ladapo, and even more hopefully Celina, to beat their man and draw others out of position, thereby creating more space for the finish. I would like to see some improvement on attacking headers. Wolf, Fridge, and JD really don't pose enough of a threat at set plays. |
I think that will be the biggest thing we’ll be working on in preseason, taking different opportunities. Teams will have cottoned on to the burns pull back by now so we need to be able to vary the way we attack. Lots of work on set pieces, shooting from outside the box, targeted crossing etc. to make sure teams can’t predict what we’re doing every game. | | | |
| Qualities on 11:11 - Jun 24 with 1071 views | clive_baker |
| Qualities on 10:14 - Jun 24 by wrightsrightglove |
Couldn’t agree with this more, great post! I think the signing of Ball encapsulates that, not a huge name or massive signing but he’s battle hardened, motivated, experienced at a higher level and still only 26. I think he’ll end up being a real fan favourite because we’ve long been in need of players who will put people on their arse when needed. It feels like so much more of a well rounded squad now. |
100%. I got so frustrated watching us under Lambert. Physically and mentally weak, no spine to the side, petulant, cheap free kicks. There was such an immaturity about us physically and mentally. I think Ball will too, he gives everything. 1 nice look away pass followed by 89 minutes of admiring it doesn't get you very far. Grit and graft, with the quality in the right areas does. The spine oof our side could be quite something with Walton, Edmundson, Woof, Morsy, Ball, Chaplin, Ladapo. | |
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| Qualities on 11:58 - Jun 24 with 977 views | markchips |
| Qualities on 10:19 - Jun 24 by wrightsrightglove |
I think the goals will come this season. It wasn’t through the lack of chances created last season but more a result of those chances not being finished. I get the concerns but I think Ladapo will absolutely smash it for us this season, especially if we can get Leigh bombing down the wing and getting balls into the box as well as Burns.
One more striker and an AM, which I think will both happen, and we look set to me. |
Agreed, but don't think it will be Celina somehow.
Any ides for Attacking left midfield as Aluko will be back up only I would expect. | | | |
| Qualities on 12:03 - Jun 24 with 963 views | STYG |
| Qualities on 08:23 - Jun 24 by wrightsrightglove |
Yes absolutely, I can imagine he was sat up last night organising his folders into order now that he knows the fixture list. He clearly lives and breathes the game and those fine margins are so incredibly important in professional sport, anything that gives us an edge can make a massive difference and I believe he’s the man to implement it.
It’s so refreshing to be able to move on from the old school set up of Cook etc where they had to effectively run the whole club, KMK actually has the time to coach and prepare and analyse rather than having a million other things to be dealing with. |
I bet when she does seem him though, he's analysed the perfect flowers to bring, wine, food and music and probably even picked out a Netflix series to get stuck into, based on reviewing their entire account for series she's watched to get it absolutely perfect. | | | |
| Qualities on 12:05 - Jun 24 with 953 views | Churchman |
| Qualities on 09:19 - Jun 24 by Keno |
There is an interesting documentary on the Somme (Dan Snow I think) which points out the Somme was very much a battle the British Army was forced into the take the pressure off the French but that it only took them about a year to work out tactics that did work
albeit some of that is down to a rather maverick Aussie or Canadian, I cant remember which |
It’s true the the Somme was not an offensive Haig really fancied and Guthrum is right in the staggering casualties France endured. Something like 6m killed and wounded.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I_casualties
The Somme was the first battle of Kitcheners mostly volunteer army and there were serious doubts as to how it would perform. That to a large degree governed how it operated. Britain, it’s allies and France suffered 620,000 casualties in the four and a half month battle, Germany more than 435,000. Mind blowing numbers.
But the British learned far more from this battle than those before. The new army was literally well and truly blooded, the Tank made its debut, barrage and the need for effective artillery tactics and better shells, tunnelling, use of aircraft, using infantry without 60lb of kit, logistics, supplies you name it.
The British Army that smashed the Germans in the autumn of 1918 was a very different beast to that which massed in France in early 1916. | | | |
| Qualities on 12:18 - Jun 24 with 899 views | itfcjoe |
| Qualities on 11:11 - Jun 24 by clive_baker |
100%. I got so frustrated watching us under Lambert. Physically and mentally weak, no spine to the side, petulant, cheap free kicks. There was such an immaturity about us physically and mentally. I think Ball will too, he gives everything. 1 nice look away pass followed by 89 minutes of admiring it doesn't get you very far. Grit and graft, with the quality in the right areas does. The spine oof our side could be quite something with Walton, Edmundson, Woof, Morsy, Ball, Chaplin, Ladapo. |
When you saw the behaviour on the sidelines by the management team it was no surprise that we lacked discipline on the pitch |  |
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| Qualities on 12:30 - Jun 24 with 858 views | clive_baker |
| Qualities on 12:18 - Jun 24 by itfcjoe |
When you saw the behaviour on the sidelines by the management team it was no surprise that we lacked discipline on the pitch |
Unprofessional from top to bottom. Petulance ran throughout our side, and as you say off the pitch too. Ill discipline, cheap and lazy fouls which was like watching a kids team at times, in fighting, poor conduct towards the media. The standards at the club were non existent.
To be fair to Cook and Ashton, last season was a step towards correcting that. Albeit Cook didn't play the cards he was dealt very well, we do certainly seem to be ridding ourselves of that ME era hangover and raising that bar of expectation little by little. It's no 1 silver bullet though, no 1 bad egg, it's a whole combination of changes and standards on and off the pitch but finally it does feel like we've hit reset. | |
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| Qualities on 13:06 - Jun 24 with 757 views | Dubtractor |
| Qualities on 12:30 - Jun 24 by clive_baker |
Unprofessional from top to bottom. Petulance ran throughout our side, and as you say off the pitch too. Ill discipline, cheap and lazy fouls which was like watching a kids team at times, in fighting, poor conduct towards the media. The standards at the club were non existent.
To be fair to Cook and Ashton, last season was a step towards correcting that. Albeit Cook didn't play the cards he was dealt very well, we do certainly seem to be ridding ourselves of that ME era hangover and raising that bar of expectation little by little. It's no 1 silver bullet though, no 1 bad egg, it's a whole combination of changes and standards on and off the pitch but finally it does feel like we've hit reset. |
I'm still amazed that ME allowed Lambert to carry on the way he did towards the media, not least Ham Gate. I think it illustrated just how few f#cks Evans gave about the club towards the end that he stood by and let that play out. | |
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| Qualities on 14:42 - Jun 24 with 649 views | BigCommon |
He mentions, hunger and robustness.. But it's clear to me , that versality is high on the list of qualities he looks for in a player.. With 5 subs this year, and players able to play multiple positions. I'm looking forward to some proper in game management and tweaks. That can , hopefully make the difference... There'll be a lot of rigid formations we play against... Us being able to shift players around slightly to alter patterns and gain a few yards of space Is very hard to defend against.. Or at least, takes the oppo' a bit of time to adapt, and forces them to sometimes , shift one or two of their own players, outside of their comfort zones. In order to try and combat the shifts in pattern...
Whilst all the fuss is around who might arrive in the window. People are forgetting that we've got a manager/coaching staff, that know their onions...And a solid core of really good players, already in place and improving... We'll outplay most teams in the division with what we've got already. And we've added some steel to mix it with the teams that want to go toe to toe.. |  | | |
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