| McKenna and team identity 18:51 - Feb 7 with 1574 views | Nutkins_Return |
I saw what I thought was a well-written piece on the forum and comparisons with Stockport who got money and went for a young, ball on the ground centric manager and it didn't work out for them. Well written as it was I didn't agree with it at all but it did get me thinking about where we are as a club and the possibility of another false dawn. This is football and a false dawn is ALWAYS possible even with a lot of cash.
When you look at the turnaround in playing personnel over the last year and half then the style of football we are playing is really impressive because it takes time for players to take those methods onboard (particularly not coming from the premier league in most cases). McKenna talks (slightly cliched) about trusting the process. He talks really well about not diverting from the identity he's trying to build in matches for the long term success of the club. The more you do it the better you become at it. For certain games we can get frustrated but I love the fact we are not focussed on short term. This style and identity gives us longer term success and is much more applicable as we hopefully climb back up through the leagues.
I don't think comparisons are thAt helpful honestly and you can always find ways to link x and y and suggest a comparison. If I had to do it I think the feel is much more Arteta and the identity he build (the progression was not straightforward!). We need to Stick with McKenna. He's our biggest asset. He could just be the future and a big part of our history! |  |
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| McKenna and team identity on 19:05 - Feb 7 with 1470 views | Swansea_Blue |
If we can get it right, it'll set us up well for the long term. I don't think he's getting much wrong. From what I've seen it comes down to players, as 95% of what we do is top of the league stuff. We control games, we create more chances and have more shots than anyone else. We concede fewer chances and shots than anyone else.
Where it goes wrong is with individual decision making and execution. A defender doesn't challenge robustly enough in the air or the wrong pass gives the ball away. Or we miss a relatively easy chance whereas the opposition stick away a far harder one from fewer attempts. Ultimately players make or break even the best system. I'm not saying our system is perfect, but we're so much better than we were under any other recent managers. |  |
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| McKenna and team identity on 19:15 - Feb 7 with 1426 views | Vic |
| McKenna and team identity on 19:05 - Feb 7 by Swansea_Blue |
If we can get it right, it'll set us up well for the long term. I don't think he's getting much wrong. From what I've seen it comes down to players, as 95% of what we do is top of the league stuff. We control games, we create more chances and have more shots than anyone else. We concede fewer chances and shots than anyone else.
Where it goes wrong is with individual decision making and execution. A defender doesn't challenge robustly enough in the air or the wrong pass gives the ball away. Or we miss a relatively easy chance whereas the opposition stick away a far harder one from fewer attempts. Ultimately players make or break even the best system. I'm not saying our system is perfect, but we're so much better than we were under any other recent managers. |
“Where it goes wrong is with individual decision making and execution. A defender doesn't challenge robustly enough in the air or the wrong pass gives the ball away. Or we miss a relatively easy chance whereas the opposition stick away a far harder one from fewer attempts. Ultimately players make or break even the best system.”
That makes perfect sense - the philosophy is absolutely top draw, straight out of the Prem league in fact. Perhaps the trouble is that the players are quite up to it yet - not quite there in turning the chances into goals, and not quite there in keeping concentration at the back or being quite good enough all round to carry off the system. Eg - Davis; a wonderful player, but gets caught out time and again with a high ball at the back post. Bet that doesn’t happen many times with champ or Prem players. |  |
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| McKenna and team identity on 19:19 - Feb 7 with 1410 views | Marshalls_Mullet |
I think KM is a good young coach, and doing a good job.
But there is so much hyperbole when people talk about him. |  |
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| McKenna and team identity on 19:24 - Feb 7 with 1345 views | homer_123 |
| McKenna and team identity on 19:15 - Feb 7 by Vic |
“Where it goes wrong is with individual decision making and execution. A defender doesn't challenge robustly enough in the air or the wrong pass gives the ball away. Or we miss a relatively easy chance whereas the opposition stick away a far harder one from fewer attempts. Ultimately players make or break even the best system.”
That makes perfect sense - the philosophy is absolutely top draw, straight out of the Prem league in fact. Perhaps the trouble is that the players are quite up to it yet - not quite there in turning the chances into goals, and not quite there in keeping concentration at the back or being quite good enough all round to carry off the system. Eg - Davis; a wonderful player, but gets caught out time and again with a high ball at the back post. Bet that doesn’t happen many times with champ or Prem players. |
They are L1/ Champ players at best.
You simply 'have' to accept that things will go wrong, irrespective of what style or approacg we take. These guys are not Prem or European standard.
There is a reason they are plying their trade in L1. |  |
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| McKenna and team identity on 19:26 - Feb 7 with 1336 views | homer_123 |
Can I make a small amend:
This is football and a false dawn is ALWAYS possible even with a lot of cash. --> This is football and a false dawn is ALWAYS the most probable, even with a lot of cash. | |
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| McKenna and team identity on 19:29 - Feb 7 with 1321 views | BrianTablet |
| McKenna and team identity on 19:26 - Feb 7 by homer_123 |
Can I make a small amend:
This is football and a false dawn is ALWAYS possible even with a lot of cash. --> This is football and a false dawn is ALWAYS the most probable, even with a lot of cash. |
As someone said:
"The only way to guarantee becoming a millionaire through football, is to start off as a billionaire." |  |
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| McKenna and team identity on 20:36 - Feb 7 with 1159 views | Nutkins_Return |
| McKenna and team identity on 19:26 - Feb 7 by homer_123 |
Can I make a small amend:
This is football and a false dawn is ALWAYS possible even with a lot of cash. --> This is football and a false dawn is ALWAYS the most probable, even with a lot of cash. |
You can actually. And that's definitely true of anyone one season in isolation.
Football is a funny game. You look at even the best managers and they typically have a career average around 50-60% win ratio. That means they are not winning 50-60 % of the time. And we know our forum if we don't win haha! | |
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| McKenna and team identity on 20:40 - Feb 7 with 1125 views | Nthsuffolkblue |
| McKenna and team identity on 19:15 - Feb 7 by Vic |
“Where it goes wrong is with individual decision making and execution. A defender doesn't challenge robustly enough in the air or the wrong pass gives the ball away. Or we miss a relatively easy chance whereas the opposition stick away a far harder one from fewer attempts. Ultimately players make or break even the best system.”
That makes perfect sense - the philosophy is absolutely top draw, straight out of the Prem league in fact. Perhaps the trouble is that the players are quite up to it yet - not quite there in turning the chances into goals, and not quite there in keeping concentration at the back or being quite good enough all round to carry off the system. Eg - Davis; a wonderful player, but gets caught out time and again with a high ball at the back post. Bet that doesn’t happen many times with champ or Prem players. |
Does Davis get caught out time and again with a high ball at the back post? We must be very fortunate that very few of those end in a goal against us and I guess Leigh will be replacing him very soon. |  |
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| McKenna and team identity on 20:49 - Feb 7 with 1029 views | Swansea_Blue |
| McKenna and team identity on 19:15 - Feb 7 by Vic |
“Where it goes wrong is with individual decision making and execution. A defender doesn't challenge robustly enough in the air or the wrong pass gives the ball away. Or we miss a relatively easy chance whereas the opposition stick away a far harder one from fewer attempts. Ultimately players make or break even the best system.”
That makes perfect sense - the philosophy is absolutely top draw, straight out of the Prem league in fact. Perhaps the trouble is that the players are quite up to it yet - not quite there in turning the chances into goals, and not quite there in keeping concentration at the back or being quite good enough all round to carry off the system. Eg - Davis; a wonderful player, but gets caught out time and again with a high ball at the back post. Bet that doesn’t happen many times with champ or Prem players. |
I think we lack one or two players in key positions who’ve an extra spark, if that makes sense. Most are good for this league and make a good unit, but we need a bit of magic or ‘you will not pass’ defensive grit. Give us a L1 Murphy up front and we’d be comfortably top. You get them at every level (the Mrs has got Wrexham on the box and Mullin is hiding the business for them). Those players are really hard to find in fairness to the club, so that’s not a criticism. The club will know it (that’s why we brought in 2 forwards in the window). | |
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| McKenna and team identity on 20:51 - Feb 7 with 980 views | Nthsuffolkblue |
| McKenna and team identity on 20:49 - Feb 7 by Swansea_Blue |
I think we lack one or two players in key positions who’ve an extra spark, if that makes sense. Most are good for this league and make a good unit, but we need a bit of magic or ‘you will not pass’ defensive grit. Give us a L1 Murphy up front and we’d be comfortably top. You get them at every level (the Mrs has got Wrexham on the box and Mullin is hiding the business for them). Those players are really hard to find in fairness to the club, so that’s not a criticism. The club will know it (that’s why we brought in 2 forwards in the window). |
That Mullin is great at hiding things. He used to play a lot of practical jokes on his housemate Norwood but hiding the Wrexham business is quite a risky prank for him to try. | |
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| McKenna and team identity on 21:04 - Feb 7 with 912 views | Steve_M |
It was well written and explained Stockport's recent history, didn't offer too much about our situation.
We've had a poor run so people (not in this thread) are desperate to negate anything we've done well over the past year. In general, fans need to chill out a bit and calm the overanalysis and doom-mongering.
(although TBF, I think that's your conclusion too). |  |
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| McKenna and team identity on 21:08 - Feb 7 with 881 views | ArnieM |
My personal view is if / when we get promoted McKennas team ( whatever that may be) will absolutely fly in the Championship , and I can see back to back promotions. The hardest part is getting out of this God awful division playing football when 90% of sides are hell bent on preventing us from playing it. |  |
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