| Time to challenge the status qou? 09:39 - Feb 27 with 5268 views | ArnieM |
Last night twas the last straw for me. If ever there was an opportunity to beat Man Utd , it was now . We..McKenna, failed, miserably IMHO.
I've officially now lost faith in this cliche of "Trust the process". What process? Repeating the same mistakes game after game ?
The post match comments of
"we will take the positives"
"we will learn from this "
"The opposition are a quality team"
All now are sounding quite hollow to me. Its like GroundHog day.
McKenna is either unable to adapt, and change tactically or is stubborn and inflexible in his approach. I edging towards the latter. simply because he, and the players say , "we will not change the way we play"...WHY NOT its clearly not working the way we play is it ?
McKenna is trying to keep Town up on the back of a very inexperienced front line, (average age 20yrs old ) Game after game we picks the same formation and and the same players. ALL our experience sits on the bench!! What is the use of bringing on these players, cold into a game with 10 mins to go? They wont even have warmed up by the time the final whistle goes.
Player choices by Mckenna :
Where is Broadhead, Szmodics, Hirst, Chaplin (yes hes injured but hes had no look in even when fit )? These players should be starting EVERY game and be our front line.
Yes the nation and everyone on the football world is waxing lyrical about Liam Delap. He has tremendous POTENTIAL,. He gets by on raw aggression, blistering pace, power and strength. But when he fades as he so often does after about 30 mins , what else has he in his locker atm ? Yes. hes scored the majority of goals for us this season, but that just 10...you cant blame other players for not scoring , when they spend all their time on the bench!
Hirst offers something different . He can hold the ball up , he plays other forwards into the game . Within 2 mins of being on last night he slipped a ball through to Broadhead in the box. It didnt come off, but this is the type of ball we need Delap to do ...Its not in his game atm . He likes to run at a defenders, head down, ( usually from the half way line). Opponents have sussed this now , and put 2-3 players on him ...he loses the ball. He doesnt look up to see who is around him to lay it off to. His soul mindset is to blast a shot on goal. Great, if it comes off. But how often did it last night?
Clarke . Why is he getting that shirt ahead of Broadhead? He's lightweight, has no end product , rarely crosses the ball into the box.
Phillogen : Why is he in the team on the right wing ahead of Hutch? Yes he score 2 goals against a very poor Utd defence , one was an absolute gift , so Im not even counting that tbh. What else did he offer for the rest of the game ? Or any game hes played in? His tracking back / defending out of possession is poor and ineffective.
But these are young inexperienced players, So I can forgive them their lack of experience atm. But McKenna KEEPS picking them ahead of more experienced players who can / do offer more stealth, and inventive attacking play that we are not seeing from the kids. This is down to the manager, not the players.
Szmodics: Where the hell is he in this team? The guy score over 30 goals ;last season. Mckenna tracked him for 2 seasons, and paid over the odds for him, so why isnt he playing him??
We have seen so many games this season , that frankly we should have won. But due to Mckenna's approach , and lack of adaptability we have lost these points. WE will get relegated ( as we all expected) but when yiu look back at this season , I really do wonder how we would have fared with a more experienced manager at the helm.
I wont be surprised to see Hirst , Szmodics, Chaplin and Broadhead asked to leave in the summer ....If you were them, would you hang around?
We have the payers at the club, fit and ready to play, but Mckenna is blinkered to that fact and chooses to keep picking these young players with vast, but as yet, unproven talent, to try and keep us up. He is expecting far too much iof them , and is ignioring some very good experienced players.
For the love of God man, ADAPT! |  |
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| Time to challenge the status qou? on 09:43 - Feb 27 with 3773 views | Marshalls_Mullet |
Part of me thinks the younger managers dont want to adapt, as they want to protect their 'brand of football' for their next career move. |  |
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| Time to challenge the status qou? on 09:50 - Feb 27 with 3721 views | muccletonjoe |
| Time to challenge the status qou? on 09:43 - Feb 27 by Marshalls_Mullet |
Part of me thinks the younger managers dont want to adapt, as they want to protect their 'brand of football' for their next career move. |
I can't see that happening to KM unless things change very rapidly |  | | |
| Time to challenge the status qou? on 10:03 - Feb 27 with 3614 views | Ryorry |
I’ve sometimes wondered if there’s some contractual obligation somewhere requiring KM to give XX minutes to some of the signings we made after promotion to the PL.
There’s also the factor I raised a few months ago, that KM had to stop using the analytics software he’d previously used when we were promoted because it came via Brighton, and of course they didn’t want a direct rival using it. |  |
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| Time to challenge the status qou? on 10:09 - Feb 27 with 3577 views | blueoutlook |
I don’t comment on here much. But l have to say l pretty much agree with your assessment here.
Especially about the more experienced players sitting on the bench for 80 minutes each game. And yes Delap is going to be a great player but he isn’t there yet and as you say Hirst is way better at bringing players into the game. Delap doesn’t have that vision in his locker yet. And how the hell Clarke gets in ahead of Broadhead is baffling to say the least. For me, Clarke has been the biggest disappointment of all the signings this season. He is pretty ineffective in the league. |  | | |
| Time to challenge the status qou? on 10:12 - Feb 27 with 3539 views | Marshalls_Mullet |
| Time to challenge the status qou? on 10:03 - Feb 27 by Ryorry |
I’ve sometimes wondered if there’s some contractual obligation somewhere requiring KM to give XX minutes to some of the signings we made after promotion to the PL.
There’s also the factor I raised a few months ago, that KM had to stop using the analytics software he’d previously used when we were promoted because it came via Brighton, and of course they didn’t want a direct rival using it. |
I cant see any sensible club or manager agreeing to that kind of obligation. | |
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| Time to challenge the status qou? on 10:16 - Feb 27 with 3472 views | WeirdFishes |
I agree with this.
It’s the refusal to adapt which os starting to wind me up, the first 3 subs last night were all just changing out players in the same system.
Taylor for Morsy
Broadhead for Hutchinson
Johnson for Tuanzebe
It wasn’t working before so why do you think it’s going to work after these subs?
It took until the 81st minute for Hirst to come on. 81 minutes against ten men and then you bring on a second striker? Laughable. (He also came on for our most creative player in Davis so make that what you will too)
Sammie coming on at 91 was a p**s take too. |  |
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| Time to challenge the status qou? on 10:20 - Feb 27 with 3429 views | Libero |
| Time to challenge the status qou? on 09:43 - Feb 27 by Marshalls_Mullet |
Part of me thinks the younger managers dont want to adapt, as they want to protect their 'brand of football' for their next career move. |
except clearly McKenna has adapted this season, both in terms of formation and tactics- I believe statistically we're on par with Nottingham Forrest who are broadly seen as a very direct side, both our League One and Championship sides were not direct teams- this is a tweak by McKenna, assumedly to get the best out of Liam Delap. |  | | |
| Time to challenge the status qou? on 10:24 - Feb 27 with 3384 views | Pinewoodblue |
You watch a second half, like yesterday’s, and wonder what in earth McKenna said at half time.
Surely it wasn’t keep possession and they will gift us another goal. |  |
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| Time to challenge the status qou? on 10:26 - Feb 27 with 3345 views | FrankMarshall |
Honestly think we will be a top 6 side in the championship, not a top 2. Our midfield in particular is going to be much weaker, and many of our seasoned professionals will move on (as will Delap). Can't believe how poorly we've played at times this season. That second half against Man Utd? Another level. |  |
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| Time to challenge the status qou? on 10:26 - Feb 27 with 3343 views | itfcsuth |
I have to disagree with the 'adapt' tag - and it's not just this post, has been mentioned by many.
But the reality is he has adapted this season, and throughout his entire time here.
Whether it has been successful, or not, and largely unsuccessful this season - we have adapted both pre and in game. |  | | |
| Time to challenge the status qou? on 10:31 - Feb 27 with 3280 views | Guthrum |
| Time to challenge the status qou? on 10:26 - Feb 27 by itfcsuth |
I have to disagree with the 'adapt' tag - and it's not just this post, has been mentioned by many.
But the reality is he has adapted this season, and throughout his entire time here.
Whether it has been successful, or not, and largely unsuccessful this season - we have adapted both pre and in game. |
Heck, we had two strikers on the pitch at the end of last night's game. Not a thing we've seen often (ever?) in McKenna's time. [Post edited 27 Feb 10:31]
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| Time to challenge the status qou? on 10:35 - Feb 27 with 3212 views | Pinewoodblue |
| Time to challenge the status qou? on 10:31 - Feb 27 by Guthrum |
Heck, we had two strikers on the pitch at the end of last night's game. Not a thing we've seen often (ever?) in McKenna's time. [Post edited 27 Feb 10:31]
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But was it tactical or simply desperation?
We could have done with Keiffer Moore last night, and at both ends. | |
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| Time to challenge the status qou? on 10:39 - Feb 27 with 3173 views | mellowblue |
| Time to challenge the status qou? on 10:20 - Feb 27 by Libero |
except clearly McKenna has adapted this season, both in terms of formation and tactics- I believe statistically we're on par with Nottingham Forrest who are broadly seen as a very direct side, both our League One and Championship sides were not direct teams- this is a tweak by McKenna, assumedly to get the best out of Liam Delap. |
As you say the Delap signing has changed our style of play. We are more direct, yet Delap has not the nous to bring in other players. Trying to batter through top defenders at this level is not going to work. I was surprised by the signing as I was expecting a striker more in the Hirst style. This is not a dig at Delap, his potential is high, but if we cannot play progressive football to feed him in dangerous situations, he will always be feeding off scraps with us. I get his frustration. |  | | |
| Time to challenge the status qou? on 10:39 - Feb 27 with 3167 views | itfc_statman |
| Time to challenge the status qou? on 10:20 - Feb 27 by Libero |
except clearly McKenna has adapted this season, both in terms of formation and tactics- I believe statistically we're on par with Nottingham Forrest who are broadly seen as a very direct side, both our League One and Championship sides were not direct teams- this is a tweak by McKenna, assumedly to get the best out of Liam Delap. |
We actually attempt the 5th least "long passes" in the Premier League. The only teams who attempt less are Arsenal, Tottenham, Aston Villa and Manchester City. Saying that, only 2 teams attempt less short passes than us too, Palace and Everton.
It's hard because we so little of the ball in many games and a lot of our passes are "forced" by the opposition being better than us, which makes it hard to see a discernible tactical change.
However, I'd argue McKenna doesn't have the players to completely change style anyway. We didn't give him a Plan B in any transfer window. | | | |
| Time to challenge the status qou? on 10:39 - Feb 27 with 3168 views | Churchman |
| Time to challenge the status qou? on 10:26 - Feb 27 by FrankMarshall |
Honestly think we will be a top 6 side in the championship, not a top 2. Our midfield in particular is going to be much weaker, and many of our seasoned professionals will move on (as will Delap). Can't believe how poorly we've played at times this season. That second half against Man Utd? Another level. |
It’s hard to see how much weaker our midfield will get. It’s already non existent which is why we cannot control games. People love hammering the forward players, especially the younger ones, but they really are not the problem.
On Saturday we started brightly. Got on top of spurs early, everyone involved. 15 mins in, the midfield starts to sag back. Spurs take control and in 10 mins it’s all over. We don’t have the players to compete in the middle. Not one. Phillips who I hoped would control games? Way off what he was. Cajuste flatters to deceive. How many goals and assists? Sammy M bless him. He’s done well but he is not this level. Taylor - tries hard, good shot on him but again not PL level.
We are well stocked with forwards and defenders. The middle? Errr
Tactically, McKenna has mixed it at times. But they haven’t been good enough individually or collectively. That includes KM and his team. Every aspect. They will know that. |  | | |
| Time to challenge the status qou? on 10:41 - Feb 27 with 3138 views | Libero |
| Time to challenge the status qou? on 10:39 - Feb 27 by mellowblue |
As you say the Delap signing has changed our style of play. We are more direct, yet Delap has not the nous to bring in other players. Trying to batter through top defenders at this level is not going to work. I was surprised by the signing as I was expecting a striker more in the Hirst style. This is not a dig at Delap, his potential is high, but if we cannot play progressive football to feed him in dangerous situations, he will always be feeding off scraps with us. I get his frustration. |
In fairness, Delap's got 10 goals and has a strike rate equal to Haaland...
I hear what you're saying but I don't think the criticism is warranted, maybe other areas should have chipped in with a few more but you can't be upset at playing to a strikers strengths, especially when he's actually doing the business. | | | |
| Time to challenge the status qou? on 10:44 - Feb 27 with 3072 views | Pinewoodblue |
| Time to challenge the status qou? on 10:39 - Feb 27 by itfc_statman |
We actually attempt the 5th least "long passes" in the Premier League. The only teams who attempt less are Arsenal, Tottenham, Aston Villa and Manchester City. Saying that, only 2 teams attempt less short passes than us too, Palace and Everton.
It's hard because we so little of the ball in many games and a lot of our passes are "forced" by the opposition being better than us, which makes it hard to see a discernible tactical change.
However, I'd argue McKenna doesn't have the players to completely change style anyway. We didn't give him a Plan B in any transfer window. |
Considering Man Utd bossed the first half we must have had approaching 70% possession in the second haft to end up with 56% for the match as a whole. | |
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| Time to challenge the status qou? on 10:45 - Feb 27 with 3062 views | RegencyBlue |
| Time to challenge the status qou? on 10:39 - Feb 27 by Churchman |
It’s hard to see how much weaker our midfield will get. It’s already non existent which is why we cannot control games. People love hammering the forward players, especially the younger ones, but they really are not the problem.
On Saturday we started brightly. Got on top of spurs early, everyone involved. 15 mins in, the midfield starts to sag back. Spurs take control and in 10 mins it’s all over. We don’t have the players to compete in the middle. Not one. Phillips who I hoped would control games? Way off what he was. Cajuste flatters to deceive. How many goals and assists? Sammy M bless him. He’s done well but he is not this level. Taylor - tries hard, good shot on him but again not PL level.
We are well stocked with forwards and defenders. The middle? Errr
Tactically, McKenna has mixed it at times. But they haven’t been good enough individually or collectively. That includes KM and his team. Every aspect. They will know that. |
Our midfield needs a complete rebuild regardless of which division we end up in.
It has been our Achilles heel all season |  | | |
| Time to challenge the status qou? on 10:46 - Feb 27 with 3046 views | Guthrum |
| Time to challenge the status qou? on 10:35 - Feb 27 by Pinewoodblue |
But was it tactical or simply desperation?
We could have done with Keiffer Moore last night, and at both ends. |
Tactical or desperation, it was adaptability.
Edit: I'm not sure that having Erling Haaland would have helped last night - we weren't putting the ball into the box. [Post edited 27 Feb 10:46]
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| Time to challenge the status qou? on 10:49 - Feb 27 with 2996 views | mellowblue |
| Time to challenge the status qou? on 10:41 - Feb 27 by Libero |
In fairness, Delap's got 10 goals and has a strike rate equal to Haaland...
I hear what you're saying but I don't think the criticism is warranted, maybe other areas should have chipped in with a few more but you can't be upset at playing to a strikers strengths, especially when he's actually doing the business. |
It's not really a criticism of him, more about how to accommodate him, the whole pattern of play has changed, or have struggled to play our progressive football due to the strength of opposition press so have resorted to the more direct approach. Hard to say. | | | |
| Time to challenge the status qou? on 10:55 - Feb 27 with 2955 views | ITFCSG |
Totally agree re players.
J Clarke and Philogene, Hutch at times have been crap and yet McK still insists playing them match after match. It is madness.
Hirst, Chappers, Szmodics are all way better in being at the right place at the right time and creating chances instead of running into cul-de-sacs like headless chickens.
If I was Chappers and Szmodics I'd walk. | | | |
| Time to challenge the status qou? on 11:08 - Feb 27 with 2841 views | SuffolkPunchFC |
Last night was disappointing and frustrating. I'm not going to get into the specific performance from last night - others have said enough.
However, winning and losing becomes a habit, and I feel we have forgotten how to win - something we had in abundance for the past 2 seasons. Getting back the winning habit is hard, and we've probably run out of time to get it back this season. IMO there is nothing fundamentally wrong with the 'system' - execution is poor too often; we're too ponderous. Passes are delayed too long, the pace of the passes often isn't fast enough or attacking enough. When we switch sides, 9 times out of 10 the switch is pedestrian, and easy to read. And on top of that, Palmer is far to slow to release at times.
The intent is right more often than not, just too slow and neo executed well.
Last night we were undone by poor defending of 3 set pieces (they were well taken set pieces, but we could have done much better), however particularly in the 2nd half, we never really looked like scoring again due to giving ManU too much time. | | | |
| Time to challenge the status qou? on 11:19 - Feb 27 with 2741 views | homer_123 |
| Time to challenge the status qou? on 10:46 - Feb 27 by Guthrum |
Tactical or desperation, it was adaptability.
Edit: I'm not sure that having Erling Haaland would have helped last night - we weren't putting the ball into the box. [Post edited 27 Feb 10:46]
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As I posted last night - we had 1 attacker and 1 midfielder in the box for the majority of the time, against 6 Man Utd players.
You can see why Clarke, Davis, Jaden weren't putting crosses in. |  |
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| Time to challenge the status qou? on 11:22 - Feb 27 with 2707 views | homer_123 |
Adapt....
We've played 4 at the back, 3 at the back, 5 at the back.
We've played with a holding right sided player, an attacking right sided player.
We've gone at teams, we've sat back and looked to play on the break.
We've pressed, we've held.
We even seen 2 up top for the first time ever under McKenna (yes, albeit for 15 mins max).
So, when you say, adapt, what do you actually mean? | |
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| Time to challenge the status qou? on 11:26 - Feb 27 with 2660 views | carlo88 |
Kieran looks worn out, which is probably affecting his decision-making. I imagine he is also finding out that keeping all these players happy, especially the new ones, is a huge task hence his reluctance to play the old guard. There could be some discontent behind the scenes which won't be helping. It's fairly obvious the old team spirit has gone, and that's why we'll go down. Big question is whether we can bring it back next season. |  | | |
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