Subs made a huge difference tonight

[Citizen's Nephew]

Re: Subs made a huge difference tonight

"You have two choices in life. You either suck it up, get on with it and get better and make me not do it again, or you don't. It's very simple."

Actually, no it isn't that simple. He's talking like a 'one size fits all' manager and people aren't like that. Why does someone think it's OK to say this stuff in public? It is their workplace after all.

8 minutes until halftime he humiliates a lad. He picked the starting eleven. We were rubbish. He could have made all three substitutions within 10 mins it was so bad. The lad was set up to fail last night.

I know I'm vocal about this stuff but I really, really hate it. I can't stand the 'never did me any harm' school of pseudo-psychology. I've said it before and I'll keep saying it. Ask yourself why he never treats the senior players this way? It's blatant age discrimination. I'd love to have seen him do it to Flint, Nelson, or Morrison when they're having a mare and leaking first-half goals for fun. It never happened. He's never taken Bacuna or Vaulks off just before the break and told them to 'suck it up!'

He's a bully to these younger players and bullies are cowards. They find excuses. They don't take ownership. It's his job to protect that squad. He needs to keep his mouth shut.

[poc]

Re: Subs made a huge difference tonight

Amazing that your best centre forward makes an improvement over two small strikers asked to do Hugill's job. I am stunned he didn't start Hugill or Uche. It was so predictable what would happen and to make matters worse, he's absolutely killed Watters because he isn't good at holding the ball up and bringing others into play, which isn't his fault. I bet Morison blames Watters rather than himself.

thats how i feel he picked the wrong team

[Bobby Dandruff]

Re: Subs made a huge difference tonight

We didn't play great football tonight.

No, we really didn’t.

It was an excellent result and we played some very good football against Peterborough and Forest, but not tonight.

[Citizen's Nephew]

Re: Subs made a huge difference tonight

Same as my thoughts.

He was far better than Davies offensively and his runs off the ball often not spotted.

It seems he was hooked for his defensive and off the ball work which wasn’t up to scratch. Was it he the worst player on the pitch. Probably not.

Maybe a bit of humiliation will make him listen to SM tactics and instructions more but it’s a very very risky strategy.

Would humiliation work in any other working environment on any of us here? Imagine your boss doing it to you in front of everyone 8 minutes before he could have made that call and framed it differently in private? 8 minutes! I think people are getting confused as to what's really happening in front of their eyes. This has nothing to do with whether Watters wasn't having a great game. The substitution needed to be made. He just needed to do it at halftime and keep his mouth shut to the media and deflect the attention off the lad. Who needs a boss who doesn't have your back? What kind of a team is that?

[FormerlyJohnnyBreadhead]

Re: Subs made a huge difference tonight

But, unless I’ve missed something, all of the evidence of the past four months or so says that Morison only has a go at a certain group of players in public - those qualified by age to play for our under 23 team. Yet, for me, it is an experienced group of players who have let us down more this season - presumably, the thinking at he start of the season was that we would be able to bed in the number of young players we’ve used this season because there was an experienced nucleus to the team capable of doing enough to prevent the very type of season we’ve had. Clearly, they haven’t been able to that, yet Morison stays silent about that week after week.

My honest thought - and I could be way off here - is that he wants to build a team around these young lads and he wants to get them to fulfill their potential. And, dare I say it, he's emotionally invested in seeing them succeed.

Thats why he'll dig out Davies and Watters but not, say, Vaulks. Because Vaulks won't be here next season, but the young lads could go on to have the next 5-10 years here.

If he was slagging lads in public and then freezing them out (like Warnock with Declan John or Jones with Adam Matthews), I'd agree that it's poor management and he's a bit of a knob. But as Morison himself has pointed out, you don't see behind the scenes where he's sitting down with these lads for hours at a time explaining in detail what they need to do to succeed.

Besides, people talk about him letting the senior pros off lightly. Davies and Bacuna both got criticism at Bournemouth. People said he went in too harsh on Davies and Bacuna got off lightly. But which player has been a regular starter since then, and which hasn't had a single kick? I would say that's the real litmus test.

I think Morison is old school and mental strength is a big part of what he looks for. He talked about it the other week; these young lads don't know what it's like to play 2 games in the week and then have some shit house career pro snarling at you at Millwall on the Saturday.

And I think those young players are tougher than they're given credit for. Morison did an interview years ago where he explained the changes he'd installed in the 23s and how he'd completely overhauled the mentality. These lads are all a product of that environment and they are in the first team now as a result of it.

As I said, Watters can buy into it and crack on as Bagan and Davies have done, or he can sulk. But he will be coached and told exactly what he needs to do to improve and be picked.

[the other bob wilson]

Re: Subs made a huge difference tonight

My honest thought - and I could be way off here - is that he wants to build a team around these young lads and he wants to get them to fulfill their potential. And, dare I say it, he's emotionally invested in seeing them succeed.

Thats why he'll dig out Davies and Watters but not, say, Vaulks. Because Vaulks won't be here next season, but the young lads could go on to have the next 5-10 years here.

If he was slagging lads in public and then freezing them out (like Warnock with Declan John or Jones with Adam Matthews), I'd agree that it's poor management and he's a bit of a knob. But as Morison himself has pointed out, you don't see behind the scenes where he's sitting down with these lads for hours at a time explaining in detail what they need to do to succeed.

Besides, people talk about him letting the senior pros off lightly. Davies and Bacuna both got criticism at Bournemouth. People said he went in too harsh on Davies and Bacuna got off lightly. But which player has been a regular starter since then, and which hasn't had a single kick? I would say that's the real litmus test.

I think Morison is old school and mental strength is a big part of what he looks for. He talked about it the other week; these young lads don't know what it's like to play 2 games in the week and then have some shit house career pro snarling at you at Millwall on the Saturday.

And I think those young players are tougher than they're given credit for. Morison did an interview years ago where he explained the changes he'd installed in the 23s and how he'd completely overhauled the mentality. These lads are all a product of that environment and they are in the first team now as a result of it.

As I said, Watters can buy into it and crack on as Bagan and Davies have done, or he can sulk. But he will be coached and told exactly what he needs to do to improve and be picked.

The proof of the pudding will be in the eating, I'd get rid of all of the senior out of contract players this summer, except for Ralls - if we do that, then you may have a point about Morison's attitude towards the older players.

[The Lone Gunman]

Re: Subs made a huge difference tonight

Morison did an interview years ago where he explained the changes he'd installed in the 23s and how he'd completely overhauled the mentality. These lads are all a product of that environment and they are in the first team now as a result of it.

Years ago? Are you sure? Morison arrived at Cardiff City in February 2020. He had just one full season in charge of the under-23’s.

[City123]

Re: Subs made a huge difference tonight

My honest thought - and I could be way off here - is that he wants to build a team around these young lads and he wants to get them to fulfill their potential. And, dare I say it, he's emotionally invested in seeing them succeed.

Thats why he'll dig out Davies and Watters but not, say, Vaulks. Because Vaulks won't be here next season, but the young lads could go on to have the next 5-10 years here.

If he was slagging lads in public and then freezing them out (like Warnock with Declan John or Jones with Adam Matthews), I'd agree that it's poor management and he's a bit of a knob. But as Morison himself has pointed out, you don't see behind the scenes where he's sitting down with these lads for hours at a time explaining in detail what they need to do to succeed.

Besides, people talk about him letting the senior pros off lightly. Davies and Bacuna both got criticism at Bournemouth. People said he went in too harsh on Davies and Bacuna got off lightly. But which player has been a regular starter since then, and which hasn't had a single kick? I would say that's the real litmus test.

I think Morison is old school and mental strength is a big part of what he looks for. He talked about it the other week; these young lads don't know what it's like to play 2 games in the week and then have some shit house career pro snarling at you at Millwall on the Saturday.

And I think those young players are tougher than they're given credit for. Morison did an interview years ago where he explained the changes he'd installed in the 23s and how he'd completely overhauled the mentality. These lads are all a product of that environment and they are in the first team now as a result of it.

As I said, Watters can buy into it and crack on as Bagan and Davies have done, or he can sulk. But he will be coached and told exactly what he needs to do to improve and be picked.

Colwill and Sang spring to mind. Evans has been sent to Northern Ireland, Sang to Scotland and Patten to the regionals

As TLG pointed out he only took over about 2 years ago, I think you're confusing that with an interview Bellamy gave where he said much the same thing

Incidentally I used to think Bellamy's character mean he wouldn't make it as a manager, I've changed my mind about that since Morison took over

[Maurice Swan]

Re: Subs made a huge difference tonight

Amazing that your best centre forward makes an improvement over two small strikers asked to do Hugill's job. I am stunned he didn't start Hugill or Uche. It was so predictable what would happen and to make matters worse, he's absolutely killed Watters because he isn't good at holding the ball up and bringing others into play, which isn't his fault. I bet Morison blames Watters rather than himself.

Absolutely agree.....Watters is all about Confidence - he must be very low right now. Just about everyone here could see from the lineup that the front pair wasn't going to gel....Watters needs a target man alongside him....that is not Davies.
Keep your head up son - we can see your strength even if SM cannot.

[Citizen's Nephew]

Re: Subs made a huge difference tonight

Incidentally I used to think Bellamy's character mean he wouldn't make it as a manager, I've changed my mind about that since Morison took over

Exactly the same for me.

[Maurice Swan]

Re: Subs made a huge difference tonight

My other comment is that much as I try I cannot see what Eli King is bringing to the team.
Maybe it's a case of easy, slowly with him, but I don't see much.

[A Quiet Monkfish]

Re: Subs made a huge difference tonight

I wonder what the view would have been had we gone behind in the first thirty minutes and ended up chasing the game against a team who could keep hold of the ball.

Different, no doubt, but the defence and midfield did their job in the 1st 30 or so minutes. Coventry had a lot of the ball in and around our pelanty area, but I don't remember Smithies being troubled once, which was probably what Morison was hoping.

[poc]

Re: Subs made a huge difference tonight

Sky gave Vaulks man of the match. Seriously??

Bagan by a mile for me.

it was bagan i think vaulks give him the award

[Whisperer]

Re: Subs made a huge difference tonight

I'm sick of Morison don't like his management style - I would be quite happy if the club shook his hand at the end of the season.
also don't think Sol Bamba was impressed with him throwing Watters under the bus in his post match interview.

[The Lone Gunman]

Re: Subs made a huge difference tonight

Years ago? He only arrived 18 months ago….

I was reading a few old press reports a couple of days ago and it turns out that Neil Harris had given Joel Bagan his first team debut in February 2020 a week before Morison arrived. Tom Sang came on as a sub in the same game and Sam Bowen was on the bench.

The perception that Morison guided all of the youngsters through the youth system seems quite widespread, but it’s odd. Surely most people are aware that he’s only been at the club for two years?

An article I read from back when Morison initially joined the club was interesting. In it, Neil Harris revealed that he’d already insisted the young players trained with the first team before Morison had arrived as he wanted the transition to the senior squad to be easier for them.