Looking Forward with Steve Morison

Although we lost tonight and didn't really create any good chances, I can see an improvement in the performances since Steve Morison has been in place.

SM clearly has a plan and a way he wants the team to play. And for me it's an improvement and progressive. He seems to want to replicate what the u23s do and that is no bad thing. He and his team have clearly done a good job with the u23s. In light of that it would be a shame to lose all the progress below first team level with any disruptive changes.

I think there are a number of major problems that will make life difficult for him or indeed any person appointed permanently as first team manager. These include:

1. a number of ageing senior pros who aren't performing and lack the motivation to do so because they are in the final year of their contracts.
2. the "club" (I suspect Tan alone) for whatever reason has decided it wants to cut everything to a minimum so there isn't going to be any big spending under the current regime.
3. there seem to be a cohort of young players who are all being blooded at the same time.
4. the football hierarchy, such as it currently is, appears to have no thoughtful strategy to improve the club going forward.
5. I think a lot of floating fans have had enough and are losing interest.

For all these reasons I would give Morison et al the job until the end of the season but tell him that even if we get relegated he will always be able to go back to the u23s.

#Metoo. He has to be given the job, even if other managers come in they have the same players at their disposal, and would all plan on playing the same way.
At least with Morrison he knows the kids coming through that could do a job

It doesn’t matter who gets the job, the only objective facing a new manager is to keep the club in the championship at all costs. Right now, that’s all that’s going to matter. If the club goes down , they could be there for a while, trying to recover the situation to get back up. The youngsters coming through may be ok in a few years time, but what the club needs now are results to help them get up the table out of the danger zone.It looks to me as though Hull and Derby will occupy two positions, and it’s just a matter of who joins them. The old saying of “You Don’t win anything with kids”, is very true. It’s about time the more senior players pulled their finger out and led by example. It’s no good relying on youngsters.Like it or not, the season could define how the club shapes up over the next few years. That means not being in League One.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ivortheengine

It doesn’t matter who gets the job, the only objective facing a new manager is to keep the club in the championship at all costs. Right now, that’s all that’s going to matter. If the club goes down , they could be there for a while, trying to recover the situation to get back up. The youngsters coming through may be ok in a few years time, but what the club needs now are results to help them get up the table out of the danger zone.It looks to me as though Hull and Derby will occupy two positions, and it’s just a matter of who joins them. The old saying of “You Don’t win anything with kids”, is very true. It’s about time the more senior players pulled their finger out and led by example. It’s no good relying on youngsters.Like it or not, the season could define how the club shapes up over the next few years. That means not being in League One.

---

Tonight's game is a classic example of of us missing that creative spark. Having just one extra quality option could have been the difference between us drawing/ winning. There were a number of times we were in promising positions but a stray pass, a lack of ace, composure or the wrong option meant it went missing.

Having someone like Wilson or a fit Tomlin would make such a difference to the team. Without that I really worry for our safety.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ivortheengine

It doesn’t matter who gets the job, the only objective facing a new manager is to keep the club in the championship at all costs. Right now, that’s all that’s going to matter. If the club goes down , they could be there for a while, trying to recover the situation to get back up. The youngsters coming through may be ok in a few years time, but what the club needs now are results to help them get up the table out of the danger zone.It looks to me as though Hull and Derby will occupy two positions, and it’s just a matter of who joins them. The old saying of “You Don’t win anything with kids”, is very true. It’s about time the more senior players pulled their finger out and led by example. It’s no good relying on youngsters.Like it or not, the season could define how the club shapes up over the next few years. That means not being in League One.

---

I think the only objective to stay in the Championship isnt realistic.

If thats the case we need to bring in new players now and probably an older experienced older head.

We need to think ahead. Of course we could stay up. But being realistic the fightback , better style of football will probably be in L1.

Stay up as the prime objective. Get a couple of players now with pace. Get all our giants in play and go direct play ugly and try to scrap our way out of trouble.

The sad reality is the squad isnt good enough. Without points deductions I reckon wed finish bottom.

Such a huge difference to how we played previously, I don’t remember us trying to play like that for quite some time.

Yes it didn’t quite work but QPR are a good passing side and we mostly restricted the MM. It will take time, when we were going into the Swansea game all the talk was about them passing and passing with little in the final third but they turned a corner and the change from copper to the new fella was hardly the huge change from MM to Morison.

It’s not going to happen over night but I think it’s the right way. Part of me does wish he chucked Flint upfront for 10 minutes last night tho to show he can mix it up

We won't have much more to look forward to cos his three game spell is up on Saturday. I wouldn't be surprised if he got the job for longer cos it would be the easy, Trollope-like option but I hope that's not the case and it does seem like the club is having a proper look around this time. I don't think Morison would be the man to build a new team next summer and it would be unfair to expect him to take charge of the rest of the season with no reward at the end of it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Hilts

I think the only objective to stay in the Championship isnt realistic.

If thats the case we need to bring in new players now and probably an older experienced older head.

We need to think ahead. Of course we could stay up. But being realistic the fightback , better style of football will probably be in L1.

Stay up as the prime objective. Get a couple of players now with pace. Get all our giants in play and go direct play ugly and try to scrap our way out of trouble.

The sad reality is the squad isnt good enough. Without points deductions I reckon wed finish bottom.

---

I 100% agree with this 🤙

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by 2b2bdoo

Such a huge difference to how we played previously, I don’t remember us trying to play like that for quite some time.

Yes it didn’t quite work but QPR are a good passing side and we mostly restricted the MM. It will take time, when we were going into the Swansea game all the talk was about them passing and passing with little in the final third but they turned a corner and the change from copper to the new fella was hardly the huge change from MM to Morison.

It’s not going to happen over night but I think it’s the right way. Part of me does wish he chucked Flint upfront for 10 minutes last night tho to show he can mix it up

---

I agree about playing Flint up top. I was calling for the same. We were putting big pressure on Rangers towards the end and Flint in there may just have got us the goalm

If Morison is given more than a 3 game spell, the club seriously need to look at the coaching resources for the squad.

Mick McCarthy, Terry Connor and James Rowberry have all left the building without being replaced. With some previous managers who were sacked there would have been an additional first team coach out the door too.

We might be able to make some changes to the squad at the margins with free transfers or with a bit of fancy footwork in January - but in the main we have got what we have got.

In my opinion we have a core of tested Championship players who are underperforming, and a large group of youngsters who are trying to adapt to this level of football in very difficult circumstances. Morale and mood are important, but the only way to improve the performances is on the training ground.

Morison has clearly had an impact on our style of play in just a week, but he is trying to make a major impact with very few coaching resources. He is also keeping his hand in with the u23s. Leaving the coaching team underpowered could be as much of a mistake as stripping out too many experienced (and creative) players and expecting the u23s to seamlessly fill their boots.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jon1959

If Morison is given more than a 3 game spell, the club seriously need to look at the coaching resources for the squad.

Mick McCarthy, Terry Connor and James Rowberry have all left the building without being replaced. With some previous managers who were sacked there would have been an additional first team coach out the door too.

We might be able to make some changes to the squad at the margins with free transfers or with a bit of fancy footwork in January - but in the main we have got what we have got.

In my opinion we have a core of tested Championship players who are underperforming, and a large group of youngsters who are trying to adapt to this level of football in very difficult circumstances. Morale and mood are important, but the only way to improve the performances is on the training ground.

Morison has clearly had an impact on our style of play in just a week, but he is trying to make a major impact with very few coaching resources. He is also keeping his hand in with the u23s. Leaving the coaching team underpowered could be as much of a mistake as stripping out too many experienced (and creative) players and expecting the u23s to seamlessly fill their boots.

---

I agree with that. If the coaches had complementary football philosophies it might be the start of some consistency in the way the club moves forward.

Whilst it was pleasing it was absolutely toothless. I’m not sure tiki taka is what we need right now.

We need energy and awareness more than anything. Closing down. Getting the second balls.

I saw a team with a plan for the game but not how to put the ball in the net.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by WJ99mobile

Whilst it was pleasing it was absolutely toothless. I’m not sure tiki taka is what we need right now.

We need energy and awareness more than anything. Closing down. Getting the second balls.

I saw a team with a plan for the game but not how to put the ball in the net.

---

it was quite far from being tiki taka, there are things in between route one and tiki taka.

Interesting to see some advocating we return to a long ball, scrap it out game as the best way to stay up. What then next season? Carry on with it as it kept us up? Being in transition and changing our style needs patience.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Eric the Half a Bee

Interesting to see some advocating we return to a long ball, scrap it out game as the best way to stay up. What then next season? Carry on with it as it kept us up? Being in transition and changing our style needs patience.

---

I'd rather the club rebuild with our young players even if that means relegation than watch the same old dross we've been served for the best part of a decade.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Eric the Half a Bee

Interesting to see some advocating we return to a long ball, scrap it out game as the best way to stay up. What then next season? Carry on with it as it kept us up? Being in transition and changing our style needs patience.

---

It does need patience. I think we are so poor we will go down anyway.

Maybe we just take the hit and have to rebuild from L1.

If we could scrape 3 wins by the window and bring in 3 or 4 players we may have a shout. I cant see where those wins are coming from though.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Hilts

It does need patience. I think we are so poor we will go down anyway.

Maybe we just take the hit and have to rebuild from L1.

If we could scrape 3 wins by the window and bring in 3 or 4 players we may have a shout. I cant see where those wins are coming from though.

---

3-4 players? lmao

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rjk

3-4 players? lmao

---

Yeah we are fecked.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by PontBlue

I'd rather the club rebuild with our young players even if that means relegation than watch the same old dross we've been served for the best part of a decade.

---

Absolutely 100%. If this club is to have any sort of positive future the crackpot trio running the club need to move Heaven and Earth to ensure we adopt a modern playing style.

After the 3 games I think Morison is the best option.

I'm not a stats person but I'd hazard a guess that we've done better since SM "arrived". Bob?

While we rode our luck today in a somewhat scrappy game, I do think the football philosophy is more progressive.

It was really pleasing to score a quality goal at the end with a superb piece of work from Davies. That was straight out of the u23 playbook.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by az city

After the 3 games I think Morison is the best option.

I'm not a stats person but I'd hazard a guess that we've done better since SM "arrived". Bob?

While we rode our luck today in a somewhat scrappy game, I do think the football philosophy is more progressive.

It was really pleasing to score a quality goal at the end with a superb piece of work from Davies. That was straight out of the u23 playbook.

---

I thought we were unlucky against QPR and a draw would have been fair or not out of the question.

Didn’t see today but seems we were lucky to get all 4 Points.

Big difference is except the first half against stoke we have been in every game which under MM we just weren’t.

He needs help we will go down without some form structure and tactics Huddersfield were poor and we just got over the line .