Graham Kavanagh's thoughts on tonight

[NYCBlue]

Kav is spot on.

Under Harris we finally seemed to have a style after lock down, pressing high, winning the ball and using it well. We got into the playoffs and he chucked that out the window until the last 30 minutes of the 2nd leg.
That style hasn't been seen since and now we have no kind of pattern, it's just rubbish.

So, do you think that Harris told them to stop doing what worked so well at the end of last season? Most of the players are just not quite good enough. It's hard to blame Harris for that.

[2b2bdoo]

So, do you think that Harris told them to stop doing what worked so well at the end of last season? Most of the players are just not quite good enough. It's hard to blame Harris for that.

Yes clearly, we don't press anything like we used to and that's a tactic change nothing to do with players ability. Obviously Pack can't play that way as he's far to slow so yeah it's a tactical change as Harris loves him.

I certainly blame Harris, he had the transfer window.

[Bobby Dandruff]

Feck me, now Wilson's header at the back post wasn't a chance because it wasn't on the deck?! Neither was Moore's header from the corner.

We're not winning games and we need to be, we're conceding goals first and from set-pieces and we really need to stop that, but the football is getting better and there are a number of reasons that teams trying to evolve would find the congested calendar tougher.

Glen Williams says: "There’s no question this group of players is performing well below the sum of its parts. That simply has to change."

Paul Abbandonato later says: "Just hope he starts getting the sum of the parts adding up because this is a good squad at Championship level."

Warnock's greatest trick was convincing the Walesonline press that this is a really good squad. The starting 11 is a good one but we haven't been shown anything yet to suggest it's a deep squad of talent.

I actually thought that you were going to answer your own question then when you mentioned Warnock, but you went in a different direction.

For all of Warnock’s faults he did the exact opposite of what Harris is doing: he got a group of journeymen footballers, who no one wanted (Hoillett, Bamba, NML) to become better than the sum of their parts. For nearly the first 2 seasons anyway, and got us promoted.

He wasn’t great at spending money in the transfer market but his initial ability to motivate a not-especially-great group of players to play together as a team is exactly what Harris seems to lack, and Harris has MUCH better players to work with.

[Tuerto]

Exactly

There were a few occasions where we mis-controlled it or the forwards fluffed their lines. Harris can't be blamed for that

Of course he can, he's the manager. 1-0 down after 2 minutes is piss poor, serious lack of concentration. Not being able to convert chances seems to be equated to bad luck. If a defender misses a tackle then it's looked at more critically. What'd the difference? it's still poor judgement in most cases.

[Trigger]

Yes clearly, we don't press anything like we used to and that's a tactic change nothing to do with players ability. Obviously Pack can't play that way as he's far to slow so yeah it's a tactical change as Harris loves him.

I certainly blame Harris, he had the transfer window.

I think the cushion of 2 extra decent subs post lockdown may have helped us press a bit longer.

Think mainly our results have changed because of no Tomlin, I really do think he was that important for us at times last season. Without him (fit at least) we look largely average.

[A Quiet Monkfish]

We were unfortunate to lose, but there's no disguising the fact we're a cumbersome, plodding side lacking real energy. Most of the running our players do is when they're closing down the other side. Saturday afternoon and Soccer Saturday gives us a glimpse of the rest in this division as the goals/chances happen. Even the sides who struggled or came up last season look quicker and sharper than us. It's not 'philosophy', it's ability.

[J R Hartley]

Of course he can, he's the manager. 1-0 down after 2 minutes is piss poor, serious lack of concentration. Not being able to convert chances seems to be equated to bad luck. If a defender misses a tackle then it's looked at more critically. What'd the difference? it's still poor judgement in most cases.

So it’s Neil Harris fault that a professional football somehow managed to head the ball BACKWARDS and miss an open goal from 3 yards out? Yeah OK

[LeningradCowboy]

I actually thought that you were going to answer your own question then when you mentioned Warnock, but you went in a different direction.

For all of Warnock’s faults he did the exact opposite of what Harris is doing: he got a group of journeymen footballers, who no one wanted (Hoillett, Bamba, NML) to become better than the sum of their parts. For nearly the first 2 seasons anyway, and got us promoted.

He wasn’t great at spending money in the transfer market but his initial ability to motivate a not-especially-great group of players to play together as a team is exactly what Harris seems to lack, and Harris has MUCH better players to work with.

We paid a total of £58m for Gary Madine, Lee Tomlin, Danny Ward, Omar Bogle, Josh Murphy, Bobby Reid, Greg Cunningham, Alex Smithies, Leandro Bacuna, Robert Glatzel, Aden Flint, Will Vaulks, Isaac Vassell, Gavin Whyte, and Marlon Pack while Neil Warnock was managing the club.

He was ****ing awful at spending money in transfer market.

[2b2bdoo]

I think the cushion of 2 extra decent subs post lockdown may have helped us press a bit longer.

Think mainly our results have changed because of no Tomlin, I really do think he was that important for us at times last season. Without him (fit at least) we look largely average.

I think we came back fitter than most which helped.

Not sure on the subs, he rarely uses the 3 he has anyway.

[Bobby Dandruff]

We paid a total of £58m for Gary Madine, Lee Tomlin, Danny Ward, Omar Bogle, Josh Murphy, Bobby Reid, Greg Cunningham, Alex Smithies, Leandro Bacuna, Robert Glatzel, Aden Flint, Will Vaulks, Isaac Vassell, Gavin Whyte, and Marlon Pack while Neil Warnock was managing the club.

He was ****ing awful at spending money in transfer market.

But to my point: he got a group of (pretty ordinary) players to over perform collectively, which we could really, REALLY do with now.

[surge]

I actually thought that you were going to answer your own question then when you mentioned Warnock, but you went in a different direction.

For all of Warnock’s faults he did the exact opposite of what Harris is doing: he got a group of journeymen footballers, who no one wanted (Hoillett, Bamba, NML) to become better than the sum of their parts. For nearly the first 2 seasons anyway, and got us promoted.

He wasn’t great at spending money in the transfer market but his initial ability to motivate a not-especially-great group of players to play together as a team is exactly what Harris seems to lack, and Harris has MUCH better players to work with.

I'd contrast Warnock to Dave Jones before doing so to Harris who hasn't had enough time yet for me to feel comfortable assessing his pros and cons. Dave Jones brought together talented misfits and got them play well together for first 2-3 months before things tended to go wrong, Warnock brought together misfits of varying talent and got them to play well together for 2 and a half years before things started to go wrong.

[J R Hartley]

But to my point: he got a group of (pretty ordinary) players to over perform collectively, which we could really, REALLY do with now.

Like Harris did last season. Took a group of average players stuck in the bottom half of the table and into the play offs whilst trying to evolve the style of play and bring the average age of the team down.

[J R Hartley]

I'd contrast Warnock to Dave Jones before doing so to Harris who hasn't had enough time yet for me to feel comfortable assessing his pros and cons. Dave Jones brought together talented misfits and got them play well together for first 2-3 months before things tended to go wrong, Warnock brought together misfits of varying talent and got them to play well together for 2 and a half years before things started to go wrong.

2 and half years is stretching it and DJ certainly got more than 2-3 months out of his teams.

[Tuerto]

So it’s Neil Harris fault that a professional football somehow managed to head the ball BACKWARDS and miss an open goal from 3 yards out? Yeah OK

If he signed that player or keeps showing faith i that player, and he continues to make mistakes, then he is responsible, hence the fact that football managers lose their jobs....If only player X could tackle.....If only player Y had a better touch etc. You know the drill

[BlueArmy 86]

Nah that’s harsh. We weren’t just hitting hopeful balls over the fullback and looking 2nd balls. We had more possession than them, were trying to play through the lines when we could. Created overloads for Bennet all night. Got umpteen crosses into the box, 17 attempts at goal and just could not get the goal despite missing chances that were easier to score. The Hoilet one was shocking.

Finally, some sense.

[Eric the Half a Bee]

DJ certainly got more than 2-3 months out of his teams.

Just not November and April/May as a rule.