What a mess

If we can just sharpen up CJ a little bit more in front of goal it would give us alot more potential scoring opportunities.
My advice to CJ would be simple, forget the crosses, shoot
My advice would be, train every day and stay late after training and learn to kick with your right foot and learn to play with your head up
 
Or play him down the middle so he can try and copy Thierry Henry like he wants to.

Yates was playing off Madine. And everyone just looked better for not overthinking things too much.

Who would have thought that James Husband could start and finish in his own proper position in a back four that isn't faffing about holding a high line and would come out of it without a red card.

As you know from other boards we've been on this summer, it's been doing my head in watching this 4-1-2-3 snide Liverpool copy. That either Critchley has sold to the board or they've told him they want to try to keep our bored fans/closet reds happy and sell season tickets.

It just doesn't suit us as a club. Worse thing Mansford could have done was talking to Holloway after he first turned up here. Filled his head full of shite.

You've got to earn the right. And we're known for battling and scrapping and proving people wrong instead of all this billy big bollox stuff we've had. Way over the top for what we need.

Quite where they're heading with two wet behind the ears youth coaches and an dour angry scotsman now as the latest throw of the dice I'm not sure, but it will need simplifying at some point. Particularly in covid times. We don't need all these fancy job titles taking a wage off Sadler.
 
Or play him down the middle so he can try and copy Thierry Henry like he wants to.

Yates was playing off Madine. And everyone just looked better for not overthinking things too much.

Who would have thought that James Husband could start and finish in his own proper position in a back four that isn't faffing about holding a high line and would come out of it without a red card.

As you know from other boards we've been on this summer, it's been doing my head in watching this 4-1-2-3 snide Liverpool copy. That either Critchley has sold to the board or they've told him they want to try to keep our bored fans/closet reds happy and sell season tickets.

It just doesn't suit us as a club. Worse thing Mansford could have done was talking to Holloway after he first turned up here. Filled his head full of shite.

You've got to earn the right. And we're known for battling and scrapping and proving people wrong instead of all this billy big bollox stuff we've had. Way over the top for what we need.

Quite where they're heading with two wet behind the ears youth coaches and an dour angry scotsman now as the latest throw of the dice I'm not sure, but it will need simplifying at some point. Particularly in covid times. We don't need all these fancy job titles taking a wage off Sadler.
Yep we did see it coming

Been saying all summer that we need to be playing folk in their correct positions

2 centre mids playing centre mid certainly helped
 
It wasn't a standard 442 as Yates was behind Madine

And the wide men were further forward than standard wide midfield players

Either way the direct style and hard work with 2 proper centre mids won it for us
Oh dear Phil.
Just listened to Jerry. He says that he worked on his partnership up front with Goal Machine all this week.
I said when you joined the board it might be hard work getting you up to speed on football issues.
I'll be Calderwood to your Critchley.
 
Pooly
"Who would have thought that James Husband could start and finish in his own proper position in a back four that isn't faffing about holding a high line and would come out of it without a red card."
I thought Hubby did really well today but he did have a little nibble on the edge of the box though that Tuesday's ref would have probably sent him off for. 😁
 
Oh dear Phil.
Just listened to Jerry. He says that he worked on his partnership up front with Goal Machine all this week.
I said when you joined the board it might be hard work getting you up to speed on football issues.
I'll be Calderwood to your Critchley.
It was certainly a partnership insi

Doesn't mean they were stood next to each other in a two though

Neville and Beckham had a wonderful partnership and they weren't playing in the same position

Think Lineker and Beardsley or Dalglish and Rush

One behind one ....
 
Last edited:
Good thread to read this and obviously a lot of you guys know your football, and it goes to show this place can debate quality topics at leisure.
Good effort from the OP to set it up👍
 
Pooly
"Who would have thought that James Husband could start and finish in his own proper position in a back four that isn't faffing about holding a high line and would come out of it without a red card."
I thought Hubby did really well today but he did have a little nibble on the edge of the box though that Tuesday's ref would have probably sent him off for. 😁

That's the normal game of a lower league left back. What isn't his normal game is being in the middle of a back two and ending up last man of a high line with naive tactics making the game easy for the opposition. It took Charlton two attempts in the first minute the other week before they hit bingo.

If Super Nanny Calderwood asks for footage of the games so far Critchley will be better off saying his missus taped over them by accident.
 
That's the normal game of a lower league left back. What isn't his normal game is being in the middle of a back two and ending up last man of a high line with naive tactics making the game easy for the opposition. It took Charlton two attempts in the first minute the other week before they hit bingo.

If Super Nanny Calderwood asks for footage of the games so far Critchley will be better off saying his missus taped over them by accident.
Ha ha

Insi been torn a new one 😕
 
If CJ had (or can be coached) Sullay’s weight of pass / delivery, he could play in the Championship. Hopefully if Yates, Madine and KaiKai click like they did today - it’ll make CJ up his decision making too.
 
It was certainly a partnership insi

Doesn't mean they were stood next to each other in a two though

Neville and Beckham had a wonderful partnership and they weren't playing in the same position

Think Lineker and Beardsley or Dalglish and Rush

One behind one ....
....as part of the front 2.
On CJ if you watch closely he is quite confident to use his right foot. He certainly needs to play with his head up, be a little more confident before passing the ball and perhaps take a split second to think.
He could be a really good project for Critchley and hopefully improve him they way he has with Ekpiteta.
 
Been working all week on a partnership !
Unless you've got a good day Kai Kai, providing a sublime pass. Or a Dougall whose first intention is to pass forward, it's like having a gun with no bullets.
 
For all the fancy football structure and waffle coming out of the club over the past twelve months, it's still all had to come down to going 4-4-2, putting players in their correct positions, focusing on the basics and putting the hard work in to get three points today.

Keep everything simple and keep the focus on the actual football. At board level and on the pitch.
I’ve be calling for 442 back to basics for a while now and was pleased by today.
 
Not sure it'll always work but it looked like the players have had a say as well. Have seen Madine motion over to the bench a few times now in games to ask when they're going to put lads around him and get closer. Rather than the three up front in different postcodes set up that we've seen so far.
 
Not sure it'll always work but it looked like the players have had a say as well. Have seen Madine motion over to the bench a few times now in games to ask when they're going to put lads around him and get closer. Rather than the three up front in different postcodes set up that we've seen so far.
I've not seen that tbh. Can you lip read?
 
Did it against Charlton but then they subbed him straight after chasing their right back down. But he had a word the other night after Robson got sent off. Kaikai, then Woodburn and Kemp were moved closer to him at the start of the second half for knock downs and lay offs as the tactics started to go out of the window. Which fuelled the credit they got for making a game of it after it went to nine.
 
I think it can be a good thing if all input is welcome and everyone is willing to adapt.

The high press, possession and passing high tempo game didn't take long before it slowed down to a snails pace, as was always going to be the case. But I think the players have done as good a job as they can so far in what is an alien set up for them. Being asked to do things they're not used to before or maybe comfortable with, and being coached in a robotic way, and it all playing out in front of no crowds and never knowing if you're going to poison each other and get a fortnight off. With a fanbase watching on who've been whipped up into a frenzy by gobshite Mansford talking up a Blackpool Way.

I think the coaches can do well if they're willing to and start to adapt and move away from focusing on one ideal of playing, and gain their own personality away from the Liverpool template. Gain proper experience and revisit later. I don't know how willing they are to get lost in the system of a lower league struggle for a few years before emerging, but that's what it is unfortunately. You've got to find your own way.
 
I actually feel for Critchley in all this

The board have been extremely gullible in the appointment of Critchley and haven't given him the real support he needs

The first thing (at second interview stage or whenever it was that the board had this idea of being a league 1 Liverpool with a foreign set up ) the board should have done was say to Critchley you need an experienced back room team

You surround an inexperienced manager or head coach with people who have done it before and can help

You also do everything you can to keep your better players that were already at the club, then you sort out the spine of the team

Centre defence, centre midfield and a proven centre forward

In what other industry would you let a novice with no proven experience manage a multi million pound project?

Cluster fcuk of arrogance and naivety and Mansford is the CEO

He makes the decisions from top to bottom

Its no wonder he doesn't do interviews and was so nervous at the opening of the Armfield club when he spoke

He's a fraud i bet he was shitting himself
Have we forgiven Mansford yet?
 
Water under the bridge.
Time to appreciate all the good things we have here now and see how the run in pans out...imo.
 
Have we forgiven Mansford yet?
Simon Sadler got him away from pretending to be DOF by creating the Head of Football Operations role in November, and we had a much calmer January straight after it, so hopefully things are being approached more sensibly now on the football planning side.

But you can see there's a fair bit still to tidy up squad-wise this summer from the last 12-18 months. Why weren't we able to send Lubala and Sarkic on to help kill that game yesterday in the last 15 etc.
 
Simon Sadler got him away from pretending to be DOF by creating the Head of Football Operations role in November, and we had a much calmer January straight after it, so hopefully things are being approached more sensibly now on the football planning side.

But you can see there's a fair bit still to tidy up squad-wise this summer from the last 12-18 months. Why weren't we able to send Lubala and Sarkic on to help kill that game yesterday in the last 15 etc.
Squads are never completely tidy. As you tidy up more mess is appearing. It's like my bedroom.

Lubala and Sarkic were not the best signings. But I reckon they are better than we have seen so far. It just hasn't worked out for whatever reasons. Things don't always work out.

Have I said anything useful? No. 🤣
 
Anyone who bumps a thread because of posting on a football forum months ago is an utter kunt.
We can go back on anyone's history on here so behave yourself.
But not everyone slags everyone off! Live by the sword, die by the re-gurgitated sword! You can't complain if you criticise people to death in public and it's brought up later, in my opinion. Be careful what you say. Be respectful, and shit won't come back to haunt you.
 
The trouble with 'just winning games' is that it still costs money and you employ people just to win games, firstly, when do you sack all of it off to develop a vision and secondly, how do you know a 'just winning games' approach will work, you could end up ditching everyone for a backwards step that fails?

Theres no reason at all for vast changes yet, everyone needs to man the fuck up.
I think this was the most forward thinking post on this thread. What a wise and level headed individual, I hear he's also a hit with the ladies.
 
Last edited:
But not everyone slags everyone off! Live by the sword, die by the re-gurgitated sword! You can't complain if you criticise people to death in public and it's brought up later, in my opinion. Be careful what you say. Be respectful, and shit won't come back to haunt you.
I think the overriding thing is we do need to show patience. If we do not get promotion this year it is not a failure, as I still think we are on an upwards path.
Everyone has said things in heat of the moment,that are plain wrong. For myself only a few weeks ago I would have dropped Kaikai as too inconsistent and not offered him a new contract, fortunately Critch knew better.
 
It'd be ok if other posters could be brought to account for their historical shortcomings, but I don't think the present moderation of the board would allow that to happen.

I cant every recall @Phil_bfc deux praising the O's, nor saying that the club would be doing ok if the O's were doing ok as one example.
Who is that aimed at Plumbs?
 
Think it is more than fair to bring this post back up as a reminder of how naive and immature it is to call for the heads of people like Mansford after negative results.

In October, I wanted Critchley gone, because I thought he had been properly backed, but was not getting results on the pitch. I was 100% wrong and am delighted I was.

However, I even said at the time it was shortsighted to criticize Johnson or Mansford, because all they can do is find and sign the players Critchley uses and I thought at the time they both had done more than enough to provide a quality side for Critch to work.

Calling for his head was asinine.
 
Think it is more than fair to bring this post back up as a reminder of how naive and immature it is to call for the heads of people like Mansford after negative results.

In October, I wanted Critchley gone, because I thought he had been properly backed, but was not getting results on the pitch. I was 100% wrong and am delighted I was.

However, I even said at the time it was shortsighted to criticize Johnson or Mansford, because all they can do is find and sign the players Critchley uses and I thought at the time they both had done more than enough to provide a quality side for Critch to work.

Calling for his head was asinine.
No need to call for anyone's head. Where we needed clarity (and got, in November) was in the Chief Exec having convinced Simon Sadler that he could be the Director of Football that he wanted in his desired structure, just because he used to be a football agent. But he was appointed as the CEO, not DOF. The CEO needs to focus on non-football team issues, of which there are plenty with the situation inherited. And we saw that eventually addressed with the appointment of a Head of Football Operations. Who is being paid a wage to make sure that the main revenue-generating focus of the football club is on the football bit.

If you're going to move away from a manager doing everything through a mate who knows a scout, but expect more output than that can give you as it's going to cost more, then you've got to get that layered structure right from top to bottom because it directly reflects on what happens on the football pitch. And it was. Chris Maxwell called it naive with the initial approach, people getting too far ahead of themselves, and I can't disagree.
 
Anyone who bumps a thread because of posting on a football forum months ago is an utter kunt.
We can go back on anyone's history on here so behave yourself.
Re post anything you like of mine go back however many years you want to.
 
So you bump a thread again with less than 20 posts three of them yours two days later I was right the first time.

As to someone's history I ain't that sad and seeing as this new site has been going for just over 12 moths I'd struggle to go back years on anyone's.
Feel free to go back through my over 5000 bullshit posts. 👍
 
Wow what sort of sad ** re hashes an old thread from months ago to try and score cheap points ?

But after watching that tonight all this has done is highlight our lack of attacking options on the bench and the bizarre summer transfer window

Robson the number 6 play maker now 5th choice

Lubala nowhere to be seen, Sarkic out on loan

Kemp and Woodburn been and gone as has Williams

Nice one nob head 👌
 
Wow what sort of sad ** re hashes an old thread from months ago to try and score cheap points ?
Dont knock it with 'knock' being the operative word, and its a compliment to have something resurrected.

It didnt do Ridley Scott and Sigourney Weaver any harm did it? 😁
 
Back
Top