That Preston game last season

[Nuno Gomes]

Our 5-0 loss was the turning point for Johnson according to the interview he gave last week.  Said he realised he need to rely on players he could trust and picked a team th next match accordingly.  So who did he drop and who did he bring in for the Wolves game?

[BCFC101]

Preston

Wolves

[TammyAB]

Tomlin, Hegeler, Cotterill and a “yet to prove himself” O’Dowda

[Nuno Gomes]

3 minutes ago, TammyAB said:

Tomlin, Hegeler, Cotterill and a “yet to prove himself” O’Dowda

Cheers.  I must admit I thought one of them was Magnússon as I remembered LJ singling him out but obviously a different game.

[Selred]

Just now, Nuno Gomez said:

Cheers.  I must admit I thought one of them was Magnússon as I remembered LJ singling him out but obviously a different game.

No, Mags came on as a sub. Was harshly criticised. 

[BCFC101]

1 minute ago, Selred said:

No, Mags came on as a sub. Was harshly criticised. 

Interestingly, I saw the highlights from the Preston game and something that I noticed is a mistake which he made for one of the goals where he committed for a ball he was never going to get to. The reason that particular mistake stood out for me was because of the amount of times this season I've noticed him almost wanting to commit for a similar looking pass but he doesn't. Clear evidence of him learning from that goal.

[SStandUp]

13 minutes ago, Selred said:

No, Mags came on as a sub. Was harshly criticised. 

He wasn't harshly criticised, he was absolutely dreadful. Like in an absolute shambles of a team, he looked by far the most shambolic .. Johnson hammered the whole team, but singled out a Mags mistake. 

However, he's a great guy and delighted to see his upturn in form the last couple of games! 

[AppyDAZE]

26 minutes ago, ForeverRes said:

He wasn't harshly criticised, he was absolutely dreadful. Like in an absolute shambles of a team, he looked by far the most shambolic .. Johnson hammered the whole team, but singled out a Mags mistake. 

However, he's a great guy and delighted to see his upturn in form the last couple of games! 

Hörður Magnússon is a very good player, and his upturn in form is wholly due to the fact that he has had a run of games in the starting line up (other than Sheff U away)

When he wasn't getting a look in he got a bit too keen to prove a point when he actually played in the cup etc.

If we let him go, it would be a mistake imo  i know he wants regular football and you can't blame him. i ask could he be first choice left back? Joey's a better attacking option for me and so we can play them both?  I reckon yes

[AppyDAZE]

PS I kind of like the 4- centre half back four too. it 's got the solid look.

[SStandUp]

10 minutes ago, AppyDAZE said:

Hörður Magnússon is a very good player, and his upturn in form is wholly due to the fact that he has had a run of games in the starting line up (other than Sheff U away)

When he wasn't getting a look in he got a bit too keen to prove a point when he actually played in the cup etc.

If we let him go, it would be a mistake imo  i know he wants regular football and you can't blame him. i ask could he be first choice left back? Joey's a better attacking option for me and so we can play them both?  I reckon yes

Joe Bryan is first choice left back. We are just very fortunate at the moment that Bryan is a half decent option going forward so he can fill in for injuries, which gets Mags in the team.. 

Agree Mags is a good player and has potential. But with a fully fit squad he doesn't make the starting XI for me ! 

[Bryans Left Peg]

Need players he can rely on. Starts Mark Little. 

[Son of Fred]

2 hours ago, AppyDAZE said:

PS I kind of like the 4- centre half back four too. it 's got the solid look.

Brick sh**house,anyone??

[Davefevs]

3 hours ago, BCFC101 said:

Preston

Wolves

442 (or 4411 if Taylor off of Abraham), players playing a formation they understand, not being complicated by LJ, no Tomlin, so playing with 11 rather than 10/10.5.

[JasonM88]

Smith and Pack together in midfield, a pairing that has worked for us. 

[Carey 6]

7 hours ago, Bryans Left Peg said:

Need players he can rely on. Starts Mark Little. 

I actually reckon Littles form towards the end of the season was good and helped us secure championship status. 

[Coxy27]

7 hours ago, Bryans Left Peg said:

Need players he can rely on. Starts Mark Little. 

Mark Little did well for this football club, he was definitely someone you could rely on to give his all.

[Reddrive]

One thing you got with Mark Little was 100% effort all the time. 

I liked him and he did well for City.

[RedM]

The dropping of Tomlin made all the difference to the team I think. Everything had to go through him and he slowed things down. Very different from our pass and move game we are seeing this season and how everyone is encouraged to ‘go’. Tomlin was unplayable when he was in the mood to play, but when he wasn’t we were well and truly done for.

As for Magnusson at Preston, I think we were 3 down already and he came on and was left on his backside and it was instantly 4. In his defence it was a sudden decision from Lee as Magnusson hadn’t been warming up at all, he stripped off and was thrown on. I remember commenting on it at the time. A desperate move by a desperate manager it looked like at the time, to gee up a team who weren’t playing at all. It was like watching a car crash and was a long but interesting journey home. 

[Bar BS3]

Incredible to think that since what felt like despair that night, watching the beam back in the sports bar, we have gone on to lose just 4 of the following 32 matches, in all competitions. 

Outstanding turn around! 

I read on another thread just now that a win at QPR on Saturday would give us our highest ever points tally after 23 games. If that’s correct then it is some achievement! 

[RedM]

14 minutes ago, Bar BS3 said:

Incredible to think that since what felt like despair that night, watching the beam back in the sports bar, we have gone on to lose just 4 of the following 32 matches, in all competitions. 

Outstanding turn around! 

I read on another thread just now that a win at QPR on Saturday would give us our highest ever points tally after 23 games. If that’s correct then it is some achievement! 

It is amazing isn’t it. Every person just about on the coach coming back could see no way forward, we all fully expected him to be relieved of his duties the following morning, whether we agreed with it or not. Something certainly clicked that night, maybe it was the night Lee grew up as a Manager and played more of his team the following game?

[phantom]

13 hours ago, TammyAB said:

Tomlin, Hegeler, Cotterill and a “yet to prove himself” O’Dowda

Interesting how the first three names disappeared completely after this game - looks to be great management by LJ

[BobBobSuperBob]

33 minutes ago, RedM said:

It is amazing isn’t it. Every person just about on the coach coming back could see no way forward, we all fully expected him to be relieved of his duties the following morning, whether we agreed with it or not. Something certainly clicked that night, maybe it was the night Lee grew up as a Manager and played more of his team the following game?

He's alluded recently to what was said after that game

A few home truths and a full on thrash out I'd suggest in both directions

Maybe a few got put in their place  (By staff and players) 

[Coxy27]

33 minutes ago, phantom said:

Interesting how the first three names disappeared completely after this game - looks to be great management by LJ

To be fair to Hegeler, I wouldn't say he's lost Johnson's trust, he's featured when available this season, he's just injured a lot and we have better options.

I think the comment from Johnson was purely aimed at Tomlin.

[Jack Dawe]

2 hours ago, RedM said:

The dropping of Tomlin made all the difference to the team I think. Everything had to go through him and he slowed things down. Very different from our pass and move game we are seeing this season and how everyone is encouraged to ‘go’. Tomlin was unplayable when he was in the mood to play, but when he wasn’t we were well and truly done for.

As for Magnússon at Preston, I think we were 3 down already and he came on and was left on his backside and it was instantly 4. In his defence it was a sudden decision from Lee as Magnússon hadn’t been warming up at all, he stripped off and was thrown on. I remember commenting on it at the time. A desperate move by a desperate manager it looked like at the time, to gee up a team who weren’t playing at all. It was like watching a car crash and was a long but interesting journey home. 

It still baffles me how LJ thought signing Tomlin was a good idea (I get why I, or we,  thought signing him was, but not the head coach) - the loan spell convinced him, I suppose. Massive learning curve for LJ, having Tomlin to deal with. And fair play to him, he has been quick on the uptake, as it were. The improvement and form post-Preston away is astonishing. I don't think that is an exaggeration.

Tomlin blocked the way for Patterson, and Reid, and both these boys are more than good enough - just check the stats - and more than adequate replacement for the insecure and enormously needy show-pony that was Lee Tomlin. 

We cannot thank Warnock and Cardiff enough for taking him off us.

[RedM]

3 hours ago, BobBobSuperBob said:

He's alluded recently to what was said after that game

A few home truths and a full on thrash out I'd suggest in both directions

Maybe a few got put in their place  (By staff and players) 

I hadn’t realised he has spoke about this recently. I’m sure Tomlin must have been told to look for another club around this time, I swear that was our turning point as I said and the players reaction when they knew they didn’t have to play with him any more. I’m not saying they didn’t like him, yes as a person I think they got on reasonably well with him from what I saw but regarding playing, well that was different.

[RedM]

2 hours ago, Jack Dawe said:

It still baffles me how LJ thought signing Tomlin was a good idea (I get why I, or we,  thought signing him was, but not the head coach) - the loan spell convinced him, I suppose. Massive learning curve for LJ, having Tomlin to deal with. And fair play to him, he has been quick on the uptake, as it were. The improvement and form post-Preston away is astonishing. I don't think that is an exaggeration.

Tomlin blocked the way for Patterson, and Reid, and both these boys are more than good enough - just check the stats - and more than adequate replacement for the insecure and enormously needy show-pony that was Lee Tomlin. 

We cannot thank Warnock and Cardiff enough for taking him off us.

I totally agree with you. Yes, I could see what Tomlin brought to the team whilst on loan and was delighted to see him sign. But I also thought we spent a long time chasing him, playing his ‘will I, won’t I games’, but that said if we didn’t get him the majority of people would have jumped on the clubs back. But, yes another but, we weren’t privy to the gossip/rumours/facts that surround footballers, but many on here knew bits and pieces from Tomlin’s  past clubs, enough to get alarm bells ringing. I think we got a bit desperate/over confident and overlooked too many negatives by blindly crossing our fingers for the positives. I really don’t think this will happen again. 

[cider-manc]

15 minutes ago, RedM said:

I hadn’t realised he has spoke about this recently. I’m sure Tomlin must have been told to look for another club around this time, I swear that was our turning point as I said and the players reaction when they knew they didn’t have to play with him any more. I’m not saying they didn’t like him, yes as a person I think they got on reasonably well with him from what I saw but regarding playing, well that was different.

I think one of the most telling signs was after he put his penalty into orbit against burton. Not one of our players went over to him to tell him to keep his chin up etc. The nearest player to him (matty Taylor iirc)  sort of shrugged his shoulders at him... That was it. 

As for the preston game... I've never left a game as raging as i was after that.

[Jack Dawe]

2 hours ago, RedM said:

I totally agree with you. Yes, I could see what Tomlin brought to the team whilst on loan and was delighted to see him sign. But I also thought we spent a long time chasing him, playing his ‘will I, won’t I games’, but that said if we didn’t get him the majority of people would have jumped on the clubs back. But, yes another but, we weren’t privy to the gossip/rumours/facts that surround footballers, but many on here knew bits and pieces from Tomlin’s  past clubs, enough to get alarm bells ringing. I think we got a bit desperate/over confident and overlooked too many negatives by blindly crossing our fingers for the positives. I really don’t think this will happen again. 

I think we saw last winter that the oft stated "if the club don't do xyz then fans' will create hell/get on their backs" point of view does not always apply to Steve Lansdown and is a bit of received wisdom that doesn't stand up to scrutiny.

But otherwise, we're in agreement!

[BCFC Rich]

2 hours ago, cider-manc said:

I think one of the most telling signs was after he put his penalty into orbit against burton. Not one of our players went over to him to tell him to keep his chin up etc. The nearest player to him (matty Taylor iirc)  sort of shrugged his shoulders at him... That was it. 

As for the preston game... I've never left a game as raging as i was after that.

Agree, clearly not missed on or off the pitch.

[hoxton casual]

20 hours ago, BCFC101 said:

Interestingly, I saw the highlights from the Preston game and something that I noticed is a mistake which he made for one of the goals where he committed for a ball he was never going to get to. The reason that particular mistake stood out for me was because of the amount of times this season I've noticed him almost wanting to commit for a similar looking pass but he doesn't. Clear evidence of him learning from that goal.

Great Spot BCFC10