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"A Proper Pearson performance"


Shtanley

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Is the quote from former City stadium announcer David Lloyd that stood out from today's episode of One Stream in Bristol.

Pete and DL join me to discuss the fabulous win against Birmingham in the BCFC derby.

We talk about how good Kasey Palmer played and that we need to see it more.

Has Semenyo benefited from the lack of fans? 

LISTEN HERE

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3 hours ago, Shtanley said:

 

Has Semenyo benefited from the lack of fans? 

LISTEN HERE

Haven't listened yet but look forward to doing so tomorrow. 

My immediate answer to the semenyo question is definitely yes. He has visibly wilted in response to groans (or worse) from the crowd in the past.

He's still doing things which would generate a whinge, but with no one in the stadium to Deliver that whinge nowadays he seems capable of keeping on working 

Let's hope Pearson gets that sport's psychologist in as he did at Leicester. Could see that role making a huge improvement to not just semenyo, but many of our players, who seem a bit fragile 

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more importantly lets hope all his friends, family and contacts stop him from reading this forum; one of the surest ways of destroying a player's confidence (or a manager for that matter) is to allow the negativity on here after anything but a win to be made known to the person in question.

Fortunately this forum tends to be populated by the same 100 or so tiny minority to prefer to knock something about the club that to praise it. As expected NP will be given a few games' grace then...bang, his interviews are tedious, his tactics are wrong, his selection in poor etc!

 

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17 hours ago, Shtanley said:

Is the quote from former City stadium announcer David Lloyd that stood out from today's episode of One Stream in Bristol.

Pete and DL join me to discuss the fabulous win against Birmingham in the BCFC derby.

We talk about how good Kasey Palmer played and that we need to see it more.

Has Semenyo benefited from the lack of fans? 

LISTEN HERE

I think Semenyo has benefited from a lack of Lee Johnson.

He looks a lot more exciting player than in the games he played under Johnson.

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28 minutes ago, exAtyeoMax said:

Semenyo appeared to improve dramatically even under DH at the beginning of the season. To me, a confidence issue. What caused that, who knows?!

Didn't DH remark upon the difference in attitude he seen in Semenyo and Bakinson on their return after the summer.   Sometimes these changes come from within.   

Really great watching Semenyo play.  Him on the right and O'Dowda left would be a great attacking threat on the break.   I just don't think Diedhiou is what we need spearheading the attack.

Will give the pod a listen slaving over a hot stove later.  ?

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54 minutes ago, And Its Smith said:

Probably just because he has played more games now so has naturally improved 

Yep, more opportunity.  He only got 361 minutes last season.

If I had to make an appraisal of AS under LJ and DH, I’d say AS actually looked better centrally under LJ, but I think what we are seeing now is some natural development / experience coming through.  He’s a very raw player but finding his feet in the wider forward role.  Sometimes frustrating, sometimes exciting.

Using Transfermarkt data he has 12 goal contributions (5g / 7a) in all comps from 2339 minutes (26 x 90 mins) this season, which is pretty decent.

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3 hours ago, Phileas Fogg said:

I wonder how long Lee Johnson will continue to be blamed for things here? 

I think there is no doubt that LJ left us with a very unbalanced squad and also a recruitment policy where the acquisition of clubs in the bag was more important than obtaining genuine quality perhaps in lesser numbers. Holden in conjunction with the Board was not able to manage that and, if anything, made the situation even worse when they allowed Elliasson to go. However, you are correct in that people need to let go, we know that NP will make the best of the tools he's got just by using his Managerial nouse and experience. However, assuming Pearson is persuaded to stay here, I expect to see "clubs in the bag" dropped like a stone as a recruitment policy and replaced with the purchase of a lower number of players possessing higher quality and supplemented by youth to make the numbers up (given we now have an increasing number of young kids with Championship experience out of necessity). That has to be a recipe that Steve Lansdown and Mark Ashton can swallow I would have thought.

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3 minutes ago, Numero Uno said:

I think there is no doubt that LJ left us with a very unbalanced squad and also a recruitment policy where the acquisition of clubs in the bag was more important than obtaining genuine quality perhaps in lesser numbers. Holden in conjunction with the Board was not able to manage that and, if anything, made the situation even worse when they allowed Elliasson to go. However, you are correct in that people need to let go, we know that NP will make the best of the tools he's got just by using his Managerial nouse and experience. However, assuming Pearson is persuaded to stay here, I expect to see "clubs in the bag" dropped like a stone as a recruitment policy and replaced with the purchase of a lower number of players possessing higher quality and supplemented by youth to make the numbers up (given we now have an increasing number of young kids with Championship experience out of necessity). That has to be a recipe that Steve Lansdown and Mark Ashton can swallow I would have thought.

At the time, there weren't many fans sorry to see NE go from what I can remember. There was a lot of talk, mainly amongst fans, during pre-season about how 3-5-2 would be the system and NE was surplus to requirements as he didn't fit the system. I think we should have replaced him, 15 assists (may be a few less, but that's the number that comes to mind) were removed from the squad that weren't replaced and I think we've looked a worse team for it.

Rightly or wrongly, this squad has been assembled for 3-5-2, it's why we have 42892849825 centre midfielders and very few wingers. The clubs in the bag attitude, whilst definitely present, ended up giving us a fairly one dimensional squad. If we're going to go with 4-2-3-1 (I really like it) then we need to address the lack of quality out wide, as well as at Right Back. I think the spine of the squad is good enough, assuming Mawson is replaced in the summer, it's quality over quantity this summer for me.

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21 minutes ago, KegCity said:

At the time, there weren't many fans sorry to see NE go from what I can remember. There was a lot of talk, mainly amongst fans, during pre-season about how 3-5-2 would be the system and NE was surplus to requirements as he didn't fit the system. I think we should have replaced him, 15 assists (may be a few less, but that's the number that comes to mind) were removed from the squad that weren't replaced and I think we've looked a worse team for it.

Rightly or wrongly, this squad has been assembled for 3-5-2, it's why we have 42892849825 centre midfielders and very few wingers. The clubs in the bag attitude, whilst definitely present, ended up giving us a fairly one dimensional squad. If we're going to go with 4-2-3-1 (I really like it) then we need to address the lack of quality out wide, as well as at Right Back. I think the spine of the squad is good enough, assuming Mawson is replaced in the summer, it's quality over quantity this summer for me.

Agree with the last bit but I for one was sorry to see us bin our only genuine wide man (or at least not replace him at least). Any squad that doesn't have wingers in it is doomed to fail at this level imo. To play the eye of a needle stuff down the centre of the pitch that we were trying (abysmally) to execute you need proper quality in your side, quality which we have never had at any point over the last few seasons.

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I’ve said before that 352 is an “all in” system recruitment wise, i.e. if you’re gonna play it you’ve got to commit to playing it and recruiting for it....because moving to a back 4 based system is quite different (no shit Sherlock).

However, that’s not to say wingers can’t be part of the squad.

Sheffield Wednesday played Harris and Murphy, two wingers as their WBs.  Harris has a fantastic work rate so not a surprise.  But Murphy is very attack minded, so maybe left them a bit unbalanced, but proof you don’t have to discard wingers.  Eliasson played LWB v Villa and looked like a fish out of water there....albeit against a higher quality opponents.  Maybe that influenced things, along with contract situation, and his likelihood of minutes?

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2 hours ago, Numero Uno said:

Agree with the last bit but I for one was sorry to see us bin our only genuine wide man (or at least not replace him at least). Any squad that doesn't have wingers in it is doomed to fail at this level imo. To play the eye of a needle stuff down the centre of the pitch that we were trying (abysmally) to execute you need proper quality in your side, quality which we have never had at any point over the last few seasons.

Agree, that's what I was trying to get across. To not replace the most assists at the club was a terrible decision. I'm not surprised he left, as even when in top form LJ wouldn't give him a run of starts, but we now lack any quality out wide. 

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21 minutes ago, JonDolman said:

I think Pearson will really like O'Dowda. He said about having pace and power on the break. Well Semenyo and O'Dowda both have that. I think having both will really help each other in knowing there's the same kind of direct threat on both sides of the pitch. I don't like Wells out wide at all.

Palmer is very powerful too and to me looks a bit quicker now he seems to be fitter. Those 3 in behind a striker is very exciting.

Wells seems more suited but not sure if maybe Pearson wants a big striker up there. I actually thought Watkins looked very quick when coming on in the lone role and we know how strong he is too.

I think O’Dowda will like Pearson too, because (I think) he’ll improve him.

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Just now, KegCity said:

Agree, that's what I was trying to get across. To not replace the most assists at the club was a terrible decision. I'm not surprised he left, as even when in top form LJ wouldn't give him a run of starts, but we now lack any quality out wide. 

The big question for me with NE was his glut of assists (and yes it was a large amount) beneficial to the team result?

Lots of questions to answer in that and we will all have our view.

There are really easy assumptions to make that we’ve lost 15 assists , therefore 15 goals, but always another angle, e.g. what was the output from the replacement?  Okay, definitely not 15 assists, but did we concede less without NE.

Etc etc.

Results-wise, it appears than Nic made little difference, we win as many when he started as when he didn’t pro-rata.

Would I have persevered with him?  Yes, despite my criticism of him without the ball.  Why?  Because I think you could’ve improved the off the ball stuff both in and out of possession.

But his contract situation played a big role, whichever party drove the exit.

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3 minutes ago, JonDolman said:

Yep, I think a massive part will be tactics in getting the best out of O'Dowda. The one up top will give him more licence to make runs, like we saw on the weekend.

I think O’Dowda will understand his role in the team better and the expectation level in that role.  I don’t think it’s the system per se, it’s the clarity of what his role is.  I think Pearson will spot when Callum is playing on the periphery, and challenge him to do more / channel his efforts better.

Without nit-picking (but you know me!) there was an example (Norwich - h) when he ran around like a headless chicken breaking our “without the ball” shape.  He worked hard, but in the wrong areas, never getting close to a challenge.  I see NP improving that area, so that when he does press the opposition feel impacted by it, and turnover possession.  Just like Massengo, Palmer, Hunt and Semenyo did on Saturday.

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When he gets the ball he’ll appreciate what he needs to do with it for the team, rather than running with it alone, then checking back, because the picture isn’t in his head.

I think he’s been able to coast a bit at City under LJ / DH.  I’m hoping that together NP and COD realise COD’s potential.  We’ve already seen NP handle Bakinson...looking forward to that playing out.  That will have been a good message sent to the squad.  He (Callum) will have made an early impression on Saturday but also nice to hear PS talking positively about his u23 appearance too.  Rene also mentioned the senior players having a good attitude when playing for the u23s.  Little mindset shifts I hope.  No more cosy club I hope.

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28 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

The big question for me with NE was his glut of assists (and yes it was a large amount) beneficial to the team result?

Lots of questions to answer in that and we will all have our view.

There are really easy assumptions to make that we’ve lost 15 assists , therefore 15 goals, but always another angle, e.g. what was the output from the replacement?  Okay, definitely not 15 assists, but did we concede less without NE.

Etc etc.

Results-wise, it appears than Nic made little difference, we win as many when he started as when he didn’t pro-rata.

Would I have persevered with him?  Yes, despite my criticism of him without the ball.  Why?  Because I think you could’ve improved the off the ball stuff both in and out of possession.

But his contract situation played a big role, whichever party drove the exit.

He was by no means perfect defensively, I guess the question is did he make many errors that led to goals? You'd have to tell me as I don't know ? As you say, it was undoubtedly the time for NE personally to go, he just should have been replaced.

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I hope COD turns into this amazing wide attacking midfielder that it seems some think has just needed Nige to unlock. 

He was playing better just before his latest injury. However he has largely been underwhelming for 3 seasons and his end product has been pretty uninspiring. If he changes his typical MO of running forward, stopping and playing it backwards that will be a start. 

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45 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

The big question for me with NE was his glut of assists (and yes it was a large amount) beneficial to the team result?

Lots of questions to answer in that and we will all have our view.

There are really easy assumptions to make that we’ve lost 15 assists , therefore 15 goals, but always another angle, e.g. what was the output from the replacement?  Okay, definitely not 15 assists, but did we concede less without NE.

Etc etc.

Results-wise, it appears than Nic made little difference, we win as many when he started as when he didn’t pro-rata.

Would I have persevered with him?  Yes, despite my criticism of him without the ball.  Why?  Because I think you could’ve improved the off the ball stuff both in and out of possession.

But his contract situation played a big role, whichever party drove the exit.

The point for me is if Holden didn’t rate NE’s contribution and was happy to get rid particularly given the contract situation then we should have signed a winger to replace him and keep that option available in the squad. There have been numerous games where we were screaming for a proper wide man this season and as is our way we seem to make do and mend with clubs in the bag, square pegs in round holes etc.

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14 minutes ago, KegCity said:

He was by no means perfect defensively, I guess the question is did he make many errors that led to goals? You'd have to tell me as I don't know ? As you say, it was undoubtedly the time for NE personally to go, he just should have been replaced.

It’s not so much mistakes, can’t think of any I’d directly attribute to him.  More how he didn’t always give passing angles for his team mates, rarely came off the line either to offer inside passes / allow our full-back to overlap into the space left behind and wasn’t sure where he was meant to be defensively / who to track / who to pass on.

Those are things he should’ve improved on either himself or in conjunction with coaching staff.

3 minutes ago, Numero Uno said:

The point for me is if Holden didn’t rate NE’s contribution and was happy to get rid particularly given the contract situation then we should have signed a winger to replace him and keep that option available in the squad. There have been numerous games where we were screaming for a proper wide man this season and as is our way we seem to make do and mend with clubs in the bag, square pegs in round holes etc.

But Holden set out his stall for 352, no wingers, two number 8s.  Where was the need for another winger?  He had O’Dowda, Paterson and Weimann still here.

Having a winger sat on the sidelines would’ve been a club in the bag, like carrying two putters!

The fact that he then pissed around with 433 and 442 is another matter.  His intention was to play without wingers whether misguided, naive or whatever.

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12 minutes ago, JonDolman said:

Yep but I do think having the one striker with Palmer in behind will help O'Dowda loads. And also having Semenyo as a direct, strong, fast winger on the other side. I just see it being far more fluid for O'Dowda but also benefitting the others too.

Under LJ he was far more restricted than what I'd like to see. I'd like to see Pearson give him more freedom, which I think he will get in this 4231.

Yeah, I agree Jon....I just think there are some other things coming into play too.

I’m not sure what you mean by “more freedom” though.  How do you think LJ restricted him?

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1 hour ago, Davefevs said:

It’s not so much mistakes, can’t think of any I’d directly attribute to him.  More how he didn’t always give passing angles for his team mates, rarely came off the line either to offer inside passes / allow our full-back to overlap into the space left behind and wasn’t sure where he was meant to be defensively / who to track / who to pass on.

Those are things he should’ve improved on either himself or in conjunction with coaching staff.

But Holden set out his stall for 352, no wingers, two number 8s.  Where was the need for another winger?  He had O’Dowda, Paterson and Weimann still here.

Having a winger sat on the sidelines would’ve been a club in the bag, like carrying two putters!

The fact that he then pissed around with 433 and 442 is another matter.  His intention was to play without wingers whether misguided, naive or whatever.

I accept what your saying but in my book none of the three you mention are out and out wide men irrespective of whether they have played on the wing in the past (Weimann may have been that player 10 years ago but he isn't that player in 2021). None have blistering pace, ridiculous footwork to make space for a cross or the ability to whip in a peach of a cross on anything like a regular basis, at least one of which you would would want a genuine wide man at our level to possess - only Premiership wingers tend to have two of those and the likes of Ronaldo all of them!!). I would come to the conclusion that to leave yourself without a genuine wide option is lunacy arising from inexperience as was the fact that he set out his stall to play one formation as you say and then completely binned it within a couple of months anyway WITHOUT the tools being in place to make such a change.

I realise that playing with two wide men and bombing down both wings is not the way many teams play these days and leaves you open in lots of ways but not to have that genuine option available to you all season was just plain wrong in my book. Better teams than us manage it.

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7 minutes ago, Numero Uno said:

I accept what your saying but in my book none of the three you mention are out and out wide men irrespective of whether they have played on the wing in the past (Weimann may have been that player 10 years ago but he isn't that player in 2021). None have blistering pace, ridiculous footwork to make space for a cross or the ability to whip in a peach of a cross on anything like a regular basis, at least one of which you would would want a genuine wide man at our level to possess - only Premiership wingers tend to have two of those and the likes of Ronaldo all of them!!). I would come to the conclusion that to leave yourself without a genuine wide option is lunacy arising from inexperience as was the fact that he set out his stall to play one formation as you say and then completely binned it within a couple of months anyway WITHOUT the tools being in place to make such a change.

I realise that playing with two wide men and bombing down both wings is not the way many teams play these days and leaves you open in lots of ways but not to have that genuine option available to you all season was just plain wrong in my book. Better teams than us manage it.

Re the three I mentioned, O’Dowda is most definitely a winger, the fact he’s played inside is exactly the argument you’re using against Pato and Weimann!!! ?

I get what you’re saying too, but imagine he’d recruited a winger for £2-3m and never played him because we played 352 all season / 95% of the time.

Yes, you could argue naivety on thinking he could go all season with 352, but I’m actually really disappointed he didn’t.  I think it was part of his undoing.  Like LJ, his regular system changes left him unable to assess performance, because he no longer gave himself a benchmark.  But I don’t subscribe to it being “lunacy”.  Why would I need an old fashioned winger, when I so believed in a winger-less system?

DH “Hey Mark, you know that winger we got rid of because I couldn’t guarantee him minutes to convince him  to sign a new contract....any chance you could get me another....just in case”

MA ”of course Dean, you know I love the thrill of a new signing, hold my beer”

A few days later.

MA “Dean, I’ve found you 3 suitable wingers based on the Knockaert numbers”

DH “okay, see which one you can get over the line for me”

MA “ah, bit of a problem, they’re a bit concerned that you don’t play with wingers, so don’t want to come, but Jonny Smith came up on the search too, you can have him back in January from Swindon”

???

Okay, joking aside, there is a serious point, how do you convince someone to join your club who plays in a position that you don’t play?  Especially in Covid times with restricted funds.  Now you could argue we wasted money elsewhere (Brunt???) but you still have to convince a player to come to come to your club.

Thats how I look at it anyway.

 

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