Two Minutes From Half Time!

[Portland Bill]

Defending a corner 2 mins from going in at HT 0-0, desperately don't want to concede now.

What the fudge are we doing not having anyone on either post? Surely that's the time to REALLY defend your goal. If we had just had someone on the back post he would have attacked the ball and cleared it.

Makes me so fn angry how neive we are at times

[Red-Robbo]

Defending a corner 2 mins from going in at HT 0-0, desperately don't want to concede now.

What the fudge are we doing not having anyone on either post? Surely that's the time to REALLY defend your goal. If we had just had someone on the back post he would have attacked the ball and cleared it.

Makes me so fn angry how neive we are at times

 

I really do wonder at the coaching at times, PB. No manager seems to have sorted out these basic measures.

 

One thing that is a particular bugbear of mine is our throw-ins.

 

In fact, I may volunteer myself to the first team as a throw in coach. My training would go as follow:

 

A) To the thrower: Throw to one of our players and preferably one of our players who isn't being shadowed by two opponents.

 

B) To the rest of the outfield team: Move and make yourself available. 

[bcfctim]

We lose concentration at crucial moments so often this season. The amount of goals we've conceded from set pieces just before half time is crazy. Start of the season we were letting in so many late goals, more recently we went on a run of going behind in the first 10 mins.

Honestly can't remember what it's like to have a good defense.

[Daniro]

Defending a corner 2 mins from going in at HT 0-0, desperately don't want to concede now.

What the fudge are we doing not having anyone on either post? Surely that's the time to REALLY defend your goal. If we had just had someone on the back post he would have attacked the ball and cleared it.

Makes me so fn angry how neive we are at times

Good point. Conceding or scoring goals in the last minutes of a half is a sign of a team's discipline. Think how often Man U (in Fergie's time) or even our glory team of 2007/8 used to score in the last minute. We've conceded late goals so often in recent years and it is a leadership / coaching problem. It's about discipline focus and concentration.

[Super]

just no excuse for it considering the height we have in the team.

[Port Said Red]

I really do wonder at the coaching at times, PB. No manager seems to have sorted out these basic measures.

 

One thing that is a particular bugbear of mine is our throw-ins.

 

In fact, I may volunteer myself to the first team as a throw in coach. My training would go as follow:

 

A) To the thrower: Throw to one of our players and preferably one of our players who isn't being shadowed by two opponents.

 

B) To the rest of the outfield team: Move and make yourself available. 

whoa there! One step at a time young man!

[BCAGFC]

It has really been amateurish stuff down there all season, the basics are just not being done.

 

I think it is down to 2 things:

 

1) no leader in the team (especially at the back organising at set pieces etc etc)

 

2) our players mental strength/passion/determination

 

We are a rudderless bunch once they cross the white line.

 

Oh for a Shaun Taylor type player....there has to be one out there somewhere.

[WhistleHappy]

....dont suppose any of our coaches have roots in rugby do they?

 

Maybe someone should point out that in this game each half lasts for 45mins +inj time.

 

By the way warm up is over & its game on the second the ref has the ball on the centre circle, waves his arm & blows a whistle thats the signal for 45mins action.

 

Oh & people wearing the same colour clothes as you are on your side and thems the ones to pass the ball to, everyone else except the guy behind you wearing big gloves are the baddies & you gotta go get the ball off 'em.

 

Dear oh dear, sometimes it feels like our lot are coached by Wayne Sleep. 

[Red-Robbo]

 

 

Dear oh dear, sometimes it feels like our lot are coached by Wayne Sleep. 

 

Must be why they look half-asleep for much of the time...

[Brislingwood Red]

It has really been amateurish stuff down there all season, the basics are just not being done.

I think it is down to 2 things:

1) no leader in the team (especially at the back organising at set pieces etc etc)

2) our players mental strength/passion/determination

We are a rudderless bunch once they cross the white line.

Oh for a Shaun Taylor type player....there has to be one out there somewhere.

I genuinely believe El Abd was/is the leader we'd craved. Unfortunately Cotterill has rid the bloke of any confidence owing to being played initially out of position. How can he lead now when he's been booed off the field after his 3rd game. That would mentally scarred anybody. Cotterill has hung him out to dry.

[BCAGFC]

I genuinely believe El Abd was/is the leader we'd craved. Unfortunately Cotterill has rid the bloke of any confidence owing to being played initially out of position. How can he lead now when he's been booed off the field after his 3rd game. That would mentally scarred anybody. Cotterill has hung him out to dry.

AFAIK, El-Abd has never been captain of BHA and has also needed that 'commanding, influential' partner at the back to be a success.

 

We need a hard nasty ****tard at the back, someone like Chris Morgan....a leader.

[Super]

AFAIK, El-Abd has never been captain of BHA and has also needed that 'commanding, influential' partner at the back to be a success.

We need a hard nasty ****tard at the back, someone like Chris Morgan....a leader.

Wasn't that supposed to be El Bad? Cotterill said he was a leader.

[Gene Hunt]

naivety seems to be a running theme at the moment. I recall the game a few weeks ago when the wind was absolutely barmy...

 

When playing into the wind we hoofed it high throughout the half, not understanding that when facing a strong wind the ball should be kept as low as possible. We invited pressure throughout and lost.

 

Basics like that are understood by teams playing in sunday pub leagues. I expected Cotterill to have that kind of lower league know-how at the very least. He's not even living up to his reputation as an old-school manager. He's a non-entity. 

[Roger Red Hat]

 

 

Dear oh dear, sometimes it feels like our lot are coached by Wayne Sleep. 

True, but we are actually being coached by Wayne Kerr.

[WhistleHappy]

True, but we are actually being coached by Wayne Kerr.

...thinking on it the lethargy & tiredness throughout the team suggests our lot may all be Wayne Kerrs & have had lttle or no (wayne)Sleep at all, 

[Manon]

Good point. Conceding or scoring goals in the last minutes of a half is a sign of a team's discipline. Think how often Man U (in Fergie's time) or even our glory team of 2007/8 used to score in the last minute. We've conceded late goals so often in recent years and it is a leadership / coaching problem. It's about discipline focus and concentration.

Agreed.

If there was something GJ did very well, it was the ability of his teams to defend resolutely at crucial times ('mum's in goal' I think he used to call it), and equally apply pressure on the opposition at the end of each half.

The fact that we went so far that season is testament to the importance of scoring late goals. We were top of the league with a minus gf.

The stats are very clear in this respect (although I admit I dont have any to hand!) - an overwhelming percentage of goals are scored in the final ten minutes of play. Fitness levels -physical and mental - come into play, and you are either a team which switches off and is on the receiving end, or the team which forces the win.

No guessing which type we are. But saying that, we dont switch off, we are never switched on! We concede early and late.

[Roger Red Hat]

Agreed.

If there was something GJ did very well, it was the ability of his teams to defend resolutely at crucial times ('mum's in goal' I think he used to call it), and equally apply pressure on the opposition at the end of each half.

The fact that we went so far that season is testament to the importance of scoring late goals. We were top of the league with a minus gf.

The stats are very clear in this respect (although I admit I dont have any to hand!) - an overwhelming percentage of goals are scored in the final ten minutes of play. Fitness levels -physical and mental - come into play, and you are either a team which switches off and is on the receiving end, or the team which forces the win.

No guessing which type we are. But saying that, we dont switch off, we are never switched on! We concede early and late.

Selective memory fully engaged there, I see.

[YellowRabbit]

I've said it once and I'll say it again, Danny Wilson was available when we appointed Cotts (and Neil Warnock was turned down).

[YellowRabbit]

Brian Tinnion, Louis Carey or Keith Millen on the pitch and we'd never make elementary defensive positioning mistakes. Gets me thinking, where are our experienced players? Louis isn't in the team, Marv is out and Wade Elliott has only been here 5mins. We always had organisers when we did well (Hunter and Royle in 70s, Cooper and Jordan in 80s, Osman and Taylor in 90s, and Carey in 00s).

 

PLAY LOUIS CAREY.

[Red-Robbo]

naivety seems to be a running theme at the moment. I recall the game a few weeks ago when the wind was absolutely barmy...

 

When playing into the wind we hoofed it high throughout the half, not understanding that when facing a strong wind the ball should be kept as low as possible. We invited pressure throughout and lost.

 

Basics like that are understood by teams playing in sunday pub leagues. I expected Cotterill to have that kind of lower league know-how at the very least. He's not even living up to his reputation as an old-school manager. He's a non-entity.

 

 

 

 

Yep, that was v Carlisle and I thought that too. To be fair, the Cumbrians were making similar blunders. Naive however, as you say.

 

I very much doubt Cotterill had instructed the players to hoof the ball up however and as to your damning final line, need I point out again that this non-entity has won more games than the previous manager this season and in a shorter space of time.

 

I don't like to have to stick up for everything SC is about because he has made some right cock-ups, but it's early days for him and given some of the extreme invective he faces from a minority on this forum, I feel the need to provide a more balanced view.

[Gene Hunt]

Yep, that was v Carlisle and I thought that too. To be fair, the Cumbrians were making similar blunders. Naive however, as you say.

I very much doubt Cotterill had instructed the players to hoof the ball up however and as to your damning final line, need I point out again that this non-entity has won more games than the previous manager this season and in a shorter space of time.

I don't like to have to stick up for everything SC is about because he has made some right cock-ups, but it's early days for him and given some of the extreme invective he faces from a minority on this forum, I feel the need to provide a more balanced view.

ARGH! WHAT HAS SOD GOT TO DO WITH ANYTHING?

If your only defence of Cotterill is he is better than SOD then give up, it's not enough. Judged on his own performance without any pointless comparison SC is a failure.

[Red-Robbo]

ARGH! WHAT HAS SOD GOT TO DO WITH ANYTHING?

If your only defence of Cotterill is he is better than SOD then give up, it's not enough. Judged on his own performance without any pointless comparison SC is a failure.

 

 

But strangely I don't recall you posting about what a "non-entity" SOD was during his tenure, just Cotterill. My post directly related to your comment that he hasn't improved performances, so I pointed out the undeniable fact that we've got more wins under him so in that sense, he has.

[Gene Hunt]

But strangely I don't recall you posting about what a "non-entity" SOD was during his tenure, just Cotterill. My post directly related to your comment that he hasn't improved performances, so I pointed out the undeniable fact that we've got more wins under him so in that sense, he has.

 

Because Sean isn't our manager and has absolutely nothing to do with the club anymore. He failed. I've said it enough. That is irrelevant to the point that Cotterill is failing too.

There are many statistics that don't support the insinuation that we have improved. Performances are worse, the defence concedes more goals, the attack scores less goals, we're no further from the bottom but have a worse goal difference, we haven't bettered any previous results barring the LO game and Cotterill's honeymoon period has ended already and the current form is abysmal.

We can cling to the fact that we beat Stevenage and Wallsall as signs that we're in safe hands if we want to, but it's counter-productive. Cotterill is failing miserably in his main roles at this club. Transfers, coaching and tactics. SOD has NO EFFECT WHATSOEVER ON HIS FAILURE IN THOSE REGARDS!!!!!!!!

[Red-Robbo]

Because Sean isn't our manager and has absolutely nothing to do with the club anymore. He failed. I've said it enough. That is irrelevant to the point that Cotterill is failing too.

There are many statistics that don't support the insinuation that we have improved. Performances are worse, the defence concedes more goals, the attack scores less goals, we're no further from the bottom but have a worse goal difference, we haven't bettered any previous results barring the LO game and Cotterill's honeymoon period has ended already and the current form is abysmal.

We can cling to the fact that we beat Stevenage and Wallsall as signs that we're in safe hands if we want to, but it's counter-productive. Cotterill is failing miserably in his main roles at this club. Transfers, coaching and tactics. SOD has NO EFFECT WHATSOEVER ON HIS FAILURE IN THOSE REGARDS!!!!!!!!

 

 

But he's playing a team largely inherited from SOD and he picked up the team when it was lying in 22nd place. The other fact is that Cotterill's had less than three months with us. Many people said SOD's failure to prevent relegation last season was because he had inherited a failing team and hadn't enough time to make his mark. Can you see the irony in some on this board calling for Steve's sacking after three months being the same people who said Sean "wasn't given enough time to implement his long-term plan" in nine months?

[Gene Hunt]

But he's playing a team largely inherited from SOD and he picked up the team when it was lying in 22nd place. The other fact is that Cotterill's had less than three months with us. Many people said SOD's failure to prevent relegation last season was because he had inherited a failing team and hadn't enough time to make his mark. Can you see the irony in some on this board calling for Steve's sacking after three months being the same people who said Sean "wasn't given enough time to implement his long-term plan" in nine months?

 

A good squad too, one that was capable of competing well in most games at the start of season, a team let down by individual errors after 89 minutes of good football.

That's the difference I think Robbo. Many people saw that under SOD there wasn't that far to go. We did lose, and sometimes the football was crap, but we frequently looked better than our opposition and eventually it appeared that that dominance of performance would result in improved results. Fast forward to now, SC gained some good results in his honeymoon period, had a full transfer window in which he signed some absolutely horrendous players and has coached our team to the point where they get walked all over at home and away. 

Cotterill doesn't appear to have a long term plan to support, SOD had presented a plan that many could buy into. Young squad, possession football, coaching and development of those young players to become better players. Now we have a manager who signed Wade Elliot and Adam El Abd?

 

I feel we are worse now than before and I'm basing that on how we've played particularly at home. I wanted nothing more than for Cotterill to be a good fit and I thought there might be similarities between him and GJ when he signed. Alas, I think he is a shocking fit a poor coach and a terrible judge of a player. I don't see a long term future under him.

[Aizoon]

I've said it once and I'll say it again, Danny Wilson was available when we appointed Cotts (and Neil Warnock was turned down).

Over my dead body. He threw the play off final at Cardiff, for which I'll NEVER forgive him.

[Kid in the Riot]

A good squad too, one that was capable of competing well in most games at the start of season, a team let down by individual errors after 89 minutes of good football.

That's the difference I think Robbo. Many people saw that under SOD there wasn't that far to go. We did lose, and sometimes the football was crap, but we frequently looked better than our opposition and eventually it appeared that that dominance of performance would result in improved results. Fast forward to now, SC gained some good results in his honeymoon period, had a full transfer window in which he signed some absolutely horrendous players and has coached our team to the point where they get walked all over at home and away. 

Cotterill doesn't appear to have a long term plan to support, SOD had presented a plan that many could buy into. Young squad, possession football, coaching and development of those young players to become better players. Now we have a manager who signed Wade Elliot and Adam El Abd?

 

I feel we are worse now than before and I'm basing that on how we've played particularly at home. I wanted nothing more than for Cotterill to be a good fit and I thought there might be similarities between him and GJ when he signed. Alas, I think he is a shocking fit a poor coach and a terrible judge of a player. I don't see a long term future under him.

 

In a nutshell.

[Red-Robbo]

A good squad too, one that was capable of competing well in most games at the start of season, a team let down by individual errors after 89 minutes of good football.

That's the difference I think Robbo. Many people saw that under SOD there wasn't that far to go. We did lose, and sometimes the football was crap, but we frequently looked better than our opposition and eventually it appeared that that dominance of performance would result in improved results. Fast forward to now, SC gained some good results in his honeymoon period, had a full transfer window in which he signed some absolutely horrendous players and has coached our team to the point where they get walked all over at home and away. 

Cotterill doesn't appear to have a long term plan to support, SOD had presented a plan that many could buy into. Young squad, possession football, coaching and development of those young players to become better players. Now we have a manager who signed Wade Elliot and Adam El Abd?

 

I feel we are worse now than before and I'm basing that on how we've played particularly at home. I wanted nothing more than for Cotterill to be a good fit and I thought there might be similarities between him and GJ when he signed. Alas, I think he is a shocking fit a poor coach and a terrible judge of a player. I don't see a long term future under him.

 

 

Well there's the difference, Gene. I recognise his errors, but feel it's too early to tell if he'll be a success or not. I'm giving him the same benefit of the doubt I've given all our other managers.

 

I agree that O'Driscoll (and Keith Burt of course) recruited a good squad in the summer - and had inherited some very promising young players from the academy set-up. I can't just whitewash the team's abject failure to beat piss-poor teams for the first 2/5ths of the season as individual mistakes. We were playing poorly and failing to make the possession football you talk of count - as 90% of our possession was just in front of our box. As for the long-term plan and youth recruitment, Brian Howard? Marlon Harewood? Nick Shorey? At least Wade Elliott's had one good game, according to our travelling fans!

 

So, to end this little exchange, I'm full of trepidation, but I haven't seen enough I think to make a fair assessment on Steve Cotterill. We've endured a torrid time recently, but we have had some of the most difficult away games we will have to face. We always knew this period was going to be tough.

 

Ultimately, if Cotterill takes us down, his failure to recruit in areas where we've been found wanting and his tinkering with a settled defence (although I can see why El-Abd looked a promising signing) will be to blame. 

[Gene Hunt]

Well there's the difference, Gene. I recognise his errors, but feel it's too early to tell if he'll be a success or not. I'm giving him the same benefit of the doubt I've given all our other managers.

 

I agree that O'Driscoll (and Keith Burt of course) recruited a good squad in the summer - and had inherited some very promising young players from the academy set-up. I can't just whitewash the team's abject failure to beat piss-poor teams for the first 2/5ths of the season as individual mistakes. We were playing poorly and failing to make the possession football you talk of count - as 90% of our possession was just in front of our box. As for the long-term plan and youth recruitment, Brian Howard? Marlon Harewood? Nick Shorey? At least Wade Elliott's had one good game, according to our travelling fans!

 

So, to end this little exchange, I'm full of trepidation, but I haven't seen enough I think to make a fair assessment on Steve Cotterill. We've endured a torrid time recently, but we have had some of the most difficult away games we will have to face. We always knew this period was going to be tough.

 

Ultimately, if Cotterill takes us down, his failure to recruit in areas where we've been found wanting and his tinkering with a settled defence (although I can see why El-Abd looked a promising signing) will be to blame. 

 

Fair enough RR, I can't stress enough how I hope you're right about it being too early to judge. I hope he proves me wrong and quickly. 

[YellowRabbit]

Over my dead body. He threw the play off final at Cardiff, for which I'll NEVER forgive him.

The players didn't show up.