richwwtk Posted September 29, 2014 Report Share Posted September 29, 2014 For me, one of the most remarkable things about this season so far is that we have such a settled side. There have only been two changes all season - Agard in for Baldock and Bryan in for Cunningham. We have been unchanged for our last six matches. I know this is to a large extent a result of our good form, but it's just as likely that because SC knows his best side it's producing the form and even in previous promotion seasons it's not been like this. It's almost harking back to the seventies and before, when teams would play out whole seasons using a squad of 14 or 15 players. Has there been a season in the last 40 years or so with quite such a settled first XI? I can't think of one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
extonsred Posted September 30, 2014 Report Share Posted September 30, 2014 What is even more remarkable is the lack of injuries (tempting fate I know) -- I cannot rmember a squad with no injuries -- apart from Osborne and that was an assault !! What has created this situation? We have hardly had the trainer on during a game so far!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bar BS3 Posted September 30, 2014 Report Share Posted September 30, 2014 What is even more remarkable is the lack of injuries (tempting fate I know) -- I cannot rmember a squad with no injuries -- apart from Osborne and that was an assault !! What has created this situation? We have hardly had the trainer on during a game so far!! Good pre season preperation..? Oh no, sorry, I forgot that Botswana was just a big igo massage for SL and a waste of everyone's time & we would have been much better off on a piss up in Holland! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spudski Posted September 30, 2014 Report Share Posted September 30, 2014 I think a lot of how we play now has helped with injuries. We are not always chasing a game. It's been proven, that when chasing and defending, you expend more energy and get tired quicker than when keeping the ball and being offensive. Tiredness leads to injuries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lou-peters-dive Posted September 30, 2014 Report Share Posted September 30, 2014 What is even more remarkable is the lack of injuries (tempting fate I know) -- I cannot rmember a squad with no injuries -- apart from Osborne and that was an assault !! What has created this situation? We have hardly had the trainer on during a game so far!! Do you know I was thinking about that yesterday and nearly started a thread on lack of injuries but I thought it would tempt fate You are right apart from Osborne we have been very lucky and I think this is down to good preparation. Lets hope it stays that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cidered abroad Posted September 30, 2014 Report Share Posted September 30, 2014 Last season, SOD did not do the lung busting stamina work so we were never fit enough. Total opposite this year with SC making very sure that side of the fitness was dealt with early on. And aren't we reaping the rewards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 30, 2014 Report Share Posted September 30, 2014 I thought we had a new fitness coach for this season as well? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zyderiup Posted September 30, 2014 Report Share Posted September 30, 2014 I have noticed a trend over the years that a team that is winning seems to have less injuries. When things aren't going your way, everything goes wrong. I am sure it isn't because players lose a desire to be playing or anything. Obviously winning teams also get injuries but in those situations, players seem to be back earlier than expected.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRL Posted September 30, 2014 Report Share Posted September 30, 2014 For me, one of the most remarkable things about this season so far is that we have such a settled side. There have only been two changes all season - Agard in for Baldock and Bryan in for Cunningham. We have been unchanged for our last six matches. I know this is to a large extent a result of our good form, but it's just as likely that because SC knows his best side it's producing the form and even in previous promotion seasons it's not been like this. It's almost harking back to the seventies and before, when teams would play out whole seasons using a squad of 14 or 15 players. Has there been a season in the last 40 years or so with quite such a settled first XI? I can't think of one. Jordan's Sinclair Llewellyn Newman Psycho Bailey Gavin Shelton Rennie Smudger Taylor Turner Yes the odd change when Wimbelton was there at the start, but on the whole it hardly changed until Taylor got injured. Look how well that turned out. The odd outing for Pender Leaning Eaton and Honor but that was rare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheKeynshamPele Posted September 30, 2014 Report Share Posted September 30, 2014 LDV vans winning season 02-03 was fairly settled. Massive reason for the unbeaten run so far, unchanged 11 for the last 6 games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 30, 2014 Report Share Posted September 30, 2014 Ignoring unenforced changes, I think we must give huge credit to SC who in his modus operandi is a bit like GJ. In SC, and with GJ, we have/had managers who let the opposition worry about the team we are putting out, not worry about the team we are going to face and try to shift the first 11. 'Round pegs, round holes and these are the best 11'. In between these two we had rookies learning their trade who were scared to lose and perhaps tried to negate the opposition rather than put out our best team and a dour boring prat who imo is not fit to even manage on a PC let alone a real football club. And to think the man who encourages learning from mistakes and not giving guidance is in the England set up?! Like the teacher at school who couldn't answer a student's question and advised 'look at the textbook'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LondonBristolian Posted September 30, 2014 Report Share Posted September 30, 2014 Ignoring unenforced changes, I think we must give huge credit to SC who in his modus operandi is a bit like GJ. In SC, and with GJ, we have/had managers who let the opposition worry about the team we are putting out, not worry about the team we are going to face and try to shift the first 11. 'Round pegs, round holes and these are the best 11'. In between these two we had rookies learning their trade who were scared to lose and perhaps tried to negate the opposition rather than put out our best team and a dour boring prat who imo is not fit to even manage on a PC let alone a real football club. And to think the man who encourages learning from mistakes and not giving guidance is in the England set up?! Like the teacher at school who couldn't answer a student's question and advised 'look at the textbook'. 2 points I'd make/disagree with there. 1) In GJ's last season he seemed to change the team every match, which is admittedly precisely where it all started going wrong for him and the club. 2) I'd say a focus on performances over results and accepting mistakes will happen makes SOD perfect for the England Under 19s squad. Absolutely the wrong manager at the wrong time for us, admittedly, but I think England's historical problem has been that, at around that age group, players get the football ability coached out of them in a desperate pursuit for results. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 30, 2014 Report Share Posted September 30, 2014 2 points I'd make/disagree with there. 1) In GJ's last season he seemed to change the team every match, which is admittedly precisely where it all started going wrong for him and the club. Don't disagree there. 2) I'd say a focus on performances over results and accepting mistakes will happen makes SOD perfect for the England Under 19s squad. Absolutely the wrong manager at the wrong time for us, admittedly, but I think England's historical problem has been that, at around that age group, players get the football ability coached out of them in a desperate pursuit for results. Focus on performances over results I agree but only to a small extent. The fact is if the performances were good the results will follow. I don't see the two as mutually exclusive. You will play well and lose some games, but only a few, just as realistically you will only lose a few where you have played well. These are just anomalies. Mistakes will happen indeed and never should a player be afraid to make a mistake, however again this is far different from the SOD we had where players were afraid to make mistakes but more alarmingly kept making the same mistakes over and over and over again. If he was a good coach those mistakes would be learnt from, erradicated and the player would make decisions not to put them in that position again. SOD has shown no reason to suspect he is capable of doing this. Take Flint, at points last year I was going to stick a few quid on him to get an own goal - he was fast becoming our own Ramon Vega. He is unrecognisable as a player from what he was under SOD - the man who said we overpaid for him.... if he carries on this form I think he was a snip!!! I honestly cannot think less of the man, I'd rather have Graham Taylor teaching our kids than him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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