One up front at home to Burton

[Tears in rain]

@Olé Thankyou for this I think you have summed up not just for myself but how multiple fans feel right now.

If I tried that I'm afraid halfway through i would get to angry and start ranting! 

So well put 

[Lack of Action Man]

7 hours ago, The Batman said:

While the mention of formations does have an impact, I noticed it did change a few times over the course of the 90 minutes.

But more importantly, there was a lack of positional intelligence on the pitch from the midfield upwards. When width was needed, it wasn't there and when close support was needed up top, they were not within close proximity to each other.

Having that positional awareness and reading of the game is so crucial to modern football. You can have all the skill and speed but it's no good if the opposition can read exactly what you're going to do. Burton's defence was awful, but our lack of creativity meant they had Jack all to do most of the game. But they were there for the taking.

Absolutely spot on here. 

@Olé - a thoughtful and well written piece. 

Shamelessly going to plug my piece from yesterday here to, since we're trying to get this thread and the important messages on the forum read by the club:

SL - take note. There are posters on this forum who have taken the time to be honest and forthright in their assessment of our current plight. The least you can do is show some sign that you understand and will act appropriately.

[Dullmoan Tone]

I'm a massive fan of @Ole postings - it's one of the main reasons I read OTIB, especially after away matches, but for someone who is so objective; I am surprised at the constant criticism of Tomlin, the "not fit" part is completely without foundation for example. Running like Kante is not his (or Wilbs for that matter) game style, it doesn't make either unfit. Also, could an objective assessment be that in trying to compensate for the complete lack of creativity in the midfield and the constant aimless hoofing from the centre backs, LT resorts to coming back deep to try and influence the game from there.

It's a small quibble of a brilliant critique, but I feel it's important, as as few other individuals are singled out, and it seems easy to single out Tomlin, the player that brought so much optimisms on signing, when in fact the main points confirm that tactics, not personnel, are the primary reason for the shambles we see each week. 

[Olé]

^ that's fair - I probably do pick on Tomlin's fitness unnecessarily, I know his game isn't running but I'm just struck by a difference in his sharpness since the end of last season and even compared to when he had a run of games at the start of the season. His touches and passes look tired. He's often giving the ball away with his first touch or pass, not because he is any worse a player, I think he doesn't always have the energy burst to get away from an opponent.

You're 100% right about him dropping deep to influence the game (I think I made the point in my post - it's been going on all season and is a problem in of itself). I can't remember where but recently he had one fantastic run where he nearly beat six players, but it's the exception. It's different to short bursts of energy, like the player who was up with forward play in and around Kodjia last season and could get the ball, shift it away from a defender and take a shot. 

Tomlin is the most gifted player we have, yes, but I'll stick my neck out and say at the moment, particularly if we can get Cotterill the ball further forward than we did on Saturday, Tomlin doesn't need to be accommodated. I understand the point of view prior to Saturday "if you don't play Tomlin in your 'cup final'" you may as well give up, but quite honestly as a team for months we have setup far better without him (Newcastle, Derby) than we have with him.

[glastonred]

On 04/03/2017 at 19:38, The Dolman Pragmatist said:

Good shout.  It was a perfectly decent formation - i can't see that we looked any more threatening when we had two strikers on for the last half an hour.

What I find most frustrating about OTIB at the moment is that there appears to be only one theory about what has gone wrong, that is that the manager doesn't know what he's doing.  As a result there is almost no debate about why we are in our present predicament.  I'd love us to have a genuine debate about what has gone wrong, but that is impossible because anyone who doesn't accept that it is all Johnson's fault is written off as a happy clapper and met with a barrage of cliches such as 'he doesn't know his best team' which seems to be said of any manager who has the temerity to make changes.

I wish I knew what has gone wrong, but one thing I'm pretty sure about is that the manager is only one factor in what I suspect is a very complicated equation.  

There are many causes and conditions for things to manifest. Solely blaming the manager for the situation is very shortsighted. LJ is not  the only factor. One mistake by a player can set off a whole chain of consequences, which would not have happened had that error not occurred. Everything leads to everything else. There is no such thing as luck. This a law of the universe.