What were the key factors that turned the season around?

[cider-manc]

28 minutes ago, reddoh said:

Can you tell us the make and model so no other city fan gets one? or if they do they lose it before next season starts

We should persuade Steve L to buy every season ticket holder for every other club a Sony xperia XZ! it makes more sense than spending millions in the transfer window!

[pillred]

7 hours ago, bcfcnick said:

Well, hands up, I was one who wanted LJ out and John Pemberton put in for the end of the season.   I got it wrong as many of us did.  I have to give credit to both Steve Lansdown for holding his nerve and for LJ for making decisions that turned the latter end of the season into promotion winning form.   I think they were brave as well as stubborn and the way they handled the immense pressure shows a strenth of character that is definitely a plus for the manager and owner.  No doubt our luck turned as well.

Clearly Lee made mistakes early on and changed things so I hope he has learned and taken on board the things that he changed and worked.  Anyway, it's interesting to look at what did change and assess what were the most influential changes. In no particular order I'd go for these things :-

1) Playing 4-4-2.  Matty Taylor may not have set the division alight with goals but he has given a balance to the team, provided defensive balance in a way that Lee Tomlin for all his talent can't do, added assists and helped bring the best out of Tammy allowing to add some match winning goals.  We do need a 15 to 20 goal a season striker next season to replace Tammy otherwise we will struggle as there aren't enough goals from midfield to compensate.

2) Vastly improved defensive displays.  The fact is John Pemberton was the defensive coach and things improved when he left so was he the issue. I thought he was merely coaching instructions from LJ but that looks not to eb the case.  I felt previously the full-backs were required to play too narrow and this was obviously under instruction.  That changed after JP left and Jamie McAllister came into the coaching set-up.  The improvement performances from Mark Little and Joe Bryan can't just have been a coincidence.  JB went from liability in this position to back to a potential Premiership player and Mark Little went from lame donkey to athletic race horse.  I think it was a mentality issue and they were allowed to get forward and they had better cover in front. 

3) it wasn't just these two who upped their game. Jamie Paterson and Josh Browning excelled and provided great balance for defence and attack.  It appeared to be a mixture of a better team spirit, a settled team and a common sense tactical change to 4-4-2.

4) A settled side at long last.

5) The defensive improvement and more cohesive team play coincided with Jamie McCallister supporting LJ with first team coaching.  He must have had a significant influence.  I think the fact that he was a long time friend of LJ meant there was a better spirit within the coaching staff that transferred to the team as a whole.

6) Marlon Pack and Corey Smith restored their partnership and provided a well balanced solid midfield although ideally we do need a goal scoring midfielder.

7) Much as I like Lee Tomlin, LJ focused on getting a solid team set-up rather than trying to accomodate an undoubtedly talented player in positions and with duties that are alien to getting the best out of him.  The lesson is if we do sign another flair player they have to be a bit more of a team player rather than an individual mercurial talent who is not the easiest to manage.

8) The return of frank Fielding.  I think the foreign competion goalkeepers were poor signings and FF, as well as being a very competent keeper, has a great team ethic and the defence were much more comfortable in play and communication with him in goal.

So a lot of things changed and all for the better.  We won't know if it was some fresh inspiration from LJ at a timely moment or if sound advice from Jamie McAllister was very influential. Whatever happend, it worked.

So let's hope LJ has learned form this and he will get a settled side and formation from game one next season.  It seems he has inherited his father's trait of going on long winning runs and, unfortunately, lengthy losing streaks as well.  He did that at Barnsley as well. He is, as Steve Lansdown points out, a young manager who has made mistakes and is still learning but who has a lot of characteristics in a manager that SL likes.  Next season will show whether LJ has taken on board the lessons on this season. 

For all the new positives it is a fact that we won't have our consistent match winner next season so a key recruit will be a goal scorer who maintians the balance in the team in the way Tammy has.  It's too much to hope we can get a Tammy mark 2  but it will be an important recruitment decision.  Tammy has shown that most natural goal scorers can go through the levels and maintain their goal scoring ratio as it's usually a born art of being in the right place at the right time.  The hope is that another natural goal scorer, Shawn McCoulsky, can follow in Tammy's boots and also score goals at higher levels.  He cetainly deserves a pre-season chance although obviously another quality signing is essential as we will be losing Aaron Wilbraham as well as Tammy.

 

good post, but let me just say you did not get it wrong, yes ultimately we turned out all right, but for a large part of the season he deserved all the criticism that came his way. luckily for us, and more importantly himself he learnt from his many mistakes and in the end was willing to try something else. 

[Jack Dawe]

4 hours ago, Woodsy said:

I'm with @RedM - Preston was such a brutal kick in the balls that it was sink or swim time. I haven't looked back at anything I posted on here during / after the game, or on twitter, but I can remember thinking that was it. We were screwed, and my 14 year old was about to see what her old man was like on Derby day. Whatever was said after that game has worked, as much as I'm still to be convinced that LJ is the man long term (and I want him to be, more than anything) has worked. Fair play to him

Coupled with a settled team, Taylor coming in, Pato playing well - all the other things mentioned on here. But 5-0 at Preston on a Tuesday night....not acceptable

About 6 weeks ago I done one of those final table calculator things, I had City surviving comfortably, mainly due to the run in's of the teams around us. I'm amazed I was proved right, but thankful

 

Not a big factor but I thought that Helder Costa getting injured on the Tuesday before we played Wolves and missing the game here was a stroke of luck, after the thrashing at Preston. Possibly, a stroke of luck LJ had been without at times this season (ie the refereeing at Reading; the disallowed goal v Burton).

Mark Little came back into the team that day, April 8th, having not played since Leeds away, Valentine's Day. That's a mismatch, Litts v Costa (after 8 weeks out of the team as it was for ML). Still, we, and Little, have made the most of that bit of fortune.

Wolves were sh1te that day, happily; Costa is now attracting the interest of Everton and such like.

 

[REDOXO]

10 hours ago, bcfcnick said:

Well, hands up, I was one who wanted LJ out and John Pemberton put in for the end of the season.   I got it wrong as many of us did.  I have to give credit to both Steve Lansdown for holding his nerve and for LJ for making decisions that turned the latter end of the season into promotion winning form.   I think they were brave as well as stubborn and the way they handled the immense pressure shows a strenth of character that is definitely a plus for the manager and owner.  No doubt our luck turned as well.

Clearly Lee made mistakes early on and changed things so I hope he has learned and taken on board the things that he changed and worked.  Anyway, it's interesting to look at what did change and assess what were the most influential changes. In no particular order I'd go for these things :-

I don't normally respond in line as I think it always comes across a bit sarky, but this was a long post with quite a few points. So I thought it was appropriate

1) Playing 4-4-2.  Matty Taylor may not have set the division alight with goals but he has given a balance to the team, provided defensive balance in a way that Lee Tomlin for all his talent can't do, added assists and helped bring the best out of Tammy allowing to add some match winning goals.  We do need a 15 to 20 goal a season striker next season to replace Tammy otherwise we will struggle as there aren't enough goals from midfield to compensate.

Taylor has been very decent. LJ reckons Tammy is a 5% chance. But no one is touting Engval...

2) Vastly improved defensive displays.  The fact is John Pemberton was the defensive coach and things improved when he left so was he the issue. I thought he was merely coaching instructions from LJ but that looks not to eb the case.  I felt previously the full-backs were required to play too narrow and this was obviously under instruction.  That changed after JP left and Jamie McAllister came into the coaching set-up.  The improvement performances from Mark Little and Joe Bryan can't just have been a coincidence.  JB went from liability in this position to back to a potential Premiership player and Mark Little went from lame donkey to athletic race horse.  I think it was a mentality issue and they were allowed to get forward and they had better cover in front. 

I just don't think Pemberton got on that well with LJ and Holden and wasn't seen as LJs man by anyone. I really don't think there was a coaching issue more of a personal/positional one. Once LJ had his own man in and Pembo was gone simultaneously things calmed down. Pembo was sacked with Taylor and that was no coincidence. SL even said that Taylor didn't buy into the club philosophy enough. The mentality issue with the players you named almost certainly existed, however Little never seemed to get over his injury of 18 months ago until now....Being dropped for the worst loan in the clubs history may not have helped with Little

3) it wasn't just these two who upped their game. Jamie Paterson and Josh Browning excelled and provided great balance for defence and attack.  It appeared to be a mixture of a better team spirit, a settled team and a common sense tactical change to 4-4-2.

Both Browning and Patterson often didn't even make the bench let alone the team while players in front of them were not doing the business...Once we finally settled the team played 442 and dropped a few that were not doing it, things changed. We had a team, not 11 players wearing red. 

4) A settled side at long last.

Exactly. that contained 6 SC players one loanee and none of the players/senior pro's bought to stabilize us last August and in January except the excellent Wright

5) The defensive improvement and more cohesive team play coincided with Jamie McCallister supporting LJ with first team coaching.  He must have had a significant influence.  I think the fact that he was a long time friend of LJ meant there was a better spirit within the coaching staff that transferred to the team as a whole.

442 helped and not no constant tinkering. Its easy to coach a back four if you know who they are within reason ask Dixon Bould Winterburn at al...

6) Marlon Pack and Corey Smith restored their partnership and provided a well balanced solid midfield although ideally we do need a goal scoring midfielder.

Korey Smith discovered some form....Finally, although I think he was carrying a knock. Also we were playing simple 442 football, with a settled team, so he could build trust in who was around him. Pack is a good player that can not shoot, however every time he's out he comes back and looks better

7) Much as I like Lee Tomlin, LJ focused on getting a solid team set-up rather than trying to accomodate an undoubtedly talented player in positions and with duties that are alien to getting the best out of him.  The lesson is if we do sign another flair player they have to be a bit more of a team player rather than an individual mercurial talent who is not the easiest to manage.

LJ played Tomlin in strange positions. Tomlin is the luxury you want if you can as GJ said once said about the bloke from Leeds. Tomlin needs to get fit keep fit and challenge for a spot or move on. If LJ keeps him, he will never be a wide man all the time he has a hole in his ass.. Tomlin as a forward or behind the forwards or not at all.

8) The return of frank Fielding.  I think the foreign competion goalkeepers were poor signings and FF, as well as being a very competent keeper, has a great team ethic and the defence were much more comfortable in play and communication with him in goal.

The other goal keepers we had were all pants or close to it. FF found some form, thankfully and this was helped by the fact he has learned to kick a ball a bit better.....

So a lot of things changed and all for the better.  We won't know if it was some fresh inspiration from LJ at a timely moment or if sound advice from Jamie McAllister was very influential. Whatever happend, it worked.

They did! Fresh inspiration because of LJ or despite of him, who knows. But it was symbiotic, LJ took heart from the team after the PNE debacle and vice versa

So let's hope LJ has learned form this and he will get a settled side and formation from game one next season.  It seems he has inherited his father's trait of going on long winning runs and, unfortunately, lengthy losing streaks as well.  He did that at Barnsley as well. He is, as Steve Lansdown points out, a young manager who has made mistakes and is still learning but who has a lot of characteristics in a manager that SL likes.  Next season will show whether LJ has taken on board the lessons on this season. 

Lets hope so

For all the new positives it is a fact that we won't have our consistent match winner next season so a key recruit will be a goal scorer who maintians the balance in the team in the way Tammy has.  It's too much to hope we can get a Tammy mark 2  but it will be an important recruitment decision.  Tammy has shown that most natural goal scorers can go through the levels and maintain their goal scoring ratio as it's usually a born art of being in the right place at the right time.  The hope is that another natural goal scorer, Shawn McCoulsky, can follow in Tammy's boots and also score goals at higher levels.  He cetainly deserves a pre-season chance although obviously another quality signing is essential as we will be losing Aaron Wilbraham as well as Tammy.

5% TA will be here...Not given up all hope yet, however maybe we have the answer here (or in Sweden)