[Wooden Spoon]

moondog, on 25 October 2014 - 06:31 PM, said:

Daft decision not to play Johnson, cost us the game today

didn't help matters at Colchester either. that 6 points we may well have had

[Wooden Spoon]

Radders, on 25 October 2014 - 07:07 PM, said:

Unless of course Cookie is making a point to Mr Allen? (If that is the case its never going to work)

that thought crossed my mind as well

[60s 70s Spireite]

a kick in the balls, on 25 October 2014 - 07:49 PM, said:

that thought crossed my mind as well

its a niggle I have aired on here previously.

[boot]

dim view, on 25 October 2014 - 07:43 PM, said:

....without pretending to know 'owt myself, I've spoken to one influencial bloke who reckons we could have kept Johnson under the terms of the Youth Loan system. If that's right, I reckon there will have been high level pow-wows to discuss whether keeping him is a sound strategic decision. I think PC has got his eye on at least 1 other loanee who a) he can't afford unless Johnson goes back and b) strengthens another position and c) allows him to play his contracted goalscoring midfielders, which Johnson aint. Patience required.

The thought that we can sign another loanee earlier if Johnson returns might reduce your bewildernment.

He did say in a recent interview if I recall correctly that it might get worse before it gets better. Well he predicted the first bit let's hope the second part comes sooner rather than later.

[Spire-Power]

dim view, on 25 October 2014 - 07:43 PM, said:

....without pretending to know 'owt myself, I've spoken to one influencial bloke who reckons we could have kept Johnson under the terms of the Youth Loan system. If that's right, I reckon there will have been high level pow-wows to discuss whether keeping him is a sound strategic decision. I think PC has got his eye on at least 1 other loanee who a) he can't afford unless Johnson goes back and b) strengthens another position and c) allows him to play his contracted goalscoring midfielders, which Johnson aint. Patience required.

The thought that we can sign another loanee earlier if Johnson returns might reduce your bewildernment.

Not at all. Johnson gives us a great link between midfield and attack and, if what I read was true, has provided his share of assists esp for Doyle

[dim view]

Westbars Spireite, on 25 October 2014 - 07:46 PM, said:

Do you think it's a little odd we've signed the lad from Huddersfield....

....no

dim view Posted 22 October 2014 - 08:54 PM

...but the concession of poor goals throughout means summat has always been broken, masked up to recently by Doyle's prolific performances. The manager is right to be concerned. I would simply find a defensive midfielder to play behind Morsy and Ryan, and put them further up the pitch. Leaving 3 against 3 for their first goal last night was madness.

[Spire-Power]

a kick in the balls, on 25 October 2014 - 07:45 PM, said:

Back to plan A and keep plan A simple. Why swap Clucas and JOS after 20 mins in a game? Clucas and Jones work well together so leave them. If you feel JOS isn't covering, then look at Gardner/Boco to replace him. Keep the simple shape and balance.

I never feel confident he will come on and change a game away from home

[Westbars Spireite]

dim view, on 25 October 2014 - 08:10 PM, said:

....no

dim view Posted 22 October 2014 - 08:54 PM

...but the concession of poor goals throughout means summat has always been broken, masked up to recently by Doyle's prolific performances. The manager is right to be concerned. I would simply find a defensive midfielder to play behind Morsy and Ryan, and put them further up the pitch. Leaving 3 against 3 for their first goal last night was madness.

Is there not a danger that we lose more than we gain?

[Sammy Spireite]

kh83, on 25 October 2014 - 07:32 PM, said:

i can accept that we are going to lose games as Im sure everyone else can. But the thread is about the drastic decision made by Paul cook to completely change our approach when we don't need to... One of those changes being the Johnson saga..... Considering how good we were looking and then rightly expecting us to compete to then looking like relegation fodder is what's difficult to accept, regardless of pre season expectations

We're nothing like relegation fodder.

Over the last few games, we have decent possession, created chances and competed well in every game.

Against better opposition, it's mich harder to turn that in to wins, but so far this season, we've done it reasonably well.

PC tried something different today, he's paid to make those decisons, and presumably felt that something wasn't quite right in recent weeks. Seemingky, it didn't work as we lost but with some better finishing, it would have so maybe he'll stick with it.

[boot]

Sammy Spireite, on 25 October 2014 - 08:49 PM, said:

We're nothing like relegation fodder.

Over the last few games, we have decent possession, created chances and competed well in every game.

Against better opposition, it's mich harder to turn that in to wins, but so far this season, we've done it reasonably well.

PC tried something different today, he's paid to make those decisons, and presumably felt that something wasn't quite right in recent weeks. Seemingky, it didn't work as we lost but with some better finishing, it would have so maybe he'll stick with it.


Good post mate. 90 minutes of a new formation and I read 'the changes don't seem to be working'. Cook won't always get it right but give him a bit of time and credit.

[firedodger]

Johnsons form had been excellent but the fact remains that even while he was playing so well in the attacking midfield role and our football was so good, we only actually beat scunthorpe, and leaked far too many goals, any manager would know that had to change as a priority.

[azul]

firedodger, on 25 October 2014 - 11:18 PM, said:

Johnsons form had been excellent but the fact remains that even while he was playing so well in the attacking midfield role and our football was so good, we only actually beat scunthorpe, and leaked far too many goals, any manager would know that had to change as a priority.

You almost make it sound like you are blaming Johnson for our goals against column. I suspect without his ability to retain possession we would've conceded more.

We already have two deep sitting midfielders isn't that enough. I think we are looking in the wrong area to patch up the defence

PS
Beware of watching the FL Show tonight the FOB is on it and it's looking smug

[firedodger]

azul, on 25 October 2014 - 11:30 PM, said:

You almost make it sound like you are blaming Johnson for our goals against column. I suspect without his ability to retain possession we would've conceded more.

We already have two deep sitting midfielders isn't that enough. I think we are looking in the wrong area to patch up the defence

PS
Beware of watching the FL Show tonight the FOB is on it and it's looking smug

No mate read it again, I said johnsons form had been excellent, but in spite of that and our great attacking play, we leak way too many goals you can't go through a full season conceding like we have been, no matter how good your attack is.
And I agree with you in terms of patching up the defence, I don't think morsy and Ryan are our problem

This post has been edited by firedodger: 26 October 2014 - 12:29 AM

[plannerj]

Something that baffles me is why we change our positions so frequently in games. Ok, it can be argued that it gives the opposition less chance to settle. But Clucas and Gardner swapping wings yesterday after just six minutes. Sorry but I don't get it and every time it happens we seem to lose our pattern and our threat!

[LuSiVe]

dim view, on 25 October 2014 - 07:43 PM, said:

....without pretending to know 'owt myself, I've spoken to one influencial bloke who reckons we could have kept Johnson under the terms of the Youth Loan system.

How, when he's at least a year too old to be a youth loan?

[azul]

LuSiVe, on 26 October 2014 - 07:30 AM, said:

How, when he's at least a year too old to be a youth loan?

I can't believe this stuff about youth loans is still being repeated.

So much for influential sources

[dim view]

azul, on 25 October 2014 - 11:30 PM, said:

You almost make it sound like you are blaming Johnson for our goals against column. I suspect without his ability to retain possession we would've conceded more.

We already have two deep sitting midfielders isn't that enough. I think we are looking in the wrong area to patch up the defence

PS
Beware of watching the FL Show tonight ....

........defence too deep AGAIN.

[Wooden Spoon]

azul, on 25 October 2014 - 11:30 PM, said:

. I think we are looking in the wrong area to patch up the defence

same here

[kh83]

Sammy Spireite, on 25 October 2014 - 08:49 PM, said:

We're nothing like relegation fodder.

Over the last few games, we have decent possession, created chances and competed well in every game.

Against better opposition, it's mich harder to turn that in to wins, but so far this season, we've done it reasonably well.

PC tried something different today, he's paid to make those decisons, and presumably felt that something wasn't quite right in recent weeks. Seemingky, it didn't work as we lost but with some better finishing, it would have so maybe he'll stick with it.

every team in country can have ifs and buts about finishing etc. Our form and points return from last few games is relegation form.

your right, he gets paid to make big decisions up until a few games ago i think he's been getting them right. But surely you agree his latest decisions (really big ones too), are not working and not likely to work?

[h again]

kh83, on 26 October 2014 - 11:19 AM, said:

every team in country can have ifs and buts about finishing etc. Our form and points return from last few games is relegation form.

your right, he gets paid to make big decisions up until a few games ago I think he's been getting them right. But surely you agree his latest decisions (really big ones too), are not working and not likely to work?

It's a bit early to judge, after one game. I'm inclined to think he's getting it wrong by reducing our attacking threat, but it's a new system featuring a new player making his first appearance for the club. To expect the thing to click straight away is asking a lot.
Personally I don't think he's going to get things sorted without one or two new defenders, and tinkering with the midfield isn't the answer, but Cookie thinks it is, and he's earned the right to at least try something new.
Not that it's much of a change. One defensive midfielder changed for a slightly more defensive midfielder. He'd have done better to ask Jimmy Ryan to play slightly more defensively, but a bit of added height was probably the decider.