Cook
#1
Posted 18 April 2014 - 08:01 PM
#2
Posted 18 April 2014 - 08:17 PM
stevo, on 18 April 2014 - 08:01 PM, said:
He has stated his preferred system is 4-2-3-1. He knows we have to be adaptable and on occasion we have won away from home with a plucky 4-4-2. Following last week's excellent performance, the XI that started the game today was understandably very similar in personnel and shape to last week. Is anyone on this board going to tell me Cook was wrong to expect a similar performance from that lineup?
Once those players step out, it's out of Cook's hands. Exeter thwarted us in the first half and were ahead to an incredibly lucky goal. At this stage in the season, I can imagine the stick Cook would have received had he not gone gung ho for the win at that point. We played 4-2-4 in the second half (while we had 11 men). I think Cook did all he could in the circumstances.
Why are we looking to attribute all this blame when we are in such a great position? Three games to go, let's be giving all the support we can!
#3
Posted 18 April 2014 - 08:39 PM
Zeus, on 18 April 2014 - 08:17 PM, said:
Once those players step out, it's out of Cook's hands. Exeter thwarted us in the first half and were ahead to an incredibly lucky goal. At this stage in the season, I can imagine the stick Cook would have received had he not gone gung ho for the win at that point. We played 4-2-4 in the second half (while we had 11 men). I think Cook did all he could in the circumstances.
Why are we looking to attribute all this blame when we are in such a great position? Three games to go, let's be giving all the support we can!
Because it could have been as good as over that's why!
Yes Cook was wrong to go 4-4-2. If he thought we were going to run in midfield and have plenty of joy/ pace down the wings and have two strikers up top that hold the ball up/ win headers etc then I'm astounded! If PC can't see this or know enough about the opposition to say the whole shebang of 4-4-2 was a bad idea then I'm astounded!
I hate all this talk of 4-4-2 as we are miles of having a side that's any good at it, and it only worked last week as Hartlepool are that bad practically all we had to do was turn up (and then we only just won it tbf). Yes, it worked last week, but any decent knowledge of sides in our league would tell you that it was a non starter today. You don't thump Scunthorpe for five and Fleetwood for three if you are mugs. We engaged them in a game when we didn't have to. Measured and controlled would have given us a far better chance of gaining all the points. At the very least we'd have looked like we actually knew what we were supposed to be doing! And I still think this frustration got Morsy his red. If we'd have been measured and controlled like we usually are then this was far less likely to happen. Just a good job Doyle did a Sir Jack and conned the ref as well as Tommy saving the day as today would have been a total disaster otherwise! The point gained on the scale of things is massive, even if undeserved.
#4
Posted 18 April 2014 - 08:51 PM
Zeus, on 18 April 2014 - 08:17 PM, said:
Once those players step out, it's out of Cook's hands. Exeter thwarted us in the first half and were ahead to an incredibly lucky goal. At this stage in the season, I can imagine the stick Cook would have received had he not gone gung ho for the win at that point. We played 4-2-4 in the second half (while we had 11 men). I think Cook did all he could in the circumstances.
Why are we looking to attribute all this blame when we are in such a great position? Three games to go, let's be giving all the support we can!
PC started with the same side I wanted after such a good performance at Pool.The problem was that after a great showing last week, Hird had a stinker today but PC refused to replace him with Jay.Was Smith injured? otherwise I couldn't see a good reason for Humph.coming on.Nanndo is not the same player he was a couple of months ago and had little impact on the game.The tempo was a bit slow and every time Tommy got the ball in the 2nd half we hoofed in the air.At Daggers we have to get our quick passing game working from the start and if Roberts isn't fit he has to be replaced by Jay.It's still in our own hands so come on Blues keep your bottle and self belief and we may just snatch the Championship.
#5
Posted 18 April 2014 - 09:02 PM
lindave, on 18 April 2014 - 08:51 PM, said:
Hindsight I know, but I think we got a bit carried away with the Hartlepool result. They were really very poor - Exeter were a far better side and played proper football the way they always do. So why did we have to stop playing proper football and go back to that horrible 4-4-2 stuff?
#6
Posted 18 April 2014 - 09:04 PM
h again, on 18 April 2014 - 09:02 PM, said:
In a nutshell (if you want it spelling out easy, lol).
#7
Posted 18 April 2014 - 09:11 PM
h again, on 18 April 2014 - 09:02 PM, said:
Do we do enough homework on the opposition? Genuine question, the rhetoric coming out of the club is always tgat "we'll concentrate on ourselves" fine to a point but a bit naiive me thinks, looking at exeters away record this season they have done well, if im the boss im asking why? And how? And how do we ensure we are better than that?
#8
Posted 18 April 2014 - 09:14 PM
Zeus, on 18 April 2014 - 08:17 PM, said:
Once those players step out, it's out of Cook's hands. Exeter thwarted us in the first half and were ahead to an incredibly lucky goal. At this stage in the season, I can imagine the stick Cook would have received had he not gone gung ho for the win at that point. We played 4-2-4 in the second half (while we had 11 men). I think Cook did all he could in the circumstances.
Why are we looking to attribute all this blame when we are in such a great position? Three games to go, let's be giving all the support we can!
Out of his hands? I presume you're joking. Most managers would have pushed a centre back or most likely put Hird on their number 14 who allowed them to control the tempo of the first half. Some managers would not have switched the wingers and then Doyle and Roberts in a ten minute spell. My worry is what we sometimes do when it is in Cook's hands. I think we will go up automatically, and I will be at all the games, but it doesn't stop me thinking that Cook has severe limitations. Too many poor team selections (we are not good enough not to play O'Shea), too many poor substitutions and too many apparent favourites. I love lots about him and good luck to him for doing well with the best squad of players in this division but I have doubts that he will be here this time next year unless he ups his game.
#9
Posted 18 April 2014 - 09:16 PM
jack bauer, on 18 April 2014 - 09:11 PM, said:
Our boss called it right. He said Exeter were a very good footballing side, had turned over top sides recently and were a side to be wary of.
I thought he was just ensuring we weren't over confident, but it now looks like he was saying they a side potentially every bit as good as us.
At least that's how it looked to me.
#10
Posted 18 April 2014 - 09:20 PM
lindave, on 18 April 2014 - 08:51 PM, said:
Rightly or wrongly Humphreys was put on because Cook thinks that he is the only defender who can consistently hit Nando from the back. I didn't want Nando on but when he made the sub it was logical to bring Humph on too. Bad on Smith who got us out of trouble twice with his pace in the first half.
#11
Posted 18 April 2014 - 09:20 PM
lindave, on 18 April 2014 - 08:51 PM, said:
Hird didnt have a good game but he was no worse than anyone else. Should O'Shea have replaced Gardner for example? I was dismayed to see AG was on at the beginning of the second half. The guy isnt much of a threat imo. I think Cook just didnt know what to do.
#12
Posted 18 April 2014 - 09:32 PM
Bobby Darling, on 18 April 2014 - 09:14 PM, said:
^^
#13
Posted 18 April 2014 - 10:05 PM
60s 70s Spireite, on 18 April 2014 - 09:16 PM, said:
I thought he was just ensuring we weren't over confident, but it now looks like he was saying they a side potentially every bit as good as us.
At least that's how it looked to me.
I think he says that about every team we play to be fair. The league table however says he cannot be right evey time can he?
#15
Posted 18 April 2014 - 10:16 PM
#16
Posted 18 April 2014 - 10:34 PM
[/quote]
That's not why he was put on and he won't play again
#17
Posted 18 April 2014 - 11:09 PM
Bobby Darling, on 18 April 2014 - 09:20 PM, said:
In the first half, PC's dismay at the lack of tempo and the ball failing to be delivered into the danger area from the left side was obvious to all near him.
#18
Posted 18 April 2014 - 11:15 PM
Ernie Ernie Ernie, on 18 April 2014 - 10:34 PM, said:
That's not why he was put on and he won't play again
[/quote
What happened?
#19
Posted 19 April 2014 - 07:28 AM
dim view, on 18 April 2014 - 11:09 PM, said:
Roberts put a few in, didn't he? Not sure what he expected from Smith, he's hardly a marauding full back is he?
#20
Posted 19 April 2014 - 07:30 AM
Cook has changed to that formation despite his obvious preference for four-two-three-one.
These two facts may be connected.