Exactly my point!
How often when we play when other teams and they make changes or substitutions it changes the game?
Why don't we ever find weaknesses and exploit them, the same as Poyet did against us (when they got the goal).
Yeah, we should bring our wingers off the bench, that'll shake things up..oh wait, sorry, WE DON'T HAVE ANY!
OK, then we should make changes earlier..not at HT when Thorn did against Bristol and Southampton: if it aint working after 3 minutes, haul 'em off!
Because our bench is laden with tactical options, right? And with such powerhouses as Jeffers waiting for their chance, Thorn is obviously just being stubborn!
I explained in detail a few weeks past exactly why I thought Thorn was doing a great job. I can't be bothered typing it again but as the same old bloody-minded criticisms get flung at him every day on here, I'll summarise:
Formation:-We don't have any wide-men, so 442 isn't an option.
- 532/352 is tactically outmoded in the modern game and is a foolish option. Much of this is down to the evolution of 433/451. There was quite a detailed discussion about this on R5 this week pertaining to Dalglish using it at Liverpool. Alternatively, there are good books on the subject out there.
-We tried 433/451 against Bristol City and it was our worst 45 minutes of the season.-Thorn switched to the diamond at HT and we delivered possibly the best 45 minutes of our season.
Conclusion-we lack the resources (ie players) to be successful playing other formations.
Tactically Out-thought?: -The reason other sides can make tactical adjustment is that they have players on the bench that on another week could be in their side. We don't-we had to bring on Clarke when he'd trained for a week in the last 6 months. And Freddy, who's a lazy twat who doesn't give a crap about playing-just pickin up his fat pay cheque and seeing out his contract. We usually have 2-4 players on the bench who also aren't fit, but the alternative is a kid who should be playing for the academy, or nobody. Witness the Southampton game, where we couldn't fill the bench! Often these unfit players have to come on, even when, like McPake, they can barely get above walking pace..
- They also have tactical options. We can't "stick on a quick man"-we aint got any. Or bring on a winger-ditto. We bring on an injured RB at LB and an unfit striker, 'cos it's all we've got! It's one thing being able to spot an opposition weakness: it is entirely another having the tools at your disposal to exploit them.
Conclusion-we lack the resources to make tactical adjustments.
Thorn can't motivate:- The players haven't given up. Losing due to late goals and individual errors points to a lack of quality or fitness, not effort. These players are giving all that they've got: they just aint good enough. We haven't been outplayed in many games or taken hammerings. Remember the slaughters against WBA, Blackpool away (when they were shite still!), Watford and Charlton under previous managers? Those sides were on much higher wages and had much more quality than this one, yet they showed precious little passion and coasted through games they were getting hammered in. This lot graft, Cody and Freddy aside. If we were playing under a previous manager, I think we'd have a -30 goal difference, have taken 6 or 7 4-goal drubbings, and be already close to relegated.
-Read the player interviews: they all back the manager. There weren't many players speaking out to back the previous managers. Footballers aren't generally bright enough or skilled enough at acting to co-ordinate such an elaborate facade.
- If you go through the squad, almost every single player we had last season is vastly improved under Thorn. Lukas-transformed into a goalscorer. Keogh-previously suspect defensively, now solid as a rock. Wood-suddenly capable of passing to a man in sky blue. Baker-much more focused and composed on the ball, getting better every week. Clarke-twice the player under AT last season than he'd been under Aidy. Cranie-has cut out his errors and started looking like the ball-playing centre back he is (and not at LB unless no other option, thank God). Sammy-inconsistent, but not bench warming for Doyle anymore. Bell/McSheffrey-injury prone and inconsistent still but still improved, especially last season, and especially Sheff last 5 weeks. Cyrus/Connor/Gael/Hussey/O'Donovan-in the side, rather than in the youth/reserve side, and all greatly improved as players as a result. Even though Roy is pants, he at least offers pace and TRIES!
Conclusion-the players are still fully motivated, despite results that would floor men with an ego the size of Alan Shearer.
The Players Aren't Fit:-We can't afford a fitness coach.
-The players graft so hard at closing down in the first half in a bid to bridge the gap in quality, that they have nothing in the tank for the second half.
-Every week we have 2-4 players on the pitch who aren't fully fit. At any other Championship club they wouldn't be on the pitch; probably not even on the bench.
Conclusion-we lack the resources to have a fit side on the pitch.
I could go on for
ever and
ever and
ever, but I understand that some people will always be unhappy when a side is bottom of the table. What is annoying is that some people think those of us who back the manager are stupid, with no reasoning to back up our arguments. That is not the case. Maybe you think things can't get any worse, but I disagree. Thorn is working in almost impossible circumstances, and the major impediments to success are beyond his control. Those areas that are within his zone of influence are being managed better than I believe any other available manager who would take the job in the circumstances could do.
All the same, I know that tomorrow, someone will post: "What gets me is this Thorn fans never explain why he's doing a good job.." :facepalm:
