The Plan

That makes sense, and I agree with your thinking.

But I don't think the style of football will change.

 

I would think Whitey would have more idea than most of us, and he says the playing style will continue. But why wouldn't it? Isn't it that old cliché about 'earning the right to play'? We did that last night and were in control once the goal went in. I can't see why we'd change that. It has been successful.

 

I agree.
If I was him I wouldn’t change much, maybe tweak when the pressure is off at most

 

After being one of the owners major critics I'd say needs more time, But they going the right direction if the results were going against us then there would be more complaints than complements(there is still things happening in the background that we don't like). The last three coaches that they have appointed have been to the plan and have worked. The last 3 transfer windows have been good, They have changed the recruitment plan slightly.

 

Wouldn't it have been more tested now having to turn down a million plus bids for Mowatt and Woodrow whilst in lockdown with not much income coming in?.

 

They may not, but a more entertaining style of football would be nice.

 

I find winning to be quite entertaining.

We've scored some excellent goals as well. Some games do become attritional, but the league is so condensed in terms of quality, that there'll regularly be games where the two teams cancel each other out. That's what happened for an hour last night.

Unless we go out and spend millions on ball playing centre halves, and a goalkeeper that could also play outfield, then this is the best style of football for us. Can't really say he's parking the bus when we have 10 players in the opposition half

 

In my opinion, the change came last night when we stopped kicking the ball forward over the heads of the front 3, and started passing to their feet. You seem to believe that the problem is with a lack of quality in the back 3. I do not believe that it is. I believe the back 3 could all pass a lot better if they were allowed to and encouraged to do so. I think that it is a deliberate plan - part of our strategy. If you want to read more, see Minority Report.

 

Mate, you've been a vocal critic of the gaffer and his system from day one. There's nothing wrong with that either, it's a game of opinions. But you've no interest in looking beyond that sadly. You made up your mind and now you're unable to row back on it and so you're left to look a bit of a dumpling trying to knock each passing victory by talking about entertainment. It harks back to your 'entertainment-ometer' ratings system you were giving games when we were on that record breaking run in December.

You talk about analysis and trying to dissect performances, but you go into every debate with your mind made up.

I've very little opinion on the style of football because I only care about results. I remember us playing Luton off the park in July last year at their place, but we were staring a 1-0 in the face until we threw Halme up front and scraped a draw having gone direct. We outplayed Leeds away and still lost because we were fannying around defensively.

I'll take wins over performances every time. If you can marry them both, then happy days. And we've done that quite a lot this season. Some outstanding displays. Quite a lot of them away from home that you conveniently don't watch or do your reports on. Brentford last weekend would be a great start for you in that regard. Tell me we weren't entertaining on Sunday.

 

I usually attend Oakwell with my mate. Since lock down, he rings me at half time in each game. Our discussion yesterday focused on just how bad that first half was. Now you could be right. He might be simply telling me what I want to hear, but I doubt it, because he did not do that at half time in the Chelsea game. Frankly, I do not know how anyone could have been entertained during the first hour of the Blackburn game. As one of the club's customers, I am telling the club what I think. Many companies would love it if their customers told them what they think, and did so in a caring manner and without animosity or threat that they will take their custom elsewhere. As an employee of that company, you should take my comments in the spirit they are given. You should tap me on the head, tell me that you will take my comments into consideration, and then you should politely ignore me. That is the way it happens, I think.

I have watched my team in every division during my 55 years of attending games. I do so with little expectation of anything better. I simply pay my money, turn up and watch games hoping for a win, and hoping even more to watch my team trying to play in a way that pleases and entertains me. I am not seeing that under VI, and anyone who says they enjoyed the first hour yesterday is telling porkies. My advice to you is to listen to your customers, even when you think they are wrong.

 

My opinion has changed because the owners' Plan has seemingly changed. We've gone back to sourcing young, hungry talent with experience of English football at lower levels who have the potential to step up (this isn't a forriners are bad point).

We had in previous windows under Lee/Conway etc gambled with lads who had to move and up sticks to a different culture and country, learn a new language, as well as adapt to the rapid pace of the English game.

We're we had Schmidt we have Morris. Where we had Ludewig (who I actually liked) we have Brittain. For Radlinger try Collins/Walton. For Ritzmaier we have Styles. The back 3 is the anomaly because they're mainly European, but all 3 have improved with greater knowledge of the English game. Anderson still gives away too many daft fouls, but comparing him to this time last year is night and day.

I also think that the change in coach suits us too. We haven't really given away any silly tippy tappy goals in the manner of the Chelsea leave cup game in yonks.

So I conclusion, my opinion has changed because The Plan has changed. Or at least evolved.

 

Like the title of your report.

Minority.

I dont think the rest of BFCs "customers" are thinking the same.

So as a company, they will rightly look to please the majority, not one bloke who doesnt like 343 or VI

 

Agree. I don't think there is a plan. I think there is a flexible model that comes from an ideal. Signing players to fit a system rather than numbers. I think the plan went with the previous regime to be honest. We're already operating at another level financially paying £1.2 million for Thomas and £1.25 million for Kane. It doesn't sound like a lot compared to other clubs but it's a far cry from the £250k here and there we were spending before.

 

It's one that we definitely need more time to assess things, and there's the potential for us to become too results-orientated around our league current position. For example, we were seconds away from being in League One in July, and that one, beautiful kick by Clarke Oduor shows the very fine margins in which we operate.

Additionally, we've ultimately benefitted from Struber choosing to jump ship. Taking this season in isolation, he had the same squad of players that VI started working with producing negative displays lacking in confidence. VI, miraculously, produced results almost instantly, and I suspect there's very few on the BBS who would now choose to have either Struber or Stendel in charge ahead of Val. His appointment has been a master-stroke, and you have to give due credit to the Board for it.

It's safe to say that we have improved the decisions made within the overall structure/model this season. Most notably, we have managed to satisfy the expectations of a coach during a Championship transfer window, and that of most fans too. That is a significant step, but time will tell whether it becomes a repeatable one.

I also have a concern as to whether the Covid environment, the lack of crowds and the relatively subdued transfer market have somehow created a slightly more level playing field within the Championship this season than would typically exist between the haves and have nots. That's great news for us this year, and gives us something to build upon, but potentially makes it hard to assess the overall viability of the model.

I'm sure we're all thrilled to be going into the second half of the season from the position we stand, and with the momentum we seem to have achieved. Dane has done a better job too in his CEO role, and seems less tied to the apron strings of the owners as he was previously. Behind the scenes though, not much has changed, that we can see. There's still a fall-out between owners, still apparently unresolved, and they've continued to be largely anonymous. If the team is performing well, then it's less at the forefront of people's minds, but it doesn't mean that all is necessarily well behind the scenes.

One final word for something which has noticeably improved this season, and that's the contributions and output from the media team. Huge credit to YT and the rest of them for producing regular content full of humour (e.g. the Inbetweeners). Again, they're obviously benefitting from there being a general environment of positivity to work within. It makes such a difference to everything.

 

I think Val will let the team loose towards end of season, if we can’t make a play off spot. What decent manager wouldn’t? We need to know more about these kids, see what they can really do.?
So often we’ve been a one trick pony & got found out quick. Notably under Bassett’s all out assault on goal & Mark Robins’ boring patient game.
The pressing game is all very well & we’ve been good at it. But it’s getting more common. We need options & maybe it’s an opportunity to let the kids find their natural game?
I’d like to see a flat back four, a holding midfielder (Toby could do that job) Mowatt & Styles central. Wingers & Cauley playing behind a interchangeable front 2 . See how they get on. ?
********, my team has 12 players. Scrap that plan..

 

I’ve no input or say in how the team play football. I merely watch on like the rest of you. And as a supporter of 32 years I just read and share opinion like the rest of you. I’ve given mine in response to yours, regards football. Who I am has no bearing on it.

 

If you want to see bad games, I suggest you re-run the Stoke, Luton, Birmingham or Preston home games from last season. The performances and displays recently are a million miles ahead of those.

 

I'm certain that if defenders were encouraged to play out from the back, they would attempt it more. Not so sure how successful they would be though.

Last season, many clubs negated our press by simply getting the ball forward quickly and pressing us, or waiting for a mistake. We have to be able to play those teams and be difficult to beat. There's probably only really Norwich, Brentford, Watford and Bournemouth that would back themselves to pass through our press. Even Swansea put their ego away and played long ball against us. We have to be able to compete with those teams because it accounts for the majority of matches. I think the aimless balls happen when a player feels he doesn't have time. Even then, they're playing into a space they think we can cause problems in. When we do have time, we play some decent stuff.

 

One positive change we've made for sure is to rely more on home-grown signings, than taking a majority of punts on overseas players, in particular the reliance on Austrian-league players who have largely proved ineffective. Callum Brittain has been nothing short of a revelation, and the early signs are encouraging from Morris too. Hopefully, the lad from FGR will prove to be an equally astute acquisition when he's fit.

We seem to have had a better hit-rate with our transfers so far this season. Helik hit the ground running after his debut red-card too, so it's not just the English signings that have had an impact.

I was still sad to see Matty James go but, once it was clear that it was VI's decision, primarily, then I could reconcile myself with it more easily.

These things are hit and miss, so it could just be an element of luck that the spreadsheet is producing better results on signing success this season. Again, we need longer to assess to know for sure.