26 Apr 2024 18:36:02
The spirit the team need now

Gents, it's been a shocking week. Automatic promotion is gone, key players are down and we just took a battering. The pundits have written you off, the fans have written you off and some of you have given up.

You now have two choices. Wallow in misery like boys or fight like men.

Winning at Wembley is every footballers dream and you have that golden opportunity. Who has what it takes? Who is willing to chase, to get stuck in, to be bold for this team. Do it for you, do it for Stu, do it for the fans.

We have spent a season playing sideways, now we need to go forwards. This is your chance to step up and be a hero. Fight for your place in the team. Do not look back and regret what could have been. Give it all you've got.

1.) 27 Apr 2024
26 Apr 2024 22:42:36
I feel at this point I’d love to hear from an Ed (or 2408 who I’ve been trying to guess who you are) .
I’ve played various sports at a reasonable level, but I've never encountered a situation where the coach wanted us to do ‘plan A’ when clearly it was plan B or C or D that was needed .
How do the players get RM to change his ways, admit defeat, listen to the players .
why don’t the players on the pitch say f**k with this nonsense and unleash themselves ….

This is where my understanding ends.
Imagine being an attacking midfielder or an attacker, Waiting for that one defence splitting pass, That defence splitting run.
But all you get is sitting back and watching huge amounts of possession, but not where you want it to be.
So in reality, can the players just do it their way?

{Ed001's Note - it is quite common, you usually know it as 'losing the dressing room'. That is characterised by players ignoring instructions and doing what they think is right. Which is strange to me as I grew up with Liverpool dominating everything and that was the secret of their success. They put players together who knew how to play and just let them play. In fact there are a number of the players who tell stories about how they would ask for tactical instructions and be told that they should figure it out for themselves (well not in so many words, usually it involved them being told to go forth and multiply). Nowadays coaches want robots who just do as they are told, rather than thinking for themselves.}

2.) 27 Apr 2024
27 Apr 2024 08:13:24
Complerely agree South_Hants_Rich and Ed001. Our flair players are being suffocated and they need the freedom to play. Stoke is a free pass. We should experiment and I hope the players push for that, if RM doesn't.

Give Lumley and Stephens a half and McCarthy and Bree a half. See who deserves their starting spot.

Give Sulemana and Fraser a real shot. We may need that pace against a high press and that tenacity in a cup final.

Take players on, put some crosses in the box. We are going to have an aerial threat with Ross Stewart coming back soon.

Go 4 2 3 1, put Sulemana up top, AA as CAM, put Jack Stephens in goal! Shave JWPs hair and pretends he's Will Smallbone. Anything!

Lets try something new. Give the players a free reign, show some fighting spirit, get the fans on the edge of their seat. At least for 30 minutes!

3.) 27 Apr 2024
27 Apr 2024 17:59:29
Thank you Ed001 for that great reply …
I can understand that a coach may spot a shortcoming in someone’s game. but as you say, the modern coach, especially RM, are telling the players what they need to do!
Love the Liverpool story . cheers again

{Ed001's Note - very welcome.}