GB (lack of) tactics

Except we dont play 4-2-3-1 it is 4-1-4-1 with Cooke as the mastermind collecting the ball off the back four and distributing it. Shewsbury knew this and nullified him. That meant that the back four started to go long as neither Akpan nor Pritchard were dropping off to counteract the nullification of Cooke. The system also means that Oteh is out wide on the left, and I think by universal agreement of this boards membership, he just doesn't hack it out there.

 

Think this flatters Shrewsbury somewhat. Cooke pretty much nullified himself by being unable to control any ball that came to him.

 

What about after the changes when we had Connolly up front and Mellor at centre half?

 

I understand why you don't agree but Akpan definitely does not play up with Pritchard, Oteh and Connolly and he usually defends next to Cooke. Cooke does tend to drop deeper to collect the ball and tends to stay deeper when attacking. Akpan sometimes wanders and does not rush back so often seems to be between Cooke and Pritchard. I still think 4-2-3-1 best represents the way we set up with the keyboard I have in front of me!

I agree Cooke was nullified. I think Shrewsbury had worked us out and pressured him quite a lot. He looked a bit slow but I don't know whether that was him having an off day or faster opponents closing him down better. Maybe both. Oteh is not a winger and plays more like a NO.10. I think he can be useful alternatives for our wingers and strikers. I think he has got a raw talent that might improve. As for Vaughan, I noticed he wanted a ball played through between the defenders a couple of times and he was annoyed it didn't happen. This not feeding early through balls has been a fault for a good few years, stretching back all the way to at least Hiwula. What does it take to get our midfielders to play them? Are they banned at VP?

 

Because there was a marker on his back every time the ball went near him. He has been brilliant for us since he came in and Shrewsbury saw him in the first leg and realised stopping him and Pritchard was the key for them and they did it well. And reading up on them they have done it with other better teams than us

 

Neither Cooke nor Pritchard played in the first game.

 

Easy to just make stuff up to sound good though.

 

To me he's holding Bowyer back when his contract runs out he'll be out of that door like a shot.

 

One of the clubs worse mistakes was to keep Drury as a number 2 and not allow Bowyer to bring in his own team.

A club obsessed with balancing the books to a point that the manager can't even bring his own staff in.

It highlights the lack of footballing people we've at the club and it could prove costly to us because Bowyer looks like he needs help and Drury isn't the man to help him.

 

That is suggesting Bowyer isn't his own man which I can't believe, if Dury wasn't doing his job to Bowyers expectations he'd be out or if not Bowyer would be.

 

It's not about just doing job an assistant is more than that mate.

Maybe that's the problem in Bowyer now feels he's his own man.

I feel for Bowyer as he looks to the bench these days and has no one that can change the outcome of a game.

 

Drury's not the medic, conditioning coach, fitness coach, Drury is not answerable for fitness, conditioning etc.
Not sure why you think Drury isn't doing his job, just because you comment "It's not about just doing job an assistant is more than that mate" Drury's job spec as Bowyers assistant would have been discussed in depth when Bowyer discussed the coaching situation.

 

Drury is under contract and it seems to me we didn't want to pay him off as it would of cost the club.

We brought Todd in, Todd leaves as he wasn't under contract.

You really think Bowyer wanted to keep Drury? Come on mate! Wake up!

 

Sorry @Fordy117 your the one who needs to wake up, once again you invent things to suit your argument.
As I commented the Drury staying as assistant to Bowyer will have been well documented by Bowyer, Julian and Drury.

 

Would just add that most clubs employ a coach who has had vast league experience who can help the team develop by his coaching and knowledge, It is one of the most important roles in the club and think we are selling ourselves short because not sure Drury cuts it,

 

Struggling to accept how drury is holding bowyer back. Bowyer has been a manager 8 years, if he hasnt learnt by now that at one nil down with 20 mins to go, swapping a striker for a left back and a CM for a more defensive CM isnt really the way to go, then i dont think there is much hope for him.

We just need to let off the shackles a bit, yes we are doing ok being sat in the play offs with games in hand yet you feel it should be much more.

Yes he is struggling for options upfront but that is something we all called in august, something a manager of 8 years you would have hoped of spotted. A consequence of overloading the midfield/wide options and neglecting the top of the side.

Bowyer put all his eggs in the donaldson/vaughan basket and now has to live with that and deal with it better than he is.

 

Its the go to excuse when people think something is awry, blame Drury. If England play badly at the next Euros we wouldn't blame Southgate's assistant manager would we? The buck stops with Bowyer not anyone else, this fixation with Drury is mildly amusing but also irritating.

 

Everyone that plays us knows what to expect we are that predictable, GB has his way of playing and most opposition managers have only to look at Blackpool videos when he was there to learn how we play, He is a steady Eddie manager

 

Bowyers stock went up when he got us in the automatic places and he became a good man manager all a sudden when he managed to get Reeves on the pitch. Consequently defeat at Plymouth meant full-blown criticism of him wasn't on. Instead those that like to go all huffy and puffy when we lose have gone around the periphery - criticising GB's tactics or going for Drury instead. Defeat at Macclesfield and normal service will probably be resumed and Drury will be off the hook again.