30-01-2022, 15:21
(This post was last modified: 30-01-2022, 15:24 by Slick_Footwork.)
Given some of the tepid stuff that was served up last term, Val's "up and at em" attitude was quite refreshing early on.
I know that's why I was reluctant to be overly critical of him earlier, despite the football being unattractive from day one.
I liked his demeanour and attitude. He carried himself with a purpose. It seemed like he cared, which we had missed.
And because of that, like Steve, I hoped we would see an evolution of his style...
I hoped the hoofball was just his idea of getting the best out of a limited squad, rather than his ideology.
But we've been terrible for 3 months since losing to Stoke on October 1st...
The 3-0 home wins against Bristol City and Peterborough papered over the cracks. But they were sandwiched between lots of really poor results and every other win since then has been lucky.
That's a long run of terrible performances and has given Ismael ample time to try something else. However, despite the lack of results he's persisted with the hoofball. Because of this, I've come to the conclusion that it must be his ideology after all.
We still have some players who under Bilic and Allardyce actually passed to each other. I'm convinced Ismael tells the players to pump the ball forward first time and not put their foot on it.
There are patches in our games which resemble Sunday league. The ball is like a hot potato.
Ismael also comes across as incredibly stubborn, which I think is a severely limiting trait for a manager.
Even when we're losing he simply will not change this formation...
Not even for the last 10 minutes of games when we're chasing a result or when he has to play square pegs in round holes...
I don't understand what his philosophy is either.
He promotes bombarding the box from set plays, yet drops Ajayi who was the top scoring defender in the country the year we were promoted. His replacement, Kipre, has zero aerial presence.
He also makes bizarre decisions, like dropping Matt Clarke for the Preston game and playing Connor Townsend in the back 3, despite us keeping a clean sheet and winning 3-0 with Clarke playing in the previous game. He's done the same in other games too, like dropping Gardner-Hickman after consecutive man of the match performances.
He plays with 3 wingers up front yet just feeds them with aimless 1st time high balls.
In the games when he has played with a target man, we don't put crosses in because our wingers are too narrow and inverted, while the wing backs aren't the type to bomb down the line. I've never been a Darnel Furlong fan and honestly have no idea how he's playing at this level, but he was better going forward in a 4 under Bilic than he is in the wing back role. How does that happen?
Really feel sorry for the likes of Grady or Snodders who actually try to play...
I think the Millwall match was last chance saloon for Ismael after that woeful Preston loss at home. With his job on the line, I was expecting him to make radical changes, especially if we went behind. In fact, we were served up the same old formula. Again, he didn't change anything despite the fact Millwall were all over us and it was clear at 0-0 their goal was coming. It was reminiscent of the Stoke performance back in October, you could see they were going to score but rather than make a change to stem the tide we just continued with the same old same old until their goal inevitable came. After their goal came, his idea of changing the game was performing the same 'like for like' subs that we've seen all season; win, lose or draw.
It's like his brain is closed to anything expect chopping and changing the forwards...
The players now look completely abject and IMO stopped trying the last 2 games.
Adam Reach was lucky not to get sent off in the dying embers against Preston for hacking down Maguire. Unfortunately that ill discipline was the only real "passion" I've seen in those games. Apart from Livermore's headless chicken, hack everything that moves style of play. For all his limitations as a "footballer" at least Livermore tries come what may. However he probably shouldn't be playing...
So I really can't see how Ismael can still be in a job after Monday.
If he is, I'd love for him to wake up and smell the coffee because he has got good traits. But I think seeing a pig fly past is more likely.
And therefore every game that passes is just reducing our chances of making the playoffs...
We've seen other managers sacked in the recent past for their stubbornness. Tony Mowbray and Slavan Bilic for their reluctance to put a stopper in the middle of the park, making us a soft touch. Darren Moore for his reluctance to stop playing out from the back, costing us a lot of giveaway goals. All 3 had a better brand of football than Ismael. At least for their limitations, these guys served up entertainment. I think we have to draw the line with someone stubborn who doesn't entertain.
If I take Ismael's refreshing likeability out of it, I actually think his style and management is worse than Tony Pulis. At least with Pulis we really come out of the gates flying at home and went for teams. There was an identity. I really don't see anything in our current team.
I know that's why I was reluctant to be overly critical of him earlier, despite the football being unattractive from day one.
I liked his demeanour and attitude. He carried himself with a purpose. It seemed like he cared, which we had missed.
And because of that, like Steve, I hoped we would see an evolution of his style...
I hoped the hoofball was just his idea of getting the best out of a limited squad, rather than his ideology.
But we've been terrible for 3 months since losing to Stoke on October 1st...
The 3-0 home wins against Bristol City and Peterborough papered over the cracks. But they were sandwiched between lots of really poor results and every other win since then has been lucky.
That's a long run of terrible performances and has given Ismael ample time to try something else. However, despite the lack of results he's persisted with the hoofball. Because of this, I've come to the conclusion that it must be his ideology after all.
We still have some players who under Bilic and Allardyce actually passed to each other. I'm convinced Ismael tells the players to pump the ball forward first time and not put their foot on it.
There are patches in our games which resemble Sunday league. The ball is like a hot potato.
Ismael also comes across as incredibly stubborn, which I think is a severely limiting trait for a manager.
Even when we're losing he simply will not change this formation...
Not even for the last 10 minutes of games when we're chasing a result or when he has to play square pegs in round holes...
I don't understand what his philosophy is either.
He promotes bombarding the box from set plays, yet drops Ajayi who was the top scoring defender in the country the year we were promoted. His replacement, Kipre, has zero aerial presence.
He also makes bizarre decisions, like dropping Matt Clarke for the Preston game and playing Connor Townsend in the back 3, despite us keeping a clean sheet and winning 3-0 with Clarke playing in the previous game. He's done the same in other games too, like dropping Gardner-Hickman after consecutive man of the match performances.
He plays with 3 wingers up front yet just feeds them with aimless 1st time high balls.
In the games when he has played with a target man, we don't put crosses in because our wingers are too narrow and inverted, while the wing backs aren't the type to bomb down the line. I've never been a Darnel Furlong fan and honestly have no idea how he's playing at this level, but he was better going forward in a 4 under Bilic than he is in the wing back role. How does that happen?
Really feel sorry for the likes of Grady or Snodders who actually try to play...
I think the Millwall match was last chance saloon for Ismael after that woeful Preston loss at home. With his job on the line, I was expecting him to make radical changes, especially if we went behind. In fact, we were served up the same old formula. Again, he didn't change anything despite the fact Millwall were all over us and it was clear at 0-0 their goal was coming. It was reminiscent of the Stoke performance back in October, you could see they were going to score but rather than make a change to stem the tide we just continued with the same old same old until their goal inevitable came. After their goal came, his idea of changing the game was performing the same 'like for like' subs that we've seen all season; win, lose or draw.
It's like his brain is closed to anything expect chopping and changing the forwards...
The players now look completely abject and IMO stopped trying the last 2 games.
Adam Reach was lucky not to get sent off in the dying embers against Preston for hacking down Maguire. Unfortunately that ill discipline was the only real "passion" I've seen in those games. Apart from Livermore's headless chicken, hack everything that moves style of play. For all his limitations as a "footballer" at least Livermore tries come what may. However he probably shouldn't be playing...
So I really can't see how Ismael can still be in a job after Monday.
If he is, I'd love for him to wake up and smell the coffee because he has got good traits. But I think seeing a pig fly past is more likely.
And therefore every game that passes is just reducing our chances of making the playoffs...
We've seen other managers sacked in the recent past for their stubbornness. Tony Mowbray and Slavan Bilic for their reluctance to put a stopper in the middle of the park, making us a soft touch. Darren Moore for his reluctance to stop playing out from the back, costing us a lot of giveaway goals. All 3 had a better brand of football than Ismael. At least for their limitations, these guys served up entertainment. I think we have to draw the line with someone stubborn who doesn't entertain.
If I take Ismael's refreshing likeability out of it, I actually think his style and management is worse than Tony Pulis. At least with Pulis we really come out of the gates flying at home and went for teams. There was an identity. I really don't see anything in our current team.