Grewks Posted 2 March 2013 Share Posted 2 March 2013 I have to admit i am often the first to put my trust in NP, but Marshall certainly made me question my judgement after the interview. He was saying that he thought he had played well this season as he had to adapt and learn a defensive side of the game. I have to admit this really had me worried. Last season marshall was one of a few bright sparks which brought potential encouragement to this season,but this season he has played as a defensive winger, with much more intention to defend than attack. What worries me is the fact that... a) we have lacked creativity all season, especially away from home, so why are we giving arguably our best creator no freedom? b) will Knockaert go the same way next season?After learning to adapt to a rigid 4-4-2? In all honesty, the only positive benefit of having NP here is that we also get one of the best scouts in the country (steve walsh). The fact we line-up 4-4-2 every single game suggests that the actual reason we win games is the ability of the players, rather than the tactics we deploy. The only positive under pearson is recruitment, and lets face it, it isn't even his job to do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fox92 Posted 3 March 2013 Share Posted 3 March 2013 We played 4-3-3 at Blackpool last week. I wouldn't say the only positive under Pearson is the recruitment part. In the last five years we have had promotion (in which we destroyed the division) and made the play offs in the division after finishing fifth. Both were under Nigel Pearson. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grewks Posted 3 March 2013 Author Share Posted 3 March 2013 We played 4-3-3 at Blackpool last week. I wouldn't say the only positive under Pearson is the recruitment part. In the last five years we have had promotion (in which we destroyed the division) and made the play offs in the division after finishing fifth. Both were under Nigel Pearson. Players who played a big role in that period... hobbs, brown, berner, cleverly, and a lot more who were all recruited. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fox92 Posted 3 March 2013 Share Posted 3 March 2013 Players who played a big role in that period... hobbs, brown, berner, cleverly, and a lot more who were all recruited. What do you mean by that? Are we not giving the manager credit now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitchandro Posted 3 March 2013 Share Posted 3 March 2013 I have to admit i am often the first to put my trust in NP In all honesty, the only positive benefit of having NP here is that we also get one of the best scouts in the country (steve walsh). The only positive under pearson is recruitment, and lets face it, it isn't even his job to do it. That doesn't really add up to me. If you've usually got so much faith in him how come you all of a sudden think he only has one strength? And that this strength isn't even his? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristianity77 Posted 3 March 2013 Share Posted 3 March 2013 a) Because Pearson is too rigid with his tactics and has no flexibility, especially away from home b) Knocky wont be here next season if we don't pick up form, as he is premiership bound with or without us Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inckley fox Posted 3 March 2013 Share Posted 3 March 2013 I have to admit i am often the first to put my trust in NP, but Marshall certainly made me question my judgement after the interview. He was saying that he thought he had played well this season as he had to adapt and learn a defensive side of the game. I have to admit this really had me worried. Last season marshall was one of a few bright sparks which brought potential encouragement to this season,but this season he has played as a defensive winger, with much more intention to defend than attack. A lot of the players seem to be saying how fantastic they're playing, how certain they are that results will come. It sounds eerily similar to what Pearson says after matches and suggests that he has no more criticism for them behind closed doors than he does in the media. This is unusual for a manager presiding over players who aren't performing to expectations. I was worried by Konchesky's latest outburst against the fans, by James saying how happy he was to be out of the Cup and now by Marshall saying that he is playing well. Praise has to be balanced with criticism in order for it to be effective - and I can't think of the last time a player put his hands up and said 'this isn't good enough'. Pearson has only done it twice all season (after Burton, when we went on a five match winning run, and after Millwall, just before a seven match unbeaten run). I'd venture that this is a major part of our problem, and fits in with the general reluctance to face up to our flaws which has been so apparent at times (never changing a winning side regardless of how poorly they've played, rarely altering tactics, only making one January signing, coming out with comments like 'I couldn't ask for anything more' from the players after a loss at Peterborough). If there isn't a very obvious change in the manager's approach, then we won't be promoted this season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotty1980 Posted 3 March 2013 Share Posted 3 March 2013 Leave the the lad alone! The thing that your missing with ben is that he has become a team player its not all about being up ther and scoring 35 yard goals every week, hes learning a whole new side to game, ive been impressed with the defensive side to his game in the last few weeks! Hes 21 and still learning, you dont see knocky doing this sort of duty but all you remember is his little step overs and tricks in the wrong areas of the pitch, get behind your team!!! Rant over Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greatness_Since_1884 Posted 3 March 2013 Share Posted 3 March 2013 Tactically speaking, I would argue the other way and say Pearson is changing his approach too much away from home. I think you were right when you wrote about the rigid 4-4-2. At home we don't seem to play that way. The wide men, in particular Knocky, have a lot more freedom to roam from their wings at the KP but not away. That for me is a big factor in both his and our difference in performance home and away. Away from home we set up playing banks of 4 and it works in terms of stopping the other team scoring (best defence on the road this year) and some might say that is sensible and I agree to a point. However, you cannot tie players like Knockaert down and assign them a fixed position because it limits their ability to influence games. He is best when he is allowed to find the space to play wherever he wants and the opposition don't know what he's about to do next. He does it brilliantly at the KP but isn't allowed to away from home. At the start of the season we played some wonderful football away from home because we set out with a formation that was flexible, fluid and allowed for fast football. Now it's predictable and strikers are starved of service. I just wonder whether NP was scarred by the manor in which we lost our first 3 away games and felt he needed to tighten up. Again, to an extent he was right but now I feel he's gone too far the other way and I want him to in fact stop altering the tactics away from home. Wins are what we need and allowing our creative players the licence to create will be the best chance of doing that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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