If Rigg isn't playing I would be looking at Ba to take his place. He's got pace and he's better at the defensive side than Roberts
Ahead of this weekend's trip to West Brom, Interim Head Coach Mike Dodds has provided an update on the fitness of defender Dennis Cirkin. The full-back has been unavailable for several months due to a hamstring injury. His last game was the goalless draw against Swansea City in November. "He is back training with the group" said Dodds. "But we don’t want to rush him back due to how long he has been out. "The plan is to see him on the grass, but we will see how that materialises." The recent return of Aji Alese has provided a welcome boost to the squad with the defender coming on as a second half substitute in the midweek draw with Leeds United. However, Dodds says the pair will be managed carefully in their roads back to full fitness as he continued: "For the likes of Dennis and Aji, if they can get some minutes and then go into the summer knowing their bodies are in a good place, it is a huge boost psychologically."
I find MD press conferences really interesting and in a way a bit like MB. He is very honest but speaks like a coach (I know he is one) but I think a head coach needs a little bit more arrogance to balance that out. Dodds says we a lot and talks a lot in group terms which is ok but it gives the impression that he has no personal ambition to go with it, I would love him to say some thing like I want to win I want to see this player or that player reach their potential, I want to hear the fans chanting my name or the players names as that means we are doing well, stuff like that but he tends to use the word we (the club) a lot to kind of take the focus off himself which is a little indicator of how confidence and ambition can be seen from the outside. A confident coach or head coach often uses the word I and refers to themselves before referring to the group and as we all know in these days on sports psychology these kinds of observations have proven to be huge in the overall make up of champions. All in all I like Dodds pressers this is just a small observation and may be the reason he is not quite ready for a top coaching roll just yet but I do think in a few years that confidence will build and he may well become a top head coach.
I enjoyed that presser as well mate. I thought he spoke really well. Bit of aggression and he looks up for it
It's an interesting one with Dodds, I noticed after the Leeds game O'Nien grabbed him round the neck and ruffled his hair, or something similar, he's a respectful guy so it would seem an odd way to treat the boss but we've seen on a few occasions that the players have followed Dodds' instructions to a tee so clearly they respect what he tells them to do. He seems to be in an unusual situation where the players follow his instructions unquestioningly but also see him as one of the lads. He's someone we should keep at the club. I suspect his earlier role focused on the development of individual players will be what he returns to and his head coach experience will be a big positive for him in that area.
HA'WAY THE LADS MACKEMS ATTACKEM. Well we aren't garn up this season. But I feel it's only a matter of time. Long time out of the premier League and we've got within calling distance then blown it. I'm hoping for a good appointment regards the head coach this summer. Nice job every game RTB. Sunderland till I die.
Another great effort RTB thanks, this is another I will miss totally look forward to the highlights when posted on here be nice to finish the season with a few extra points on the total but for this game I’m going 1-1 with the chance of nicking it COME ON
HWTFL time for bacon butties and a shower, pick up at 7 first time down West Brom fancy we get something today going for 1-2.
Ready to set off around 8.00 with youngest son to pick up oldest son and grandson at Darlington. Many years since I have been to the Hawthorns but oldest son was saying on way back from Leeds that he remembered his first visit - 3-3 in 1998, with Mickey Gray sent off and them equalising late on. He even remembered our goalscorers but was a bit surprised when I told him one of theirs was Killer Kilbane
All about the group as a whole. Togetherness. Not about individualism. Maybe they need that after Beale.
This might make your grandson laugh. When we were a bunch of idiots travelling to almost every game, home and away, we had to 'economise' by finding ways into grounds without paying. Climbing in was popular although hazardous, we were smeared in black tar going over the wall at Oldham We'd pay into the home end, which was usually cheaper, then be marched round by the polis when trouble started. Another daft scheme was to write to the secretary of each forthcoming away game claiming it would be our 92nd league ground. We'd be given tickets, club ties, passes to the executive bar, etc. Ron Atkinson took us into their dressing room for the pre-match talk! During the centre circle photo some of the lads in the away end recognised us and started singing 'Geordies here, Geordies there etc' Atkinson grinned and said, 'I knew there was something wrong with you two, go on f*ck off' and we ran for the away end before the stewards could grab us
Not worthy of a start based on his output. People moan about Ba but at least he gets near the goal. People talk about pre assists, he pre assists opposition breakaway goals when he chops onside and gifts it weakly.
I get that but if you look at all great managers they have to form a bond a build togetherness but also stand alone and be selfish they have to deliver good news and bad the players need to see them as an authority figure who can help solve their problems and put an arm around them and the same goes for the coaches. It is probably the hardest thing to do in coaching or managing a team. I guess it is a bit like being a father in a way you want your kids to love you but you are also the disciplinarian and have to tell them off at times, what you need is their love but also their respect the trouble is we are dealing with adults and not kids (most of the time) so I think a good head coach protects his club but is also honest as they can be, and I also think they need to be a leader and a little bit more of I want to see not we would like to see. I guess what I think is even though as a club and a team we have to be together our head coach has to have a bit of selfishness and ruthlessness about him to make sure that faint line is there where he can not be just one of the lads but he can be a part of what the club achieves and make sure that they all are pulling in the same direction. I am generally one of those annoying positive supporters but I have worked in construction management for years and the most difficult things to do are to get people to communicate and to get people to buy into things that you want to achieve. The best coaches and managers are tactically good but are also generally very enigmatic and stand alone and strong at times and talk about themselves with the word I wanted to or I implemented and they will take the praise or shoulder the blame and when it is their team they will then revert to we achieved this together and we put right what was wrong. It is a very small thing but also very important. Pep is very good at this and deflects questions and uses the term I chose or I did this as a way of protecting his team. He has a bit of an arrogant streak a little like Klopp and a bit like sir Alex on that repect. Head coaches stand at the tip of the spear and have to lead and in that respect can be friendly but they are still the leader and as such a little bit of arrogance is needed but it has to be balanced.
He was great with us tbh. We'd been in the WBA dressing room and asked if we could go into the away's. We knew Gordon Chisholm, from watching the reserves at Mansfield, etc. As we walked in Chis said 'all right lads, how're you keeping' ... ... I think Ron realised something was up and the centre circle confirmed it
Thanks for another brilliant thread RTB. Look forward to tuning in to the lads today. I’m hoping for a Tom Watson run-out between now and the end of the season (hopefully today). Tough game with West Brom firmly in the play off race, but I fancy we will go there and frustrate them. 1-1 prediction.
