Just been reading the Journal this morning and there's a canny piece in about the journalists noticing little changes in the club that have had big effects such as good substitutions using untried players, playing Richardson in a position he is comfortable in and giving substance to his everyone starts afresh comment by putting Mat Killgallon on the bench. However, it was a separate article from David 'Zico' Vaughan that caught my eye most. Just stopping short of open criticism of the previous regime, he talked about how shorter, higher tempo sessions were the order of the day now and that Mon has been very approachable and full of self belief and confidence which he has passed to the players. Apparently Mon had told them before the game that even if they went behind to stick at it as if thought they were all good players more than capable of winning the game. The emphasis is on the players to enjoy their football again and express themselves. In short, taking the pressure off and making it fun. Those last 10 mins certainly looked like they were doing just that. Vaughan actually is quoted saying "It felt different out there. The new manager came in and has given us belief again". This says it all for me. A decent squad of players seem happy, positive and confident again. That's inside 7 days. I'm not saying we are suddenly a top 4 club but we are certainly no longer relegation fodder either. If all this can be done in a week, then roll on the next few months I say.
To be fair mate, if anyone was going to be pleased Bruce has gone it would be Vaughan. He must have been going out of his skull up till now.
Good post Cest. The difference in confidence and attitude was noticeable on Saturday and surely it can only get better. However, I do think that you should give Bruce some credit for bringing together a decent squad of payers.
Bruce got a lot wrong and had to go, however the top scorer is Larsson, he came here because of Bruce. An was it not Bruce who brought in Vaughan and Maclean.
It may have been Bruce who brought them in, but was it also Bruce who didn't play them for no reason.
Now now SB has gone, when he came he did a lot right and he had to leave cos' he was doing a lot wrong and in a results business you have to get results he did not achieve this. All the players (well just about all) we have in the squad were SBs bring ins, so there is no argument to be had about that. If MoN can motivate and use them more effectively we will do better and in the Jan window I imagine 1or 2 players will come in and the squad will start to be MoNs.
To be fair lads, although I was very vocal in thinking Bruce had to go several weeks ago, I said at the time and in many subsequent posts since, that he did a lot of good when he first came and have said many times he should be a chief scout but not our manager and the fact remains, Vaughan, Gardener, McClean and Westwood are all players brought to the club by Bruce and all have been woefully managed. Westwood is only playing because of injury but is clearly a better keeper than young MIG at the minute. Vaughan has looked good but has been totally under-used and gardener and McClean are totally anonymous. If gardener hadn't pulled a hamstring, I reckon he would have been in the starting 11 as well on Sunday and that would have been the first time all of his summer signings would have featured this season in the match day squad but under a new manager. The players Mon has to work with are good ones. Let's see what a good manager can now do with them.
In all of the justified criticism that I have posted I have also highlighted the fact that Bruce has brought in some excellent players. The problem with Bruce is that he doesn't appear to know what to do with these players... We could all sit there with X million to spend and assemble an exciting squad but I'm not so sure we could extract the best out of these players. The best example comes from last season when Bruce had us playing some good football. Bruce then went out and brought in Muntari and Sessegnon, dropped Zenden and Malbranque who were the players that had put in the effort to take us to where we were in the league at that point in time subsequently going onto producing our abysmal run of games without a win... First of all, why change a winning formula? Secondly, if you notice that subsequent to making a change the results become immediately worse you shouldn't persist as if you have something to prove, you should change it back to how it was when it was working however Bruce chose to continue playing Sessegnon and Muntari. What kind of impact will decisions such as these have upon the morale of the squad? I'm sure that players of the quality of Zenden and Malbranque, players whose careers were coming to a finale, players who were giving everything they have to try and secure one final achievement such as being the driving force behind a qualification for the Europa league would be absolutely disgusted to be forced to watching all of their good work undermined by a player who clearly didn't fit in at that point in time and another who didn't even wish to be at the club. I suppose at the end of the day you can give a man every opportunity to prove himself at the possible expense of your investment or you can act as soon as you notice that there are some fundamental problems. Competetive sports are founded upon excelling beyond those around you and if you choose to go through the routine of waiting for a clear problem to fully manifest itself before you take action as opposed to taking action as soon as you realise that there is a fundamental problem then your not placing yourself in the best position to get ahead of the opposition. Having said that, lets just be thankful that Short acted within a timeframe that provides the club with an opportunity to prevent a relegation. Dismissing Bruce after Fulham would have gave us a stronger platform for the remainder of the season but Short chose to give Bruce every last chance that was remotely justifiable.
You could buy Messi and if he wasn't happy he'd play badly. SB can pick a squad, he just can't seem to manage it.
Can't remember where I saw it , sorry, but there was a clip of MON with the lads on the training ground his first day. Shaking hands laughing and joking etc. One thing stood out, MON gave Sess a great big hug and was getting a huge smile out of Sess. I may be reading an awful lot into that small clip, but I thought at the time, MON is making a point of showing to Sess, you're wanted and liked here. Sess is just the sort of player MON will get the very best from, and probably needs an arm round the shoulder now and then.
I also saw him next to a player, may have been Bardo, who had his hands in his pockets, MON pulled them out, with a smile but point made, now thats management
I personally beleive that we have a decent enough squad to be top ten challengers, they just need to be managed correctly and MON will do just that. If, as the papers are saying, that he has a 20m war chest then he just needs a couple or 3 additions to key areas and we have the makings of a very, very good squad. Open play looks pretty solid and good to watch, if we can start to put a few chances away then we will climb the table, no doubt in my mind. We all know we need a finisher, chances are going begging far too often and in this league we will be punished. Lets see who he brings in then sit back and watch the transformation.
MON is a proper manager, kicking every ball. Just loved the way he was jumping around on the touchline. Passion oozes from the man. If that doesn't get through to the players then the players concerned should be got rid of. Can't think of a more passionate manager in the prem.
Posted this on my "Snippets" thread MW. Says everything about the man to me. But O'Neill admitted: "The problem is that you're looking to see the strengths and weaknesses of players but this is a league that's very unforgiving. You can't put four or five players in and have a look. The league's too strong for that." He knows the way this league works and wholesale changes for the sake of it are risky.
Everything about the man I read, saw and heard about before he came have only been mirrored by what has happened so far in the flesh. The attention to detail like pulling a players hands out of his pockets; putting an arm around players that need it and bollocking those that respond that way; organising players in the right formations where they can be most effective; getting the press to eat out of his hands; passion on the touch line not standing there looking like you've just lost the winning Euro Lottery ticket all game and generally blowing through the whole club with a massive breath of fresh air. Martin O Neill the myth is legendary. Martin O Neill the reality looks every bit the part of that legendary status and I look forward to our future with a renewed vigour and excitement and I certainly dont think it will take too much time for him to get this very decent squad sorted out and add the 2 or 3 maximum additions (not 8 or 9 every transfer window) to tweak and improve. I'm a well happy chappy for sure.
