Should I(E) stay or should I(E) go?

[Worthy4England]

It might have been helpful, if Wigan at home was his wake up call. Or Carlisle.

[nicholaldo]

It might have been helpful, if Wigan at home was his wake up call. Or Carlisle.

The one in 2021 or the one in 2023?

[Worthy4England]

It might have been helpful, if Wigan at home was his wake up call. Or Carlisle.

The one in 2021 or the one in 2023?

The one in 21 and the one in 23!

[nicholaldo]

It might have been helpful, if Wigan at home was his wake up call. Or Carlisle.

The one in 2021 or the one in 2023?

The one in 21 and the one in 23!

Let's hope it's a case of waking up the third time.

[Mar]

It might have been helpful, if Wigan at home was his wake up call. Or Carlisle.

The one in 2021 or the one in 2023?

The one in 21 and the one in 23!

Let's hope it's a case of waking up the third time.

Quite possible.

I think previously we've had bad results that have been somewhat papered over by following matches lending to the possibility that it was an off day or the players overawed by the occasion. Given that we don't have a match directly after the play off final it's likely that Evatt can do a good deal of soul searching with regards to what went wrong.

It wasn't just a bad day at the office, but a clear tactical failure as well as an issue in terms of players simply not raising their game to match the standards set by the opposition.

I'd like to think that despite Evatts stubbornness there's the chance that he'll be able to react positively to the match and address some of the failings with the rest of his staff. Not only that but the off season helps to give them the ability to correct any failings.

Our team knows how to play Evatts way. Now Evatts got the chance to learn how to change tact and impart that on the players in time for next season.

If I was firmly under the impression that Evatts incapable of change and we'd see more of the same as last season then I'd possibly lean towards getting a new manager but we saw last season we could improve as indicated by the number of goals we scored from set pieces.

Evatts seemingly done well by copying Peps style. Now it's time for him to forge his own path using Peps style and counter strategies that we struggled against.

It's the wake up call a long time coming. We saw it a while back. Maybe Evatt did too. Now were in a place to deal with it.

I'd rather keep the faith than have a Barnsley scenario playing out by swapping the manager

[BWFC_Insane]

I think it’s a misconception that our problem is mainly tactical. It isn’t. It’s mentality, character and spirit.

The whole way Evatt sets us up to play combined with the limitations of a league one budget and shopping talent pool leaves us with these issues.

But the tactics aren’t our major failing. Loads of managers aren’t the greatest of tacticians. We’d have beaten Oxford if we had the mental and physical strength and spirit you need. It might not have been pretty but we would have.

[irie Cee Bee]

I think it’s a misconception that our problem is mainly tactical. It isn’t. It’s mentality, character and spirit.

The whole way Evatt sets us up to play combined with the limitations of a league one budget and shopping talent pool leaves us with these issues.

But the tactics aren’t our major failing. Loads of managers aren’t the greatest of tacticians. We’d have beaten Oxford if we had the mental and physical strength and spirit you need. It might not have been pretty but we would have.

For me tactics was a major issue and failing against Oxford. How to beat the midfield block. We had no clue how to do it and I fail to see how mental, physical strength and Spirit would have overcome that. It was obvious to me that we never trained for this tactic or knew how to beat this block, hence the players looking lost. We had better learn tactically how to counter this or else next season will be another major disappointment.

[Worthy4England]

I think it’s a misconception that our problem is mainly tactical. It isn’t. It’s mentality, character and spirit.

The whole way Evatt sets us up to play combined with the limitations of a league one budget and shopping talent pool leaves us with these issues.

But the tactics aren’t our major failing. Loads of managers aren’t the greatest of tacticians. We’d have beaten Oxford if we had the mental and physical strength and spirit you need. It might not have been pretty but we would have.

For me tactics was a major issue and failing against Oxford. How to beat the midfield block. We had no clue how to do it and I fail to see how mental, physical strength and Spirit would have overcome that. It was obvious to me that we never trained for this tactic or knew how to beat this block, hence the players looking lost. We had better learn tactically how to counter this or else next season will be another major disappointment.

Agree, whilst different personnel with heart might have tried to yank the 9 so they could get the ball, maybe dropping an 8 to 6 felt like a better option...

[BWFC_Insane]

I don’t think Evatt is tactically very good but I also don’t buy the reason we lost that final is because he made some dreadful tactical error.

The players on the pitch have to take responsibility. As soon as a team finds a way to block us playing or is effective enough with their press we fall apart. That’s not some little bit of tactical tweaking. It’s mental and physical resilience. Sheehan standing still and hiding isn’t because Evatt isn’t tactically up to it. Maghoma and Thomason going high up the pitch might be but come it’s down to the players to show the bottle and fight and desire. And as most times when things get a little harder than is ideal they went missing and hid.

We could have won that final simply pumping long balls into channels winning throw ins and corners and not making an error at the back. Taking fewer risks so as not to let them counter. That doesn’t take a lot of tactical know how it takes players on the pitch seeing what is happening and reacting but also being able to do it. We had the quality to tell if we’d simply played a basic game and had the ball in their final third from throw ins and corners.

[Mar]

I think it's more nuanced than one or the other. There were managerial and personnel issues against Oxford.

Keeping Maghoma on who got injured was a big failing. Not changing the tactics to affect our midfield failings was an issue. Not having the players put in a better shift on the day was an issue.

The problems we had on the day are obvious. Countering them will be hard.

I see Evatt as being generally good in terms of tactics but bad in terms of changing them when they go wrong. There's no guesswork for the opposition. When a team does its homework and puts a shift in against us we look a poor account of ourselves. Not once do I think the opposition is going to struggle to understand our game.

Having our players know another approach and having the ability for us to change it mid game might do the job. Had Oxford expected us to setup in our usual manner and then us go and completely setup differently may have just given us an edge. Instead it seemed like we were playing into their hands.

[officer_dibble]

All we have heard is how the preparation was spot on the players didn’t execute the game plan. The limited sound bites (all from straight after the game) seem to acknowledge our failings in big games. But there is definitely something in the players weren’t equipped to play another way. We’ve only played 352 for two seasons now - for me it was crying out for a 433, to get some players in wide positions and get Charles some supply. There’s got to be a tactical block there were our manager refused to change shape.

We changed how we played at Barnsley a that brought a result. Why was he so inflexible in the final?

[officer_dibble]

I’d rather keep the faith than have a Barnsley scenario playing out by swapping the manager

Barney sacked their manager going into the playoffs. Clearly mental. Changing in the close season is a different thing!

My fear is we hit a run of games, arguments sake Wigan, Rotherham, Blackpool. We need to average 2ppg, so we need two wins out of that. We lose all 3. This is September. Fans are going to quite understandably start moaning very loudly about how he has not changed, we’ve learned nothing and we won’t get promoted under Evatt. We might then win a gimme, and then a few games later get burton, Huddersfield and Barnsley in a block of fixtures. Surely without some serious changes in the personnel department he won’t make it past Christmas?

[BWFC_Insane]

All we have heard is how the preparation was spot on the players didn’t execute the game plan. The limited sound bites (all from straight after the game) seem to acknowledge our failings in big games. But there is definitely something in the players weren’t equipped to play another way. We’ve only played 352 for two seasons now - for me it was crying out for a 433, to get some players in wide positions and get Charles some supply. There’s got to be a tactical block there were our manager refused to change shape.

We changed how we played at Barnsley a that brought a result. Why was he so inflexible in the final?

Yeah agreed - how we played away at Barnsley would have won us the final - or at least given us a far better chance. In a high pressure game against a team like Oxford setup to jump on your midfield to effect transitions - trying to play through there is massive lowering your chances and raising theirs no matter HOW you try and do it. It is not playing the odds - which is where we have the better players so a tight low risk game where we avoid giving them transitional options favours us over them.

But the performance at Barnsley - that shouldn't need a week of tactical work for us to do it. It should be a way we can always play should we see a team block off the midfield. OR the default way we play until we see the opportunities to play through sides.

Either way. It should be baked into us to be able to do it. Not a 'one off' because Evatt had seen the errors of his approach at Barnsley before. 10 minutes in a team with anything about it would have started that. It doesn't need a massive intervention - or shouldn't.

I mean our last Wembley play off win - we ended up playing John McGinlay on the right wing and Owen Coyle down the left. I don't think either had ever played those roles for us before. Not sure we'd really played a 424 like that. But its what we had. And tactics maybe part of it but the main reason was that team would die for each other on the pitch and even though Reading had broadly done ok second half with 20 minutes left we were well in that game because of character and spirit.

This team - the one we've got now we're beaten and had given up inside the first ten minutes.

[Worthy4England]

I don't think it's too outlandish to suggest that the players were playing to a plan, devised to the manager. If there was a plan B, the I suspect we'd have moved to it or Evatt would have told them to move to it, in play. Given we didn't really look to address it until we hauled Sheehan, I genuinely don't believe they were told to change - as I could see zero evidence of it, anywhere on the park.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Nixon hinting there's still a decision to be made around the manager - although I suspect he's as in the dark as a miner wihout a Davy lamp.

[BWFC_Insane]

Nixon hinting there's still a decision to be made around the manager - although I suspect he's as in the dark as a miner wihout a Davy lamp.

I honestly think if Evatt was intending to leave he’d have had to have done so by now. I suppose the only caveat could be if he’s expecting to go to another job and everyone is just waiting for that to go through.

But can’t really imagine a capable board giving him so long as this to decide.

[Worthy4England]

Nixon hinting there's still a decision to be made around the manager - although I suspect he's as in the dark as a miner wihout a Davy lamp.

I honestly think if Evatt was intending to leave he’d have had to have done so by now. I suppose the only caveat could be if he’s expecting to go to another job and everyone is just waiting for that to go through.

But can’t really imagine a capable board giving him so long as this to decide.

It's still pretty quiet. Do they get 6 weeks, like the kids at summer?

[Jeux sans frontiéres]

The silence from the club is deafening.

To my mind, the worst of all worlds is that the club wait until now to take action. Leaving us miles behind in terms of prep for the upcoming season.

I only half care what Per Frandsen has to say. I REALLY care what IE and SB have to say.

[BWFC_Insane]

Nixon hinting there's still a decision to be made around the manager - although I suspect he's as in the dark as a miner wihout a Davy lamp.

I honestly think if Evatt was intending to leave he’d have had to have done so by now. I suppose the only caveat could be if he’s expecting to go to another job and everyone is just waiting for that to go through.

But can’t really imagine a capable board giving him so long as this to decide.

It's still pretty quiet. Do they get 6 weeks, like the kids at summer?

If Evatt was going though he’d have gone by now surely?

[officer_dibble]

Iles has to work with what he has - it’s the worst time of year for him to be fair! Hence why we only got some of the post match interviews in drive and drabs.