Dougie Freedman - New Manager

[Lord Kangana]

Is it possible that Freedman sees something in Eaves, enough to award him a contract?

I realise he was signed by Coyle, and therefore is akin to a terminal disease, but again and that SKD is the devil incarnate, is it just possible that young rough diamonds need plenty of time to polish and his time is coming?

That and we've no money. Obviously.

[BWFC_Insane]

That HAS to be Knight and SKD.

Maybe Ricketts too, but I do hope not. Possibly Eagles.

Mind you, by then we'd be a proper Div 2 club !!

Hmm. I'd argue that our weak links based on the game on Saturday are Ricketts, Eagles and both centre backs.

KD has clearly been a weak link for periods this season and last.

Interesting thing is that these will be our highest paid players and you could well ask "what have they done for us over the past 2 years"?

I'm not sure the answer would be that favourable to them either.

[BWFC_Insane]

Is it possible that Freedman sees something in Eaves, enough to award him a contract?

I realise he was signed by Coyle, and therefore is akin to a terminal disease, but again and that SKD is the devil incarnate, is it just possible that young rough diamonds need plenty of time to polish and his time is coming?

That and we've no money. Obviously.

Aye but when you've got no money, how many strikers are you likely to have for what seems to mainly be 1 place up front?

Sordell, Craig Davies, NGog, KD, Eaves....

I suspect given the way he's talking him up that Freedman will want to keep Sordell. Eaves is 21 and has just signed a 3 year deal, so again I suspect that is not intended for him to sit in the reserves as he's at the age where he will need some first team football sooner or later. Craig Davies we haven't even really seen yet.

One of NGog and Davies will go, I'm certain of that. And quite possibly both.

KD has completed his coaching badges so of course could take a new role. Possibly.

[boltonboris]

Davies, Knight & Ricketts won't be missed from a footballing point of view. Suppose they can help the younger lads, but that's a lot of wages to spend on coaches, in essence.

Davo is part of the furniture, but the furniture is old and needs replacing, as we've gotten splinters in our arses. He might think he still has a couple of seasons left, so I can't see him taking up any kind of role with the club, which is unfortunate.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

There's been talk of phasing out Kevin Davies since the later days of Allardyce. Lee dropped him but was gone before the leaves were off the trees; Megson might have wanted shut of his influence in the dressing room but needed him on the pitch; Coyle might have been expected to prefer a playing style without him but the manager's initial "mixing it up" turned into the same old easy-exit hoofball. Freedman might be the last BWFC manager KD has, but it's debatable whether that's about personalities and styles or age and wage.

It raises an interesting point, though, about the old guard. If Knight, Ricketts and KD were all swept away, by a late-January turf-out or (as now seems more likely) summer departure, it would leave us somewhat light on experience, leaving Keith Andrews and Tyrone Mears as the "old heads" in the squad. Here's the current ages:

35: KDavies (36 in March)
32: Knight, Andrews (on a three-year contract!)
31: Ricketts
29: Lonergan, Mears (30 next month)
28: -
27: CDavies, Eagles, Holden, Pratley (28 in April)
26: Mills
25: Bogdan, Ream, Wheater (26 next month)
24: Lee, MDavies (25 next month), Spearing
23: Ngog
22: Alonso, Dawson
21: Sordell, Riley, Eaves, Gregus (22 tomorrow), Wylde
19: Vela, Afobe

There's a fair few in what me might consider their prime (late twenties) but also a lot of youngsters, which DF seems to be keen on. Mind you, he also said something about wanting players who "know the division", which could have been a veiled threat against under-performing Premier-donnas, but hiring an experienced seen-the-division type over summer would make some sense if we have to mount a promotion campaign without the warhorses.

[coffeymagic]

Can I just rewind to this notion that footballers need to be told where to go at corners, or free-kicks or whatever?

It was always said of Allardyce's teams that 'every player knew exactly what they should be doing' as if it was some kind of magic spell he'd performed.

Shouldn't someone who's been playing football at a high standard since they were 9 or 10 know EXACTLY what to do in ANY given situation by the time they sign for a club?

If need be Kevin Davies should know where to be stood for corners if he's picked to play in goal never mind as a centre forward.

We're talking about footballers here, not council workers.

I appreciate that it helps if one player always goes to the near post and another to the far but to say any defender (Ream) or any player needs to be sat down with a slate and a piece of chalk so he's not caught buying pies and Bovril instead of marking his man is rediculous.

[coffeymagic]

Oh yeah, if he does go I'd miss Ricketts.

I think he's all right.

[mrkint]

Can I just rewind to this notion that footballers need to be told where to go at corners, or free-kicks or whatever?

It was always said of Allardyce's teams that 'every player knew exactly what they should be doing' as if it was some kind of magic spell he'd performed.

Shouldn't someone who's been playing football at a high standard since they were 9 or 10 know EXACTLY what to do in ANY given situation by the time they sign for a club?

If need be Kevin Davies should know where to be stood for corners if he's picked to play in goal never mind as a centre forward.

We're talking about footballers here, not council workers.

I appreciate that it helps if one player always goes to the near post and another to the far but to say any defender (Ream) or any player needs to be sat down with a slate and a piece of chalk so he's not caught buying pies and Bovril instead of marking his man is rediculous.

...no?

situations are so fluid, man. Especially in set-plays. You might be expecting one thing then getting another. Can't really legislate for that. In corner situation it's best to maximise your chances of doing better as a team rather than going 'alright lads, just flung yourself in the box'

[BWFC_Insane]

Managers that organise and prepare to the "nth" detail tend to be more successful than those who don't.

It's fairly obvious why.

If managing was as simple as saying "this is the team" now go and play, you know what to do, then well anyone could do it. And clubs wouldn't bother paying out so much for managers.

[Lord Kangana]

I thought most clubs paid their players more than managers these days?

[bobo the clown]

I do tend to the view that, while fine details matter, I am amazed that top calibre players need coaching in the basics.

Tactics are a different matter.

[boltonboris]

You need to pre-determine, who's marking who, who's the spare, who's on the posts, which players might make a near post move, which players might try and block you off, which players might need doubling up on.

There's seconds between a ball going out and the corner coming in. That isn't enough time to organise if you haven't pre-determined that. Otherwise people are stood around wondering egos picking up who and the balls in the back of the net.

[Enoch]

I don't see that a person with a high level of football skill, would necessarily have any idea how to harness those skills and perform well in a team sport. I would think the two things are unrelated.

If that wasn't the case, surely we on here would all be very talented footballers.

[bobo the clown]

I don't see that a person with a high level of football skill, would necessarily have any idea how to harness those skills and perform well in a team sport. I would think the two things are unrelated.

If that wasn't the case, surely we on here would all be very talented footballers.

But these have already "made it". The talented but undirected will have been sifted as they came through the system.

[Enoch]

But these have already "made it". The talented but undirected will have been sifted as they came through the system.

That's not what I've been witnessing a dozen or so times a season for the last couple of years!

[bobo the clown]

But these have already "made it". The talented but undirected will have been sifted as they came through the system.

That's not what I've been witnessing a dozen or so times a season for the last couple of years!

But all joking aside, no player, right 'down' to the 4th division is other than capable. OK, some are better than others, but you can't imagine how good this lot are.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

DF in the paper tonight:

When I arrived Marcos [Alonso, obviously] just needed an opportunity. I felt one or two of the fringe players were maybe not that fit but we’ve worked very hard for six weeks, giving them a pre-season really, and now we’re getting the benefit of seeing these players play.
When I get asked the question next week, why am I changing the team again? I’ll tell you the answer – it's because we need to get these players in the team again.

Am I missing something or does that quote not make sense?

Disclaimer:
Asking this question does not make me a Freedman hater.
Answering it does not make you a Freedman apologist.
I'm aware it may be an inadequately reported, incomplete quote.

Maybe this quote, from a different bit of the same paper and presumably from the same press conference, gives a clue:

When I turned up Marvin [Sordell, duh] was down on his luck a little bit. He needed some help and has got a lot fitter and looks hungry – and I thought his all-round game was great. He tired towards the end, which was unfortunate, but that was because of his lack of game time. It was a big plus for us, which I thought the whole game was.

[boltonboris]

So back to the old shitters on Saturday, then?

[Enoch]

I accept that they all have a level of competence, however, I doubt there is a player born that doesn't benefit from coaching.

Do Freedman and his team have the eye for who needs what? I'm impressed with what I've seen them achieve and remain optimistic for the future.

[Enoch]

I'm aware it may be an inadequately reported, incomplete quote.

Or even a bit lost in translation.

Press conferences are certainly not his strongest suit.