As an overseas armchair lister I've only seen a few games this season and most of those on illegal internet feeds but having seen McCormack today I have to wonder what he did all season not to get a start, he was a thorn in their side all day. Some lister said he was slow. Didn't seem so to me, he was certainly quick thinking and got himself in to good positions all day. Kilkenny was everywhere, as was Howson. If we play with that intensity and in that formation next season we have another chance at going up. I'm with Rich on this 4-5-1 stuff, it just relies on having two on form wingers to make things happen. Oh and I thought their bloke who did the kung fu on Gradel was very lucky to stay on the pitch, watching the replays he definitely meant to do it.Best, Jeremy
> Date: Sat, 30 Apr 2011 20:06:46 +0100 > From: richleed...@yahoo.co.uk > To: leedslist@gn.apc.org > Subject: [LU] Burnley > > First of all I’m going to get this out of the way. Grayson is a young manager > who tries to sort things out when they go wrong and is always looking at ways > to > improve things. Given everything I think the season has been entertaining and > I > think we’ve done ok. There’s no doubt about it Grayson can keep on improving > and > learning from his mistakes and take us up next season. > > > However, I’m going to slate him big time now. > > I think he has been too short sighted this season. I think he’s made massive > mistakes and been inflexible with his tactics. His main mistakes are in my > opinion: > > 1) Dropping Kilkenny at such a crucial time in favour of a Villa loanee that > ended up going back because Grayson didn’t play him enough and a Spurs tea > boy > who obviously wasn’t up to playing 90 minutes at this level. Critical > mistake. > Look at Kilkenny today, he ran the show and also did as much tackling, > hassling > as anybody and continued for 95 minutes. He’s our best midfielder but Grayson > couldn’t spot that. > > > 2) Sticking solidly to 4-5-1. The system appeared to work well for us > especially > away from home before Christmas but was it really that great ? I thought we > were > second best in a lot of games and we depended heavily on Snodgrass and Gradel > who were on fire. It hasn’t worked so well since the turn of the New Year but > Grayson hasn’t appeared to be able to change it until today. 4-4-2 was such a > refreshing change today. We played football, we created space, we linked up > well > and we passed it. It wasn’t perfect but we created chance after chance and we > played the ball through the midfield. The goal was a great ball through to > McCormack who ran on and slotted home. Have you ever seen Becchio score a > goal > like that ? – NO ! > > Grayson obviously didn’t register the 4-4-2 against Donny away where we > played > attractive fast flowing football with Kilkenny and Howson at the helm in > midfield and Somma and McCormack up front. Instead he stuck to the belief > that > you have to have a big lump (Johnson) protecting the back 4 and a big lump up > the front falling over and causing a nuisance. Absolute tosh. That’s a lower > league manager mentality I’m afraid. > > > 3) Not being able to spot a centre back which appears to be his blind spot. > Everyone blamed Naylor early doors who got dropped but I always maintained > that > it was Collins that was the problem. That turned out to be true and more > recently Bromby was picked over Bruce, who had one bad game – that turned out > to > be another bad decision and it’s no surprise to see that since Naylor has > come > in we’ve conceded 1 in 3 and that was a badly deflected shot. > > > 4) Bringing in loanees at a crucial time of the season and then not really > knowing how they would fit into the system – they didn’t ultimately. > > > 4) Picking the wrong centre forward – Becchio limits our game and contributes > little to our play. There’s no question about it my mind if we’d have gone > 4-4-2 > all season with Somma and McCormack at the helm we would have been in the > play-offs and would have had 2 * 20 goal+ strikers. > > > Here’s what I said about McCormack after the Donny game: > “Lively and direct but not a lot came off. His movement was good and I think > he > did a lot of work off the ball. I think he can form a good partnership with > Somma”. > > > Unfortunately he never got the chance and his lack of opportunities is > nothing > short of shambolic. Today he proved he can play, score goals, create chances, > have good movement and put in a great dead ball. Today he was partnered with > Paynter and I thought they did really well and showed more inter-play than > any > of our forward lines this season. Paynter is frustrating. He is a yard too > slow, > he looks low on confidence and in general looks like he’s really struggling a > bit at this level. I wouldn’t write him off yet but on his showings this > season > I don’t think he’s going to fire is in to the premiership. I’d like to see > him > after a really good pre-season which he was denied this time around. I think > you > forget that and also he’s been out for a very long time with an injury. > > > Back to today. > > 4-4-2 with Johnson on the left. At least Grayson didn’t shove Howson out on > the > right wing (or left as he did recently !!!). It worked. McCormack was the > outlet, Paynter was the nuisance, Kilkenny and Howson were a revelation in > that > first half, snapping away, breaking up Burnley attacks and then setting us on > the way. Kilkenny especially was running the show. He’s a good player. > > > At the back we look more solid with Naylor and O’Brien. Not brilliant but > they > are in the right place at the right time and get their bodies where they need > to > be. Burnley created little today other than a few long range efforts. > > > McCartney continues to be the weak link though, I’m afraid he’s just not a > left > back and today he was all at sea and should have been sent off. He was woeful > and his distribution and negative pass backs were awful. Send him back and > lets > get a left back in pre-season. > > > We should have had 7 goals today – Paynter had 3 good chances, he should have > put one away. Their keeper made 2 great saves, one from Paynter and one from > McCormack. McCormack also missed a one on one late on and Watt should have > bagged a couple when he came on. I thought second half we weren’t as good but > overall we were worthy winners. > > > There was a bit of a melee after a bad tackle by one of theirs. Kilkenny was > straight in and was lucky in my view to stay on the pitch. I bet Kilkenny is > a > nightmare to manage – always moaning to the ref and always first in. Wouldn’t > surprise me if Grayson doesn’t like him and that is one of the main reasons > why > he dropped him ?? > > So it looks like we’ve stuffed it. Our form since the start of the New Year > has > let us down yet again. Our season has mirrored the last and this has to be > looked at. Does Grayson run out of ideas and get a bit stale second half of > the > season ? It seems he does ? > > Scores today: > > Kasper – 8. I thought he looked commanding today. > > Eric – 7. Did ok. > > McCartney – 1. That was a Ronnie Robinson performance. Chronic ! > > O’Brien – 7. Steadily confident. > > Naylor – 8. Solid. > > Howson – 8. Lively, busy – excellent. > > Kilkenny – 8. Ditto, > > Johnson – 8. I would have played Snodgrass on the left but all credit to > Johnson > he was superb. Strong, good in the air and actually fairly creative. I think > it’s fait to say that’s he’s proved me wrong. He’s no pub player , he can do > a > job at this level. Would he be part of my team next season – No ! > > Gradel – 7. Lively. Not the same Max as a few months ago but still working > hard > and creating chances. Gave their fat knacker at the back the run around > second > half. > > > Paynter – 5. Just not good enough for me. Probably his best performance and > he > linked up well with McCormack at times but in a free flowing game with a lot > of > space it only highlighted his deficiencies. Viduka without the skill. > > > McCormack – 8. Lively, scored a great goal, good delivery and caused them > problems all day. Criminal that this was one of very few starts. Grayson’s > excuse was that the system hasn’t helped him this season and next season will > be > a big season for him. Does that mean he’s going to abandon 4-5-1 next season > ? > Poor decision Simon. > > > > Subs: > > Snodgras – Looked a bit off the pace. > > Watt – very lively, just what was needed however his finishing was poor. > > Bromby – don’t think he touched the ball. > > Grayson – 4-4-2 at last but was it forced on him because of Becchio’s injury > ? I > think it was which makes it even more disappointing. I can’t believe that > Grayson has made Becchio the fulcrum of his team and if he starts next season > with Becchio alone up front in a 4-5-1 I’ll be shouting for him out. > > > All in all a good day but I can’t help feeling pissed off with Grayson this > season. > > > And no pitch invasion - early kick offs, don't you just hate them. > _______________________________________________ > Leedslist mailing list > Info and options: > http://mailman-new.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/leedslist > To unsubscribe, email leedslist-unsubscr...@gn.apc.org > > MARCHING ON TOGETHER (There's it) _______________________________________________ Leedslist mailing list Info and options: http://mailman-new.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/leedslist To unsubscribe, email leedslist-unsubscr...@gn.apc.org MARCHING ON TOGETHER (There's it)
