Jump to content

Irvine's 'blunt' home truths work wonders


Recommended Posts

This article is from yesterday but i havent seen it posted on here

http://www.sheffieldtelegraph.co.uk/sport/...ths-.5999799.jp

Alan Irvine will add impetus to his brilliant start as Sheffield Wednesday manager by probing Stoke about the future of midweek hero Tom Soares, writes Alan Biggs.

It's his first signing move but Irvine's impact has been felt already - courtesy of 'blunt' demands that have turned a soft touch team into a combative force.

Back-to-back away victories over Barnsley and Blackpool represent the perfect backdrop to the new boss's Hillsborough bow in Saturday's visit of Peterborough.

But he insists the revival has less to do with the four goals Wednesday have scored on their travels than the two conceded.

"The big thing in this division is to be good at getting the ball back," Irvine told the Telegraph, having identified Wednesday's lack of challenge when not in possession as the root of the problem that saw them go 12 games without a win before his arrival.

"You won't get the ball back if you are not competitive, determined and brave. It's all about that because I know this a good team with people who can really play - once there is a platform for attacking."

Wednesday's slide into the bottom three, now arrested by a climb out of it under a change of manager, had been a shock to players who were aspiring to the top half of the Championship.

Irvine, who undertook similar shock therapy at Preston two years ago, delivered a few home truths right at the start.

"The players know the size of the task because I told them very bluntly on the first day," he said. "It's the sort of situation that can creep up on teams."

Subconsciously, it is as if Wednesday had forgotten how to scrap out a result when the need came in the latter days of Brian Laws' reign. Laws himself had come to the conclusion they were "too nice."

Irvine modestly suggests the transformation is down to a 'new face and new voice.' But the response is there for all to see, not least in the statistics from Bloomfield Road on Tuesday.

Of 33 fouls during a second 2-1 win in four days, Wednesday committed 19. They also accumulated five of the game's seven yellow cards, including substitute Leon Clarke for ripping his shirt off after scoring the killer second goal.

Normally these would not be figures in which to take pride. But Irvine won't have minded seeing evidence of players rising to his words and fighting for the cause, having warned at the outset that he would ditch his purist principles to ward off relegation.

Meanwhile, Irvine will explore keeping Soares, who topped a thrustful flank display at Blackpool with the first goal but is due to return to his club after the game at Sflaphorpe a week on Saturday.

Irvine, who followed Sean McAuley's lead in selecting the midfielder, said: "Tom has made a great contribution straightaway. He's due to go back to Stoke on January 29th and I need to find out the arrangement.

"There could then be a decision for Tom and one for us."

The clear hint is that Irvine will want to extend the loan until the end of the season. Losing Jermaine Johnson indefinitely after he pulled a hamstring at Blackpool has shorn Wednesday of the pace that prompted Irvine to deploy him in a striking role.

Irvine's Preston side were never blessed with that sort of explosive quality, perhaps explaining why the Jamaican winger seemed destined for a permanent switch to the sharp end. But substitute Clarke seized his chance to impress and Wednesday, as a whole, are looking healthy again as a team with a point to prove.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"The big thing in this division is to be good at getting the ball back," Irvine told the Telegraph, having identified Wednesday's lack of challenge when not in possession as the root of the problem that saw them go 12 games without a win before his arrival.

Something the team under Mr Laws was criminally bad at

I don't think it's a style that is particularly useful for thois division though - it holds true at every level of football and all around the world.

The worlds best team - Barca - are the best in the world at pressuring and regaining possession and it's what makes them so brilliant - their fabulous technical players can't do anything without the ball - so they make enormous efforts to get it back - and as close to the opposition goal as they can.

So....CL final here we come http://www.owlstalk.co.uk/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Manwithastick

Ah Biggsy. We play Scunny a week saturday do we? You are to accurate journalism what i am to strict vegetarian diets.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

According to Blackpools site we commited 21 fouls as well, not 19. So we're even harder and vicious than we thought. As long as we dont suffer from bans due to yellow card accumulation thats something I'm happy to see at the moment. We need some fight in us and if that means being a bit more nasty and roughing up the opposition then so be it. The ends justify the means at this moment in time. We can worry about fancy dan football when we're in the top 6.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think JOC actually doing his job in the last 3 league games has been the difference. His dip in form played a massive part in our slide. He simply didnt win enough of the ball and do enough for 2/3 months. Now he's playing well we have the ball more and there is less pressure on the back four.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest GlennWhelan

I admire this man already. He says what most of us were thinking and talks sense. I think the future looks bright with this man in charge but saying that we do need investment on the pitch to advance and I always leave final judgement on a manager until i can see how good they are when dipping his toes in the transfer market.

So far so good though for AI. UTO

Edited by GlennWhelan
Link to comment
Share on other sites

About the foul count... Hang on: According to the OS, v Leicester we committed 11 fouls to 3, v Donny 16 to 11, v Reading 9 to 5, West Brom 6 to 11, v Ipswich 15 to 12, v QPR 12 to 3, v Bristol City 15 to 13, v Watford 9 to 10, and v Preston 11 to 17.

We also committed 16 fouls to 11 against Swansea and 19 fouls to 8 against Newcastle. So in that run of 11 league games without a win, we "outfouled" the opposition 8 games to 3, and by 139 to 104 overall, and picked up just 3 points. In other words, we certainly weren't fouling too little, although we may have been committing the wrong types of foul.

Edited by Sova
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Recently went to see Man City v Arsenal and City worked incredibly hard at pressing the ball.

After watching Wednesday under Laws it stood out a mile.

Really liking the new manager now.

I never had (much) faith with Brian Laws, we were a shambles defensively. I like the way this guy talks about the game and his passion for coaching.

I think we may have fell on our feet with this appointment

Edited by BIG D
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tudgay in the star today mentioned how everyone is on their toes now and afraid of being dropped.

They are fighting on the pitch because they know that if they dont do what Irvine tells them they will be out, whereas Laws, despite having a larger squad than usual tended to use the same mantra and same players even when it wasnt working.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think JOC actually doing his job in the last 3 league games has been the difference. His dip in form played a massive part in our slide. He simply didnt win enough of the ball and do enough for 2/3 months. Now he's playing well we have the ball more and there is less pressure on the back four.

I reckon that was less to do with JoC playing badly and more to do with the midfield having no shape due to Laws maybe not making their rols explicitly known, for example Potter hanging around the centre circle all game whilst JoC was box to box, and bombing forwar to get into the positions where Potter should have had the ball at his feet ready to create chances for our forwards. We were all over the place at times. JoC for me has definately been our player of the season so far.

Edited by Stokey
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It will be interesting to see AIs response when we go behind (though I hope I never see it!)Laws frustrated the hell out of me with his daft decisions, hope AIs a lot better. As for his dips into the transfer market. Well his attempt to get Soares looks promising, how strange to bring someone in on loan and play them. Happy that hes brought Varney back, lets hope he can get the best out of him.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ah Biggsy. We play Scunny a week saturday do we? You are to accurate journalism what i am to strict vegetarian diets.

I'm sure I saw some TOMATO ketchup on that double cheezburgs with full cumberland ring and mushroom burger...!

:biggrin:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Manwithastick

I'm sure I saw some TOMATO ketchup on that double cheezburgs with full cumberland ring and mushroom burger...!

:biggrin:

there was indeed. not sure it had ever seen a tomato mind :biggrin: as for mushrooms - flip that! i'm still smarting that she didn't offer to put a fried egg on it :angry:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I reckon that was less to do with JoC playing badly and more to do with the midfield having no shape due to Laws maybe not making their rols explicitly known, for example Potter hanging around the centre circle all game whilst JoC was box to box, and bombing forwar to get into the positions where Potter should have had the ball at his feet ready to create chances for our forwards. We were all over the place at times. JoC for me has definately been our player of the season so far.

Shows how poor we've been JOC was abysmal between The coventry and Newcastle games. Didnt do his job at all. Now he is we and he look good. I was say the teams organisation has helped in that as well, but for me that was the problem. Its now been resolved and 7 point from the last 9.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I admire this man already. He says what most of us were thinking and talks sense. I think the future looks bright with this man in charge but saying that we do need investment on the pitch to advance and I always leave final judgement on a manager until i can see how good they are when dipping his toes in the transfer market.

So far so good though for AI. UTO

In fairness, I don't think we can ever do that until we are 'competitive' in the transfer market. Until then it will always be a case of wheeling and dealing to tread water.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

According to Blackpools site we commited 21 fouls as well, not 19. So we're even harder and vicious than we thought. As long as we dont suffer from bans due to yellow card accumulation thats something I'm happy to see at the moment. We need some fight in us and if that means being a bit more nasty and roughing up the opposition then so be it. The ends justify the means at this moment in time. We can worry about fancy dan football when we're in the top 6.

yeah...never mind the ball...ger on with the game...ger a tackle in as they get off the bus steps... Edited by dnhc
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...