DeeJayOne Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 Recently I've heard and noted a lot of comments regarding the manager and players bigging teams up or over analysing teams in their pre-match comments. So I thought I would do a little random analysis on just how prevalent it is, for my own sanity. So, with that in mind, I went to the official site to note down such comments. I went through and randomly chose pre-match stories from random pages. I did indeed find that on EVERY pre-match interview the manager comments on the opposition. Remember, these are totally random stories from the manager: "They've proved they're a decent side by getting a draw there, and I hear they could have pinched it, they've got real quality right through their team so we have to be at the top of our game. They've got this new boy who was here on a month's trial before I got here and is now scoring for fun - he looks a right handful." He said: "I know they have had problems on the financial side, and they've had to release five or six players, but they've still got a very good side. They can be absolutely fantastic, and have a player who on his day could still be a matchwinner in the Premiership."The manager added: "They also have good experience and are desperate to do well against Sheffield Wednesday." The manager said: "It is a difficult place to go and play, and we haven't had the best of luck there recently. They played in the Cup the other night, but there were seven changes to the team. Their top scorer will play, that's for certain. He was a good player here, and I don't think he was given enough time." "They did extremely well last season. They are workmanlike and solid, those are the two words which spring to mind. It was a tough game here last year but we managed to beat them 2-0. After coming up the year before, they had a high finish and were not too far away from the play-offs. I know their manager very well, he is a very capable coach and it will be a tough game." So you can see. The manager does ALWAYS comment on the opposition and how good they are. Thing is - not a single one of those comments were from Irvine. I genuinely looked at the OS and went through The Manager section skipping through pages and randomly going into the articles, I found a comment praising the oppositon in every single one, but I went back through time and they were from Laws, Sturrock, Turner, Yorath & Shreeves. The only editing I did was take out name from the above quotes. http://www.swfc.co.uk/page/Gaffers/0,,10304~738885,00.html - Sturrock http://www.swfc.co.uk/page/Gaffers/0,,10304~343452,00.html - Turner http://www.swfc.co.uk/page/Gaffers/0,,10304~271414,00.html - Yorath http://www.swfc.co.uk/page/Gaffers/0,,10304~82420,00.html - Shreeves Do it for yourself and you will find comments about the dangers of the opposite team. From any manager. From any clubs' pre match press. Go to any pre-match press with a manager and they are guaranteed to get asked about the opposition. They then have to talk about the opposition and 99% of the time those comments will be respectful and generally factual and objective about the opposition. Doesn't matter if it's Irvine, Ferguson, Dalgliesh, Mourinho - anyone. It's the same for all managers and a lot of the time you can lift the comments and put them into any other pre-match press meeting with any other manager. You might get the odd comment here and there talking down the opposition from time-to-time, but generally the comments are are all the same and very respectful. I think that because of a lot of supporters' micro-analysing of everything Irvine does and says, this myth of over-hyping the opposition has come out and is unfair. It's not something unique to Irvine and never has been, but people focus on it because they want to highlight and exaggerate the negatives. A lot of people have latched on similarly to the pre-match preparations and analysis and think that they can use these pretty standard comments to highlight their point. The same with players - if they get asked about the opposition they are not going to slag them off. They are going to do the same and respectfully comment on their observations about the oppositon. After all, if anyone was to actually come out and slag the opposition team off, then we'd see similar kind of blow-out to last years' comments by Lee before the Palace game with people saying it was doing their team-talk for them, motivating their players, putting too much pressure on, unprofessional, etc, etc. Discuss. SHEFFIELD SHOP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Saturday Owl Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 That's four teams, Irvine does it every week! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeeJayOne Posted January 27, 2011 Author Share Posted January 27, 2011 That's four teams, Irvine does it every week! So does every manager of every team. As I said above. SHEFFIELD SHOP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterbottom14 Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 james, are you in defensive mode today Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eckington owl Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 I think part of the reason for doing it is to soften the blow is they lose. I mean, the would look quite foolish if for example Irvine said the opposition was shocking and we were definatly going to win by at least 4 or 5 goals, then ended up losing. My problem with Irvine is that in pre-match interviews he spends more time bigging up the other team and telling us how good they are and what we need to watch out for, which don't get me wrong in moderation is fine with me but lets have a bit more - we have been looking dangerous in training - so and so has trained well this week - i've picked joe bloggs instead of fred flintstone because . . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonofbert2 Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 So does every manager of every team. As I said above. You're right. They all do it. It's a football manager etiquette thing, showing respect and all that. His problem is he is not media savvy or you could say he doesn't shoot his mouth off in the press. He says and comments on little else so all you are left with is the "going through the motions" manager speak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Saturday Owl Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 Apologies James didn't read it well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
latemodelchild Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 He says they do a lot of work watching DVDs etc. When we go out and get tonked by exeter people wonder whether this time was well spent or was it too in depth and panic inducing. The fact is, we have a very good team for this division. We were told, by Alan, that he'd be happy in the CCC never mind league 1 with this team. When we lose badly and repeatedly people look for reasons. If we won more nobody would care how much bigging up he did. Trouble is, we keep losing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcmigo Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 APOLOGIST OF NEGATIVITY DJ1 I loved your 'Dour, Negative football' post after the Bristol league game where you showed us all up to be a bunch of moaners. Very clever it was - kept repeating that phrase throughout the thread as you rubbed it into us all that this team under this manager are nothing of the sort. Oddly I haven't seen a repeat of you posting like that since, possibly due to fact we haven't won a game in the league since, playing 'Dour, negative and losing football.' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest robbiekeane Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 (edited) I think part of the reason for doing it is to soften the blow is they lose. I mean, the would look quite foolish if for example Irvine said the opposition was shocking and we were definatly going to win by at least 4 or 5 goals, then ended up losing. My problem with Irvine is that in pre-match interviews he spends more time bigging up the other team and telling us how good they are and what we need to watch out for, which don't get me wrong in moderation is fine with me but lets have a bit more - we have been looking dangerous in training - so and so has trained well this week - i've picked joe bloggs instead of fred flintstone because . . . . didnt mick macarthy do that agaisnt us one season, and we went and won? cant quite remember. Edited January 27, 2011 by robbiekeane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterbottom14 Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 lets just give him another chance and get behind the team. i just hope he gets in some more players... we need it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bartos Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 Natural to highlight threats and strengths opponents will pose when questioned but for balance sake that doesn't mean we are not over cautious to those threats Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
owls maniac Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 How scary are some of those pages? The one by shreeves saying he is delighted to sign Danny maddix sent shivers down my spine. We may still be crap but we have come a long way since those dark days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcmigo Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 At the end of the day what Irvine says in interviews is the least of his worries given his expensively assembled team are being absolutely slaughtered by the likes of Exeter and Orient. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBoyBeevers Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 I take it Irvine is here until the end of the season then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
owls maniac Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 Not if mandaric has got an ounce of sense he isn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Sheridans PIng Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 It's one thing to say it in the media as the managerial etiquette merry go round, but it seems as though our players actually believe it when they step on the pitch. I'd love to know what preparation he gives the players. Mourinho is known for compiling dossiers on the opposition strengths and weaknesses and obviously has a winning formula. It seems that we know all about opposition strengths, but not much about how we can impose our own strengths on them. We should be playing to our strengths and not worrying about the opposition at all. We are playing the likes of Walsall, Yeovil and Dagenham who have players that wouldn't stnd out in Sunday league football. Hardly Man Utd or Inter Milan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Wrighty80 Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 James, you work for the club so you are clearly edited in what you can say and not likely to disrespect a fellow employee - your livelihood depends on, so I dont understand why you join in this discussions. I find it hard to believe you really think Irvine is the right man, just that you know him personally and like him. There is no evidence to suggest he is the right man, not a shred. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archway-owl Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 So for your own sanity you did all of that? was it in your own time or whilst being paid by the club? JOB'S WORTH Your brother has the correct view on A.I. your views I'm not so sure on but your representation is what can only be expected of a man in your position, but please lets not pretend this has done because you cant sleep at night over what has been said on here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Wrighty80 Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 Plus I would take any of those managers back in a second over Irvine. Genuinely I would and I remember those days clearly. That's how bad it is. I'm 23 so therefore have only ever seen s*** football at Hillsborough, but this is the bottom of the bottom despite having one of the better squads for the division we are in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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