Mindset, confidence & consistency

[Mick De Lyons]

Hi everyone, i don't post very often these days, but I had some thoughts on the current situation at the Owls. Overall things seem to be not too bad, but there seems to be a mood amongst the fans that this season will turn out the same as the previous five seasons. At top ten finish, but out of the play offs and a likely scenario were we squandered points as was the case on Saturday. Although this season may work out better, that scenario has been happening since Carlos first came to the club. 

 

It doesn't help that we are under a financial embargo, but on paper we still have a squad of quality players. So i think it's more down to our mindset, confidence and consistency. I don't think our players have a strong mentality in games. We seem to play with a nervousness and panic when we have possession. A lot of our performances are very average to say the least and most of the times are frankly rubbish. We have no consistency, because one week we do a performance like at Boro away and the next week we're a shell of the same side that produced that result. 

 

Our formations and tactics seem to be negative at times and cautious. Often we are playing one striker up top, filling the midfield and dropping back, looking for the counter attack. Rarely do we attack teams and press. Whether this is down to Monk or the players not doing that Monk say's, I don't know. But this mindset or approach is doing us no good and is erroding confidence in terms of the players expressing themselves. One of the reasons why the blades are doing well is partly because they attack teams and play with confidence and express themselves. We don't like that obviously, but that is the truth, because quality wise they are an average side really.

 

Playing this why, we do we don't score enough goals and that is partly why we are losing a lead in games and drawing games. The squad has no goal scorers. The strikers aren't very good. Fletcher doesn't score many anyway and won't do playing up top on his own. Nuhiu, Winnall and Rhodes can't score either and Forestieri has been out. Reach has stopped scoring, Bannan hardly scores and the same with Hutchinson and Pellupessy. Lee has been out a long time and the defenders rarely score apart from Iorfa. But again a combination of the formations and tactics we use, plus our mindset, lack of confidence and consistency are are downfall.

 

Maybe a lot of the players have been on the club for too long and it's the same or eight or ten players that have been there for the last three, four or five seasons. Westwood, Palmer, Fox, Lees, Hutchinson, Lee, Bannan, Reach, Forestier, Nuhiu, Fletcher etc. In my opinion they don't have what it takes to get us into the premiership. Again because they lack the mindset, confidence and consistency needed to do well and get promotion. I'm not being negative, just truthful. They have proved over the last three to five seasons that they can't deliver. Top ten side, scrap a play off place maybe, but that's about it. I think we need a new Chairman and to be rid of this financial embargo. Then start again with a new squad, but this will take at least two to three seasons to get to a stage where we can hopefully become successful team and aim for the premiership 

 

Sorry for the essay. What are you thoughts ? 

 

[Frazzlebeak]

13 minutes ago, Mick De Lyons said:

Hi everyone, i don't post very often these days, but I had some thoughts on the current situation at the Owls. Overall things seem to be not too bad, but there seems to be a mood amongst the fans that this season will turn out the same as the previous five seasons. At top ten finish, but out of the play offs and a likely scenario were we squandered points as was the case on Saturday. Although this season may work out better, that scenario has been happening since Carlos first came to the club. 

 

It doesn't help that we are under a financial embargo, but on paper we still have a squad of quality players. So i think it's more down to our mindset, confidence and consistency. I don't think our players have a strong mentality in games. We seem to play with a nervousness and panic when we have possession. A lot of our performances are very average to say the least and most of the times are frankly rubbish. We have no consistency, because one week we do a performance like at Boro away and the next week we're a shell of the same side that produced that result. 

 

Our formations and tactics seem to be negative at times and cautious. Often we are playing one striker up top, filling the midfield and dropping back, looking for the counter attack. Rarely do we attack teams and press. Whether this is down to Monk or the players not doing that Monk say's, I don't know. But this mindset or approach is doing us no good and is erroding confidence in terms of the players expressing themselves. One of the reasons why the blades are doing well is partly because they attack teams and play with confidence and express themselves. We don't like that obviously, but that is the truth, because quality wise they are an average side really.

 

Playing this why, we do we don't score enough goals and that is partly why we are losing a lead in games and drawing games. The squad has no goal scorers. The strikers aren't very good. Fletcher doesn't score many anyway and won't do playing up top on his own. Nuhiu, Winnall and Rhodes can't score either and Forestieri has been out. Reach has stopped scoring, Bannan hardly scores and the same with Hutchinson and Pellupessy. Lee has been out a long time and the defenders rarely score apart from Iorfa. But again a combination of the formations and tactics we use, plus our mindset, lack of confidence and consistency are are downfall.

 

Maybe a lot of the players have been on the club for too long and it's the same or eight or ten players that have been there for the last three, four or five seasons. Westwood, Palmer, Fox, Lees, Hutchinson, Lee, Bannan, Reach, Forestier, Nuhiu, Fletcher etc. In my opinion they don't have what it takes to get us into the premiership. Again because they lack the mindset, confidence and consistency needed to do well and get promotion. I'm not being negative, just truthful. They have proved over the last three to five seasons that they can't deliver. Top ten side, scrap a play off place maybe, but that's about it. I think we need a new Chairman and to be rid of this financial embargo. Then start again with a new squad, but this will take at least two to three seasons to get to a stage where we can hopefully become successful team and aim for the premiership 

 

Sorry for the essay. What are you thoughts ? 

 

I agree with most of what you've written but get your tin hat out 

[flo]

The thing is every team in this league could probably moan about the same things. 

[tarn owl]

We need more goals and more time to turn the squad around. Got ya and totally agree. If we get promoted this season it will be with a squad carrying driftwood not with a fully optimised team. Monk needs time to put his squad together. Might take 2 years, or 3, or 4. As long as we are not dragged towards relegation i am willing to give him time.

[Mick De Lyons]

48 minutes ago, Frazzlebeak said:

I agree with most of what you've written but get your tin hat out 

I honest think though, that most fans think the same. But like fans we look to the positives. I don't think I'm saying anything different to what most are thinking.

[Mick De Lyons]

48 minutes ago, flo said:

The thing is every team in this league could probably moan about the same things. 

And I think they are mate. Especially the likes of Derby and Leeds. It's why you can play crap and still be in the top ten !

[Mick De Lyons]

45 minutes ago, tarn owl said:

We need more goals and more time to turn the squad around. Got ya and totally agree. If we get promoted this season it will be with a squad carrying driftwood not with a fully optimised team. Monk needs time to put his squad together. Might take 2 years, or 3, or 4. As long as we are not dragged towards relegation i am willing to give him time.

I think the same. It will take about three seasons to get anywhere near. This financial embargo and the driftwood on big wages are holding us back. These things take time, but we have to start to move in the right direction.

[BarnsleyOwl96]

I agree with the squad in general probably isn’t good enough , we lose 1/2 players and we are struggling, bazza and luongo missing is absolutely massive as Joey just isn’t good enough. We have Westy,Iorfa,Borner , Bannan, Luongo and possibly fletch And hutch who are top 6 quality imo others maybe in the past have shown glimpses and done well but that’s on current performance (eg fessi,lee )

[Mick De Lyons]

3 hours ago, BarnsleyOwl96 said:

I agree with the squad in general probably isn’t good enough , we lose 1/2 players and we are struggling, bazza and luongo missing is absolutely massive as Joey just isn’t good enough. We have Westy,Iorfa,Borner , Bannan, Luongo and possibly fletch And hutch who are top 6 quality imo others maybe in the past have shown glimpses and done well but that’s on current performance (eg fessi,lee )

I agree, but also Westwood, Hutchinson  Lee and Fletcher are now too old. Its an ageing squad.

[Everywhere & nowhere]

If we can consistently play our first choice midfield I think we can do enough for top 6. I hoped bringing Luongo in would give enough with Lee’s return but  think we will always struggle if two out of Bannan, Luongo and Lee are injured.

[Morepork]

Said it since CC's second season. The majority of our players are capable of beating anyone on their day, however.....they are mentally fragile. To win the league it's almost certainly more about mentality than it is about silky skills.....our friends across the city proved that. To win promotion you require mental fortitude, a never say die attitude and a degree of belligerence throughout the squad, IMO.

Edited November 5, 2019 by Morepork

[Mick De Lyons]

3 hours ago, Everywhere & nowhere said:

If we can consistently play our first choice midfield I think we can do enough for top 6. I hoped bringing Luongo in would give enough with Lee’s return but  think we will always struggle if two out of Bannan, Luongo and Lee are injured.

I personally think that Bannan sometimes gets lost in games and he doesn't score enough goals for me. I think when the team is on fire and saying well, he stands out. But if we are struggling, then Bannan does too. Again he's a player that sometimes lacks consistency in my opinion.

[Mick De Lyons]

1 hour ago, Morepork said:

Said it since CC's second season. The majority of our players are capable of beating anyone on their day, however.....they are mentally fragile. To win the league it's almost certainly more about mentality than it is about silky skills.....our friends across the city proved that. To win promotion you require mental fortitude, a never say die attitude and a degree of belligerence throughout the squad, IMO.

Totally agree with you. Having a strong mentality is vital in this league if you are going to do well. Its happened too many times where we have been in a winning situation and thrown it away. I think our weak attitude or mentality are at the heart of our problems. I also think the opponents smell that about us, like an atmosphere or nervousness and a panic that comes over our general play.

[Dutch McLovin]

5 hours ago, Mick De Lyons said:

I personally think that Bannan sometimes gets lost in games and he doesn't score enough goals for me. I think when the team is on fire and saying well, he stands out. But if we are struggling, then Bannan does too. Again he's a player that sometimes lacks consistency in my opinion.

Totally agree. Bannan would have made a difference on Saturday as Pelupessy is so poor, but when a game is like that he often disappears. We missed Luongo more than Bannan.

 

Hutchinson is different he is not mentally weak he just tries to overcompensate by dropping deep. This is the trait of a warrior/winner - but this is also where Monk needs to step in. Get him to step up keep his shape and drag others with him.

 

We are mentally weak tho in general and I agree with you mostly.

[Mick De Lyons]

48 minutes ago, Dutch McLovin said:

Totally agree. Bannan would have made a difference on Saturday as Pelupessy is so poor, but when a game is like that he often disappears. We missed Luongo more than Bannan.

 

Hutchinson is different he is not mentally weak he just tries to overcompensate by dropping deep. This is the trait of a warrior/winner - but this is also where Monk needs to step in. Get him to step up keep his shape and drag others with him.

 

We are mentally weak tho in general and I agree with you mostly.

Yeah, I think we miss Hutchinson when he doesn't play. I do think that Luongo made me the answer in midfield. He is physically more imposing than Bannan, has some skill, can read the game and can score goals. For me Bannan has this cult following and in his day can be great, but it's not there week in week out.

[room0035]

I just think it is very simple with the team not enough goals scored from midfield and defence. The strike force do their job based on the service they have but too few goals from midfield.

 

Until we have a midfield that are collectively contributing 20+ goals in a season we will not challenge to top end of the league, If we are only playing 1 up front then the midfield need to score even more so the likes of Reach and Harris should be approaching double figures which the forward role they play. All the teams that go up have goals from midfield we don't.

 

I also think we have become a bit one dimensional with the team 4-5-1 or (4-3-3 when attacking) What the point of having 5 strikers on the books of the club if we only play 1. it always makes me chuckle when you see the subs bench with 2 strikers on it or 2 full backs, knowing full well one of those subs is a wasted sub as we won't use him. We have the players in the squad to have a balance bench that gives us options to change the game we just don't have them on the bench.

[Lythamowl]

my thoughts?

 

simply not enough goals to support a proper promotion push.

 

we cannot continue to depend on a 33year old main striker who wasnt exactly prolific when he was in his prime. Nothing wrong with fletch, and he runs his blood to water every game effort wise.....but he simply cannot do it on his own.

 

I'd give nando a run out and see if he can find some form or we hopefully sign a tammy abrahams type player in january. Nice, but unlikely as most championship teams are looking for one.

[Mick De Lyons]

1 hour ago, room0035 said:

I just think it is very simple with the team not enough goals scored from midfield and defence. The strike force do their job based on the service they have but too few goals from midfield.

 

Until we have a midfield that are collectively contributing 20+ goals in a season we will not challenge to top end of the league, If we are only playing 1 up front then the midfield need to score even more so the likes of Reach and Harris should be approaching double figures which the forward role they play. All the teams that go up have goals from midfield we don't.

 

I also think we have become a bit one dimensional with the team 4-5-1 or (4-3-3 when attacking) What the point of having 5 strikers on the books of the club if we only play 1. it always makes me chuckle when you see the subs bench with 2 strikers on it or 2 full backs, knowing full well one of those subs is a wasted sub as we won't use him. We have the players in the squad to have a balance bench that gives us options to change the game we just don't have them on the bench.

Yeah I agree.  The whole team doesn't score enough goals and playing one up top is not the way you will score goals. I agree as well, that our midfield don't create enough chances for the team. Often we play at a slow pace which is predictable for the opposition to read. Which then comes to your other point about is becoming to dimensional in games. Its almost like we have a formation and tactics and if it isn't working, we have no ideas how to change it. But yes, a lack of goals is a major problem.

Edited November 5, 2019 by Mick De Lyons

[sonofbert2]

Our team and our fans are both a touch too soft.

[Mick De Lyons]

18 minutes ago, Lythamowl said:

my thoughts?

 

simply not enough goals to support a proper promotion push.

 

we cannot continue to depend on a 33year old main striker who wasnt exactly prolific when he was in his prime. Nothing wrong with fletch, and he runs his blood to water every game effort wise.....but he simply cannot do it on his own.

 

I'd give nando a run out and see if he can find some form or we hopefully sign a tammy abrahams type player in january. Nice, but unlikely as most championship teams are looking for one.

Yeah, Room0035 said the same thing and I agree. Scoring one goal in a game will always result in either drawing lots of games or losing them. I agree that Fletcher isn't and never was the answer. We need two strikers playing off each other who have styles that compliment each other. I feel that we are too negative and one dimensional in our play and that's the reason for the lack of goals, not that we can't score per se.