Popular Post areNOTwhatTHEYseem Posted July 2, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted July 2, 2020 I thought Monk's post-match interview with Radio Sheffield was an interesting listen, particularly when he alluded to how he used the lockdown period to reflect on how he wants us to play going forward: I made a decision in the lockdown...I wanted to be brave with my decision and I wanted the players to be brave. Because of the results, I could've easily just set the team up to be very hard to beat and try to grind results that way, but I wanted to be brave and I want us to have a little bit of a glimpse of what I want it to be moving forward. I want us to be brave and play attacking football and try and be on that front foot. Over the course of the three games, I think we've seen a lot of it. Arriving in their final third, of course we need to get better at that, but that will come with time and work. But I think overall in the short space of time we've worked on this way of playing and what I want the club to move forward to, I think they've done exceptionally well with it. That's the way I want the club to go and the football we're going to try and play. It was a decision I made in the lockdown. Nobody needs telling that after a very promising first half of the season, our form post-Christmas has been appalling, and it's perfectly understandable that many have doubts about Monk as a result of that. However, if, as he says, Monk has used the lockdown to reflect on things and wants to change the brand of football we play going forward, then I for one am happy to see him given that chance. It's worth remembering that at 41 Monk is still very young in managerial terms, and although he's managed a fair number of games - he's already taken charge of 160 Championship games and nearly 70 Premier League games - it may well be that his managerial style is still open to significant change, improvement and reinvention. A large factor in my willingness to give him time is that we don't yet know what a Monk project might look like, to be honest: the closest he's come to building anything long-term was in his first post at Swansea, where he kept them up after initially taking over, then guided them to 8th place in the Premier League during his only full season there. The following season, he was sacked with Swansea sat 15th in the Premier League. Since then, some harsh sackings and perhaps the odd poor decision of his own have conspired to rob him of the chance to build anything which could reasonably be called a 'project'. Walking out on Leeds after turning them from habitual mid-table also-rans into playoff contenders meant that we didn't get a chance to see how he might have kicked on there; Middlesbrough sacked him after half a season when they sat three points off the playoff places; and then Birmingham got rid after his first full season saw him overcome their nine-point deduction and guide them to mid-table safety. He's seen the best and the worst of our squad during his short time at the helm, and will already have an idea of who he can rely on and who needs moving on. Although it's only three games, the early signs of a new togetherness and recognisable style of play are evident, as well. If he really has used the enforced break from football to take stock, reflect and draw up a new plan for how he wants his teams to play the game, then I'm happy for him to be given the chance to get it right with Wednesday without hounding him for every slip he makes along the way. 24 8 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldishowl Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 Good post 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lythamowl Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 Common sense posts like that won’t go down well on here. well said though, I’m inclined to agree 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OwlBiSeeinThi Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 Spot on 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Snooty Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 There was a moment in the first half when a cross came in and we had 4 men in the box. We ended up with a corner. But...I said to my pal, I can't remember in a long while us having so many piling in to try and get on the end of things. Even when we were doing well earlier in the season often Fletcher was a lone body in there. 6 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myHero Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 28 minutes ago, oldishowl said: Good post A balanced opinion. Better than anything youd see in The Stir... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
@owlstalk Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 1 minute ago, Ozymandias Owl said: A balanced opinion. Better than anything youd see in The Stir... Star 2 Owlstalk Shop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myHero Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 The one thing that stands out for me is Monk has given some serious thought to the problem of getting two strikers up front and the perinial problem of getting the best out of Bannan, who is clearly our most influential player. 3-5-2 Solves both problems, as Bannan has license to drop into the back 3, making it a 4 and not a 5 (5 being two negative) and also move into a 3 in midfield when we need to be more offensive. Playing 2 up front will also hopefully unlock the enigma, which is Rhodes, allowining him to play off Wickam. Im also impressed by the amount of weight Wickam has lost, because before Lockdown, his signing looked deluded. Not anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
full fathom five Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 Or Monk's boss has had a word after promising the fans attacking winning football at Premiership prices and told him your making me look daft, book your ******** ideas up or your gone. 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emerson Thome Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 I like that we seem to have a more positive approach. A note of caution is that a lot of Monk's tactics seem to revolve around getting crosses into the box. This formation seems to be creating more space for the wing-backs... but, they've got to know what to do with the ball. West Brom are one of the best organised and tallest teams in the division, so they handled most of the crosses with ease. But hopefully against most of the teams in the league we'll get a bit more joy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camffiti Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 Summery ... Monk has had fall arhhhts with most of our defenders, so is now playing wingers at centre herrf 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowl Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 What was Monk actually doing before the lockdown then? Was that him making us hard to win? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doubleo Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 11 minutes ago, cowl said: What was Monk actually doing before the lockdown then? Was that him making us hard to win? Lockdown is the first chance he's had to take a breath since he arrived, and I thought we played pretty well against Brom for an hour, with plenty of corners and getting men in the box. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blatter Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 44 minutes ago, Ozymandias Owl said: The one thing that stands out for me is Monk has given some serious thought to the problem of getting two strikers up front and the perinial problem of getting the best out of Bannan, who is clearly our most influential player. 3-5-2 Solves both problems, as Bannan has license to drop into the back 3, making it a 4 and not a 5 (5 being two negative) and also move into a 3 in midfield when we need to be more offensive. Playing 2 up front will also hopefully unlock the enigma, which is Rhodes, allowining him to play off Wickam. Im also impressed by the amount of weight Wickam has lost, because before Lockdown, his signing looked deluded. Not anymore. Being rather short of central defenders might have the starting point for deciding to play 3-5-2 don’t you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick_Turpin Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 8 minutes ago, Blatter said: Being rather short of central defenders might have the starting point for deciding to play 3-5-2 don’t you think? We're short on central defenders - so we play 3 instead of 2. Safety in numbers? Cool. . 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pazowl55 Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 9 minutes ago, Blatter said: Being rather short of central defenders might have the starting point for deciding to play 3-5-2 don’t you think? If we are short of central defenders why would you choose to play three instead of two? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WalthamOwl Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 Interesting read. Let’s hope he sticks to it and next season we see a bit more free flowing, attacking football. Going to need a few new signings to enable us to do that in the summer. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blatter Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 34 minutes ago, pazowl55 said: If we are short of central defenders why would you choose to play three instead of two? Last night our three central defenders consisted of a full back, a dodgy wing back and Iorfa who’s played most of his previous career at full back. We’re short of centre backs and overloaded with midfielders now and improvising. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owls-Fan Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 42 minutes ago, pazowl55 said: If we are short of central defenders why would you choose to play three instead of two? Out of interest who would you have played in a back 4 yesterday? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pazowl55 Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 7 minutes ago, Blatter said: Last night our three central defenders consisted of a full back, a dodgy wing back and Iorfa who’s played most of his previous career at full back. We’re short of centre backs and overloaded with midfielders now and improvising. Because all our centre backs are injured at the moment. We easily have 4 players who could play as the two centre backs. I just dont believe when coming up with this formation Monk thought it was because of a lack of centre backs. 5 minutes ago, Owls-Fan said: Out of interest who would you have played in a back 4 yesterday? Because of injures we would have struggled. Maybe Odubajo Palmer Iorfa Reach. But he wanted to play three at the back, he didnt do it because of a lack of options. Even in the previous two games with the options of a decent back four he choose not to. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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