Watched the highlights several times now. I think the thing that GA and the team will be most keen to remedy is the fact that all three of the guys that tried to win the ball - Scarr, then El Abd, then Macginley - were just a little late in their actions, allowing whatshisname to get ahead of them each time. Possibly the result of tiredness, at least in the first two cases, but the small hesitation/ misjudgement of each led to the goal. I found it an interesting illustration of the tiny margins between success and (relative) failure.
Much less bothered about the question of the possible foul. If we'd got it, great - as others have said, seen them given - but not at all an injustice that it wasn't. I suspect many of those suggesting it was a foul would have been equally confident it was not had it been our team penalised. Hope, and assume, that the manager and players see that too and spend time working to avoid it happening as much as possible rather than spending time bemoaning the lack of professional referees or whatever smokescreen managers use in interviews. (That was the one Gareth used this week.)
Thinking of post-match interviews, does anyone else ever listen to the Stevenage manager do his on 3CR? They rarely disappoint for their highly uncommon content, especially when they lose or, as happened this week, give up a late lead. When that happens, he often talks about his team as though they have failed to prevent the destruction of the universe by answering a simple question about their favourite colour. "They'll pay" was his comment this week at the end of a minute bemoaning the fact that experienced members of his squad had failed to marshal the troops to prevent the late equalizer. And I'm not kidding and it's not out of context. I'm pretty sure he said it twice, too. Goodness knows what his team thinks of him. Maybe they have a brilliant relationship and all is well in the Stevenage squad but I'd struggle to hear that as one of his players and feel entirely comfortable with the level of public criticism!
For me, the challenge on McGinley very much falls into the "seen them given" category, and to be honest I'd be very disappointed indeed if it was given against me. The bigger issues are that he was left very exposed and then committed the cardinal sin of letting it bounce. He could, and should, have met it on the full. As soon as he let the ball bounce he was in all sorts of trouble. Defensive naivety from someone so young? Probably. Let's just hope GA can give his confidence a boost as we're clearly going to need him over the remainder of the season.
@HCblue I think he was particularly aggrieved at having taken the decision to bring on a defender to shore things up at the back...
He's a good value for money listen, but I can't help thinking that his 'extreme anger' methods may well end up losing him his dressing room. I'm comparing 'we win as a team and we lose as a team' vs. 'they will pay' and thinking I'm so glad we have Gareth.
@HCblue said:
Watched the highlights several times now. I think the thing that GA and the team will be most keen to remedy is the fact that all three of the guys that tried to win the ball - Scarr, then El Abd, then Macginley - were just a little late in their actions, allowing whatshisname to get ahead of them each time. Possibly the result of tiredness, at least in the first two cases, but the small hesitation/ misjudgement of each led to the goal. I found it an interesting illustration of the tiny margins between success and (relative) failure.
Much less bothered about the question of the possible foul. If we'd got it, great - as others have said, seen them given - but not at all an injustice that it wasn't. I suspect many of those suggesting it was a foul would have been equally confident it was not had it been our team penalised. Hope, and assume, that the manager and players see that too and spend time working to avoid it happening as much as possible rather than spending time bemoaning the lack of professional referees or whatever smokescreen managers use in interviews. (That was the one Gareth used this week.)
Thinking of post-match interviews, does anyone else ever listen to the Stevenage manager do his on 3CR? They rarely disappoint for their highly uncommon content, especially when they lose or, as happened this week, give up a late lead. When that happens, he often talks about his team as though they have failed to prevent the destruction of the universe by answering a simple question about their favourite colour. "They'll pay" was his comment this week at the end of a minute bemoaning the fact that experienced members of his squad had failed to marshal the troops to prevent the late equalizer. And I'm not kidding and it's not out of context. I'm pretty sure he said it twice, too. Goodness knows what his team thinks of him. Maybe they have a brilliant relationship and all is well in the Stevenage squad but I'd struggle to hear that as one of his players and feel entirely comfortable with the level of public criticism!
‘Much less bothered about the question of a possible foul’ that cost us two valuable points?
I thought it was a valid comment by @HCblue. If we had got the foul and all three points great but as he said it was hardly a shocking decision.
More important was the lack of cover at the back (on reflection inexperience and tiredness probably a factor) and the inability to turn chances into goals, which hasn’t generally been a weakness this season
@Bookertease understands the point I was making about the Cambridge goal.
Kind of what I was thinking, @LeedsBlue. I struggle to imagine a strong manager/ player relationship that includes such strident public criticism. And not the first time I've heard it either, as I said. Certainly, my ears prick up when he comes on if they've lost.
Nathan Jones also makes interesting listening, particularly after a defeat. His stock-in-trade is endless detail, repetition and the volubility required to fill the disproportionate amount of time allocated to Luton Town FC.
Nathan jones was on 3cr after the game with Accrington and was basically saying they had been lucky in all their recent games as he watched quite a few. He gave them some praise but basically come over as a bit of a tw@t. Considering Luton have all the money it won’t look good on him if they don’t make the top 3 which is a possibility.
Listened to that interview after the Accrington game on Saturday. It was absolutely as you described, wasn't it, @OX66?! Tonnes of "Got to give them credit" followed by lots of innuendo about luck, negativity, Luton unlucky not to convert the better chances, luck, on-a-good-run-but-it-doesn't-last-forever, luck, we were the better team overall, but got to give them credit but luck, everyone raises their game against us, luck, got to give them credit, they set their stall out, good luck for them, bad luck for us, got to give them credit but I'm not going to really.
Didn't think Gareth's was a great deal better this week, honestly. Bit too much grumbling about the referee, which I thought inapt since we had at least our fair share of the questionable decisions go our way. Though it seems all managers tend to go through their stock platitudes in these interviews, Gareth is generally a bit more than averagely gracious.
Saw a couple of people say that the point against Cambridge could be a vital one come the end of the season.
I really do applaud that sort of incredible positivity, after giving away a last min goal, following 2 home defeats.
I guess some people can see the positive in anything.
I'm with you @Malone. I don't really care what empty platitudes each manager gives a local radio station after dropping points. If Stevenage's manager gives his players the sort of rollicking they need so they don't concede in the dying minutes of the match again then good for him. If that's what our players need as well I hope Gareth isn't afraid to give them both barrels. Though personally I think the best thing he can do is accept his defenders need more support, change the formation and play with two holding midfielders from Saturday onwards. We may be playing bottom of the table but Barnet are a physical team and we've seen what physical players do to our defenders. Two of Bean, Gape and Thompson in front and hit Barnet on the break. That's how we get back to winning ways and Gareth gets an easy ride on 3CR again.
I dare say a good manager, of which I assume Gareth is one, is perfectly able to deliver hard words when they are called for and aware if and when the time is right to do so.
Not sure if you listen to the interviews on 3CR on the way home from games but the Stevenage manager basically slags his players off from time to time. There's no apparent plan behind his words except for a desire to vent his anger and/or frustration.
By way of illustration, imagine you made a mistake at work. Your boss might well have strong words with you about it and the consequences of it. What do you think of him?
Now imagine he goes round the workplace telling everyone else in some detail about the mistake you made, what he thinks about it and what he plans to do or say to you as a consequence. Now, what do you think of him?
Football is not comparable to most other professions though. There's an expectation that every move of yours will be analysed publicly - by commentators, by fans on messageboards like this, and by managers providing interviews to the media. Every footballer goes into the profession with their eyes open - they watched previous generations on TV, have stood in the stands howling at negative performances, dropped and disciplined players on the Football Manager game etc. They know the score. They know that getting shouted at in the dressing room and called out by your manager in the media is part and parcel of the game; that it's done to provoke a positive response; and that villains turn into heroes at the drop of a hat after just one or two superb performances.
Alex Ferguson is generally considered the best manager of modern times in the UK - he was not afraid to give his players the hairdryer treatment both in the dressing room and in the media when he felt it warranted. Most players raised their game accordingly, wanting to impress the boss and elicit commensurate words of praise. Those that didn't found themselves another club. It was a pretty successful formula.
I remember reading how Martin O’Neil used to do it. He said that there were some players (Guppy I think for one) who thrived on positive words in the press but would not respond well if openly criticised. Others (Andy Kerr for example) needed that verbal kick up the ass from time to time to get an ‘i’ll show him’ type response.
Could be that Stevenage have a team full of Andy Kerrs. Or the manager is a tosser.
Just saw something on the Stevenage forum in response.
'At the end of the day, Darren’s a delusional twat. I don’t understand a fucking word of what he’s come out with post match and the sooner Phil tells him to fuck off the better.'
So the fans don't seem confident in any punishment plans he may have.
Comments
Watched the highlights several times now. I think the thing that GA and the team will be most keen to remedy is the fact that all three of the guys that tried to win the ball - Scarr, then El Abd, then Macginley - were just a little late in their actions, allowing whatshisname to get ahead of them each time. Possibly the result of tiredness, at least in the first two cases, but the small hesitation/ misjudgement of each led to the goal. I found it an interesting illustration of the tiny margins between success and (relative) failure.
Much less bothered about the question of the possible foul. If we'd got it, great - as others have said, seen them given - but not at all an injustice that it wasn't. I suspect many of those suggesting it was a foul would have been equally confident it was not had it been our team penalised. Hope, and assume, that the manager and players see that too and spend time working to avoid it happening as much as possible rather than spending time bemoaning the lack of professional referees or whatever smokescreen managers use in interviews. (That was the one Gareth used this week.)
Thinking of post-match interviews, does anyone else ever listen to the Stevenage manager do his on 3CR? They rarely disappoint for their highly uncommon content, especially when they lose or, as happened this week, give up a late lead. When that happens, he often talks about his team as though they have failed to prevent the destruction of the universe by answering a simple question about their favourite colour. "They'll pay" was his comment this week at the end of a minute bemoaning the fact that experienced members of his squad had failed to marshal the troops to prevent the late equalizer. And I'm not kidding and it's not out of context. I'm pretty sure he said it twice, too. Goodness knows what his team thinks of him. Maybe they have a brilliant relationship and all is well in the Stevenage squad but I'd struggle to hear that as one of his players and feel entirely comfortable with the level of public criticism!
Would have been interesting to see what the ref would have given if the roles had been reversed and it had been Bayo bearing down on a centre back.
As ever Bayo was pulled up for everything on Saturday, and as ever, when he was the one literally being pulled up - nothing.
@username I may have got my I's crossed.
For me, the challenge on McGinley very much falls into the "seen them given" category, and to be honest I'd be very disappointed indeed if it was given against me. The bigger issues are that he was left very exposed and then committed the cardinal sin of letting it bounce. He could, and should, have met it on the full. As soon as he let the ball bounce he was in all sorts of trouble. Defensive naivety from someone so young? Probably. Let's just hope GA can give his confidence a boost as we're clearly going to need him over the remainder of the season.
@HCblue I think he was particularly aggrieved at having taken the decision to bring on a defender to shore things up at the back...
He's a good value for money listen, but I can't help thinking that his 'extreme anger' methods may well end up losing him his dressing room. I'm comparing 'we win as a team and we lose as a team' vs. 'they will pay' and thinking I'm so glad we have Gareth.
‘Much less bothered about the question of a possible foul’ that cost us two valuable points?
I thought it was a valid comment by @HCblue. If we had got the foul and all three points great but as he said it was hardly a shocking decision.
More important was the lack of cover at the back (on reflection inexperience and tiredness probably a factor) and the inability to turn chances into goals, which hasn’t generally been a weakness this season
@Bookertease understands the point I was making about the Cambridge goal.
Kind of what I was thinking, @LeedsBlue. I struggle to imagine a strong manager/ player relationship that includes such strident public criticism. And not the first time I've heard it either, as I said. Certainly, my ears prick up when he comes on if they've lost.
Nathan Jones also makes interesting listening, particularly after a defeat. His stock-in-trade is endless detail, repetition and the volubility required to fill the disproportionate amount of time allocated to Luton Town FC.
Nathan Jones is an absolute tosser !
Nathan jones was on 3cr after the game with Accrington and was basically saying they had been lucky in all their recent games as he watched quite a few. He gave them some praise but basically come over as a bit of a tw@t. Considering Luton have all the money it won’t look good on him if they don’t make the top 3 which is a possibility.
You shouldn't talk about your club's manager like that.
I've been saying for months that Jones is completely mentally ill equipped for the run in
They're going to blow it
Listened to that interview after the Accrington game on Saturday. It was absolutely as you described, wasn't it, @OX66?! Tonnes of "Got to give them credit" followed by lots of innuendo about luck, negativity, Luton unlucky not to convert the better chances, luck, on-a-good-run-but-it-doesn't-last-forever, luck, we were the better team overall, but got to give them credit but luck, everyone raises their game against us, luck, got to give them credit, they set their stall out, good luck for them, bad luck for us, got to give them credit but I'm not going to really.
Didn't think Gareth's was a great deal better this week, honestly. Bit too much grumbling about the referee, which I thought inapt since we had at least our fair share of the questionable decisions go our way. Though it seems all managers tend to go through their stock platitudes in these interviews, Gareth is generally a bit more than averagely gracious.
the referee was f****** dire and GA said as much as he could without being fined.
Saw a couple of people say that the point against Cambridge could be a vital one come the end of the season.
I really do applaud that sort of incredible positivity, after giving away a last min goal, following 2 home defeats.
I guess some people can see the positive in anything.
if we win at barnet then we are back on track, hopefully notts c and mansfield will play out a 0-0 draw !
Good scenario rmj.
ever the optimist lol
I'm with you @Malone. I don't really care what empty platitudes each manager gives a local radio station after dropping points. If Stevenage's manager gives his players the sort of rollicking they need so they don't concede in the dying minutes of the match again then good for him. If that's what our players need as well I hope Gareth isn't afraid to give them both barrels. Though personally I think the best thing he can do is accept his defenders need more support, change the formation and play with two holding midfielders from Saturday onwards. We may be playing bottom of the table but Barnet are a physical team and we've seen what physical players do to our defenders. Two of Bean, Gape and Thompson in front and hit Barnet on the break. That's how we get back to winning ways and Gareth gets an easy ride on 3CR again.
I dare say a good manager, of which I assume Gareth is one, is perfectly able to deliver hard words when they are called for and aware if and when the time is right to do so.
Not sure if you listen to the interviews on 3CR on the way home from games but the Stevenage manager basically slags his players off from time to time. There's no apparent plan behind his words except for a desire to vent his anger and/or frustration.
By way of illustration, imagine you made a mistake at work. Your boss might well have strong words with you about it and the consequences of it. What do you think of him?
Now imagine he goes round the workplace telling everyone else in some detail about the mistake you made, what he thinks about it and what he plans to do or say to you as a consequence. Now, what do you think of him?
Football is not comparable to most other professions though. There's an expectation that every move of yours will be analysed publicly - by commentators, by fans on messageboards like this, and by managers providing interviews to the media. Every footballer goes into the profession with their eyes open - they watched previous generations on TV, have stood in the stands howling at negative performances, dropped and disciplined players on the Football Manager game etc. They know the score. They know that getting shouted at in the dressing room and called out by your manager in the media is part and parcel of the game; that it's done to provoke a positive response; and that villains turn into heroes at the drop of a hat after just one or two superb performances.
Alex Ferguson is generally considered the best manager of modern times in the UK - he was not afraid to give his players the hairdryer treatment both in the dressing room and in the media when he felt it warranted. Most players raised their game accordingly, wanting to impress the boss and elicit commensurate words of praise. Those that didn't found themselves another club. It was a pretty successful formula.
I take it you're not a regular listener then?
I remember reading how Martin O’Neil used to do it. He said that there were some players (Guppy I think for one) who thrived on positive words in the press but would not respond well if openly criticised. Others (Andy Kerr for example) needed that verbal kick up the ass from time to time to get an ‘i’ll show him’ type response.
Could be that Stevenage have a team full of Andy Kerrs. Or the manager is a tosser.
I really don’t think Stevenage have a team of Andy Kerrs. But I’m prepared to eat my hat on 5 May.
Team may not be all Andy Kerrs but the manager sounds like he’s a Juan...
Brilliant @Ned_Ludd.
Just saw something on the Stevenage forum in response.
'At the end of the day, Darren’s a delusional twat. I don’t understand a fucking word of what he’s come out with post match and the sooner Phil tells him to fuck off the better.'
So the fans don't seem confident in any punishment plans he may have.
Let’s hope he’s still in charge on 5 May.