Couldn’t agree more and the QPR fans are getting ticked off by the same policy from GA. To say that he’s not currently the flavour of the month at QPR is an understatement - what has he done. Forino would be mad to go there.
I got the impression it was just one of a package of things including the dark arts, limited subs, development days and loyalty to ageing players that he could point to and say he was putting the team and his work ahead of outside demands, not all of them had a direct impact maybe but contributed to the impression in players minds that we could do special things without the money or reputations elsewhere in the league. I don't disagree with your basic point however impossible to prove but he served us brilliantly and it's probably all or nothing with him. You can see how QPR fans and players with their delusional mindsets but similar budget comparisons aren't buying into any of it and why the Haka here was a breath of fresh air and why it's a joke there.
It seemed like it was all just part of a ‘marginal gains’ philosophy. In short, why give your opponent any information that you don’t have to that it might then use to plan its strategy and tactics on.
Of course we’ll never know whether there really was a marginal gain or not. Possibly, possibly not.
It never bothered me too much, particularly with the short term stuff. Although I did think it was a bit ridiculous with long term injuries - Nick Freeman’s for example which dragged on for months without any word from the manager. That wasn’t really good enough from the club, these guys are humans after all and fans do actually want to know that they’re alright as they care.
It was Gaz's thing, but I did find it a little annoying at times. I respect you want to keep opposition managers guessing but categorising players as long-term, short-term, and close is fine. Gape was almost back for the last 2 years.
Actually, my memory suggests that Nick Freeman was the only one whose long-term injury was actually announced? Or was there another injury of his I missed?
(GA never did trump the Sean Devine ‘injury’ news blackout though…)
I agree. Same with the reasoning behind keeping contract lengths secret.
I mean, I get what the club says and why they aimed to do it. But on the other hand there’s literally an entire industry of Agents who’s job it is is to make sure the person they represent has options when their contract is up so will be going around finding out where and who might be interested in signing them.
Doesn’t take a genius for a rival club to figure out that Player X is entering the last year or so of a contract when an agent starts asking around. “Oh, so you represent this list of players and at least one of them might want to come here”.
Talk about making a rod for your own back for some ill perceived commercial gain
How is a fairly marginal attempt to not have opposition coaches training to stop the exact formation we are choosing to go with, or an equally marginal attempt to make agents do a bit of work and not unsettle players an insult?
People pay their money, they watch the game, they get more info released to drum up publicity and earn a few more quid, but the idea we're all entitled to know everything, and sod what the manager is trying to do regardless of whether it helps us in the long run is just a bit silly.
Very good point about how he has been received at QPR. GA has looked like fish out of water there from the off, like he is trying to wear cowboy boots that don't fit.
I know it's easy to say that when results have been poor, but it is not just that - it is the whole rotten, arrogant culture there.
I would never bet against GA, especially with Dobbo beside him, but if this does fall apart I expect him to make his living in L1 & L2, as his culture building is simply more likely to fit a smaller club with more humility and soul.
I wasn't referring to the secrecy over injury news, although I feel the same. But suddenly no longer disclosing contract lengths was utterly bizarre. If a player signs, we have a right to know how long we should expect to have them for.
As usual a bit surprised about the things people get angry about. I assumed there was a good reason for people not playing and it never troubled me as much as it obviously did others. @Twizz Taylor had a decent shot as well. I thought there were excellent signs against a Championship team I am looking forward to the first game 'in anger' most certainly so. The fact the defence was good and we did not get swamped without Josh in midfield was a plus for me.
I agree. I do think we are looking to be building from a very steady base, and could see us keeping a lot of clean sheets and having tightly contested games this year, which only adds to the thrill of unpredictability!
I still think we are missing that creative maverick (or second creative maverick, if GMac stays fit and in form), but then we basically got promoted last time without one (I don't quite categorize Fred there).
Comments
There's been a subtle shift in emphasis with MB, he'll tell all on the injury news but we genuinely have no idea what formation he's going to play 😊!
The argument wasn’t about not wanting to know the injury status of our players - I’m sure we all did/do.
It was about understanding and respecting the manager’s reasoning for doing so, even if we disagreed with their reasoning.
The reasoning was silly.
I'd go so far as to suggest we never gained a single point by being so secretive about players' injury statuses.
Well done Blooms for ditching such nonsense
I think you’re on fairly safe ground there in terms of anyone being able to prove otherwise!
Couldn’t agree more and the QPR fans are getting ticked off by the same policy from GA. To say that he’s not currently the flavour of the month at QPR is an understatement - what has he done. Forino would be mad to go there.
I got the impression it was just one of a package of things including the dark arts, limited subs, development days and loyalty to ageing players that he could point to and say he was putting the team and his work ahead of outside demands, not all of them had a direct impact maybe but contributed to the impression in players minds that we could do special things without the money or reputations elsewhere in the league. I don't disagree with your basic point however impossible to prove but he served us brilliantly and it's probably all or nothing with him. You can see how QPR fans and players with their delusional mindsets but similar budget comparisons aren't buying into any of it and why the Haka here was a breath of fresh air and why it's a joke there.
It seemed like it was all just part of a ‘marginal gains’ philosophy. In short, why give your opponent any information that you don’t have to that it might then use to plan its strategy and tactics on.
Of course we’ll never know whether there really was a marginal gain or not. Possibly, possibly not.
It never bothered me too much, particularly with the short term stuff. Although I did think it was a bit ridiculous with long term injuries - Nick Freeman’s for example which dragged on for months without any word from the manager. That wasn’t really good enough from the club, these guys are humans after all and fans do actually want to know that they’re alright as they care.
It was Gaz's thing, but I did find it a little annoying at times. I respect you want to keep opposition managers guessing but categorising players as long-term, short-term, and close is fine. Gape was almost back for the last 2 years.
I expect @glasshalffull will have a go!
Actually, my memory suggests that Nick Freeman was the only one whose long-term injury was actually announced? Or was there another injury of his I missed?
(GA never did trump the Sean Devine ‘injury’ news blackout though…)
I agree. Same with the reasoning behind keeping contract lengths secret.
I mean, I get what the club says and why they aimed to do it. But on the other hand there’s literally an entire industry of Agents who’s job it is is to make sure the person they represent has options when their contract is up so will be going around finding out where and who might be interested in signing them.
Doesn’t take a genius for a rival club to figure out that Player X is entering the last year or so of a contract when an agent starts asking around. “Oh, so you represent this list of players and at least one of them might want to come here”.
Talk about making a rod for your own back for some ill perceived commercial gain
The contract secrecy was a Couhig ploy, wasn't it? In any case, it's just an insult to fans.
How is a fairly marginal attempt to not have opposition coaches training to stop the exact formation we are choosing to go with, or an equally marginal attempt to make agents do a bit of work and not unsettle players an insult?
People pay their money, they watch the game, they get more info released to drum up publicity and earn a few more quid, but the idea we're all entitled to know everything, and sod what the manager is trying to do regardless of whether it helps us in the long run is just a bit silly.
Agreed.
It's hard to understand how some people don't get this.
Very good point about how he has been received at QPR. GA has looked like fish out of water there from the off, like he is trying to wear cowboy boots that don't fit.
I know it's easy to say that when results have been poor, but it is not just that - it is the whole rotten, arrogant culture there.
I would never bet against GA, especially with Dobbo beside him, but if this does fall apart I expect him to make his living in L1 & L2, as his culture building is simply more likely to fit a smaller club with more humility and soul.
I wasn't referring to the secrecy over injury news, although I feel the same. But suddenly no longer disclosing contract lengths was utterly bizarre. If a player signs, we have a right to know how long we should expect to have them for.
Bloomfield has openly said that his preferred system this season is three at the back - but won’t restrict himself to just that.
As usual a bit surprised about the things people get angry about. I assumed there was a good reason for people not playing and it never troubled me as much as it obviously did others. @Twizz Taylor had a decent shot as well. I thought there were excellent signs against a Championship team I am looking forward to the first game 'in anger' most certainly so. The fact the defence was good and we did not get swamped without Josh in midfield was a plus for me.
I agree. I do think we are looking to be building from a very steady base, and could see us keeping a lot of clean sheets and having tightly contested games this year, which only adds to the thrill of unpredictability!
I still think we are missing that creative maverick (or second creative maverick, if GMac stays fit and in form), but then we basically got promoted last time without one (I don't quite categorize Fred there).
There's big questions in all areas.
How does the defence look?
Could we play a Taf, Keogh, Forino back 3? Could be an absolute aerial powerhouse both ends, but does it have enough pace?
But then JJ and Grimmer aren't pace machines either, so does it matter?
But Taf has shown he's not at home on the left of a back 3, so how does it all come together?
How does centre mid look? Scowen surely is first name, but Potts looks like he should be playing regularly too. Does that double up work?
Leahy surely plays too, at a rumoured 100k fee and 3 year deal.
Is that 3 creative enough, dynamic enough?
@Shev exciting times we live in.
I’m not too worried about how it all fits together, there’s a midweek game coming in February when we’ll struggle to name the full 18.
Soft drink prices seem a bit steep, and I'm not sure what 'fries' are, but those prices seem surprisingly reasonable.
Veggie/vegan food options seemingly non-existent, though?
They were proper chips, not the French type
I always compare to pub prices and all seem pretty reasonable. What do you normally pay for a large coke round your way?
Never mind what fries are, what the heck are "loaded" fries?
Chocolate bar and a coffee please
I had a veggie pie. Not sure if it was vegan or not.
Chips with toppings. Usually cheese. A classier way of saying cheesy chips. Hipsters would say 'Poutine', obviously.