Selles confimred

[CountryRoyal]

There seems to be a fine line between a vertical pass and an aimless hoof forward.

"Aimless" is the key difference. Even with a decent plan, direct football can involve low pass percentages, but if the completed passed hurt the opposition that's fine.

The problem arises when the players tasked with "aimed" tricky(ish) passes aren't very good and the result often resembles aimlessness.

[Lower West]

There seems to be a fine line between a vertical pass and an aimless hoof forward.

"Aimless" is the key difference. Even with a decent plan, direct football can involve low pass percentages, but if the completed passed hurt the opposition that's fine.

The problem arises when the players tasked with "aimed" tricky(ish) passes aren't very good and the result often resembles aimlessness.

That's why Stan let Cooper go. Wanted technical footballers in the squad rather than grafters.

[CountryRoyal]

"Aimless" is the key difference. Even with a decent plan, direct football can involve low pass percentages, but if the completed passed hurt the opposition that's fine.

The problem arises when the players tasked with "aimed" tricky(ish) passes aren't very good and the result often resembles aimlessness.

That's why Stan let Cooper go. Wanted technical footballers in the squad rather than grafters.

I'd tried to forget. Watching Gunter, McShane and Al-Habsi repeatedly pass it between themselves, getting deeper and deeper before making an inevitable mistake was excruciating. No idea how we finished so highly first season.

[Millsy]

Desperately hoping there would be visa issues but oh well.

Now he’s here I’ll get behind him I suppose.

Our fans on here would accept Ian as manager and not moan

To be fair to HNA, and our fans in general, you'll probably find that most of us would've preferred someone like WIlder and aren't too happy with Selles, but once a someone is in it seems unfair not to give them a chance.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

The problem arises when the players tasked with "aimed" tricky(ish) passes aren't very good and the result often resembles aimlessness.

That's why Stan let Cooper go. Wanted technical footballers in the squad rather than grafters.

I'd tried to forget. Watching Gunter, McShane and Al-Habsi repeatedly pass it between themselves, getting deeper and deeper before making an inevitable mistake was excruciating. No idea how we finished so highly first season.

I always think this as well. I watched us plenty of times that season and had no clue how we ended up where we did. 3-0 at Preston was disgraceful, god knows what the 7-1 Norwich game looked like.

I suppose when you quite literally take 75% of the game away from the opposition, you won't lose many.

[CountryRoyal]

That's why Stan let Cooper go. Wanted technical footballers in the squad rather than grafters.

I'd tried to forget. Watching Gunter, McShane and Al-Habsi repeatedly pass it between themselves, getting deeper and deeper before making an inevitable mistake was excruciating. No idea how we finished so highly first season.

I always think this as well. I watched us plenty of times that season and had no clue how we ended up where we did. 3-0 at Preston was disgraceful, god knows what the 7-1 Norwich game looked like.

I suppose when you quite literally take 75% of the game away from the opposition, you won't lose many.

I remember the Norwich game really well. I was a few minutes late and already heard the first go in. No one could really believe it when we were 6-1 down at half time. We were 4th at the time and I left with a new found hatred for Jordan Mutch.

[WestYorksRoyal]

A true enigma of a season. The table doesn't lie after 46 games. But it did.

[Millsy]

I remember Gurney.

[Hound]

A true enigma of a season. The table doesn't lie after 46 games. But it did.

And not just that, within a kick or two of winning the play offs as well

Very odd year that one

[URZZZZ]

A true enigma of a season. The table doesn't lie after 46 games. But it did.

Or it highlighted the benefits of having a well-structured, disciplined and balanced team with clear defined roles amongst the team

The individual pieces of excellence from the likes of Swift, Olise and Joao doesn’t outweigh the aforementioned, certainly not to the point where you just cram as many technical players into the team because they’re the best “footballers”

Team work > Individuals

[CountryRoyal]

A true enigma of a season. The table doesn't lie after 46 games. But it did.

Or it highlighted the benefits of having a well-structured, disciplined and balanced team with clear defined roles amongst the team

The individual pieces of excellence from the likes of Swift, Olise and Joao doesn’t outweigh the aforementioned, certainly not to the point where you just cram as many technical players into the team because they’re the best “footballers”

Team work > Individuals

For sure and a team with a clear identity and style of play. All fell to shit season two when Stam was figured out.

[URZZZZ]

A true enigma of a season. The table doesn't lie after 46 games. But it did.

Or it highlighted the benefits of having a well-structured, disciplined and balanced team with clear defined roles amongst the team

The individual pieces of excellence from the likes of Swift, Olise and Joao doesn’t outweigh the aforementioned, certainly not to the point where you just cram as many technical players into the team because they’re the best “footballers”

Team work > Individuals

For sure and a team with a clear identity and style of play. All fell to shit season two when Stam was figured out.

I’m not sure how much he was figured out. For some reason Stam changed his entire approach. The discipline and structure of the team he had instilled had gone. We repeatedly ended up with Bacuna (the RB), Kelly (the CM) and Aluko (the RW) just standing on each others toes in the middle of the park. He started playing 5”7” wingers/midfielders up front and signed Dave Edwards for some bizarre reason - whilst taking pot shots at fans on a weekly basis

There is the possibility he wanted to make us a more “fluid” side on the chance we ever did get promoted as the squad that finished 3rd would have badly struggled. But for a coach as inexperienced as he was - was the complete wrong move

[WestYorksRoyal]

Or it highlighted the benefits of having a well-structured, disciplined and balanced team with clear defined roles amongst the team

The individual pieces of excellence from the likes of Swift, Olise and Joao doesn’t outweigh the aforementioned, certainly not to the point where you just cram as many technical players into the team because they’re the best “footballers”

Team work > Individuals

For sure and a team with a clear identity and style of play. All fell to shit season two when Stam was figured out.

I’m not sure how much he was figured out. For some reason Stam changed his entire approach. The discipline and structure of the team he had instilled had gone. We repeatedly ended up with Bacuna (the RB), Kelly (the CM) and Aluko (the RW) just standing on each others toes in the middle of the park. He started playing 5”7” wingers/midfielders up front and signed Dave Edwards for some bizarre reason - whilst taking pot shots at fans on a weekly basis

There is the possibility he wanted to make us a more “fluid” side on the chance we ever did get promoted as the squad that finished 3rd would have badly struggled. But for a coach as inexperienced as he was - was the complete wrong move

Brian Tevreden will say it all started with Gourlay, and we lost the strategy we previously had in recruitment. He didn't call out Dai specifically, but I think we can deduce Kia involvement too.

[Orion1871]

That's why Stan let Cooper go. Wanted technical footballers in the squad rather than grafters.

I'd tried to forget. Watching Gunter, McShane and Al-Habsi repeatedly pass it between themselves, getting deeper and deeper before making an inevitable mistake was excruciating. No idea how we finished so highly first season.

I always think this as well. I watched us plenty of times that season and had no clue how we ended up where we did. 3-0 at Preston was disgraceful, god knows what the 7-1 Norwich game looked like.

I suppose when you quite literally take 75% of the game away from the opposition, you won't lose many.

A goalkeeper and a striker in the form of their lives.

[Hound]

I'd tried to forget. Watching Gunter, McShane and Al-Habsi repeatedly pass it between themselves, getting deeper and deeper before making an inevitable mistake was excruciating. No idea how we finished so highly first season.

I always think this as well. I watched us plenty of times that season and had no clue how we ended up where we did. 3-0 at Preston was disgraceful, god knows what the 7-1 Norwich game looked like.

I suppose when you quite literally take 75% of the game away from the opposition, you won't lose many.

A goalkeeper and a striker in the form of their lives.

Yeah fair point. Yann particularly was unbelievably good second half of that year.

[Linden Jones' Tash]

YK had an almost Roberts esque impact that year.

But for a penalty shootout loss he'd be a club legend...

[CountryRoyal]

I always think this as well. I watched us plenty of times that season and had no clue how we ended up where we did. 3-0 at Preston was disgraceful, god knows what the 7-1 Norwich game looked like.

I suppose when you quite literally take 75% of the game away from the opposition, you won't lose many.

A goalkeeper and a striker in the form of their lives.

Yeah fair point. Yann particularly was unbelievably good second half of that year.

Absolute limbs with that pen v Fulham

[Snowflake Royal]

I always think this as well. I watched us plenty of times that season and had no clue how we ended up where we did. 3-0 at Preston was disgraceful, god knows what the 7-1 Norwich game looked like.

I suppose when you quite literally take 75% of the game away from the opposition, you won't lose many.

A goalkeeper and a striker in the form of their lives.

Yeah fair point. Yann particularly was unbelievably good second half of that year.

Yeah that's a good shout. Bore the opposition to tears whilst you have Ali Al-Habsi saving almost everything and Kermorgant banging away chance after chance and you'll do well.

Replace that with a decent but not special Mannone, and the delightfully try hard but not very effective Jon Dadi/Roy Beerens completely out of position and suddenly you can't beat an egg.

[URZZZZ]

A goalkeeper and a striker in the form of their lives.

Yeah fair point. Yann particularly was unbelievably good second half of that year.

Yeah that's a good shout. Bore the opposition to tears whilst you have Ali Al-Habsi saving almost everything and Kermorgant banging away chance after chance and you'll do well.

Replace that with a decent but not special Mannone, and the delightfully try hard but not very effective Jon Dadi/Roy Beerens completely out of position and suddenly you can't beat an egg.

Not really. It’s understandable people don’t like Stam but let’s not rewrite history

We conceded 64 goals in Stam’s first season, 70 the season after, not a huge difference there. Kermorgant, whilst being an important player, only really became clinical in the last month or so (think 50% of his goals were in April and May that season)

Accumulation of things really and sure, we got lucky at times, but you don’t get 85 points and two penalty kicks off the PL because two players are in the “form of their lives”

[Hound]

Yeah fair point. Yann particularly was unbelievably good second half of that year.

Yeah that's a good shout. Bore the opposition to tears whilst you have Ali Al-Habsi saving almost everything and Kermorgant banging away chance after chance and you'll do well.

Replace that with a decent but not special Mannone, and the delightfully try hard but not very effective Jon Dadi/Roy Beerens completely out of position and suddenly you can't beat an egg.

Not really. It’s understandable people don’t like Stam but let’s not rewrite history

We conceded 64 goals in Stam’s first season, 70 the season after, not a huge difference there. Kermorgant, whilst being an important player, only really became clinical in the last month or so (think 50% of his goals were in April and May that season)

Accumulation of things really and sure, we got lucky at times, but you don’t get 85 points and two penalty kicks off the PL because two players are in the “form of their lives”

It’s certainly an oversimplification but those two certainly won us games that season, important goals and saves

Remembering back, Danny Williams was fantastic after Christmas, GMac before injury. Beerens very effective early on, Swift likewise. Obita had a great season as well - and obvs Moore and McShane

There was a lot of excellent individual runs of form which seemed to always find us a way to win. Just didn’t happen in Stam’s second season - McCleary and Obita injured, Williams gone, AAH gone, Yann broken. McShane over the hill - it seemed like a lot of players really peaked at once and never got back to replicating that form and consistency