Even the biggest of critics must admit....

[hal9thou]

I asked for the abandonment of WBs and the introduction of youngsters ages ago. I wanted Eze blooded for us last season (it's all on here) not every game, but just to start getting him up to speed in this division. When I met Ollie, one of the subjects I broached was the speed of our transition from back to front, or rather the lack of it. These concerns (plus the reliance on JM and CW) have all been made by many people for months and months and months. Many of us have also commented that with this set of players we should have been doing better all along. Recent events tend to support that view.

On the plus side, now that we've finally got there, we do at least have a couple of set ups that they are familiar with and you have to say better late than never. What this proves beyond doubt - going back to an old WATRB debate with Naz - is that you absolutely have to fit the system to the players. You can not force a default system onto a squad which lacks the players needed to implement it effectively.

[QPRDave]

"you absolutely have to fit the system to the players. You can not force a default system onto a squad which lacks the players needed to implement it effectively."

Has to be the way you do it. Shown us this completely in the last 4 games

[West Acton]

I asked for the abandonment of WBs and the introduction of youngsters ages ago. I wanted Eze blooded for us last season (it's all on here) not every game, but just to start getting him up to speed in this division. When I met Ollie, one of the subjects I broached was the speed of our transition from back to front, or rather the lack of it. These concerns (plus the reliance on JM and CW) have all been made by many people for months and months and months. Many of us have also commented that with this set of players we should have been doing better all along. Recent events tend to support that view.

On the plus side, now that we've finally got there, we do at least have a couple of set ups that they are familiar with and you have to say better late than never. What this proves beyond doubt - going back to an old WATRB debate with Naz - is that you absolutely have to fit the system to the players. You can not force a default system onto a squad which lacks the players needed to implement it effectively.

Beautiful post Hal

[Awin]

"you absolutely have to fit the system to the players. You can not force a default system onto a squad which lacks the players needed to implement it effectively."

Has to be the way you do it. Shown us this completely in the last 4 games

Equally applies to the time Redcrap tried the same thing.

[dogsrrs]

Equally applies to the time Redcrap tried the same thing.

Yeah but Redknapp was quick to drop it

[QPRDave]

Equally applies to the time Redcrap tried the same thing.

Yeah agree

[1973 ranger]

Redknapp wasted 5 or 6 games Holloway has wasted 5-6 months.

[Hitman34]

Pretty sure I had us down for a comfortable top 10 finish mate, with an outside chance of getting into the play offs.

Very surprised that I was in such a small minority to be fair.

I happened to think that Ollie had got a decent squad together with some good youngsters coming through. And despite the poor finish to the previous season, I was fully prepared to accept that was in the most part down to experimenting once he thought we were safe, even if it was a bit of a misjudgement.

What wound me up about this season though, was him attempting to play a formation which was never going to be a success due to not having the playing staff to do it properly. What then really wound me up, along with many others, was his inability to see it and persist with it, despite the players being far more comfortable in shall we say, a more traditional system.

Now, I could well be totally wrong here, but the performances of not only the whole team, but those of several individual players has dramatically improved over the course of the last 4 games in my opinion. Would you not agree?

You may not, but if you do, would that not suggest that the reason for it is the abandoning of the 3-5-2 nonsense?

Could also be the inclusion of the youngsters such as Smyth and Eze. I doubt very much if they miraculously developed into players more than capable of performing in the first team overnight. Which begs the question, why, when certain other players were clearly underperforming, were they not given an opportunity earlier?

I think many of us were concerned about the rumours of unrest behind the scenes with the players being unhappy about the way we were being set up. They could have course have been less accurate than we were being told. This, coupled with some of the absolutely dreadful performances we've had this term, surely has an effect on people's views of the manager.

As Stanley said the other day, what would be really interesting is if someone could get Holloway to explain the reasons for the above. And why he now seems to have a different view.

Pretty sure all any of us fans want is for our manager to pick whoever is available, in the best system for us, to go out with the positivity shown in recent weeks and produce the entertaining football that they have.

Apart from the odd couple of results earlier on, what we are seeing now seems to be making everybody much happier. And whilst we should be thankful for it, you can't really blame people for wondering why it's taken until March to do so.

Think that is all but confirmed mate. In recent weeks, both bidwell and robinson have come out and spoke with the media about how happy they are to be playing in a flat back 4.

[Hitman34]

Equally applies to the time Redcrap tried the same thing.

at least redcrapp bought the players for it, brought in isla and perch. still didnt work, ended up ditching it after 5 games.

meanwhile, holloway buys 4 wingers (one on loan) did not work but continued to play that way.

forest was the catalyst. after that game, someone for sure gave him an altermatum.

i would bet my cat on it.

[Awin]

Both were awful attempts at it

[Northolt_Rs]

Should never have embarrassed Washington by playing him though. His season is over just let him start afresh next season.

Hopefully for somebody else - the bloke looked totally shot yesterday.

[acricketer]

Holloway must be a real sadist to consistently expose CW to ridicule and bile by sending him on the pitch. Kinder to throw him into the crowd where they can actually physically show him what they think of him. After all they pay their money and imagine they can do better.

[Rebel R's]

Holloway looks like he has done the job given to him,and with a zero budget and playing the kids he has kept us us (well surely we can't lose 7 of the last 8 again),so big credit to the little guy .

[hal9thou]

the bloke looked totally shot yesterday.

been like that for a while now. Inexplicable selection that doesn't do the lad any favours. He's not suddenly going to be good enough because this is not ultimately a confidence problem. The composure and ability just isn't there at this level.

[Shepherds Mush]

at least redcrapp bought the players for it, brought in isla and perch. still didnt work, ended up ditching it after 5 games.

Redknapp wasn't even at the club when Perch joined.