levinwong said:
Connolly should be placed on the bench for the next game
He doesnt know that he need to score goals to win a place up front
The biggest problem City face this season is one which Micky Adams seems incapable of solving and which saw me lambasted for therefore questioning his suitability for the managers job earlier.
It's not his effort, his personality, his commitment... its his seeming inability to master the tactical side of managing.
It is obvious opponents are going to defend in numbers at the Walkers and rely on us losing confidence or concentration and so becoming vulnerable to a breakaway winning goal.
To counter this MA needs to have a team and substitutes with no passengers. Yet he persists in choosing people who have never satisfied the criteria for a good player of needing 7.5 good games out of 10. At least one has not played a single good game this season and everyone knows who.
There are others who remain short of that requirement so we start with a handicap.
Secondly the players remain indisciplined. The late Brian Clough insisted no bookings, no sendings off, no arguing with the ref and he usually got the response he asked for. MA doesn't learn does he?
So he doesn't learn with Blake and he doesn't learn with discipline. Sadly too, he doesn't seem to learn with tactics.
To me our best threat in attack is via Dublin/Scowcroft up front with Connolly playing off em and at least one and probably two wingers to provide the supply. It takes nerve but it would unlatch most defences.
Also the team has to vary its mode of attack. Repeated high balls (either crosses or otherwise) won't trouble good defenders but varied crosses will and if mixed with ground attacks and players taking defenders on to create space then even the best defence will crack.
Connolly has shown enough ability to be a vital part of a mixed strategy attack and will be harder to mark as the man playing off the central two (at home, this is).
Winning 3-2 is better than a boring 0-0 draw. Its better for our promotion hopes and its better for the fans to watch. Adams has a responsibility to both - if he'd only listen and learn.
No passengers, no indiscipline and no fear ... learn from the late, great, man Micky and one day you might earn the right to just a small proportion of the respect he earned.
Oh yes, he had a winger (apart from the legend John Robertson). Bloke called Alan Hinton. Never raced passed anyone as I remember. Just pinpoint crosses, high, low and usually pretty fierce into the most deadly areas. Is it so bloody difficult Micky?
Two of his three glaring failings are easy to solve if he's got the courage. Ditch the passengers and refuse to put up with indiscipline. Bosses are paid to be ruthless at times.
The tactics bit is harder. But not half as hard as playing with passengers and a man short.
