Back down to earth & reality now. Curious to see how the Hatters fare this season & who we have been able to hang on to, assuming Barkley will move to Villa as touted in the press.
Iāve a friend who used to play football in Division One. His son played in both the Championship and Premier League. Their discussions are fascinating.
They agree that the game at the highest level is much faster. Dad has seen son train on multiple occasions and also when recovering from injury. Heās very clear that his own fitness levels were well below the current day but that given the same environment he could have easily achieved the same fitness levels.
Son thought that modern footballers were more skilful and gave his Dad a short video of skills he thought were āmodern dayā and were not in existence in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Around 50% were from Messi, Zidane, Ronaldo and Maradona.
Son was disabused of that notion when his 60 year old dad produced a video demonstrating every single one of those skills plus a few his son hadnāt ever seen. Dad produced the video inside 2 days i.e. he didnāt spend time learning or re-learning. He just ādidā. Spent more time setting up the camera 
Dad then explained that there were plenty of players with those and more āin his dayā but trying to produce them would see your legs taken from under you at short order; the odd forearm smash in the head or back etc.
Son then tried the āyeah but thatās just you Dad argumentā i.e. that his Dad was exceptionally skilful. Next time they were at their local in Liverpool his Dad arranged for 6 mates to ācome out to playā. His 6 mates were ex Liverpool, Everton, Leeds and Tranmere players. Son watched in silence as each in turn took the ball and reproduced more or less what his Dad had put on video. The Tranmere player actually produced every single Ronaldo and Messi trick and flick to perfection. The Leeds player was a very shy retiring bloke (I am being deadly serious) who produced rabonas and all sorts but insisted that no-one video the kick about. His name was Batty.
Son now accepts that fitness has changed but skills really havenāt. The modern game is simply better set up to let those players do what they can do. Thus my previous post about the reduction in contact being pivotal.
5 Likes
Mike, thatās pretty much what I was trying to say but you have done so more eloquently.
What I donāt think has changed over the years is the sub-conscious fear that affects most players when the perform in front of a crowd.
When I lived in Norwich my next door neighbour but one was a Norwich first team regular with whom I became quite friendly. As a result I was able to watch the players train on a Wednesday morning at the then Trowse training ground. The āprobablesā would play the āpossiblesā in a full 90 minute training game. It was usually amazing, with 20 Peleās on the pitch plus goalkeepers. I was always left with the feeling that I felt sorry for our next opponents who would obviously not stand a chance playing against 10 Peleās.
Come Saturday virtually all trace of Pele had gone even on the good days. I can only put this down to the complete absence of pressure on the training ground, where mistakes didnāt matter. On a Saturday afternoon in front of thousands, they did. All, bar the very few best players, looked shadows of their training ground selves. I doubt whether the majority of them was actually conscious of feeling the pressure to perform but, sub-consciously, it must be there.
If this wasnāt/isnāt the case, why was Batty able to look like Messi in private when he was nothing whatsoever like him on the pitch in his playing days?
1 Like
Oh no. Another terrible Norwich managerial appointment.
How can JHT succeed when he is neither bald & appears to own a razor?
The sooner he is replaced by someone who looks the part, the better.
2 Likes
Interesting. Knapper has put his head squarely on the chopping block with this one and especially having decided to not take the chance to bring Will Still home. I suspect the intent is to look like theyāre mirroring the trends elsewhere but here it risks looking like the cheap option.
The alleged lack of experience isnāt necessarily something Iād worry about. I would have some concerns about his language though. When your manager talks about his ethos I wouldnāt expect top of the list to be putting people under pressure because heās under pressure and likes it. Rather unfortunate choice of words reniniscent of Felix Magath.
Bringing in a coach the majority has never heard of bodes well if past appointments are anything to go by.
1 Like
I havenāt a clue how previous managers treated the players but they performed as if they hadnāt a care (& didnāt care).
Perhaps the board, & particularly Knapper, liked the idea of a bit of pressure being applied?
I understand, from the father of a regular first teamer under Paul Lambert, that he applied a lot of pressure & kept it strictly behind closed doors. The players didnāt like it at all at first, but once they saw his methods bringing results, responded in a very positive manor to him.
āsources have told Football Insiderā .
Football Insider, that well known impeccable source of news about The Mighty Whites.
a.k.a. the old geezer currently playing dominoes in the corner at The Old Peacock in Elland Road.
M.O.T.
Time will tell I guess. I just think that it was poor judgement in terms of your opening message. Nothing about aspirations; āidentityā or style of play; nothing other than the inference that itās all about him and what people do for him rather than having a structure and processes or being a unit or a team. All a bit egotistical. That might work but weāre 15 years on from Lambert and few disciplinarian managers are left. Your young rich men playing football hold most of the cards now.
Has to produce another 90 point plus season whilst losing key players and likely competing with at least 10 teams bound to improve on this season. Hiding to nothing really. Career wise itās easy to see why he might be best cutting his losses and getting out.
Shame our appointment has already been made.
I know what you think of him but thereās a couple of us who wouldnāt have been upset to see him back!
The young men were wealthy 15 years ago and the tough approach didnāt seem to cause someone much harm at Old Trafford.
On the money question, I had a conversation with the Norwich players dad who was incensed when the press reported that his son was given a new contract at Ā£22,000 per week. āItās nothing like thatā, he told me, āItās only Ā£18,000 per weekā.
Nice to get things in perspectiveā¦
4 Likes
Why are 10 other teams ābound to improveā? Thereās more chance theyāll regress imo.
Farke would be a fool to leave ER imo. Given you think heās a poor manager where do think heād get a job as good as LUFC?
1 Like
Very true.
In detail then, and firmly putting my head on the block
Boro - difficult season with significant injuries. Prior to that all the signs were that Carrick would have them at least in a play off place. Rare to have 2 consecutive seasons with much of your squad injured. The emergence of a striker of genuine quality suggests an upward trajectory.
Coventry - wonāt start well as he embarks on another rebuild and they recover from the end of this season but he knows what heās doing and come the end I expect them to be right up there.
Bristol City - took Manning a while to get going but they were flying at the end and I expect them to take that into next season.
Cardiff City - could go either way but heās turned them from relegation candidates to mid table and if he stays I expect theyāll be top half and maybe better.
Swansea City - Williams plays a high risk game but all the signs were there. He got them to safety and playing his game. Carry that on with some key additions and they could well be one of the teams to beat.
Stoke City - Schumacher built a good Plymouth team and had an almighty mess to sort out at Stoke. Their ending suggested heād started to do that. I donāt expect them to struggle next season.
QPR - it could go badly wrong but had their 2024 form been their 2023 form theyād have finished top 4. Depends on their recruitment but I think their fans are optimistic with good reason.
Blackburn - Eustace knows what heās doing but heās a slow burn. He builds 1 block at a time. They wonāt set the world on fire but they also wonāt be fighting relegation.
One of Sunderland, Watford or Preston will improve on this season. Only 1 has money.
Of the promoted teams Iād expect Oxford to set the pace. Portsmouth may start quick but maybe wonāt last the pace. Derby will start slow but be in the mix or on the edge of the mix come the end.
I make that 10 and hope Iāve clearly explained why. I look forward to you explaining equally clearly why you think the above are more likely to go backwards.
I canāt see that WBA can improve on last season. Hull have made an error losing their manager. Norwich have huge changes ahead; over-achieved this season and if they come at all next season it will either click from day 1 or very late once again. Hard to see Millwall, Preston or Plymouth improving significantly although Preston may flirt with being in the mix a few times which is why I also list them above.
1 Like
I think Bristol City will do well next year. We played them at the end of the season and they were well organised and played good football with no obvious weakness.
They were very similar to Southampton and we were lucky to get away with a draw.
I think Manning could well be the next up and coming young manager.
1 Like
So you āexpectā rather than 10 clubs are āboundā to improve. Unlike those clubs LUFC probably need to do no more than maintain performance. Some of your improvement is likely new manager bounce (Boro went backwards in 23/24 I recall).
Iāve been an LUFC supporter long enough to know we could easily be at the start of another long period in the wilderness but, given Farkeās record and a stable back room Iād suggest weāre more likely to make the top 2 than any of the teams you mention. My guess is the managers at 1 or 2 of those wonāt see the season out. Could also happen to Farke tbf. If we get close season right weāll be there or there abouts. Get that wrong and neither Farke or any other likely replacement would get us up.
I expect weāll start as one of the favourites. Iāll not fall for that. I expect us to be competitive. If we are Iāll enjoy ER. I probably wouldnāt have enjoyed the EPL as weād likely have kept our āstarsā, stars I believe arenāt good enough for the EPL.
2 Likes
Absolutely agree. He has it all. Developed young players; favours possession and pressing; worked successfully at multiple levels including really interesting spells in Belgium and the US; been media trained etc. Built a really good Oxford team who glitched badly before Buckingham reconfigured them slightly and got them up. Appears to be building something very competitive at Brizzle. Interesting that MK Dons sacked him off when they were struggling having rid themselves of coaching staff, players and acquired multiple injuries. Heād got them into the play offs the previous season but apparently didnāt deserve the time to put that right. Given subsequent events they have come to look foolish.
Both. Given this past season Iād expect them to all improve and think theyāre bound to do so barring someone snatching their players, managers, long term injuries etc.
I think Farke has laid down his marker by hinting that itās going to be really hard to achieve 90 points again given the likely loss of several players and the need to comply with spending rules. As the Leeds hierarchy are in the national media today reinforcing exactly that latter message I think itās fair to say youāll be competitive but perhaps not right up there. Farke may well see the writing on the wall and either be snatched away or walk.
Every season brings surprises so iād expect at least 2 of the teams Iāve not mentioned at all to be in there and at least 2 of my predictions will not come to fruition, likely for 1 of the reasons iāve mentioned.
1 Like