Renewed pessimism/interest

[Snowflake Royal]

Sadly, I think Stam has lost sight of the purolpose of his style and isn't communicating it to the players effectively. It now seems more about playing the philosophy than using it as a tool for success.

The point of the passing game is to keep the opposition running and off balance. Tire them, create space and exploit it.

We're so focused on ball retention and passing that it has become the sole point. We've been completely failing to surprise of disrupt the opposition's shape. We've just stood off them and waited for them to get out the way... well it ain't going to happen unless we make it.

It's no good passing slowly from the back so that the entire opposition is squeezed in good shape in their final third. There's no way we can reliably penetrate that.

The team in attack should be trying to stretch the opposition out to make the spaces bigger. The aim of the team in defence is to squeeze the space to play as small as possible. Currently we're actively doing the defence's job when we're attacking.

[Maneki Neko]

If we had a good owner upon getting promoted in 2012, I think we'd potentially still be there now.

for good owner, read one who is willing to throw his own money down the drain with little chance of recouping it without selling up while in the prem?

is that really such a great thing?

[Maneki Neko]

when you look at the preseason, injuries and lack of striker I think its utterly predictable, whoever the manager was.
but hes not helping himself

[Snowflake Royal]

If we had a good owner upon getting promoted in 2012, I think we'd potentially still be there now.

for good owner, read one who is willing to throw his own money down the drain with little chance of recouping it without selling up while in the prem?

is that really such a great thing?

I think he meant one that actually had money and wasn't just a (slightly) rich young prick with a new toy he'd soon get bored of.

[genome]

Of course, it's all conjecture, but my thinking was that a good owner would've had some funds and invested more in the squad in the summer of 2012 than a lump on high wages and a bunch of decent Championship players.

Theoretically, decent investment in that summer would've seen us stay up, and an owner with proper funds would've helped consolidate that.

[mambo3]

Secondly, what I really don't get is that Stam played for Man Utd for three years when they won the premier three times, the FA Cup and the Champions League. You couldn't be more successful, but what I do know is they didn't play anything like this style of football.
So does he believe he has an invention that no one else knows about and is creating a style that will be more successful than the late 90s Man U?

The great Man U team was born out of a group pf players that had played together from being kids. Years in the making. When you've played together several hundred times. Iinstinctive one touch passing and movement is inbred. Managers firstly need to work with what they've got at their disposal. Get the most out of them. From there develope a style of play.

He got rid of all the kids in the Jan + Summer Transfer Window so no chance of that happening

[John Smith]

Why didn't people grill Stam about recruitment in the Town Hall? Why has this only become an issue now?