A load of Cobblers

Anything yellow and blue
Brahma Bull
Puberty
Posts: 354
Joined: Tue Aug 26, 2008 12:15 am
Location: Slumdon

Re: A load of Cobblers

Post by Brahma Bull »

Kernow Yellow wrote:
Brahma Bull wrote:My argument is we have good, even quality L2 players here already. Man-Management and tactics are Appleton's remit. I don't think the quality of the players is actually the big issue some want to make out.
I don't disagree with you at all, but isn't the issue with the quantity of players rather than the quality? We've signed a lot of players (because someone at OUFC has identified a 'need' for them) who have turned out to be no good, and this has disrupted our season. My argument is that this might have less to do with Appleton than some people imagine. Or are you saying that these players were in fact good enough but Appleton didn't get the best out of them?

I'm not defending Appleton's record as coach/manager this season, but it strikes me that just replacing him while keeping the scattergun approach to signings and DNA fixation might well solve very little. Especially if, as you imply, we might be losing up to three of our more reliable players over the summer, so yet more will need replacing.
The quantity has been an issue. The manager isn't the one who identifies the players in the main, that's the Transfer Board Committee of MAAP, MASH, The Head Scout/Recruitment fella and one other, if I recall, which the name escapes me. So MAAP isn't solely to blame for recruitment. However, he has an input, a valuable input into that pot.

So move forward to May and we have a good 14 players out of contract. Some under contract appear to be being pushed to the door. It is almost a cast-iron certainty that the 'quantity' of incomings will continue to be at a high figure - at least 10 I'd imagine. However the 'Recruitment' team would have had 10/11 months to identify and finally bring in the players they crave.

I do think though the Head Coach role of MAPP which includes team selection, tactics, substitutions and an ability to change a game is questionable. I'd like to think someone with a bit more managerial nous would actually be able to work better with being given some 'quality' players to manage and coach into a side that can win regular games of football.

I like the bloke personally. I have no doubt at all he is an excellent coach. I actually believe he will be in the England coaching set-up (at some level) in the future. But I (and god I hope I'm wrong and I am mocked by people in 12 months time) have no confidence that I can see any Appleton side, however great the recruitment is, sitting and challenging at the top of this pretty average league.
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