Message for Bobby…

From a genuine lover of footy who has had no formal football coaching, but watched matches in all the English leagues and non leagues for over 40 years, this is your problem as I see it Bobby:

6 things to take on board:

1) English football has far more intensity than most European countries. By playing the casual tippy tappy, passy passy game, you allow the opposition to sit back, admire what you are doing, then once they get bored, steam roller through you at a high tempo.

2)Unless you get a back 4 or 5 who are ALL comfortable on the ball, your teams will get caught in possession on a regular basis and as a result, will suffer 9-1,s 8-0’s, 4-0’etc, etc. Your tactics have turned decent defenders into flip flops e.g. John Stones and dare I say it….Gary Caldwell

3)The possession game is all well and good, if the possession is in the final third and not around your own penalty box, come half way line.
Possession doesn’t win points unfortunately Bobby, so don’t get too hung up on that particular statistic. It’s far better to have had 45% possession and win 2-1 than having 60% possession and lose 1-0.

4) To be a good successful manager, you need to have at least a Plan B or even better, a Plan C and D un all. If you don’t, you will never turn games round on a regular basis, your 2-0 deficit will turn into a 3 and 4-0 deficit.

5) Most successful managers have had good back room staff. No disrespect to these guys, but the likes of Graeme Jones and Dennis Lawrence have only experience of playing in the lower leagues. You need at least one, maybe two good experienced coaches on board to help you find that Plan B. I’m thinking of the likes of David Bassett, Neil Warnock, Ray Wilkins, there will be a few more out there of a similar nature.

6) You need to toughen up your image. Standing on the touchline arms folded, blank expression, is not always the reaction that the players need, or what the fans want, when gerrin tonked. It’s quite acceptable to show some frustration, anger, aggressiveness during and after the game. I’ve worked with managers who have not had any backbone and the shop floor lads have walked all over um. Carry on with that disposition and you will get the likes of Leighton Baines doing it in the media for you.

Now having said the above Bobby, I have to bow down to your superior tactical prowess and recognise the work that you have put in, to obtain your coaching badges etc. However, sometimes you have to stop being so obstinate and try a little something different, even if it is against your principles.

Good luck in whatever challenge you take up next, especially if its with a team in the English Leagues.
You could do no better than take GC out for a pint and ask him things like, why do you make 3 subs with 30-40 mins still left to go of the 90. Why do you go with the long ball down the channels when you could pass it about a bit more. Ask him why, in some of his post match interviews, does he openly show that he is not happy with the performance / players, when he could blame the referee or state of the pitch.

If you do happen to read this post Bobby, think seriously about what’s gone wrong and consider how you could do things better. Otherwise, you will no doubt see another banner from your new fans with Everton’s version of Nice man, Bad Manager!!.