Painful Wait Then A Culture Shock

[filham]

We have a new Head Coach and he has been in charge for just one match and is now in his first full week with the team. It would seem that this coach is not simply going to gently tinker with things and look for gradual improvement but rather intends to impose his own style and method right away.
We are aware that we have to give Joka. time to turn things around, he has said himself that he will need time to get his methods across to the team, also he has to decide on the best players for his job under match conditions

Ideally he needs a full pre season to prepare the team but this luxury is not available, so what can we expect in the next four week.

By End of week 1   Away Shef. Wednesday.
Performance or result will not matter, this games main purpose will be individual performance analysis and method development.

By End Of Week 2  Away Huddersfied       
Team still developing and best players not yet clear in coach's mind. Don't expect a result

By End of Week3   Home Hull
By now we should see a performance with Joka's methods starting to show themselves, but Hull are a tough nut to crack.

By End of Week 4 Away Blackburn

Not an easy match but surely we can hope for a performance and a point

It may even take more than 4 weeks to see a clear improvement and we should prepare ourselves for a drop into the relegation zone before we see areal improvement.

Now when Jako has got things together and results start to go our way we may be watching a different and less attractive football than we are used to, this may come as a culture shock to most of us,

Early indications are :-
A defensive midfielder always within hand holding distance of the back four (means one less man in attack)
A lone strike
Four midfielders playing  narrow whose main purpose is to stop opponents  getting control in midfield.

Lots of possession play with numerous sideway and backward passes.

One occasional wide man.

The next four weeks could be painful, beginning to think this manager change may have been better made next summer.

[Milo]

Is this based off our one game under him against Wednesday?

Because they just sat back and defended the 1-0 lead... They were happy for us to pass it along the halfway line.

[Apprentice to the Maestro]

Would you want him to gently tinker? We have appointed him to impose his style and methods. We need him to sort out our defensive problems, bring some consistency from half-to-half and game-to-game and, despite our good goal scoring record, to add some creativity to break down teams like Sheffield Wednesday where we hardly troubled them.

Why do think that we will be playing less attractive football? Did Watford play unattractive football?

Basing all your predictions on the Sheffield Wednesday game doesn't fit with your idea that he needs time to get his ideas across and to decide on his best players. It is way too early to make judgements of how the team will look when Jokanovic has settled on his best approach even for this season let alone long term.

Most teams have a defensive midfielder. He is there to stop us giving away so many soft goals. Many would consider it as a positive move, making us more solid and giving more freedom to the more creative midfielders.

A lone striker? Dembele has been forced to play that all season because McCormack drifts around. If you want two strikers then you will have to find a different role for McCormack.

Narrow midfield? The problem is our potential wide players have generally disappointed. Who is there to choose from?  Kacaniklic? Pringle? Kavanagh? Are they up to it? Cairney, LVC and McCormack are not wide players. Our best chances are with Williams when he returns and Fredericks.

Lots of possession play with numerous sideways and backwards passes? Again that is what we have been doing all season. It is nonsense to assume that is what Jokanovic plans.

[love4ffc]

While I agree it is early days I can see what the OP is saying.  Though I have to say I don't want to see any tinkering with the defense but rather a complete overhaul.  I also hope the midfield doesn't play too narrow.  Would rather see us using some width in our attacks and taking of the ball to touchlines for more crosses into the box. 

Still think it's early days and only time will tell. 

[Carborundum]

Of the two indications, a defensive midfielder seems set to be a key change introduced by SJ.  For the leakiest defence in the Championship over the past two years it seems a no-brainer and plenty on here have been crying out for it for ages.

With respect to the four midfielders playing narrow, I expect we may see it, but largely because that is what our current midfield players do in possession. It would be pleasing if he can coach them to compress the game when defending and expand the play when attacking.  That will take energy and commitment from the players and he will find out who is up for the challenge.

[Mince n Tatties]

 So what your saying is we are a cert for relegation.. :022:

[filham]

So what your saying is we are a cert for relegation.. :022:
[/quote 

No not at all but I am saying that it may get worse before it gets better and in three or four weeks time we could be in the relegation zone. Also I am saying that this may be the biggest change in style we have ever experienced.

[filham]

Is this based off our one game under him against Wednesday?

Because they just sat back and defended the 1-0 lead... They were happy for us to pass it along the halfway line.

My thoughts are based on the way we set ourselves up n the first half against Wednesday, what else have we to go on.

[Wolf]

I expect a win or draw at Huddersfield because they are one of the worst teams I've seen this season.

[bill taylors apprentice]

Nothing personal but you portray this as some kind of well thought out theory when its just poorly put together assumptions.

Its fair to say Jokanovic seems the type who will be ruthless in imposing his methods and my guess is that the new boss will be paying more attention to the attributes of the players and less about formations.

You have based your theory on one game, taking no account of the tactics of the opposition and you seem to be assuming our formation that day will be the norm.

Your "early indications" are tosh!
E.g. a defensive midfielder as you describe "means one less in attack".
Clearly no depth of knowledge of the game!

[Burt]

With the amount of flak he got on here after the Wednesday match despite the fact that he had only been here for a nano-second I fear that the 4-match ramp-up may not be to some people's liking.

Makes sense to me though. These things do take time. He has the added problem of a January window to contend with which may also mean changes in personnel.