who or what is changing our season

[WoodleyRoyal]

I for one think Andy Griffin is the main reason behind our renewd vigour

[Franchise FC]

I for one think Andy Griffin is the main reason behind our renewd vigour

BRIAN McDERMOTT

He's the one to bring in Griffin

He's the one that seems to have turned Mills form

He's the one that seems to have turned Long's form

He's the one that seems to have found a formula the players can cope with

He's the one that seems to be keeping everyone calm and focused

It may all go wrong for him (I hope not) but credit where it's due.

[The Real Sandhurst Royal]

A change in management as we are now more organised playing 4-4-2 with the full backs getting forward and at Donny on Saturday we played 4-5-1 matching up their system. This shows me that all the players now know their jobs instead of running round the pitch like headless chickens which was the case under Brendan Rodgers.

[Norfolk Royal]

The better form was overdue and may well have happened under Rodgers. We'll never know. Credit to the Sontaran though.

[Snowball]

Don't think it can be put down to one thing.

Griffin looks real class and I hope we sign him. Could be our next Captain. He organises a lot.
So sure, he's made our defence better.


Mills coming in has given su more steel and speed. He's improved the defence, also
and many think Ingi is happier/playing better with Mills there instead of Pearce.

Fedders looks more confident and is starting to really play... again, improves our defence.

Gunnar is playing better than for a while, maybe because Karacan can do some of his running... so DM is better

Long has shaken off his injury, caught some form... so we might actually start scoring more goals

The manager seems to get his tactics right.

Confidence grows, and the whole thing is a positive feedback loop.



I doubt we are any worse than sides in 6-7-8-9th place

[wolsey]

Brian McDermott.


We have a squad made up of young talent, decent journeyman, and good players nearing the end of their careers. (Oh and the likes of Long and Kebe who have always promised so much but consistently failed to deliver). We should be in a better position than we are now.

It has always appeared to me that this group of players didn't understand or believe in Rodgers' Big Book of Tactics approach (or that they were at a stage in their developments that they couldn't implement them if they did). His approach may have worked with World Class players, or the very high end of young talent but it didn't fit RFC's situation.

I think McDermott is a perfect fit for us at the moment(cue the cheap option jibes) - knows the club inside out, has none of his predecessor's affections or self delusion. He seems quietly confident, has a way of working that the players seem to understand and can cope with (i.e. simple,direct 442 with the emphasis on individuals working for the benefit of the team) and seems a thoroughly nice bloke (not that that necessarily means much)

(Lifted from the "McDermott - sign him up" thread)

[chilipepper91]

definitely big mac

[CMRoyal]

I think Griffin has made a huge difference, but I'm sure Rodgers would have brought a right-back in anyway. Nevertheless, we do have to credit MaccyD for bringing him in and for the Mills transformation because apart from the defence I don't think that much has changed - tactically we may be different, but the end result is still not enough goals being scored and it's the shoring up of the defence that has been behind recent improved results. With that comes confidence, and hopefully a continuation of the good form.

[ellpryjon]

Brian Griffin

[Royal_Delight]

<< Peter Griffin

[Maguire]

First 7 league games of B-Mac's tenure:

W2 D2 L3

Last 7 league games of B-Rod's tenure:

W3 D2 L2

What's changing our season? Nothing.

[TBM]

First 7 league games of B-Mac's tenure:

W2 D2 L3

Last 7 league games of B-Rod's tenure:

W3 D2 L2

What's changing our season? Nothing.

LOL exactly.....i think people are letting the cup run cloud their judgement on how well we're (not) doing.

[loyalroyal4life]

Brian.... Howard

[Elmer Park]

Rodgers comments in the interviews he has done since he was sacked have suggested he bafflingly didn't appreciate the seriousness of our (and therefore his own) position and was still planning for the future. McDermott has operated in the present and everything he has done has been to try to get results now which has given us a better chance of avoiding relegation although we are still in big trouble not least because of the performance under his Management at Plymouth.

Consequently McDermott has in general played a much more pragmatic 4-4-2 system which I am convinced the players prefer and only changed to 4-5-1 when playing Swansea (later in the game) and Doncaster who are teams who can dominate matches against four men midfields.

I have heard Steve Coppell say that he believed in general that you need experience at the back and younger players in attack and Brian has followed that philosophy with the signing of Griffin and Khizanishvili as well as restoring Mills, who though young has more experience at a higher level than Pearce, to the side.

In midfield McDermott has realised that Bryn cannot play every match but can still make a useful contribution if picked on certain occasions. I also feel he knows that Jimmy K is what he is and uses him mostly as a sub except where there are injuries.

I think McDermott has had a bit of luck in that his appointment has coincided with Shane Long's return to full fitness after playing a lot of games carrying an injury during Rodgers time.

There is a long way to go before we are safe of course and I think he still faces the challenge of finding our best central midfield pairing or at least making sure we have the right combination for each given match and he also has to find a way of helping Jobi get his confidence back. There is also the issue of Siggi's fitness because the left wing becomes an issue if he is going to miss a sigginificant amount of games because of his foot injury.

[Stolp]

Confidence

[TBM]

Thing is Long needs to keep playing else he'll lose this "form" and be back to where he was at the beginning of the season. Strikers need to be playing and scoring on a weekly basis else their heads just drop

[Ian Royal]

No one thing.

Brian's tactics and management, Long's form, Griffin's signing, confidence, belief, luck, inevitability that sooner or later things would improve - if only for a while...

[rhroyal]

Griffin shouldn't be an option. He is a definitely a key reason, but he is an inspired signing BY BRIAN MCDERMOTT.

[rhroyal]

Thing is Long needs to keep playing else he'll lose this "form" and be back to where he was at the beginning of the season. Strikers need to be playing and scoring on a weekly basis else their heads just drop

Well he will be on current form so it doesn't seem like a worry.

[Barry the bird boggler]

Let's wait for the season to finish before we ask this question shall we esp. seeing as we have 3 games from hell coming up after Saturday.