Where have all the brave men gone?

[Cookie]

No I'm not paraphrasing Bonnie Tyler, this is Coppell himself. Because he's not sure that we are brave enough to beat Burnley.

"You have to go in wanting to win and wanting to be brave. And by brave I don't mean by making challenges, I mean getting hold of the ball and having the confidence to look up, pass properly and play from there."

[Flash]

When I read that a couple of days ago I thought that Copps was spot on. The second the team start to get nervous/ need a goal their play turns to pot and they just hoof it up field, hoping for the easy, quick fix solution. I think Copps needs to tell them to play it on the ground, no matter what and play ourselves out of trouble. This will take courage and for people to step up. Spot on Copps.

[Rex]

Perhaps the hot potato analogy is a dig at the irish contingent in the team.

[Jerry St Clair]

"You have to go in wanting to win and wanting to be brave. And by brave I don't mean by making challenges, I mean getting hold of the ball and having the confidence to look up, pass properly and play from there."

But, why are the current crop of players so reluctant to do it? Are they shit scared of the ball? If so, why? It's up to the management to nurture an environment that allows players to play with confidence.

[Row Z Royal]

Perhaps the hot potato analogy is a dig at the irish contingent in the team.

Racist.

[Rex]

Maris Pipers or King Edwards.

[Sun Tzu]

"You have to go in wanting to win and wanting to be brave. And by brave I don't mean by making challenges, I mean getting hold of the ball and having the confidence to look up, pass properly and play from there."

But, why are the current crop of players so reluctant to do it? Are they shit scared of the ball? If so, why? It's up to the management to nurture an environment that allows players to play with confidence.

So let's take a look.

We do well away from home.

We do poorly at home.

Our fans tend to thing booing is 'motivational' and the slightest error is seized on.

The environment may be under the control of the management at training, but once the game starts it's in the hands of the fans.

And we don;t exactly make it easy always.

It's not a case of 'blame the fans' of course.

But do we create an environment that encourage players to take risks, to try things, to want to play for us ?

[Terminal Boardom]

"You have to go in wanting to win and wanting to be brave. And by brave I don't mean by making challenges, I mean getting hold of the ball and having the confidence to look up, pass properly and play from there."

But, why are the current crop of players so reluctant to do it? Are they shit scared of the ball? If so, why? It's up to the management to nurture an environment that allows players to play with confidence.

So let's take a look.

We do well away from home.

We do poorly at home.

Our fans tend to thing booing is 'motivational' and the slightest error is seized on.

The environment may be under the control of the management at training, but once the game starts it's in the hands of the fans.

And we don;t exactly make it easy always.

It's not a case of 'blame the fans' of course.

But do we create an environment that encourage players to take risks, to try things, to want to play for us ?

This might be taking your statement too literally ST but...
The environment the players had on Sunday was so positive and inspirational. Everyone was willing them on and they oxf*rd up big time. We didnt get on their backs or boo or hurl abuse. Everything about the support was positive. Not saying we are always that positive - that would be plain silly. Just that Sunday they had an excellent chance and blew it. But if you play 90 minutes with only 10 players what do you expect?

[Millsy]

"You have to go in wanting to win and wanting to be brave. And by brave I don't mean by making challenges, I mean getting hold of the ball and having the confidence to look up, pass properly and play from there."

But, why are the current crop of players so reluctant to do it? Are they shit scared of the ball? If so, why? It's up to the management to nurture an environment that allows players to play with confidence.

So let's take a look.

We do well away from home.

We do poorly at home.

Our fans tend to thing booing is 'motivational' and the slightest error is seized on.

The environment may be under the control of the management at training, but once the game starts it's in the hands of the fans.

And we don;t exactly make it easy always.

It's not a case of 'blame the fans' of course.

But do we create an environment that encourage players to take risks, to try things, to want to play for us ?

Phew.

Some sense is creeping into this board at last.

Top post.

[Rex]

The supporter are not participants in the game who can influence a team players dicesion making on the pitch. There are too many factors involved. From the players point of view it is simply down to confidence in theor own abilities and the confidence of the players surrounding them.

The only area the support can influence is a positive attitude but again this is dependant on the decision making on the pitch.

In the next two games the attitude from both the support and the players it crucial. Luckily we have the away leg frirst which gives the possitive attitude displayed from the away support a chance to filter to the players.

I have never heard the away support booing players.
It's the home supports expectatins that could be a worrying factor here.

[The Prisoner]

No I'm not paraphrasing Bonnie Tyler, this is Coppell himself. Because he's not sure that we are brave enough to beat Burnley.

"You have to go in wanting to win and wanting to be brave. And by brave I don't mean by making challenges, I mean getting hold of the ball and having the confidence to look up, pass properly and play from there."

You've got to hold and give
But do it at the right time
You can be slow or lazy
But hoof it over the line
They'll always hit you and hurt you
Defend and attack
Theres only one way to beat them
Lump it in the stand
Catch me if you can
Cos I'm the reading man
And what youre looking at
Is the master plan
We ain't no hooligans
This aint a football song
Three points on sunday
Would have meant we couldn't go wrong

[leon]

But, why are the current crop of players so reluctant to do it? Are they shit scared of the ball? If so, why? It's up to the management to nurture an environment that allows players to play with confidence.

So let's take a look.

We do well away from home.

We do poorly at home.

Our fans tend to thing booing is 'motivational' and the slightest error is seized on.

The environment may be under the control of the management at training, but once the game starts it's in the hands of the fans.

And we don;t exactly make it easy always.

It's not a case of 'blame the fans' of course.

But do we create an environment that encourage players to take risks, to try things, to want to play for us ?

Phew.

Some sense is creeping into this board at last.

Top post.

what a load of absolute bollocks

That'll be the reason that at xmas we were 2nd and clear of most of the pack by 10 points (or so I cant recall) we then managed to win twice at home since then and ended 4th.

Did we change fans on New year's day 2009 to precipitate this decline???

[starbug]

No I'm not paraphrasing Bonnie Tyler, this is Coppell himself. Because he's not sure that we are brave enough to beat Burnley.

"You have to go in wanting to win and wanting to be brave. And by brave I don't mean by making challenges, I mean getting hold of the ball and having the confidence to look up, pass properly and play from there."

Well duh - have been saying the same for 6 months!! has Coppell only just noticed? such irony that he sits in the stands to get a better view...

[Schards#2]

"You have to go in wanting to win and wanting to be brave. And by brave I don't mean by making challenges, I mean getting hold of the ball and having the confidence to look up, pass properly and play from there."

But, why are the current crop of players so reluctant to do it? Are they shit scared of the ball? If so, why? It's up to the management to nurture an environment that allows players to play with confidence.

So let's take a look.

We do well away from home.

We do poorly at home.

Our fans tend to thing booing is 'motivational' and the slightest error is seized on.

The environment may be under the control of the management at training, but once the game starts it's in the hands of the fans.

And we don;t exactly make it easy always.

It's not a case of 'blame the fans' of course.

But do we create an environment that encourage players to take risks, to try things, to want to play for us ?

Clearly, the uniterrupted positivity of the Wolves and Birmingham fans told and made the difference over the course of the season.

[brendywendy]

No I'm not paraphrasing Bonnie Tyler, this is Coppell himself. Because he's not sure that we are brave enough to beat Burnley.

"You have to go in wanting to win and wanting to be brave. And by brave I don't mean by making challenges, I mean getting hold of the ball and having the confidence to look up, pass properly and play from there."

Well duh - have been saying the same for 6 months!! has Coppell only just noticed? such irony that he sits in the stands to get a better view...

coppells mantioned the hoof ball tendency under pressure before, all during the bad run
its clear its not an instruction from the coaching staff

[The 17 Bus]

I took it to mean that some of the players are not up to the job, though there is not too much that can be done now, I expect a massive clear out in the summer, with a few names put in the shop window that will not be expected.

[Royal_Belly]

We do well away from home.

We do poorly at home.

Our fans tend to thing booing is 'motivational' and the slightest error is seized on.

The environment may be under the control of the management at training, but once the game starts it's in the hands of the fans.

And we don;t exactly make it easy always.

It's not a case of 'blame the fans' of course.

But do we create an environment that encourage players to take risks, to try things, to want to play for us ?

The fans did not boo the team on Sunday - not even at the final whistle! What annoys me is that the team has a whole week of training/playing/preparing together but when it comes to a game it doesn't look as if the team have ever played with each other... nobody knows where their next pass is going to - set pieces look as if they have never been practised.

[Russell Street]

Maris Pipers or King Edwards.

Who do they play for?

[The 17 Bus]

Maris Pipers or King Edwards.

Who do they play for?

King was at gillingham and Crewe had an Edwards.

[Smoking Kills Dancing Doe]

No I'm not paraphrasing Bonnie Tyler, this is Coppell himself. Because he's not sure that we are brave enough to beat Burnley.

"You have to go in wanting to win and wanting to be brave. And by brave I don't mean by making challenges, I mean getting hold of the ball and having the confidence to look up, pass properly and play from there."

Well duh - have been saying the same for 6 months!! has Coppell only just noticed? such irony that he sits in the stands to get a better view...

coppells mantioned the hoof ball tendency under pressure before, all during the bad run
its clear its not an instruction from the coaching staff

We played hoof ball last season, none of our back for can pass the ball, sign a centre half or full back who can pass the ball. Don't just bury your head in the sand and say well we don't tell them to do it, do something about it.

Bikey/Rosenior/Doob/Stretch don't launch it everytime because of the fans, they launch it cause they are not good at passing. Neither is Pearce, Ivar isn't great on the ball but doesn't panic as much, HArding is good on the ball but lets himself down in other ways. All players were signed Coppell, it's the players we have not the fans....