2023/24 Sean Dyche

[bitter-no-better]

You could argue that the games lost to Fulham and Wolves we would have won with a decent forward. Things would be looking a bit different now.

I have always been supportive of Dyche but for me he needs to be more reactive during games or have a better game plan. I felt for Beto yesterday as he had little support from McNeil or Damjuma who where asked to play too deep. Doucoure was not getting close to him either. We also really lack pace in this team in wide positions which you need as an out ball when it comes to playing against the top teams.

He needs to pick up something from brentford and 2 home wins against Luton and Bournemouth otherwise pressue will build big time.

 

[paultheblue]

Ok so a lot of them have failed under 2 managers then and a lot of others have spent their careers in the same sort of position they’re in now it doesn’t change the point that they just aren’t very good does it.

I agree with you mate the fact is we keep buying players that arnt very good and managers that are crap I think its both

 

[Toffe3m4n]

He needs to start selecting the proper midfield based on the game in question. Onana-Gana-Doucoure yesterday was a bad shout, particularly as both Gana & Doucoure barely have a creative bone in their bodies between them.

For me, as a starting point, we really should just be persisting with this back four for the foreseeable future:

Patterson - Tarkowski - Branthwaite - Mykolenko​

I know there are people on here who don't rate Mykolenko or indeed Patterson.. but they are 24 & 21 years old respectively and need to be playing as much Premier League footy as possible whilst they're both fit. I'm already not a fan of him trying to shoehorn Young into the side just because he's 'experienced', also playing Garner at RB whilst Patterson is available just seems like a waste..

So that's the base to go from. Similarly - I think we should we playing Garner in midfield in every game regardless. At this point, he's better than Onana with his foot on the ball and certainly better than Doucoure. Either way, the Onana-Gana-Doucoure axis needs punting for good as the balance/chemistry in that particular setup just isn't there. For me (despite how disappointing Onana has been) it should always be one of Doucoure or Gana missing out in the starting lineup depending on the game. I think at this point I'd honestly see them both better suited as 70-75 minute subs depending on how that particular game is unfolding. Are we trying to manage a game in the late stages and need a bit of experience in defensive mid? Bring Gana on. Are we needing to go a bit more direct? Bring Doucoure on, who also is capable of goals:

- Onana ----------- Gana --
Garner

-or-

Garner ------------ Onana
Doucoure
​

I really think it's as simple as that yeno..
.

Just to follow up on this post - the way I see it there's effectively two starting XI's we should be employing depending on how we're anticipating that the balance of play is going to go (I'm including Harrison in this as he's due back in a couple of weeks):

Against the 'bottom half' sides (home -or- away) & everyone else outside of the 'top six' (at home):

Pickford

Patterson -- Tarkowski -- Branthwaite -- Mykolenko

Garner ----------- Onana

Harrison ---------- McNeil --------- Danjuma

DCL or Beto​

(4-2-3-1). A better balance of players who can actually use the ball whenever they're afforded to, which when you're considering the opposition in question we really should be looking to control the game (if it's at home at least). Between McNeil, Danjuma & Harrison we should have enough industry in that forward line to create chances more regularly. In this case, both Gana & Doucoure drop to the bench but can provide options later on in games depending on the specific need.

Against the 'top six' (home -or- away) & the other 'top half' sides (away):

Pickford

Patterson -- Tarkowski -- Branthwaite -- Mykolenko

-- Garner --- Onana --- Gana --
Harrison -------------------------------------- McNeil

DCL or Beto​

(More of a 4-5-1). Bit more of a 'defensive' presence in midfield to shore things up as we're planning to see far less of the ball compared to the opposition. In Garner & McNeil we'd still have two players on the pitch who can work in tight spaces a bit better on a transition compared to the alternatives although, for me, it means Danjuma would have to drop to the bench.. but he's certainly a good option to have there regardless. Should we decide that we could do with going a bit more direct and inject a bit of energy we could always sacrifice one of the CM's for Doucoure later on..

Easy this management lark
.

 

[Mrk]

We would. He wouldn’t have been given the funds to build the team he would have wanted, so nothing would have changed fundamentally. Poor managers have added to the pain but they’re not the root cause of it.

Genuinely couldn't disagree more. For all his faults he's an exceptional coach and man manager. Zero chance we'd have been anywhere near as bad.

 

[Rooney_Tunes]

You could argue that the games lost to Fulham and Wolves we would have won with a decent forward. Things would be looking a bit different now.

I have always been supportive of Dyche but for me he needs to be more reactive during games or have a better game plan. I felt for Beto yesterday as he had little support from McNeil or Damjuma who where asked to play too deep. Doucoure was not getting close to him either. We also really lack pace in this team in wide positions which you need as an out ball when it comes to playing against the top teams.

He needs to pick up something from brentford and 2 home wins against Luton and Bournemouth otherwise pressue will build big time.

McNeil has also looked way off the pace since he has come back.

What does Dyche do on the training pitch though as these teams he puts out look absolutely useless bar Branthwaite.

If Dyche is still in charge by January, relegation will almost be a certainty and young Branthwaite will push to leave.

 

[Neiler]

Agree with you but you have to ask the question he has a run of games now he must get points on the board. If he does fine luton is a must win at home for me

There is a reckoning of course mate - its prob being cutting adrift and a real threat of relegation, the Bourmouth and Luton games are a vulnerable period based on results. There comes a point where you cant argue context, luck, recruitment, fitness, that came for Lampard - i have a sense though when the three former bite for Dyche we will get results.

I think we were one of the worst teams in the PL never to be relegated last season, i think we are building from a very low base - if i thought all that was wrong with us and the club was solely down to the manage - it would be brilliant - one decision will fix nothing - if it did id call it - i doessnt however, a change i dont think improves b3eynd a hopeful short term bounce and i think its high risk.

 

[Raino85]

Played 23
Won 5
Drawn 7
Lost 11

22 points from a possible 69
3 of those wins were in his first 7 games
Only 2 wins in last 16 games
Win rate of about 21%

He's seriously got to be looking at that and thinking that's not acceptable. Let alone 4-5 points from next 3 games, I'd say he needs 9, 7 absolute bare minimum

He will be looking at that as an 36.34 points total over a season which would be enough to stay up in the past 8 seasons!

A defeat against Brentford and a win vs. Luton and Dyche will be salivating again at the incredible job he is doing! It will bring his average up to 25 points from 25 games! That takes him up to an average of 38 points over a season

 

[RhylBlue]

Only thing that gives me hope of staying up is that the promoted teams all look like utter gash. 35 points should really be enough to stay up.

 

[badloaf]

Genuinely couldn't disagree more. For all his faults he's an exceptional coach and man manager. Zero chance we'd have been anywhere near as bad.

He is a great coach but he wouldn’t have been given the funds for the players he needed and even he couldn’t have rescued us with no improvements on that squad. Even if you leave out everything else, the covid impact hurt our finances straight away so the situation he’d have been going into the following season wouldn’t have been what he was promised when he joined us.

 

[Paul E]

I find it interesting Dyche has mentioned on several occasions now how he's working within the restrictions and we have little money to spend. We all know Brighton are a good team and the club is doing brilliantly but their starting 11 on Saturday cost less than Vitali Mykolenko. It isn't just about money. We know it plays a significant part in the game these days but strategy, collaboration and playing good football still exists even with teams who haven't spent £500m.

Brighton have spent decent money recently but none of them started on Saturday and they still went to Old Trafford and gave them a lesson. They'll do the same to us on November 4th at Goodison and Dyche won't have a clue how to handle their style, movement and flair.

 

[Street end man]

McNeil has also looked way off the pace since he has come back.

What does Dyche do on the training pitch though as these teams he puts out look absolutely useless bar Branthwaite.

If Dyche is still in charge by January, relegation will almost be a certainty and young Branthwaite will push to leave.

He has a reputation for very clever man management skills yet as you allude it doesn't seem to work on the pitch. In fact we look very lethargic,clueless and seem to have zero spirit or game plan. Love him or loathe him Big Dunc gets more from the players than this bloke.

 

[Mrk]

He is a great coach but he wouldn’t have been given the funds for the players he needed and even he couldn’t have rescued us with no improvements on that squad. Even if you leave out everything else, the covid impact hurt our finances straight away so the situation he’d have been going into the following season wouldn’t have been what he was promised when he joined us.

Money or not, if you look at the squad that started that season there's no way he wouldn't have massively outperformed Benitez and Lampard in almost every regard with it.

 

[Raino85]

McNeil has also looked way off the pace since he has come back.

What does Dyche do on the training pitch though as these teams he puts out look absolutely useless bar Branthwaite.

If Dyche is still in charge by January, relegation will almost be a certainty and young Branthwaite will push to leave.

I think the training regime consists of something along the lines of wearing socks properly and that's about it

 

[JimmyK]

I find it interesting Dyche has mentioned on several occasions now how he's working within the restrictions and we have little money to spend. We all know Brighton are a good team and the club is doing brilliantly but their starting 11 on Saturday cost less than Vitali Mykolenko. It isn't just about money. We know it plays a significant part in the game these days but strategy, collaboration and playing good football still exists even with teams who haven't spent £500m.

Brighton have spent decent money recently but none of them started on Saturday and they still went to Old Trafford and gave them a lesson. They'll do the same to us on November 4th at Goodison and Dyche won't have a clue how to handle their style, movement and flair.


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It’s a comparison that’s been made loads but it’s apples and oranges because that’s the result of a long term plan and stability and we have neither we’re just cobbling a team together of misfits and players collected by different managers with different ideas.

 

[JLW]

Give us something that makes us want to go the match again, it’s soul destroying going the game and not to mention expensive and time consuming.

I nearly never went yesterday couldn’t be arsed, should have went with my gut instinct.

Won’t be going again until owner chairman and manager are gone.