Manager under scrutiny

[absent friend]

With the new season about to get underway. New signings being given marks out of ten - potential signings being given marks out of ten whilst still a rumour - however what we do know is:-

a) Brew has his own management team around him.

b) He is, or will be, aware of HIS players come the kick off.

c) He will have introduced HIS fitness regime.

d) He will have, or should have, by now, sorted out any dressing room politics.

Considering the above I feel we have a right to expect the correct tactics FROM THE START, with no excuses. 

This long ball we all dread, with the inherent immediate return, putting our defence under continual unnecessary attack, to me, should no longer be part of our game, unless we sign a six foot four forward. 

The emphasis on football, played with the ball, must be the way to success - I would even advocate short free kicks to allow us to get behind defences and cut the ball back - retreating defenders are as likely to score as forwards, under pressure, as we know to our cost.

I read from a football pundit, at the weekend, that in his opinion, the subs should be reduced to 3!!  He must be from the Brew school of subs!!

I feel that the use of subs is something Brew did not appreciate last year and I only hope that he passed this subject when he did his coaching revision this summer.      It is accepted that a football team no longer is 11 players but a shrewd usage of the 11 plus the subs, either to run their defence ragged and then put on fresh legs or if we are on the receiving end, put on fresh legs to contain their forwards.      Putting subs on with 5 mins to go, in most cases, is only paying lip service to the bench players and is not, in my opinion, anything about being a strategic manager.

Will the summer have created a wind of change in the selection/ tactics, by the management team or will it be another load of sameness??

[Alex MacLeod]

First the long ball................is it a tactic or is it a panic measure from nervous defenders?

Use of subs........................I remember the days when a sub was only used to cover for injury. People are aye shouting for changes with half hour or more to go so lets do that. Between mins 45 and 60 we use three subs. Between mins 60 and 70 a couple of bad tackles go in and we're down to 9 on the field. I believe a team should go out and be able to play for ninety mins without change. The research should be done and the team selected based on that.

[Guest Mahonio]

In my opinion the long ball aka Route 1 football, should only be used in cup ties wihen say example a team is 1 goal down with five mins to go and fighting to stay in competition.

I know some people if not all disagree with this but it is only my opinion.

[Scotty]

Regardless of who the manager is, or what division we are in, Caley Thistle have always been a better team when the ball is played on the deck. I hope the route 1 stuff is few and far between this season ... perhaps restricted to the last few minutes of a game like a cup tie where we need a goal and are in all out attack mode as Mahonio suggests. This is especially valid if we have wide players or a midfield that is able to make use of the ball on the deck which I think we do. The pitch at TCS was designed with this in mind as the camber not only helps with drainage but suits wing play.

As for subs, I hear you Alex .... most players should be able to play for 90 minutes and we theoretically dont need subs other than to cover injuries. However, there are two flaws to that argument. First is a player like Barry Wilson, getting on in age but still capable of making a contribution. whether he plays the first 60 minutes at full pelt and then gets subbed or comes on for the last 30 to do the same, there is merit in scheduling this substitution. Also, the manager must be confident enough to use his subs if something isnt working rather than hoping things turn our way. A good manager knows that there are 16 people in a matchday team even though only 11 of them start.

Putting on a sub at 80+ minutes is not really a tactical switch, its either a desperation move or it is to waste time when you are ahead. If it is to waste time then I agree with it, if its a tactical switch then I think most times it will prove to be too little too late.

[CaleyD]

I have a little problem when it comes to giving a fair and honest opinion on Brewster.

The first thing is that I don't rate him in terms of his ability to manage a match.  Far too often he plays players out of place, he was with us most of last season and never seemed to find his preferred starting 11 with it chopping and changing far too much, he seems to set up for home games as if they are away games and vice versa...and we've already covered the subjects of subs.

The second thing is that I'm very much a believer that if someone is put in charge then they should be allowed to make all the decisions.  For a Manager that should be which players we sign, which we get rid off, who gets picked for the team etc.  Whilst I don't think we've reached the Romanov stages there's clear signs that this is not entirely the case with Brewster.  Niculae was played from the start of last season, and Brewster being the fanatic he is with regards to fitness, I do not believe he would have been selecting him until he'd got up to speed....this was a decision made over his head IMO.  I also don't believe for a second that Brewster would have been so quick to offload Rankin or Wyness if the decision was his to make....and whilst it might only be "rumour" that things happened behind the scenes to cause these departures, you rarely get smoke without fire.  We then come to Niculae....Brewster was quoted in the papers saying it was a decision which was out of his hands.

So, when it comes to matters of player selection, be it signings or squad picks, I find it difficult to pin the blame entirely on Brewster when I don't think things are being done properly.  This can be a problem when you have a Director of Football at any club, but we have a football set up where one of the least qualified people is the man in charge!!!  Then over and above that we have a major shareholder who is, IMO, dictating decisions based on personal politics and grudges.

Whilst I don't think Brewster is manager material, I do also think think that he should be given the opportunity to succeed or fail by his own hand...and if things do go wrong this coming season he won't be the first person I'll be pointing the finger at.

[MissICT]

we've being saying it for the past 6 months 'brewster's not a good manager'!

But he's still managing the team!

[absent friend]

The second thing is that I'm very much a believer that if someone is put in charge then they should be allowed to make all the decisions.  For a Manager that should be which players we sign, which we get rid off, who gets picked for the team etc.  Whilst I don't think we've reached the Romanov stages there's clear signs that this is not entirely the case with Brewster.  Niculae was played from the start of last season, and Brewster being the fanatic he is with regards to fitness, I do not believe he would have been selecting him until he'd got up to speed....this was a decision made over his head IMO.  I also don't believe for a second that Brewster would have been so quick to offload Rankin or Wyness if the decision was his to make....and whilst it might only be "rumour" that things happened behind the scenes to cause these departures, you rarely get smoke without fire.  We then come to Niculae....Brewster was quoted in the papers saying it was a decision which was out of his hands.

Whilst your comments looking at the above, were maybe relevent, I don't know the extent of the internal workings you are privy to, Don, so maybe a lot of the above is correct but...........

I was hoping that this would be focusing more on tactics than the internal politics - we are all big people and accept that sh--  happens between managers and their board and therefore he can only go in a direction that is dictated by them.

It is following the Euro matches that I became so aware of the short ball being such a big factor in todays game, outside the SPL, with even the freekicks being taken short and indeed so short that the referee was not even interested as to where it was taken from. Contrast that with the involvement of our referee at a free kick, putting the ball back 2 yards.holding up his whistle, pacing out the yardage, moving the wall, etc - by that time in the Euro matches we had enjoyed another 5 mins of play.

I am hoping we will see a bit of that this season.

[CaleyD]

If you want to ignore off the field influences then I would say that as a fitness instructor/coach then he can't really be faulted....however having a super fit squad of players can only paper over the inefficiencies of a poor tactician for so long and I think that during Brewsters first spell with us, and his stint at Utd he was "found out" and having a super fit squad is no longer enough.

If Brewster only knows "fitness" and it is his answer to everything then I fear that if/when things go wrong this season then he will simply push the players harder on the training pitch to improve fitness.  There's only so far you can push people before they turn on you, I believe this is what happened to him at Utd and I believe we saw signs of it at ICT last season.

[Glebeict]

  I just hope he can find a replacement for Dods before the season starts.

[FortressICT]

I just hope he can find a replacement for Dods before the season starts.

I agree and i'm sure everyone else does, it's a year on and we still haven't found one and don't look like finding one! :33:

[Jay_7]

He's already said he's not looking for any defenders until he's happy with our strike farce force. :023:

Barrowman - I hope he proves me wrong but I can't see him worrying defences.  Failed with Kilmarnock (albeit while Boyd, Naismith and Nish were there) then he failed with QoS.  He appeared to find his level in the 2nd Division.  Like I say, I prey he proves me wrong... Very wrong.  4/10

Lionel Djebi-Zadi (or whatever his name is) - Poor signing IMO.  I know I said we needed competition for Hastings but I didn't mean a waster from a German diddy league.  2/10

Ryan Esson - Credit where it's due, I am impressed we captured his signature.  Keep Ike on his toes and some much needed competition that Zibi could not provide last season.  8/10

Rumoured: Callum Elliott - What's the point in taking him here when we have Rory?  1/10

Graham Dorrans - I'll be very happy if we sign him.  Can't see it happening though as there'll be far bigger teams than us looking for him.

The rate we're going, we're going to have a bit of a Pele-style season ahead of us and we're going to have to hope that we can score more than we can concede.  With that Dods shaped hole in the defence and just about every other team in the league strengthening (we have not strengthened, we have merely increased our wage bill) our defence will take a battering.

[Scotty]

GK:

Out: Zibi Malkowski

In: Ryan Esson, Andy McNulty

Comment: A good move I think. Esson will push Fraser and most fans would be happy with either between the sticks. For the first time (i think) we also have a #3 keeper officially in the first team squad.

Defence:

Out: Stuart McCaffrey, Steven Watt

In: Lionel Djebi-Zadi,  + promoted youngsters (Duff / Kerr).

Comment: No difference to last season really and still no signing to replace the huge hole that Dods left two seasons ago. McGuire and Proctor who came in during last season are not replacements for him. This has got to be a huge area of concern. Will be interesting to see if either of the youngsters can establish themselves if things go pear shaped.

Midfield:

Out: Richie Hart

In: Zander Sutherland (back from loan) + promoted youngsters (Vigurs / Gillespie)

Comment: Midfield is one area I think was fine last season (in quality at least, if not always in performance). I would have liked Hart to stay but perhaps a clean break was best for all concerned. One positive is the reviews that Vigurs is getting and the buzz that has always surrounded Sutherland. Will either be able to live up to it though ... or even get a chance in what is the area of the team where we have the most competition for places.

Forwards:

Out: Dennis Wyness, Graeme Bayne, Dean McDonald, Marius Niculae (probable)

In: Andrew Barrowman, Garry Wood (back from loan)

Comment: Some have said we will see a "Pele-esque" return to the score more goals than the opponents outlook we used to have but my concern is where these goals will come from. Barrowman can do it in Div2 but can he do it in SPL, the same can be said for Wood and if we lose Niculae then that leaves the aforementioned two plus Rory and Dougie Imrie who may be better as a wide man than a striker !  If we lose Niculae, we will have lost 3 players who scored 20 goals between them last season and be left with 2 who scored a total of 3 !!! Guess we will be looking to Cowie and Wilson to get on the scoresheet this season !!!

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Yip - my biggest concern is the defence and we really need an experienced central defender and preferably somebody with pace - Maguire was always a stop gap and Proctor is simply not a feckin central defender but Brewster has feckin "blind spots" about both of them.

Personally I would just like to get rid of Brewster but with grasser still at the helm plus the introduction of Judas shearer - the old school will either take us down or keep us just out of the drop.

We need somebody at the helm who will attract the better players. I suspect that proctor could replace Rosscoe and I would play hastings in the middle but feck me do we need somebody who can pass out of defence. But getting rid of the luxury mercenary may also change the system as well.

[Joonya]

a reminder for all at the club about 'beautiful football'....

I also remember a few seasons back that Pele used to have a poster in the dressing room stating ICT are nothing but Highland League minnows. This got the players thinking and made them perform on the park...

Perhaps a video of this, or video clips of past performances (celtic 3-2/1-0/3-2 - Rangers 1-0/2-1 - Falkirk 3-2 - Ayr 4-3) can convince the boys to get on the park in a better phsycological frame of mind than forever hearing about fitness techniques and long punts to the front pair?

[Scotty]

I also remember a few seasons back that Pele used to have a poster in the dressing room stating ICT are nothing but Highland League minnows. This got the players thinking and made them perform on the park...

The problem with that is that only 1 team in the SPL now view us like that ...... and that is ourselves !!!

[stomach]

The second thing is that I'm very much a believer that if someone is put in charge then they should be allowed to make all the decisions.  For a Manager that should be which players we sign, which we get rid off, who gets picked for the team etc.  Whilst I don't think we've reached the Romanov stages there's clear signs that this is not entirely the case with Brewster.  Niculae was played from the start of last season, and Brewster being the fanatic he is with regards to fitness, I do not believe he would have been selecting him until he'd got up to speed....this was a decision made over his head IMO. 

Charlie Christie was the manager at the start of last season not Brewster  :023: :023:

[CaleyD]

I'm aware of that....but Marius was still not 100% match fit when Brewster took over and, IMO, had Brewster been given the choice to use him less until he was then he would have done so.

Incidentally I don't think Marius would have objected too much if that had been the case as he'll openly admit himself that he wasn't fully fit.

[AJS]

When he was first here we played some breath taking football...on the ground. Since he's returned it hasn't quite been the same.

My own personal view is that i will never have the same respect for him as i did after he walked out on us in 2006. I never wanted him back when i heard his name was mentioned. I preferred the idea of Neil Warnock, what he did with Crystal Palace last season in such short time speaks for itself.

In fairness to Brew he got us off our measly start to the season...with the stroke of his left-foot :clapping03:.

But there were always signs that the players lacked respect for him as well.

*Blacky running off at Half-Time against Motherwell in November

*Barry Wilsons sudden exile from the first-team

*Denzils contract withdrawal

He was never intrested in Christies signings either.

*Deano never played

*Rankin played AFTER he sold his house and requested a transfer

*Watt played 1 game and never played again

*Malky Thomson came back months within Brewsters return AFTER we were told Parky was staying.

The only reason he used Niculae was because he was too high profile to say no too and Cowie had settled in so well and so quickly.

I think it's safe to say we will all be watching this seasons progress with great intrest...and slight fear.

[stomach]

Sorry, I thought when you said "start of last season" you meant start of last season (when CC was in charge)  :023:  :014:  

[CaleyD]

I suspect it was also "suggested" to CC that Marius had to be playing, but I shall concede that my point perhaps wasn't entirely clear in regards to me talking about when Brewster took over as opposed to the very start of the season  :016:

[stomach]

I'm sure you are probably right, the board invested heavily in Niculae and I'm sure they would not have been happy if he was not featuring in the first team every week, even though he wasn't fully fit.

[4ize]

Regardless of what goes on between matches or in the dressing/board room, I'll say again that what Brewster needs to do is to take a leaf out of Smith's book and watch at least the start of the game from the stand. You don't play chess with your chin on the table.

[starchief]

Use of subs........................I remember the days when a sub was only used to cover for injury. People are aye shouting for changes with half hour or more to go so lets do that. Between mins 45 and 60 we use three subs. Between mins 60 and 70 a couple of bad tackles go in and we're down to 9 on the field. I believe a team should go out and be able to play for ninety mins without change. The research should be done and the team selected based on that.

Completely disagree with this.  We play Rangers (for instance).  Naturally, we pack the defence hoping to get a scrambled goal via the few breaks we'll get.  Unfortunately, the ball sclaffs off Munro's shin, leaving Fraser going the wrong way.  1-0 to the Gers after 10 minutes.  I would have thought we'd have to change our game plan sooner than later.  If we're only playing one striker and a linking midfielder, then subs are the ideal way to change it.  Nothing to do with fitness or lack of research.  Just the game changing despite the best of the coach's (ahem) ability (nuff said there!).

[Kingsmills]

We need, as a mater of urgency before the season starts, an experienced and reliable central defender as well as at least one forward with a track record of playing and scoring at SPL level or the equivalent.

[tm4tj]

Whats the point of this thread.  The heading says the manager is under scrutiny.  From who?  A bunch of guys on a football forum who always think they know better?  This is just another opportunity for the anti-Brew brigade to stick the knife in further.  What is wriong with everyone?  The league has not started and it's all doom and gloom.  Most managers are under scrutiny from some aspects of their support, but with us it is a constant lets blame Brew for everything.  He may be far from perfect, but if we believe we are helping by constantly undermining his qualities/decisions then think again.  The time to criticise is when something has gone wrong and is solely down to Mr Brewster and his management structure.  Why moan for the sake of seeing your own typing.

I agree with Alex........is the long ball a tactic??  I have seen Brew with a furrowed brow on occasions when another ball is hoofed up the park and comes straight back at us, is this his fault or the fault of the player?  Has Brew got full control over who signs for the club?  I don't know, therefore I won't offer criticism towards him for that. 

Jay7 has questioned some signings, fair enough it's an opinion, but Elliot was just a rumour, Barrowman seems ok if he can get the right service, he looks like a decent poacher,  and Lionel could well prove to be the best signing, but only time will tell.  Dorrans, as if.  It does not appear easy to get quality players to come this far North, thats why we nick them from County, Mr Cowie seems to have done alright.  Esson could do well if reqired but not any more than Zibi was doing last year.  Tough position goalie, only one spot up for grabs.

Blackie is a well known hothead, Denzil was badly underachieving and Barry maybe needed a little reminder.  Deano never played because he looked as much use as a chocolate teapot.  Watt was not any better, although given time to get match fit at Dingwall he may eventually prove to be a decent player, we could not afford the luxury of a 75% player in the heart of the defence.  Parkie staying...........not a chance, it is just the usual guff when changes take place.  Rankin also became a bit of a luxury player and needed to rethink his dedication to the cause.  Niculae was maybe out of his hands, but he also had a role to play.  I think we watch every season in the SPL with trepidation, it's how it is I'm afraid.

Defence is a big worry, we need a big player, how much of that is down to Brew??? Who knows, maybe the director of football is looking in to it.

However, lets just blame Brew for everything.