Manager/Coach Des Buckingham

It is undeniable that Des's record is terrible against the better clubs - he's a classic example of a managerial flat track bully. You would struggle to currently find a better example of one. That said, he is on a sort of roll so we need to give him this upcoming three game chance to prove he has the tactical nous and bravery to go toe to toe with the bigger boys - and come out victorious. I don't think many fans are going to accept glorious failure easily - I'm certainly one who isn't going to give him a pat on the back for a sterling effort but 3 points out of 9. This is your moment, Des - make sure you deliver. I really hope he can.
 
Swaby39 said:
Yeah I had a feeling someone may suggest that but what I would say is they pick up a heck of a psychological battle. It might be easier to get a poor side organised but to get them confident, playing for each other and believing they can suddenly win games at a level they’d only been losing week after week? That’s a heck of a job to do and quite often they have to do it overnight. Point is it can be done a lot quicker than the 30+ games we’ve waited.
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IF you have the personnel available to do it for all those 30 games, yes without doubt. But we know that wasn't the case and an already paper thin squad (albeit with very decent first choice 11) was very easily exposed.
 
Sheik djibouti said:
IF you have the personnel available to do it for all those 30 games, yes without doubt. But we know that wasn't the case and an already paper thin squad (albeit with very decent first choice 11) was very easily exposed.
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Every manager at every club has injuries, suspensions etc to deal with. If we were putting youth team players on the bench fair enough but I don't think there have been many, if any, kids on the bench in league games. No excuses.
 
Swaby39 said:
If you say so, but I don’t think I you’ll ever look far enough past your personal bias to see it for what it actually is. It’s been night and day since Bolton from shape, selection, passing patterns right through to how we take our chances - still not brilliant I should add, Burton was the only performance that really had it all, but there’s been a visible improvement from one game to the next (probably the more players have understood and believed in the plan) which could not be said previous to Bolton. Results support that.
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The patterns of play and style of play was evident before the Bolton game but as you say, the players weren’t following out the game plan as well as they are now. In fact I mentioned it a few times how it was clear Des was trying to set up with more defensive full backs and using the wingers as out and out wingers. Unfortunately it became a lazy way to have a dig at DB saying there was no clear plan when there was.
Also my personal bias? Yes I know Des but that doesn’t mean I support him unreservedly. Look back at me suggesting he should go after the Bolton game along with everyone else.
 
We also seemed to give the ball away a lot less often, although there is still a lot of room for improvement.
 
Sheik djibouti said:
IF you have the personnel available to do it for all those 30 games, yes without doubt. But we know that wasn't the case and an already paper thin squad (albeit with very decent first choice 11) was very easily exposed.
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Yes, absolutely, and some due slack has to be cut for what he had (or rather didn’t have) at his disposal in the early weeks. But I’d say from mid-January that should be put aside. Even when players are injured you can do theory work and tell them what’s expected of them so that when fit it’s a relatively easy integration. He was well-backed in January too and by February he had almost everybody fit bar the usual long term absentees. Between start of Feb and Bolton we played 8, won 2, lost 2 and drew 4 and at no point was I convinced anything was going to change and I predicted a hammering by one of Pompey or Bolton because it had been coming, and sure enough, it did. In reality, ‘Desball’ has never looked anything fluid until after the Bolton defeat and that’s nothing to do with player availability. There’s a visible shift in just about everything since that game which is to his full credit.
 
Steve Gilbert said:
The patterns of play and style of play was evident before the Bolton game but as you say, the players weren’t following out the game plan as well as they are now. In fact I mentioned it a few times how it was clear Des was trying to set up with more defensive full backs and using the wingers as out and out wingers. Unfortunately it became a lazy way to have a dig at DB saying there was no clear plan when there was.
Also my personal bias? Yes I know Des but that doesn’t mean I support him unreservedly. Look back at me suggesting he should go after the Bolton game along with everyone else.
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We’re in a totally different shape since Bolton and there is a visible shift in virtually everything bar the preferred use of wingers which he’s always done but often produced nothing. They haven’t just suddenly understood what he wants. Bolton has forced his hand and whatever he’s done differently since is paying off. Many individuals have benefitted from something. The question now is can it be adapted and stand up to decent opposition?

The ‘digs’, AKA objective criticism, were fully justified. You were the minority who claimed they could see what we were trying to do but most didn’t and we’ve all watched enough football to comment. You don’t need to have worked in football or seen Leyton Orient play before to see how effectively-drilled they were when they beat us. They were fantastic. And whatever it is we were doing, why did we not seem to get any better at it week after week? To suggest the penny has just suddenly dropped with the players actually does Des more of a disservice.
 
Swaby39 said:
We’re in a totally different shape since Bolton and there is a visible shift in virtually everything bar the preferred use of wingers which he’s always done but often produced nothing. They haven’t just suddenly understood what he wants. Bolton has forced his hand and whatever he’s done differently since is paying off. Many individuals have benefitted from something. The question now is can it be adapted and stand up to decent opposition?

The ‘digs’, AKA objective criticism, were fully justified. You were the minority who claimed they could see what we were trying to do but most didn’t and we’ve all watched enough football to comment. You don’t need to have worked in football or seen Leyton Orient play before to see how effectively-drilled they were when they beat us. They were fantastic. And whatever it is we were doing, why did we not seem to get any better at it week after week? To suggest the penny has just suddenly dropped with the players actually does Des more of a disservice.
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That's the crux of it, how does he do in these tougher matches. I think he did alright for 25-30 minutes at home to Derby but then looked totally rudderless and shapeless when they came on strong - we had no answer other than the deepest of defending and just hoofing upfield and giving the ball straight back. One of his best matches, I thought, was at home to Bolton. That was a great, even, game of football, a half apiece in terms of dominance. Pompey away, by all accounts, we were excellent. Even Pompey at home I thought we did OK, same with Barnsley at ours.

The worry in all of these is that we ran out of energy - and ideas - later in the games (bar perhaps the last five minutes when we chucked everything at Pompey and equalised). He has to find a balance that can see us stay in these bigger fixtures until the death but, importantly, be the ones to conjure the winner. Not easy but it's something that all promotion winning teams do, notably Portsmouth.
 
Steve Gilbert said:
The patterns of play and style of play was evident before the Bolton game but as you say, the players weren’t following out the game plan as well as they are now. In fact I mentioned it a few times how it was clear Des was trying to set up with more defensive full backs and using the wingers as out and out wingers. Unfortunately it became a lazy way to have a dig at DB saying there was no clear plan when there was.
Also my personal bias? Yes I know Des but that doesn’t mean I support him unreservedly. Look back at me suggesting he should go after the Bolton game along with everyone else.
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It's not just the players failing to carry out the game plan, though - it's also the fact that some opposition are better able to counter it than others.

Murphy has just torn four successive bad defenses to shreds.....but before that, he was mostly kept quiet by Gethin Jones, who is an outstanding defender at this level. And with him and Dale getting no change, we were completely lacking in ideas.

That's why there's still an element of 'Yes, it's been great, but.......' at the moment. Until we've seen DesBall really work against a good side (and I mean work as in we win the game, not glorious failure like at Pompey) then there's going to be doubts.

Peterborough and then Lincoln are going to be two terrific tests - firstly the best attack in the division (on a Goals per Game basis), and then the best defense in the space of four days.

This time next week, we will have a much better idea of whether Des is going to make it.
 
tonyw said:
It's not just the players failing to carry out the game plan, though - it's also the fact that some opposition are better able to counter it than others.

Murphy has just torn four successive bad defenses to shreds.....but before that, he was mostly kept quiet by Gethin Jones, who is an outstanding defender at this level. And with him and Dale getting no change, we were completely lacking in ideas.

That's why there's still an element of 'Yes, it's been great, but.......' at the moment. Until we've seen DesBall really work against a good side (and I mean work as in we win the game, not glorious failure like at Pompey) then there's going to be doubts.

Peterborough and then Lincoln are going to be two terrific tests - firstly the best attack in the division (on a Goals per Game basis), and then the best defense in the space of four days.

This time next week, we will have a much better idea of whether Des is going to make it.
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Exactly, I know all three are at home but still posh, Lincoln and Stevenage in 6 days is one hell of a test, we are about to find out whether we have finally clicked under Buckingham or it’s just been better players able to beat worse players, which won’t be the case in the upcoming games.

At least it is exciting though.
 
holdsteady said:
Exactly, I know all three are at home but still posh, Lincoln and Stevenage in 6 days is one hell of a test, we are about to find out whether we have finally clicked under Buckingham or it’s just been better players able to beat worse players, which won’t be the case in the upcoming games.

At least it is exciting though.
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It’s a huge test, I agree, and as I said elsewhere we cannot accept glorious failure, bad luck, poor officialdom etc. This is the play offs sitting right there before our eyes. If Des delivers with 7 or more from the 9 points then I, for one, will be apologising and accepting that I’ve been too quick to write him off. He will have left it late to convince the doubters but he’ll have achieved the minimum we expected and you can’t argue with that.

I’m intrigued as to what our approach is going to be in these games, it will be fascinating to watch it unfold. We are about to learn more about Des in three games than we probably have in the previous 25 or so, but he could not be going in to them in finer fettle. It’s been, undeniably, an uncomfortable rollercoaster at times under him but hopefully he will have the last laugh.
 
dickwalton1964 said:
That's the crux of it, how does he do in these tougher matches. I think he did alright for 25-30 minutes at home to Derby but then looked totally rudderless and shapeless when they came on strong - we had no answer other than the deepest of defending and just hoofing upfield and giving the ball straight back. One of his best matches, I thought, was at home to Bolton. That was a great, even, game of football, a half apiece in terms of dominance. Pompey away, by all accounts, we were excellent. Even Pompey at home I thought we did OK, same with Barnsley at ours.

The worry in all of these is that we ran out of energy - and ideas - later in the games (bar perhaps the last five minutes when we chucked everything at Pompey and equalised). He has to find a balance that can see us stay in these bigger fixtures until the death but, importantly, be the ones to conjure the winner. Not easy but it's something that all promotion winning teams do, notably Portsmouth.
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That Derby game we were out on our feet as we literallly had no options to come off the bench and we’d played a few days earlier. They had options off the bench and a stronger squad. That’s why, ‘they came on strong’ we hammered them for 25 minutes and they got a goal just before half time and that gave them impetus. The squad was stretched at that point, that wasn’t Des’s Fault.
 
Bicester Yellow said:
That Derby game we were out on our feet as we literallly had no options to come off the bench and we’d played a few days earlier. They had options off the bench and a stronger squad. That’s why, ‘they came on strong’ we hammered them for 25 minutes and they got a goal just before half time and that gave them impetus. The squad was stretched at that point, that wasn’t Des’s Fault.
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Not to mention that both our goals were as a result of of some inexplicably dumb mistakes from Derby. Most teams look under the cosh with a disastrous start like that.
 
Bicester Yellow said:
That Derby game we were out on our feet as we literallly had no options to come off the bench and we’d played a few days earlier. They had options off the bench and a stronger squad. That’s why, ‘they came on strong’ we hammered them for 25 minutes and they got a goal just before half time and that gave them impetus. The squad was stretched at that point, that wasn’t Des’s Fault.
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I wish people knew the meaning of the word ‘literally’.
 
Steve Gilbert said:
The patterns of play and style of play was evident before the Bolton game but as you say, the players weren’t following out the game plan as well as they are now. In fact I mentioned it a few times how it was clear Des was trying to set up with more defensive full backs and using the wingers as out and out wingers. Unfortunately it became a lazy way to have a dig at DB saying there was no clear plan when there was.
Also my personal bias? Yes I know Des but that doesn’t mean I support him unreservedly. Look back at me suggesting he should go after the Bolton game along with everyone else.
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Which begs the question - why has it taken 25-30 matches for Des to get his point across?
 
Bicester Yellow said:
That Derby game we were out on our feet as we literallly had no options to come off the bench and we’d played a few days earlier. They had options off the bench and a stronger squad. That’s why, ‘they came on strong’ we hammered them for 25 minutes and they got a goal just before half time and that gave them impetus. The squad was stretched at that point, that wasn’t Des’s Fault.
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Nah I don’t agree with this.

We raced into a two goal lead and then were unlucky to concede one before halftime - which completely shot our confidence. We didn’t look like a side who wanted to compete and get forward, we desperately tried to sit back and hang on to our lead.

I’m not saying it was Des’ fault as such (unless at half time he screamed at them to sit deep and defend at all costs) but I don’t think it was due to tiredness. If we’d gone in 2-0 up and managed not to concede for the first 10-15 mins of the first half I think we’d have got at least a draw from that game…
 
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