MKAylesburyDon wrote:
Imagine if a team of players went on the pitch with no instructions or tactics, they would play how they wanted to, obviously it would be an uncoordinated disaster so the manager sets out a team shape and gives players individual instructions. During the game the players play according to a combination of the instructions they got and their own instincts so the closer they are aligned the better they play, under GA it looked like too many players were doing what wasn't natural leaving it disjointed, under MW the players seem more natural which I think is what Lewie was expressing and why it hasn't taken long to get the basics right.
I also think that was the issue with Manning. He was always big on giving freedom to players to make decisions, which sounds good in principle. But I think the only reason it worked is because of the squad he inherited who all had the same style to fall back on, and when you've got a mismatch of lower quality players in there, then their instincts don't gel. I think Williams has done well to get everyone into the same organised style, but even more credit to Sweeting for getting players with the right natural style to complement that (and makes the GA appointment even more baffling)