With the season in its early stages, Labour United look set to improve on the
encouraging results seen last June. Still relying too much both on the manager
to weave his magic, and on the opposition being divided, with Conservative
City`s leader clearly having "lost the dressing-room", Labour cannot assume
victory to be inevitable. Hard work and thorough preparation are
required.
Home contests will be close, but as long as all
stick to the game plan, concentrate on providing a united front, with no
individuals trying to be different with an alternative plan of attack, all
should be well. Old hands have had their day, the game has changed, the
opposition are tougher and certainly better financed, and it is time to keep to
the newer tactics which served them so well last season.
Europe could well be a problem, and United
have to be careful its policies do not divide the fans. Defence, too, can be
problematic for Corbyn, but a principled approach works wonders!
Conservative City`s finances have never been
in better shape, which means their tactics can be adopted to suit the more
modern times. Using social media to keep the fans up-to-date and well-informed,
a tactic which worked well for United in the past, is something all opposition
teams will copy. Having, and keeping, a young fan-base has always been City`s
problem, but with its current manager, and with the list of leaders-in-waiting,
lacking any plans to win their support,the dilemma looks set to
remain.
May`s managership has led to a dramatic change
in tactics, with the formation now favouring a three-pronged attack on the
right-wing, and too few offensives down the centre to worry the opposition. In
fact, the three attackers are definitely more anti-strikers than "false number
9s"! One of the three, Davis, has a reputation for only putting in short shifts,
whilst the strangely popular Johnson hits the news more for his off-the-ball
behaviour than his skills in the opposition half. Johnson was May`s
surprise selection, especially as his post-match gaffes tend to outnumber even
his missed goal opportunities. Shooting on sight appears his modus operandi,
whilst team mates would prefer a more considered approach.
The third anti-striker is renowned for
wanting the "right result", and for not doing enough to achieve it. Considered
the team expert on defence for a short while, Fox`s career seemed to have ended
when it was discovered he had smuggled a close friend on to the team bus! Fans
love a "fox in the box", but this Fox`s contribution has been minimal, and he
might well be spending more time this season on the Conservative`s backbench.
With rumours that the Maydays are over, and that Rees-Mogg`s wide
right-wing approach offers new vision, anything is possible.
United should prosper, however, with its
approach to academies offering more opportunities to maximise potential, whilst
City`s youth policy seems in disarray. Manager May dropped a bombshell when what could be the end of City`s
academy system was announced. Rather than grooming the best talent in academies,
as has been the common practice in recent years, May was going for selection at
eleven, and hoping to see talent develop from there. This caused a huge outcry
when announced, even amongst Conservative City`s traditional supporters, and the
subsequent U-turn has added to the confusion, and to May`s imminent sacking.
Chairman Murdoch cannot be pleased, and many suspect her belated return from
holiday to pre-season sessions was simply a ploy to avoid widening the obvious
cracks in City`s ranks. May`s refusal to spend,
to prop up the team`s ailing performance, when money is clearly not a problem,
judging by her profligacy regarding the team`s Northern Irish support, is only
one of many problems. Her preference for rhetoric
rather than action is another; "talking a good game" is something most managers
do, but most actually attempt to transfer words into deeds!
It could well, therefore, be an excellent season
for Labour United. One certainly cannot fault the shift being put in by manager
Corbyn; let`s hope his pre-season efforts reap dividends.
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