Berwick Rangers 2016/17

[tamthebam]

just a though but if it comes down to the last game and both clubs need a point.....

 

 

 

...you will, of course, be going hell for leather for a win! 

[leb8t]

OK. I've just watched another one of big John Coughlin's post match interviews on Berwick Rangers TV (while some of the more sensible people among us would obviously have probably rather watched the highlights of the East Enders, Gable Enders or Coronation Street etc on catch-up TV)
The interview in 'question' took place after the most recent defeat to Arbroath and what I have to say here will be a game changer. John is wrong! Look away now if you don't want to hear the answer, but instead just admire the picture below of big John Coughlin in the dug out at Meadowbank when he was in charge of the Meadowbank Thistle White Team against Terry Christie's Meadowbank Thistle Amber Team in the Meadowbank Reunion in 2007 and move on to the next post. (If you want to know who won that match and who got the first goal, then you'll have to read the spoiler alert I'm afriad.
Spoiler The reason why I say that big John is wrong is that he's looking at the game from a very negative perspective and that needs to change. And it needs to change now. Here's why and I hope everybody's been paying attention so far because I've been reviewing Rudd Gullit's book 'How To Watch Football' for the Edinburgh City Fanzine 'Go Tell The Spartans FC' - available for every home league 2 match at Meadowbank Stadium. You may have read some of my reviews on Pie & Bovril already, perhaps not, but the crux of the matter is that it's not me who's giving the expert advice, it's Rudd Gullit. I'm honest enough to say that I know nothing about football. I wasn't even good enough to play for my school at secondary level, so I took up rugby instead and played a left winger for Musselburgh Grammar School. (And I didn't get through many games for them either to tell you the truth.) Anyway, on with the game.
By coincidence, the next episode of my review is called, 'The First Goal'. I've not written it or published it yet online because I've stopped to write this first for all you Berwick bandits fans on here. [i'll probably copy and paste it from here directly into the City Fanzine page tonight when I get home from work]. John says in his Arbroath interview - to paraphrase it a little here because I'm not going to the bother of transcribing it all or listen to it again for you lot, listen to it yourselves if you like -  "The first goal is vital". John's wrong and he's wrong because if he's telling his players that 'the first goal is vital' and then when they lose that first goal, what's going to happen? Their confidence is going to go right downhill, isn't it, and the game is going to be an uphill struggle for both him and the players from then on in. I've not been following the results of Berwick Rangers this season, apart from when they are due to play Edinburgh City in their next game, but you tell me in how many games have Berwick Rangers lost the first goal and then gone on to lose the match? Plenty I'd imagine! And, in how many games have Berwick Rangers scored the first goal and either gone on to win, lose or draw the match? You tell me.
OK, Here's what Rudd Gullit has to say about 'the first goal' and remember you'll need to take your boots and socks off to count how many awards he's won in his long illustrious career as a player and a manager of some of the top clubs in Europe - no, the world - and he gets paid to do this kind of stuff on TV as well so he should know, Right?. "The first goal is not always decisive, It all depends on your reaction. And that response depends on the circumstances and the moment in the game. As a manager I never let a quick goal (whether for my side or against us) confuse me. If you go a goal down, there's still plenty of opportunity to correct the score; and if you go a goal up, the other side has oceans of time to make up the difference. After an early goal, whether as a manager in the dug-out or as a player on the pitch, I approached the game as if the score were still 0-0. At that point, 1-0 or 0-1, it is still too early to draw conclusions or to make dramatic changes and bring on substitutes. Perhaps a minor in the formation, but only if the other side is employing different tactics from what you anticipated. A goal in the closing stages of a game can change everything, even though things may go either way. If you score near the end and take the lead, then you can expect the other side to collapse, physically and mentally. It is basic psychology: you get a goal and then you think - right, we've got what we wanted. Actually the opposite often happens. The other side suddenly gets a shot of Adrenalin, a sort of primitive instinct drives them to make up the deficit. On the pitch they pick up the second ball more often, and they play a little faster, tougher and harder than you do. And although you're ahead, suddenly you're the weaker side and if they score an equaliser............"
It's me talking again, Mr Blobby this time. Good stuff from Rudd there and that should be enough to be going on with to explain the philosophy and the dynamics of the 'John Coughlin Effect'  on the Berwick Rangers players during a match. I was at the EOS Qualifying Cup Final at The Oriam last Sunday to watch Spartans v Lothian Thistle Hutchinson Vale. (You can read my match report of the final over on the Edinburgh City thread on Page 4 of the City Fanzine titled, 'Ross Pilcher's Day Off'. The Vale went one up in 9 minutes and went in 1-0 up at half time. I overheard someone in the corridor as I was leaving the centre, after the match, that apparently the Spartans dressing room got a right bollocking during their half time team talk. And rightly so. Spartans are in the Lowland League. Lothian Thistle HV are in a division lower than that and you'd expect the Spartans to walk the game, especially with an ex Edinburgh City striker in their ranks in the shape and form of the 'cocky little shit' called Ross Allum ('cocky little shit' not my words but the words of a guy I spoke to last week who used to play football with Ross Allum at a school in Balerno). Anyway, I digress again. Here's the point. The Spartans did come back and equalise and then went on to win the game pretty much as Rudd Gullit predicts earlier in his piece on his match analysis in italics above. I was sitting right above the Spartans bench at the Oriam and the amount of times I heard one of the coaches shout 'second ball' 'second ball' at his players was unbelievable. I videoed some of it so I could probably find out who the coach was because. They had letters on their tracksuit tops but I really can't be bothered to look back at it all now. So why panic when you lose the first goal and why panic if the opposition score in the first 9 minutes of a game. It doesn't matter. As Rudd says, there's plenty of time to 'claw back that inch and fight for every inch' or was that Al Pacino who said that in' Every Given Sunday'? 
You see, Big John is getting his players stressed out for telling them - and us - that the first goal is vital. It's not. It's really not. First goals matter no more than the colour of your shorts and The Spartans (and countless others) have proved that misconception of Big John's last Sunday at the EOS Qualifying Cup Final at the Oriam Centre. And as we all know from the coach's speech in the sketch from Michael Palin's Ripping Yarns episode called  'Golden Gordon' about Barnstoneworth United; 'Shorts don't matter!' - And neither should first goals.  So why does Big John think he needs to put so much pressure on his players - and himself (because you can see him battering his clipboard over his head time and time again on the touchline when things go wrong) by telling them that the first goal is vital? Let's start instead by tell the Berwick players (and you the supporters) from now on that the first goal's not vital and if I hear Big John sneak in the words 'maybe the first goal's not as vital as I thought' into his next post-match report on Berwick Rangers TV, then we'll all know he's been reading the Berwick Rangers thread on Pie & Bovril. 
So what we need from Big John now is to be more relaxed on the touchline whenever the team loses the first goal. (Which they will on occasions, let's be honest and face it). We want to hear Big John give the players a bit more encouragement (as opposed to motivation) and be more like the Spartans coach who shouted out, 'OK second ball' 'second ball' let's win the second ball'. And if the team does go in at half-time, still a goal down to an early goal, by all means give the players a right old-fashioned bollocking behind closed doors - like the Spartans coach is allegedly said to have done - and preferably behind closed doors without leaks like they have at the Oriam Centre where they let people overhear conversions from people who then pass on those conversations to people like me who have always got their ears open.
Have a nice day and thanks for listening.  
PS. I'll never forget the time John Coughlin managed a team for us in the Meadowbank Reunion in 2007 at Meadowbank Stadium. In fact how could I forget? I was watching the highlights of the game only last night. I've got it all on DVD. John was so cool then. He was in charge of the White Team (my adopted side) and Terry Christie was in charge of the Amber Team (David Baxter's pick). John lost that match 3-2 and his team went down to an early first goal as well but did his head go down?  Not bloody likely. It's no shame in losing to the great Terry Christie or 'GOD' as we called him then.
 

He states that the first goal is vital not that it is fatal. Look at the stats for the SPFL league 2 this season and it proves the point. He does not shout second ball? Maybe aye, maybe naw but I have heard him many times shout "nearest man" which means nearest man get to the second ball as quickly as possible. Not only is he saying what should be done, but also who should do it and when it should be done.

[A Believer]

Undoubtedly the end of season report card will say 'must do better'. Like BTU, I hope Coff is fully supported to see out his contract at the very least. Like Redcar. I'm not hearing any discord between players and management team; quite the reverse. The win yesterday will hopefully further cement that; but as Coff also says; let's get back to back wins and build on that. Never thought I'd be saying that after the 1st match of a Forfar away, and Elgin away double-header..!!
'First goal' aside (loved Mr Blobby's post - so good to be returning to reasoned fitba chat) the sustainability agenda has been mentioned before, but it's so important; and is why I'd like to see Coff stay for at least next season (as long as we see demonstrable improvement next season)
We have the same financial constraints as anyone in SPFL 2, so when our Development Squad is competing at the top of the SPFL Dev League, and we see players from the Academy (and good players) breaking into the Dev Squad, we're seeing a strong and broad base for growing our own talent.
I'd like a period of stability, to allow that to continue. The next TWO seasons will tell, if we take a long term view.
I wonder what Messrs Gullit and Blobby think about the relative merits of strategic planning and short termism in football?

[Mr Blobby]

Pleased as punch for The Coff. Heard there was motivation in abundance coming from the Berwick bench at Forfar. A Cunning plan from the coach.  Thrilled the team held on to win after getting that 'vital first goal' lol 

[Mr Blobby]

1 hour ago, A Believer said:

Undoubtedly the end of season report card will say 'must do better'. Like BTU, I hope Coff is fully supported to see out his contract at the very least. Like Redcar. I'm not hearing any discord between players and management team; quite the reverse. The win yesterday will hopefully further cement that; but as Coff also says; let's get back to back wins and build on that. Never thought I'd be saying that after the 1st match of a Forfar away, and Elgin away double-header..!!
'First goal' aside (loved Mr Blobby's post - so good to be returning to reasoned fitba chat) the sustainability agenda has been mentioned before, but it's so important; and is why I'd like to see Coff stay for at least next season (as long as we see demonstrable improvement next season)
We have the same financial constraints as anyone in SPFL 2, so when our Development Squad is competing at the top of the SPFL Dev League, and we see players from the Academy (and good players) breaking into the Dev Squad, we're seeing a strong and broad base for growing our own talent.
I'd like a period of stability, to allow that to continue. The next TWO seasons will tell, if we take a long term view.
I wonder what Messrs Gullit and Blobby think about the relative merits of strategic planning and short termism in football?

If it's it the book (How To Watch Football), I'll be focusing on it in the next instalment. (Thanks for providing the excellent title for it  )

[Dudu Dahan pal]

 

[JakeSAFC]

Can Brian Martin still play home games if he's banned from every ground in Scotland?

[Redcar]

34 minutes ago, JakeSAFC said:

Can Brian Martin still play home games if he's banned from every ground in Scotland?

A decent question, if he hadn't left the club weeks ago.

[JakeSAFC]

A decent question, if he hadn't left the club weeks ago.

And that answers that.

[Eric's Rangers]

4 hours ago, Hibeesbounce75 said:

 

Doubt there'll be much sunshine on Leith today 

[bandits]

On 25/03/2017 at 13:53, berwick-the-unbeatable said:

In fairness, I'd put Cowden at home down to a quite catastophic tactical decision. Coughlin blamed motivation that day but took absolutely no responsibilty for reverting to one up top quite inexplicably. The result of inviting pressure and pumping aimless long balls all day was minimal possession, absolutely no rhythm in our play and gifting a Cowden side with everything to prove the momentum for a full 90 minutes and a number of chances to score. In addition to that, he was too stubborn to change it when it was quite clearly failing - and we ended up being 3 behind before making a change. 

I think the reality is the issues are a mix of 3. But Redcar is spot on that whatever happens from here, the season will not make good reading for Coughlin. Weirdly I'd like to see him have another crack at it but he has to make major changes (yet again we're back to rebuilding) and given the frequency at which that has happened over the last decade and the frequency at which that has led to another shite season, I wouldn't be shocked to see us fail again next year. 

One thing I'd like to see us do is back the manager properly in the summer. No more of this get to December, panic like f**k and sign a dozen players routine, all because we were tightening the pursestrings in the sunnier weather. Get a large decent squad in from early on and see where it takes us. If we're in L2 of course

Credit where credit is due and the players and manager deserve praise for pulling a much needed result out the bag.

Yesterdays results reiterate to me that the top teams are not as good as we have made them out to be and they have just been more consistent than the other teams. Forfar without a win in 6 games now.

Still not convinced where we are going but a few wins between now and the end of the season the season might lift my spirits. 

One thing I would say is that the manager has been backed. Awarded a full time contract on a two year deal plus players being given 2 year contracts is a definite sign of that. Signings have been pretty poor/average though with the exception of Thompson. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[berwick-the-unbeatable]

One thing I would say is that the manager has been backed. Awarded a full time contract on a two year deal plus players being given 2 year contracts is a definite sign of that. Signings have been pretty poor/average though with the exception of Thompson. 

We'll have to agree to disagree. For me, budget cuts make any benefit of 2 year deals basically redundant. We essentially agreed to keep on the same guys who have been part of failures for two years instead of one. Whether the wages of those players rose or dropped, there were less resources to work with, at least until Jan when we panicked like f**k and signed a new team.

We should in theory see the full benefit of Cough going full time this summer in relation to recruitment. We're seeing improvement in youth development without doubt and hopefully we may benefit from that too over the course of the next year.

[Redcar]

Well, we should perhaps still be a little cautious on talking about next season, but......

Coughlin has an easier time of it than last summer. Last year, our best players were loanees, McNeil travelling a long distance, and Prima Donna ponce's with a crap haircut. We were never going to keep them.

This year (with an exception or two) our best players are either already signed, come from the Edinburgh area, or in the case of Rutherford (who I hear wants to sign) from the North East.

He needs to sign on the players that have done a decent job, then concentrate on finding a couple of good experienced defenders. 80% of the job is then done, instead of chasing around in a blind panic after Xmas.

[BerwickMad]

Getting Rutherford signed up early would be huge.

[bandits]

2 hours ago, berwick-the-unbeatable said:

 

We'll have to agree to disagree. For me, budget cuts make any benefit of 2 year deals basically redundant. We essentially agreed to keep on the same guys who have been part of failures for two years instead of one. Whether the wages of those players rose or dropped, there were less resources to work with, at least until Jan when we panicked like f**k and signed a new team.

We should in theory see the full benefit of Cough going full time this summer in relation to recruitment. We're seeing improvement in youth development without doubt and hopefully we may benefit from that too over the course of the next year.

 

I'm no convinced the budget has been cut. Sheerin was supposedly on big wages plus a two year deal and then you have Allan Walker who was another on big wages and was paid off. 

Guys that signed two year deals would have more than likely been high earners as the manager wanted to keep them. The fact that some might have been "failures" is the managers fault for putting them on longer contracts and spending the budget. The fact that he was allowed to then sign "a new team" in January also means he WAS backed as some were calling for his head. 

I'm sure when figures are released someone with more nouse than me will be able to tell us what the figures for the playing budget was? Also worth bearing in mind a more proactive development squad with coaches and a full time manager with a full time wage means that money has also been spent in other ways, has that meant a reduction in the budget?

How successful the development squad is in my view judged by how many make the step up to the first team. None are deemed good enough at the moment. Hopefully see a few once we are safe. 

 

 

 

[A Believer]

I'm sure when figures are released someone with more nouse than me will be able to tell us what the figures for the playing budget was? Also worth bearing in mind a more proactive development squad with coaches and a full time manager with a full time wage means that money has also been spent in other ways, has that meant a reduction in the budget?
How successful the development squad is in my view judged by how many make the step up to the first team. None are deemed good enough at the moment. Hopefully see a few once we are safe. 
 
 
 

Absolutely fair comment, and you seem to be suggesting that investment in Dev Squad would be better invested in first team player procurement? Am I wrong?
Saying that such 'investment' (almost all on amateur contracts btw...) will be proven on how many break into 1st team is spot on, if perhaps a wee bit obvious. Incidentally, Jordan Orru's more than looked the part in my view.

[bandits]

1 hour ago, A Believer said:

Absolutely fair comment, and you seem to be suggesting that investment in Dev Squad would be better invested in first team player procurement? Am I wrong?
Saying that such 'investment' (almost all on amateur contracts btw...) will be proven on how many break into 1st team is spot on, if perhaps a wee bit obvious. Incidentally, Jordan Orru's more than looked the part in my view.

I'm all for the the investment in the Dev squad but the point of it is not about winning leagues(though it would be nice) it's about bringing players through which could save and make the club some money in the long run. 

Jordan was full time at Dunfermline so not one we can claim in my opinion. Others on the bench yesterday Goodfellow, Watt and Helm are. The latter two were both brought to the club by Cameron though. 

[A Believer]

I'm all for the the investment in the Dev squad but the point of it is not about winning leagues(though it would be nice) it's about bringing players through which could save and make the club some money in the long run. 
Jordan was full time at Dunfermline so not one we can claim in my opinion. Others on the bench yesterday Goodfellow, Watt and Helm are. The latter two were both brought to the club by Cameron though. 

I couldn't agree more re the purpose of Dev League; folks can get overtly focussed on success. A widespread and particularly unhealthy and counter-productive dynamic throughout age-group football in my experience. I do think however, the league is useful to gauge what comparative level our boys are at; if we were bottom per say; we might feel we need to review our development proposition.

Fair point re Jordan. Let's see who else surfaces next season. Our 2 GK's are only just 18 (as are others in our squad), so seeing one on the bench already, and both with at least 2 more years of Dev League and loan out to junior teams still seems a good grass roots development position.

I think we're on the same page imho [emoji106]

There's no doubt, the low %age of successful transition from u-20's to first team is a real concern throughout Scottish Football. You can only hope that our management team are ensuring all the boys are clear on the need to work hard in the gym, follow nutritional plans and support them getting game time with their loan clubs.

[berwick-the-unbeatable]

On 26/03/2017 at 18:14, Redcar said:

Well, we should perhaps still be a little cautious on talking about next season, but......

Coughlin has an easier time of it than last summer. Last year, our best players were loanees, McNeil travelling a long distance, and Prima Donna ponce's with a crap haircut. We were never going to keep them.

This year (with an exception or two) our best players are either already signed, come from the Edinburgh area, or in the case of Rutherford (who I hear wants to sign) from the North East.

He needs to sign on the players that have done a decent job, then concentrate on finding a couple of good experienced defenders. 80% of the job is then done, instead of chasing around in a blind panic after Xmas.

I'm not entirely sure I agree. Coughlin has a lot of big decisions to make. I like a lot of the squad but there are very few I could see leading us to L1, which has to be the aim. Stabilty may well lead to success (and given the turnover year on year I wouldn't be too annoyed to see him keep the faith with a lot of them), but we also have to be mindful that he'll be re-signing a lot of guys who have delivered yet another struggle. There isn't one player in that squad I'd be devastated about losing (unless you count Pat for cult hero reasons).

21 hours ago, bandits said:

IThe fact that he was allowed to then sign "a new team" in January also means he WAS backed 

Again, this is my point. Why wait till we're deep in the shit to back him and release finances? Give him a decent budget to work with in the first place and we more than likely won't need to panic buy come January because we might actually be in a decent position for once.

[Mr Blobby]

10 hours ago, 7 Eleven said:

Surely if you are going to write an article on a topic you have to do more research than one source? To suggest that the first goal is not important because big Rudd says so is pretty poor evidence. Have you looked at his managerial career? It's pretty average and what happened in the Spartains game last weekend was the exception rather than the norm. A quick Google and I found that 74% of last seasons Champions League games were won by the team scoring first. Also, in last seasons Europa League knock-out games, there were 41 wins for the team scoring first and only 6 wins for teams conceding first. I'm pretty sure you'd find the same kind of trends in this league too.... if you look that is!

Football is a game in which people make mistakes. That's what makes football interesting. Thanks for the input. And yes, you are right about the statistics. In the earlier part of the season the team who scored first were more likely to run out winners in the end in a lot of the leagues. I think I read that somewhere but we're in the last quarter now and I think things are shaping up differently.  Only going by the games that I've been focusing on in the last few matches, the ones below fit in to the Ruud Gullit way of thinking. In Edinburgh City's 4 games previous to the 3-0 victory over Elgin City, the team who scored first didn't win the match.

Clyde 3-1 Edinburgh City (City scored first), Edinburgh City 2-2 Berwick Rangers (Berwick scored first), Forfar 1-2 Edinburgh City (Forfar scored first) and Cowdenbeath 1-2 Edinburgh City (Cowdenbeath scored first). And of course you mentioned the Spartans 2-1 win after they fell behind to an early first goal..

So it will be interesting to switch the focus on to Berwick Rangers' next 3 games with Elgin (away), Stirling (home) and Annan (away) and see if they can get back to back wins. Not something they've done lately.

But let''s look back at Berwick's previous win at Forfar first and do a summary. Berwick got that 'vital first goal' that The Coff was going on about, in the first half, only for them to let the lead slip away to a Danny Denholm (Ex-Edinburgh City man) header right on half-time. 1-1. I would like to have been a fly on the wall in that Berwick dressing room at half-time. That's the worst possible time to lose a goal, isn't it?. Forfar would have been on a high and Berwick would have been pretty low. You would have expected Forfar to come out strong in the second half and go on to win that match but a few of the Berwick players seemed to have put on some inspired performances, namely keeper Brennan, Murrell, Velarque and Rutherford. Either that was a hell of a half-time dressing room talk by big John Coughlin or the players just got a second wind and went for every second ball.

Anyway, I'll be sending The Coff a copy of my latest review on the next chapter of Ruud Gullit's 'How To Watch Football' and I will be asking him to comment on it. (I'm sure The Coff gets lots of fan mail these days. maybe not?)

The next chapter up for discussion is 'Half-Time - Team Talks' and there is also a very interesting anecdote about "relative merits of strategic planning and short termism" that 'A believer' asked about and which I believe I have discovered in Ruud Gullit's book, although it's only very loosely connected and it's not about football, it's about boxing.