Tweet
So at the forum on Thursday evening I had a chat with Ollie after the event. Before that, during the forum itself, it seemed fairly clear to me that his emotional engagement with the club was his main card, his shtick. He kept going on about our wonderful owners - as you would expect - and bigged up the onfield commitment, but there was no insight whatsoever into how our current shortcomings might be solved on the park. So after this fairly bland hour, I sought him out. To his credit, he gave me a few minutes and answered some direct questions.
1) Away form. During the forum, Ollie took responsibility for this. But no one asked him what he was going to do about it. So I did. His answer was that he had to stop us sitting so deep. We have been too deep against inferior opposition. I asked if there was anything else, and he said he wanted to see our away ball being played out from the back more effectively. Taken together, these answers seem to indicate that we don't always approach away fixtures with confidence and belief, despite all the chest beating.
2) I picked Ollie up on his quote " you need people to shift the piano but you need someone to play it ". I asked him if, hand on heart, we had anyone capable of orchestrating things, anyone at all who could find that bit of time and space. He again said that the space has to be created from the back. That seemed to me to be a fairly clear indication that we're short of soloists. It is fairly obvious that although we have effort, enthusiasm, and some decent prospects, we lack class, and Ollie knows this for sure. I reminded him that he'd played alongside class, so he should recognise it if it turns up.... he just smiled. Like I said, he knows.
3) I asked him if he agreed that if they're good enough, they're old enough. He insisted he did, but actions speak louder than words. We shall see....
I've always had the impression that Ollie seems a bit surprised he got the job. Can't believe his luck etc. It is impossible not to like him, but I have to say I'm not sure if he knows how to do what he wants to do. He talks a great game, but I'm not sure he can implement it, and his resources are limited. Which of course raises many other questions, but those are not for him to answer, and I didn't manage to get hold of Hoos.
1) Away form. During the forum, Ollie took responsibility for this. But no one asked him what he was going to do about it. So I did. His answer was that he had to stop us sitting so deep. We have been too deep against inferior opposition. I asked if there was anything else, and he said he wanted to see our away ball being played out from the back more effectively. Taken together, these answers seem to indicate that we don't always approach away fixtures with confidence and belief, despite all the chest beating.
2) I picked Ollie up on his quote " you need people to shift the piano but you need someone to play it ". I asked him if, hand on heart, we had anyone capable of orchestrating things, anyone at all who could find that bit of time and space. He again said that the space has to be created from the back. That seemed to me to be a fairly clear indication that we're short of soloists. It is fairly obvious that although we have effort, enthusiasm, and some decent prospects, we lack class, and Ollie knows this for sure. I reminded him that he'd played alongside class, so he should recognise it if it turns up.... he just smiled. Like I said, he knows.
3) I asked him if he agreed that if they're good enough, they're old enough. He insisted he did, but actions speak louder than words. We shall see....
I've always had the impression that Ollie seems a bit surprised he got the job. Can't believe his luck etc. It is impossible not to like him, but I have to say I'm not sure if he knows how to do what he wants to do. He talks a great game, but I'm not sure he can implement it, and his resources are limited. Which of course raises many other questions, but those are not for him to answer, and I didn't manage to get hold of Hoos.