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Unsworth: ‘We tried to encourage them’

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Unsworth: ‘We tried to encourage them’

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Published on Tuesday 20 December 2011 08:41

David Unsworth revealed the secret of he and Graham Alexander’s success after they guided Preston North End to victory over MK Dons at the weekend.

The caretaker management duo took charge of their first game on Saturday after being installed by chairman Peter Ridsdale in the wake of Phil Brown’s sacking.
At this stage, it is unknown whether either or both will be given the job on a full-time basis, but it is expected that they will be asked to prepare the team for the visit of Carlisle to Deepdale on Boxing Day.
If the pair fancy the job full-time, then they did themselves no harm with victory at the Stadium:MK on Saturday – only the second time North End have tasted victory in the past 12 league games.
Unsworth said he and Alexander had been meticulous in their planning for the trip to Milton Keynes – poring over hours of DVD footage.
He said: “After myself and Graham got the call from the chairman to take over, we went away and watched hours of DVDs.
“We put together a game-plan and spoke to the lads at the hotel before the game about what we wanted from them.
“The message was to believe in themselves – we told them that they weren’t going to be getting stick from Graham and myself .
“We tried to encourage them rather than shouting and bawling on the line.”
Unsworth also paid a special tribute to Iain Hume, who battled his way through the game despite not being 100% fit.
It was only the diminutive striker’s second start after eight weeks out with a torn medial ligament in his knee.
He ploughed a lone furrow for more than half of the 65 minutes he was on the pitch, after strike partner Neil Mellor limped off in the first half with a knee injury.
Unsworth said: “I have to give special mention to Iain.
“He only trained a couple of times before Saturday’s game and for him to last as long as he did was fantastic.
“Iain ran himself into the ground. Maybe he should have only played 45 minutes.
“We kept asking him if he wanted to come off but he wouldn’t. That’s great credit to Iain.”
Mellor was withdrawn on the half-hour mark.
“Neil has got a problem with his knee, which we’re going to have to look at,” Unsworth said. “It might be serious, hopefully it won’t be.
“Neil said he planted his foot down and his knee locked. Straight away he felt there was something wrong because he tried to make a pass and there was no power in his leg.
“We’re hoping it is not serious but we will be guided by our physio.”
The club is reminding all fans that the Boxing Day clash with Carlisle will kick-off at the earlier time of 1.30pm. The game against the Cumbrians was brought forward following an enforcement made by the police.
The visitors have been allocated the whole of the Bill Shankly Kop stand. Therefore, season ticket holders must exchange voucher 11 for a ticket in another stand in advance of the fixture.
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http://www.lep.co.uk/sport/football/unsworth_we_tried_to_encourage_them_1_4075373
 
jumping mouse said:
Not rocket science is it. How refreshing to have a management team simply doing the bleeding obvious.
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Really? The obvious? I'm not sure how far enouragement will take you. It certainly isn;t the approach that you see from most Premier leauge managers, nor was it the style of Billy Davies or David Moyes. I was quite concerned with this article actually...
 
wecarealot said:
Really? The obvious? I'm not sure how far enouragement will take you. It certainly isn;t the approach that you see from most Premier leauge managers, nor was it the style of Billy Davies or David Moyes. I was quite concerned with this article actually...
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But it all depends on the morale of the players. After such an awful run their confidence was probably at an all time low. Shouting at people low on confidence will do them no good at all, they need encouragement. Just because they used this approach for one game doesn't mean it's what they will do for every game.
 
Ronald said:
But it all depends on the morale of the players. After such an awful run their confidence was probably at an all time low. Shouting at people low on confidence will do them no good at all, they need encouragement. Just because they used this approach for one game doesn't mean it's what they will do for every game.
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Fair point and actually I hope that the board take a gamble and they get appointed but the truth is, with only one game we really can't say much for sure about their style / tactical nouse / man management etc.

That said, GA is a legend and his experience and profesionalism must give him a head start with most players.
 
I fail to see how any sane thinking person can be "quite concerned" at that article. There is absolutely nothing in it to concern anyone unless you're the type of person who argues with his reflection in the mirror.
 
wecarealot said:
Really? The obvious? I'm not sure how far enouragement will take you. It certainly isn;t the approach that you see from most Premier leauge managers, nor was it the style of Billy Davies or David Moyes. I was quite concerned with this article actually...
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When the squad have been collectively and individually lambasted privately and publicly. And this slagging off has co-incided with one of the worst periods of form in living memory. I think a change of tack is the obvious solution.

The real skill of a manager is using both carrot and stick according to what motivates individual players. That was the style of Davies and Moyes. Each player is an individual. Moyes didn't famously 'make you a better player' by simply criticising them. I can guarantee it.
 
wecarealot said:
Really? The obvious? I'm not sure how far enouragement will take you. It certainly isn;t the approach that you see from most Premier leauge managers, nor was it the style of Billy Davies or David Moyes. I was quite concerned with this article actually...
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Think he was having a dig at the old regime, who had froze him out towards the end. As well as that Phil Brown showed by his motionless persona on the touch line that he had run out of motivation.
 
The article to me read like DU/GA taking a stance against the regime of PB, i.e. to do the opposite of what PB used to do, "give stick to the players and to encourage them rather than shouting and bawling on the line."

Great stuff, very keen to see how the next couple of games goes with these two 🙂
 
wecarealot said:
Fair point and actually I hope that the board take a gamble and they get appointed but the truth is, with only one game we really can't say much for sure about their style / tactical nouse / man management etc.

That said, GA is a legend and his experience and profesionalism must give him a head start with most players.
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I can see that you haven't posted on here very often. You clearly haven't grasped the etiquette.

Starting your posts with "fair point" - and accepting someone's reasoned arguments - it's just not the done thing.

You are supposed to dig your heels in, and swear at people who disagree with you.
 
BeteNoir said:
I fail to see how any sane thinking person can be "quite concerned" at that article. There is absolutely nothing in it to concern anyone unless you're the type of person who argues with his reflection in the mirror.
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You guys on here are professionals at missing the point. You probably all think that you could manage PNE and get them promoted! My contention was with the words "bleeding obvious". My concern was with the idea that nice guys do well in management. They don't.
Most of the article is a description of the basics of football management... although you'd have been moaning if Hume got injured... Well, people on here would have been moaning in any case.
 
wecarealot said:
That said, GA is a legend and his experience and profesionalism must give him a head start with most players.
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You see, you make a point that you are worried about management style because they weren't being 'over zealous' and the like which Davies and Moyes would, yet then back up your view by stating because Alexander is liked by fans and has been around a while that he must automatically be revered by most players?

Both views are a bit leap of faith, doing something because others do it isn't necessarily a good sign, nor does experience and longevity suggest they are automatically a leader.
 
jakehake said:
You see, you make a point that you are worried about management style because they weren't being 'over zealous' and the like which Davies and Moyes would, yet then back up your view by stating because Alexander is liked by fans and has been around a while that he must automatically be revered by most players?

Both views are a bit leap of faith, doing something because others do it isn't necessarily a good sign, nor does experience and longevity suggest they are automatically a leader.
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Do I? Stop. Reread. My point is that we don't know much. What we do know is enough for hope, and no more than that.
 
BeteNoir said:
I fail to see how any sane thinking person can be "quite concerned" at that article. There is absolutely nothing in it to concern anyone unless you're the type of person who argues with his reflection in the mirror.
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Ha ha. My thoughts as well.
 
Regardless said:
I can see that you haven't posted on here very often. You clearly haven't grasped the etiquette.

Starting your posts with "fair point" - and accepting someone's reasoned arguments - it's just not the done thing.

You are supposed to dig your heels in, and swear at people who disagree with you.
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And what the fuck do you know. 😉
 
wecarealot said:
You guys on here are professionals at missing the point. You probably all think that you could manage PNE and get them promoted! My contention was with the words "bleeding obvious". My concern was with the idea that nice guys do well in management. They don't.
Most of the article is a description of the basics of football management... although you'd have been moaning if Hume got injured... Well, people on here would have been moaning in any case.
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As they were doing the polar opposite of Phil Brown does that mean he is doing well in management?
 
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