Exactly. Thing is, Brown has a unique insight to what he has/had player wise at the final whistle of game 45 last season. He has acted accordingly with the retained and released list, offered contracts and subsequently future targets. Also he has a two month head start on what Flitcroft had and if I may be so bold, more experience and probably better contacts. For the aforementioned reasons i’m optimistic enough to feel that PB will not only put together a promotion winning team but a team capable of winning the league, so much so that I shall put some money on it. My only negative is and this would apply to any manager at our level especially, is how good will he and his backroom staff be at polishing the current stones we have to sparkle a damn sight better than they did last season. Furthermore the prospecting of other gemstones from other sources before any other club does. Budget wise I wonder how much impact that actually has? Accrington being a case in point for L2 last season and Burton Albion a few seasons ago and even Bournemouth. Coming back full circle it comes down to Brown and his back room team and their gem polishing abilities, we need some Lou Macari magic.
Some of what we know is based on PB's post match pearls of wisdom, I like his honesty but sometimes it's better to say nothing. So as things stand we will have a number of players for next season who PB doesn't rate.... I quote.....
"I think there is a little problem we have in the changing room when we come up against any physicality,''
"We don't seem to have that strength of character to step up to the plate.
"I went up to the fans at the end of the game and I must admit they were very complimentary to a certain extent that I had inherited what I've got and that's all you can have.
"I disagreed with that to a certain extent because at the end of the day I'm a coach. I do try to improve individuals and hopefully that will improve the collective.
"But you can't change the character of somebody. If he's not prepared to head the ball, if he's not prepared to put his body on the line, if he's not prepared to wear the 2, 5, 6 or 3 with any pride, then we've got a problem, it's as simple as that.
"We can all blame individuals and it's very easy to point fingers. My job is to get something from the game and in the first half we just didn't play well enough, we didn't work hard enough, we didn't look like we were up for the challenge - and that was (as) a collective.''
"In the second half, having made two substitutions at half-time, I thought the difference was quite phenomenal,'' added the manager.
"The two lads came on, McDermott and Mullin, and all I asked them to do was run around and show some pride and some passion in the shirt.
"I think the fans responded to that in the second half and I think the team responded to that in the second half. But the first half was just a non-event.''
"We've been in there for 45 minutes. I could have gone on for three hours. You know what I'm like,''
"If it needs to be brought out, it needs to be brought out. One thing that stopped it at the end was one of the players said 'we've had these meetings for six or seven times this season and nothing comes of it.'
"What a waste of time that is.''
"Unfortunately I can't change the animal overnight and can't change the team overnight. But if given the opportunity to work with the team, I would certainly improve the side that's for sure.