Barnsley away 2nd leg

[radcliffe white]

Anyway time to refresh

IE builds the squad back up ready for our pre season in Ireland 

[ianofcleveleys]

7 hours ago, Arrested development said:

I agree about the scoring goals part, and when you consider Dion has 15,16, how ever many league goals he got, there's not many from everyone else. That's an area where we need to improve.

But it's a double edged sword. Part of the reason our defensive record was joint best in the league is we have so much possession that teams don't have the ball long enough to create chances against us. 

Were a victim of our own success. Teams used to press us high and we'd beat it and run riot. Now teams respect us so sit deeper and we haven't figured out how to play against this effectively and we end up with 70 percent possession and no shots on target. 

But it's a work in progress. City used to have this problem. We don't have 100 million to sign Jack grealish etc but we need to work out how to beat teams that do this.  Once you start to score and create against teams that sit deep, you make them have to come out and attack and that opens it up. 

Barnsley created fuck all proper chances last night. They scored from a cross, they had shots outside the box, they crossed it at every opportunity, they long balled and went back to front all the time. They used the long throw every time they had a chance. It was just pressure. It's basic. I'd hate to watch that every week. It's just get it in the mixer football that will see them get relegated in the championship. Fuck the long throw long ball Yorkshire cunts. 

I'd rather watch us actually try and become league one city than resort to the type of football that I played when I was 12 on a Sunday. 

 

No doubt that Evatt wants to model us on City, fine by me, I'm not into the Michael Duff school of football (albeit they do it well and it's got them up). But, even Pep has seen the need to evolve the approach to take them to the next level. Haaland gives them a big, physical focal point that occupies and scares central defenders, and the scope to play a longer, quicker, more direct ball. Even if he doesn't score time and space is created for others.  

City also started lightning fast v Real the other night, much quicker and more direct passing, high energy recovery of the ball. Apart from Wembley, over the past couple of months we've lapsed back into walking football that achieves nothing. It doesn't work and gives what are often pretty basic defenders far too easy a ride 

None of the three signed in Jan appear to be capable of offering any of that so back to JDB, who can do some of it but hasn't much pace and whose fitness is an issue. 

I'd keep JDB to see if he could do that sort of job for 60-70 mins in a game or 30 as a sub, if Evatt could find someone else who did the early shift. Jerome needs loaning out for the season, Nlundulu returning and Kachunga waving off. Not easy to shift Vic so Evatt needs to work out how to get more out of him.

[Johnnyrotten]

2 hours ago, desperado said:

This League Season:

First 23 games - 37 points

Last 23 Games - 44 points

 

That's a decent argument to say we've improved on the first half of the season.  My instinct is that we haven't, nobody has to agree, I just would expect some improvement next season, up front compared to what we have today.

Last 23 games of last season - 47 points, so on that basis we are worse now, but I wouldn't say its all down to points earned (cue sarcastic replies) because we all know other factors are at play eg injuries, strength of opposition, luck like sendings off, no of pens given/not given, flukey goals at either end, nobody will convince me stats tell the whole story.  Anyway I'll leave it there, I've enjoyed the season, Wembley was as you predicted an amazing experience and memory, and I'm excited to see what IE does over the summer, all part of the soap opera of supporting a team through thick and thin.

[Johnnyrotten]

1 hour ago, globaldiver said:

He’s a really good player and he turns defence into attack much better than Toal. 

Agreed, under rated, class player Jones, we look so less threatening going forward when he doesn't play.

[FrancisFogarty]

When he first arrived GJ couldn’t kick a ball. He and the management have made him into the player we have now, and his worth to us was demonstrated in the match for his mum. What a crowd, what a game.

 

[Whitesince63]

44 minutes ago, Johnnyrotten said:

Agreed, under rated, class player Jones, we look so less threatening going forward when he doesn't play.

Agree and I’m sure that if we’d had Jones in these two games Bradley would have looked so much better but sadly not to be. As for Toal, he’s been outstanding since he came but well below par in both games against Barnsley and probably hasn’t fully recovered from injury? At least IE can start making plans for next season now and I’d expect some movement pretty quickly, both in and out.

[Johnnyrotten]

4 minutes ago, Whitesince63 said:

Agree and I’m sure that if we’d had Jones in these two games Bradley would have looked so much better but sadly not to be. As for Toal, he’s been outstanding since he came but well below par in both games against Barnsley and probably hasn’t fully recovered from injury? At least IE can start making plans for next season now and I’d expect some movement pretty quickly, both in and out.

Agreed, I'm also a big fan of Toal and could see him playing at Championship level, but he's had a few poor games not just the last 2.  I think he peaked with some unbelievable performances, and maybe we thought that was his normal standard.  His levels dipped even before his injury at Wembley, he kept putting passes into touch at Accrington and looked relatively poor in a couple of homes.  No problem with him long term, he's a good 'un, not been at his best but he's not alone.

[kent_white]

JDB has been a massive miss for us since he got injured. 

He always seemed to give us something a bit different - and would have been a godsend last night. 

[Eddie]

JDB is our best striker. If (and it’s a big if) he can stay fit for the majority of a season then we will have a much better chance of being promoted for it.

Charles, JDB and Vic (I’m still hanging my hopes on a preseason turning him into a different player than we’ve seen so far) would be a solid 3 forwards for next season. I’d go all out to add May or Stockton to those 3 and I reckon you’ve got the strike force to put you in the top 2. The rest that we’ve currently got on the books can be released / go back to parent clubs / take a coaching role (Jerome).

[captainmed]

4 hours ago, radcliffe white said:

Anyway time to refresh

IE builds the squad back up ready for our pre season in Ireland 

Is that definite?

Strong rumours I know.

[radcliffe white]

2 minutes ago, captainmed said:

Is that definite?

Strong rumours I know.

Just rumours mate

Derry & St Patrick’s 

[captainmed]

2 minutes ago, radcliffe white said:

Just rumours mate

Derry & St Patrick’s 

Hope so.

Deffo in if so.

Be nice to have a trip across the sea.

Fingers crossed 🤞 

[nantwichwhite]

Strange end to a great season. We looked jaded. The problem with loaning young outfield players from the prem is that there is no protection from refs at this level for persistent fouling. If a team has a mind to they can stop talented young players without any punishment from the officials. 

[Johnnyrotten]

33 minutes ago, Eddie said:

JDB is our best striker. If (and it’s a big if) he can stay fit for the majority of a season then we will have a much better chance of being promoted for it.

Charles, JDB and Vic (I’m still hanging my hopes on a preseason turning him into a different player than we’ve seen so far) would be a solid 3 forwards for next season. I’d go all out to add May or Stockton to those 3 and I reckon you’ve got the strike force to put you in the top 2. The rest that we’ve currently got on the books can be released / go back to parent clubs / take a coaching role (Jerome).

I agree with every word (especially on JDB/May/Stockton) apart from the bit about Vic.  People have (rightly) said others have been underrated early on - Santos, Dempsey - but they were never this bad.  Dempsey was always OK, slightly underwhelming before this season, Santos was only dodgy for about a month in a team thrown together.  If anyone thinks Vic is going to be a different player, with pace and strength and the ability to hold the ball up (he's as bad as I've ever seen at that) and get shots in, after a month of training, I'm calling it optimistic in the extreme.  A lot is said about "writing players off too soon", the same argument can be made for giving players too long, managers have to be decisive and spot a bad 'un before it causes too much damage.  

[Eddie]

1 minute ago, Johnnyrotten said:

I agree with every word (especially on JDB/May/Stockton) apart from the bit about Vic.  People have (rightly) said others have been underrated early on - Santos, Dempsey - but they were never this bad.  Dempsey was always OK, slightly underwhelming before this season, Santos was only dodgy for about a month in a team thrown together.  If anyone thinks Vic is going to be a different player, with pace and strength and the ability to hold the ball up (he's as bad as I've ever seen at that) and get shots in, after a month of training, I'm calling it optimistic in the extreme.  A lot is said about "writing players off too soon", the same argument can be made for giving players too long, managers have to be decisive and spot a bad 'un before it causes too much damage.  

Can’t disagree based on what we’ve seen so far, he’s looked terrible. I’m clinging onto a combination of more confidence / learn the system / the fact he scored [17] goals for a shit Burton team / we spent half a million quid on him and knowing the recruitment process we now have I don’t imagine that decision was taken lightly.

It’s purely positive thinking, rather than backed up by something we’ve seen so far (although he looked tidy on his debut).

[Casino]

Just now, Eddie said:

 

It’s purely positive thinking,

You need to stop it with that sort of shit

[Casino]

Seriously, whats the point if youre not optimistic

[Eddie]

3 minutes ago, Casino said:

You need to stop it with that sort of shit

I’d have given up watching us a long time ago without it.

[nantwichwhite]

I don’t think he is a back to goal player. He has shown little glimpses, like the shot that hit the post a couple of games ago. That would have been a really good goal. But obviously needs to show a lot more.

[superkev]

Could gethin not be our rwb with randell also slotting in there. We have options at CB. So may not need to rush a replacement for bradley. 

[Eddie]

7 minutes ago, superkev said:

Could gethin not be our rwb with randell also slotting in there. We have options at CB. So may not need to rush a replacement for bradley. 

I said it when Bradley was suspended for 2 games - as good as he is (and he is, he’s been very very good consistently), I still think that Jones has a better end product and is a very solid option at wingback.

I’d rather have Williams nowhere near the team, and there’s an argument to say that Jones is better suited to RCB now, so I still think we need one in this window but I wouldn’t be too disappointed to see Jones starting there in the first game of next season.

[Johnnyrotten]

36 minutes ago, Eddie said:

Can’t disagree based on what we’ve seen so far, he’s looked terrible. I’m clinging onto a combination of more confidence / learn the system / the fact he scored [17] goals for a shit Burton team / we spent half a million quid on him and knowing the recruitment process we now have I don’t imagine that decision was taken lightly.

It’s purely positive thinking, rather than backed up by something we’ve seen so far (although he looked tidy on his debut).

11 league goals for Burton if Wiki is right, and 3 of them were in 1 game v FGR, which is still decent, but no track record of scoring prior to that.

 

[Casino]

Stats, stats, stats

I actually like em

However, last 3 games without bradley

9 points

For 13, against 2

[Marc505]

51 minutes ago, Casino said:

Seriously, whats the point if youre not optimistic

Think it's a coping mechanism. It is for my mates dad anyway, we should have gone bust really it would stop him having to convince himself we'll lose every week.

[woolli]

1 hour ago, nantwichwhite said:

Strange end to a great season. We looked jaded. The problem with loaning young outfield players from the prem is that there is no protection from refs at this level for persistent fouling. If a team has a mind to they can stop talented young players without any punishment from the officials. 

But how would the  ref know they are from the prem?