Crawley Town (H)

[Tonge moor green jacket]

Part of the intrigue for me: the first game at home and the first he's properly had time to prepare for.

Hopefully, there will be signs of what he wants for the rest of the season.

It became stale under Evatt, with more of the same, with results inconsistent and performance levels well down.

Additionally, whilst we do have a chance of the play-offs, I'd like to think the squad will be going for it, now the shackles have gone.

[1969]

It's amazing what a change of management can do.Instead of getting the feeling of "another boring, backwards, sideways,fuck about at the back" game, to actually looking forward to it is quite simply ace

[Rizlar]

57 minutes ago, Tonge moor green jacket said:

Played out of position for most of his time.

Not given time to play as a striker alongside another and form an understanding.

Plus Evatt ball buggered up the players in the end.

Hopefully we'll get to see what he is about-one way or the other.

Hope you are right we need him to come to the party as they say.

[desperado]

51 minutes ago, MancWanderer said:

Don’t get me wrong. I’m similar to you. Just not really bothered with it being the first home game. More interested in how he sets us up than trying to predict it for this one 

Yeh I agree 👍

And to add, once the team comes out, I’m always fully behind them, I’d never get angry or confused as to why the managers team doesn’t fit mine.

The beauty with this game is we should see less (or none!) of the “I don’t understand why he didn’t pick…it doesn’t make sense why….why didn’t he set up like…” 

…Unless we lose 😂

[Zico]

1 hour ago, Tonge moor green jacket said:

Played out of position for most of his time.

Not given time to play as a striker alongside another and form an understanding.

Plus Evatt ball buggered up the players in the end.

Hopefully we'll get to see what he is about-one way or the other.

Grimsby fan I know says he's a proper #10

Not sure he's had a run of games in that position

We know he can finish though

Needs to play in a system that gets him in a position to play his game 

[L/H White]

43 minutes ago, Zico said:

Grimsby fan I know says he's a proper #10

Not sure he's had a run of games in that position

We know he can finish though

Needs to play in a system that gets him in a position to play his game 

who you playing in the 10, randall or mcatee?

[Whitesince63]

9 hours ago, Wanderlust said:

I got what you are saying but it comes back to having two players for every position which invariably means some will miss out - which I don't mind if they're competing for a place.

It's not the managers job to keep everyone happy - it's to win games. Ideally everyone will compete, every week and if they're left out they should train harder - much better than the complacency that being picked every week brings. And if they aren't happy at being left out they need to accept the manager's decision that they are not best suited for the tactical selection he makes for a particular fixture or that they haven't been good enough and need to up their game, whichever is the case.

Hopefully SS will bring that back and make the fuckers work for the honour of wearing the shirt.

Agree with all of that lusty but my concern is that with so many players to fit in who let’s be honest could all warrant a first team start, it’s difficult for a manager to keep them all match fit and ready. Look at midfield as an example. We’re all assessing our own personal choices, Morley or Sheehan, Matete or Thomason, Randall or Lolos and that’s without including CMG, Dempsey when fit and Sharples Ahmed. To be fair we wouldn’t complain about any formation starting but if you want “team” performance players need to play together every week to get to know each others games. Same up top and even at the back once Santos and Forino are fit. It’s great having all these options but must present a problem for the manager when leaving fit players out, especially when not even on the bench. No wonder SS wasn’t fussed about bringing more in last Monday.

[Wanderlust]

39 minutes ago, Whitesince63 said:

Agree with all of that lusty but my concern is that with so many players to fit in who let’s be honest could all warrant a first team start, it’s difficult for a manager to keep them all match fit and ready. Look at midfield as an example. We’re all assessing our own personal choices, Morley or Sheehan, Matete or Thomason, Randall or Lolos and that’s without including CMG, Dempsey when fit and Sharples Ahmed. To be fair we wouldn’t complain about any formation starting but if you want “team” performance players need to play together every week to get to know each others games. Same up top and even at the back once Santos and Forino are fit. It’s great having all these options but must present a problem for the manager when leaving fit players out, especially when not even on the bench. No wonder SS wasn’t fussed about bringing more in last Monday.

Fair enough but I'm not a huge fan of having a settled X1  - everybody should be able to slot in and as they all have different attributes are "tools in the box" for the manager to select for specific games/opposition - not rotation for rotation's sake but a choice of weapons for a specific fight.

[Tonge moor green jacket]

2 hours ago, Rizlar said:

Hope you are right we need him to come to the party as they say.

Definitely. 

Hopefully Collins will keep doing the business, but teams may also target him for some treatment, so we may need others to step up.

[Tonge moor green jacket]

Fuck numbers.

If we're playing two up top, then consider him as one of them.

If we play 3 up, then again, use him up there.

He's simply not the same type as Randall etc.

[Zico]

1 hour ago, L/H White said:

who you playing in the 10, randall or mcatee?

McAtee

[gonzo]

I cannot name a Crawley player past or present. 

I can't name their ground, nickname and I'm only 50% certain they play in red.

 

[Lostock Whites]

Crawley love having the ball, they've averaged just as much as us this season 57%.

But they're 22nd for a reason. 

I wouldn't be surprised if Schuey set us up in a mid block, let their defence have the the ball then pounce on them in transition at the half way line.

Going to be an interesting regardless in his first proper game.

[frank_spencer]

26 minutes ago, gonzo said:

I cannot name a Crawley player past or present. 

I can't name their ground, nickname and I'm only 50% certain they play in red.

 

Ronan Darcy and that's about it.

[Johnnyrotten]

13 hours ago, bolton va va said:

My idea of a "luxury "player is someone who is capable of doing something special but is anonymous & contributes very little for long periods. Collins has done enough to justify his place in the team....McAtee not so much yet & sometimes looks as though he's trying to look busy but is playing to the crowd. I don't think a team can carry 2 players like that.

Vic is very different, less skilled but works so hard that he makes us a more effective team. Someone compared the results of games that Vic started against games he didn't & found that points per game with Vic starting were well ahead of games without him. Same as last season.

Good response, I agree with your definition.  Maybe Randall's another "luxury" player (not a criticism, just an observation, good in spells, not so in others).

I'll agree to disagree on Vic, the stats don't tell the whole story (standard of opposition etc) but I'll leave it there, we don't have to agree!

[mattbwfc19]

46 minutes ago, frank_spencer said:

Ronan Darcy and that's about it.

Lolos as well don't forget!

[Ani]

I would to see McAtee given a run as part of a two with Collins rather than the crazy 3 IE came up with. 
 

Vic tries but even how he closes players down is weird . 

[Wanderlust]

I think of Randall like Sheehan - can't tackle or defend for toffee but capable of the occasional killer pass. I think of a "luxury" player as being someone who goes missing a lot but then comes up with the goods and it's a question of how frequently they manage it. George Best was a genius in about 1 in 3 games, Frank Worthington in about 1 in 5 - both phenomenal on their day, but often a waste of a shirt.

If their average position is a long way from our goal it has a loss less impact, so slightly more tolerable, but I struggle with the idea of someone playing centre midfield, DM or back line being a passenger - it just can't happen.

[bwfc2003]

14 minutes ago, Wanderlust said:

I think of Randall like Sheehan - can't tackle or defend for toffee but capable of the occasional killer pass. I think of a "luxury" player as being someone who goes missing a lot but then comes up with the goods and it's a question of how frequently they manage it. George Best was a genius in about 1 in 3 games, Frank Worthington in about 1 in 5 - both phenomenal on their day, but often a waste of a shirt.

If their average position is a long way from our goal it has a loss less impact, so slightly more tolerable, but I struggle with the idea of someone playing centre midfield, DM or back line being a passenger - it just can't happen.

I dont think you can ever accuse Worthy of going missing in 4 out of 5 games

[thebells]

17 minutes ago, Wanderlust said:

I think of Randall like Sheehan - can't tackle or defend for toffee but capable of the occasional killer pass. I think of a "luxury" player as being someone who goes missing a lot but then comes up with the goods and it's a question of how frequently they manage it. George Best was a genius in about 1 in 3 games, Frank Worthington in about 1 in 5 - both phenomenal on their day, but often a waste of a shirt.

If their average position is a long way from our goal it has a loss less impact, so slightly more tolerable, but I struggle with the idea of someone playing centre midfield, DM or back line being a passenger - it just can't happen.

I'll raise you Sasa Curcic.

For about 4 mins every game, possibly the greatest player of all time. For the other 86, literally didn't touch it. Aside from being one of the strangest people around, he was one of the strangest footballers I've ever witnessed too. 

I'm sure he told a story about being coked off his head when he scored that wonder goal at Chelsea. Then again, didn't Gazza claim to be leathered when he scored an equaliser for Everton against us.

Something for Randall and Sheehan to consider before Saturday perhaps 🙂 

[Johnnyrotten]

8 minutes ago, thebells said:

I'll raise you Sasa Curcic.

For about 4 mins every game, possibly the greatest player of all time. For the other 86, literally didn't touch it. Aside from being one of the strangest people around, he was one of the strangest footballers I've ever witnessed too. 

I'm sure he told a story about being coked off his head when he scored that wonder goal at Chelsea. Then again, didn't Gazza claim to be leathered when he scored an equaliser for Everton against us.

Something for Randall and Sheehan to consider before Saturday perhaps 🙂 

I agree Sasa was very strange, on the pitch and off it by all accounts.  But I never thought he was a player that only came to life occasionally.  Admittedly my memory could be playing tricks, but I just remember being gobsmacked at how good he was every time he got the ball, close control, dribbling, vision, passing.  Yes he gave the ball away trying too many tricks, but I never recall him disappearing, he seemed to want the ball constantly.

One player who could disappear but was class was Andy Walker.  If we were playing poorly and not having a lot of possession, I do recall getting annoyed at his half hearted attitude to running around sometimes.  His heart wasn't in it if the game was going badly.  Basically the 90s version of Collins.  But had to be an automatic pick because he came to life when there was a half chance.

[Zico]

true story

Vernon Kay would not be famous if it wasn't for Sasa

[Lt. Aldo Raine]

 

[Zico]

16 minutes ago, Lt. Aldo Raine said:

 

nice one

wanted to post it so quickly searched for it but couldn't see it

[Ratwhite]

4 hours ago, Ani said:

I would to see McAtee given a run as part of a two with Collins rather than the crazy 3 IE came up with. 
 

Vic tries but even how he closes players down is weird . 

John McGinley summed up Vic perfectly "His second touch is a header"..........