If your glass is half full and you're getting twichy because we're not ripping this division up yet, worry not.

We're 11 games into the season in 8th on 17 points. History tells us that's fine for us at this stage in a division 3 promotion season.

In the three previous seasons we've done it, only Jimmy Armfield's 1973 champions - who won the title by the equivalent of 6 points (in new money) were better placed at this stage. And then, only by (new money) 3 points.

PP's team in 2016/17 were also 8th, but with a point less than this year. We came 2nd on 86 points.

Bruce's 1992/93 side were 18th on 11 points, and again came 2nd (90 points).

We're absolutely fine, we'll piss it 😁

 

49 minutes ago, Zog1 said:

Things to note: SS has set up the team differently than at Plymouth or Stoke. 

Our current setup pushes almost all forward play to the wingers, it's then their decision what to do with the ball. It's game making for Fross or Burstow.

If they choose not to pass or cross, and go for wondergoals from 30+ yards everytime, which in a quite few games, they have, we won't win, atleast not consistantly. As we're basically playing 422 and they just get marked out of the game. 

It's interesting that when they have crossed, played short passes etc we've ripped teams apart, like at Wigan, what's concerning is after doing that, next game they revert to trying to get wondergoals again. Like it's something they've been instructed to do and we lose. If this is the tactics SS is training into them, we've no chance, prime CR7 and Messi couldn't do it nevermind ACD. 

 

 

 

That’s exactly where I’m coming from Zog, I wasn’t criticising them just questioning could we get more from them and like you suggest I think we can and at times have. It’s still a new team of course and ACD is young and still learning and I’m hoping that going forward he will learn to mix it up a bit more in his team play which I’m sure will make him an even more impressive player than he obviously already is.

1 hour ago, desperado said:

Uh oh, this has a slight whiff of last years posts from you. Where you are starting to sound like you know more than the manager.

Was i not right about Evatt? literally years before anyone else on here atleast. 

I had him pegged, his tactics, ego, secret fallings out. 

All I'm doing is watching the games and drawing logical conclusions. 

You're not a doctor but if you went in for brain surgery and they started by shaving your pubes you'd know something was wrong. 

6 hours ago, Zog1 said:

Was i not right about Evatt? literally years before anyone else on here atleast. 

I had him pegged, his tactics, ego, secret fallings out. 

All I'm doing is watching the games and drawing logical conclusions. 

You're not a doctor but if you went in for brain surgery and they started by shaving your pubes you'd know something was wrong. 

Ian loved it.

8 hours ago, Zog1 said:

Things to note: SS has set up the team differently than at Plymouth or Stoke. 

Our current setup pushes almost all forward play to the wingers, it's then their decision what to do with the ball. It's game making for Fross or Burstow.

If they choose not to pass or cross, and go for wondergoals from 30+ yards everytime, which in a quite few games, they have, we won't win, atleast not consistantly. As we're basically playing 422 and they just get marked out of the game. 

It's interesting that when they have crossed, played short passes etc we've ripped teams apart, like at Wigan, what's concerning is after doing that, next game they revert to trying to get wondergoals again. Like it's something they've been instructed to do and we lose. If this is the tactics SS is training into them, we've no chance, prime CR7 and Messi couldn't do it nevermind ACD. 

 

 

 

Something in that, but I don't think they're instructed to do it- we're just watching league one players.

SS has told them to go both ways, and publicly explained it. It's what we all want.

It was notable that Burstow said (interview with SJM) that the first time cross from Christie was what he wanted. Not the first time he has said that, and it is a clear message to the wide players about their delivery. 

Been a breath of fresh air this year playing with proper wingers, and seems bonkers to me to question their contribution.

But I get the point in questioning the decision-making at times, particularly ACD (who's been ace btw, chuffed we've got him).

So for a bit of balance, our 3rd winger who most seem to have written off already came on the other day on at least two occasions made the correct choice to lay it off to teammates in a better position. Both resulted in shots at goal, one of them hit the bar.

If we're criticising for making the wrong decisions, shouldn't we acknowledge good ones (even if he runs a bit funny and does a gazillion step-overs)?

Or at least give the lad a fucking chance.

6 hours ago, Zog1 said:

Was i not right about Evatt? literally years before anyone else on here atleast. 

 

No you weren't. Let's not rewrite history on the back of a dour end to his reign.

A promotion, 5 place, 3rd place and 90 minutes away from promotion doesn't make you right. 

Unless every manager in the land is going to come in to division 3 football and win the league by 30 points.

I reckon I called him before Zog anyway😂 for the little it matters

9 minutes ago, tomski said:

I reckon I called him before Zog anyway😂 for the little it matters

I slagged him off before I'd even heard of him.

11 minutes ago, wakey said:

I slagged him off before I'd even heard of him.

Understandable. Wakey leads.
 

Did you peg him?

I didn’t. 
 

 

Some of the talk about cutting inside too much is valid, but you’ve also got to take into account how the opposition are set up.

Wigan gave us freedom of the wings, which meant both wingers could go down the outside, get crosses in, have short interplay with the full back to create crossing opportunities etc.

Some teams set up with a full back, a deep wide midfielder and extra support from the centre mid, it’s basically a blockade down the wing which means a lot of the time (not all, granted) they have no other option but to head inside, at which point the options are either shoot, or move it over to the other side where they encounter the same problem.

I’ve said it before, they aren’t perfect and decision making is definitely the area to improve, but if ACD made the right decision most of the time he’d be playing at the top end of the championship. When you also bring the opposition set up into it then I think it’s a more balanced assessment rather than just “why don’t they do what they did against Wigan more”.

2 hours ago, tomski said:

Understandable. Wakey leads.
 

Did you peg him?

I didn’t. 
 

 

I'd run out of pegs.

gutted.

17 hours ago, Eddie said:

7 direct goal involvements between the 2 of them in 11 games. And that’s without taking into account those where they’re a big part of the move but laid the ball off to someone that crossed it etc, or the fact that they are often drawing 2+ men to them and leaving the rest of the team with more space, or the chances they’ve created that haven’t been finished.

I wish the rest of them contributed as much.

I make it 8 - assists v Plymouth, Reading, Lincoln, Wigan and Posh, and goals v Wimbledon, Orient and Wigan.  

On your 2nd point, not many really - Gale had a shot deflected that landed for Burstow's goal at Blackpool and also laid it off for Conway's shot that landed for Randall to score v Wimbledon.  No other involvements that led to goals.

I love watching the pair of them play, but I feel like when we signed Dalby (bearing in mind he was 1st choice target long before Burstow), and SS was clearly going to play with wingers, we all expected 1 or 2 crosses to his head, as happened at Dundee Utd.  None of that has happened yet and I'm not sure it will, they aren't that type of winger as a rule, they are more in the Saka/Sterling mode of tricky dribbles and cutting inside than the get-it-in-the-mixer style of Morais etc.   Our best chances of scoring from headers seem to be set pieces, with Toal and Forino doing well from them earlier in the season.

48 minutes ago, Johnnyrotten said:

but I feel like when we signed Dalby (bearing in mind he was 1st choice target long before Burstow)

thats an assumption

56 minutes ago, Casino said:

thats an assumption

Yes its an assumption.  Based on us signing him in early June and it was no secret we were after him well before then.  Burstow signed about 8 weeks later on loan, so yes I'm assuming Dalby was 1st choice.  And SS was talking at a pre-season function (25th July) about the impact he was expecting Dalby to make from being fed by the 2 new wingers. 

He very much gave the impression he was going to be the focal point of the attack, when fit.

I had Burstow as a bit of a panic loan after Dalby did his hammy.

Worked out well like.

1 hour ago, gonzo said:

I had Burstow as a bit of a panic loan after Dalby did his hammy.

Worked out well like.

Absolutely. 

Arguably our most effective new signing.

Obviously, ACD and Simons could have that accolade too.

3 hours ago, Casino said:

thats an assumption

A not unreasonable assumption, given a contract for four years!

Despite what was said on here at the time, there was never a universe where we were going to enter the season with Dalby and no recognised competition.

Whether it was always going to Burstow I have no idea, but we would've brought someone else in regardless of Dalby's injury.

3 hours ago, Casino said:

thats an assumption

The lad from Celtic was number 1 target was nt he ? 
 

Is he getting any game time up there ? 

13 minutes ago, Ani said:

The lad from Celtic was number 1 target was nt he ? 
 

Is he getting any game time up there ? 

Kenny has played 49 minutes (scored 1), so I think that's a no!

31 minutes ago, Johnnyrotten said:

Kenny has played 49 minutes (scored 1), so I think that's a no!

Good. Hope cries himself to sleep every night with 20 goals 20 goals Mason Burstow in his head.

4 hours ago, Ani said:

The lad from Celtic was number 1 target was nt he ? 
 

Is he getting any game time up there ? 

I, like everybody else on here, has no idea who the number 1 target was

We do know dalby was available and my assumption is that burstow wasnt

I think folk are falling into thinking first signed, top of list and also believing everything SS says

Hes hardly gonna say, i really want that burstow lad, but hes not available, yet

Thats all

Fwiw, if we get promoted this year or next, imo dalby isnt doing 4 years

Neither is burstow, tbh

 

11 minutes ago, Casino said:

I, like everybody else on here, has no idea who the number 1 target was

We do know dalby was available and my assumption is that burstow wasnt

I think folk are falling into thinking first signed, top of list and also believing everything SS says

Hes hardly gonna say, i really want that burstow lad, but hes not available, yet

Thats all

Fwiw, if we get promoted this year or next, imo dalby isnt doing 4 years

Neither is burstow, tbh

 

The club was pretty public about wanting the Celtic lad.

However we have got here we currently have the League One top scorer that the recruitment team bought in. So that is great business so either lucky or inspired neither of which are bad things to be. 
 

I still can not get my head round the miss at Northampton given the goals he has scored. 

Thats not my memory, but its not what it once was

I thought the main speculation was from some dodgy celtic fan site and lusty/sincey

Again, not saying we didnt want him, but i dont remember any SS quotes

4 minutes ago, Ani said:

The club was pretty public about wanting the Celtic lad.

However we have got here we currently have the League One top scorer that the recruitment team bought in. So that is great business so either lucky or inspired neither of which are bad things to be. 
 

I still can not get my head round the miss at Northampton given the goals he has scored. 

Running towards the keeper one on one and having to pick your spot or give him the eyes or go round him or dink it or place it, etc, is a very different skill to the goals he's scored, where there's been no thinking time and/or expectation in that moment. 

I'm sure he'd score that chance 9 times out of 10, because he's a good striker, but the goals he's scored aren't an indicator of knowing what to do and executing the one on one's.