(That long since we've had any, couldn't find the thread)

Alan Nixon: "Top Liverpool starlet Cameron Branagan will Ben allowed out on loan in Jan.

Bolton lead the race for the 20 year old midfielder"

Edited December 11, 20169 yr by Ratwhite

9 hours ago, Johnnyrotten said:

If anyone thinks he was "gash" tonight they weren't watching properly, he showed real industry and enthusiasm with decent invention at times, the player I was watching was far from rubbish. 

Its just that the 2 wingers that came on 2nd half are a bit better, that's not his fault, but he's a decent footballer and was one of our better players tonight, certainly miles better than Warren on the night (he will improve).

@tomski the thing with CMG it’s the things you don’t see 😁

12 hours ago, Lt. Aldo Raine said:

I'd love us to sign a centre half

To be fair that’s where I see Taylor fitting in when he’s fit because surely Conway had made left back his own even though he’s still got things to learn defensively. It’s right back I’m more concerned about unless SS sees Forrester as being an option there when he’s back. Certainly it’s the defence that worries me most.

9 hours ago, Wanderlust said:

Maybe not if he saw that performance.

We must do whatever we can to make sure he doesn't see it

1 hour ago, paulhanley said:

I'm not sure it's a question of numbers where people are concerned in terms of central defence (although I do worry about the "double counting" people do with Richard Taylor. He can play at left back but if we get injuries he can't do both that and centre back at the same time!!) I think it's more people have concerns about overall quality. Is that central defensive unit collectively good enough to be commanding and grind out the consistent clean sheets we need? You need better than just decent League One standard to be at the top.

Pretty much all of them have a chequered history on the injury front as well. 

A very fair point, and actually based on last season you can’t make much of an argument to say that it is good enough.

For me though, there’s enough that we’ve seen prior to last season to suggest that there’s a decent enough partnership or two in there when playing in a settled back 4 with midfield in front of them that actually functions.

Plus I don’t think you can add any more without seeing at least one or two go, and other than a bit of noise about Johnston, I can’t see who that would be.

3 minutes ago, Eddie said:

A very fair point, and actually based on last season you can’t make much of an argument to say that it is good enough.

For me though, there’s enough that we’ve seen prior to last season to suggest that there’s a decent enough partnership or two in there when playing in a settled back 4 with midfield in front of them that actually functions.

Plus I don’t think you can add any more without seeing at least one or two go, and other than a bit of noise about Johnston, I can’t see who that would be.

there were people writing toal off a month ago

probably some still are

 

we have a perfectly decent pair of centre backs in there for division 3

i reckon toal is one of them

3 minutes ago, Casino said:

there were people writing toal off a month ago

probably some still are

 

we have a perfectly decent pair of centre backs in there for division 3

i reckon toal is one of them

I’m not one to get on my high horse on this because I’ve been all over the place with Toal - I don’t think he had a particularly good year last year but then again who did.

I do agree with you though, we’ve seen enough of Toal to know there’s a very good defender for this level in there. None of them were helped by a shit defensive system, chopping and changing of keepers and a non-existent midfield.

I’m leaning towards your thinking of there being enough in what we’ve got. I also think the captaincy going to Toal sets SS’s stall out that he fancies him being an ever-present, so you’re basically after a partner for him. Surely one of GJ, Forino, Forrester or Taylor can take mantle and the rest give strong enough depth as back up L1 centre backs.

9 hours ago, Wanderlust said:

Maybe not if he saw that performance.

Would Lawrence and McAtee have done better if they’d had Gale and ACD on the flanks? Maybe.

Would Erhahon been more accomplished with Simons alongside him? Quite possibly.

Would the likes of Toal, GJ and Taylor have allowed those goals? First one that came from JDCs cock up was brilliant, but the others I doubt we’d have conceded.

If the idea of sending out a full team of fringe players is to see who hacks it, the results are clouded by the players alongside them.

Performances were awful, but there’s always the question of who they were playing with and several runs stopped happening because of what seemed like losing confidences in the ball arriving. Needs sorting in training and some (more) decisions made.

 

Agree with that, its annoying when we play a 2nd string and there's a blanket "they proved they aren't good enough".  Are we saying Erhahon is no good on the basis of last night's game?  If he'd played instead of Sheehan or Randall v Plymouth I suspect we would have still won, and that would have catapulted him from not good enough to an inspired signing/better than Sheehan and Morley, just for being picked in a game we won instead of one against Sheff Wed reserves. 

Morley in same bracket, some of his passing was superb last night, but it all counts for nothing if the overall perception is we played crap.  

10 hours ago, Wanderlust said:

Maybe not if he saw that performance.

Would Lawrence and McAtee have done better if they’d had Gale and ACD on the flanks? Maybe.

Would Erhahon been more accomplished with Simons alongside him? Quite possibly.

Would the likes of Toal, GJ and Taylor have allowed those goals? First one that came from JDCs cock up was brilliant, but the others I doubt we’d have conceded.

If the idea of sending out a full team of fringe players is to see who hacks it, the results are clouded by the players alongside them.

Performances were awful, but there’s always the question of who they were playing with and several runs stopped happening because of what seemed like losing confidences in the ball arriving. Needs sorting in training and some (more) decisions made.

 

If Brendan Rodgers tells him he is going on loan to Bolton, he is going on loan to Bolton. I really don't think a kid his age will pipe up and reference a 3-3 draw at home to a Championship as a reason for his refusing the move. Also, what kind of idiot would refuse a move to a team that scored 3 goals with 10 men? If i was a striker i'd be licking my lips!

I think you're overreacting to last night (not the only one). We drew 3-3, with 10 men, with players on debut, kids, a right back at left back, some lads not fully match fit etc. Last night was just fine.

 

1 hour ago, thebells said:

If Brendan Rodgers tells him he is going on loan to Bolton, he is going on loan to Bolton. I really don't think a kid his age will pipe up and reference a 3-3 draw at home to a Championship as a reason for his refusing the move. Also, what kind of idiot would refuse a move to a team that scored 3 goals with 10 men? If i was a striker i'd be licking my lips!

I think you're overreacting to last night (not the only one). We drew 3-3, with 10 men, with players on debut, kids, a right back at left back, some lads not fully match fit etc. Last night was just fine.

That first line was very tongue in cheek.

The rest of it we agree on.

Nathan Broadhead apparently going to Wrexham for £10 million

 

6 hours ago, thebells said:

If Brendan Rodgers tells him he is going on loan to Bolton, he is going on loan to Bolton. I really don't think a kid his age will pipe up and reference a 3-3 draw at home to a Championship as a reason for his refusing the move. Also, what kind of idiot would refuse a move to a team that scored 3 goals with 10 men? If i was a striker i'd be licking my lips!

I think you're overreacting to last night (not the only one). We drew 3-3, with 10 men, with players on debut, kids, a right back at left back, some lads not fully match fit etc. Last night was just fine.

Put our first team out last night, think we win by 2 or 3

8 hours ago, Eddie said:

A very fair point, and actually based on last season you can’t make much of an argument to say that it is good enough.

For me though, there’s enough that we’ve seen prior to last season to suggest that there’s a decent enough partnership or two in there when playing in a settled back 4 with midfield in front of them that actually functions.

Plus I don’t think you can add any more without seeing at least one or two go, and other than a bit of noise about Johnston, I can’t see who that would be.

Well there was a bit of noise about Forrester to Stockport back in July. Both him and Johnston have only one year left on their contracts.  

 

Stockport signed Brad Hills today so Forrester link possibly gone now.

Charlton's Gassan Nlundulu who we were linked with has gone to Stevenage on loan according to Nixon

8 hours ago, burnden said:

 

This is not a quiz question because I am not sure I know the answer: How many Dutch players have we had on our books in our history now? Richard Sneekes, Fabian De-Freitas (or did he count as Surinamese?), Riga (played for Holland at all the different youth levels but born in Ghana). I am struggling a bit now. Any others? 

.. Oh, Yanic Wildschut! 

2 minutes ago, paulhanley said:

This is not a quiz question because I am not sure I know the answer: How many Dutch players have we had on our books in our history now? Richard Sneekes, Fabian De-Freitas (or did he count as Surinamese?), Riga (played for Holland at all the different youth levels but born in Ghana). I am struggling a bit now. Any others? 

.. Oh, Yanic Wildschut! 

Mustapha.

8 hours ago, burnden said:

 

Lad speaks well, like his enthusiasm.

6 minutes ago, Cheese said:

Mustapha.

Aye Mustapha Riga. Was there another one too?

4 minutes ago, paulhanley said:

Aye Mustapha Riga. Was there another one too?

Doh. No, my mistake.

It's just those four

Where was that De Ridder from?

1 minute ago, gonzo said:

Where was that De Ridder from?

Belgian, I think

4 minutes ago, Traf said:

Belgian, I think

Same thing innit

5 minutes ago, gonzo said:

Same thing innit

How many Belgians then? That winger on loan from Stoke under Keith Hill. Name began with V. Dedryk Boyata. De Ridder. Not able to think of any others.