Colours Nailed and all that

[magicdaps10]

and how long have we wanted a manager who sees the issues and makes changes at half time.

Moving Galbraith into midfield

 

[TruckerJack]

Moving Galbraith into midfield

And Cullen to left back

 

[tardylum]

People are being too harsh on Matos. He has come in and improved us without a doubt, that is what you hope for from a new coach. It can not be stressed how bad we were as an attacking side under Sheehan. Moving from worst in the league attack to bottom-middle is not an exciting jump forward but a necessary one and something to build on.

Right now he is definitely feeling the limitations of the recruitment and the decision to hire Sheehahn that helped lead to how unbalanced the squad is. It is no surprise that a lot of people are now calling for a box midfield because of our obsession with signing midfielders and neglecting other positions. The squad has been built to press and do little else, so now we are desperate to add attacking and creative quality so we are not so reliant on Tymon. Maybe Walta can help with this, but I have not seen much from him so far and it will be clearer come October and November as to whether he is a positive or more in the mould of Inoussa and Melker. Next summer we can not afford to have such a low hit rate on transfers.

That is not to give Matos a free pass for the rest of the season though, things have not been positive enough to accept a complete collapse between now and the end of the season, but I would be surprised if that happened.

 

[magicdaps10]

People are being too harsh on Matos. He has come in and improved us without a doubt, that is what you hope for from a new coach. It can not be stressed how bad we were as an attacking side under Sheehan. Moving from worst in the league attack to bottom-middle is not an exciting jump forward but a necessary one and something to build on.

Right now he is definitely feeling the limitations of the recruitment and the decision to hire Sheehahn that helped lead to how unbalanced the squad is. It is no surprise that a lot of people are now calling for a box midfield because of our obsession with signing midfielders and neglecting other positions. The squad has been built to press and do little else, so now we are desperate to add attacking and creative quality so we are not so reliant on Tymon. Maybe Walta can help with this, but I have not seen much from him so far and it will be clearer come October and November as to whether he is a positive or more in the mould of Inoussa and Melker. Next summer we can not afford to have such a low hit rate on transfers.

That is not to give Matos a free pass for the rest of the season though, things have not been positive enough to accept a complete collapse between now and the end of the season, but I would be surprised if that happened.

It would be right to be cautious though given recent history of how Sheehan started and then changed dramatically especially in style over the summer and start of this season.
I don't think we will have that issue with Matos though.

Matos has definitely got a better tune out of the players although our lack of attacking quality hasn't hit levels that we would have hoped even in this upturn since he came in.
We saw Benson go back, Inoussa along with Ronald and Eom not really push on and contribute to goals and assists.
We have some issues that clearly need addressing come the summer and some genuine questions also to ask with what's best for certain players.

It's a tough job running a championship club and despite the breath of fresh air with Matos and pro active approach from the owners.....I wouldn't be surprised if we have our lowest finish in the championship at the seasons end.

BUT there are a lot of positives to be be hopeful with going forward.

 

[MichuForever]

Well, I asked Sandra for some cheese and Kit Kats, she said it's fine

 

[TruckerJack]

People are being too harsh on Matos. He has come in and improved us without a doubt, that is what you hope for from a new coach. It can not be stressed how bad we were as an attacking side under Sheehan. Moving from worst in the league attack to bottom-middle is not an exciting jump forward but a necessary one and something to build on.

Right now he is definitely feeling the limitations of the recruitment and the decision to hire Sheehahn that helped lead to how unbalanced the squad is. It is no surprise that a lot of people are now calling for a box midfield because of our obsession with signing midfielders and neglecting other positions. The squad has been built to press and do little else, so now we are desperate to add attacking and creative quality so we are not so reliant on Tymon. Maybe Walta can help with this, but I have not seen much from him so far and it will be clearer come October and November as to whether he is a positive or more in the mould of Inoussa and Melker. Next summer we can not afford to have such a low hit rate on transfers.

That is not to give Matos a free pass for the rest of the season though, things have not been positive enough to accept a complete collapse between now and the end of the season, but I would be surprised if that happened.

Our hit rate on transfers has been a huge improvement and a large part of why we have seen a big upturn in the second half of the season as players have started to bed into the league. I would say only Benson hasn’t done what he was brought in to do. Idah and Inoussa have been injured so hard to tell if they will be a success and also coincided with Vipotnik turning into the leagues most deadly striker, everyone else seems to have done very well. The issue we have currently within the squad is the players still here from previous years who need to be replaced in the next window.

 

[tardylum]

Our hit rate on transfers has been a huge improvement and a large part of why we have seen a big upturn in the second half of the season as players have started to bed into the league. I would say only Benson hasn’t done what he was brought in to do. Idah and Inoussa have been injured so hard to tell if they will be a success and also coincided with Vipotnik turning into the leagues most deadly striker, everyone else seems to have done very well. The issue we have currently within the squad is the players still here from previous years who need to be replaced in the next window.

I am sorry to say I disagree and think you are putting a very positive spin on things.

Tymon, Vigouroux, Vipotnik are our three best players and I would personally have Galbraith as a huge success who will either kick on further next season or bring back his fee multiplied by a factor of 10 in the summer.

The rest of the signings in the last two windows (plus Widdell as he only joined to play in the summer) range on a spectrum from okay with promise to flat out failures. There may be extenuating factors for players like you cite with Idah and Inoussa, which need to be acknowledged but Inoussa still played 25 games and looked average and Idah still cost a lot of money and has had little impact in year one of his contract.

It is inevitable that the conversation will head this way, so I may as well list my opinion on all of the signings so far -

Galbraith - Great signing. Exactly what we need to repeat in the summer and I happen to be a rare person who agrees with you that it can be a positive for us if he is used at right back in certain games.
Melker - Okay, works hard but lacks quality. Squad player.
Inoussa - Limited in the final 3rd. Expected so much more. Squad player.
Idah - Too expensive to have this little impact and injury record looks like his Norwich career again. If we can get him to play 35 games next season, he can start to repay his money as I like him.
Casey, Samuels Smith - Squad loans. Not had to play due to Tymon, Cabango and Burgess staying healthy.
Farman - 3rd choice keeper so no high expectations and he is presumably doing exactly what he was signed for at the training ground every day.
Nunes - Seemed like a cheap gamble to replace the Benson loan and have more of an impact in a problem position, has had little impact and also looks unsuited to playing on the right.
Benson - Waste of time.
Stamenic - Mixed, but see enough for him to be a good player long term. Thought his passing would be better, he will be helped if we can get better passers at centre back positions.
Burgess - Okay. Another who looks limited with his passing. Expected more considering his experience.
Santos - Waste of time. Does not push starting centre backs at all and has been injured.
Yalcouye - Works hard and looks good when he is driving with the ball but another who lacks quality in the final 3rd.
Walta - Too early to say.
Ward - Short term stop gap because we put ourselves in the position of needing a short term stop gap. Retirement beckons.

It has not been a terrible season of transfers and Santos is the only player who has no reason to have ever been at the club. But I find the victory lap about how well we have done to be a little nauseating and hope we can learn from mistakes and kick on this summer to have more hits like Galbraith.

 

[TruckerJack]

I am sorry to say I disagree and think you are putting a very positive spin on things.

Tymon, Vigouroux, Vipotnik are our three best players and I would personally have Galbraith as a huge success who will either kick on further next season or bring back his fee multiplied by a factor of 10 in the summer.

The rest of the signings in the last two windows (plus Widdell as he only joined to play in the summer) range on a spectrum from okay with promise to flat out failures. There may be extenuating factors for players like you cite with Idah and Inoussa, which need to be acknowledged but Inoussa still played 25 games and looked average and Idah still cost a lot of money and has had little impact in year one of his contract.

It is inevitable that the conversation will head this way, so I may as well list my opinion on all of the signings so far -

Galbraith - Great signing. Exactly what we need to repeat in the summer and I happen to be a rare person who agrees with you that it can be a positive for us if he is used at right back in certain games.
Melker - Okay, works hard but lacks quality. Squad player.
Inoussa - Limited in the final 3rd. Expected so much more. Squad player.
Idah - Too expensive to have this little impact and injury record looks like his Norwich career again. If we can get him to play 35 games next season, he can start to repay his money as I like him.
Casey, Samuels Smith - Squad loans. Not had to play due to Tymon, Cabango and Burgess staying healthy.
Farman - 3rd choice keeper so no high expectations and he is presumably doing exactly what he was signed for at the training ground every day.
Nunes - Seemed like a cheap gamble to replace the Benson loan and have more of an impact in a problem position, has had little impact and also looks unsuited to playing on the right.
Benson - Waste of time.
Stamenic - Mixed, but see enough for him to be a good player long term. Thought his passing would be better, he will be helped if we can get better passers at centre back positions.
Burgess - Okay. Another who looks limited with his passing. Expected more considering his experience.
Santos - Waste of time. Does not push starting centre backs at all and has been injured.
Yalcouye - Works hard and looks good when he is driving with the ball but another who lacks quality in the final 3rd.
Walta - Too early to say.
Ward - Short term stop gap because we put ourselves in the position of needing a short term stop gap. Retirement beckons.

It has not been a terrible season of transfers and Santos is the only player who has no reason to have ever been at the club. But I find the victory lap about how well we have done to be a little nauseating and hope we can learn from mistakes and kick on this summer to have more hits like Galbraith.

You can disagree, but we are having the best season since the parachute payments. I don’t think anyone within the club would take back a single transfer for footballing reasons outside of Benson. Thats not any sort of spin. Santos was a 4th choice CB in a team where the starting CB’s play pretty much every minute.

 

[sit_down_jack]

Our hit rate on transfers has been a huge improvement and a large part of why we have seen a big upturn in the second half of the season as players have started to bed into the league. I would say only Benson hasn’t done what he was brought in to do. Idah and Inoussa have been injured so hard to tell if they will be a success and also coincided with Vipotnik turning into the leagues most deadly striker, everyone else seems to have done very well. The issue we have currently within the squad is the players still here from previous years who need to be replaced in the next window.

I agree with most of this. Players like Galbraith, Stamenic and Burgess have been successful. I know there is some debate around the CBs but I don’t think they are individually poor players but not quite sure they work as a partnership.

Widell, despite the lack of goals and assists has shown he is valuable to a pressing game, definitely enough to qualify as a successful signing. Yalcouye has had enough of an impact for me to fit into that category too.

Inoussa and Idah haven’t played enough under Matos so can’t really make a decision.

Walta is too new.

 

[tardylum]

So having marginally the best season since parachute payments means that every signing bar Benson has been good? That feels like some very simplistic logic. If you applied the same logic to coaches you would argue the Sheehan hire went well and he did a good job. I also do not understand that comment on what the club staff would take back or not or what relevance it has and I would expect them to defend the their own decisions like any of us would in our jobs.

 

[TruckerJack]

So having marginally the best season since parachute payments means that every signing bar Benson has been good? That feels like some very simplistic logic. If you applied the same logic to coaches you would argue the Sheehan hire went well and he did a good job. I also do not understand that comment on what the club staff would take back or not or what relevance it has and I would expect them to defend the their own decisions like any of us would in our jobs.

No, the reason is because they are doing what they were brought in to do as I said. The offshoot of that is that the club is now having its best season since the parachute years. I thought the comment was self explanatory regarding the club likely not regretting a single transfer for footballing reasons outside of Benson, not sure how to elaborate further on that.

 

[TruckerJack]

I agree with most of this. Players like Galbraith, Stamenic and Burgess have been successful. I know there is some debate around the CBs but I don’t think they are individually poor players but not quite sure they work as a partnership.

Widell, despite the lack of goals and assists has shown he is valuable to a pressing game, definitely enough to qualify as a successful signing. Yalcouye has had enough of an impact for me to fit into that category too.

Inoussa and Idah haven’t played enough under Matos so can’t really make a decision.

Walta is too new.

Exactly that, the club have signed players for now, for cover and for the future. We now are in the position where we have a squad, or at least a framework of players we can build on that are ours and actual assets in key development ages, not to mention the addition of Matos himself who despite recent noises seems like another gem.

 

[tardylum]

No, the reason is because they are doing what they were brought in to do as I said. The offshoot of that is that the club is now having its best season since the parachute years. I thought the comment was self explanatory regarding the club likely not regretting a single transfer for footballing reasons outside of Benson, not sure how to elaborate further on that.

But you can not honestly claim Inoussa was brought in to have two assists and no goals in 25 league appearances and be a sub for half of them. The expectations must have been higher. The way you describe it suggests they would be happy with a repeat this summer whereas I think they will be looking at upgrades on players like Inoussa and Melker already.

If we have a repeat again in the summer, we may marginally improve again but midtable having fully refreshed the whole squad would be a fairly underwhelming result.

 

[TruckerJack]

But you can not honestly claim Inoussa was brought in to have two assists and no goals in 25 league appearances and be a sub for half of them. The expectations must have been higher. The way you describe it suggests they would be happy with a repeat this summer whereas I think they will be looking at upgrades on players like Inoussa and Melker already.

Inoussa was brought in likely with the same thinking of the other foreign lads, to take time to adapt to the league before contributing in the second half of the season. He got injured and similar to Idah, their last contribution was to score. Key chance to kick on stolen away by injury. That’s football.

 

[DZJJack]

So having marginally the best season since parachute payments means that every signing bar Benson has been good? That feels like some very simplistic logic. If you applied the same logic to coaches you would argue the Sheehan hire went well and he did a good job. I also do not understand that comment on what the club staff would take back or not or what relevance it has and I would expect them to defend the their own decisions like any of us would in our jobs.

Most would only do it in private.