The Season’s Conclusion

[TruckerJack]

Our recruitment team need to make better choices at centre back & wide players.
2 centre halfs signed in the summer- Burgess has struggled & was never the right choice to play alongside Cabango.
Santos may have been signed as cover but he hasn't even provided that, 1 poor sub appearance.
2 wide players signed in the summer, Inoussa for decent money hasn't delivered, maybe he'll be OK next season but I have major doubts.
Benson, less said the better.
Nunes signed in January hasn't delivered either.
That's a fair chunk of poorly spent money for a team with a limited budget.

Only one of those was signed for a fee so I would say it depends on what finances are available to invest in those areas. We probably need a sale to get the required quality in. We also have to remember that the likes of Burgess were signed for the Sheehan system not the Matos possession and higher line game.

 

[J_B]

We’re 5th in the home league table and 22nd in the away league table. We are the lowest scorers on the road (apart from Sheffield Wednesday). We have statistically a bigger gap between home and away results than any other team in the Championship.
Matos has been a breath of fresh air and I really like him but he’s got to get a grip on our away form. I hear people saying we’re playing really well on the road but just not taking our (often very good) chances. Well taking very good chances is arguably the most important thing about any performance.
We need a change of personnel in some areas of the team and we need a long hard look at what’s going wrong away from home if we’re going to mount a serious challenge next season.

 

[TruckerJack]

We’re 5th in the home league table and 22nd in the away league table. We are the lowest scorers on the road (apart from Sheffield Wednesday). We have statistically a bigger gap between home and away results than any other team in the Championship.
Matos has been a breath of fresh air and I really like him but he’s got to get a grip on our away form. I hear people saying we’re playing really well on the road but just not taking our (often very good) chances. Well taking very good chances is arguably the most important thing about any performance.
We need a change of personnel in some areas of the team and we need a long hard look at what’s going wrong away from home if we’re going to mount a serious challenge next season.

Hard to legislate for that Vipotnik miss, the Franco missed pass to put him in, same with Nunes. Then the stonewaller on Franco not given. It’s just one of those games.

Under Matos we are 8th home and away combined over 21 games. I think that’s a fair indication of where we are as a club right now, top 10. Our early season woes is what has held us back.

 

[Neath_Jack]

We’re 5th in the home league table and 22nd in the away league table. We are the lowest scorers on the road (apart from Sheffield Wednesday). We have statistically a bigger gap between home and away results than any other team in the Championship.
Matos has been a breath of fresh air and I really like him but he’s got to get a grip on our away form. I hear people saying we’re playing really well on the road but just not taking our (often very good) chances. Well taking very good chances is arguably the most important thing about any performance.
We need a change of personnel in some areas of the team and we need a long hard look at what’s going wrong away from home if we’re going to mount a serious challenge next season.

Is taking our chances down to Matos, or the current top scorer in the leagues problem?

 

[sit_down_jack]

Its a complete pipe dream that we'll be able to shift Burgess. He's got 2 years left on a very good wage and is 31yrs old.

There is absolutely 0 incentive for him to leave unless a club as stupid as us offers him the exact same terms.

There might be a chance of some interest in him. Stayed fit for the whole season and played a crazy amount of games, would be a very good defender in a certain system.

As you say though, probably on a nice wage here, will have very little motivation to move. Having said that, I’m not so sure I’d get rid of him. With both him and Cabango, all you really need is someone next to one of them with a bit more pace and technical ability. They are too slow together as a partnership though as we’ve seen and we need a good passer count from defence imo.

 

[TruckerJack]

Is taking our chances down to Matos, or the current top scorer in the leagues problem?

If we had won yesterday, which arguably we should have given the balance of play, we would currently be 7th and 2 points outside the playoffs, winning 6 of our last 9 games.

Having such wild swings of perspective on a single game is crazy.

 

[Neath_Jack]

If we had won yesterday, which arguably we should have given the balance of play, we would currently be 7th and 2 points outside the playoffs, winning 6 of our last 9 games.

Having such wild swings of perspective on a single game is crazy.

He can only coach them how he wants them to play. He can’t legislate for individual errors or misses during a game.

I’m just glad it wasn’t Cullen who missed that chance

 

[sit_down_jack]

Don’t understand the people judging Matos, as far as I’m concerned he has done a brilliant job. The fact that we aren’t controlling games and playing possession football also shouldn’t be used to condemn him. He is working with a lot of players who are experiencing Championship football for the first time (two of our 3 starting midfield yesterday) and a CB partnership who aren’t comfortable with the ball.

I’ve seen people online say they’ve seen no improvement but have a look at our XG numbers since he’s come in and it’s much better, we are actually creating chances. Yes, we need to improve against low block teams but does anyone really expect us to do that with the current squad as it is?

Give Matos a summer and allow him to build, it’s the only way we’ll see what he’s really capable of as a manager.

 

[Manselton Jack]

Only one of those was signed for a fee so I would say it depends on what finances are available to invest in those areas. We probably need a sale to get the required quality in. We also have to remember that the likes of Burgess were signed for the Sheehan system not the Matos possession and higher line game.

Burgess coming from Ipswich would have received a hefty signing on fee & wages.
I do agree that we need a sale to bring some quality in though.
All our wide players are massively frustrating, 1 good signing in that area will make a huge difference.

 

[J_B]

Is taking our chances down to Matos, or the current top scorer in the leagues problem?

I don't think it's Vip that's missed most of them. Others have missed gild edged chances all season.
I didn't expect Vip to score last night if I'm honest. That wasn't his typical chance and I'm struggling to recall him going one on one before and putting it away.
I think there’s a mindset issue away from home.

 

[sit_down_jack]

Burgess coming from Ipswich would have received a hefty signing on fee & wages.
I do agree that we need a sale to bring some quality in though.
All our wide players are massively frustrating, 1 good signing in that area will make a huge difference.

Think the fact that they signed Benson and wanted Rak-Sakyi is actually an encouraging thing re winger signings. They’re looking at players that have had some sort of impact in the Championship before. I’m fine with recruiting from abroad but I think it’s helpful in certain areas to go with some prior experience to cut out that adjustment period.

 

[swan65split]

teacher report says......should have done better, under performed, needs to be more determined, attention slips at times, and data needs to do better.

 

[Ringwood]

There's three football metrics.. clean sheets, assists and goals. Nail them consistently and success follows. Chuck in entertainment as the bonus ball.

Not sure how we fair in the league on those stats in comparison to others.

 

[Frankie Burrows Cap]

There's three football metrics.. clean sheets, assists and goals. Nail them consistently and success follows. Chuck in entertainment as the bonus ball.

Not sure how we fair in the league on those stats in comparison to others.

Clean sheets: Vig has the joint 3rd most in the league - only 2 behind Rushworth in 1st
Goals: 16th (with the leagues top scorer).

Pretty clear what is needed in terms of those metrics you mention. ~10-15 more goals from other areas of the pitch. Do that and repeat the number of clean sheets and you’re likely to be top 8.