Are we doing OK or underachieving?

[Andrew - North Hill]

I honestly don't understand your issue.
If you aren't happy that I'm using statistics and facts to support an opinion I already had then just don't engage in it.

If you would like to discuss the opinion, then at least have something to back it up.

Well I don't get you either, you make little sense to me so I think I'll leave it there. Maybe someone else will want to play.

 

[CommonCents]

Having one of the highest net spends in the league obviously explains all of Man United's success over recent seasons...

Yes, net spend doesn’t actually mean anything. It depends on where you started from and the cumulative value of your squad as to what picture it paints.

If Man Utd get relegated for example, they wouldn’t have to spent anything, in fact they could sell £100m and still win the league. Being net +£100m doesn’t mean they will finish bottom as net spend suggests, because their squad value would be x10 anything in the Championship.

Our squad value was one of the lowest in the league which is why we flirted with the bottom half of the league for much of Russ and Luke’s time here, it’s now around mid table. We will need multiple similarly good summer windows to build the club and push us up from mid table to play off contenders.

 

[Captain_Sham]

I will never understand polls that reduce complicated issues down to either-or. It is not sensible.

 

[Risc]

Coming back with my own views

Casey - better than Burgess but was woefully at fault for letting the ball bounce yesterday
Inoussa - agree he is our most dangerous but the competition there is a pretty low bar that he is over but not by a massive way. Runs a lot, little end product - see Jefferson Montero
Ishe - seems OK but we dont know this based on limited game time
Galbraith - Agree although he need to have his restraints taken off him
Idah - the fact that we now consider Vipotnik first choice when everyone said he was dreadful tells you much. He was our second choice striker this summer in the market and I have seen nothing to use the word excellent in that bracket
Yalcouye - overrated and nowhere near what Brighton fans painted him to be. Average championship midfielder.
Melker - Agree
Stamenic - has faded since his debut but definitely a player in there
Burgess - not the player Ipswich fans suggested he was

What that leads me to think is we are either believing these players to be better than they are or they are that good and the manager is making them look average.

And that is why people say it is a 6.

As for the others

Benson - I am fitter than him
Wales - clearly signed as one for the future
Santos - had forgot about him which says much
Farman - is what he was signed to be

It's Inoussa's first few months in a new country and league, going to be a huge player for us and a big asset on the books. Casey has been quality when given minutes, we can't judge a signing on one mistake, there'll be countless other instances going forward.

Vipotnik is probably the inform striker in the league at the moment and doesn't seem to miss, it's a completely different player to last season. Another case of not giving a player enough time to settle in imo. Idah showed what he was capable of on Saturday.

At the moment, for me, we're being held back by the manager and he needs to find a way of getting this squad clicking as he has the tools other managers haven't been afforded. We show at times what we are capable of but nowhere near enough as it stands. It's a big overhaul and appreciate things take time but for me we have a very good championship squad now with options everywhere. Top 10 minimum.

 

[Copamundial]

I’m glad that some are picking up on Inoussa, hope that he develops into a player but at the moment he’s miles off it.
Literally done nothing since he’s been here but gets rave reviews from some, turns into trouble time and again, loses the ball regularly and has no final ball even when put into acres of space.

 

[Michu78]

I’m glad that some are picking up on Inoussa, hope that he develops into a player but at the moment he’s miles off it.
Literally done nothing since he’s been here but gets rave reviews from some, turns into trouble time and again, loses the ball regularly and has no final ball even when put into acres of space.

I'm not convinced Inoussa is the answer to be honest, flashes here and there but nothing consistent. The wingers have been very poor this season to the point now that you can't do any worse than Key and Tymon employed as wingbacks in five at the back system.

 

[CommonCents]

I'm not convinced Inoussa is the answer to be honest, flashes here and there but nothing consistent. The wingers have been very poor this season to the point now that you can't do any worse than Key and Tymon employed as wingbacks in five at the back system.

I think he’s looked excellent. If you look at the profile of player that Premier League clubs go for, they will be all over him once he adjusts to England properly. He’s trending to be one of the elite Championship wingers, just needs to add that final action to his game, which I’m sure he will as the season progresses, but I love him!

@louorns is a good account to follow on Twitter, Watford fan but covers the championship as a whole. He has Inoussa as the elite winger of the division alongside Mavidi in terms of dribbling success and goal % chance added - which is a wingers job at the end of the day.

 

[Smurph]

I think he’s looked excellent. If you look at the profile of player that Premier League clubs go for, they will be all over him once he adjusts to England properly. He’s trending to be one of the elite Championship wingers, just needs to add that final action to his game, which I’m sure he will as the season progresses, but I love him!

@louorns is a good account to follow on Twitter, Watford fan but covers the championship as a whole. He has Inoussa as the elite winger of the division alongside Mavidi in terms of dribbling success and goal % chance added - which is a wingers job at the end of the day.

I like the look of him, gets you, well me off my seat when he plays.

Just feel he needs a good run of games in the side.

 

[sit_down_jack]

I’m glad that some are picking up on Inoussa, hope that he develops into a player but at the moment he’s miles off it.
Literally done nothing since he’s been here but gets rave reviews from some, turns into trouble time and again, loses the ball regularly and has no final ball even when put into acres of space.

I don’t think we’ve seen enough of Inoussa in general to be honest. He picked up a couple of assists for us when he started more consistently and if I remember rightly, both were decently weighted balls to Vipotnik and Ronald. There’s talent there and an ability to get fans off their seats. Start him and we’ll benefit, same for Widell in my opinion.

 

[Smurph]

I don’t think we’ve seen enough of Inoussa in general to be honest. He picked up a couple of assists for us when he started more consistently and if I remember rightly, both were decently weighted balls to Vipotnik and Ronald. There’s talent there and an ability to get fans off their seats. Start him and we’ll benefit, same for Widell in my opinion.

Same here.

Not sure how some players can find their rhythm in the team if they are in and out of the side. I wish the manager would give them the freedom to play without getting hooked or constantly dropped from the team.

The biggest obstacle facing Sheehan at the moment is the fact he doesn't know his best starting eleven.

 

[SwanseaJack]

We have less ppg and xG this season under Sheehan than we did in his 13 games last season.

We have objectively gotten worse.

Comparing any seasons results to the tail end of the previous season is never a good idea. Teams have less to play for towards the end of the season so naturally the intensity drops. AS did great at the END of the season, there is no disputing that, but how much of that was down to other not putting in a full shift due to them being safe or too far off the play offs etc. needs to be considered.

Ultimately this is his first stretch of a proper season and he is finding his feet. As long as he doesn't start losing the teams respect like, as previous managers did, then we just need to be patient and see what comes of it. All for change if it starts going south fast though.

 

[sit_down_jack]

Same here.

Not sure how some players can find their rhythm in the team if they are in and out of the side. I wish the manager would give them the freedom to play without getting hooked or constantly dropped from the team.

The biggest obstacle facing Sheehan at the moment is the fact he doesn't know his best starting eleven.

This 100%, for the next few games I’d like us to stick with the team that started against Man City (with Vipotnik if fit and keeping Cabango and Burgess in with Vigs). Consistency should be the aim, give our more creative players a chance, just like he’s now giving Casey a chance. I’m generally more pessimistic on Sheehan, but I do think this 5 at the back system suits our players a lot more.

 

[Andrew - North Hill]

Comparing any seasons results to the tail end of the previous season is never a good idea. Teams have less to play for towards the end of the season so naturally the intensity drops.

Not to mention summer churn of playing staff, six different teams in the division to work out how to play against, different levels of form and fitness for all the teams. Totally agree, it's a fools errand.

 

[Smurph]

This 100%, for the next few games I’d like us to stick with the team that started against Man City (with Vipotnik if fit and keeping Cabango and Burgess in with Vigs). Consistency should be the aim, give our more creative players a chance, just like he’s now giving Casey a chance. I’m generally more pessimistic on Sheehan, but I do think this 5 at the back system suits our players a lot more.

Consistency is the what's hampering us.

As a player there was nothing better to hear than your manager tell you that no matter how it goes you're in the team week in week out, go show me what you've got.

The worst thing is waiting to get hooked every week when you are in the team, kills your confidence and makes you question your ability and to try things on the pitch

 

[J_B]

Same here.

Not sure how some players can find their rhythm in the team if they are in and out of the side. I wish the manager would give them the freedom to play without getting hooked or constantly dropped from the team.

The biggest obstacle facing Sheehan at the moment is the fact he doesn't know his best starting eleven.

I think that there are two sides to this coin. Knowing your best team is clearly preferable but, on the other hand, the Championship is a grind with lots of midweek games and virtually no respite. International breaks are a disruption to squad development.
Fans like the idea of picking your best team all the time but it’s not practical in the Championship. The strongest squads prosper in this division and in order to get the squad match fit and slotting in seamlessly you have to rotate. When Idah had to step up on Saturday it was better that he’d had a couple of starts recently than if he’d not played at all.
All players benefit from a good run on the team but all the squad can’t simultaneously get a good run in the team. It’s a very tricky balancing act for the manager.