Are we doing OK or underachieving?

[Smurph]

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.

Absolutely it's a squad game in this day and age, just feel that some players like Key,Ronald and to a certain extent Eom are nailed on starters most weeks, this needs to be extended to some of the others.

 

[cmajack]

And there we have it.

It doesn't make it more bearable, but some people will happily turn a blind eye to it if it wins more games. That's the long and the short of it. Cakeism.

Absolutely it's a squad game in this day and age, just feel that some players like Key,Ronald and to a certain extent Eom are nailed on starters most weeks, this needs to be extended to some of the others.

Make your mind up , earlier on you posted that Sheehan doesn't know his best side, now you are saying too many are nailed on starters. Make no bones about it, after last Wednesday both Inoussa and Widell should have been starting last Saturday, the fact they weren't was down to the managers pragmatic approach to not lose games, rather than look to win games from the start. Sheehan doesn't like flair players, he likes boring , functional players. Keep rolling out the excuses for him lads, he will be found out in the end unless he changes tactics.

 

[Smurph]

Make your mind up , earlier on you posted that Sheehan doesn't know his best side, now you are saying too many are nailed on starters. Make no bones about it, after last Wednesday both Inoussa and Widell should have been starting last Saturday, the fact they weren't was down to the managers pragmatic approach to not lose games, rather than look to win games from the start. Sheehan doesn't like flair players, he likes boring , functional players. Keep rolling out the excuses for him lads, he will be found out in the end unless he changes tactics.

I didn't say that too many were nailed on starters, just a selected few which my previous post stated. I think your dislike of the manger is interfering on how you interact with posters like myself.

Happy to chat, don't want to argue for the sake of arguing

 

[cmajack]

I didn't say that too many were nailed on starters, just a selected few which my previous post stated. I think your dislike of the manger is interfering on how you interact with posters like myself.

Happy to chat, don't want to argue for the sake of arguing

Oh , i don't like to argue either, as I've said before, i don't dislike the manager. I certainly dislike his style of football, and his not to lose approach rather than him having a positive let's win the game attitude. His reluctance to play Widell , when Eom has had a season and a quarter to show mostly nothing , is just mind boggling.

 

[Smurph]

Oh , i don't like to argue either, as I've said before, i don't dislike the manager. I certainly dislike his style of football, and his not to lose approach rather than him having a positive let's win the game attitude. His reluctance to play Widell , when Eom has had a season and a quarter to show mostly nothing , is just mind boggling.

Same as Ronald who seems undroppable when his performances are on a par with Inoussa who can't get the same amount of minutes.

 

[cmajack]

Same as Ronald who seems undroppable when his performances are on a par with Inoussa who can't get the same amount of minutes.

It's just very frustrating, clubs thrive on momentum, think where Forest were when Cooper took over, and think of Swans when Trundle was here, both galvanised and with tons of momentum. Think we had that close season, new owners, actually interested in the football side, best transfer window for years, new high profile investors (albeit small) trying to lift the profile of the Swans even higher, and yet we have (in my opinion) a manager that has squashed all that in less than 15 games with his mind numbingly boring tedious football. I hope he succeeds (because I'm a fan) , but i just think he's the wrong fit for this club at this particular time.

 

[Smurph]

It's just very frustrating, clubs thrive on momentum, think where Forest were when Cooper took over, and think of Swans when Trundle was here, both galvanised and with tons of momentum. Think we had that close season, new owners, actually interested in the football side, best transfer window for years, new high profile investors (albeit small) trying to lift the profile of the Swans even higher, and yet we have (in my opinion) a manager that has squashed all that in less than 15 games with his mind numbingly boring tedious football. I hope he succeeds (because I'm a fan) , but i just think he's the wrong fit for this club at this particular time.

I was so excited going in to the season based on what we saw towards the end of last season and the summer transfer window. My hope and excitement is slowly evaporating.

I still think he's the man to take us forward for now.

 

[Andrew - North Hill]

It's just very frustrating, clubs thrive on momentum, think where Forest were when Cooper took over, and think of Swans when Trundle was here, both galvanised and with tons of momentum. Think we had that close season, new owners, actually interested in the football side, best transfer window for years, new high profile investors (albeit small) trying to lift the profile of the Swans even higher, and yet we have (in my opinion) a manager that has squashed all that in less than 15 games with his mind numbingly boring tedious football. I hope he succeeds (because I'm a fan) , but i just think he's the wrong fit for this club at this particular time.

Of course there's a fair chance he might be the wrong fit. It's too early yet.

But we also need to accept that the longer time goes by, the more likely it is that as a club we're not signing very good forwards are we. Especially in the case of Eom and Ronald, who simply don't produce consistently week in week out. The only solution is to spend out on better players - but we don't have that kind of money, despite the new ownership.

We are we where are. I think it was Phil who said something like this yesterday (I'm paraphrasing a bit) we could sack Sheehan tomorrow and bring in a different manager with a slightly different take on it, but results would likely be much the same. With this group of players anyway. I think 9th or 10th is about the ceiling, and that's with a very fair wind.

 

[Jackareme]

I think (man for man) we have a squad capable of a top 6 finish. However, at the moment, our team is less than the sum of the parts.
I quite like the managers pragmatism at times. However, I feel like he has to find a solution to joining up the top end of the pitch with the midfield and defense.
A big part of this will be to play with a genuine number 10 who has high energy, and is creative. Looking at the squad, I believe Widell is the best looking candidate . Behind him, possibly Cullen.
Further back, Galbraith has to start when fit, and needs to be on the ball as much as possible. Franco Stamenic and Yalcouye can rotate in and out.
If he wants to play the 3 centre backs - then Key and Tymon need to play very high to connect the team and offer width.
This championship is decided on such fine margins that i could easily see us go on a winning run.

 

[sit_down_jack]

I think (man for man) we have a squad capable of a top 6 finish. However, at the moment, our team is less than the sum of the parts.
I quite like the managers pragmatism at times. However, I feel like he has to find a solution to joining up the top end of the pitch with the midfield and defense.
A big part of this will be to play with a genuine number 10 who has high energy, and is creative. Looking at the squad, I believe Widell is the best looking candidate . Behind him, possibly Cullen.
Further back, Galbraith has to start when fit, and needs to be on the ball as much as possible. Franco Stamenic and Yalcouye can rotate in and out.
If he wants to play the 3 centre backs - then Key and Tymon need to play very high to connect the team and offer width.
This championship is decided on such fine margins that i could easily see us go on a winning run.

Millwall and Preston are in the top 6 at the moment, there’s no reason with the players we have available that we can’t be competing higher up. We have an excellent goalkeeper, some solid and experienced CBs, the most creative fullback in the division last year, Galbraith who most fans can see has a high ceiling and Vipotnik who is probably the best striker in the league outside of Coventry. We should not be in 16th.

 

[tardylum]

I do not mind the rotation we have seen this year. With the two games against Premier League teams in the League Cup and many international players who play regularly when there is a break, we could not have expected players to be playing every single minute. Right now I think Sheehan is using around the right amount of players and has narrowed it down to the 15-18 that he trusts and wants to use, which seems sensible and realistic to me.

Sometimes I am disheartened by the reaction to line-ups on here. We want Sheehan to try something different, he brought on Cullen against Blackburn and it helped to change the game. When he was named in the starting line-up for the next game, people lost their minds. The same happened this weekend. He continued with the three central defenders who performed well in midweek and people were angry about us being defensive v Charlton. We have played 4-3-3 all season and created very little, I would have changed certain players but just because it is a back 3 it does not mean it is a defensive or negative system.

On Inoussa. He has shown promise enough to play and to have confidence he will grow into something more valuable. I disagree on the idea he has shown enough to be destined for the Premier League though. Maybe if everything goes right, but just as much could go wrong. The team he is in probably is not helping but he has not looked like a goal threat at all yet. Early days and there is no rush but by Christmas if we are approaching 20 games where he has barely threatened we may have to readjust expectations for what he will become and he could end up transitioning into being a very good option rather than somebody who becomes the main guy.

 

[sit_down_jack]

Interesting graph from Louorns on Twitter, he’s a Watford fan who collates stats from The Championship. Not great reading from a chance creation point of view. He even points out that we shouldn’t be that bad

 

[Nottinghillbilly]

.

Been told there's increasing concern that Sheeezy is ofc, the massive limiting factor.

WE have a richly assembled deep 'n wide squad with oodles of latent talent.

Unfortunately we have a poorly assembled Coaching team with bugger all talent.

The bet was hedged - it's now time to pull the trigger and stop appeasing shouty fickle fans, and appoint the manager we coulda, woulda, shoulda

Go get him, best in class recruitment apparatus.........


.

 

[FearOfAJackPlanet]

I think the Benson signing being a total flop so far is a significant factor in our attacking woes. We REALLY needed an effective alternative to Ronald down the right. I'm content with Tymon, Inoussa and Eom as options on the left, but Key, Ronald and Benson on the right is a major drop in quality in comparison. 5 at the back seems to suit Key, so maybe there's some light at the end of that tunnel, but we still lack quality going forwards on the right. I'd consider cancelling Benson's loan in January and getting someone else in if possible.

The absence of any real intent to attack down the centre of midfield leaves the wide players shouldering more responsibility for creating chances than their output warrants, but if that's the way he wants to play, then we need to level up out wide in January. Maybe even bringing Congreve back from Dundee in addition to making a singing or two. We need to find people who relish taking on defenders, not having to be pushed into it as a last resort against their will...

In addition, whilst we don't appear to have many good options to play as a 10 - and more importantly - the manager doesn't seem to have much of a desire to put anyone there, it should be noted that Franco and Galbraith often get into great positions in the centre on those rare occasions where our wide players get in and attack the opposition box, Franco especially makes great runs into the box when we push the line of play up, it's just not happening enough at present.

 

[cmajack]

Of course there's a fair chance he might be the wrong fit. It's too early yet.

But we also need to accept that the longer time goes by, the more likely it is that as a club we're not signing very good forwards are we. Especially in the case of Eom and Ronald, who simply don't produce consistently week in week out. The only solution is to spend out on better players - but we don't have that kind of money, despite the new ownership.

We are we where are. I think it was Phil who said something like this yesterday (I'm paraphrasing a bit) we could sack Sheehan tomorrow and bring in a different manager with a slightly different take on it, but results would likely be much the same. With this group of players anyway. I think 9th or 10th is about the ceiling, and that's with a very fair wind.

I think the Benson signing being a total flop so far is a significant factor in our attacking woes. We REALLY needed an effective alternative to Ronald down the right. I'm content with Tymon, Inoussa and Eom as options on the left, but Key, Ronald and Benson on the right is a major drop in quality in comparison. 5 at the back seems to suit Key, so maybe there's some light at the end of that tunnel, but we still lack quality going forwards on the right. I'd consider cancelling Benson's loan in January and getting someone else in if possible.

The absence of any real intent to attack down the centre of midfield leaves the wide players shouldering more responsibility for creating chances than their output warrants, but if that's the way he wants to play, then we need to level up out wide in January. Maybe even bringing Congreve back from Dundee in addition to making a singing or two. We need to find people who relish taking on defenders, not having to be pushed into it as a last resort against their will...

He could well have one in Widell, either through the middle (10) or out wide, he just chooses not to use him.