Kerouac
Youth Team Apprentice
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2020
- Messages
- 22
- Reaction score
- 0
So once again we have the emotionally fragile among us having meltdowns and writing us off as relegated...4 games in and with the transfer window not even over, in a week where we just sold our 20 goal a season striker.
...and why?
Because we lost away to Preston? We usually lose away to Preston...they are unbeaten and have made the best start to their season for years.
Because we haven't won a league game yet? We are only 4 games in and under the previous management we went without a win for longer than that on more than 1 occasion.
Because we are a 'Selling Club'? Despite everybody understanding that we had to sell Piroe as he wanted out and was in the last year of his contract...I remember many of the same idiots who lament his sale telling me I was wrong and how limited he was when I pointed out we were lucky to have him and should have been in the play-offs with such a finisher in our ranks. That boy is class, we should have made more of the seasons he was with us.
Re: Today's game.
We were much the better team and after an hour, we were 1-0 up and in charge. We were looking dangerous with the ball. Passing with purpose. We were missing a killer ball, we were missing a target man, we were missing pace (all 3 of these things have been missing over the last couple of seasons, nothing new).
We, once again, capitulated.
Yates should have played the ball the way he was facing once winning it, he held on, trying to beat too many players in our own half, has the ball stolen from him (yes, he might have been fouled) and then Patino is slow to close the crosser because he is caught in two minds whether to track the full-back sprinting past him...it was a good header but Darling's job is to compete there and once again he failed.
1-1.
We then fell back into bad habits, playing a lot of static football, a lot of 2-5 yard safe passes, stopped attacking...seemed content to hold the ball and take the draw.
Fulton gets done, BUT those 3 centre-backs (& Grimes & Key) need to be stopping a free shot from the centre of the box, disgraceful defending.
2-1
OUR PROBLEMS
- We are a weak, soft, side.
- When we are 1-0 up we think the game is won, the intensity drops, the cigars and slippers come out, we get cocky. When you are 1-0 up you need to play with the same drive and intensity, the same will to win as if you are level. It is only when you are 2 goals up that you have a cushion
- Who is at fault for this? The senior players in the team. They don't have the character, the leadership qualities, they are not winners.
This is why Cooper had Bennett at the heart of his defence, despite him being old and slow. He was solid, he was a grafter, he saw danger developing and he fucking put a stop to it. He led the defence.
Before this window closes we need to buy a player like that
- We don't have an attacking midfielder driving at the defence, at pace, making things happen in the final third.
- We don't have enough pace up top.
Our weaknesses will not be solved overnight. Duff has to change the culture of the 1st team squad. That will take some time.
WHY WE SHOULD STILL BE OPTIMISTIC
1 - These problems are not new, they are all long standing problems.
2 - We have brought in good players in this window;
- Rushworth (a big improvement in goal)
- Ashby (looks good going forward)
- Key (looks a very good player, has skill, plays positively, can also defend properly)
- Patino (total class in the midfield, skillful, composed, lovely passer. A couple of assists already)
- Ginnelly (Can be that attacking midfielder driving at that defence, looks a natural, just need to get him fit)
- Yates (a class finisher and works his nuts off...he is not a target man, yes he coughed the ball up a lot today...needs to be playing with a target man)
- Kuhuarevich (today was the first I've laid eyes on him and he looks like he has the attributes to be that target man...or back up target man that we are developing if we bring another striker in before the window closes)
3 - We now have a large transfer kitty and a week to bring in the players required to address our remaining weaknesses. Duff has had a chance to watch the first team squad in action in the Championship, he will know all about our weaknesses. He will be clear what we need.
4 - In Watson we finally have someone in place capable of getting these deals done
MY PREDICTIONS
Why not, everyone else is predicting a relegation scrap so I'll get my crystal ball out and give it a rub...
By October the team will have settled down and we will be an inconsistent mid table side.
By January we will be playing good football and be hard to beat.
By April we will be scrapping for those play-off spots and if we can get a spot will be going into that as a strong squad, in form, with every chance.
Over the course of the season these players will either respond to the challenge or find themselves sold/let go next summer;
- Fisher
- Darling
- Naughton
- Fulton (as much as I like him)
- Walsh
- Paterson
If we are still in the Championship at the start of next season we will start the campaign as one of the strongest teams in the division. Some of you will be treating Duff as your saviour by then...and nobody will 'fess up how wrong they were at the start of his tenure.
People like me (who consistently call things correct before the herd catch up) will still be castigated and mocked.
When we return to the Premiership, some of the more dense among you will look back with rose tinted glasses and claim that Duff was only able to get us up because of the groundwork laid by that imbecile Martin (74% possession again today and only 7 shots on target, 4 less than his opposition - he is fortunate to have Adam Armstrong still on board to bail him out at present)
...and why?
Because we lost away to Preston? We usually lose away to Preston...they are unbeaten and have made the best start to their season for years.
Because we haven't won a league game yet? We are only 4 games in and under the previous management we went without a win for longer than that on more than 1 occasion.
Because we are a 'Selling Club'? Despite everybody understanding that we had to sell Piroe as he wanted out and was in the last year of his contract...I remember many of the same idiots who lament his sale telling me I was wrong and how limited he was when I pointed out we were lucky to have him and should have been in the play-offs with such a finisher in our ranks. That boy is class, we should have made more of the seasons he was with us.
Re: Today's game.
We were much the better team and after an hour, we were 1-0 up and in charge. We were looking dangerous with the ball. Passing with purpose. We were missing a killer ball, we were missing a target man, we were missing pace (all 3 of these things have been missing over the last couple of seasons, nothing new).
We, once again, capitulated.
Yates should have played the ball the way he was facing once winning it, he held on, trying to beat too many players in our own half, has the ball stolen from him (yes, he might have been fouled) and then Patino is slow to close the crosser because he is caught in two minds whether to track the full-back sprinting past him...it was a good header but Darling's job is to compete there and once again he failed.
1-1.
We then fell back into bad habits, playing a lot of static football, a lot of 2-5 yard safe passes, stopped attacking...seemed content to hold the ball and take the draw.
Fulton gets done, BUT those 3 centre-backs (& Grimes & Key) need to be stopping a free shot from the centre of the box, disgraceful defending.
2-1
OUR PROBLEMS
- We are a weak, soft, side.
- When we are 1-0 up we think the game is won, the intensity drops, the cigars and slippers come out, we get cocky. When you are 1-0 up you need to play with the same drive and intensity, the same will to win as if you are level. It is only when you are 2 goals up that you have a cushion
- Who is at fault for this? The senior players in the team. They don't have the character, the leadership qualities, they are not winners.
This is why Cooper had Bennett at the heart of his defence, despite him being old and slow. He was solid, he was a grafter, he saw danger developing and he fucking put a stop to it. He led the defence.
Before this window closes we need to buy a player like that
- We don't have an attacking midfielder driving at the defence, at pace, making things happen in the final third.
- We don't have enough pace up top.
Our weaknesses will not be solved overnight. Duff has to change the culture of the 1st team squad. That will take some time.
WHY WE SHOULD STILL BE OPTIMISTIC
1 - These problems are not new, they are all long standing problems.
2 - We have brought in good players in this window;
- Rushworth (a big improvement in goal)
- Ashby (looks good going forward)
- Key (looks a very good player, has skill, plays positively, can also defend properly)
- Patino (total class in the midfield, skillful, composed, lovely passer. A couple of assists already)
- Ginnelly (Can be that attacking midfielder driving at that defence, looks a natural, just need to get him fit)
- Yates (a class finisher and works his nuts off...he is not a target man, yes he coughed the ball up a lot today...needs to be playing with a target man)
- Kuhuarevich (today was the first I've laid eyes on him and he looks like he has the attributes to be that target man...or back up target man that we are developing if we bring another striker in before the window closes)
3 - We now have a large transfer kitty and a week to bring in the players required to address our remaining weaknesses. Duff has had a chance to watch the first team squad in action in the Championship, he will know all about our weaknesses. He will be clear what we need.
4 - In Watson we finally have someone in place capable of getting these deals done
MY PREDICTIONS
Why not, everyone else is predicting a relegation scrap so I'll get my crystal ball out and give it a rub...
By October the team will have settled down and we will be an inconsistent mid table side.
By January we will be playing good football and be hard to beat.
By April we will be scrapping for those play-off spots and if we can get a spot will be going into that as a strong squad, in form, with every chance.
Over the course of the season these players will either respond to the challenge or find themselves sold/let go next summer;
- Fisher
- Darling
- Naughton
- Fulton (as much as I like him)
- Walsh
- Paterson
If we are still in the Championship at the start of next season we will start the campaign as one of the strongest teams in the division. Some of you will be treating Duff as your saviour by then...and nobody will 'fess up how wrong they were at the start of his tenure.
People like me (who consistently call things correct before the herd catch up) will still be castigated and mocked.
When we return to the Premiership, some of the more dense among you will look back with rose tinted glasses and claim that Duff was only able to get us up because of the groundwork laid by that imbecile Martin (74% possession again today and only 7 shots on target, 4 less than his opposition - he is fortunate to have Adam Armstrong still on board to bail him out at present)
R.
