It's probably just that Covil had a full preseason with the group and performed beyond expectation in training. I'm sure the Chelsea lads will get their opportunity. I don't know what level they're at though - I don't see them as immediate starters and the ones with more idea than fans are the ones who see them in training through the week.
I think that's because they see us playing differently, meaning with Seri in there, with players of the quality of Tufan, Pelkas, Sinik etc ahead of him (the 'quarterback' analogy from earlier. But that only works if the defence is rock solid - ours isn't. Maybethey thought bringing in Figs would strengthen what seemed like a reasonably solid defence from last season ..... but it hasn't. I suspect they've over estimated how good Figs would be and how good our defence was last season. There's good (different) reasons why neither Figs nor Seri were retained by their previous clubs.
There is such a thing called fluidity of movement, good players move into wide positions when the opportunity arises. !! One doesn't have to be labelled a winger to move out to the flanks, or doesn't it state that down under ?
Maybe that's why he's persisting with the extra centre back? - to compensate for the lack of a Smallwood type in midfield - there does seem to be at least some logic there, but defensively last season our record was decent at least in part due to playing quite a rigid back 5 and effectively 2 holders. They needed to shift the balance to create more but seem to have gone to the opposite extreme at the moment, where we've lost all discipline in the way we play without the ball. Perhaps it's a question of communication, who's picking up who in what circumstance etc but we are looking more like a team of individuals in the last few outings.
Lots of comments about no width, no pace, etc etc but where are our wide players currently ? Where are our 'fast' players currently ? Ahh yeh, injured !!!, there is no rule in football about standing still, players can move.. the better players are fluid in their movement and move out to the flanks, when the circunstances are right, before you scoff, have a think
So what's the message there exactly? They're probably not good enough to start? Even if they're intended to be cover over the course of the season, now is their chance to have a crack at it surely? Once others come back they may not get so much of a look in. You'd think with a young F Campbell playing such a part in our promotion season, a player with Vale's background should get a look in, or at least a bench spot pretty quickly surely?
Pelkas can play out on either flank but will drift inside to link play, Longman's done a job there for us, Williams has pace (that's about all but he has it) and Sinik should be coming into contention after the international break. Don't know anything about Vale but suggestions were from his signing that he'd be a contender for the right hand side.
Maybe he/they will be, but none of us have seen them play so until we do they're unknown quantities - and it's not beyond reason to get them accustomed to their surroundings before throwing them in the deep end.
Pelkas yes, but that's one flank, Longman has been shyte since he signed permanent and again underlined it last night with his cameo of missing a sitter and other none existence.. the others you mention are as I said injured. Vale is the unknown factor, dont think any of us know what to expect.
Williams is fit and Sinik should be starting to come into contention after Swansea with the international break immediately after. Think Longman needs to get to full sharpness still and that comes with minutes. Think his drop off in form was in part down to being asked to play wingback for a time which isn't his natural gig.
Jumped up little **** he is. Was wondering last night where he’d be now if he’d stuck about a little longer and left an established first team player. Not in the championship nor at Stoke would be my guess.
I don't know what it is, but after I've heard his post match interviews I feel like calling the samaritans. He might be a decent bloke but can anyone truly imagine him giving an inspiring half time team talk to give the players a lift.
Even with a fully-fit midfield, we still lack physicality. We’ve resolved the issue of having few technical and creative midfielders from last season but we haven’t really replaced Smallwood with a similar but better player. Wingers, fair enough, you have a point as we’ve been unlucky with injuries but the midfield itself is very unbalanced. We’ve been bullied by every physical team we’ve come up against so far and we’ve nobody in midfield who can read the game off the ball and break up the opposition’s play. It’s a massive issue. Simons might be that player but an inexperienced academy player signed on deadline day doesn’t fill me with massive confidence.
I think it's fair to say that we didn't consider getting a big midfielder to be a priority this summer. I know you and a couple of others were keen on it, but I think it's acceptable to want to go in a different direction. Seri, Slater and Tufan are excellent players and I think looking to replace them with anyone else to improve our recent results is barking up the wrong tree. Slater isn't the biggest, but it's not like he's weak or can't put himself about. Similar to Smallwood really. In fact, for a team which I keep reading is too soft, we concede an incredible amount of fouls, and ultimately it was free kicks that beat us last night. Maybe we actually need to be less physical...
