I think Rusyn has had some niggly injuries mate. He was looking ok when his chance came, not great but ok, then he got a niggle again. I also wonder how much what is happening in his country is impacting his wellbeing. We can all sit here and say players should play. But in reality it depends on whether they are good enough in training. We dont see that, but coaches do. Burstow got a fair crack at it from Mowbray but didnt take it. Mayenda was injured for a long while and Hemir just didnt show enough in my opinion to deserve a spot. All 4 are likely good players, but to me it is plausible none are showing enough to suggest they will be good enough yet. Beale has hinted he has ideas on some lads not in the team. It maybe a new gaffer will fire them up a bit and one may come in and take their chance. I hope so and it would most likely be Rusyn. I would be bringing in someone else in Jan though personally who is more likely to step in and understand the gig.
Yeah all true possibilities mate. We also have the Bennette problem who has made it public how frustrated he is getting and has more assists than Roberts. Were signing these young kids and none of them are playing so this project we're supposed to have seems abit pointless.
This is why I commented a few days ago saying I would prefer to sign more Ballard's and Clarke's. I don't mind the young kids from Europe but the 2 youngsters we did sign for a couple of million each have made the biggest impact on the starting 11 and we would make a lot more money on both of them now, after 1 and a half seasons. That's a model I can 100% get behind.
Me too mate, and despite being young they both had alot of experience in League 1 and the Championship so came in and hit the ground running straight away. These young foreign lads need loaning out in Jan to a League 1 club, but because of our lack of experience we dont have the squad to be able to do that.
Thing is though Clarke was not that good in League One and he took time to get to a good level, time which we are not affording to other players. Clarke isn't the player he is because of where we got him from or because he is English, he's good because we have given him time.
He's always been good mate, Spurs paid 10m for him after seeing the talent he had for Leeds playing in the Championship. What we done was give him a chance again after not getting any game time at Spurs and hes now back to being the player and showing the talent he did at Leeds because hes playing regularly for a club hes took to his heart and we made him feel loved again.
EXACTLY. Unlike all of the foreign signings who we have mistreated and not played in favour of underperforming British players. Dack getting minutes over others is not good, Roberts has done nothing this season to deserve a start, Burstow being the only striker to get a run of games is a disgrace, Aouchiche leads our team in multiple important data points yet hardly plays, Seelt gets dropped after playing well, Ba has contributed more than Roberts yet one is labelled a great player the other gets boo'd, Rusyn has played under 300 minutes and his translator is one of the youth team players, Mayenda has barely played but has looked bright, Hemir needs time. There is no reason at all for these players to be being treated like they have been this season.
Yeah i agree with all that mate. I also feel for Bennette whos been here a year longer than all the other youngsters and he hasnt featured since his amazing contribution against Southampton
And yet once again we are in the play off positions. Take Roberts as an example. I have banged the Ba drum previously this season because I dont think Roberts has been in great form at times, and I think Ba is a talent. Then I watch Ba play and think he is still some way off Roberts in terms of impact in games. I dont get too involved in stats, but I have said previously that the assist stat is overrated. Neil got the assist for Clarkes goal at Hull. My bet would be Roberts has a really good record when it comes to key passes in goal build ups, or is attempting a lot of killer balls. His dribbling will be well up and his ability to get us from the mid point in our half to the mid point in theirs is fantastic. He takes the whacks every week and gets the free kicks. He never hides from the ball and is always on for the pass. Pointing to his goals and assists is not the full pucture in my opinion but no doubt coaches will be wanting more and I would bet they are focussing on his finishing. I dont see how the treatment of new or foreign lads is bad tbh. Coaches will pick the best team in their opinion. I would bet up to now those not getting much game time arent doing enough in training to oust the lad in possession. You cant pick lads who in training are worse than others. Personally I would love to see Rigg in the side week in week out, ahead of any of the others, but like them the coaches must think he is learning and not ready yet to be a regular starter. I dont think it is a mustreatment though, his and others time will come, if he is as good as I think he is.
But surely you can't pick players who are playing worse than others? Side note as we had an interesting conversation weeks ago about coaches, Luke Williams seems to be getting the Swansea job, good appointment?
Yeah I think he is a good finisher but I have concerns over how he would fit into a different system as Hearts play a very different style to us. I also think Hearts will ask for a fee he's not worthy of. In my opinion you can get much better for a lot cheaper if you shop clever.
He would be an ok signing, scouted him live quite a few times as tynecastle is on my door step. He is a good finisher, strikes the ball cleanly when shooting n rarely snatches at chances. Where i have concerns is the rest of his game, not sure he has the all round physicality to play at championship level (he struggles to maintain his tempo in games so goes through patches in games where he is nonexistent). His link up play is below average for a championship striker as is his hold up play. The step up from the spl to the championship is massive, very few players make the step up unless they have that physicality. Robertson, mcginn n stewart are obvious ones that have been a success in england, they can maintain a high tempo for 90 minutes, this is something shankland will struggle with imo. Due to this he becomes less effective in the box, which is where he is at his best. I could be wrong and he joins an english team n does well at championship level but i dont see it from the games ive watched live or on tv The feeling from hearts fans i know (i work with loads) is that he wants to join rangers
Re Williams I think it is an excellent appointment for them. His record at Notts County is great. I know some of their fans and they love him. Ex of Swansea so a really sensible appointment. Russell Martin is my idea of the best championship coach and he worked as his assistant for a few years so a great pedigree.
I think stepping up a level improves players though. Whod have thought 3 years ago Stewart would be smashing the Championship and if it wasn't for his injuries who knows how many hed have scored and what league wed be in now. Shankland is only 28, 6 foot 1 and has an excellent goal scoring record. I reckon wed have got him for what we paid for Rusyn.
Doesnt always improve players though, otherwise transfers would be simple Its not Shanklands height that i have concerns about it, its the overall tempo that he play at. He would struggle to maintain his tempo at championship level. Kris boyd is one of the best examples of strikers in scotland struggling to adapt to english football - scored so many goals, great movement in the box but struggled with the tempo. He might do ok for us but from what i have seen i think he would struggle.
Re the players. It is so difficult to get it right I think. I think Mowbray tried hard this season to give us a different style of play to use, but the players found it challenging. Hume rolling into midfield to release Neil much higher for example, Hume struggled and the defence struggled. When we were doing that I thought Ba was tailor made to come in as he has such a great engine, can win headers and will fill spaces defensively well. He was perhaps a victim of a tactic change not being suitable. When we play a more conventional 231 I think Roberts is better as he stretches teams wide and long which I dont see Ba doing yet. But the lad is a bairn and I think he will be a real star for us this time next season. Adil is interesting as could he get in and play? Probably yes, but again who to leave out? Maybe Roberts as some have suggested but I think we will lose that stretching ability again. I see Adil as a 10 personally but Jobe has had a brilliant start to his time here, Pritchard is still a brilliant player in my opinion. I could see the argument for Adil instead of Dack last time out but for me it was a likely case of Beale being more confident in Dack understanding some very specific instructions and being able to execute based on his know how. In time I would be very surprised if Beale doesnt get the newer younger lads in tune with his wants. I just think they will get a chance when they are ready, and when they are then maybe Roberts and Pritchard etc will have to up their games. Beale is the right man for it, once he gets chance to spend time with them on the training pitch. It may well be the last 15 games of this season is when the likes of Rusyn, Adil, Rigg, Ba all take off with massive contributions, once Beale has got the measure of them. That would be my expectation anyway.
It is all about attitude for me when stepping up a level or two. When a team does it that is easier I think, you are in it together with momentum. When you do it as a player you really are stepping into the unknown to an extent. You can be confident, but much more important you need desire. You have to prove yourself to new teammates and fans. The best example for me is the older Bellingham. His character is what sets him apart. From his humble beginning at Brum he took Dortmund by storm. Now he is the main man at Madrid. Talent gets him so far, but his attitude is something else altogether. Whisper it quietly but his younger brother is showing the same qualities. As for Stewart he would be in the prem now but for his injury. If we hadnt gone up we would have received silly money. The lad was the complete striker in my opinion. Had real pace, would run all day, could score all sorts of goals and was the best set piece defender at the club. I really hope he gets back to 100% as he deserves to play at the top level.
How do you prove you’re good enough if you’re rarely given a fair crack on the pitch and get dropped no matter how well you play? You can’t even get a chance when we’re getting beaten time and time against piss poor clubs at the bottom of the league.. when you’re losing games regularly most sane managers would change things not continue to play the same team and keep dropping points. How many games has Roberts won us this season through his dribbling?
