Personally I don't think one, or any number of transfer windows will solve the goalscoring issue. We already have players that would walk into other teams in this league - teams that we've dropped too many points to. It was 'HMS Piss the League' when the Jan window closed yet we've still not really improved regards goalscoring or even clear cut chance creation, despite the talent at the club. For me it's the play style, game plan, whatever you want to call it. It's got us where we are and it may yet prove to be a success in the long run, but pushing on to the next level would mean creating more game winning chances out of our play and then taking those chances. We don't do this currently, not consistently anyways. I don't currently see our tactics as promotion winning. We don't put teams to the sword and have paid for it too many times over the course of the season. I don't see how anyone can argue with that. The big question that remains to be seen is whether the way we set up will act as a glass ceiling or whether we're able to get to that next level playing this way with the sorts of players we're seemingly able to attract to the club. We need to be scoring more goals if we're looking to go up, and consistently too.
I think a fit Delap makes an absolutely huge difference, which tells us which piece of the puzzle we're missing. Prior to January we were missing depth in the wide positions which we've corrected with Zaroury, Omur, Carvalho and Philogene now all able to play out there (compared to just Jaden, Twine and Lokilo previously which is markedly worse). A fit Delap/fit striker options brought in in summer would give me confidence we could push for top 2, so long as anyone else who goes out is replaced with someone coming in (e.g. Morton, Greaves, Jaden). Throw in a capable right back to challenge/replace Coyle and a young understudy for Seri (which we've tried and failed with Simons and Woods) and I'd be pretty happy with the window.
I don't disagree with any of this, and Delap is a huge miss, but many of his goals and the chances he's been involved in creating have come from him providing moments of individual brilliance usually from around the halfway line and turning to surge at the opposition. If anything does this not 'break' the game plan and the way we set up to a degree? With a bit of luck the question marks I have at the moment will be answered in the next few weeks if he comes back into the mix. If we still aren't a force to be reckoned with after getting him back for a few games with the quality around him then the buck has to stop with how we set up to play. Hopefully it's as simple as Delap being the missing piece and we can start to score multiple goals against teams and win more. It'd be a good time to do it providing we stay in touch with the top 6 spots.
I have exactly the same reservations. Hopefully we will continue to develop and bravery to go for it more will just come naturally.
I can see the logic, and that's the way I would lean too. It would tie into the sustainability model that ideally we'd sell one major asset per season, and spread the income out a bit and I think we're more likely to be able resist unsolicited interest in Greaves for another season or so than Jaden.
If your expectation was ever 'HMS piss the league', then I fear you're setting yourself up for perpetual disappointment.
It's just about having decent players in a settled side for a period of time. The majority of our current forward line have known eachother less than 2 months. Sometimes it takes a season or more playing together to see a forward line hit full potential.
I'm afraid, unless we can make a loan or two permanent, then we'll see a lot more churn in summer. Not so much a complete change of identity in the GK's, back 4 or midfield - but in forward areas, we haven't got much, if any security of tenure. And that has to be addressed in summer.
The structure is there to provide opportunity to bring individual brilliance to the table, as we've repeatedly seen on an individual level - there is no attempt at all to stifle that. In fact they encourage it. But things only click when players start to combine that creativity and brilliance. And that takes a lot more than 8 or 9 games we've had since the forward line got together on jan 31st. Though we have won a pretty decent points average in that time, despite people complaining. Who'd have thunk it eh?
Liam has only been able to name Delap and Philogene in the same starting lineup 13 times this season. It’s worth remembering that the 2 key attacking players he’s designed his team around have barely been on the pitch together
Not at all, him creating space allows space for our midfield to run into. We bemoan the fact we can play so well against Leicester and Southampton because of the space we can exploit when we get in behind. Delap would be able to pick the ball up and drive into the opposition half and effectively create that space for the midfield to run into.
What was our record in those games out of interest? I suspect we won the majority. EDIT: Games played together: Cov - D Leeds - D Stoke - W Plymouth - D Ipswich - L Milwall - D Soton - L Birmingham - W Preston - W Hudd - W Swansea - D Rotherham - W Watford - L QPR - L So 5W, 5D, 4L. Take into account that Cov and Leeds Philogene was acclimatising and got going against Stoke, you could say it was 5W, 3D and 4L (two of which were Soton and Ipswich). Our wide options are much stronger now so you'd think the record could be even better in the run in.
Surprisingly worse than our season average at 1.46ppg. But we did play Leeds, Ipswich, Southampton, WBA, Coventry so tough fixtures
We need 2 competitive players in a squad able to play that role though, if that role is going to be so pivotal. Oscar or Sharp aren't the answer to that. But it does need addressing in summer.
Absolutely, which is my point that actually a transfer window CAN address the issue and it isn't a flaw in the gameplan. Delap showed how effective it could be once he was up to full speed before his injury, so targeting someone like Stansfield (who I think could play a similar role) plus A.N. Other in the summer could do the trick.
