I’ve been beating the bring Clarke back drum since mid December and I stand by it. Pretty confident we’d have 4 more points already if we’d had, with nobodies development stifled. Huge fan of Le Fee and think he’s a great signing but so far he’s played in Jack clarkes position and done a lot worse than Jack Clarke would have done.
Sorry i'll try and explain better... I don't see Mayenda as viable backup right now to Isidor for a promotion race, especially auto's. I really like the lad and think he is going to be a class player but his composure infront of goal is not good at all right now. I would not like to rely on that if Isidor gets an injury. Mundle and Watson are two very good options for the left wing which is why i'm not as worried. So if the only way we can get a CF is through a loan to buy option, i'd like us to use it on that.
I guess it comes down to a difference of opinion. Agree that Mayenda isn't quite good enough yet to be first choice week in week out, but I'd say Watson is even less so - he has a hell of a lot less experience for sure! I think both areas could use strengthening. But, since the 2 strikers we have are both fully fit, and both wingers are injured (and Mundle especially a high risk of re-injury when he gets back), I think the wing is more of a priority, personally
See the counter argument here is that you’re recruiting based on a hypothetical injury rather than the two actual injuries we have. I see both points or view mind.
I agree. He’s not getting a sniff at Ipswich so a short term loan could benefit everyone. Don’t think he’d prevent Mundle/Watson minutes, but would enhance depth even further. Really wouldn’t be surprised if this is being seriously explored.
people are romanticising development and forgetting we’re trying to get promoted and an arguable consequence of not getting promoted is that said players won’t get that development chance anyway as they’ll be leaving additionally the championship has proven to be a slog, players have fallen like flies. our two left wingers have unknown return dates, have to get up to speed and avoid injury. I think mundle is good to go but Watson is quite clearly a ways back in development despite his potential we need options and it’s a fact, look at the state of the substitutions and game management at the weekend, slight exaggeration but it’s true. Clarke left, enzo in the pocket looks markedly improved fwiw I think Aouchiche is capable of doing the business on the left until the return of kindle but we’ve seen the gaffer ostracise him again after not doing anything wrong, shoe horning a midfielder in out wide in stead. the gaffer needs the tools he wants OR to stop putting square pegs in round holes and play people in correct positions. People will miss out but that’s football.
You rotate the midfield and play Le Fee in his preferred position. You don’t get top 2 without rotation and using the squad.
@Scout73 Just wondered if you've seen much of Vanja Vlahovic from Atalanta, mate? Noticed he's getting around the first team recently and highly rated as a striker who can also play on the left.
...........Jobe - Neil............. Roberts - Le Fee - Clarke ...............Isidor................. ......Samed - Browne...... Watson - Rigg - Mundle ............Mayenda............ Other players to fit into that system would be Poveda, Abdullahi/New Striker, Aleksic We'd go up with that as our team like.
Anything and I mean anything is greatly received Bucky. And I think I speak for most on here. You look after yourself first and foremost.
Yep. We need depth, rotation options and quality to bring off the bench. We have 9 subs now with the option of bringing 5 on, that's half of your outfield players, our lack of bench options have led to us conceding the 3rd most goals in the league in the last 15 minutes. A player being rotated to the bench does not mean they are bad or have been dropped, there's plenty of minutes to go around without harming development or player morale. We're going up against teams like Leeds that have arguably the 4 best wingers in the league in the same squad, we have ONE fit wide player currently. Think it's interesting that Kieran McKenna describes the substitutes as 'finishers' instead of subs as they have specific roles to play depending on the gamestate. I like this as I personally think people think being a sub is a bad thing but this changes the thought process.
Whilst I agree with your view on that - and the importance of subs - I think that the evidence is showing that RLB is just not that interested in using subs to massively impact the games. I think earlier on the assumption was that he simply didn't have the options available to him. I think the evidence in recent weeks shows that he's just not all that minded to make changes in-game.
I have to say I'm not in the 'promotion at all costs' faction tbh, and I don't just mean monetarily. I much prefer what we're doing because it's different and exciting imo. I wouldn't want to either buy our way up, with a bunch of random signings, or change our football and 'do a Luton'. Both of those options are very short term and exactly what we've done before ... it can work, at first, but it's built on sand. Even the Peter Reid time, fun though it was, never gave me the feeling it could last. Short threw money at the club but players came who had clearly been 'bribed' and had no love for the club. I used to stand there singing 'We love you Sunderland' while actually hating most of the players on the pitch and often the manager. I love the transformation of the club, over the last few years, and don't want all that work thrown up in the air. You can actually feel the bond with the players and supporters now, especially at away games, even if we lose. That's worth more than 'showing ambition' with endless mercenaries in my view. Yes some players will leave, as Stewart and Clarke did, but we keep progressing despite the odd setback through injuries etc. I know this post won't be popular but I'm loving what's happening and trust the club 100% to keep it all going.
Up to now, RLB has been pretty limited in his options and it's been pretty much the same team every week. You've had odd change - alese for cirkin, mayenda and Roberts - but nothing major. It kept it very simple and we've flourished as a result. Now we have le fee playing out of position, Dan Neil playing out of position and despite having loads of subs available we still bring on hjelde for a forward. So having all these options might sound great, the manager hasn't proved that he knows how to deal with them. If we get Clarke, how does that affect mundle and Watson? I just can't see it personally
I agree. I personally think that's an issue and when you look at the fact we concede so many late goals and score so few I think i'm right to have that concern.
Isn't that the same position that people thought was wrong for him and that he couldn't manage? TBH mate, I'm absolutely sure the manager, and everyone at the club, will share your concern ... ... they must've noticed
