Clement had only been in post a week when he chose the lineup on Tuesday, so it's hardly surprising he went for Mattsson to replace Topić as he arrived match fit with a number of games already played and then he played more for us. Wright has only started two games this season and had 3 sub appearances. That will likely change with Topić out for the season but he'll need to build up more match fitness. We also don't know how Wright and Mattsson did on on the bleep test.
I would have Wright as one of the first names on the starting sheet, Just as I would have McConville. Both have been properly brought up in a football sense at top level clubs. Though neither was considered too good to sell when we came calling, both display an assurance and awareness that appears lacking in too many of their teammates. What they need is maximum gametime to bring them on. We should be building our future round them.
I agree, both have been talked about having big leadership potential despite their young age. They can only improve and start to show their potential if they get good consistent minutes. We saw in a short space of time how Wright grew after a tricky first couple of games last season. Clement has mentioned that Wright needs to work on his game off the ball, Mattsson is better in that front. The trouble for Wright is J think he is a more natural replacement for the McLean role, but with him being captain he is unlikely to leave the field - especially at the moment. Clement has also said he doesn’t want to move too many people’s positions around while he is building the foundations of his play which is unlikely to see McLean dropped into left back
The injury list and the type of injury prove beyond doubt that Knapper and Manning oversaw a complete failure of the fitness regime at Colney which Clement, to his credit, is trying hard to rectify.
It goes back much further than the beginning of this season. The injury problems last season played a big role in our collapse from February onwards (acknowledged by Knapper but not when it came to sticking or twisting with Thorup), and Wagner experienced his own share. I think it needs to be investigated right back to the opening of the Avant Training Centre with its "state of the art" fitness and medical facilities. What new appointments were made then and since. Who left and why? What has been the effect of those facilities on player attitudes to fitness and responsibility for fitness? Stacey's recent comments about responsibility for fitness lying with the individual player echoed what Marcondes said when he first arrived. I remember Dean Smith stressing the same in an interview he gave when managing Villa. How many players subscribe to that view now?
Knapper has, or should have, no input to the training regime implemented by the head coach. It should be the same coach and his minions responsibility for training and fitness. The fact remains that successive coaches have failed to create a sufficiently fit squad. This then becomes the fault of the SD for employing them in the first place. Very much a chicken and egg scenario.
