Just to cut the guy a bit of slack Hendrick has actually created a few very good chances, we just havent taken them. Johansen on the other hand has been pretty much anonymous since the start of the year.
I was MWs biggest fan and after 50 years of support I've seen us field some poor teams on ability over the years but I've never seen such a capitulation in confidence and total loss of form from basically the same players. This has to be either down to the Manager or something major behind the scenes.......the exclusion of Ball makes me think it could be the latter!.....not our best player but we played our best and most fluid football when he was in the team.
As Warburton said he was not playing as well as Field, and that position is surely his best so there's even more competition in other positions where he could play.. 4 at the back didnt work too well at Preston once they started to play. So if Dickie and Barbet are both still out then maybe he or Kakay will play in a back 3.
I actually think that the demonising of Hendrick on here and other parts of social media has been completely over the top. I agree that we didn't need to sign him, but he's not been as bad as is painted and there are many other places to look for blame imo.
I like him. Decent work rate and a fabulous passer of the ball. I just dont think anyone would look good in this team at the present time. Field was head and shoulders above everyone on Saturday but that was more about work rate and challenges rather than footballing talent and creation. I actually think that teams have sussed us out and from early January taken the view of "let them have the ball but close down their options". As you and many others have rightly pointed out....we dont then have a Plan B.
So in the end yiu agree its down to Warburton and his tactical nous ! Nothing will change until he goes, the team isn't so much in a rut it's in a ravine. He has neither the tactical ability or the man management requirements to get us out of it. We had representatives at 2 league 1 games on Saturday, and they weren't scouts looking at players. Hopefully they were there to talk to the managers of those teams about taking over in tge Summer, one can only hope. Not my preferred choice as I've said before but if it's 1 of the teams I think they would've been talking to I wouldn't be upset.
Hendrick isn't anything special I'm sorry, but the problem isn't necessarily his fault, the fault lies in bringing him in in the first place. We had ample back up in his position, the problem lies in not bringing in another attacking midfielder or striker. We needed creativity and goals, and we got neither !
Out of interest who would you have bought in instead of Hendrick? I know you were Patterson's loudest advocate from Swansea, but since the start of December he's played 14 games and scored 1 goal, so he isn't the prolific goalscorer that you thought he might be.......... As Hendrick was a last day signing I get the feeling that Warburton was happy to go with what we had, I don't know what made him/Ferdinand/Hoos sign Hendrick at that late stage unless they thought that Johansen was not going to be playing much due to injury and saw him as a direct replacement....... I can't think of any other reason for that signing........
I actually think its about us having a squad of limited ability although I dont expect you to agree. I think we have a decent squad that overachieved in the first half of the season but once teams worked out how to play us we are not diversely talented enough to change the tactics. I also feel that the dip in form has made us afraid to play. When did you last see Dickie going on one of those Roederesque runs?
Agree with most of what you are saying Stick except if you are saying Warburton doesnt change the formation which he has many times before and during games. Posted this before but this season we've played 3 5 2, 5 3 2, 3 4 2 1, 3 4 1 2 and Saturday 4 4 2 with a midfield diamond, at least.
Fully understand what you are saying but my point is that our players are too limited to adapt to different set ups. We look all at sea when we try to play anything but our standard set up. As others have pointed out we have also played players out of position and when that has happened they have looked totally lost. I wonder who will be first to post what our squad might look like next season. We are almost certainly going to be looking to make a minimum of five signings and as we all know they will have to be cheap unless we sell one of our few stars.
Yes don't understand it, can't remember the game but was our best player. Came into a side that fir whatever reason confidence is low and performances mainly well below par
Hendrick was bought in to cover a failing Johansen. Sanderson was bought in as cover for one of the back 3 gettinginjured or suspended To me it is still a sensible window. I would have loved a striker...but person or money wasn't there... However why did Sandersons inclusion involved shuffling the others around so much. It has affected the ability and confidence of our 3 CBs badly I do not think we or any team could cope with Willcock injury and Chairs lack of ability after his ( non platying) time away with Morocco The goalie situation is farcical. And regardless of what you think...it changes the dynamics of the defence.. imparts a lack of confidence...Dieng had it....but no-one else has had time to develop a relationship And finally... Dykes mysterious injury....that has gone on and on...and he is now half the player he was in autumn (mind you he never was a goal machine) I think we have been found out...as said above. We have been found out. Early in season with Chair Willock and Adomeh.who to mark..double up on one...and the other run riot. Now, teams mark Chair out of the game...leave us with the ball...we won't do anything much with it...and eventually ( as all teams even Citeh do) We will make a mistake...and we are 1 nil down
Not since the 4th game of the season but it didn't affect our results then. This is fully down to the manager and backroom staff, we know he doesn't do defensive training so I have no idea how any of our defence have a clue about what to do. Personally I think Dickie's form is all down to being linked with Premier league clubs earlier in the season, since it was mooted that several big clubs had him on their radar his performances have completely gone to pot.
I still don't get how a professional, modern day football team don't do defensive training. I mean.....wtf? How? Why not? Eh?
I still don't get how a professional modern day defender can't defend. How dumb must they be that they have no idea about defending that they need other people to show them how to do it
Of course they do defensive training, that they don't is utter bullsh*te generated by peuple who have hated Warburton since he arrived or shortly after. Defensive training is often referred to by the Management team and improvements in the defense were clear for a period earlier this season. For example If you believe what Warburton says, he was especially annoyed about the goal from Sheff Utd's Norwood after a corner routine which he says they'd seen them do and had specifically worked on in training.
