We don’t hear much about the 8-8-8 strategy these days, and yesterday at St Andrews is why the whole laughable lie has quietly died a death. We have always had a long & proud tradition of promoting talented young players, going back to the likes of Paul Elliott and Robert Lee. Before Field Marshall Pompous-Mundell and his sidekick Private Hawtrey pop up with the “slating players” narrative (yawn), criticism from the 2,000 non forum fans actually there yesterday was very muted given how poor the Academy players played. Most of us always understood that “8-8-8” was a figleaf for cost cutting and not spending, but it’s clear that the current crop of Academy players are League Two level at the very best. AMB is the poorest keeper we have had in years. He should have saved their goal yesterday and then be sent off for a professional foul. He commands very little confidence. Anderson runs around a lot but technically - blimey Kanu is even worse - his second touch is a tackle, and he’s terrible with the ball at his feet. As for Campbell - possibly the most over rated Academy player in yonks. He’s got nothing to his game. He completely went AWOL yesterday on the big stage. If we get offered anything like six figures for him this Summer, we should take it. 8-8-8 - a figleaf for skinflints.
Oh dear. Sounds bad. As someone who hasn't seen this team play, our recent run of good results had me wondering whether there really was an improvement in the team's performance - or if it was just a run of fortunately timed games against very run-of-the-mill opposition. Seems as though it was the latter.
We are well drilled & defensively organised - that will always be enough to take 60 odd points against the minnows in this league. We clearly don’t have the quality / X factor against the top dogs.
No he just needs the financial backing to get in decent players like Birmingham have - don’t think he’ll get with this lot though
Exactly this @lardiman Most half decent coaches at that level can organise a side not to concede goals, the difficult bit is what comes next - and that requires money.
I have been saying it all Season. We are a solid but one dimensional team. We are crying out for some flair. In the number 10 position and out wide. Until we get those flair players we will always be hovering around the play off places. I don't these owners are going to be pushing the boat out to bring in what we need in the Summer.
Where is the Global's favourite Ahadme? Not featured for a number of games. Has scored one league goal this season and it came off his shoulder. The May money totally wasted. He was also given a four year contract.
Gilbert must be due a start in place of Berry, so we can see what he can do. Small and TC (despite his stinker yesterday) are often threatening until they reach the box when they lose composure. If the money we've wasted on crap players and managers (and Andy Scott) had been spent wisely we'd be in a decent place right now.
Gilbert came on late yesterday - he’s got a good right foot & should definitely start ahead of the lightweight Berry. @Dick Plumb1 is right though - you can have all the gaslighting strategies and Podcasts you want - the next bit is the bit that costs money. Adding goals & creative quality. And this mob won’t be spending on it, so we are stuck. I’d genuinely fear for this squad in the Championship next season, it would be 5-0 or 6-0 most weeks.
They wouldn't be so stupid that they would just keep the same squad. And now that Scott is gone we wouldn't be flooded with mediocrity like he did at Forest.
Great post overnight from Auckland Addick, totally dismantling SR’s bogus narrative that “there’s much to be positive about” As AA correctly points out, we were comfortably beaten by Birmingham, without them ever going through the gears. We had one shot on target - right in front of the way support after 77 mins from Kanu …that’s if you could call it a shot. As Geoffrey Boycott would have put it , “my Mum could have caught that in her cooking apron”. AA is also completely right that the four Academy players thrust into the team due to budget cuts, are not up to it. AMB always has a mistake in him, and made two in the first half alone on Saturday. Anderson brings energy, but very little else. Campbell completely went missing again. Kanu is technically dreadful. Needs to drop a league or two, to iron out his deficiencies. None of the above get anywhere near a promotion side. They wouldn’t have got on our bench in the 2019 Wembley side, so why now ? There are other lightweights, too. Godden has been half decent, but at near 34 he’s hardly one for the future. Berry is a complete lightweight. Gillesphey was again part responsible for a goal on Saturday, and has the turning circle of an oil tanker. When you consider that 7-8 of our regular starters really are extremely average, based on both stats and performances, I’m not sure where this much to be positive chuff comes from. Unless The Usual Suspect is spinning his familiar narrative again. Well said Auckland
Another marketing masterstroke from Methven. Who in their right mind will be at the Valley for 4.45pm on a weekday for a £5 pint. We have a working class fanbase- the club is in the title - they *work* in the week
Maybe we should drop our vowels (oo er madam) like investment firm Aberdeen https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cz9nkeg79gyo Chrltn Thltc Our SMT is a bnch f slss cnts
