I agree that we haven't moved the ball fast enough or passed well enough, but for me the reason is the inconsistency through injuries. This is the number of starts for each player: 15 - Sargent, Darling, Kovačević 14 - 0 13 - 0 12 - 0 11 - McLean, Medić, Topić 10 - Stacey 9 - Schwartau, Mattsson 8 - Crnac, Fisher 7 - 0 6 - Córdoba, Makama 5 - Diallo 4 - Marcondes, Schlupp 3 - Kvistgaarden, Gibbs 2 - Crisene, Wright, McConville, Duffy 1 - Forson, Núñez, 0 - Mahovo, Mundle-Smith, Myles, Grimshaw How do you get consistency, confidence and effectiveness given that situation. The new manager will at least have Kvistgaarden and Forson back (barring further injuries), but until we have a reasonably settled side, we will continue to struggle. Other players are nearing a comeback, but they will take time to work up to match fitness. For me it's not an issue of player quality, it's one of player availability. The eventual return of Diallo, Chrisene and Mahovo will make a difference in our quick movement along the left flank and Forson will hopefully find his form again as he comes back to fitness and then we need to find out best side and an effective formation, or blend of formations.
But few of the injuries are impact injuries. They are injuries caused by lack of fitness, inadequate training etc which takes us back to Manning and Colney.
Sorry 1950, but I don't agree. The situation was similar last season. Attanasio says they're working on injuries, but until we get on top of them we're going to struggle for any consistency. The new Head Coach will inherit an improving situation and hopefully he will be able to establish some consistency.
Sorry but if the injuries are not being caused by lack of fitness or failure in the training or medical facilities at Colney where are they arising. Surely the owner indicated that they were investigating activity at Colney. Am I also wrong in assuming that Knapper has overall responsibility for that?
I think you misunderstand my point Rick. You mention injuries as reason for inconsistency, but players are still available but not played, so skewing any figure presented. Every manager has favourites, even if they are unaware of this fact, so players picked are not necessarily the ones that should be. Wright for one.
Someone often overlooked at the club, presumably because old boy connections? is Neil Adams. What exactly is he doing to actually justify his role as Technical Director? He must have a decent input to recruitment, of which many agree has been poor overall through the previous few seasons, so why is he still here? How has he managed to keep his job, when anyone else in the wide world at board level, following years of underperformance will have been removed from seat.?
I start to wonder who the hell does what? What direct responsibilities does each one have? Too many cooks? Who, for example, has direct responsibility for operations at Colney? In 60 years we have gone from a manager responsible for all team matters along with a trainer - a bloke with a sponge and a bucket of cold water - and Bert Westwood, the Secretary, who dealt with everything else to a small army on the playing side with three senior officials over the Head Coach.
