Who knows. Every one of them has been a victim of stupid managerial selections and decisions and the poor performers around them. Edwards, Jackson, Harrison, Nolan have not shown enough but I'm sure they would all have been demotivated and frustrated by the way things have gone, particularly the forwards. People can say it should be up to them to motivate themselves, but you can't win a football game on your own. And despite being isolated most of the time he's played and with such poor service and no strike partner, Jackson would still probably be close to double figures by now if he'd played regularly. He has managed 4 goals which is not an awful return for 11 starts given the circumstances. Donacien and Nsiala haven't done much wrong, they just haven't been given an opportunity. So on top of those six you've named, every other name in the squad is in the same boat. If all the players, including the likes of Bart, Knudsen and Dozzell, are underperforming so spectacularly it's pretty obvious that it's not just about ability.
Well Lambert had little choice to sign quite a few due to the glaring holes Hurst left him with. I think Hurst was far too ambitious and tried to do two / three transfer windows in one. At best it was naive........ Whatever way people look at Hurst's summer, the 17/18 squad did come 12th in the table. Yes, quality went in Webster / McGoldrick ( both missed plenty of the last campaign ) Waghorn ( he wanted to stay ) Garner wanted to go back up north, Celina + Connolly. First off, why didn't Hurst get some quality loans in like Mick did with Celina and Connolly? Contacts in the game will be why for me. The loans Hurst did bring in collectively are nowhere near good enough, and in my view is not how you use the loan market. You bring in 2/3 loanees per season that really add to the side - not the rubbish he brought in. Why did Hurst go pretty much entirely lower league? Sure, worth grabbing some, but that's really brave management. Don't worry Field Marshall, I'll get told all this is wrong next - it'll be my turn to be wrong!
Well Lambert said the way the club has been run, getting by with with loans the way Mick did is madness and I would agree with him, so I don't think that's the solution. Whether you go to the lower leagues or you get Championship or Premier League players who have been injured or not playing for a long time (and don't forget Hurst WAS in for Collins and Walters), it's always a risk. I still subscribe to the view that whilst there's not enough to challenge for the play offs in the side, there's more than enough talent in the squad not to be finding ourselves in this situation and that was as true in December as it is now.
I've not forgotten Hurst with Walters believe me. That was collectively between Hurst / Walters an accident waiting to happen. As for Collins, just didn't happen back then - happens. However, before that his policy was completely one dimensional and a bloody horror show. Should have been far more balanced - however he was an absolute disaster and I'm so pleased the bellend that is Hurst has left the building and taken Doig with him. Both absolute nobheads. I honestly see no issue with what Mick did with loans - given our finances, what are you meant to do with the likes of Fraser / Celina / Lawrence and co - cannot buy them and would make our team a mile better!? Say no please!? Not for me. You take them all day long.
I think the mistake was playing so defensively in early games rather than anything to do with players and then Lambert coming in and playing exactly the same formation, just with a higher tempo. Stupid selection decisions by both managers too.
Hurst totally screwed up. End of. I had hope he would make the step up. He didn't and he signed really crap players. My hope was misplaced. Saying he was 'in for Collins' means nothing; my cat could tell you that signing a behemoth of a defender with a decade at the top level and 50 international appearances might be a decent signing. Its what you do with the players on the training ground and this seemed woeful. from what Ive learnt from you guys on here close to the club that twat Doig was also bully. Brilliant; that's always a well known recipe for success. And I do know what tough love is but those two divs were clearly so far out of their depth and we're paying the price. PL's got some fresh blood, Judge is a good player and our midfield is being overturned so easily this could be the best signing we've made because it'll make us more effective in that crucial area where possession is key and using the bal well vital. our midfield this season has been our weakest area I think failing to either protect the defence or contribute much in attack. it has to change if were to get some more wins and Judge might enable that.
Ok, so if we were only ever one good player away from a good team then all is clearly well at the club? What a load of rubbish.
um, no. that's not even remotely close to what I said. im simply not persuaded that Hurst trying to sign Collins in anyway implies he was at all competent or capable of managing ITFC. Lets move on shall we. we have Judge and he is a good addition along with Collins they are the stand out signings. Over to you PL...
Completely agree Alhare Hurst was completely out of his depth and entirely stuffed up his transfer policy. He only went after Walters and Collins late in the day.... experience wasn’t a priority. Absolute car crash of a “policy “
That's not a bad shout SD, I suspect he saw a complete shambles and thought under no circumstances did he want anything to do with it. As for intelligence ? On the contrary I think after talking PL compared to Hurst he could appreciate the enthusiadm, commitment, and determination of a genuine " football man " , Collins is a 35 year old ex Prem, ex international footballer who's met and played with and against a lot of players so knows the game inside out, not very bright ? Just the opposite.
From the perspective of keeping us in the division, if that is what he has come here to do, he would have made the job a lot easier joining us at the start of the season instead of January when it’s already too late. So if that was the motivation then not very smart at all. Or perhaps he just fancied Villa - why wouldn’t you? - but doesn’t have that option open to him now.
You illustrate my point perfectly, he had the chance to join us months ago but something he saw and or heard pointed him in another direction, maybe it was the realisation that Hurst wasn't up to the job, or the players he had brought in were sub standard, or maybe it was money plain and simple, we will never know.
I don’t know field, I think Roy Keane made us a bit of a laughing stock and we have never quite recovered from that in terms of the perspective people have about the club. Villa is always going to be a more attractive proposition. Then again so are lots of other Championship clubs.
You quite rightly identify Roy Keane made us a bit of a laughing stock. You also are of the opinion Keane needed longer with us!
" Roy Keane made us a laughing stock " can't argue with that, I feel a little better knowing he also made himself and Evans a laughing stock.
Judge deal I'm very happy with, the transfer policy as a whole does feel far more appropriate for a championship club. But let's not forget picking up lower league gems was what the majority of us were yearning for. Hurst did change too much too soon, and that was what let him down. But I don't blame him entirely, that was the route we went down, its not his fault that he had more knowledge of lower league players than contacts with championship and Premier League clubs. And his record with the players he chose was better than Lambert's, my point is that his methods can't have been all bad, it was just he went overboard with lower league and if he had more luck/patience with Walters and if Collins didn't have a better option at the time then we may have been closer in the fight than we are now. On that point I think claiming it's Hursts fault he didn't sign originally is a hard thing to prove considering the long list of players that have chosen a better offer over the last 10 years. No one blamed Jewell when Austin didn't sign. But that's all gone, Lambert's got his squad his together now, mission avoid relegation is a go.
