Now don't go thinking this is the biggest doom and gloom thread ever before I start - it's not. Keeper - upgrade from start of season Defence - Smith a problem but generally solid Midfield - ISSUES ISSUES ISSUES - Bishop / Bru have become decent though! Strikers - Upgrade since start of season. Now I don't know where we'll come, but look at what we had start of season. Marriott, Banj, Nouble, Taylor who was never going to play others too. Mick builds builds builds and is a clever manager. Sure, he frustrates and I'll be gutted should we not finish where we want I have no doubt we'll be even better next season. Mick is the right man for the job no questions asked. Get behind the boys the last twelve games, it's gonna be a rollercoaster!
I agree that MM has built on last season but I disagree that we won't finish were we want to still plenty of points to play for so we can finish in a respectable position.
I really have no clue where we'll end up yet Weighty. Good as guaranteed top 8 unless we have an absolute shocker and the Forest express carries on. Bournemouth without a win in 5 entertain bang on Wolves tonight. Would be hilarious to see their arrogant manager fail.
Football is hard to predict in this league....but I think we will at least be in the play offs.......3rd or 6th doesn't really matter.....
Personally I think we do have issues in defence, for instance Chambers running to his left across goal leaving the right flank completely open resulting in a finely struck first goal, Clough used to refer to " ballwatching " as the worst sin of all and there was a perfect example. Is Chambers a right back? once and for all someone has to make a decision and if the answer is no then he must be moved to the centre and Tommy put on the bench, after all we have cover in Jon Parr. Is Mings a Left Back? Im sure he will improve with experience but at the moment I would say not. Our biggest weakness is mid field, Bru is our best player but we have to carry players such as Skuse whose contribution is pathetic, I watched the match on TV in Sweden and after he got his yellow card Skuses name wasn't mentioned again until well into the second half. Free transfers will only get you so far what we need is quality ball winners and players with good distribution skills to get decent ball up to the front players and take the pressure off the defence, I know quality doesn't come cheap but its come to the point where if we don't invest then our team spirit and all for one attitude will have taken us as far as it can with no improvement to be had.
" Is Chambers a right back? " Nope. Sat by his dad at Derby and he told me he hates playing there but would do anything for the team.
Westy, next time you meet up with Chambers old man could you get him to pass this to Chambo so he can pass it to MM. Parr = RB Chambers = CB Berra = CB Mings = LB
I don't understand what's happened to Tommy Smith. He seems to be the type of player that needs an arm around him and a couple of games on the bench when he's having a bad run. We'll have to wait and see what Mick does tomorrow I guess. Couldn't believe how we just bypassed the midfield 90% of the time on Sunday. Same old same old though.
Good experience thanks Westy. I do find it extraordinary that Mick doesnt get what is blindingly obvious to all of us. Unless we are all missing a trick. Did Parr have bad 1st spell there months ago?
Defensively I don't think he's been too bad it's just on the ball, which he's never been great at. It is an issue when you play the direct style of football we do under pressure the team doesn't take care of the ball as it should and this shone through on Sunday. He doesn't look comfortable on the right and our passing seems to consist of playing it slowly between the CB's then not having an option to pass to in midfield so going back to the keeper. It's not all Tommys fault the players around him are crap at offering themselves for the ball in a purposeful position. I miss the days when our CBs used to go on runs up the field!!
Generally speaking MM has done a great job, he has turned us from no hopers into genuine promotion chasers, but for me mistakes our starting to show, said by many, he needs balance in the team, playing Chambers at full back, and Tommy Smith on the wrong side is counter productive, other teams will realise this, and target us, Chambers has been exposed by more than one speed merchant this season, not his fault, when asked to do a job which is not his best position, there is also no pace in those central defensive positions. Midfield is a massive problem, Skuse is not good enough for a promotion seeking team, does nothing insisive with no ball, no pace, was seriously caught out at Norwich, against their far superior midfield, just failed to pick up their runners when they came forward, five goals from the midfield I think it is all season, zero from Skuse, and has never scored for us. Freddie Sears has proved to be a brilliant signing, and was our best player at Norwich, terrific when you consider what service he had, but MM has failed to put any wide attacking players in, who could give us another option. The manager seems to set up his sides with the primary objective, of trying to avoid defeat at all costs, perhaps he should gamble a bit, and try to assemble some players, who worry the opposition, and actually try and win the match, it could be his downfall if he fails to do this
Another example is Benju being in the squad at Norwich. Perhaps could come on tonight!? Mick will give youth a chance if they are good enough. Look at Bishop!
the reason we play so much long ball is because as we all know that the mid field is incapable of passing through the opposition, in fact with very few exceptions our mid fielders must be some of the poorest in the division and unless we get some quality in there we just cant progress. Murphy is our target man but if hes marked out of the game we struggle, if nothings won in the air and nothings being played into the the front players feet then we have to rely on set pieces to threaten. For Christs sake Mick get some quality in mid field instead of more and more free transfers, and has beens.
MM is in a difficult situation on this one, decent midfielders tend to cost a fair bit of money, it is clear that ME is not spending any money! MM has decided to go down the route of going for out of favour seasoned pros, I do not think, anyone he has got in can be labeled as has beens or over the hill, some may well be at the later stages of a half decent career but over the hill is a bit of an exaggeration. Personally I would has much preferred him gamble on bringing in some younger hungrier blood from a league or so lower down along with using some of the other youngsters we actually have on our payroll already, if TC & MM are as good as we would all be led to believe then I see no reason why they could not have worked their magic on our own youngsters, it's not neccesserily how you start a league campaign it is generally how you finish it!
Hi mate, that's good you still on for Riley's.? I have lately been skipping Riley's and headed straight for the cask bar in SBRU above the club shop, let me know!
Yep I will definitely be there at 1 O'clock. SCOG is going as well so it will be great to meet him. I don't like the beer they serve in there so just as well I'm driving. We can always head off once we meet up.
