We aren't going up and we wont go down, yet another campaign of boredom and mediocrity with our season dead before the Easter Bunny arrives. From last nights game I would say that I don't want to see Bowyer in a Town shirt ever again. He's way past it and it showed last night. Leadboots is obviously playing for a big contract elsewhere, shame he couldn't have played like that over the last 3 seasons! The time has come, now that we are safe, to play the likes of Hyam, Carson, Stevenson, Whyte in readiness for next year. Give the newbies a chance to show what they can do as we are now safe from promotion and relegation. All this moaning from Jewell about how the team looked jaded and he decides to pick the old boys! Pick the youngsters against Barnsley and if they fall flat on their faces so what? It's now a nothing game anyway so may as well give us something to shout about!
Surely you should be playing your most prolific goalscorer/soon to be player of the season Grant Leadbitter instead of that **** Hyam guy.
JWM-agree with you entirely about Bowyer not so cynical about Leadbitter though and would really like us to sort out a new deal with him. I thought we showed much more desire than Boro to win the game especially in the second half and you'd have thought it was us not them chasing a playoff place.Other concerns were Edwards abject failure to defend and colour blind Delaney's inability to find a blue shirt with all but the simplest pass.Posatives from this seaon have been Cresswell (although he's not getting forward so much to put in telling crosses),Drury, Chopra's turnaround after a difficult time personally)and JET (although I think we are going to have to accept he will always tend to drift in and out of games). The difference from the first half of the season has been the pace and enthusiasm shown by the younger players and led by Martin up front.
Bowyer out, Murphy out, Delaney out, Leadboots out. Drury in, Carson in, Sonko in, Hyam in. Murray recalled to bench, Ainsley, Whight, Stevenson & Cropper on bench.
Hoppers I like the look of that but I think we keep Murphy in as he offers a height advantage over Carson. We seem to have such a short side and only Murphy, JET and the two CB's have any size.
I agree with giving some young players some pitch time but also using the games to give players with little time left on their Contracts a chance to prove themselves.
If they haven't proven themselves already then they shouldn't be at the club. Giving it a go when your contract's up is not good enough for ITFC.
Is it two or three years of being ****e, giving the ball away in front of the defence, completely hapless against Posh... and now you want to tell me because he's scored a few goals he deserves a contract? Do me a favour. What's happened to all the other goals we were getting when he wasnt in the side? They've dried up because you haven't got Hyam playing the Gareth Barry role and giving everyone else the confidence and license to get forward.
Who are you referring to then Weighty? I can't think of anyone I would want to see play more to know whether I'd keep them on or not..
Wright for one Hyam could use the time to prove he deserves a longer contract, as for Leadbitter i don't think he has been **** for three years i think during the Keane era his was our best player (in a poor team i admit) early this season he was certainly pretty poor, i would not be that bothered if he left though as IMO he does not see the forward passes often enough and to me he is not energetic enough.
Hyam? You have got to be kidding! If he hasn't earned a contract then no-one in the history of football ever has. He's one of only two players at the club right now with the quality to make the step up to top flight football.
If we're not careful we could easily end up losing Hyam on a free! He should have been given a 3 year deal not a poxy year! It sends out all the wrong signals and this is something that Sir Bob or Burley would never have done. If they were good enough they were old enough!
As for Wrighty he's part of the furniture. I'd be keeping him on in a coaching capacity and occasional back up for next season. We need a proper number one with ALB on the bench and Cropper and Wrighty in reserve. ALB's treatment has been nothing short of shocking and again something that never would've occurred under Sir Bob or St George of Burley.
Yes lets hope we get to see some of the younger players given a chance. But at the same time you've got to be careful about bringing too many changes in and completely upsetting the balance of the team. Whilst I understand why certain players have been dropped, they have looked tired in games, Hyam and Drury did exceptionally well but did look jaded after and Leadbitter has come in and done well, I don't really understand why Bowyer got in ahead of any of the others.
Personally i think Wright is by far the best keeper at the club and could easily be our no1 for the next few years as for ALB i don't really rate him at the moment. I think that Bowyer might be getting games to see if he still has anything to offer us i think we all agree that Hyam is a good young player and i hope he is kept at the club, but i also don't want us to start giving all young players long contracts then getting stuck with players that don't live up to early promise (Bowditch,Garvan) so i'm all for players proving themselves before being given long contracts (Cresswell), if Hyam has proved himself as yet thats down to personal opinion i for one think he has.
