Season 2017/18. RIP.

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10 goals! But I agree, all that promise but no progress
So much raw pace that 9 times out of 10 he's the only city player in their final third.
So does he cross into an empty penalty box, try a shot from a difficult / impossible angle, what?
It would help if one or two other players could get forward to support him, that may help his decision making which is sadly lacking still.
 
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I'm definitely not in agreement with these marks. I don't see how you can give so many scores of C and above, we have struggled to midtable having been seriously over reliant on one player. Maddison, Gunn and Hanley at a push might get A's.

Husband - C -- Hasn't played very regularly due to the likes of Lewis and when he has played, not terribly impressed.
E - Seriously poor to start, not much better now, totally in the shadow of Lewis
Zimmerman - A+ -- Struggled at first, but has been a
first team regular for many months and isn't afraid to get blocks in.
C+ after a shaky start looks decent, Still prone to the odd slip and like the rest of the defence looks poor without Tettey and/or a 3rd man in central defence.

Franke - D -- Hasn't shown any potential, so loaned out
E - only saved from a G by the fact that most of his chances came before Tettey and a couple with Martin, all of our CB's struggled in similar circumstances
Hanley - As Zimmerman
B+ Offers leadership, fewer mistakes and more steel than our other CB's but even with him we try to attack and we look too vulnerable at the back. It's not like we're in the playoffs due to our doubty defence!
Raggett - No rating, as I haven't seen him play
Trybull - A++ -- Has shown real flashes of excellence and can only improve with pre season etc. Recently signed a new contract
Seriously!! B for his flashes of excellence, no more because when Tettey disappeared from the team so did his influence.
Vrancic - B+ -- Struggled to get to come to terms with the Championship, but recent performances have shown vast improvement
C - considering he is mainly a creative/facilitative player we have not scored enough goals for him or any attacker except Madders to get a better score than B. much improved, but he was coming from a seriously low base.
Leitner - A** -- Likely that he will only be at CR until the end of the season, but in the few months he's been here,has shown real flashed of what he's capable of. Really feel that he'll move on in the summer along with JM!! :sad:
See Vrancic above, only started well but we still weren't winning or scoring

Stiepermann - C -- Again, has had very little game time, due to other players being better than him. Haven't seen him play.
D - adequate stand in at LB helped us out in a bind, but shown nothing so far to suggest he will play a part next season

Hernandez - A -- Haven't seen much of him, but shows real promise (when not injured!!)
C+ shows promise but how many goals assists and appearances has he managed?
SirBenny - A -- A very recent acquisition, but has shown that he can at least get SOME of his shots on target. Another player who'll benefit who can only improve with pre season etc.
An A for 1 goal and a series of performances that have so far indicated he hasn't made the step up?
D - looks short of the necessary quality to thrive at this level. though is improving very slightly, could improve his grade if given time, but if he is our first choice at the beginning of next season we are bang in trouble.


Apologies if I've missed anyone out


If you're including Lietner, a loanee then why not the others?
A - Gunn, few mistakes and performances that are exceptional considering his lack of front line experience.
U - Edwards, one day maybe but sounds like attitude and or application ain't good.

Thats my take on them anyway

Bah!


I think this is a little harsh. You can’t really give Srbeny a D given how little time he’s had - I agree A is equally pointless though. He’s probably an N/A for the moment.

Otherwise, all those C+ read from the review to reflect the poor season for the team as a collective rather than suggesting the players themselves were poor.

Overall, I don’t think that takes away much from Farke’s player transfer record probably being the standalone thing in which he has excelled (by comparison to our other recent managers).

Let’s face it, on our day we’ve looked pretty good (v Villa, Arsenal, Chelsea and a few other matches). The players are generally fine (though obviously can always be improved), we need consistency.
 
Is it too early to start talking about next season yet?
But before we do, just a few of the salient points, good and bad, from this year.

Good

The emergence and continued development of Jamal Lewis.
Signing & extending contract of Tom Trybull.
Signing, albeit on loan, Moritz Leitner - fingers crossed if Madders goes?
The rise and rise, albeit on loan elsewhere, of Ben Godfrey.
The way Mario Vrancic has adapted to life in the championship is superb.


Bad

Bringing Marley Watkins to the club - why, exactly?
Plus I think he was signed prior to DF's arrival so Farke had no say in it.
Josh Murphy hasn't kicked on - one great game and then nine anonymous ones, why is this?
Selling Cammers Jerome and not replacing him <grr>

Anyone think of any others?

You've had a crap season yet have come up with five positive points and only four negatives!?!??! Find that a little amiss considering the talent you have!?

Farke IN or out ?
 
I think this is a little harsh. You can’t really give Srbeny a D given how little time he’s had - I agree A is equally pointless though. He’s probably an N/A for the moment.

Otherwise, all those C+ read from the review to reflect the poor season for the team as a collective rather than suggesting the players themselves were poor.

Overall, I don’t think that takes away much from Farke’s player transfer record probably being the standalone thing in which he has excelled (by comparison to our other recent managers).

Let’s face it, on our day we’ve looked pretty good (v Villa, Arsenal, Chelsea and a few other matches). The players are generally fine (though obviously can always be improved), we need consistency.

Are they really generally fine or occationally can lift themselves there? They have been generally adequate. But they have been as often inadequate as they have been fine.

Can the players all be A-C in a struggling team. I guess it depends on what grade you might think of as poor. For my generalisation Anything A-C is good, D-E OK but need better, F-G - please leave! That is not to say someone graded below A* (This should be for exceptional performance) has not had A* moments or performances but as a team game if we are struggling for goals and you are not scoring or creating chances or at the very least facilitating others to do so, can you really be an A?
An A* team should be winning the league, A Auto promotion, B Playoffs, C Challenging for the playoffs/in them, D+ Challenging and failing D- mid-table not really challenging, E Mid-table lower, only flirting with relegation, F lower half and relegation threatened, G and U relegated.
Of course there is mitigation to these. If you are Burton and hit mid-table then arguably you have so exceded expectation and budget suggestive position that your grades might be B or C (Maybe A this all about expectation)
so For me we Grade about C-. We would be a D- but due to the upheaval of the squad and general change of direction I'd bump us up to a C-. Some might say it should be higher, but with one of the brightest young players in the division and uptil this summer some residual parachute payments and a bigger budget than many I think we should have at least been challenging for the playoffs, even if we ultimately failed in the closing stages.
This is why I would question JM's ratings. How can all those guys be rated so highly, when only Hanley might feature in the top 3 for POT. If you assess our best and most influencial players this season. I think they are:
Maddison A*
Gunn A
Tettey A
Hanley B+
Lewis B+
Lietner B+
Trybull B
The rest C or worse, I guess this reflects what a struggle at times it has been with injuries taking away a number of our most influencial players, but also makes me think that my ratings might even still be overly generous!
Just noticed we also left out Reed. C, looks too small and definitely not strong enough to play DM. With the right midfield partners he maybe useful.

Bah!
 
You've had a crap season yet have come up with five positive points and only four negatives!?!??! Find that a little amiss considering the talent you have!?

Farke IN or out ?

See my responses for a rather bigger proportion in the negatives (And I was trying to generally be positive!)

IN

Farke to get the start of next season, after;
another transfer window,
accumulating some experience of the division,
getting time with a large proportion of what will be his team next year.

If after 10, 15, 20? games, if the football is still hard to watch, our league position is poor/out of touch with the playoffs, we can't score. Then I think we have to consider giving him the bullit. A plan can be right but with the wrong men to implement it, it will only go one way.

Bah!
 
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