I think the deal with Dawson is he has the talent, but doesn't have the physicality. In the modern game you need both. If he's a late developer he might still come good, but it looks like guys are coming through whilst he treads water
Afternoon all, I've finally got up. Still recovering after my eldest's wedding. Anyway, here goes .... Loans. Something I thought I had in common with Cellino - I don't want loans without a buying option, and I certainly don't want PL teams picking our team for us by insisting their kids get game time, crap performance or not! So let's say we get promotion playing the loanees we're currently discussing - it means we've got to go sign ourselves a new, untried CB pairing to start in the PL. I'd rather start in the PL with the bones that took us up, with a few key additions. So no, I don't want this spuds guy. He may be a short term improvement, but he's not good for Leeds in the long run, and I won't have other teams picking our team for us. Dawson. To me, he is clearly not in Rosler's plans for this season. The evidence is there for all to see & not worth discussing further, and is understandable when looking at his stature in the rough-house Championship. However, I do think he will be retained this season, in the hope that he beefs up, or we get promoted to the PL, where someone of his stature might flourish. But this year is his last chance saloon, I believe. He'll be released if we're not promoted, or he doesn't beef up. Deffo needs a loan out. Murphy. I think he'll walk into the team when Rosler thinks he's ready. I've got a funny feeling that we'll go 4-2-1-3, so he'll be alongside Adeyemi (who I rate highly btw, meaning the casualty will either be Mowatt or Cook, which is no bad thing IMO. Sloth. Not sure how any of us can come to any conclusions about him - we've never seen him getting a run in his natural position! But you don't become an established international for nothing. The lad clearly has something to offer, but our various coaches don't seem to want to capitalise on it for some reason. Doesn't smell right! New signings. Rosler is already on record as saying he doesn't want his squad to be too big, as he can't please all of the players all of the time. I think we're adequately covered in most positions: - GK: happy with cover. - CB: I don't think anyone would object to a good CB signing - but only someone who can have a future with us (if they're good enough). - RB: Berardi, backed up by Wootton if required (or Coyle as my personal choice). - LB: Taylor covered by Cooper if necessary, and perhaps Denton if pushed. - DM: Adeyemi & Murphy should hold these positions down, but Phillips will grow into this (fairly quickly, I think). - CM: Embarrassment of riches if chosen/rotated correctly. - LM: Dallas looks like he'll be #1, with Erwin & Doukara as adequate cover - RM: Byram. This is where the wheel comes off IMO. Can only see square pegs in our squad, & I think we need a signing here. Antenucci / Erwin as backup? - CF: We have Wood warming up, but no target man to speak of to back him up. Think we'll make do with the alternatives available to us. Class of player. I feel I need to underline a comment that some made on here recently (apols for not remembering - you deserve the credit). It's with regard to the fact that we are a Championship club, and the calibre of player we are able to sign WILL make mistakes. We have to understand this, and be forgiving of this fact. No point in calling for Bellusci to be replaced because he made a mistake - his replacement would go on to make mistakes too! Sadly, Bellusci's mistake got huge focus on here because it led to a goal. Let me assure you that ALL of our players made mistakes, but how many people have asked for them to be dropped? Shots at goals missed - even when they hit the woodwork - are mistakes of the same magnitude. If Wood et al had taken their chances, we wouldn't be talking about Bellusci's mistake. We all owe it to ourselves to realise this & bloody behave!
Liked this article on Erwin's performance for the U21s. http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2015/08/1...witter-to-lee-erwins-performance-for-the-u2/? Pickout tweet for me was this one ... Tommy D @tdski_LUFC Lee Erwin just twatted Cameron Stewart. Clearly he's thought very specifically about how to endear himself to our fans. #lufc
Good post Jock. Had a look at Burnley's goal for the 1st time last night, and although Bellusci's man got the goal, it was a very good header. Not many defenders (even at PL level) can man-mark players (especially when they are making runs in the box) and keep an eye on the ball at the same time - this is what happened - Bellusci was trying to stay with his man (that had made a very good run) and had no idea where the ball was - if you look over to the right, Bamba did exactly the same. There are only a handful of defenders in the last 30 or so years that had that ability to do both - John Terry is exceptional at it - as was Tony Adams, Bobby Moore, Steve Bruce, and I am struggling to think of any more - just a very good header from a very good cross. I think more of the blame should be placed on the player who should have been marking Dakirwa as he left him and went towards the player with the ball who was already being marked!
Jock stop fannying around and put some meat on the bone Agree with almost everything, especially regarding standard of championship player. Look at Nugent as an example still only 30, scores for fun and not good enough for prem so only worth £4m and maybe not even that. Looks like he's going to Midds. Clubs who gamble and spend big cash on championship players are confident they can make it. Rhodes, Ross McCormack? I don't think any of our lads would hold down a prem place every week. Cook will be the best in a couple of years, Mowatt may get a spot on the bench unless he went to a Norwich type club. Why did foxes offload Wood who was behind Nugent and he aint good enough in their eyes. No the art of promotion from this league is to have a steady squad who are all together. A coach/manager who has no favourites and won't stand divisions in the dressing room and he must also have a solid backroom team as well as being tacticly astute. having the odd flair player is a bonus but the bones of a good solid team fit for promotion is as I've stated. Rosler is now the only unproven thing for me as I believe we have the players.
Not only that Steve but they were very prudent the last time they went up and came down so they are running on the right lines just as they did under Bob Lord many years ago
Just can't understand how Boro under this fair play league and Derby can spend so freely perhaps Mat tor Billy or WJ can explain it to me,.By my reckoning especially if they sign Rhodes which seems highly likely they will have spent over £25mand Derby will have spent a great deal as well. BTW a big loss to Derby will be the injury to Will Hughes
Evening All. Problem for Sloth is that it's several coaches that haven't thought him 1st team material.
I think the problem London is that he,s seems to be a square peg in a round hole no one can fit him in with their plans .So I think for the lads sake he will be sold on a pity but business is business
Evening Yorkie, hope we still manage to carry over the talent throughout the season, and into the future
Evening Matt tell me how Boro can afford under the fair play rules to buy Rhodes and Downing and agree a fee of £4m for the lad from Leicester
