Match Day Thread Will we be glum in Brum?

I do wonder if the new man will stick with 5-3-2 next season? I agree that our strength is in the middle. Get rid of Hyam, Bru, and Gleeson and we've still got Downes, Huws, Skuse, Adeyemi, Nydam, and Bishop. I guess Ward can play in the middle, but I still believe he would make an effective winger at this level with the right coaching. Carayol should get a deal.

Striker is a problem area, as our lack of goals testify. Would love to see Marriott and even Rhodes back in a Town shirt, but I wonder if they are in our price range.

 

I'd like to have seen Mick leave on Thursday. It's not

Agree what is the point of Mick being here still. It's not doing anyone any good. Let's get it straight this is not Micks fault ME needs to have some sense and just get rid now and let someone else take over for the last few games.

 

Agree we've got some good youngsters coming through, those who I've seen small glimpses of I've been fairly impressed and even the little appearances I've seen them in they've shown more to me than some of the players who've been in the team week in week out this season. Why have we played with such bang average players as Iorfa, Spence, Knudsen, Skuse, Connolly and Gleeson etc, I think we have players who deserve more of a chance such as Downes, Nydam, Kenlock, Emmannuel and then of course you have the likes of Bishop and Dozzell aswell.

I've seen far less talented academy players play nearly every game in a season in a promotion chasing side for Ipswich, the likes of Matt Richards and Ian Westlake but Royle just chucked them in. What's the point in playing on loan or bang average journey men players ahead of them?

Emmannuel in the brief glimpses I have seen looks slightly better than the options we have at the moment as does Nydam. Unfortunately with Nydam he looks like he has come from a team which has played good passing football to a team who are static and don't pass and move which hasn't helped his or any of the other youngsters performances.

I'd actually give Hyam another year contract extension, it'd be interesting to see what a new manager would do with him. Unfortunately I think he's another players who Mick hasn't helped trying to play him as a more attacking midfielder, he isn't, he's the player who should be the most defensive of the CMs breaking up play and recycling the ball.

I'm not a fan of Knudsen to be honest, he's just bang average. Think he could make a decent CB in a back 3 and half decent cover at LB but no way should he be our first choice (although I have to say haven't seen a great deal of him this season and have heard he has improved).

In terms of playing the 532 I think it would make the most of our youngsters we have. We have 2 young attack minded full backs and lots of decent central midfielders so makes sense to me, plus I like the idea of playing with a front 2 as I think it gets the best out of Sears and like playing with a front 2 anyway. Would probably need us to sign a couple of CBs, although if we can keep Carter-Vickers for another season that would be a bonus and to be fair I think Knudsen can step into the role plus actually Skuse would make a half decent CB in a back 3 (he basically plays there anyway). Not a fan of Spence at CB though, he looks like what he is when he plays there an average fullback playing at CB.

 

This is one thing which puzzles and equally frustrates me. I'm a big advocate of playing attractive passing football but I'm also a big fan of if we've got the opportunity to get the ball in the box from a set piece or long throw.....get all your big players in the box and get it in there!!

I've seen so many occasions where we play long ball after long ball under Mick, then when we get a set piece in a half decent attacking position rather than pump it into the box we decide to play it short and try to play a bit of football before inevitably passing it back to our keeper or CBs who then hoof it!! Really annoys me, just get it in the bloody box and why if we have got a player like Knudsen who has a good long throw, why not utilise it?

 

Because more than nine times out of ten the ball was just met by a defender and ended up back in our half.I know I used to count them,even when we had Murphy up front more often than not Knudsen's long throws went straight to the opposition.

I agree though we appear clueless when it comes to set pieces and obviously don't spend any time practicing them between games.

 

MM said after the Birmingham match that the players seemed " devastated " and " shellshocked " in the way they played knowing he was leaving, what total b*ll*cks it was yet another rubbish performance in a rubbish season, how the hell can you win a match when you cant score? Its been going on for weeks now in fact I cant remember the last time we scored let alone won a match, its hard to see where any points are going to come from in the remaining games and we could well end up just above the relegation places which would be the same as last season, pathetic, Evans out!

 

Yeah this whole playing out his contract with 8 games left is a bad idea, can’t see where the next goal is going to come from either. If the players really are shell shocked and feeling down what’s the point in dragging it out? Bring in a caretaker, lift the dressing room and get on with it otherwise it’s pretty pointless following these last games.

 

Rhodes in our price range!?!??!

He's on £50k pw at Wendy, they spent £10 mill on him. Our top earner is apparently on £20k ish.

Of course he's not remotely in our price range unless Wendy loan him out and allow us to pay a small %%% - they'll be very keen to shift him on....

 

Regarding Rhodes. I was talking purely in a loan sense, as I understand they are keen to offload him on loan. Agreed he is out of our price range for a permanent signing, but we may be able to get him on a season-long loan.

 

I certainly wouldn't have any interest in him right now. Pale shadow of himself, gained quite a bit of timber looks uninterested and on far too much ££££ to be a sound financial investment I M O.

 

Maybe it's the nostalgic, blue-tinted specs clouding my vision here, but I believe that with the right manager, coaching support, and a regular position at the forefront of our attack, Rhodes could score 20 goals a season. He's got a superb record in this division over several years, and so with the likes of Huws, Dozzell, Waghorn, and a new winger around him, he'll should have the right quality and consistency of service to plunder the goals. I know he's considered surplus to requirements at Sheffield Wednesday, but they are in the doldrums this season and I cannot think of many players who can come out of this campaign with their heads held high. I know a speedy, younger alternative will be a more attractive signing, and with our budget it's going to have to be an inspired buy, but if we're after a risk-free, loaned striker with a record of scoring goals in this division, Rhodes should be a contender. He's 28 and will be hitting his prime years, if it's an affordable loan, it's a no-brainer for me.

 

Rhodes is lazy and only puts in the effort if he thinks he will score so without the ball it’s like playing with ten men imo.

 

Completely agree mate.