BFC_BFC_BFC
Well-known member
As ever with the AVFTT massive, the agenda driven ‘Negative Nellies’ can’t resist a toxic myth or two. With Fans Favourite 'Dobbie' being Ditched for Critch a small collective of C U Next Tuesdays are always on the look out for any excuse to drag our Tactical Genius [AKA Mini Pep] down, and the Left Wing Back has certainly been a bone of contention worth picking.
We keep reading about Critchley "Persisting with Callum Connolly at LWB" and used as an example of the Manager's ineptitude, so I thought I'd take a look at the FACT vs FICTION and see what all the fuss is about.
So we're 15 Games into the Season and sitting in 8th Place in League 1 with 23 Points an average of 1.53 points per game and a win rate of 40%.
So just how many of those 15 games have feature Callum Connolly in the LWB position ? [I'm assuming that it must be a significant number, given the rumblings from the Armchair Army]...
He has in fact only Played 2 Full 90 Minutes at LWB
Additionally he has played:
45 Minutes (vs Lincoln, where he was switched to CH at Half-Time)
74 Minutes (being replaced vs Wycombe by Owen Dale)
20 Minutes (to Replace Owen Dale vs Reading)
16 Minutes for the tiring Thompson (brought in due to Dale bereavement)at Charlton
[A grand total of 335 minutes or just over 3 and a half games at LWB] - You could hardly call it 'persisting'!!
In fact what has actually happened in reality is that he's been given a reasonable chance and then Critchley has very swiftly moved on. In other words "Nothing to see here"
Of course, with Lyons being absent, the LWB position is one that has presented us with problems. I think most people would probably agree that he is a natural and obvious option, along with the injured Jordan Gabriel. It certainly wasn't a natural fit for Dale (at least on the face of it) and Thompson has had significant question marks hanging over him after a hit and miss season last year. He was a player who seemed to have a calamity a game up his sleeve, which often saw us concede. On balance, our resident 'Jack of All Trades' was hardly an outlandish option and let's face it, he's proven himself extremely able in pretty much every other position he's been asked to play.
So who else has filled the LWB position and how have they fared (or more as to the point how have we fared with each different Option)
Connolly has started 4 Times (for a total of 299 Minutes at LWB) - We've Won 2 and Lost 2 (Average 1.5 Points per Game) - Win Rate 50%
Lyons has started 3 Times (for a total of 270 Minutes at LWB) - We've Drawn all 3 Nil Nil (Average 1 Point per Game) - Win Rate 0%
Dale has started 5 Times (for a total of 421 Minutes ad LWB & RWB) - We've Won 3, Drawn 1 and Lost 1 (Average 2 Points per Game) Win Rate 60%
Thompson has started 3 Times (for a total of 255 Minutes and LWB) - We've Won 1, Drawn 1 and Lost 1 (Average 1.33 Points per Game) Win Rate 33%
Truth be known our results haven't suffered as a result of Callum playing in the LWB position and as usual he's managed to 'do a job' for the Team. The choice to play him in that position has been borne out of a sense of necessity and experimentation and in my view at least, I don't see anything particularly 'out there' about the Manager going with that option. Clearly the idea that Critchley has (in any way) persisted with Connolly in that position having played him there for a 3 and a half games, is nothing short of nonsense and it really shows the 'Critchley Critics' up for exactly what they are (mostly full of piss and wind)... Dale is the one player that he has persisted with more than any other and notably we've had our best run of games whilst he was in situ.... Of course, the goal Away at Oxford may well have cost Dale his place and opened up the door for Thompson.... Can he make the position his own or will Big Cal need to make a return?
We keep reading about Critchley "Persisting with Callum Connolly at LWB" and used as an example of the Manager's ineptitude, so I thought I'd take a look at the FACT vs FICTION and see what all the fuss is about.
So we're 15 Games into the Season and sitting in 8th Place in League 1 with 23 Points an average of 1.53 points per game and a win rate of 40%.
So just how many of those 15 games have feature Callum Connolly in the LWB position ? [I'm assuming that it must be a significant number, given the rumblings from the Armchair Army]...
He has in fact only Played 2 Full 90 Minutes at LWB
Additionally he has played:
45 Minutes (vs Lincoln, where he was switched to CH at Half-Time)
74 Minutes (being replaced vs Wycombe by Owen Dale)
20 Minutes (to Replace Owen Dale vs Reading)
16 Minutes for the tiring Thompson (brought in due to Dale bereavement)at Charlton
[A grand total of 335 minutes or just over 3 and a half games at LWB] - You could hardly call it 'persisting'!!
In fact what has actually happened in reality is that he's been given a reasonable chance and then Critchley has very swiftly moved on. In other words "Nothing to see here"
Of course, with Lyons being absent, the LWB position is one that has presented us with problems. I think most people would probably agree that he is a natural and obvious option, along with the injured Jordan Gabriel. It certainly wasn't a natural fit for Dale (at least on the face of it) and Thompson has had significant question marks hanging over him after a hit and miss season last year. He was a player who seemed to have a calamity a game up his sleeve, which often saw us concede. On balance, our resident 'Jack of All Trades' was hardly an outlandish option and let's face it, he's proven himself extremely able in pretty much every other position he's been asked to play.
So who else has filled the LWB position and how have they fared (or more as to the point how have we fared with each different Option)
Connolly has started 4 Times (for a total of 299 Minutes at LWB) - We've Won 2 and Lost 2 (Average 1.5 Points per Game) - Win Rate 50%
Lyons has started 3 Times (for a total of 270 Minutes at LWB) - We've Drawn all 3 Nil Nil (Average 1 Point per Game) - Win Rate 0%
Dale has started 5 Times (for a total of 421 Minutes ad LWB & RWB) - We've Won 3, Drawn 1 and Lost 1 (Average 2 Points per Game) Win Rate 60%
Thompson has started 3 Times (for a total of 255 Minutes and LWB) - We've Won 1, Drawn 1 and Lost 1 (Average 1.33 Points per Game) Win Rate 33%
Truth be known our results haven't suffered as a result of Callum playing in the LWB position and as usual he's managed to 'do a job' for the Team. The choice to play him in that position has been borne out of a sense of necessity and experimentation and in my view at least, I don't see anything particularly 'out there' about the Manager going with that option. Clearly the idea that Critchley has (in any way) persisted with Connolly in that position having played him there for a 3 and a half games, is nothing short of nonsense and it really shows the 'Critchley Critics' up for exactly what they are (mostly full of piss and wind)... Dale is the one player that he has persisted with more than any other and notably we've had our best run of games whilst he was in situ.... Of course, the goal Away at Oxford may well have cost Dale his place and opened up the door for Thompson.... Can he make the position his own or will Big Cal need to make a return?