This is where I’ve had enough of NC.
If you just look at Dembele. Straight away he looked magic. Everyone’s saying play him infront of two midfielders and behind two strikers if we’re sticking with 3-5-2. We get fed that he hasn’t played a full-game professionally etc.
He gives him his 1st start v Derby but he shits himself and starts him behind a lone Rhodes making both ineffective. In that game, he actually turns on a sixpence and sets up Dougall’s goal but NC and the two coaches already have the subs ready as it’s just gone 70 mins and he hooks him. He couldn’t think, nah let’s wait on that now he’s getting lively. Both subs were stripped and we couldn’t ever think outside the box. We end up losing impetus with the subs.
He bags at Charlton off the bench and changes the game at Oxford to get us a point so at home to Cheltenham he starts and finally it’s with Rhodes & another striker. We dominate 1st half with him starring and scoring again but end up hanging on, but we all know where he needs to play and who with and this is it now here we go with him.
So next up it’s Peterborough & NC shits himself and he’s back on the bench. We get pumped but he’s off the bench to get us two goals back.
So you think right, he surely knows now. Nope. It’s Cods away he’s on the bench, just to add whilst our most creative player isn’t starting we’re watching Tashan Oakley-Boothe look like he’s won a competition and got to play in a pro-game. Anyway, having been sat at the side for once it was obvious where we were missing a link and I still say the fan reaction caused the half-time changes. That 2nd half we were untouchable for about 35 mins and Dembele was as good as anything you’ll see at this level. Unplayable almost. He also made CJ look good.
So this is it now, he must fuckin know now where to play him. Bolton away. He starts him, he can’t not, but he shits himself and plays him off a lone striker in Rhodes which means they both aren’t as effective, we go a goal down and he takes him off for Owen Dale.
Since that, we’ve swapped to a 3-4-3 to accommodate him but it also explains why Rhodes hasn’t been as effective and we weirdly have a forward operating in a left channel. I think since Carey has come back we’ve almost gone to a 3-1-4-2 but Dembele has always operated from our right touchline to the middle of the penalty box and no wider left than that.
It’s a long post but that sub yesterday where he leaves him upfront off Beesley summed up what a pussy NC is and brought it all back to me how much he shit himself with him for the 1st quarter / half of the season.