Players missing yesterday

I'll sum up my position and that's it. I think we need a centre half in sooner rather than later. I would have liked at least one of them to start yesterday. I think it's much less of a problem putting a new central defender into the team than anywhere else in the team apart from the g/k.
And Ballard will be in soon! He's trained one day with us. He'll have one or two more days before Tuesday, presumably.

Enough? Maybe, maybe not. Tricky call.
 
It's an eye-opener to go and read the thread posted pre-match asking what team posters would pick.
 
It's an eye-opener to go and read the thread posted pre-match asking what team posters would pick.

Not really . I picked Ballard and Woodbury, because I didn’t know Woodbury couldn’t play and I didn’t realise Ballard had got back from international duty so late. I also didn’t know Dougall wasn’t match fit which just goes to show we have no idea what is going on with players etc., plus Williams was probably man of the match and Ward scored our goal.
 
Not really . I picked Ballard and Woodbury, because I didn’t know Woodbury couldn’t play and I didn’t realise Ballard had got back from international duty so late. I also didn’t know Dougall wasn’t match fit which just goes to show we have no idea what is going on with players etc., plus Williams was probably man of the match and Ward scored our goal.
It's Woodburn! I wanted to pick one centre half to address my concerns and I'm getting grief over it. Whether Woodburn was available or not, you still picked him as did so many others as well as a few picking Gretarsson too..
 
It's Woodburn! I wanted to pick one centre half to address my concerns and I'm getting grief over it. Whether Woodburn was available or not, you still picked him up as did so many others as well as a few picking Gretarsson too..
I know that you snipey little prick, that was spell checker. I picked Woodburn and stand by that but he wasn’t eligible to play and I didn’t know that. I also picked Ballard and stand by that but again I didn’t know he had just got back from international duty. Had I known those things I would t have picked them so I think NC picked the right team. I do think he should have bought on a couple of pairs of fresh legs for the last 15 Luballa and Kemp for CJ and Yates.

You are getting more weasely and dislikeable with every day that goes by. Stop trying to be so condescending and righteous all the time and trying to trip people up.
 
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I know that you snipey little prick, that was spell checker. I picked Woodburn and stand by that but he wasn’t eligible to play and I didn’t know that. I also picked Ballard and stand by that but again I didn’t know he had just got back from international duty. Had I known those things I would t have picked them so I think NC picked the right team. I do think he should have bought on a couple of pairs of fresh legs for the last 15 Luballa and Kemp for CJ and Yates.

You are getting more weasely and dislikeable with every day that goes by. Stop trying to be so condescending and righteous all the time and trying to trip people up.
I'll ignore your abuse, for now. If Woodburn was eligible to play you'd have played him. The fact he wasn't is irrelevant. I daresay he'd barely trained with the team either but you'd have picked him. It's not about trying to trip you up, it's just exposing your hypocrisy when you had a go at me for saying I'd have picked a central defender. As would you.
 
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We are getting nowhere near enough out of CJ..he is being doubly marked and that should create space elsewhere but it just isnt being capitalised on. CJ should be right on the last man and making his life hell with his pace.
 
We are getting nowhere near enough out of CJ..he is being doubly marked and that should create space elsewhere but it just isnt being capitalised on. CJ should be right on the last man and making his life hell with his pace.
It seems opposition managers have cottoned on to the threat he is. It's just another problem Critchley has to find a solution too.
 
It seems opposition managers have cottoned on to the threat he is. It's just another problem Critchley has to find a solution too.
Just said this on another thread. Without CJ having the freedom to advance and shoot we are going to struggle to hit the back of the net and our defending will continue to leak soft goals. I can see us losing the next two games at home just because of this and the pressure that’s building before the new centreback pairing gets going and we start looking better.
 
I think the biggest concern for me is that we are signing players in critical positions now and in certain cases, it’s clear the players need to get their fitness levels up. This naturally creates questions over the recruitment that took place during the summer. Are Mansford and Johnson not listening to NC’s needs or is NC weak/uncertain of what sort of player he really needs. It does seem strange that when we’ve been crying out a strong midfielder for ages and when we sign someone who fits the bill he’s apparently not match fit.

I have some sympathy for Critchley as the way last season ended meant he had no chance to work with the original squad and push his ideas across. Perhaps he’d also have a much better idea of what he needs at this level compared to what he’s been used to. And he could have saved himself a lot of chopping and changing.
 
If Dougall was released in June and if he was of genuine interest a month ago it seems a little unusual not to invite him to train even if they were discussing a deal? Has to be another Knee jerk I think. Awaits further accusations of negativity for the sake of it....
 
If Dougall was released in June and if he was of genuine interest a month ago it seems a little unusual not to invite him to train even if they were discussing a deal? Has to be another Knee jerk I think. Awaits further accusations of negativity for the sake of it....
Hard not to see it this way.
 
If Dougall was released in June and if he was of genuine interest a month ago it seems a little unusual not to invite him to train even if they were discussing a deal? Has to be another Knee jerk I think. Awaits further accusations of negativity for the sake of it....
Probably more to do with other priorities and salary demands. If he was on Championship wages last season there is no way he is going to command the same wage in L1. Covid and the lock down may have also limited where out of contract players can train or not.

I am not sure how things stand with players who are without a club. Is there still the possibility of signing non-contracted players outside of the transfer window?
 
See my reply to TTP. To expand. I think we've got serious problems with the centre of our defence. As much as we've got problems with our front three, not necessarily the personnel there, but how to get the best out of them, it's different with the heart of defence. The basic skills of a a central defender are about positional sense and awareness. We are conceding soft goals and chances and that needs addressing asap. Basically, I think it's much easier to slot in a central defender than a midfield or forward player. I know it's an extreme example but it's the point I'm making, if we signed a 10 million pound centre half because it was needed, you'd put him straight in. You wouldn't wait a month for him to train and get used to the players and the system. So if Ballard and Greta are good enough, get 'em in.
Most top teams will spend a lot more than 10mill then integrate them in training before throwing them in!
 
Probably more to do with other priorities and salary demands. If he was on Championship wages last season there is no way he is going to command the same wage in L1. Covid and the lock down may have also limited where out of contract players can train or not.

I am not sure how things stand with players who are without a club. Is there still the possibility of signing non-contracted players outside of the transfer window?
Good post. Not sure myself but what you say could have been the reason. Either way he fits the bill for me.
 
Most top teams will spend a lot more than 10mill then integrate them in training before throwing them in!
but we are not a top team and my point had nothing to do with top teams at all. My point was simply about a player being ready to come in who will improve us. A ten million pound player would do that. If we signed Messi would you want to integrate him in training or would you put him straight in? I said I'd have put a centre half straight in. We had Ballard available and match fit. He's a central defender, surely he knows what his role in the team is. The principle is the same.
 
but we are not a top team and my point had nothing to do with top teams at all. My point was simply about a player being ready to come in who will improve us. A ten million pound player would do that. If we signed Messi would you want to integrate him in training or would you put him straight in? I said I'd have put a centre half straight in. We had Ballard available and match fit. He's a central defender, surely he knows what his role in the team is. The principle is the same.

" He wouldn't let it lie... "
 
" He wouldn't let it lie... "
Is that a snipe Voy? Hazi replied to a post of mine. Should I not be able to reply and clarify my point.
Anyway I notice you selected Woodburn too. So you were throwing him straight in.
Seems in some peoples view there's a rule that no one can go straight into to the team until he's been integrated into training.
 
Is that a snipe Voy? Hazi replied to a post of mine. Should I not be able to reply and clarify my point.
Anyway I notice you selected Woodburn too. So you were throwing him straight in.
Seems in some peoples view there's a rule that no one can go straight into to the team until he's been integrated into training.
Lighten up for god's sake.
 
It's to be hoped the players speak to each other better than the fans do on this forum.

Can I just remind everyone that we're on the same side? If people are getting this tetchy after six games, god help you if we're still in this position at the end of the season.
 
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