The idea that we should be doing better with this squad

Theoneandonly said:
Hit on to power up your machine and then play to watch last weeks final goal against us. Don’t like that one? Pick any other game as our defense is inept each week. Table is not lying. We are where we are because our one trick manager has learned nothing this season.
Click to expand...
Always a managers fault never the 11 players out on the pitch with 11 Brains themself and 2 feet each
 
ShaneUTMP said:
With the way a majority of teams in the league try playing, Marv doesn’t get close to any of them cause he cant pass a football. Gabriel is always too scared to make a tackle week in week out, tired of seeing the guy get injured playing twister or letting his man into the box and putting in a cross
Click to expand...
Marv hasn’t been great this season at all but last time we were in this league he was awesome in a back 4 playing to his strengths. I disagree on Gabriel I think he’s a quality player, he was unbelievable against Forest and solid last 2 games. But again he’s better as RB than RWB.

I’m not saying it’s all the managers fault I think the players are weak mentally and lack some grit to grind out results. Il
Just saying the managers tactics are in question as well.
 
Lythamkev said:
It goes to show you the strength of our owner here is a prime example Oxford broke there transfer record in the window bringing in a player from Cheltenham for 400k there is know way that Sadler likes spending money in the transfer windows or very little and is happy for Critch to keep bringing in unknown players that other clubs don’t want in general and fill the team with free transfers and loan players he ant our dream owner as we are now finding out.he is good at putting smoke screens up and false promises that is about it over and out we should have brought another forward in but that costs money I rest my case know dream owner and unfortunately it would appear that we are in it for the long haul with Sadler.this is what I think will happen and we will struggle to get out of league one for the next few seasons unless we change for a new manager and more investment goes back in to the squad in the way of sbringing good players to the club unfortunately that costs money and I don’t think it will happen with our present owner which comes down to total lack of spending money transfer fees ect
Click to expand...
Jesus wept, we drew 1-1. So Lythamkev, can you present any real facts to add weight to your inane punctuation-light ramblings? I'm sure our owner is spending shit loads to keep us going and the vast majority seemed pretty happy with the last window, striker bought or not. I imagine our wage bill is pretty hefty, not to mention pitch and stadium maintenance. And let's not forget he actually employs a fair number of staff, something the Oystons always did half-arsed if I remember rightly.

Please try and take a reasoned view, it helps. Oh, and a few commas and stuff would be fab.
 
TangerineEggCup said:
We have the players to be comfortably in the top 6. This is all down to having an average manager when, without an experienced number 2 , comes up short.
Click to expand...
We have some decent players on their day. Trouble is, that's not often enough or all at the same time.
 
A_Tense_Grin said:
Because the crap formation and not playing to strengths. Any decent manager would adapt the formation to suit the players. Critchley is trying to adapt the players to suit a formation.
Click to expand...
You always harp on about formation, would love to know what formation you would suggest tho.

End of the day you are a fan and don’t work with the players everyday so telling Critch what formation he should be playing is like a civilian telling a fireman how to out out a fire
 
ShaneUTMP said:
You always harp on about formation, would love to know what formation you would suggest tho.

End of the day you are a fan and don’t work with the players everyday so telling Critch what formation he should be playing is like a civilian telling a fireman how to out out a fire
Click to expand...
No because football is a sport that most of us have been involved with all our lives. I haven't been putting fires out every Saturday.

Flat back four as a start. Ekpiteta and Gabriel have proven they are good at this at this level.

The wing back system is shite. Critchley chopping and changing trying to find a winning formula that doesn't exist. That isn't my opinion, that is proven in the results and performances. Just to answer your specific question.

Grimshaw
Gabriel-Casey-Ekpiteta-Husband
Byers-Morgan-Norburn
Dembele-Rhodes-Joseph

Not saying it will win every week but at least players will be playing in their normal positions.
 
mad-link said:
Jesus wept, we drew 1-1. So Lythamkev, can you present any real facts to add weight to your inane punctuation-light ramblings? I'm sure our owner is spending shit loads to keep us going and the vast majority seemed pretty happy with the last window, striker bought or not. I imagine our wage bill is pretty hefty, not to mention pitch and stadium maintenance. And let's not forget he actually employs a fair number of staff, something the Oystons always did half-arsed if I remember rightly.

Please try and take a reasoned view, it helps. Oh, and a few commas and stuff would be fab.
Click to expand...
We ant good enough Pal it as simple as that we need to get a new Manager as well who is experienced at playing the right formation rather than the system play at present as our players are not good enough.we need to revert back to 4-4-2 system who ever comes in next to manage us but please get shut of the Headmaster
 
clappers said:
It’s an absolute certainty, because he can’t be seen to have got it wrong. He’s still waiting for it to come good so he can peacock his super coach credentials.
Click to expand...
This is what I said the other day and he has backed himself into a corner now and if he changes and it works he will look a far bigger tw@t than he is now.
 
It does frustrate me the number of times we create chances, get into the box but then cut balls back across the box as opposed to drilling a shot towards goal. Surely a shot towards the goal either gets the goal or at least forces the save / block which can result in another chance on goal.
Every time we reach the byline and cut it back we’re taking the ball away from goal. Our decision making in these positions really is lacking because I can’t think of many goals that have resulted in tap ins from these positions tbh
 
Shiggy said:
Is one of the biggest myths of the season.

It’s been an argument made that this squad should be at worst top 6, with some even suggesting it’s a squad capable of achieving automatic promotion. It’s also been argued that the manager isn’t getting the best out of the squad. Where is the actual evidence for this?

I could refer back to numerous instances throughout the season where the squad has demonstrated a lack of quality but we can just look at today.

They worked hard and I don’t doubt for a second their commitment or effort. There’s also definitely players who, with some improvement, could play at the level above.

But where is the composure and quality in the final third? Where is the maturity? Where is the calmness at the back? How many chances did we create inside the box today?

The manager has got most of the blame for the entire season but why are we not discussing the fact that many of the goals we concede come from individual errors or are soft defensively? Why are we not discussing the poor individual decision-making in the final third?

I want to stress that this isn’t me wanting fans to get on the players’ backs. I actually think it’s a likeable squad with quite a few young players. But we are where we are for a reason. Many think that’s down to the manager and of course he shares a weight of the responsibility. But it’s also because, after 31 games, the players haven’t demonstrated the quality necessary to get out of this league.

Oxford had less chances today and I would assume less time in our half but when they did get in good positions they often made the right decision, either putting a quality ball in or making the right pass or shooting when the chance arose. I don’t see our players doing this enough on a consistent basis.

From what I’ve seen this season, it’s a squad capable of edging their way into the 6th play off spot. No more than that.
Click to expand...
Top 10 will be a good achievement with Neil at the wheel. No need for panic. Let's see where we are at Christmas
 
Martonmosser said:
The player we massively need is a Charlie Adam type midfielder who can regularly grab the game by the scruff of the neck and drive the team forward. I thought Norburn was going to be this player (maybe Byers will) but him and our other midfielders have come up woefully short for me.
Click to expand...
Well said Mosser but you all so forgot to mention that we should of recruited a big useful target man up top but unfortunately that will mean spending more money than our wonderful chairman is prepared to spend.
 
ShaneUTMP said:
ask yourself what players in this squad actually get into the likes of Portsmouth, Derby and Boltons squad. There is literally casey, dembele, Rhodes and Byers (tho he looked shit in his 20 minutes today)

People called for Gabriel but the 2 he’s started he may aswell not have played, cj is shit, Marv shit, penny is a mid table player, Lyons has potential, Connolly shit, kylian potential, Joseph potential, Lavery shit, norburn mid table, Morgan mid table, virtue mid table.

It’s a squad of average players, the manager isn’t blameless, but the players we have aren’t world beaters that some seem to think
Click to expand...

Players aren't stuck to levels like that tho. Our Prem side had very few 'Premier League' or even arguably top half championship players in it. Hardly any of them played at that level for long before or afterwards. Luton are another example. No one in their right minds would have looked at some of their players 3 years ago and gone 'they'll hold their own in the top flight'

Players levels change depending on the context. You don't need 11 'top of league 1' players to get promoted. You need a few really good ones and a system that suits the rest. It's about how you combine what you have effectively and get the best out of it.

I think the squad isn't bad. I agree 100% with the post above about the predictability of our patterns of play.
 
ShaneUTMP said:
ask yourself what players in this squad actually get into the likes of Portsmouth, Derby and Boltons squad. There is literally casey, dembele, Rhodes and Byers (tho he looked shit in his 20 minutes today)

People called for Gabriel but the 2 he’s started he may aswell not have played, cj is shit, Marv shit, penny is a mid table player, Lyons has potential, Connolly shit, kylian potential, Joseph potential, Lavery shit, norburn mid table, Morgan mid table, virtue mid table.

It’s a squad of average players, the manager isn’t blameless, but the players we have aren’t world beaters that some seem to think
Click to expand...
 
I agree with you Shane,to be successful you need a owner that is willing to speculate,then a manager that only should bring in players that are better than is already on the books ,but we seem to get players that no other clubs want.
 
Critchknows said:
A lot is made of formations and how we play and are coached but a few replies I think are missing the point. The op is calling out the individual errors that are costing us. That's not a coaching issue and it's not the formation or our pattern of play. It's players who aren't top league 1 players making bad decisions. Now you can call out the manager or club for not bringing in better but changes are being made and it just takes time.
I agree that we are not top 3 or 4 squad level. We will hopefully nick a play off position but equally might just miss out and that's actually where I think our squad is.
Click to expand...
a lot of our mistakes we bring on ourselves and can easily be coached out of the side, but it goes on,
 
ShaneUTMP said:
You always harp on about formation, would love to know what formation you would suggest tho.

End of the day you are a fan and don’t work with the players everyday so telling Critch what formation he should be playing is like a civilian telling a fireman how to out out a fire
Click to expand...
4-4-2 for me.
 
clappers said:
We also appear to have an average owner who is happy to get through a season without too much spending and have a nice enough management chap who talks ‘modern’ to gloss over our failure every week for the media. Still building for the future, long term plan etc etc
Click to expand...
The owner tells us he's spending £5m a year.

If that's "average" where are we going to find someone to spend above average?
 
Lythamkev said:
It goes to show you the strength of our owner here is a prime example Oxford broke there transfer record in the window bringing in a player from Cheltenham for 400k there is know way that Sadler likes spending money in the transfer windows or very little and is happy for Critch to keep bringing in unknown players that other clubs don’t want in general and fill the team with free transfers and loan players he ant our dream owner as we are now finding out.he is good at putting smoke screens up and false promises that is about it over and out we should have brought another forward in but that costs money I rest my case know dream owner and unfortunately it would appear that we are in it for the long haul with Sadler.this is what I think will happen and we will struggle to get out of league one for the next few seasons unless we change for a new manager and more investment goes back in to the squad in the way of sbringing good players to the club unfortunately that costs money and I don’t think it will happen with our present owner which comes down to total lack of spending money transfer fees ect
Click to expand...
Interesting that you and Arrie have both come out to play at the same time PoultonMichael.

Has he come round to your mum's for a play date?
 
td53 said:
Players aren't stuck to levels like that tho. Our Prem side had very few 'Premier League' or even arguably top half championship players in it. Hardly any of them played at that level for long before or afterwards. Luton are another example. No one in their right minds would have looked at some of their players 3 years ago and gone 'they'll hold their own in the top flight'

Players levels change depending on the context. You don't need 11 'top of league 1' players to get promoted. You need a few really good ones and a system that suits the rest. It's about how you combine what you have effectively and get the best out of it.

I think the squad isn't bad. I agree 100% with the post above about the predictability of our patterns of play.
Click to expand...
Adam, Vaughan, DJ, Seamus- Went on to spend the rest of their careers either in the prem or top championship teams.

Crainey, Baptiste, Bannan, Dobbie became accomplished Championship players

That’s the spine of the team there
 
Shiggy said:
Adam, Vaughan, DJ, Seamus- Went on to spend the rest of their careers either in the prem or top championship teams.

Crainey, Baptiste, Bannan, Dobbie became accomplished Championship players

That’s the spine of the team there
Click to expand...

A knackered old Brett. Evo, Southern. Portly plumber GTF, Rochdale's Matt Gilks (and others) would never have been thought of as 'of that level' to get to and subsequently make a fist of the Prem and yet they did.
 
A_Tense_Grin said:
No because football is a sport that most of us have been involved with all our lives. I haven't been putting fires out every Saturday.

Flat back four as a start. Ekpiteta and Gabriel have proven they are good at this at this level.

The wing back system is shite. Critchley chopping and changing trying to find a winning formula that doesn't exist. That isn't my opinion, that is proven in the results and performances. Just to answer your specific question.

Grimshaw
Gabriel-Casey-Ekpiteta-Husband
Byers-Morgan-Norburn
Dembele-Rhodes-Joseph

Not saying it will win every week but at least players will be playing in their normal positions.
Click to expand...
A flat back four would be even more exposed. Listen carefully and you can hear the beeping as they manoeuvre round to a quick ball behind.
 
Wizaard said:
A flat back four would be even more exposed. Listen carefully and you can hear the beeping as they manoeuvre round to a quick ball behind.
Click to expand...
It wouldn't though. Players are used to playing a back four. Far more easier to organise than a back three with random wing backs in god knows what position. Ekpiteta and Gabriel have proven this in previous teams.
 
All I ask for is commitment and effort! I'm not really interested in promotion or relegation, although both can add some spice to the season, I've been there and seen that many times. What I want is to see my team compete, on a match by match basis, with whoever the f**k we're playing.
Capitulation is not an option, I want to see some fight and spirit and if that's not enough, so be it, I'll applaud my team off the pitch for at least giving everything to the cause!

Modern football, and especially modern football fans, can f*ck off, I don't want aimless stepovers or players rolling around trying to get players booked, I want men's football to be a man's game again, the f*cking girls are more manly than the men these days!
 
clappers said:
We also appear to have an average owner who is happy to get through a season without too much spending and have a nice enough management chap who talks ‘modern’ to gloss over our failure every week for the media. Still building for the future, long term plan etc etc
Click to expand...
The skinflint Sadler & Clueless Critchley love in makes me puke. I wish both would clear off.
 
The manager was schooled at Liverpool. He plays Liverpool’s tactics consistently without any amendments. He does it with CJ Hamilton instead of Salah, Jim Husband instead of Andy Robinson and Big Marv instead of VVD.

Basically, we aren’t ** Liverpool.
 
TheLuker said:
Interesting that you and Arrie have both come out to play at the
TheLuker said:
Interesting that you and Arrie have both come out to play at the same time PoultonMichael.

Has he come round to your mum's for a play date?
Click to expand...


Has he come round to your mum's for a play date?
Click to expand...

TheLuker said:
The owner tells us he's spending £5m a year.

If that's "average" where are we going to find someone to spend above average?
Click to expand...
TheLuker said:
Interesting that you and Arrie have both come out to play at the same time PoultonMichael.

Has he come round to your mum's for a play date?
Click to expand...
Your out of order there luker,stop getting personell,you don’t know Lythamkev.
 
I read an interesting interview with jack grealish talking about how he struggled to adapt to pep's very specific instructions, positions he should take up, where he should be passing, running etc etc. after being given a free rein at villa. It's always been the case that under critchley we have played to strict routines, which numerous opposition coaches read and gave us a serious thrashing. A lot of very poor teams this year have given us numerous problems, either setting up defensively or pressing us high because the way we play is so mechanistic and predictable. Critchley is a student of the game undoubtedly but he has yet to find a style or method that isn't simply a poor facsimile of pep or klopp, that is appropriate for League 1. It's like he or the players are working from an instruction manual all the time. But where the manual says use an M6 nut and bolt he's got a 4mm wood screw. I'm not convinced that critchley has the capability to let players be the players they are. Pep can do that, because he has endless amounts of cash to buy players who will or can follow very specific instructions and if they won't he ships them out.
Critchley has a fair amount of talent to select from but they all seem to have something holding them back.
I'm not convinced that as he gains experience he gains capability, we seem far more mechanistic and predictable now than in his first period, and he keeps doing the same thing over and over again.
 
td53 said:
A knackered old Brett. Evo, Southern. Portly plumber GTF, Rochdale's Matt Gilks (and others) would never have been thought of as 'of that level' to get to and subsequently make a fist of the Prem and yet they did.
Click to expand...
I understand your point. I just think that within that squad we had notable quality that were clearly capable of going to another level.

I’m just not sure that the current squad is there yet. And that’s fine, I’m happy to see this team develop. I just think it’s wrong to carry on this idea that it’s somehow much better than it’s actually proven to be after 31 games.

*also, portly plumber GTF played a decent role in Leicester’s promotion.
 
Hockaday’s Quiff said:
The manager was schooled at Liverpool. He plays Liverpool’s tactics consistently without any amendments. He does it with CJ Hamilton instead of Salah, Jim Husband instead of Andy Robinson and Big Marv instead of VVD.

Basically, we aren’t ** Liverpool.
Click to expand...
When have Liverpool ever played a back 5?
 
Shiggy said:
I understand your point. I just think that within that squad we had notable quality that were clearly capable of going to another level.

I’m just not sure that the current squad is there yet. And that’s fine, I’m happy to see this team develop. I just think it’s wrong to carry on this idea that it’s somehow much better than it’s actually proven to be after 31 games.

*also, portly plumber GTF played a decent role in Leicester’s promotion.
Click to expand...

True and I'd forgotten GTF had that post Pool success.

I am just frustrated with the tactical rigidity and unwillingness to chance an arm on certain players at certain times and I'm not convinced that the raw footballing abilities of the squad of players have been harnessed to the maximum.

This is nowhere near a championship squad or a title winning one - but week after week I look at us and I look at the other team and I think 'we've got more half decent footballers than them' but I don't see us play like that often enough. Football isn't just 'technical qualities' but we've got more of that than most other teams but we lack something in terms of guile. That guile comes from the players on the pitch yes, but it's also the way a manager can reshape things and play the cards and we've rarely seen that shuffling of the pack within a game have any impact this year, whereas we've seen indisputably lesser teams bring off a change or execute a bespoke game plan well.

I think there's latent potential that isn't being drawn out consistently.
 
ShaneUTMP said:
You mustn’t have watched either game well done for admitting that with your dumb response tho 👍

Shall we just put nobody in the box when stevange have a long throw from the corner spot and then it gets headed out to a player who hits it wide until Marv sticks his leg out for reason and puts it in his own net?

Or how about the Charlton game where a ball comes in over the to and cj is too soft to put a challenge on him and lets him turn him and shoot and Marv leaves his dangly leg out to put it in his own net?

Nah not player quality tho
Click to expand...
It’s painful how little you understand even when you can watch it back on video. Look at the video again and ask yourself should the header have been so easy to his teammate in the stevenage game and should the shooter have been allowed to shoot with no pressure on him at all. That is all on Critchley. What does he work on in training? Do you see any improvement in our team?
 
We've got a squad of 18 or so players plus keepers and U21s, with several a bit out of sorts. Lavery, Rhodes, Norburn, Lyons, Beesley, Carey, Connolly, Ekpiteta, CJ, Virtue all under firing or missing or not involved much. Leaving 8 others.

At the end of the season Rhodes, Byers, Dembele and Coulson all leave along with up to 8 out of contract like Marv probably. What will be left?

Promotion would probably be a mistake!!! We just have the finance for a Championship squad it seems to me.
 
Joey_Rex said:
Marv hasn’t been great this season at all but last time we were in this league he was awesome in a back 4 playing to his strengths. I disagree on Gabriel I think he’s a quality player, he was unbelievable against Forest and solid last 2 games. But again he’s better as RB than RWB.

I’m not saying it’s all the managers fault I think the players are weak mentally and lack some grit to grind out results. Il
Just saying the managers tactics are in question as well.
Click to expand...
Last time we were in this league our main centre back partnership was Ballard and Husband
 
Shiggy said:
Adam, Vaughan, DJ, Seamus- Went on to spend the rest of their careers either in the prem or top championship teams.

Crainey, Baptiste, Bannan, Dobbie became accomplished Championship players

That’s the spine of the team there
Click to expand...
Bannan and Dobbie never played in the Premier League for us
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top