Barham Blitz

Eh ? Seems an mildly aggressive post for what was a specific question to Parma. For the record, I'm entirely on board with the current approach and more than accepting of a transition season, particularly with regard to the younger players. I was merely asking Parma - who has a higher level of relevant experience than I - as to his opinion on whether specific attributes exhibited by specific players from our recent history were coachable or somehow innate. It was at no stage intended as a slight on any of the current squad and I agree with your 3rd paragraph entirely (in detail if not in tone.) So I'd suggest that you perhaps need to calm down a bit !!

As always an insightful post Parma - can I ask a question though. Taking Crnac as an example, you have previously suggested that he might have been bought almost off plan as somebody with the right physical attributes to do well (in terms of touch / physique etc.). To what extent can the intangibles be coached in to a player like that - for example Pukki's movement or Holt's ability to use his strength? I've only ever coached at a low level, but something like Pukki's movement strikes me as fairly analysable and repeatable - he had some fairly signature moves which seemed to buy him the same space game after game - and aside from a cool finishing head which is probably innate, looks to me like something that could be taught. Technically, Crnac looks decent to me, but he does seem to lack that ability or instinct to find space when played centrally at this point in time. Pukki managed to score a hatfull without being the quickest (although no slouch) or the biggest or the strongest - how much of that do you think can be coached in to a young player ? We obviously didn't manage that with Idah, but would it be possible with other youngsters do you think ?

Good point LDC. What worked well for us earlier in the season was that there were appreciable patterns to our play - there were options in midfield to play simple passes out from the back because players knew where their teammates were going to be so there was less waiting, and less chance of the opposition press being effective. Whatever your views on Farke, it is what he coached very well, and JHT got that back after the Smith and Wagner years where frankly what you described was the norrm. That and the fact that with Sarge up front there was an out ball if necessary which also served to keep the opposition press honest - it couldn't go too gung ho. With the best will in the world Onel isn't going to offer that option. It comes down to the injuries, with players being shunted around and played out of position and as you suggest not being as good as the first choice options. That split second of thinking time because the pass isn't there makes all of the difference, particularly against a well organised pressing team like United. Do we need better players or for the youngsters to develop ? Absolutely. Do we need another backup. striker in the Sarge mode ? Yes. But there were enough green shoots in the Autumn for me to have faith in JHT to develop the squad to be successful with this style.

Yes - I watched the first season of The Good Place and enjoyed that as well. And whilst you don't need to know a lot about Tech for H&CF there are some jokes / incidents that work on a couple of levels if you do know your Tech history.

It doesn't. Shh - don't tell anyone ... 😉

Particularly pleased to see Halt and Catch Fire in there as I love that series. Not solely because I work as a Solutions Consultant for an IT reseller, but also because I was beginning to become convinced that I was the only one who had seen it during conversations about high quality TV. A slow burner (no pun intended) but worth persevering with if you enjoy character driven drama, brilliant acting and pondering the larger questions in life rather than just seeing things explode periodically (not that I am entirely against the latter per se.) Finished watching the whole thing through for a second time just before Christmas.

With the chequered history of some of our signings it wouldn't surprise me if that was the only thing we checked in the medical...

That would be peak Everton given that they sold him to Leicester for less than that a season ago ... But like @shefcanary I've heard that he is Blades bound from the local gossip

Absolutely this. He has had an exceptional first half of the season but I really don't think he would keep up anything like those numbers and is a bit limited in other ways. If he would be the difference between promotion and parachute payments or not then keep him, but as you suggest that is fairly unlikely and if somebody else is willing to pay that much in the expectation that he will keep nailing worldies into the top corner at his current rate then i'd bank the cheque and wish them well.

I know very little about American Football aside from a period of insomnia in the late 80s where I developed a mild affinity for the Dan Marino era Miami Dolphins. But I am now waiting for any opportunity to use this wonderfully evocative description. I have no idea who you are talking about but this is excellent work regardless.

I've seen Bindon play a couple of times - he looks quality at that level, composed on the ball, really good positional awareness. Still only a teenager but quite possibly capable of making the step up. I used to work in Reading and have a couple of mates who are Reading fans and they rave about him. If he keeps developing he would be perfect for the way we look to be intending to set up at the back, but they reckon quite a few teams are after him.

Based solely on the dreaded YouTube highlights reel he looks interesting - physically strong, competitive, direct, bit of pace, happy coming in off either flank, likes a shot. Echoes of a certain Master Houlihan in that he has a Wes-like turning-around-very-quickly-in-a-circle move when pressured and his right leg looks to be very much for standing on only ... Always risky basing judgements on highlight reels but could be useful as an inverted right sided attacker. Apologies in advance for the ubiquitous awful music they always put in these things...

I'm sure both elements were true Shef !

It's a lovely place, but it has (or at least had) a dodgier side - I went there on a stag do about 20 years ago and got offered class A substances 3 times in the first hour of going out by locals. I then bought one of the more expensive round of drinks of my life as (in my innocence) I hadn't realised that the "bar" we were in was in fact a high class brothel ...

Absolutely - their mid-eighties team under Kendall wasn't too shabby either. And to be fair, I've been to a couple of their games under Dyche whilst visiting the in-laws and it is a turgid watch. My post was more tongue in cheek than anything. But until their takeover kicks in they are very much more at the survival end of the Premiership spectrum than the European qualification end. I think they are running a bit of a risk by getting rid of Dyche now. I guess we'll see if anyone else can get a better tune out of a frankly bang average squad.