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  1. What this seems to emphasise to me every time I look at it (and it's a fabulous resource FTW, so thankyou!) is the lack of forwards we have in squad. Of the 50 or so players listed as in or around the first team squad only 5 forwards for two positions in the team, assuming you count the 10 or wide man as a forward, one of them on loan and one 20 year old who has never really been a goalscorer. Our priority in January has to be a forward. So, any suggestions?
  2. I suspect Reyes is our number one for next season if Gunn goes. I agree that Long is designed to be the professional bench warmer who can contribute if needed but they wouldn't want a youngster there - they need to play. As a character you have to say that Long is very solid - his mistakes don't phase him at all.
  3. Yes, I struggle with his criticism of the "white privilege" apparently being claimed by those raising further funds for famine relief and his supposed alignment with the argument that Africa should be allowed to help itself as a continent and present its own positive image rather than the negative stereotypes of a barren land. So let's all ignore the fact that, as a continent, it can't actually do that yet and tens of thousands of people will therefore die whilst it's trying. It's still many, many years away from having the developed economies it needs across the continent to be able to be that self-supportive, so turning away well meaning fundraisers and charities because of some kind of nationalist desire to self help seems a bit, well, stupid. I suspect that those people who receive food from the money raised by Band Aid 40 don't give a hoot about Ed's views on the subject, so I'm very much with Sir Bob on this one.
  4. If you're a coach, you learn something from every game about certain players and what you can ask of them. Given we don't have a playmaker, the formation and tactics have to be spot on for us to create chances. Yesterday should have finally put the nail in the "Doyle is a left back" argument - he isn't. He is also carrying enough timber to be exiled to the gym for the entire international break so let's see what he's like when we return, but he is a centre back not a full back or a midfielder. He will also never be good enough to play for Man City, but that's by the by. We cannot play Cordoba with Duffy and expect the spine to be solid. I'm afraid that despite his improvement, we need to go forward without Duffy, who offers nothing apart from heart and muscle. We cannot continually allow him to be a ballplayer as he was under Wagner and he became yesterday when no one from midfield offered him a pass. He is our last 20 substitution to hold a lead and nothing more. Fisher is a promising player but does not have the height or the build needed for a modern fullback at this level. Opposing teams are targeting all of those deficiencies. He does have an engine though and is an aggressive and determined player. He could be a useful defensively minded midfielder if he has the discipline to hold a position but at the moment he has a tendency to wander. A potential ballwinner though in the Skipp mould. Enough has been said about Long. He is what we have, but hopefully next time Gunn is injured or not here one of the youngsters will be given the chance he has wasted (again). Slimane must have been caught in possession more than any other player yesterday. Probably not fit, but if he's going to start he needs to improve quickly. Promising moves broke down at him every time. Sorensen simply isn't good enough for this level. For me, he offers nothing at all and just gets in the way - its like we're playing with 10 men. He needs a coach to put a rocket behind him if he's going to contribute anything, but I don't think he has it in him and he's just blocking a place in the team. Marcondes is a nice player, but lightweight. A support to a big, tough striker perhaps. Now, Crnac. I think there is a player there, but where do you put him? I'd say he's marginally more skilful than Idah but scarily similar in terms of lack of positional awareness as a striker. I think he's a number 8 more than a 10 or a striker. So potentially Crnac and Marcondes can play temporarily as a top two, but only if we have a creator which is what Schwartau is, I think, supposed to be. But he's 19 and like the 20 year old Crnac has a long way to go yet. Forson is still a better bet than Schwartau in the middle. Saintz is really our only outlet at the moment - and that strategy is very easy to counter. I think yesterday showed we are tired and hungover still from the Cardiff game. If we hang on to the 1-0 win in that game there's every chance we follow that up with decent shows against Sheffield Weds and Bristol City. Every season we seem to have one game where we let it impact how we play for a long time - hopefully we can use the break and the potential return of Gunn and Nunez at least as a new start. So, hopefully our team for West Brom is Gunn, Stacey, Doyle, Cordoba, Chrisene, Nunez, Fisher, Forson, Marcondez, Crnac, Saintz. Maybe switch Slimane for Forson if he's fitter. Finally - someone up front needs to be encouraged to hold the ball. This is a skill which seems to have completely disappeared from the club with Idah moving on and Barnes injured. I'm not advocating the return of a target man (though how great would that be if we had one?) but it should not be beyond the ability of Sargent, Crnac or Marcondes.
  5. These guys are professionals. Long will know his place is at risk and won't be surprised to be dropped. I doubt he'll lose any sleep over it, he'll just work extra hard to get back in. Likewise Mair will be hoping to get a game - if he doesn't start one of the next two he'll probably be thinking he'll never get a game and will move on; with Reyes and Barden in the wings the chances are at least one of them will be ahead of him next year. Gunn's contract position is interesting - if we let him go, do we think we have next year's number one on staff already?
  6. Classic example of throwing away a game. Forson at fault for the equaliser and several players had a chance to clear the second. Our game management is a problem and the substitutions certainly didn't work.
  7. Not quite sure why Cardiff are sitting back so much - if they press us higher they will win the game but they seem terrified of Saintz on the break.
  8. Martin Peters if he qualifies as a CM. Then Maddison, but not sure he qualifies either. So Ian Crook is a good shout.
  9. As is Doyle. As is Cordoba. As is the entire midfield for not closing down quicker. As is Slimane for not committing an easy foul when he had the chance. As is Maclean for a stupid challenge. As is Saintz for not burying two easy chances..... Have I made my point about how you cannot look at one player and blame them in a team game? Every single goal ever scored can be attributed to more than one error by someone. Of course he should have saved the first one but Long played well overall - some of you really need to accept it.
  10. Our midfield barely got the ball after the first 15 minutes, but Sargent was pretty anonymous. In a game like that where we are struggling to make any headway, he really needs to be able to hold the ball but it never seems to stick.
  11. No one has mentioned that Carrick helped us hugely by taking off Doak and Conway who were both killing us, but a special shout out to Long for keeping us in the game so that we had a chance to win a point in a match where our midfield and defence were, for long periods, completely outplayed. Boro played like we want to in that first half, they were superb. If they played like that every week they'd walk this league - but they won't, of course.
  12. The ref was 5 yards away and saw it as reckless. His foot was a bit high but he was definitely over-committed. One of those which seems a bit harsh but you can't really argue with it.
  13. A fantastic match. How about we just enjoy the fact that we have a team and a manager that are never beaten? Long was the catalyst for that comeback with the pen save, but I'm not seeing much love for him on here.......? Saintz with two wonderful goals (and two others he probably should have scored) and Duffy was imperious in the second half. Sargent disappointingly anonymous. Maclean brilliant until the silly challenge. But what a game.
  14. So the fact that their only striker is completely unmarked 4 yards from our goal is not a feature in who is to blame for you? Yes, he should have stopped that one, but neither the second or third were down to him - and he has made several decent saves. Facing 7 shots on target in 45 minutes at home is not his fault.
  15. I cannot believe Long is being hammered again on here. Any chance you could all look at the midfield which is completely non-existent? Or the defence which is all over the place? Slimane not taking down Doak for their second when the whole world could see he should have; Doyle being completely outplayed by Doak all half and no one covering; Cordoba and Duffy not picking up Conway in the box. Thorup has to move Fisher across and bring on Chrisene, take Cordoba off; take Crnac off and get another body in the middle. We can still get something here.
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