Some Big Decisions Needed

[PurpleCanary 5,633]

9 hours ago, PurpleCanary said:

You said your conversation with the Coventry City fan was about a direct replacement for Skipp, so if Hamer isn’t a defensive central midfielder but a principally a playmaker then he would hardly fit the bill. Which might explain why it isn’t so surprising that we didn’t sign him last summer. Whether he might be a suitable signing this summer is an altogether different question to the point you were making about a supposed past mistake.

What Robins said when Hamer was signed certainly makes him sound like a useful player but equally not at all like a direct replacement for Skipp:

“He’s a creative, two-footed midfielder with great technical ability but is also a tenacious and determined player as well in the centre of the midfield."

 

[Robert N. LiM 4,736]

We've looked most dangerous this season with two up front. God knows how we set that up without getting overrun in midfield, but I'd like to see Sargent and Pukki up there together. 

 

[fredherring 136]

I said before the season started that going into the prem with pukki as our main striker was suicide. 

He's too old, slower, and not going to get the supply. 

The delusion that he will somehow come good, let one be any good next season, is another reason why the pinkun forum is laughed at. 

[canarydan23 4,165]

12 hours ago, PurpleCanary said:

You said your conversation with the Coventry City fan was about a direct replacement for Skipp, so if Hamer isn’t a defensive central midfielder but a principally a playmaker then he would hardly fit the bill. Which might explain why it isn’t so surprising that we didn’t sign him last summer. Whether he might be a suitable signing this summer is an altogether different question to the point you were making about a supposed past mistake.

I said that, not Midlands. My cousin said he's a defensive midfielder. Coventry have generally deployed a 3-4-2-1, with Hamer in the middle of the four. Generally he has partnered either Allen or Sheaf in the middle who are both more attack-minded than Hamer, so it's Hamer who would be doing more of the sitting role similar to what Skipp did when alongside the more forward-leaning McLean.

And let's be honest, given how Hamer has been playing this season and given how woefully inept we have been in centre-midfield this season, signing him in the summer would have massively benefited us. Particularly given that he is now being linked with Celtic, Leeds and Brentford.

As for whether it's surprising, well, yes. I am a little surprised that my Coventry-supporting cousin highlighted him as a probable useful signing for us in August, without the benefit of hindsight, when our scouting team failed to. And if he does get signed by someone in the next transfer window, you can bet it will be for a considerably higher amount than he would have been available for last summer.

And as for Robins comments, a tenacious and determined midfielder is "not at all like a direct replacement for Skipp"?

Edited March 4, 2022 by canarydan23

[canarydan23 4,165]

38 minutes ago, fredherring said:

is another reason why the pinkun forum is laughed at. 

And you are, undoubtedly, an expert on how to get laughed at on the PinkUn forum.

[Midlands Yellow 4,161]

7 minutes ago, canarydan23 said:

I said that, not Midlands. My cousin said he's a defensive midfielder. Coventry have generally deployed a 3-4-2-1, with Hamer in the middle of the four. Generally he has partnered either Allen or Sheaf in the middle who are both more attack-minded than Hamer, so it's Hamer who would be doing more of the sitting role similar to what Skipp did when alongside the more forward-leaning McLean.

And let's be honest, given how Hamer has been playing this season and given how woefully inept we have been in centre-midfield this season, signing him in the summer would have massively benefited us. Particularly given that he is now being linked with Celtic, Leeds and Brentford.

As for whether it's surprising, well, yes. I am a little surprised that my Coventry-supporting cousin highlighted him as a probable useful signing for us in August, without the benefit of hindsight, when our scouting team failed to. And if he does get signed by someone in the next transfer window, you can bet it will be for a considerably higher amount than he would have been available for last summer.

What’s your cousins take on O’Hare? His shooting is off the radar but he links up play nicely. Coventry are a tidy side who play from the back so that’s a benefit if we’re interested in any players. The big Swedish lad up front for them looks half decent too. 

Edited March 4, 2022 by Midlands Yellow

[canarydan23 4,165]

2 minutes ago, Midlands Yellow said:

What’s your cousins take on O’Hare? His shooting is off the radar but the lad links up play nicely. Coventry are a tidy side who play from the back so that’s a benefit if we’re interested in any players. The big Swedish lad up front for them looks half decent too. 

I'll ask him. To be fair I haven't actually spoken to him since the Hamer conversation back in August, beyond a brief Facebook chat between him and my Villa-supporting cousin around September and October when we commented that it was rare that in a three-person chat including a Villa, Norwich and Coventry fan, that the Coventry fan was feeling the most chipper! Sadly probably not anymore.

[Midlands Yellow 4,161]

2 minutes ago, canarydan23 said:

I'll ask him. To be fair I haven't actually spoken to him since the Hamer conversation back in August, beyond a brief Facebook chat between him and my Villa-supporting cousin around September and October when we commented that it was rare that in a three-person chat including a Villa, Norwich and Coventry fan, that the Coventry fan was feeling the most chipper! Sadly probably not anymore.

I went to watch them a couple of weeks ago. The pitch is a mess now after all those Wasps matches taking its toll. You could still see they’re a good side though and very well coached by Robins. 

 

[canarydan23 4,165]

Just now, Midlands Yellow said:

I went to watch them a couple of weeks ago. The pitch is a mess now after all those Wasps matches taking its toll. You could still see they’re a good side though and very well coached by Robins. 

He was my preference for a Farke replacement to be honest but never really seemed to be considered.

The Wasps thing was always a bit strange. My Mum was from Coventry and I have a lot of family still there. It's a proper working-class, immigrant-heavy city and never had the ingredients for a successful base for a Rugby Union team. I know a lot of people despise their presence in the city. Having said that, they were getting decent attendances at one point but since Covid the stadium is pitifully empty for Rugby matches. I'm not really sure the city will ever fully take to them.

[PurpleCanary 5,633]

20 minutes ago, canarydan23 said:

I said that, not Midlands. My cousin said he's a defensive midfielder. Coventry have generally deployed a 3-4-2-1, with Hamer in the middle of the four. Generally he has partnered either Allen or Sheaf in the middle who are both more attack-minded than Hamer, so it's Hamer who would be doing more of the sitting role similar to what Skipp did when alongside the more forward-leaning McLean.

And let's be honest, given how Hamer has been playing this season and given how woefully inept we have been in centre-midfield this season, signing him in the summer would have massively benefited us. Particularly given that he is now being linked with Celtic, Leeds and Brentford.

As for whether it's surprising, well, yes. I am a little surprised that my Coventry-supporting cousin highlighted him as a probable useful signing for us in August, without the benefit of hindsight, when our scouting team failed to. And if he does get signed by someone in the next transfer window, you can bet it will be for a considerably higher amount than he would have been available for last summer.

And as for Robins comments, a tenacious and determined midfielder is "not at all like a direct replacement for Skipp"?

You're quite right. Apologies to Midlands, although he carried the idea forward with a clip that seemed generally to show Hamer in an attacking role. I've never seen Hamer play but he still doesn't sound like a direct replacement for Skipp, who rarely moved forward. He actually sounds if anything pretty similar to Normann - an all-purpose midfielder.

As to why we didn't sign Hamer, you are assuming our scouting team failed to assess him. Perhaps we did and decided not only was he not the direct replacement for Skipp we needed but also doubted whether he was EPL quality, whereas we thought Normann was.

[Midlands Yellow 4,161]

1 minute ago, PurpleCanary said:

You're quite right. Apologies to Midlands, although he carried the idea forward with a clip that seemed generally to show Hamer in an attacking role. I've never seen Hamer play but he still doesn't sound like a direct replacement for Skipp, who rarely moved forward. He actually sounds if anything pretty similar to Normann - an all-purpose midfielder.

As to why we didn't sign Hamer, you are assuming our scouting team failed to assess him. Perhaps we did and decided not only was he not the direct replacement for Skipp we needed but also doubted whether he was EPL quality, whereas we thought Normann was.

I was suggesting he could be a player to look at this summer should we go down (looks nailed on but who knows) Transfer fee would be affordable and wages not an issue even for us. 

[canarydan23 4,165]

Just now, PurpleCanary said:

You're quite right. Apologies to Midlands, although he carried the idea forward with a clip that seemed generally to show Hamer in an attacking role. I've never seen Hamer play but he still doesn't sound like a direct replacement for Skipp, who rarely moved forward. He actually sounds if anything pretty similar to Normann - an all-purpose midfielder.

As to why we didn't sign Hamer, you are assuming our scouting team failed to assess him. Perhaps we did and decided not only was he not the direct replacement for Skipp we needed but also doubted whether he was EPL quality, whereas we thought Normann was.

Well they would still have cocked up as I think everyone now agrees we didn't reinforce or upgrade the CM position anything like enough, even with the addition of Normann and even if Normann had stayed fit. Sadly, some of us thought as much in August even without the benefit of hindsight.

And let's be honest, even if he is a creative playmaker, he'd almost certainly have fared better this season than a certain other much-feted creative playmaker we bought in in the summer. It does look like a missed opportunity, particularly if he was available for the maximum £5 million my cousin speculated it would take to prise him away. Someone will buy him for more than that in summer I would expect. And there are countless missed opportunities that become apparent later in the season, but this one is frustrating as some fans didn't need the benefit of hindsight to think he was worth a punt.

 

[canarydan23 4,165]

Just now, Midlands Yellow said:

I was suggesting he could be a player to look at this summer should we go down (looks nailed on but who knows) Transfer fee would be affordable and wages not an issue even for us. 

Doesn't look likely he'll be a Championship option next season, Brentford, Leeds and both Old Firm clubs sniffing around him.

[Robert N. LiM 4,736]

21 hours ago, ridgeman said:

One big decision for Saturday is it Byram or Aarons. In a receent encounter with Brentford the commentator said that Brentfford had been told to launch high balls to the far post to test Aarons lack of height. This is not a knock at Aarons but just a preference for Byram for this particular game.

Brentford certainly did this in their draw with Liverpool. Kept playing deep crosses and overloaded the Liverpool full backs with height and strength. Love Max to bits but think that Byram is the choice for this game.

[Midlands Yellow 4,161]

8 minutes ago, canarydan23 said:

Doesn't look likely he'll be a Championship option next season, Brentford, Leeds and both Old Firm clubs sniffing around him.

Just read about all the above mentioned teams interest with one other club mentioned, us!