The Inevitable

[Big AC 2]

It does not really matter who is currently injured as relegation is inevitable. I can't understand why the manager does not use the rest of the season as an opportunity to give game-time to some young players. The ones in the first team are clearly not good enough, and I would also have to question the commitment of some of our loan players. The time to start planning for next season is now, but I fear the manager is not brave enough to face up to this reality. At the start of every season, after the first three matches, I make a written prediction of how I think we will do, and I note that last August I wrote, "With a powder puff attack and a dodgy defence, it looks like we are in serious trouble". I think I was right! 

[Helsinki canary 296]

2 minutes ago, Big AC said:

It does not really matter who is currently injured as relegation is inevitable. I can't understand why the manager does not use the rest of the season as an opportunity to give game-time to some young players. The ones in the first team are clearly not good enough, and I would also have to question the commitment of some of our loan players. The time to start planning for next season is now, but I fear the manager is not brave enough to face up to this reality. At the start of every season, after the first three matches, I make a written prediction of how I think we will do, and I note that last August I wrote, "With a powder puff attack and a dodgy defence, it looks like we are in serious trouble". I think I was right! 

Fully agree, dump the loan players and play the ones which will still hopefully be around next season to maximise their game time and experience on the big stage.

Edited April 1, 2022 by Helsinki canary

[cambridgeshire canary 7,778]

Agreed. Seasons over, let Rowe get all the experience he needs to get him to be our star man next season beacause I feel that building a team around him should be a good idea. Got a big future he does me thinks.

 

Plus all our loan players will be off regardless, as will a good portion of our players (rashica only joining us to play in the Prem etc)

[keelansgrandad 6,680]

Yep. No more loan players starting.

[Danke bitte 1,147]

27 minutes ago, cambridgeshire canary said:

as will a good portion of our players (rashica only joining us to play in the Prem etc)

They say every cloud has a silver lining, I’m genuinely looking forward to seeing the back of that midfield and what Adams and Smith can conjure up next season. 

Edited April 1, 2022 by Danke bitte
Making it clear

[Nexus_Canary 1,206]

Lets get the taxi started for Barry and Paul Chuckle then, if we are down we need to fire those two who are way out of their depth and start looking at yet another project restart. I dont want either of them at the helm in the Champ as we will just fail again in the Prem in 23/24

[Capt. Pants 4,973]

I bet it will be Normann and Gilmour in midfield.

[Channon’s Windmill 405]

I do think we will see Rowe get his first start tomorrow. It really will be rather odd if he doesn’t. 

[Badger 2,745]

Most people may feel it is inevitable, but this is not the line that the management are taking, so I'm sure they will pick what they believe to be the strongest team.

[nutty nigel 7,897]

2 minutes ago, Badger said:

Most people may feel it is inevitable, but this is not the line that the management are taking, so I'm sure they will pick what they believe to be the strongest team.

This a hundred times over. Our fans can throw in the towel but I'd be well disappointed if our club did while escape was possible however unlikely that may be.

 

[Mengo 850]

1 hour ago, Badger said:

Most people may feel it is inevitable, but this is not the line that the management are taking, so I'm sure they will pick what they believe to be the strongest team.

Agree with this. Until its mathematically impossible to survive this season then of course the SAS have to pick the strongest team which they believe is the best team that has the chance of winning games. If and when we are relegated then by all means experiment for the future but not before then. 

[canarybubbles 2,194]

1 hour ago, nutty nigel said:

This a hundred times over. Our fans can throw in the towel but I'd be well disappointed if our club did while escape was possible however unlikely that may be.

 

So playing a midfield of McLean plus two out of Gilmour, Normann and PLM isn't throwing in the towel?

[shefcanary 2,939]

3 minutes ago, canarybubbles said:

So playing a midfield of McLean plus two out of Gilmour, Normann and PLM isn't throwing in the towel?

If McLean starts, it's as good as throwing in that towel!  😉

 

[DraytonBoy 246]

Until relegation is confirmed you can't bin the loan players to blood youngsters.

[Son Ova Gunn 165]

Always a danger throwing in Rowe that he looks every inch like a Premier League player and we lose him as well. Also, are there not some records left that we haven’t broken this season that we really would rather not own?.. play strongest team and ease in the new blood just as they have been doing for me. 

[canarybubbles 2,194]

12 minutes ago, DraytonBoy said:

Until relegation is confirmed you can't bin the loan players to blood youngsters.

Well, two of them are injured, and two of them didn't make the starting lineup last game, so I'm not sure it makes much difference.

[keelansgrandad 6,680]

8 minutes ago, DraytonBoy said:

Until relegation is confirmed you can't bin the loan players to blood youngsters.

Are Sorenson and Rowe too old? We have seen week after week, game after game that the problem is midfield which carried the team last season. 3 of them are not with us any more and the bought in or loaned replacements, admittedly in a higher league, cannot perform, in whatever lineup or formation they play.

I doubt Rupp, Sorenson, Rowe, Rashica can do a lot worse.

[Creedence Clearwater Couto 1,611]

I would like to see us try and build some momentum for next season. I don't buy the 'blood the youngsters' narrative, though. I, and many others, wouldn't be happy with a team full of youngsters lining up in the championship next season. But I would like to play the fringe players that are our own. Players we know can produce the goods at championship level. 

Lets build their confidence up and make them really feel part of it for the remainder of the season under SAS. Three players in particular for me are Dimi, Dowell and Sorenson. If they left, could we replace with better for a championship tilt? I don't think we could. So lets get them reintegrated.  

I'd like to see more of Rowe and Tzolis too, but that's it from a 'youngster' perspective. I don't see any benefit in blooding anymore from the U23 / academy set up at this point. 

 

Edited April 1, 2022 by Creedence Clearwater Couto

[canarybubbles 2,194]

12 minutes ago, Creedence Clearwater Couto said:

I would like to see us try and build some momentum for next season. I don't buy the 'blood the youngsters' narrative, though. I, and many others, wouldn't be happy with a team full of youngsters lining up in the championship next season. But I would like to play the fringe players that are our own. Players we know can produce the goods at championship level. 

Lets build their confidence up and make them really feel part of it for the remainder of the season under SAS. Three players in particular for me are Dimi, Dowell and Sorenson. If they left, could we replace with better for a championship tilt? I don't think we could. So lets get them reintegrated.  

I'd like to see more of Rowe and Tzolis too, but that's it from a 'youngster' perspective. I don't see any benefit in blooding anymore from the U23 / academy set up at this point. 

 

That sounds broadly sensible to me, but the larger question remains unanswered: what style or shape are we going to employ next season? At the moment I have no idea, and I am not sure Smith does either.

[nutty nigel 7,897]

2 hours ago, nutty nigel said:

This a hundred times over. Our fans can throw in the towel but I'd be well disappointed if our club did while escape was possible however unlikely that may be.

 

 

1 hour ago, canarybubbles said:

So playing a midfield of McLean plus two out of Gilmour, Normann and PLM isn't throwing in the towel?

??

[Yellow Wal 315]

56 minutes ago, Creedence Clearwater Couto said:

I would like to see us try and build some momentum for next season. I don't buy the 'blood the youngsters' narrative, though. I, and many others, wouldn't be happy with a team full of youngsters lining up in the championship next season. But I would like to play the fringe players that are our own. Players we know can produce the goods at championship level. 

Lets build their confidence up and make them really feel part of it for the remainder of the season under SAS. Three players in particular for me are Dimi, Dowell and Sorenson. If they left, could we replace with better for a championship tilt? I don't think we could. So lets get them reintegrated.  

I'd like to see more of Rowe and Tzolis too, but that's it from a 'youngster' perspective. I don't see any benefit in blooding anymore from the U23 / academy set up at this point. 

 

Who wants to reintroduce Dowell? How many chances does he warrant?

Perhaps it would be better for us and him if he looked elsewhere. 

[Son Ova Gunn 165]

52 minutes ago, Yellow Wal said:

Who wants to reintroduce Dowell? How many chances does he warrant?

Perhaps it would be better for us and him if he looked elsewhere. 

I do.. looked very capable in the championship, probably lacked any more game time due to two very good creative players ahead of him in Buendia and Cantwell. Won’t have that problem this time unfortunately. 

[Creedence Clearwater Couto 1,611]

1 hour ago, Yellow Wal said:

Who wants to reintroduce Dowell? How many chances does he warrant?

Perhaps it would be better for us and him if he looked elsewhere. 

I very much doubt we'll get a better player than Dowell for the championship next season. He finished the last Championship very strongly, and is coming it to prime age. To disregard him on the back of this season is short sighted. Given a run of games he will improve. And actually, he's hardly had a chance this season. A start every here and there isn't enough to build momentum. In any case, I remember him looking very good at Arsenal earlier in the season. 

Nobody has shone this season, don't forget. 

[Yellow Wal 315]

13 hours ago, Creedence Clearwater Couto said:

I very much doubt we'll get a better player than Dowell for the championship next season. He finished the last Championship very strongly, and is coming it to prime age. To disregard him on the back of this season is short sighted. Given a run of games he will improve. And actually, he's hardly had a chance this season. A start every here and there isn't enough to build momentum. In any case, I remember him looking very good at Arsenal earlier in the season. 

Nobody has shone this season, don't forget. 

He's hardly had a chance this season for a reason. If he couldn't force himself into what has been a weak midfield this season then he surely isn't a player for the future.

[ged in the onion bag 959]

Amuses me reading posters quoting players being selected who are ‘good enough for the championship’, Dowell, Giannoulis, McLeans for example.    Can anyone explain how a club without significant spend can prepare for the EPL playing players only good enough for the Championship?

Surely our experiences these past two promotions says 1) must get better scouts, 2) only play players with EPL potential (until they don’t have that potential then replace them) … they’ve had the opportunity but failed to take it like those players above… 3) don’t loan players we could never sign, especially inexperienced ones…

Our model is all about developing players since we don’t have money so if a good enough team takes 3 years, then let’s start that process now.   Blindly continuing with Championship quality players who don’t have EPL abilities (too slow/weak/small/ lacking anticipation) makes you a Championship quality team as the last 4 years demonstrates.    
 

It needs a massive overhaul starting today.  Forget mathematics and get on with it!   

[canarybubbles 2,194]

13 minutes ago, ged in the onion bag said:

Amuses me reading posters quoting players being selected who are ‘good enough for the championship’, Dowell, Giannoulis, McLeans for example.    Can anyone explain how a club without significant spend can prepare for the EPL playing players only good enough for the Championship?

Surely our experiences these past two promotions says 1) must get better scouts, 2) only play players with EPL potential (until they don’t have that potential then replace them) … they’ve had the opportunity but failed to take it like those players above… 3) don’t loan players we could never sign, especially inexperienced ones…

Our model is all about developing players since we don’t have money so if a good enough team takes 3 years, then let’s start that process now.   Blindly continuing with Championship quality players who don’t have EPL abilities (too slow/weak/small/ lacking anticipation) makes you a Championship quality team as the last 4 years demonstrates.    
 

It needs a massive overhaul starting today.  Forget mathematics and get on with it!   

 

Point taken, but there's the issue of money. Most teams who get promoted only have two or three players with definite EPL potential because otherwise they'd be mid-table in the Prem having spent a fortune to be there (e.g. Villa). 

[Yellow Wal 315]

8 hours ago, ged in the onion bag said:

Amuses me reading posters quoting players being selected who are ‘good enough for the championship’, Dowell, Giannoulis, McLeans for example.    Can anyone explain how a club without significant spend can prepare for the EPL playing players only good enough for the Championship?

Surely our experiences these past two promotions says 1) must get better scouts, 2) only play players with EPL potential (until they don’t have that potential then replace them) … they’ve had the opportunity but failed to take it like those players above… 3) don’t loan players we could never sign, especially inexperienced ones…

Our model is all about developing players since we don’t have money so if a good enough team takes 3 years, then let’s start that process now.   Blindly continuing with Championship quality players who don’t have EPL abilities (too slow/weak/small/ lacking anticipation) makes you a Championship quality team as the last 4 years demonstrates.    
 

It needs a massive overhaul starting today.  Forget mathematics and get on with it!   

Olly Skipp won us promotion last season and his absence this season will win us relegation. Learn from the mistake, developing other club's players will do us no good.

[NCFCInnit 52]

Go up champions, go down bottom. Great model that.

[Creedence Clearwater Couto 1,611]

On 02/04/2022 at 08:23, Yellow Wal said:

He's hardly had a chance this season for a reason. If he couldn't force himself into what has been a weak midfield this season then he surely isn't a player for the future.

Again, extremely short sighted opinion. Are you suggesting Kenny Mclean is a better player? 

The reason Dowell has suffered is due to Farke and Smiths tactics this season, in trying to be less expansive and harder to beat, resulting in a change to formation. Inexplicable IMO, as we haven't played this way for the last few years nor do we have the players to achieve it. We should've stuck to 4-2-3-1 and replaced Skipp and Beundia with players to fit that system. 

Anyway, 'binning' Dowell with a proven pedigree in the division we're heading would be stupid. He can be a weapon at the level if utilised correctly. 

[Yellow Wal 315]

4 minutes ago, Creedence Clearwater Couto said:

Again, extremely short sighted opinion. Are you suggesting Kenny Mclean is a better player? 

The reason Dowell has suffered is due to Farke and Smiths tactics this season, in trying to be less expansive and harder to beat, resulting in a change to formation. Inexplicable IMO, as we haven't played this way for the last few years nor do we have the players to achieve it. We should've stuck to 4-2-3-1 and replaced Skipp and Beundia with players to fit that system. 

Anyway, 'binning' Dowell with a proven pedigree in the division we're heading would be stupid. He can be a weapon at the level if utilised correctly. 

I'm not suggesting McLean is a better player, Daniel Farke and Dean Smith, two very experienced football managers are.