Whats the worst area of the team currently?

[hogesar 9,736]

I recently wrote a piece in my blog about the defence and how poor, generally, i thought it was.In fact, i saw it as the weakest point in our team.But we have been so dire recently that i think the midfield has managed to end up on par with the defence. That''s not great. I mean, assuming we do go down, i''d take Clingan down with us, although he''ll move on. Other than that, Croft could do a job. Russell, he doesn''t have the quality for the championship, he''s a league one player.In fact, in exception to Clingan (and only when he''s on top of his game) most of the midfield is league one quality. And our strike force is non existant. Seriously, i''m sure Jamie''s awesome down the pub, and he has a pretty fit girl too. But neither of these tend to make a good striker. Pace does, and he lost that 3 years ago. Composure and concentration does, and he lost those...well did he ever have them? One golden boot where by all accounts Colchester over-performed and most thanked Iwelumo for most of the goals Jamie scored.Actually, if we managed to take our entire squad we have now down to league one with us, i don''t think we''d be in contention for automatic promotion. We can''t string two wins together in the Championship. In League One, or Division 3 (whichever makes you feel slightly less aggrieved at the clubs current plight), the other teams will still fight and scrape one nil wins against us at Carrow Road, or atleast thats my opinion.Worringly, it''s the same people who think going down to League One isn''t disastorous, who also think we''ll finish top of that league come next year. It''s not an easy league to get out of, just ask Forest, or even more relevant perhaps, Leeds. Sorry for the ramble, everythings scrambled about but i''m sure i''ve made a point somewhere in there.P.S - Give it your all on Tuesday. It could be our last chance.

[grantroederdisaster 0]

Powder puff upfront - Cort hasn''t got the legs to do any good at this level and that means the ball goes the other way to much which puts pressure on the backline!

 

As well as Cort a lot of the attackers and wide midfield players are new to the club and looked like a bunch of strangers yesterday at Blackpool!

[Jimbo_Jet_Set 0]

To be honest there is nobody in the current squad i wouldn''t sell for the right price or be actively searching replacements for.

As for our weakest area. For me its a toss up between the full backs and the strikeforce.

Having good full backs is increasingly important these days and none of ours make the grade.  You don''t necessarily need a Clichy or Evra but what you must have are solid defenders who have the ability to support the wingers and can cross a ball.  Drury (in his day) and Edworthy from the promotion season are classic examples of the players you need at Championship level.  Neither was spectacular, but they were efficient.  This year we''ve had Omosuzi and Grounds (both essentially central defenders) Drury and Bertrand (both horribly out of touch) and Semmy (just generally dire).

Our strikeforce (apart from the Lita loan period) have been woefully short of the two attributes that strikers these days generally need - Pace or Power. It is simply too easy to defend against us, especially away from home. Cureton doesn''t have the legs or muscle to be truely effective. Cort doesn''t have the pace or mobility. Lupoli lacked the power, ditto Hooly and Russell lacked pretty much everything.  We simply don''t posess enough  ability to score goals against the run of play or in tight matches.

[hogesar 9,736]

I think most worringly is right-back in terms of our full backs. Semmy simply cannot cut it, seems to suffer from..well stupidity mainly. Out of position all the time. Doherty should pick him up and carry him into that area. Draw out a grid for him of where he can run. Sadly, he has the potential to be good in terms of attack anyway.Basically Jimbo, i agree with pretty much everything you''ve said.

[Syteanric 1]

the back 4 and keeper are i think...

far to error prone and simply not good enough... as has been evidenced many times this season.

jas :)

[hogesar 9,736]

[quote user="jas the barclay king"]

the back 4 and keeper are i think...

far to error prone and simply not good enough... as has been evidenced many times this season.

jas :)

[/quote]One thing i do wonder in terms of our defence, is if we''d had been any better off with Dejan. I mean he looked reasonably solid at the start of the season. Kennedy, in my opinion, was overrated but you may think differently. If Plastic had been like last season, he would have chipped in with a few goals, maybe important one''s? So it''s a shame, but it''s very worrying. Could our current back four keep out enough in league one? Shackell and Doc maybe - full backs though?

[ZLF 274]

Hi Hog :-)

Its the midfield for me.  Such a crucial part of the team yet one that disappears faster than the end of my sente

Defence?  Full backs are a real problem, and the lack of strikers remains a real issue.  However a teams engine room is the midfield as it protects the back 4 and is the teams creative force.  Its where the teams energy comes from,  yet we have too few assists and too many goals conceeded by midfielders coming into the box without a tracking midfielder of ours. 

 

[hurricane 0]

ive thought that too, we looked ok with dejan at the back always seemed to have a cool head and his distribution and positional play was good when i saw him play,and he was an "old" head with a lot of experience which i think we have lacked this season-so for me he was quite a big loss.

[hogesar 9,736]

[quote user="ZippersLeftFoot"]

Hi Hog :-)

Its the midfield for me.  Such a crucial part of the team yet one that disappears faster than the end of my sente

Defence?  Full backs are a real problem, and the lack of strikers remains a real issue.  However a teams engine room is the midfield as it protects the back 4 and is the teams creative force.  Its where the teams energy comes from,  yet we have too few assists and too many goals conceeded by midfielders coming into the box without a tracking midfielder of ours. 

 [/quote]

Hey ;]

I think more than anything in the centre of midfield, whoever we partner with who, they both want to do the same thing, and that seems to be to hold back. As you say, protecting the back four is important but if they both hold back it just invites pressure. I used to complain at Etuhu and Safri...but i''d swap our current crop for them anyday. Well, the Safri i knew anyway. Maybe not the Southampton one where he seemed to do nothing.

[Paul Spector 0]

2 Words... Jon Otsemobor

[venta icenorum 0]

Yeah agree re the fullbacks, plus our constant chopping and changing. The weakest area of the team is that we haven''t had a consistent starting XI since our 13 game unbeaten run. This has partly been because just as someone is bedding in they have to go back to the club we borrowed them from, eg Lita, Grounds, Omosuzi. It has also been due to injuries messing up our plans. If Kennedy and Stefo had stayed fit we might well have done better at the back. Matthew Bates now looks a quality player at Boro, I know that was last season but he could have done a job for us.

Scoring goals hasn''t generally been a problem which is all the more remarkable given our striker fiasco, or should i say, lack of striker fiasco. Getting Lupoli in was like taking Theo Walcott to the World Cup - we didn''t have enough strikers, but even when we needed him the manager wouldn''t play him. It''s been pleasing that the midfield and defence have chipped in with goals.

But our biggest problem has been letting in goals, even though we''ve had rough luck with so many pens/red cards, freak goals, whatever. When you''re on a collision course for League One nothing goes your way.

Roeder basically got it wrong when he thought, ambitiously, that Premiership loanees were a better bet than permanent acquisitions from the champ/league 1/2. We continue to suffer as a result of his, and Grant''s transfer mistakes.

[GJP 79]

Upfront, in my opinion.

Can''t really see where the goals are going to come from. And if you don''t score goals then you don''t win games of football.

[hogesar 9,736]

[quote user="ventaicenorum"]

Yeah agree re the fullbacks, plus our constant chopping and changing. The weakest area of the team is that we haven''t had a consistent starting XI since our 13 game unbeaten run

[/quote]That''s true. Yet Doomcaster is persistent in saying we''ll continue to use the loan system. In my opinion, the only loans we should really consider are season long ones, as atleast it''s a short term measure which could have a good impact on our season. Sure, having Lita was good while it lasted, but as soon as he went we were then stuck. We''d spent money on having a striker for such a short amount of time. At the very worst, i think loans up to January can be useful, but again leave the team needing to rebuild midway through a season.

[venta icenorum 0]

[quote user="GJP"]

Upfront, in my opinion.

Can''t really see where the goals are going to come from. And if you don''t score goals then you don''t win games of football.

[/quote]

Yeah but we have been scoring and everyone''s been helping out, Croft, Wes, Pattison, Russell, Fozzy, Grounds have scored a few to make up for our idiotic transfer policy re strikers.

In fact we''ve scored more goals (46) than anyone outside the top 10, except for Watford. It''s the fact that only Charlton have conceded more than us which is the real problem.

[GJP 79]

[quote user="venta icenorum"][quote user="GJP"]

Upfront, in my opinion.

Can''t really see where the goals are going to come from. And if you don''t score goals then you don''t win games of football.

[/quote]

Yeah but we have been scoring and everyone''s been helping out, Croft, Wes, Pattison, Russell, Fozzy, Grounds have scored a few to make up for our idiotic transfer policy re strikers.

In fact we''ve scored more goals (46) than anyone outside the top 10, except for Watford. It''s the fact that only Charlton have conceded more than us which is the real problem.

[/quote]

If I remember correctly we''ve scored 4 goals in our last 6 games. That''s not particularly inspiring goal scoring form. Doesn''t give us much to defend either.

Hoepfully the goals come from somewhere or this Mooney fella is decent but it''s hard to see us scoring at the moment. Can''t always rely on goals from midfield, we need strikers who can get a few.

[JJ 0]

I''ve said it on another thread - the full-backs.

 

[venta icenorum 0]

[quote user="GJP"][quote user="venta icenorum"][quote user="GJP"]

Upfront, in my opinion.

Can''t really see where the goals are going to come from. And if you don''t score goals then you don''t win games of football.

[/quote]

Yeah but we have been scoring and everyone''s been helping out, Croft, Wes, Pattison, Russell, Fozzy, Grounds have scored a few to make up for our idiotic transfer policy re strikers.

In fact we''ve scored more goals (46) than anyone outside the top 10, except for Watford. It''s the fact that only Charlton have conceded more than us which is the real problem.

[/quote]

If I remember correctly we''ve scored 4 goals in our last 6 games. That''s not particularly inspiring goal scoring form. Doesn''t give us much to defend either.

Hoepfully the goals come from somewhere or this Mooney fella is decent but it''s hard to see us scoring at the moment. Can''t always rely on goals from midfield, we need strikers who can get a few.

[/quote]

True, you could be right that we are experiencing a drought now that the ''honeymoon'' period has worn off. We have scored just 4 in 6, but before that we scored 10 in 4 games, so 14 in 10 since Gunn took charge, which is a slightly better ratio than Roeder ''enjoyed'' this season.

I''m not defending the team, it''s just lots of sides don''t score many but win lots of games 1 - 0 by being more careful at the back!

[venta icenorum 0]

[quote user="venta icenorum"][quote user="GJP"][quote user="venta icenorum"][quote user="GJP"]

Upfront, in my opinion.

Can''t really see where the goals are going to come from. And if you don''t score goals then you don''t win games of football.

[/quote]

Yeah but we have been scoring and everyone''s been helping out, Croft, Wes, Pattison, Russell, Fozzy, Grounds have scored a few to make up for our idiotic transfer policy re strikers.

In fact we''ve scored more goals (46) than anyone outside the top 10, except for Watford. It''s the fact that only Charlton have conceded more than us which is the real problem.

[/quote]

If I remember correctly we''ve scored 4 goals in our last 6 games. That''s not particularly inspiring goal scoring form. Doesn''t give us much to defend either.

Hoepfully the goals come from somewhere or this Mooney fella is decent but it''s hard to see us scoring at the moment. Can''t always rely on goals from midfield, we need strikers who can get a few.

[/quote]

True, you could be right that we are experiencing a drought now that the ''honeymoon'' period has worn off. We have scored just 4 in 6, but before that we scored 10 in 4 games, so 14 in 10 since Gunn took charge, which is a slightly better ratio than Roeder ''enjoyed'' this season.

I''m not defending the team, it''s just lots of sides don''t score many but win lots of games 1 - 0 by being more careful at the back!

[/quote]

Especially Birmingham City! (3 goals less than us this season)

[hogesar 9,736]

[quote user="venta icenorum"][quote user="venta icenorum"][quote user="GJP"][quote user="venta icenorum"][quote user="GJP"]

Upfront, in my opinion.

Can''t really see where the goals are going to come from. And if you don''t score goals then you don''t win games of football.

[/quote]

Yeah but we have been scoring and everyone''s been helping out, Croft, Wes, Pattison, Russell, Fozzy, Grounds have scored a few to make up for our idiotic transfer policy re strikers.

In fact we''ve scored more goals (46) than anyone outside the top 10, except for Watford. It''s the fact that only Charlton have conceded more than us which is the real problem.

[/quote]

If I remember correctly we''ve scored 4 goals in our last 6 games. That''s not particularly inspiring goal scoring form. Doesn''t give us much to defend either.

Hoepfully the goals come from somewhere or this Mooney fella is decent but it''s hard to see us scoring at the moment. Can''t always rely on goals from midfield, we need strikers who can get a few.

[/quote]

True, you could be right that we are experiencing a drought now that the ''honeymoon'' period has worn off. We have scored just 4 in 6, but before that we scored 10 in 4 games, so 14 in 10 since Gunn took charge, which is a slightly better ratio than Roeder ''enjoyed'' this season.

I''m not defending the team, it''s just lots of sides don''t score many but win lots of games 1 - 0 by being more careful at the back!

[/quote]

Especially Birmingham City! (3 goals less than us this season)

[/quote]It''s not just about the strikers scoring imo. They fail to keep posession for any decent amount of time. Cort occasionally flicks it, whereby the usual starter Curo can''t get to it as he''s not quick nor strong enough. We then gift back posession.

[Captain Holt 522]

In Goal and Left Wing. Although I don''t really rate him, Croft is in effect playing on both wings.  Whether it''s due to the lack of left winger or dubious team selections (Carney or Pattison anyone?)Marshall - Too suspect. Good shot stopper, but costs us more points than he saves IMO.

[|BA 0]

Centre backs have been the worst are for years.

[Foxy is a Pleasure 0]

All of it.. In all seriousness for me it''s the full backs and strikers, although it''s hard to pick out individual positions, at the end of the day we are where we are because we''re not good enough as a team.

[FilletTheFishWife . 0]

[quote user="ZippersLeftFoot"]

Hi Hog :-)

Its the midfield for me.  Such a crucial part of the team yet one that disappears faster than the end of my sente

Defence?  Full backs are a real problem, and the lack of strikers remains a real issue.  However a teams engine room is the midfield as it protects the back 4 and is the teams creative force.  Its where the teams energy comes from,  yet we have too few assists and too many goals conceeded by midfielders coming into the box without a tracking midfielder of ours. 

 

[/quote]

 

That''s the whole team then ?! Agreed....especially our sh!te full backs.

 

 

[kdncfc 0]

I''m not paticularly impressed by any part of the team tbh, we are weak from back to front and even if you take the better players in our team they all have big weaknesses in their game. Croft is a winger who''s crossing is more often than not dire, Clingan gives the ball away far to much and Wes gets caught in posession to often.

[BigFish 1,988]

The fact that Croft stands out shows the low standard throughout the team. Whole hearted he may be showing up the lack of competiveness throughout any 11 we put out but he is just an average midfield trundler with apalling delivery. The team as a whole is too small and weak to scratch out points in a fight. To fix it would need an entire new soine to the team. Keeper who can catch crosses and clear the ball, CD who stands up to be counted and ways in with 4/5 goals from set pieces. A box to box midfielder who could break up play, carry it forward and wade in with 9/10 goals & two strikers - one a target man to hold it up and one lightening fast to worry them for pace along the Roberts/Bellamy line.

Easy!

Oh, and before I press post get sorted what Crook seems to be trying to and sharpen up from dead balls.

 

[TheboyMark 0]

I think this question links in well with a general theme of successive managers simply failing to be aware of what''s required in terms of a basic minimum to keep the team competing in the type of league we''re in at that point.  I think back to Worthington''s belief that in the premiership a centre half pairing of Craig Fleming and Simon Charlton would suffice against the type of strikers we''d come up against week in week out.  We had the shortest centre half pairing in the premiership and amongst the least speedy too, a classic case of failing to realise a basic minimum requirement. 

More recently we''ve been exposed by not having anywhere near the physical stature and presence to compete at championship level.  Quite how Roeder could seriously believe we could adequately replace Dublin with Russell (in the absence of any other proper strikers, apparently...) is something I''ll never be able to fathom.  That fact alone has cost us so heavily this season, with other so-called ''ordinary'' teams above us having at least one striker finding the net regularly.  So my answer is really that the weakest area seems to be across the squad, with so many players ill-equipped for the type of league we''re in.  When Roeder said just before the end of last season that the teams at the top, whilst not being perhaps pure footballing sides, seemed to have a common theme of size and stature I remember thinking ''at last, finally a shortcoming will be addressed''...yet bizarrely that''s exactly what DIDN''T happen in the close-season. 

 

 

 

[Nigel Worthless 0]

We are very poor in the centre of the park, with no attacking midfielder to contribute with any goals. This has been a huge problem since Damien Francis left and why no management team has done anything about it is simply digusting.

We are also very weak at full back, as neither Otsemobor or Bertrand can defend, which is a major downfall for any defender!!

I think the other areas of the side would have been ok if we solved the issues above assuming we had played Lupoli on a regular basis

[Hog 0]

[quote user="TheboyMark"]

I think this question links in well with a general theme of successive managers simply failing to be aware of what''s required in terms of a basic minimum to keep the team competing in the type of league we''re in at that point.  I think back to Worthington''s belief that in the premiership a centre half pairing of Craig Fleming and Simon Charlton would suffice against the type of strikers we''d come up against week in week out.  We had the shortest centre half pairing in the premiership and amongst the least speedy too, a classic case of failing to realise a basic minimum requirement. 

More recently we''ve been exposed by not having anywhere near the physical stature and presence to compete at championship level.  Quite how Roeder could seriously believe we could adequately replace Dublin with Russell (in the absence of any other proper strikers, apparently...) is something I''ll never be able to fathom.  That fact alone has cost us so heavily this season, with other so-called ''ordinary'' teams above us having at least one striker finding the net regularly.  So my answer is really that the weakest area seems to be across the squad, with so many players ill-equipped for the type of league we''re in.  When Roeder said just before the end of last season that the teams at the top, whilst not being perhaps pure footballing sides, seemed to have a common theme of size and stature I remember thinking ''at last, finally a shortcoming will be addressed''...yet bizarrely that''s exactly what DIDN''T happen in the close-season. 

 

 

Spot on!

 

 

 

[/quote]

[coops 0]

I''d have to say goalkeeper, defence, midfield, strikers and the subs. All inadequate, all don''t really give a s£&t and most if not all will jump ship when we get relegated.

[canaries 0]

The whole team is the worst area.