good calls smudger

[wrathsajoke 0]

well done smudger(and a few others),you have been calling for changes for some time now and mostly getting the usual "shut up smudger" replies.but its clear after southampton that a change is needed in a few departments.nelson clearly is a clown,and we need something different in midfield as we have been found out(lambert should have seen this coming and changed things about a month ago).we will now see just how good a manager he is.a good manager shouldnt wait for a defeat before making changes,he should see it coming(as most could) and do somthing about it.we have alot of tough away games to come and have won nothing yet.if we arnt careful we will end up in the play off pack and in that lottery-we cannot have another season in this dreadful league.SORT IT OUT-NOW

[birchfest 401]

I still dont buy into the Lappin is a donkey arguement though,  strange that he has been playing shit and Dury has been out of the team....  I dont think he feels confident with Rose behind him, where as he had a great releationship with Dury and new he was being supported when he tried to push up the field more.

Personally, I would put Lappin at left back and McNamee in Midfield, Hughes to replace Russel and Askou (if fit) to replace Nelson to bring back that unbeaten partnership with the Doc.

[Jacko 0]

[quote user="birchfest"]I still dont buy into the Lappin is a donkey arguement though,  strange that he has been playing shit and Dury has been out of the team....  I dont think he feels confident with Rose behind him, where as he had a great releationship with Dury and new he was being supported when he tried to push up the field more.


Personally, I would put Lappin at left back and McNamee in Midfield, Hughes to replace Russel and Askou (if fit) to replace Nelson to bring back that unbeaten partnership with the Doc.
[/quote]

I don''t like Lappin at full back. I think 2 of his worst games for the club have been there. Namely Plymouth away under Roeder and Charlton away last season when he got switched there. Does anyone know how Wiggins has got on at Bournemouth? Seems odds his got discarded on loan without Lambert giving him much game time.

You can''t just put McNamee in a diamond because that would completely unbalance the system as McNamee will not do his defensive duties well enough. If McNamee is to be played it has to be as part of a 4-4-2. Which I don''t think we have the ability to play at the moment as we dont really have a proper right winger. Hughes or Smith could do a job out there I guess.

I agree about Nelson, he has done welll but he is by far the weakest of the 4 centre backs that we have at the club. Personally I think in the long term the strongest combination when everyone is fit is Askou and Whitbread.

[morty 0]

Rubbish, Lambert knows more about football management than Smudger ever will.

[Jacko 0]

[quote user="morty"]Rubbish, Lambert knows more about football management than Smudger ever will.
[/quote]

I think Smudge makes some valid points but as I said above I just dont think we have a genuine alternative to this system

[morty 0]

[quote user="Yarmyed"]

[quote user="morty"]Rubbish, Lambert knows more about football management than Smudger ever will.[/quote]

I think Smudge makes some valid points but as I said above I just dont think we have a genuine alternative to this system

[/quote]Maybe we don''t have an alternative, maybe we don''t have the players to play another system, maybe Lambert has used what at his disposal to the best effect, maybe Lambert recognises that Wes is the heartbeat of our team and has built things around him, maybe Smudger is just another fan with an opinion.

[Jacko 0]

I agree with him about Lappin. He puts a good delivery into the box but to be one of the more defensive minded players doing the donkey work in the diamond I think you have to show a little bit more athleticism than Lappin. However I think by in large he has done well this season but he does get overrun against stronger midfields in my opinion.

Totally agree about Wes, everyone knows he is the main man along with Holt.  Also do you think people are exagerrating how well McNamee has done since coming off the bench? I know its hard to get a good perspective if someones only getting 20-25 minutes but I havent been convinced.

I think the key here that Lambert doesnt lose his nerve. He plays the same system and freshens it up. I think Gill, Hughes and even Tudur Jones could all have a part to play this season.

[morty 0]

[quote user="Yarmyed"]

I agree with him about Lappin. He puts a good delivery into the box but to be one of the more defensive minded players doing the donkey work in the diamond I think you have to show a little bit more athleticism than Lappin. However I think by in large he has done well this season but he does get overrun against stronger midfields in my opinion.

Totally agree about Wes, everyone knows he is the main man along with Holt.  Also do you think people are exagerrating how well McNamee has done since coming off the bench? I know its hard to get a good perspective if someones only getting 20-25 minutes but I havent been convinced.

I think the key here that Lambert doesnt lose his nerve. He plays the same system and freshens it up. I think Gill, Hughes and even Tudur Jones could all have a part to play this season.

[/quote]I agree its all about the squad but Lambert watches the same game that we all do and hasn''t seen fit to make changes yet. I think pretty much the whole team were below par yesterday, the workrate was way too low all over the pitch. I think that warrants a change or two, but I really couldn''t put my finger on any individuals that were to blame yesterday. I think when playing the diamond as opposed to 4-4-2 it can be difficult to gauge performances sometimes. The whole system is very fluid and I think it is a lot easier to spot when an individual player is having a shocker in a 4-4-2.Its like Russel, he is part of the midfield and also part of the defence so depending on which of those you view him as depends on how effective a game you think he has. Full backs are also vital in this system, pushing up and creating width in attack when required, so the full backs are also part of a wider midfield as well as the defence, so same point applies that I made about Russel.I think that some people just have to have a whipping boy, and Smudger''s is Lappin right now.I agree that Macnamee looked very lost and ineffective when he came on yesterday, so I would say that Lambert''s decision not to start him so far seems pretty vindicated.

[Shyster 0]

[quote user="morty"][quote user="Yarmyed"]

I agree with him about Lappin. He puts a good delivery into the box but to be one of the more defensive minded players doing the donkey work in the diamond I think you have to show a little bit more athleticism than Lappin. However I think by in large he has done well this season but he does get overrun against stronger midfields in my opinion.

Totally agree about Wes, everyone knows he is the main man along with Holt.  Also do you think people are exagerrating how well McNamee has done since coming off the bench? I know its hard to get a good perspective if someones only getting 20-25 minutes but I havent been convinced.

I think the key here that Lambert doesnt lose his nerve. He plays the same system and freshens it up. I think Gill, Hughes and even Tudur Jones could all have a part to play this season.

[/quote]I agree its all about the squad but Lambert watches the same game that we all do and hasn''t seen fit to make changes yet. I think pretty much the whole team were below par yesterday, the workrate was way too low all over the pitch. I think that warrants a change or two, but I really couldn''t put my finger on any individuals that were to blame yesterday. I think when playing the diamond as opposed to 4-4-2 it can be difficult to gauge performances sometimes. The whole system is very fluid and I think it is a lot easier to spot when an individual player is having a shocker in a 4-4-2.Its like Russel, he is part of the midfield and also part of the defence so depending on which of those you view him as depends on how effective a game you think he has. Full backs are also vital in this system, pushing up and creating width in attack when required, so the full backs are also part of a wider midfield as well as the defence, so same point applies that I made about Russel.I think that some people just have to have a whipping boy, and Smudger''s is Lappin right now.I agree that Macnamee looked very lost and ineffective when he came on yesterday, so I would say that Lambert''s decision not to start him so far seems pretty vindicated.[/quote]

Hey morty, and everyone else disagreeing with Smudger''s conclusions - he simply jumped on my ''Cracked Diamond'' theory and gave it a little twist by blaming the defence.Give me, the organ grinder, a hard time by all means, but please lay off the copycat monkey that is Mark Smith.

[morty 0]

I thought he was blaming the midfield, and in particular Lappin, not the defence.See earlier comments on the diamond, whether you are right or your wrong, Lambert clearly doesn''t think we have the players to play any other way.He started the diamond to accomodate Wes, who isn''t an effective tackling midfielder, nor is he a winger. I think changes in personnel are justified after yesterday but I think wholesale changes to the system would be unwise. The points tally we have accumulated using the diamond shows that we are getting away with it for the majority of games.

[ZLF 335]

The defence is weakened without Drury and Askou (or preferably Whitbread).  So he has no option but to play those two.

The diamond has work and accomodates our three best players in Martin Holt and Hoolahan.     The midfielders have not been doing as well as they were so need freshening up.

However Mcnamee can not work as part of the diamond in place of lappin.  It primarily a defensive not attacking role and he has shwon no defensive desire let alone capability.  Saying he would defend by being up the pitch does not work;  the has been no evidence of it so far and none yesterday when as defensive contribution was essential;  it did not happen.  As with Hux in the prem it does weaken us to have a player not defending.  McNamee is not in HUx class,  at league one level terms, to make teams scared enough to sit deep.    

To bring in mcnamee we have to go 4-4-2    The trouble is we have no one for the right side,   Rusty and either hughes or Smith in the middle and the other on the flank.   Gill is not up to it,  not is WLY.   Hoolahan is wasted in that role.   To keep our three strikers that would mean Martin on the right flank,  which is a waste, with holt and Hoolahan up front. (Although Holt spent so long hiding on the right flank yest perhaps he is a natural for that position!)

We do need to freshen up the team,  but its not so straight forward as we need a defensive platform and ball winning middle to make it work.  Clearly lambert recognises that hence his perserverance with his starting 11,  it remains the best we currently have fit,  including lappin ahead of the options.  Currently going 442 or 352 is a last resort only and I can see why.

Lambert is the best manager we have had here since O''Neill, he will find us a way through the current drop in energy levels we have from Holt and the midfield  

 

 

[Chip20 69]

[quote user="wrathsajoke"]well done smudger(and a few others),you have been calling for changes for some time now and mostly getting the usual "shut up smudger" replies.but its clear after southampton that a change is needed in a few departments.nelson clearly is a clown,and we need something different in midfield as we have been found out(lambert should have seen this coming and changed things about a month ago).we will now see just how good a manager he is.a good manager shouldnt wait for a defeat before making changes,he should see it coming(as most could) and do somthing about it.we have alot of tough away games to come and have won nothing yet.if we arnt careful we will end up in the play off pack and in that lottery-we cannot have another season in this dreadful league.SORT IT OUT-NOW[/quote]Can you honestly say with your hand on your heart that had Lambert made changes five games ago and we had consequently not won another match since, you wouldn''t have been writing a post asking what the hell he thought he was doing changing a winning team? I''m sure you would have been right in there with "good managers don''t tinker with winning teams". It''s an easy game from the stands, isn''t it!!!?

[Shyster 0]

[quote user="morty"]I thought he was blaming the midfield, and in particular Lappin, not the defence.See earlier comments on the diamond, whether you are right or your wrong, Lambert clearly doesn''t think we have the players to play any other way.He started the diamond to accomodate Wes, who isn''t an effective tackling midfielder, nor is he a winger. I think changes in personnel are justified after yesterday but I think wholesale changes to the system would be unwise. The points tally we have accumulated using the diamond shows that we are getting away with it for the majority of games.[/quote]

We''re getting away with ''it'' because thankfully Leeds & Charlton have also under-performed.You suggest that Lambert ''thinks'' he doesn''t have the players to play a Plan B - I can see we''ve been lacking that all season so surely Lambert should''ve f*cking well ''known'' he doesn''t have the staff to play an effective Plan B and addressed the issue! This shortcoming on Lambert''s behalf could ultimately cost us promotion. I''m beginning to see now why he has never managed ouitside the bottom tiers of the League.

[morty 0]

[quote user="Shyster"][quote user="morty"]I thought he was blaming the midfield, and in particular Lappin, not the defence.See earlier comments on the diamond, whether you are right or your wrong, Lambert clearly doesn''t think we have the players to play any other way.He started the diamond to accomodate Wes, who isn''t an effective tackling midfielder, nor is he a winger. I think changes in personnel are justified after yesterday but I think wholesale changes to the system would be unwise. The points tally we have accumulated using the diamond shows that we are getting away with it for the majority of games.[/quote]

We''re getting away with ''it'' because thankfully Leeds & Charlton have also under-performed.You suggest that Lambert ''thinks'' he doesn''t have the players to play a Plan B - I can see we''ve been lacking that all season so surely Lambert should''ve f*cking well ''known'' he doesn''t have the staff to play an effective Plan B and addressed the issue! This shortcoming on Lambert''s behalf could ultimately cost us promotion. I''m beginning to see now why he has never managed ouitside the bottom tiers of the League.[/quote]Blimey, maybe you should get a bucket of water and drown yourself in it and spare yourself the rest of the season.We are never going to know the answer to this unless one of us shares a pint with Lambert and quizzes him about it.Perhaps if Drury hadn''t got injured we wouldn''t even be having this conversation, who knows. Seriously though, the points total we have managed whilst using the diamond suggests that we win more games than we don''t, we''re not going to win every game, are we?

[kdncfc 0]

[quote user="birchfest"]I still dont buy into the Lappin is a donkey arguement though,  strange that he has been playing shit and Dury has been out of the team....  I dont think he feels confident with Rose behind him, where as he had a great releationship with Dury and new he was being supported when he tried to push up the field more.


Personally, I would put Lappin at left back and McNamee in Midfield, Hughes to replace Russel and Askou (if fit) to replace Nelson to bring back that unbeaten partnership with the Doc.
[/quote]

Whether Rose or Drury play on the left behind Lappin surely doesn''t have any effect on the amount of times he gives the ball away or overhits yet another free kick so it sails harmlessly out of play at the back post. He has had some decent games but in recent weeks has certainly been poor enough to warrant being dropped, just about good enough at this level on his day but if we do go up I hope we don''t have to rely on him as first choice as he''s nowhere near a championship player.

[Barclay Kid 0]

[quote user="Yarmyed"]

[quote user="birchfest"]I still dont buy into the Lappin is a donkey arguement though,  strange that he has been playing shit and Dury has been out of the team....  I dont think he feels confident with Rose behind him, where as he had a great releationship with Dury and new he was being supported when he tried to push up the field more.


Personally, I would put Lappin at left back and McNamee in Midfield, Hughes to replace Russel and Askou (if fit) to replace Nelson to bring back that unbeaten partnership with the Doc.
[/quote]

I don''t like Lappin at full back. I think 2 of his worst games for the club have been there. Namely Plymouth away under Roeder and Charlton away last season when he got switched there. Does anyone know how Wiggins has got on at Bournemouth? Seems odds his got discarded on loan without Lambert giving him much game time.

You can''t just put McNamee in a diamond because that would completely unbalance the system as McNamee will not do his defensive duties well enough. If McNamee is to be played it has to be as part of a 4-4-2. Which I don''t think we have the ability to play at the moment as we dont really have a proper right winger. Hughes or Smith could do a job out there I guess.

I agree about Nelson, he has done welll but he is by far the weakest of the 4 centre backs that we have at the club. Personally I think in the long term the strongest combination when everyone is fit is Askou and Whitbread.

[/quote]

 

Lambert Has Only Really Played Him In A Few Cup Games. His Month Loan At Bournemouth Should Be Over Very Soon So It Will Be Interesting To See What Lambert Does As I Think He Deserves A Chance And From What I''ve Seen He Has Been Pretty Decent. Also When He Was There Last Season Bournemouth Fans Did Rate Him. He May Just Be A More Suitable Partner For Lappin Than Rose On The Left...........

[Rivvo 265]

I think yesterday was a good guage of how  the team would perform at potential Championship level, I thought both Rose and Martin (R) looked very poor and Nelson had his worst game for a long while. It''s difficult to blame Nelson as I don''t think anyone''s ever seen him except for what he is -  a decent League 1 centre half stopper and when the two full backs underperform so badly he was left exposed and looked completely outpaced.

Lappin was a definite weak link in the midfield and may well have contributed to defence looking so hapless, Smith also did to a lesser extent, but again it''s difficult to be too harsh and as both have performed reasonably well over the season, though Lappin must never ever play at left back again (as suggested elsewhere), Drury is a huge miss at this level, a genuine quality defender that we couldn''t afford to buy now, and probably wont be able to afford to replace!

I do have a problem with the attitude in the first half, Southhampton were quicker passing, moving and thinking and we were constantly two yards off the pace throughout the team, there was little challenging for aerial balls and their midfield were given the run of the park at times, changes will be made I feel.

There are options, if we continue to play the diamond, Gill or Hughes could play for Rusty (if the assumed appeal fails, don''t even get me started on that joke of a sending off!) or Hughes could play for Lappin if rested, if we go 442 I think you could play McNamee as a lone winger and Hughes on the opposite side with Gill/Rusty/Smith in the centre, a rest for nelson/ R Martin wouldn''t go amiss either with Spillane/Askou/Whitbread replacing.

 

So lets be positve at least if Lambert does decide to make changes we do have some decent qulaity ooptions, which has been a rarity over the last few seasons.

Sorry for the long post, but like Pringles once you start you can''t stop!

[Matt Morriss 69]

[quote user="Yarmyed"]

[quote user="morty"]Rubbish, Lambert knows more about football management than Smudger ever will.
[/quote]

I think Smudge makes some valid points but as I said above I just dont think we have a genuine alternative to this system

[/quote]

spot on, this post is bollo@@@. We lost yesterday cause of the ref, no other reason. First half we were poor and deserved to be behind but 2nd half we came out all guns blazing and I''m positive we would have turned it around had the ref not ruined it with his diabolical decision.

[Matt Morriss 69]

[quote user="morty"]Rubbish, Lambert knows more about football management than Smudger ever will.[/quote]

meant this one..

[JF 694]

[quote user="Barclayman"][quote user="Yarmyed"]

[quote user="morty"]Rubbish, Lambert knows more about football management than Smudger ever will.
[/quote]

I think Smudge makes some valid points but as I said above I just dont think we have a genuine alternative to this system

[/quote] spot on, this post is bollo@@@. We lost yesterday cause of the ref, no other reason. First half we were poor and deserved to be behind but 2nd half we came out all guns blazing and I''m positive we would have turned it around had the ref not ruined it with his diabolical decision.[/quote] What! No we lost because we were second best throughout the game and were very lucky to go in at half time only one down. There can''t always be an excuse sometimes it''s a case of the better team won on the day.

[morty 0]

[quote user="JF"][quote user="Barclayman"][quote user="Yarmyed"]

[quote user="morty"]Rubbish, Lambert knows more about football management than Smudger ever will.[/quote]

I think Smudge makes some valid points but as I said above I just dont think we have a genuine alternative to this system

[/quote] spot on, this post is bollo@@@. We lost yesterday cause of the ref, no other reason. First half we were poor and deserved to be behind but 2nd half we came out all guns blazing and I''m positive we would have turned it around had the ref not ruined it with his diabolical decision.[/quote] What! No we lost because we were second best throughout the game and were very lucky to go in at half time only one down. There can''t always be an excuse sometimes it''s a case of the better team won on the day.[/quote]Eggzackly![Y]

[Joanna Grey 0]

[quote user="Shyster"][quote user="morty"][quote user="Yarmyed"]

I agree with him about Lappin. He puts a good delivery into the box but to be one of the more defensive minded players doing the donkey work in the diamond I think you have to show a little bit more athleticism than Lappin. However I think by in large he has done well this season but he does get overrun against stronger midfields in my opinion.

Totally agree about Wes, everyone knows he is the main man along with Holt.  Also do you think people are exagerrating how well McNamee has done since coming off the bench? I know its hard to get a good perspective if someones only getting 20-25 minutes but I havent been convinced.

I think the key here that Lambert doesnt lose his nerve. He plays the same system and freshens it up. I think Gill, Hughes and even Tudur Jones could all have a part to play this season.

[/quote]

I agree its all about the squad but Lambert watches the same game that we all do and hasn''t seen fit to make changes yet. I think pretty much the whole team were below par yesterday, the workrate was way too low all over the pitch. I think that warrants a change or two, but I really couldn''t put my finger on any individuals that were to blame yesterday. I think when playing the diamond as opposed to 4-4-2 it can be difficult to gauge performances sometimes. The whole system is very fluid and I think it is a lot easier to spot when an individual player is having a shocker in a 4-4-2.

Its like Russel, he is part of the midfield and also part of the defence so depending on which of those you view him as depends on how effective a game you think he has. Full backs are also vital in this system, pushing up and creating width in attack when required, so the full backs are also part of a wider midfield as well as the defence, so same point applies that I made about Russel.

I think that some people just have to have a whipping boy, and Smudger''s is Lappin right now.

I agree that Macnamee looked very lost and ineffective when he came on yesterday, so I would say that Lambert''s decision not to start him so far seems pretty vindicated.
[/quote]



Hey morty, and everyone else disagreeing with Smudger''s conclusions - he simply jumped on my ''Cracked Diamond'' theory and gave it a little twist by blaming the defence.

Give me, the organ grinder, a hard time by all means, but please lay off the copycat monkey that is Mark Smith.
[/quote]

 

Correct.

[grantroederdisaster 0]

I agree that Smudger does make some points but they are all to often interspersed with over the top bulls*it which cancells out the good points!

 

Smudger reminds me of a 10 year old who categorises a player as being sh*te if they make one mistake and thinks a Centreback should be Pele like in ability!

 

The bottom line is we''re in the 3rd Division so its obvious that we aren''t going to have Premiership quality players. I think that our side with a couple of additions (which would of happened had we been in that League!) could of been a top half Championship side this season but people are a unfair knocking messrs Nelson and Lappin considering the great run we''ve been on!

 

People who knock Lappin didn''t obviously go to Brighton last week where he was one of our stand out players when others went missing for most of the game in paricular Holt and Hoolahan. On the subject of Holt, he, apart from the goal at Brighton has little in the 2 games since his return from injury!

 

Fans who expect players to never make a mistake and play well every game are living in cloud cuckoo land - Smudger!

 

Its a teams ability to overcome the ropey performances by still racking up the points which seperates the teams at the top from the also rans, something we''ve done well for most of the campaign!

 

As for Nelson = good stopper but p*ss poor passer but didn''t we know that anyway?

 

That said I think some of the midfield maybe need a rest and messrs Hughes and Mcnamee deserve a start!