AT keeps coming out with comments like "we are a young side" "the young lads have a lot to learn" etc. It seems to me that he tends to towards youthful inexperience being one of the main problems with our performances. Undoubtedly there is truth in that.
However a more important factor in my opinion is the lack of consistency and quality in our senior players. Clingan to be honest has been pretty inconsistent. McSheffery has a good game and then is awful for 3 or 4 games after it. Bell well the quality level is not there too often. Even Crainie and Keogh have felt the strain. To name but some
I really do think it is about time that we highlighted the lack of quality and contribution by some of our senior players. The young lads need guidance and leadership and from the outside looking in there would appear to be little there. Hussey for example - the whole world can see he is struggling and his confidence rapidly going down the tubes but not once do you see our senior players gee him up, you do see him berated by them. I can understand that but it wont make him better if thats all they do. But the problem is our senior players hide on the pitch, dont raise their own game and make some pretty awful decisions . We lack senior players who roll their sleeves up and get stuck in for 90 minutes - players that pull the young lads through, pull the thing together as a team
There is no leader on the pitch, no dominant character, infact very little character players full stop. I do think that far too often the team has been let down by its experienced senior players this season. Time they stood up and got a grip
No arguments here. Every game I feel the younger lads - Christie, Bigi and Thomas in particular - far outshine to senior players. Clingan is playing too many stray passes/backwards balls but then he hasn't got anyone making runs to support it and none of our strikers except hopefully Cody and proven goalscorers. Juke and Platt bring in other players well enough but won't get you many, O'Donovan puts in effort but isn't particularly skillfull, Eastwood is still off at fat camp and McSheffrey isn't exactly a goalscorer anymore.
OSB i ,,raised this aera in a thread on the captaincy a week or two back a fair number of posts came back citing that becuase sammy's an international,he was well qualified ,my personal view is keogh's performances ,have and would be more inspiring to the others in the squad,it highlights the loss of Turner in that type of leadership ,NLHWC also suggested Mcpake would be an inspired leader on the pitch,hoping he'll be back for the forrest game
I think you are right about McPake, Wingy. I'm sure that on the pitch he will lead by example, and leave other players in no deoubt about his feelings if he thinks they are shirking their responsibilities. I hope he can get a long and uninterrupted run in the team.
Get your point OSB ,its not really down to just one individual ,how many days is he going to be away again while on international duty ,while thorns here trying to sort it?
you cant make a silk purse out of a sows ear fact !!! you cant make a footballer out of a good player unless they r prepared to work our senior pro's obviously dont want to work
Leaders cost a lot of money. Our best leader imo was flogged-Turner. That said, even with him the side lacked leadership last season. McPake is a leader, but we all know the problems with him.
This is a valid argument but not the sole source of our current plight.
I would agree OSB that a 'talisman' is missing from the line up - very much in the way Dennis Wise invigorated the side during his brief spell at the club.
The question must surely be that IF we do bring in a couple of loan players then surely one would have to be that type of player.
AT has already made clear that type of quality loan is out of our league. Indeed any useful loan is probably well beyond our reach. We'd do well to get Duffy at the moment
I would love Mcpake to come in for the forest match, the man is a mountain at the back sadly I don't think AT see's it this way he obviously favours Keogh/Cranie partnership.
I would love Mcpake to come in for the forest match, the man is a mountain at the back sadly I don't think AT see's it this way he obviously favours Keogh/Cranie partnership.
I reckon he'd have been in for the Blackpool game given that's when he rested Cyrus first-he has just given him a new long-term contract, and he did scout and spot him-but of course, McPake was injured again by then
Completely agree, though-I think our season rests on having a fit Deegan and McPake, who would not only be like 2 new signings, and amongst our best 4 players-but they are the closest we have to leaders, and will drag people with them.