SISU and money aside...what's wrong here? (1 Viewer)

dadgad

Well-Known Member
We have a reasonable squad available that compares reasonably well to many teams in this league. Certainly within our squad we have enough quality not to be where we are.

So what's wrong here? What should be done to try and rectify it?


The void between your ears.
 

J

Jack Griffin

Guest
This squad is a relegation candidate squad I don't think many people disagree with that but it is still better than the 13 points we have gained so far.

All of the off field antics upset the players mate. If it was a happy club the squad would certainly do better, but not massively so, probably be at top rather than bottom of relegation zone.
 

ICHAN

Well-Known Member
We are shit (hurts to say it divedive) no doubt about that and sisu are to blame as well as the backroom staff in charge of getting the best out of the players.
As for teams worse than us none (contradicting I know) because they have all strengthened where as we did not and the league position shows this, all I was trying to say was that maybe those few losses may have made a differance to confidance and a boost in self beleif thats all and to only have 2 wins and 13 points is shocking by anyones standards and I just think we should have more than that, and this team did get into positions to have taken points from those games so they are good enough in effect.
I am with you on that this is the worst and lowest I have witnessed in my lifetime but teams of old even in the prem/ old first division who were just as bad for the division they were in had fight and passion about them and this is what hurts more than anything.
 

Stoppercurtis

New Member
Talking about SISU having a plan reminds me of the Blackadder sketch. Where General Melchit says to Blackadder "We have a plan" To which Balckadder responds " Is this the plan where Field Marshal Haig, his wife and their tortoise called Alan are the only ones that survive the war?" Feels a bit like that at the moment.

Stopper
 

DazzleTommyDazzle

Well-Known Member
Talking about SISU having a plan reminds me of the Blackadder sketch. Where General Melchit says to Blackadder "We have a plan" To which Balckadder responds " Is this the plan where Field Marshal Haig, his wife and their tortoise called Alan are the only ones that survive the war?" Feels a bit like that at the moment.

Stopper

At least in that plan they did envisage some survivors..........
 

Nonleagueherewecome

Well-Known Member
Lets look at the squad in a bit more detail, taking into account we finished 18th last season.

Goalkeeper - Westwood replaced by Murphy. Westwood is a Prem standard keeper who none of us realised how good he actually was until he left. I'd be willing to say in his time here Westwood used to save us about 10 points a season all on his own. Murphy is an average keeper at this level and this has seen us lose more points than we would've if Westwood was still here.

Defence - The only area which hasn't really changed that much bar losing Ben Turner (who was only available in the first 14 games, although we did amass a decent points total when he was here). Wood and McPake have suffered with injuries so far meaning we have had to use Christie and push Keogh into the centre. Where Keogh's best position is, is up for debate, I however think he is better than a RB. Christie has done well and we have bare in mind that its his first year in senior football, however a couple of errors defensively from Christie at RB have cost us whereas maybe they wouldn't have happened if Keogh had been there. I also feel Cranie needs what I like to describe as a "big meat head" alongside him. A Richard Wood/Ben Turner style no nonsense defender. At left back Hussey continues to improve but looks a bit suspect defensively like Christie.

Midfield - Due to a lack of numbers we have again had to throw in youngsters in the deep end when they wouldn't have expected so much exposure at this point of the season. I personally don't think either Bigirimana or Thomas are ready for the regularity of first team football that they have partaken in so far. You could also point to the form of Gary McSheffrey, who in my opinion has been woeful this season bar the Reading game when he scored. He looked very effective when Thorn took over in 2009-10, especially against Burnley and Portsmouth away. Even David Bell had some good games when Thorn took over and he has been non existant this season. You could even argue this with the likes of Clingan as well. However what we are desparately missing is a player in the same combative box to box style of Gunnarsson, who by all accounts is excelling at Cardiff. An addition to this we are missing his "bite" in Midfield as we barely seem to put in a tackle in the middle third of the pitch.

Striker - We now have to rely on Lukas Jutkiewicz for goals. A player who improved immensely when Marlon King started to hit form. Both played off each other excellently and the tireless running and creating space for King to exploit created goals. Now Jutkiewicz doesn't have a partner with the same goalscoring instincts and 'striker nous' of King, he has had to take the role of leading the line and being relied on for goals. No one else is chipping in. Play Jutkiewicz alongside a poacher and play the game he is suited for and he'll score about 10 a season but create alot more through his own play and off the ball movement. Clive Platt is the other striker, who despite his workrate and the odd couple of good games is out of his depth at this level. 5 goals in over 40 games for Coventry tells a story.

Squad depth - 12 players, 3 in means the squad is 9 senior players thin. This has a huge knock on effect when we have any injuries or suspensions.

We may have only lost 4 guaranteed starters but if you look at it the way I have set it out, you can see:
a) Why the players that left were so important to us;
b) Why bringing in 4 good players could improve the side a lot but whether that would be enough at this stage of the season to keep us up is questionable;
c) Why we are, where we are and rightfully so.


Very well explained, I agree with every single word of this.
 

Nonleagueherewecome

Well-Known Member
Talking about SISU having a plan reminds me of the Blackadder sketch. Where General Melchit says to Blackadder "We have a plan" To which Balckadder responds " Is this the plan where Field Marshal Haig, his wife and their tortoise called Alan are the only ones that survive the war?" Feels a bit like that at the moment.

Stopper

So very cunning! This made me laugh out loud; Blackadder gets even funnier when you don't watch it for ages. And I reckon the Family Guy sketch where Mayor West says "Paul..what a ridiculous name for a cat!" is nicked from this :D
 

Paxman II

Well-Known Member
Well the point of the post has been taken out of context again by a majority on here venting about SISu in some form or another.
I couldn't care less about SISU and my focus right now is on the manager, the coaching staff and the players.
Are we better than the 13 points we have generated so far or are we really that terrible as a squad?
I beleive we are good enough to be in a safe position had we got a manager at the helm that had more ability and a coach who for me has suspect coaching methods unhelpful to the team.
Solve those two issues and I truly believe we would not be bottom.
Yes we have not been trounced by anyone have we? Would some better management and coaching have turned a few of those games (and there have been plenty of defeats by a goal margin) around and ensured a few more points and a safe position?
You bet it would!
So as I said SISU and money aside we really should be doing better and for that we can put blame at the manager and coaching staff not getting enough from the players.
 

Mr T - Sukka!

Active Member
Last season we had Marlon King. We have effectivley swapped him for Cody McDonald!

Does not take genius to work out the impact of the above sentence!
 

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