The performances have improved this season- I am optimistic we will finish in play offs nexts season if we get:
1- A goal scorer and CB
2- Manager learns from his mistakes
Let me explain these points fully:
POINT NO.1- We have the best midfield in the league IMO with hughes, bryson, hendrick, ward and b.davies. Jacobs is also a great player who will get more consistent with experience. The problem lies is with GOALS.
4 games at home which we got naff all from- burnley, ipswich, palace + hull- where we probed them so hard it was unbelievable. Thats 12 points down the river. With a goal scorer who can get the ball in the net, we would have had 12 extra points and ended up in play offs.
A new CB is also needed as buxton/keogh concede too many away from home as they are too slow. They also lack concentration. Baptiste will be perfect alongside keogh- and forsyth is more solid than roberts who is ageing.
However, sometimes our midfields seems inbalanced- which links me to POINT 2.
POINT 2- Nigel has got our team to play better despite loss of key players this season- but he needs to learn to:
1- Not upset the balance of midfield by playing bryson at RM
2- DO NOT rush players too soon from injury and rest injured players (hughes groin injury)
3- Remove players that are off form and rest them
4- Do not loan out theo robinson when he scores goals
Playing 3 in CM will never work- It is best to keep one amazing CM on the bench so they can provide us with enegry in the last 20 mins- so we dont concede so many late goals. Also when ward is injured- playing jacobs is a must as he has the spark that lifts us fans and is unpredicatble.
In the summer if we dont lose anyone and sign martin, forsyth, baptiste, a GK (for when one leaaves) and another striker like waghorn- we will be laughing. However, ni9gel needs to learn from his mistakes and try and make subsitutions that affect the game like he did on saturday.
Next season...........
posted on 30/4/13
I think Bennett will come into his own next season just as Will has this. And just like Will, we need him, badly.
posted on 30/4/13
What will be will be.
Personally Clough has a way to go yet to convince me he can spend real money. I was sat having this discussion recently and Clough has at times wasted finance provided to him.
We are really not that far off when you consider the quality of the pass and move football we play. It great to watch and frustrates the opposition. However the problem is no end product that can be relied on.
The fact we sent Theo out confirms that Clough really does tend to let the personal rule. Whatever you think of Theo he has always found the net fairly consistently certainly more so than Sammon.
What Sammon brings to the table is certainly not more than the overall worth of goals actually scored.
Can't see GSE spending what we really need and as others have said whats the point of swapping like for like.
Living in hope mind as we always do.
posted on 30/4/13
Where is the evidence that Clough lets the personal rule Dru. Many of the fans on here seem to make up little soap opera scenarios to describe what happens at Pride Park. How about another explanation.
Robinson believes he is worthy of a starting place but Clough doesn't. Robinson is not happy as a sub so Clough loans him out.
I always thought Theo was better coming on with twenty minutes to go. His pace meant that the opposition couldn't push up in numbers at the end of the game. We didn't concede many late goals last season.
Swansea played the pass and run style for several seasons sometimes without any final product but eventually it came good for them. We just need better players at the front and back and I believe it will work for us.
posted on 30/4/13
"...We are really not that far off when you consider the quality of the pass and move football we play. It great to watch and frustrates the opposition. However the problem is no end product that can be relied on..."
Dru pretty much sums up how I feel about us really. I'm not sure if i could level the accusation at Clough that he doesn't spend wisely. The owners have cut our expenditure so far to the bone that the odd bad punt is magnified. Look at some of the dross the chuckle brothers, BD and PJ, lumbered us with!
posted on 30/4/13
Spartacus,
Theo is just one of the examples. And did not David Martin mention, probably unwisely, of the consequence of falling out with Clough. I maybe wrong but I remember that from somewhere. Its also strongly rumoured Shakell fell foul of the Clough personality.
Facts are Clough is the manager and by proxy should manage the personnel. I think Moj is probably spot that Clough transfer mistakes do appear to magnified to a degree however Tyson still leaves many scratching their heads.
Over Conor Sammon if I was Theo with my goals/per minute ration I would believe I deserved a starting place over him.
Clough has had significant funds to play with not on par with all across the Championship but then probably more than most across the division.
Creative and strong pass and move football only really works if you have a strong forward line with the quality to turn hard work into goals.
At present we do not have that quality. Martin IMO is not the answer.
posted on 30/4/13
David Martin may have thought he wasn't picked because he fell out with Clough. How does he now explain not being picked for a division 2 club. Main reason David Martin wasn't picked is the same as for Robinson not being first choice. They aren't good enough. If Clough is to be criticised it is for signing them in the first place.
For any manager it is picking the team to achieve the result that counts, not likes or dislikes. Do you think Mancini likes Tevez?
We need better quality forwards and a better central defender to partner Keogh. Then I believe our style of play will pay dividends.
posted on 30/4/13
What would be the point in selling brayford? We have one of the best fullbacks outside the prem. For me, if he goes, its to a prem side for at least £4million or its unforgiveable. At least then freeman can continue his improvement and we have a substantial fee to strengthen a couple of other areas. He is one of our key players, one of our prized assets and we name our price and stick to it or we don't sell.
posted on 30/4/13
It would be a damning indictment on the owners ambitions to let the likes of Brayford go. Not altogether confident they won't though...
posted on 30/4/13
Its just the old revolving door we have all become so fond of in our efforts to stagnate and bore people.
posted on 1/5/13
is baptiste better than buxton....? YES
Is vaughan better than 4-5-1 away from home....? Yes
Is forsyth better than roberts.....? Yes
we will have 3 different strikers
vaughan= pace
sammon= workhorse who has been unlucky
martin= lazy, but great first touch, also unlucky with linesmans woeful decisions at times
We are also apparantly looking at lee grant for GK
Grant
Brayford Baptiste keogh forsyth
ward hendrick hughes coutts
vaughan sammon
that gets me hard
jacobs, b davies, martin and bryson on bench are great options
NOW if that comes true, nigel should do somet daft like loan out jacobs or b davies, or he deserved to be sacked
that is a top 6 side without spending much money