Exciting but 'mentally weak' players (1 Viewer)

withnail said:

"Gary McSheffrey says Mark Robins is inheriting a Coventry City squad with too many mentally weak characters lacking a desperately needed winning mentality."

Bang on Gary.

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Would very much expect Rueben Lameiras to be on that list.

Yup, can't really argue with any of that.

Otis said:

Would very much expect Rueben Lameiras to be on that list.

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I'd very much expect quite a few of them to be on the list Otis. Turnbull for one. I remember when we signed him from Southampton and even some of their fans were gutted to see him go and thought he'd be on the cusp of their first team this season.

Add to that Jones, Reid, both keepers, Bigi, Gadzhev, Haynes, Reilly (albeit a loanee), DKE....in fact the whole squad will have a losing mentality ingrained.

Massive, massive change in mindset needed.

Skyblueweeman said:

I'd very much expect quite a few of them to be on the list Otis. Turnbull for one. I remember when we signed him from Southampton and even some of their fans were gutted to see him go and thought he'd be on the cusp of their first team this season.

Add to that Jones, Reid, both keepers, Bigi, Gadzhev, Haynes, Reilly (albeit a loanee), DKE....in fact the whole squad will have a losing mentality ingrained.

Massive, massive change in mindset needed.

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He talked of players who were 'exciting on the eye, but mentally weak.'

That's why I picked out Lameiras.

Not sure Turnbull is exciting on the eye, but yeah, he talked of just mentally not strong enough too.

I'd build a whole team around DKE , but make sure they're taller.

Alan Dugdales Moustache said:

I'd build a whole team around DKE , but make sure they're taller.

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Nothing wrong with short players you cheeky scally ;-)

Otis said:

Would very much expect Rueben Lameiras to be on that list.

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Bit out of order, there's a lot of physiological fortitude required to juggle chewing gum.

Mental toughness usually comes with age and experience
Young players like DKE and Dele Alli can be aggressive and brave but that's not the same as mental toughness

I like the sound of this:

“That’s a massive thing and there will be a few players who will have a bit of a shock to the system but that’s what it needs because whenever I have watched them or spoken to people in the city or scouts and stuff, professionals who go and watch, they all say it’s a team full of potential and not bad individual players but no grit really.

“And he won’t stand for anything like that; any lack of professionalism and I am hoping that will rub off on what is, potentially, a half decent squad.”

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One young player that seems to fit as being mentally tough we've just let go Ivor Lawton.

better days said:

Mental toughness usually comes with age and experience
Young players like DKE and Dele Alli can be aggressive and brave but that's not the same as mental toughness

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Aye, I think it's more about how players respond to setbacks, heads dropping etc. We do lack that captain figure to gee the rest of them up. I know Clarke shouts but I always feel your captain should be a central midfielder.

He forgot to mention lack of quality. Giving the ball away needlessly, poor passing ability, weak tackling and no natural leaders. Loads more.

Not exactly a surprising assessment from Robins, there is a player in most of them but as we've seen in many games especially games where we've failed to hold out for the win.
The ability is there, but collectively there weak. There is not enough players in the side that can drag the others along in difficult games or phases of games.
Mark Robins really has come in at a great moment in regards to getting a team assembled for 2017/18. Such a blank canvas to start from to assemble his team and his choice of players as we've so many at the end of deals. There is a very small few under contract that you could create a "bomb squad scenario"
Let's hope he can identify the right mix of players and get them here to the club this summer, we need experience, leaders, grafters, characters, pace, set piece men, goalkeeper, goal scorers the lot.

steve82 said:

Not exactly a surprising assessment from Robins, there is a player in most of them but as we've seen in many games especially games where we've failed to hold out for the win.
The ability is there, but collectively there weak. There is not enough players in the side that can drag the others along in difficult games or phases of games.
Mark Robins really has come in at a great moment in regards to getting a team assembled for 2017/18. Such a blank canvas to start from to assemble his team and his choice of players as we've so many at the end of deals. There is a very small few under contract that you could create a "bomb squad scenario"
Let's hope he can identify the right mix of players and get them here to the club this summer, we need experience, leaders, grafters, characters, pace, set piece men, goalkeeper, goal scorers the lot.

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Not sure that list can be fulfilled with the budget Sisu will give him. I give him one whole season to give it his best. Like Mowbray he might need a loanees diamond or two.

withnail said:

"Gary McSheffrey says Mark Robins is inheriting a Coventry City squad with too many mentally weak characters lacking a desperately needed winning mentality."

Bang on Gary.

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Sounds like he's talking about his second spell with us

Which of our current squad do people consider exciting?

Esoterica said:

Which of our current squad do people consider exciting?

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If excitement means getting the heart rate shooting up, then it's the keeper and back four.

CovBurty said:

Not sure that list can be fulfilled with the budget Sisu will give him. I give him one whole season to give it his best. Like Mowbray he might need a loanees diamond or two.

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Can largely be done on frees in the summer, 90% league one and two, and conference clubs operate very well this way. You just need to look at them and operate very efficiently to do your homework on each individual.
Sure we will still need or use loans. We'd be silly not to consider better players who can have a impact while here, but the heavy reliance on a kid away from home, friends, family and the comfort of his academy is not so healthy. Some work some don't.
What we cannot have is huge holes in the squad the 31st august again.

Esoterica said:

Which of our current squad do people consider exciting?

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for me

stevenson
jones
bigi
harries (for what ball playing cb could offer to tactics)
k thomas
g thomas

steve82 said:

Can largely be done on frees in the summer, 90% league one and two, and conference clubs operate very well this way. You just need to look at them and operate very efficiently to do your homework on each individual.
Sure we will still need or use loans. We'd be silly not to consider better players who can have a impact while here, but the heavy reliance on a kid away from home, friends, family and the comfort of his academy is not so healthy. Some work some don't.
What we cannot have is huge holes in the squad the 31st august again.

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Rochdale in particular are good at this..... well Keith Hill is at any rate.

covcity4life said:

for me

stevenson
jones
bigi
harries (for what ball playing cb could offer to tactics)
k thomas
g thomas

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That's a fair list but I bet they've barely got 60 starts between them this season so to point the finger at them is unfair I think. It's the players with experience - Ghadzev, Reid, Rose, Willis, Tudgay etc that have undermined the season.

He's not wrong. You can see their heads drop as soon as something goes wrong. You can't imagine this team going behind and coming back to win based on recent performances.

Ghadzev has hardly started since TM left to be fair
There was a whisper that this might be due to the way his contract was structured

Don't buy that it's an age or innate thing TBH. You work harder when you're well managed. Robins will toughen then up. Some players will be "weak", but they won't be the majority. I expect a few raised eyebrows at performances from players written off under the last manager.

shmmeee said:

Don't buy that it's an age or innate thing TBH. You work harder when you're well managed. Robins will toughen then up. Some players will be "weak", but they won't be the majority. I expect a few raised eyebrows at performances from players written off under the last manager.

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Yes, remember that Robins didn't make wholesale changes when he came in really, 2-3 players. The likes of Baker and McSheffrey really upped their game under Robins.

Esoterica said:

That's a fair list but I bet they've barely got 60 starts between them this season so to point the finger at them is unfair I think. It's the players with experience - Ghadzev, Reid, Rose, Willis, Tudgay etc that have undermined the season.

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i havnt pointed finger at them? i said they excite me.

as for your list i agree we need to see more from gadzhev and reid. but i think they have suffered from venus and slade being managers.

tudgay was never supposed to be our main striker this season. hes been put in and scored a few(a cracker vs bury) and near end expected to be andy carroll. i have no issue with him

covcity4life said:

i havnt pointed finger at them? i said they excite me.

as for your list i agree we need to see more from gadzhev and reid. but i think they have suffered from venus and slade being managers.

tudgay was never supposed to be our main striker this season. hes been put in and scored a few(a cracker vs bury) and near end expected to be andy carroll. i have no issue with him

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No, not you - Sheff is. Just made me think about who he was referring to (which triggered my original question about who is exciting) when I think it's our more senior pros that haven't taken the responibility they should.

covcity4life said:

for me

stevenson
jones
bigi
harries (for what ball playing cb could offer to tactics)
k thomas
g thomas

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Add to that, for me....Reid and Lameiras!

better days said:

Ghadzev has hardly started since TM left to be fair
There was a whisper that this might be due to the way his contract was structured

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Oh a whisper

Stick it on this forum then for the crazies to feed up, they need something to blame SISU for.

unbelievable

better days said:

Ghadzev has hardly started since TM left to be fair
There was a whisper that this might be due to the way his contract was structured

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Is that since bigi played its changed to him?

better days said:

Ghadzev has hardly started since TM left to be fair
There was a whisper that this might be due to the way his contract was structured

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He's a Bulgarian international with a wicked shot.
Vastly underutilized in my opinion.
Also, it can't be easy being the only Bulgarian in a team like CCFC.

Gazolba said:

He's a Bulgarian international with a wicked shot.
Vastly underutilized in my opinion.
Also, it can't be easy being the only Bulgarian in a team like CCFC.

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No doubt the behind the scenes story of the season will come out at some point in the future

Perhaps a bit like how Richard Shaw recently revealed how he and the rest of the management team at the time only realised Bigi had been sold to Newcastle when they checked to see why he hadn't turned up for training

Have they had a bingo machine picking the number of games players can play before they get an extension?

More from Gary Mac in the CT today. He's named the best Cov 11 out of player he's played with. He's gone for Doyle left midfield and Joachim up front. Were we really that bad while he was here?!