Mixed Feelings (3 Viewers)

[CovScott88]

Part of me is glad we were knocked out last night, because it means that we can concentrate 100% of our efforts towards our league campaign and that the players don't have to play extra games, which lets face it, our tiny squad could to without.
On the other hand, last night's results really worries me. We played a full-strength side, apart from Sammy Clingan and Carl Baker, and were beaten convincingly. We had some good moments in the game, but overall, we are toothless going forward. Even in defence, which I thought would be the strongest part of the team, we looked weak and easily penetrable.

I'm not going to write off this season already, but I have to say, I can't remember ever feeling this depressed about this football club.

Also, a note for SISU - Andy Thorn is a Football Manager, not a Magician. Give him some help. If you think that you can sell off our best players, skimp on everything else and still expect us to be pushing for Promotion (which apparently Brody said recently), then you are living in a f*cking dreamworld!

 

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[sky_blue_up_north]

You last paragraph is the most important, we could have the best manager in the world, but with no backing we have no chance. Either SISU help Andy out or they will have Division One next season

 

[Dinyull]

It was a good chance to get our season started last night, build some confidence and get playing nice flowing football like the tail end of last season. We could have also done with a decent cup run for confidence and money, I really worry for us this season!

 

[Chipfat]

The difference with the flowing football last year is we had a real threat going forward and no matter what the personal opinion King gave others the space to play, hence Juke picking up some goals... If i came up against OD and Juke i would not be worried as a defender that they could get behind me or get into any dangerous positions at championship level. So therefore creating so much pressure on us all the time as teams will sqeeze us that much that in the end we will concede.

So the squad now is not lacking ability or potential but they need help in the forward areas of the pitch because if we get that right the defensive players will have time to organize and rest during the game. The problem is with no help we will lose game, lose fans and players lose confidence and that could and will become terminal in a squad so young. Its sad that in a time when we have so many good kids being brought through that the chance of over playing them is a real risk and the potential for failure will become higher.

SISU YOU NEED TO PUT UP or FOOK OFF, No more lies, no more excuses, just know you gambled, tried but failed to make the money out of CCFC you wanted. So i thank you for saving CCFC, but i won't thank you for running into the ground and taking us to a place that gettting back from will be a very long hard and painful road!!!!!.

 

[Dinyull]

Flowing football starts in defence and midfield and ROD's main attribute is his pace!

 

[Chipfat]

So you are comparing OD to King,, interesting!!!!!!! the whole point of my post without experience and ability to score at the top level no team will fear us.

And to pass the ball around is easy and teams will let you do it all day if 1) you pass sideways and back 2) you play in your own half AND 3) If you have no goal threat and dont pass the ball forwards!!!!!!!!!

Which im sure is what alot if not all seen us doing on Saturday, lots of possesion with no penertration... ring any bells...

 

[Dinyull]

Hahaha, love it when people don't read your post and then have a go. You said we have no pace upfront, I pointed out ROD has bags of pace but apparently that means I'm comparing him to King?!?!

It has nothing to do with the goal threat, it's all about movement and having someone upfront who's not going to lose the ball when the ball is played - we have that in Jukebox but I will give you King was very good at that as well. Just pointing out if you have 2 class strikers and no ball playing defenders or midfielders you aren't going to play flowing football.

 

[@richh87]

Hahaha, love it when people don't read your post and then have a go. You said we have no pace upfront, I pointed out ROD has bags of pace but apparently that means I'm comparing him to King?!?!

It has nothing to do with the goal threat, it's all about movement and having someone upfront who's not going to lose the ball when the ball is played - we have that in Jukebox but I will give you King was very good at that as well. Just pointing out if you have 2 class strikers and no ball playing defenders or midfielders you aren't going to play flowing football.

At the risk of also misunderstanding you - in your final sentence are you claiming we have no ball playing defenders and midfielders? We certainly do have both.

We need a decent loan upfront and Freddy and Platt fit IMO. Another midfielder wouldn't go amiss either but doubt it'll happen.

 

[Dinyull]

No, was just saying (probalby not that clear though) ball playing defenders and midfielders are more important to free flowing football than a decent striker. I agree we have both.

 

[lordsummerisle]

At the risk of also misunderstanding you - in your final sentence are you claiming we have no ball playing defenders and midfielders? We certainly do have both.

We need a decent loan upfront and Freddy and Platt fit IMO. Another midfielder wouldn't go amiss either but doubt it'll happen.

When was the last time Fat Freddy was fit? Southend?

 

[@richh87]

When was the last time Fat Freddy was fit? Southend?

Quite possibly. Strikes me that me couldn't give a shit a lot of the time. When played upfront though he can score goals and when he does he seems to raise his whole game and work-rate.

Think he's probably low on confidence from years of crap at Wolves and us, particularly when being played on the wing.

 

[Chipfat]

'It has nothing to do with the goal threat, it's all about movement and having someone upfront who's not going to lose the ball when the ball is played'

That is where we disagree, i think the game is all to do with having a goal threat and in the championship its no more clearer. The league is much of a muchness and what splits sides is the ones who have players that will take one chance or create something special that changes the game. And t this minute we dont have it, OD is 2nd rate but the best we have no blame of his, just fact....

 

[guicey15]

Oh how things would be different if we still had Gunnar and King

 

[We'll_live_and_die]

King yes, Gunnar nope. We got Bigirimana. I think Gunna going has caused this lad to step up. Better player imo

 

[@richh87]

Gunnar was a headless chicken who rolled around every time he got tackled and had the shittest long throw in i've ever seen.

This isn't me being bitter at him leaving - he really wasn't ever that great. How many goals did he score/create? And it's not because he was protecting the back 4 instead - because he was crap at that.

No big loss.

king on the other hand is a massive loss.

 

[Dinyull]

Gunnar is still young and ahead of Thomas, Biggie etc at the minute - he's also starting for Cardiff who have a better team/squad than we do. He might not have been the greatest (I think that perception is down to some expecting big things after his first season) but he is still a solid championship midfielder and would walk into our current 1st team.

 

[CovScott88]

I partly agree with what people are saying about Gunnar, but also disagree slightly. Gunnar was very good in his first season because he was playing in the position he was signed for, the deep lying central midfielder. The problem he had, is that the manager's (Coleman and Boothroyd) tried moving him out right and into a more advanced role, which he was completely unfamiliar with, because we were short of attacking midfielders. Gunnar is a better player when he sees lots of the pitch in front of him, not when he's further forward, with little space and his back to goal. You only have to have watched the Iceland U21's this summer to see that he influences the game more when he is deeper. He was the best player on the pitch by a country mile in their first game (before he got sent-off that is).
I am in no way saying that he is a terrific player or anything, I just think that he wasn't helped by the manager's he played under and that he is better than people give him credit for.

 

[Chipfat]

Dinyull,,, now i fully agree with you on Gunnarsson....

 

[@richh87]

Gunnar is still young and ahead of Thomas, Biggie etc at the minute - he's also starting for Cardiff who have a better team/squad than we do. He might not have been the greatest (I think that perception is down to some expecting big things after his first season) but he is still a solid championship midfielder and would walk into our current 1st team.

Agree, he's currently ahead of those players - but i'd expect those two to surpass him in a year or 2.

 

[Dinyull]

So we have to wait 2 years for a player of Gunnar's standard or better?

The reality is Gunnar has proved himself as a decent player at this level and at 21/22 has plenty of time to improve. Him leaving has left us playing 2 17 or 18 year olds that haven't done anything at this level. Both could turn out to be world beaters but on he other hand both could be out of the game in a couple of years. The only sure thing of the 3 at the minute is Gunnar so I don't know how you can say he's no big loss?!?!

 

[@richh87]

So we have to wait 2 years for a player of Gunnar's standard or better?

The reality is Gunnar has proved himself as a decent player at this level and at 21/22 has plenty of time to improve. Him leaving has left us playing 2 17 or 18 year olds that haven't done anything at this level. Both could turn out to be world beaters but on he other hand both could be out of the game in a couple of years. The only sure thing of the 3 at the minute is Gunnar so I don't know how you can say he's no big loss?!?!

Well if I rate King as a big loss (someone who looked a cut above the rest of the players on the pitch), then Gunnar is no 'big loss' as he offered next to nothing in an attacking sense and all he did was put in a shift each week. It wouldn't take much to surpass him.

 

[Dinyull]

It wouldn't take much to surpass him.

I kind of agree with that, however it'll take more than we have to surpass him - ie a new signing we can't afford. We are going to miss him this season though.