Solid, regular, back 5. (5 Viewers)

skybluecam said:

Surely it makes sense budget wise to keep Burroughs here as backup. Lati can always cover if he's not up to it. Would certainly be a lot cheaper than bringing in someone new.

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Depends if he's up to it. Had a good first half of the season, then got injured and hardly played this year despite being fit and on the bench.

ProfessorbyGrace said:

Perhaps Burroughs is a bit of a ‘utility’ player himself, as well as Lati. As, so I’ve read, he’s naturally an AMF, but can play RWB. Probably RWF if he has that natural attacking ability.

Would be decent cover, when all is said and done.

Do we really see Wilson as our no.1? Collins has had a bad run of form, but in all honesty, he does seem a more capable option than Wilson, when he’s in form.

As for the establishment of a solid back four, well. That remains to be seen. It’s a bit ‘up in the air’ with Bidwell possibly leaving, and Kitching being…well, a bit erratic. Thomas, I feel, is a mainstay, as is MVE.

Would be curious to see if we signed Binks permanently. I think he has that potential, as does Kitching, it’s just a case of ironing out those ‘creases’.

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I genuinely don't see how anyone can consider Collins a better option than Wilson after the calamity of the last few weeks.
Having said that, if we start the season with either in goal I'll be really disappointed.

clint van damme said:

I genuinely don't see how anyone can consider Collins a better option than Wilson after the calamity of the last few weeks.
Having said that, if we start the season with either in goal I'll be really disappointed.

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If either of them start in goal next year, I’d start a back 6…back 7 if it’s Collins.

Wilson was quite openly telling fans that he has been told to find a new club.

Frostie said:

Wilson was quite openly telling fans that he has been told to find a new club.

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Think it’s sad that he didn’t get on against QPR TBH and so barely got his name sung at all.

clint van damme said:

I genuinely don't see how anyone can consider Collins a better option than Wilson after the calamity of the last few weeks.
Having said that, if we start the season with either in goal I'll be really disappointed.

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Wilson is like the 5th worst keeper in the league this season based on stats. He's fallen off massively.

skybluecam said:

Wilson is like the 5th worst keeper in the league this season based on stats. He's fallen off massively.

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Even before or after the Hull game, Collins had the highest match rating in the league. You’ve had people on this forum who have and never will like Collins.

He’s pulled off some really good saves that’s kept us in matches. Better than Wilson by a long shot.

Then again, what do the analysts and coaches know?

Mucca Mad Boys said:

Even before or after the Hull game, Collins had the highest match rating in the league. You’ve had people on this forum who have and never will like Collins.

He’s pulled off some really good saves that’s kept us in matches. Better than Wilson by a long shot.

Then again, what do the analysts and coaches know?

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Exactly

Even with all his clangers in the last few weeks he's still at +0.9 psxg+/- for the season. So he's prevented 1 goal over average. Meanwhile Wilson is at -3.7 having played less games...

skybluecam said:

Exactly

Even with all his clangers in the last few weeks he's still at +0.9 psxg+/- for the season. So he's prevented 1 goal over average. Meanwhile Wilson is at -3.7 having played less games...

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Stats don’t lie whereas our subjective opinions on anything do because they are impacted by our emotions. So we get bedwetting all the time.

The stats also indicate our defending has not been good all season, even during the purple patch.

Every position needs to be improved if we want to get promoted and then stay up in the Prem.

The people making decisions about team selection and so on are making more informed decisions than ourselves. People could do with remembering that.

Mucca Mad Boys said:

Stats don’t lie whereas our subjective opinions on anything do because they are impacted by our emotions. So we get bedwetting all the time.

The stats also indicate our defending has not been good all season, even during the purple patch.

Every position needs to be improved if we want to get promoted and then stay up in the Prem.

The people making decisions about team selection and so on are making more informed decisions than ourselves. People could do with remembering that.

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Do we think that DL leaving had any effect on the coaching side? Be interested to see the stats for the number of games before and after his departure.

Senior Vick from Alicante said:

Do we think that DL leaving had any effect on the coaching side? Be interested to see the stats for the number of games before and after his departure.

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Without knowing DL’s specific coaching responsibilities, it’s hard to tell. I’d imagine it would impact some of the teams cohesion, for sure.

Defensively, the picture wasn’t amazing before DL left, we’d still only kept 3 CS against Stoke, Maidstone and Rotherham. Our xG for and against was similar even during our purple patch in December & Jan. For example, take games like Sunderland and Middlesborough, a 3-0 and 3-1 win where we were lucky not to go behind (or further behind v Boro).

The reality is that we’ve had a tough run in April. Cardiff on Easter Monday, Leeds, Southampton, Blues, Man U, then 4 games against Hull, Blackburn, Ipswich and QPR. Hard teams and a thin squad took its toll on us. April was disappointing and you could see the players were physically and psychologically tired.

It’s a bit of both, losing DL couldn’t have helped but our defence hasn’t been a strong point all season.