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Reply | Hope he starts two up top
at 12:22 15 Feb 2023
I think this comes back to the basic problem of having recruited a large squad, with many positions having 2 or 3 players of almost equal ability, and all thinking they deserve a starting place
Its suggested we have the best squad in the League (maybe true) but we probably only have 2 players who might be in contention to make a League 1 Team of the Season (Walton & Morsy); other clubs at this level just dont have the funds to pay salaries of 25? 'first team squad' players
This leads to complacency - thinking we're better than the others and should really be in the Championship - and inevitable chopping and changing -I think we'd all find it hard to pick the best starting 11 , as McK clearly does, plus the need to keep the non-playing/starting players happy. With 3 or 4 changes each week the team will be likely to start slow
and players knowing that theres a 50% chance they'll be subbed after 60/70mins is
unsettling.
McK may wish to manage the large squad like a Prem League team but the players aren't good enough , and he prob isn't (yet)
Now is the critical point where he has to pick his best 11 and stiick to it - some hard choices to tell Harness, Hirst, Clarke, Aluko , Jackson,Edmundson + a few they are NOT getting a start - and Chaplin, Ladapo, Burgess, Donacian that they will start every week unless injured. Only starting position in doubt imo is midfield alongside Morsy - Evans when f fit.
Cam McK do that - I'm doubtful, so play-offs it is when you'd hope he might just do it then |
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Reply | Can we now all agree
at 09:33 19 Apr 2022
Cook was a disaster; and a disgrace - he just enjoyed being 'demolition man' and trying to ruin some good plyers' careers - fortunately most of them have found a good place elsewhere
After his usual start of 'Aren't I great' antics at Chesterfield he's now saying he doesn't trust his players as they slip down the table; ready for more demolition if they dont have the sense to get rid of him
KM still learning, and we're getting to see more evidence of the squad weaknesses, but a proper manager and good bloke who with time will do well for us and himself Whether he gets that time from Gamechanger if no promotion next season we'll see, but a massive upgrade on Cook |
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Reply | Amazing isn’t it…
at 23:19 17 Apr 2022
Signing players from the league above doesn't guarantee success; it needs the right attitude
If you disparage the likes of Accrington (see Morsy's comments) or Cambridge ('we've got so much better players than them') and think 'we're a big club with the best squad , and shouldn't be down here' when starting the season against 'small' Morecambe, these teams will get in your face and enjoy turning you over and employing some of the dark arts you think you are 'above'
We better sign someone in midfield prepared to compete against the likes of Rathbone, O'Keefe and Camps, who've been successfully slugging it out at this level for a while
So the orig posters point is right that we need a 'mix'; lets look at the attitude of the new signings as well as their paper ability; anyone who says 'we dont want to be playing at Forest Green or Cheltenham ever again' will be a disaster
On that logic I'd let Morsy and Celina go (back to where they seem to think they belong)
The only barrier to playoff or better next season will be 'complacency'; lets hope McK sees that and doesn't get complacent himself - the jury's out |
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Reply | Would it be a surprise if all of Celina, Aluko, Chaplin, Pigott, Bonne and
at 11:21 17 Apr 2022
No, but I'd keep Chaplin
I'd like to see McK adapt a bit to how to get out of this league , but assuming he sticks to his preferred way,... isn't it ironic that he'd have loved to have the pre-Cook Ipswich team + Burns.
He's reinstated Woolfie, Norwood and Jackson who were out in the cold, and with the likes of Downes, Dozzell , Wilson, and prob Bishop for squad as well, he'd have been v happy
All the 'best squad in the league' stuff at start of season is now shown to be pure hype, as only 1 Town player, Walton, would make even a short list for the League 1 Team of the Year
But if some good signings next season we should be right in the mix with the top 7-8 teams, but no silly 'walk it' expectations, and see if McK's way of playing can compete with the good 'direct' teams - should make for some fun watching
If only (as we often say in football) we could have got McK instead of Cook at the time, especially as it appears Gamechanger weren't really sold on Cook, and had their eye on McK |
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Reply | Sam Parkin hit nail on the head
at 17:03 16 Apr 2022
From watching lots of League 1there are 3 essentials that Town currently lack
- maybe because the players and management think we're just too good for this league and dont want to play like most teams there
- 2 Strikers ; no successful L1 team plays with a lone striker (MK close but they have 2 fine support p;layers)
- a Centre Back who can score 6+ goals a season from set pieces and is a constant threat in the opp box (see Accrington)
- a fit speedy midfielder who can run with the ball (e.g. Dempsey from Gills, or any of the 3 Rotherham players Barlasar, Wiles or esp Rathbone who outplayed Town today)
+ a decent LWB would be a bonus
I suggest recruiting from the best of L1, not fancy dans from Champ who think they're good
How many teams will play like Rotherham in L1 next season; lots; Roth or Wigan (if still here) Bolton, Accrington, Cambridge, Cheltenham, Wycombe, Portsmouth, Forest Green (yes them) Port Vale, Gillingham ...
If we struggle against them, and can't beat the top 6 sides; even the playoffs will be a stretch
Plan to get out of this league before starting to build a team for the upper end of the Championship; Gamechanger's patience may be limited to next season!
yea |
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Reply | Next season
at 11:11 16 Apr 2022
Many on here falling into the same trap as last summer - thinking we have the richest owners, biggest budget, best players, best team in the league by some distance, - i.e. just have to turn up and we'll win the league by a mile
Optimism at the start of a season is good and natural , but complacency can be a killer - look at Cook et al last August, and most fans!
There are 6 teams above us who won't go up, Bolton and Charlton below, + 3 teams coming down , 2 (Barnsley and Peterborough) who have had recent success at this level, and Derby who are a complete unknown
Yes, good reasons why we should be able to compete with them all, but a more realistic expectation based on 2nd half this season is 4th-6th and playoffs
The big point (for me) is that Teams very rarely win promotion from League 1 playing a lone striker - all those in the mix this year have 2 good strikers (Plymouth rotate 4) ; MK Dons a little exception but they have 2 outstanding 'support' players in Twine and Parrott.
You may get success at Prem or Championship with the McK formation, but not 'down' here The other key is to have a goal-scoring centre-back ( 6-8 goals maybe)
So, can McK adjust his thinking and recruit enough to accommodate these 2 key needs; if so that should lift from 4-6th being likely to seriously challenging for automatic |
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Reply | Paul Cook
at 13:42 11 Dec 2021
Cook had decent credentials for the job but made Big mistakes
It seemed his ego went OTT once he was promised big money and could have any players he wanted (mostly from his earlier jobs)
He revelled in his Demolition Man actions - and treated players he was rejecting very badly (ignoring the old adage of treat people well on the way up etc...)
He brought in players 'promising' them he would build a team around them, then went out and signed others that took their place - 'because he could'
He hyped the 'best squad in the league' etc - when we know from England example that a top '23' doesnt give you a top 11; in fact having so many alternatives in key positions just brings confusion for manager and players
Then when appealing for patience for side to 'gel' he does not use the 'extra' cup games to pick his best team and give then time to do so
and when things clearly not working the players and fans get fed up, and he blames
them
He's missed the best opportunity he's had in his career - and has only himself to blame
Surely other clubs now will be wary of risking his 'demolition' approach |
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Reply | Team for Sat
at 19:45 9 Dec 2021
3-5-2
Walton
Woolf, Edmundson, Burgess
KVY Evans Fraser, El MIz, Edwards
Chaplin, Pigott
Subs:
Holy, Donacien, Carroll, Norwood, Aluko |
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Reply | Do you expect any tactical changes tonight?
at 13:44 7 Dec 2021
Just a little nearer the 3-5-2 I'd prefer, and not the'resting' of Morsy and Bonne that I'd like
With the players we have available I expect:
Walton
Donacien Woolf, Burgess, KVY
Morsy, El Miz
Aluko Fraser Chaplin
Bonne |
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Reply | Morsy, “Get the enthusiasm back”comment
at 13:33 7 Dec 2021
IMHO: Morsy was Cook's biggest mistake, especially to make him captain
He shows no leadership qualities - listening to him would you find him an inspiration?
I can think of no other club captain who is a 'midfield enforcer' with the right miserly attitude to go with it
So Mcgreal's (or next) biggest challenges are whether he has the balls to 'sideline' Morsy - and Celina - decide which of Bonne/Pigott he wants for this season and let the other go, and form a Team around the spine of Edmundson, Fraser and Bonne/Pigott; oh and revert to 3-5-2 which suits the players we have now, and include some of the Ipswich based like Holy, Woolf, KVY, El Miz and Norwood . - QED! |
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Thread | Team for Charlton.anyone?
at 19:17 6 Dec 2021
Surely this isnt the first attempt to predict tomorrow's team
More my view than strict prediction, but here goes:
3-5-2 formation
Walton
Donacien Edmundson Burgess
KVY Evans Fraser El Miz Edwards
Chaplin Pigott
Subs:
Holy
Woolfenden Nsiala
Morsy Carroll
Bonne Celina |
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Reply | Cook's sacking means...
at 15:35 6 Dec 2021
Yes agree; I was making similar point on another thread - he overloaded firstly on 'demolition' then on new players giving an overblown squad with similar abilities and couldn't manage keeping them all happy - especially those he'd 'promised' to be key men in his new team
The additions of Morsy, Celina, Edmondson, Chaplin, Walton were not 'icing on the cake' but top heavy disruption; if he'd built (as first intended?) around Burgess, Fraser, Evans Harper?, Pigott, Burns, Coulson he may well have been much more successful
Sometime 'More' is 'Less'
so now what does the new manager offload - the 'icings' who think they're Champ-level, or the 'building blocks' who know they are League One first-teamers elsewhere
- for me he(she) should get as much money back from the 'icings' as poss, let Bonne go back, and buy a new support striker for Pigott and a left winger to make a proper 'Team' |
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Thread | The Problem?? Too many players....
at 15:06 6 Dec 2021
.. of similar ability and expectation?
So (maybe) Cook brought in a load of players with the 'promise' that they were his 'main men'to build a new team around..... and then got starry eyed with the money available and brought in more 'just because he could'.so the first set were now just backups
....Pigott, Burgess, Hladky, Fraser, Chaplin, Evans, Harper.... and current Ipswich players who thought they were promised a 'go' at making the team .... Woolk, KVY, Norwood, Holy..
How would these not feel:
- disgruntled with Cook (maybe not Hladky as he was so poor) for his false promises
- thinking they were better off in their former clubs as the 'main man' there, and seeing their careers stagnate
- the new players and Cook's attitude of 'we're better than you' and 'we're just dropping down from our Championship level to help you poor guys out'
- getting p...d off when the new players were seen to be struggling to 'gel'
- Cook then not knowing his best team as now having 2m of similar aabiility in all positions
So in all likelihood n uhappy squad
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