i still believe we need a central playmaker , like saunders last season . I thought alan smith played that role for notts county well last night with pacey players along side him . any one else think the same , if so who is available
No money is available, hence our style of play. The bedrock is strong stalwart defence but we have been found wanting lately. Wasn't long ago we where complaining about not scoring, then midfield area (quality service/vision) and now defensively. Wee Fans hey.
We all want, what's best for the Club, bottom line, we have a decent squad that's affordable, my bet is we will achieve a comfortable mid league position. Win some and lose some. I just wish we played some deck football occasionally.
Wouldn't a playmaker be great. Not too many around though at our wage level and even fewer prepared to put the miles in that are required by the system. Saunders was an exception but we did keep breaking him.
Interested in others views on Alan Smith last night. I thought he was poor. Too much long ball first half and then not a lot of anything in the second. I'd want more from someone of his experience
Firstly I thought Smith was garbage last night. He was caught out too easily and was lucky on at least occasion not to get booked, he is not a playmaker he is a striker who's legs have gone and is playing at the back.
As for midfield creativity it is irrelevant if the ball does not go into that area of the pitch. We were destroying them wide last night but we insist on going long long long. Pierre and Stewart were as bad as I have seen for distribution yesterday. Run forward, keep running forward, keep running forward SHOOT FROM 40 YARDS or just kick it straight out with a toe poke. Sunday league.
The two kids from Brentford must be piss poor if McGinn gets a run out ahead of them. Lets face it with 10 minutes to go is McGinn really the choice to win the game? I don't think I have seen him since October. GA's choice of subs and timings continues to be a real weakness.
Also are we now reconciled that Banton is done for? Not even on the bench last night. A loan to the Conference or a cut out losses in January with a contract termination? He must really suck in the attitude or aptitude department or both.
My thoughts re. Alan Smith: he did make a run with the ball once or twice, but, for the most part, appeared to just want to stay within 5-10 yards of a spot in deep central midfield, receive the ball and kick it somewhere else, whilst expending the minimum of effort.
He had the air of someone who had turned up for work because he had to rather than because he enjoyed it and I did wonder whether he would have been too bothered if his team had won or lost in the end, as long as the whistle had gone, work was over for the day and he could head off home.
I may be doing him a disservice, but that's how it appeared to me. It's a shame, as I thought he had a lot of potential when he was first coming through as a teenager.
Given he has played at the top level for a long time in recent years, unless he has frittered his money, it is pretty unlikely that he is in it because he has to be to pay the mortgage. Presumably he enjoys the game and wants to play as long as his legs allow him too, even if that means dropping down the leagues. Good on him.
I'd love to see more top players drift down the leagues but they don't need to now financially. I agree with @DevC that it's great to see it but on last nights evidence he simply wasn't very good. I wouldn't swap him for Luke O'Nien
In fairness to Ainsworth, his comments regarding last night seems very similar to the fans who were there. There wasn't enough quality, we didn't get the ball down enough, we didn't get the ball out wide enough, therefore not getting in enough crosses. When we did this we hurt them and got our goals. So I don't think the long hoof down the middle was under instructions from the manager, more a case of players lacking confidence at home and not playing as they should. Sadly, there has been a little too much of that at Adams Park this season.
Slight mitigation that McCarthy is not Sido when it comes to overlapping runs. Also JJ was rusty (and totally understandable) for quite a part of the game. When he clicks back with Woody all will be well on the left.
One other note about last night AAH. Fxxk me he is frustrating. On more than one occasion the ball landed 3 yards away from him, he made no effort to go after it, the defender attacked the ball and then to add insult to injury the mature Paul Hayes ran his socks off to cover and close down. Now I know we are all different but if I was working hand in hand with another bloke and he was carrying so much of the physical burden I would feel a little embarrassed to say the least.
Give the ginger panther that is Sellers a regular run out from the start as an option, not sure why he's listed in squad as a defender I thought he was more attacking midfield or wing?
Comments
I think the question is how much money is available....
No money is available, hence our style of play. The bedrock is strong stalwart defence but we have been found wanting lately. Wasn't long ago we where complaining about not scoring, then midfield area (quality service/vision) and now defensively. Wee Fans hey.
We all want, what's best for the Club, bottom line, we have a decent squad that's affordable, my bet is we will achieve a comfortable mid league position. Win some and lose some. I just wish we played some deck football occasionally.
Wouldn't a playmaker be great. Not too many around though at our wage level and even fewer prepared to put the miles in that are required by the system. Saunders was an exception but we did keep breaking him.
Interested in others views on Alan Smith last night. I thought he was poor. Too much long ball first half and then not a lot of anything in the second. I'd want more from someone of his experience
Firstly I thought Smith was garbage last night. He was caught out too easily and was lucky on at least occasion not to get booked, he is not a playmaker he is a striker who's legs have gone and is playing at the back.
As for midfield creativity it is irrelevant if the ball does not go into that area of the pitch. We were destroying them wide last night but we insist on going long long long. Pierre and Stewart were as bad as I have seen for distribution yesterday. Run forward, keep running forward, keep running forward SHOOT FROM 40 YARDS or just kick it straight out with a toe poke. Sunday league.
The two kids from Brentford must be piss poor if McGinn gets a run out ahead of them. Lets face it with 10 minutes to go is McGinn really the choice to win the game? I don't think I have seen him since October. GA's choice of subs and timings continues to be a real weakness.
Also are we now reconciled that Banton is done for? Not even on the bench last night. A loan to the Conference or a cut out losses in January with a contract termination? He must really suck in the attitude or aptitude department or both.
My thoughts re. Alan Smith: he did make a run with the ball once or twice, but, for the most part, appeared to just want to stay within 5-10 yards of a spot in deep central midfield, receive the ball and kick it somewhere else, whilst expending the minimum of effort.
He had the air of someone who had turned up for work because he had to rather than because he enjoyed it and I did wonder whether he would have been too bothered if his team had won or lost in the end, as long as the whistle had gone, work was over for the day and he could head off home.
I may be doing him a disservice, but that's how it appeared to me. It's a shame, as I thought he had a lot of potential when he was first coming through as a teenager.
Given he has played at the top level for a long time in recent years, unless he has frittered his money, it is pretty unlikely that he is in it because he has to be to pay the mortgage. Presumably he enjoys the game and wants to play as long as his legs allow him too, even if that means dropping down the leagues. Good on him.
I'd love to see more top players drift down the leagues but they don't need to now financially. I agree with @DevC that it's great to see it but on last nights evidence he simply wasn't very good. I wouldn't swap him for Luke O'Nien
In fairness to Ainsworth, his comments regarding last night seems very similar to the fans who were there. There wasn't enough quality, we didn't get the ball down enough, we didn't get the ball out wide enough, therefore not getting in enough crosses. When we did this we hurt them and got our goals. So I don't think the long hoof down the middle was under instructions from the manager, more a case of players lacking confidence at home and not playing as they should. Sadly, there has been a little too much of that at Adams Park this season.
Slight mitigation that McCarthy is not Sido when it comes to overlapping runs. Also JJ was rusty (and totally understandable) for quite a part of the game. When he clicks back with Woody all will be well on the left.
One other note about last night AAH. Fxxk me he is frustrating. On more than one occasion the ball landed 3 yards away from him, he made no effort to go after it, the defender attacked the ball and then to add insult to injury the mature Paul Hayes ran his socks off to cover and close down. Now I know we are all different but if I was working hand in hand with another bloke and he was carrying so much of the physical burden I would feel a little embarrassed to say the least.
Give the ginger panther that is Sellers a regular run out from the start as an option, not sure why he's listed in squad as a defender I thought he was more attacking midfield or wing?