For all the valid discussions to be had on MB's strengths and weaknesses as a manager - and I think there is a whole spectrum of opinions which have some measure of support and are worthy of debate - the idea that he acts with a lack of respect or dignity is one that should not be on the list, to my mind.
With the arrivals this month it was clear that the manager did not fancy him. I am sure he could see that too. Whenever he put on a Wycombe shirt he never let us down. Do I think he will be another AAH2.0 one that got away? No. Do I think he will be useful in our Division 2 campaign next year? Absolutely
TJay scored a great headed goal away at Stevenage. Was it the League Cup? Took us to extra time or penalties I think. We will miss him and wish him the best.
Decent player and got a good number of assists last season, given how few games he played. It's a shame it didn't work out here, but he always gave his all and I certainly wish him all the best back in Gibraltar.
Talk about a character assassination! I don't for a minute think that Matt has shown anyone disrespect and I think he is very much like GA where he is trying his best to use his man-management skills and be honest with players. It became clear that Breckin wasn't up to the standard that Matt thought he was when he signed him. The fact that Breckin hasn't bounced to another club has shown that he hasn't impressed and needs to reassess his game. TJ always came as a risk, the effort was always there, the fact he had international caps and was experiencing different environments would have been great to bring back into the club. However, he was always very low on the pecking order. LT was a risk, one that could have been a master stroke but it just didn't work out. We all knew that signing young loan players is difficult. With they limited exposure to first team football and their on-going development, there is always the risk of inconsistency. Potts has been the only one that has stood out this season. Jan is always a stop/start month in our history. There are players in the squad that doesn't know where they'll be at the end of the month and once the players start talking, that uncertainty spreads.
At the beginning of the season, playing with 3 centre backs / 5 at the back made sense. However, I agree that he stuck with it for too long but we have seen small improvements since his change in tactics. I do also think that his readiness to throw on an extra defender at the end of the games is hurting him. While on paper, it should make up stronger, ultimately it causes confusion which results in goals against us.
HOWEVER - He has shown that he is willing to change / adapt his tactic into one that has shown more promise. While the results haven't gone in our favour, there has been more potential being shown. Feb is a massive month for the club, everyone can see that but I still have a small amount of faith that this squad and management will start to turn the ship around.
Good response but you should save your time for people who make valid points one way or the other and ignore those who post shallow one note routine nastiness (for years) . Your arguments have no effect on them as they don't really have an opinion beyond continually slagging off the team they 'support' whoever is playing for it or in charge of it, for attention. Ignore.
That was deliberate, as we knew he would end up being sold on to the Champo for two million after being a stat at AFC Wimbledon and we would get a big fat cut....er, didn't we?
I’m not sure it was necessarily as binary as being we can keep one of these players and one has to go. We could have kept both if we’d wanted too - neither could have been on that much money.
The tragedy for us as a football club is that we failed to develop either into a first team player and instead have become reliant on having to loan in other clubs’ players with a mixed level of success and no benefit to the club once they’ve left.
Yes I think the development squad tagline always needed to be taken with a bit of a pinch of salt.
Although there was clearly an enhanced commitment given the hiring of Sam Grace and the signing of many more young players than we had previously.
That commitment seems to have waned under Matt Bloomfield with less players coming in and a preference for using other club’s players on loan rather than trying to bring players through. And then of course us pulling out of the B&B.
At the minute the development strategy looks a bit confused and doesn’t seem to be working that well. It’s not the only thing unfortunately.
Arguably we're seeing why Gaz didn't like the loan system near the end as well.
Boyes and presumably Phillips disappear back off. Potts we have zero chance of keeping. Dale Taylor a bit hit and miss. Breckin a total miss. Chem Campbell already has people doubtful after the last end to his previous loan.
However, we don't know how severe the budget cut was, and whether loanees were the only way.
Cecil claimed on commentary fairly recently that we’d fought off competition from 10-15 clubs to sign D. Taylor on loan for the season. It would be naive to assume we’re not paying his wages, whatever they are.
I’m not totally anti-loans, I should add, there’s a place for them where there’s an obvious gap in your squad that needs a quick fix.
For example, that would look the case currently in relation to the left back position. We also needed an extra wide attacker with the move to 4 at the back so signing Kodua was logical given Hanlan is injured but back next season.
It also works where you are effectively getting a chance to look at a player that’s likely to be released anyway.
What I don’t like though is it supplanting your own player development plans so that any first team chances seem to go the way of other club’s players rather than your own. Taylor starting 25 league matches this season and TJay starting none being a good example. Or us giving game time to Breckin rather than Jack Young.
For me, we should never really have more than 2 or 3 loans on the books at any one time and 5 is way over the top.
Comments
I have managed to rejig my ignore list...saves responding to exactly the same comments over and over for the next three or so managers.
Also saves you from having to decipher posts that are either typed wearing boxing gloves or just dribble on the keyboard.
For all the valid discussions to be had on MB's strengths and weaknesses as a manager - and I think there is a whole spectrum of opinions which have some measure of support and are worthy of debate - the idea that he acts with a lack of respect or dignity is one that should not be on the list, to my mind.
I think 'valid discussions' is the clue there.
With the arrivals this month it was clear that the manager did not fancy him. I am sure he could see that too. Whenever he put on a Wycombe shirt he never let us down. Do I think he will be another AAH2.0 one that got away? No. Do I think he will be useful in our Division 2 campaign next year? Absolutely
Worked hard and Junior Morais aside probably the best barger we've ever had in our colours.
Had a run at the end of last season, but was destined never to break through.
My pal asked (not me) does this mean we can get fewer games called off for internationals! Hope so!
Can’t see us getting promoted myself.
And he scored more goals than Junior!
But has less mysterious exits days after signing a new deal...
TJay scored a great headed goal away at Stevenage. Was it the League Cup? Took us to extra time or penalties I think. We will miss him and wish him the best.
Think it was in the Tin Pot Trophy. 🤔
I really liked Tjay but you could see that he wasn’t the preferred choice so it was just a matter of time before he was moved on.
Decent player and got a good number of assists last season, given how few games he played. It's a shame it didn't work out here, but he always gave his all and I certainly wish him all the best back in Gibraltar.
Talk about a character assassination! I don't for a minute think that Matt has shown anyone disrespect and I think he is very much like GA where he is trying his best to use his man-management skills and be honest with players. It became clear that Breckin wasn't up to the standard that Matt thought he was when he signed him. The fact that Breckin hasn't bounced to another club has shown that he hasn't impressed and needs to reassess his game. TJ always came as a risk, the effort was always there, the fact he had international caps and was experiencing different environments would have been great to bring back into the club. However, he was always very low on the pecking order. LT was a risk, one that could have been a master stroke but it just didn't work out. We all knew that signing young loan players is difficult. With they limited exposure to first team football and their on-going development, there is always the risk of inconsistency. Potts has been the only one that has stood out this season. Jan is always a stop/start month in our history. There are players in the squad that doesn't know where they'll be at the end of the month and once the players start talking, that uncertainty spreads.
At the beginning of the season, playing with 3 centre backs / 5 at the back made sense. However, I agree that he stuck with it for too long but we have seen small improvements since his change in tactics. I do also think that his readiness to throw on an extra defender at the end of the games is hurting him. While on paper, it should make up stronger, ultimately it causes confusion which results in goals against us.
HOWEVER - He has shown that he is willing to change / adapt his tactic into one that has shown more promise. While the results haven't gone in our favour, there has been more potential being shown. Feb is a massive month for the club, everyone can see that but I still have a small amount of faith that this squad and management will start to turn the ship around.
Good response but you should save your time for people who make valid points one way or the other and ignore those who post shallow one note routine nastiness (for years) . Your arguments have no effect on them as they don't really have an opinion beyond continually slagging off the team they 'support' whoever is playing for it or in charge of it, for attention. Ignore.
It was the League Cup and it earned us a trip to Man City!
what a mature response, just because they don't agree with yours on the clubs narrative !!
It is an unfortunate sequence of events:
Nick Freeman: Leaves partly because we favoured De Barr for a run of games as the 10, despite it not being De Barr's preferred position.
De Barr: Then leaves because we never give him a run of games as a 9.
or maybe Freeman had already indicated that he was going, so wasn't given a run of games.
Surely the bigger hindsight henry stuff is we let Al Hamadi go as De Barr was ahead of him in the pecking order.
That was deliberate, as we knew he would end up being sold on to the Champo for two million after being a stat at AFC Wimbledon and we would get a big fat cut....er, didn't we?
It was definitely the former, from what I have heard.
Yep, it was actually absolute genius.
If he'd stayed he might have De Barred it, scoring the odd occasional goal.
By shipping him out he'll end up giving us a cool profit.
@Malone I'll see your Junior Morias and raise you Byron Walton.
I’m not sure it was necessarily as binary as being we can keep one of these players and one has to go. We could have kept both if we’d wanted too - neither could have been on that much money.
The tragedy for us as a football club is that we failed to develop either into a first team player and instead have become reliant on having to loan in other clubs’ players with a mixed level of success and no benefit to the club once they’ve left.
I remember someone a while ago asked what is the difference between a "development" squad and just bringing in youngsters of potential every so often.
They don't play games as a team very often so it's a valid question probably.
Yes I think the development squad tagline always needed to be taken with a bit of a pinch of salt.
Although there was clearly an enhanced commitment given the hiring of Sam Grace and the signing of many more young players than we had previously.
That commitment seems to have waned under Matt Bloomfield with less players coming in and a preference for using other club’s players on loan rather than trying to bring players through. And then of course us pulling out of the B&B.
At the minute the development strategy looks a bit confused and doesn’t seem to be working that well. It’s not the only thing unfortunately.
Arguably we're seeing why Gaz didn't like the loan system near the end as well.
Boyes and presumably Phillips disappear back off. Potts we have zero chance of keeping. Dale Taylor a bit hit and miss. Breckin a total miss. Chem Campbell already has people doubtful after the last end to his previous loan.
However, we don't know how severe the budget cut was, and whether loanees were the only way.
Cecil claimed on commentary fairly recently that we’d fought off competition from 10-15 clubs to sign D. Taylor on loan for the season. It would be naive to assume we’re not paying his wages, whatever they are.
I’m not totally anti-loans, I should add, there’s a place for them where there’s an obvious gap in your squad that needs a quick fix.
For example, that would look the case currently in relation to the left back position. We also needed an extra wide attacker with the move to 4 at the back so signing Kodua was logical given Hanlan is injured but back next season.
It also works where you are effectively getting a chance to look at a player that’s likely to be released anyway.
What I don’t like though is it supplanting your own player development plans so that any first team chances seem to go the way of other club’s players rather than your own. Taylor starting 25 league matches this season and TJay starting none being a good example. Or us giving game time to Breckin rather than Jack Young.
For me, we should never really have more than 2 or 3 loans on the books at any one time and 5 is way over the top.