Does seem harsh on Franco, but I guess Norris wasn't signed to be on the bench.
We are getting to the stage where you start to question the wisdom of some of these signings if they're not even making the bench in a side carrying a few injuries. Hopefully Simons will get some minutes today at least.
Strong XI, but we will miss the threat of Kone up front. Pleased to see Udoh starting up top though.
Signing players based on data is great but maybe the column that read ‘fitness’ should have more weight. All these new players and not one ready. The Danes are proving to be the most puzzling of the lot.
We'll likely never know what combination this is of fitness and the bloke picking the team easing himself in not having asked for these players, really hope the timing of the manager change doesn't do for the season.
You'd like to think if we can keep eleven on today those selected can put on a good show against a team that have always been niggly.
Yes, they've had a couple of little run-outs, but really hard to judge their qualities so far.
Westy (if we can give him that nickname) was in for a tap in if Lubala had seen it one game, but apart from that very little indication of how they're going to fit in.
At least we're covered without them for a while.
I think the disappointment with Westy is that he was signed soon after it was clear Morley wasn't being signed, and for massive money, so we hoped he was the replacement. When he seems a totally different player - from what we've seen so far, which isn't much!
Signing so many players that are not match fit as opposed to signing players to make an immediate threat to the existing players is a strange way to go.
Lowry was decent last week. Not even the squad. We signed Berry injured? How do you get a player through a medical? After a somewhat stale performance v Cambridge I was hoping for a boost.
It's hard not to look at that line up and not feel a tad disappointed / short changed, given the excitement of transfer deadline day and the anticipation that has built up over the last two weeks waiting for the first league match.
Still, hopefully Simmons will get a chance to impress and a few of the Bloomfield era players who might not have expected to start given all the investments will see this as an opportunity to give an extra 10% to keep their place in the side.
The other benefit of playing a largely unchanged team is that it will better allow us to see whether Dodds has introduced any changes to the style of play since coming in.
This exactly. I don't think we can just say they're "not fit" as an alibi for the rest of the season.
These are guys in their mid 20s, who have been with us 5-6 weeks now. Yes they need to get up to speed / match fit etc, but presumably they haven't been sat on a beach for 3months doing nothing eating biscuits.
We're not asking them to play 90mins every game either.
Strange to see so few new signings in and around the squad, but even stranger imo that we haven't signed a first team full back if Grimmer and Pattenden are still nowhere near the team. Skura has filled in admirably, but he isn't a full back. Hope to see Grimmer back asap.
It's all a bit bizarre, barely so much as an undisclosed fee spent for best part of 10 years to then spend that much and them all the be nowhere to be seen.
Some of them have been here a month already and I thought the Dane's had just had a winter break. Nobody will care if they are all playing in a few weeks and we haven't dropped down the table but all very odd.
Comments
Does seem harsh on Franco, but I guess Norris wasn't signed to be on the bench.
We are getting to the stage where you start to question the wisdom of some of these signings if they're not even making the bench in a side carrying a few injuries. Hopefully Simons will get some minutes today at least.
Strong XI, but we will miss the threat of Kone up front. Pleased to see Udoh starting up top though.
Has Berry made a squad yet?
Very odd to spend €1m on a player that can't even make the bench.
Berry, Lowry, Magnus, Hagelskaer, Reach, Back.
But that's pretty much the starting 11 I'd have expected bar maybe Simons
Signing players based on data is great but maybe the column that read ‘fitness’ should have more weight. All these new players and not one ready. The Danes are proving to be the most puzzling of the lot.
Commendable loyalty to the lads who’ve got us to second place.
Norris had better be prime Neuer today though
This’ll break the record for the number of posts in the hour leading up to kick off.
From what I’ve sent so far Anders and Magnus seem not just a little off, but miles off the pace of English football.
Perhaps Dodds doesn’t fancy Rice’s Danish signings.
We'll likely never know what combination this is of fitness and the bloke picking the team easing himself in not having asked for these players, really hope the timing of the manager change doesn't do for the season.
You'd like to think if we can keep eleven on today those selected can put on a good show against a team that have always been niggly.
So much for being hard to guess the line-up. That's probably the most conventional line-up we could possibly field!
Assume we'll make a fair few rotations, albeit mostly on the bench for midweek.
You can only assume we've taken advantage of the spending rules in this division to kit our squad out ready for next season.
It does seem baffling to buy a couple of high price signings and use them so little though, unless we've been caught out by how unfit they are?
Even Berry played a lot less at Chesterfield than I think anyone had realised.
Most of us probably assumed he was their key attacker, but his season has more been a job share role on minutes!
The Danish lads clearly aren't fit, better not to involve them until they are
Could anybody planning to say Dodds Out in 2 hours time, please take a number.....
Looks like almost none of the new guys are considered match ready. I worry our midfield is going to get bypassed today.
Your last two paragraphs are spot on, I reckon.
I’ve personally been very disappointed with the Danish cameos. They really haven’t brought home the bacon 🥓.
Absolutely
Yes, they've had a couple of little run-outs, but really hard to judge their qualities so far.
Westy (if we can give him that nickname) was in for a tap in if Lubala had seen it one game, but apart from that very little indication of how they're going to fit in.
At least we're covered without them for a while.
I think the disappointment with Westy is that he was signed soon after it was clear Morley wasn't being signed, and for massive money, so we hoped he was the replacement. When he seems a totally different player - from what we've seen so far, which isn't much!
They are all professional athletes, surely they should all be fit and ready for action ?!
Signing so many players that are not match fit as opposed to signing players to make an immediate threat to the existing players is a strange way to go.
Lowry was decent last week. Not even the squad. We signed Berry injured? How do you get a player through a medical? After a somewhat stale performance v Cambridge I was hoping for a boost.
It's hard not to look at that line up and not feel a tad disappointed / short changed, given the excitement of transfer deadline day and the anticipation that has built up over the last two weeks waiting for the first league match.
Still, hopefully Simmons will get a chance to impress and a few of the Bloomfield era players who might not have expected to start given all the investments will see this as an opportunity to give an extra 10% to keep their place in the side.
The other benefit of playing a largely unchanged team is that it will better allow us to see whether Dodds has introduced any changes to the style of play since coming in.
This exactly. I don't think we can just say they're "not fit" as an alibi for the rest of the season.
These are guys in their mid 20s, who have been with us 5-6 weeks now. Yes they need to get up to speed / match fit etc, but presumably they haven't been sat on a beach for 3months doing nothing eating biscuits.
We're not asking them to play 90mins every game either.
How miserably predictable that we would uncover a gem like Richard Kone and he’d be injured for some of the most important games we’ve ever played.
Apart from that I’d have expected Xavi for Leahy and found a place for Lowry on the bench. Part of me would rather have Gids at right back too.
Strange to see so few new signings in and around the squad, but even stranger imo that we haven't signed a first team full back if Grimmer and Pattenden are still nowhere near the team. Skura has filled in admirably, but he isn't a full back. Hope to see Grimmer back asap.
You just have to hope that in such a fantastic season, some of the seemingly "interesting" decisions we're making don't derail it.
How is he going to manage what I make 25 first teamers who will all look to be in and around it?
2-3 are injured, perhaps 3-4 aren't "fit", but what happens when we have 20+ all ready in March?
Very interesting, but still better than the days we had to have 15 players running on empty all season as there was literally no other choices!
It's all a bit bizarre, barely so much as an undisclosed fee spent for best part of 10 years to then spend that much and them all the be nowhere to be seen.
Some of them have been here a month already and I thought the Dane's had just had a winter break. Nobody will care if they are all playing in a few weeks and we haven't dropped down the table but all very odd.
My prediction for the score and scorers is still on though…
in all seriousness, we have to trust in Dodds and if Dan is the man for us, let’s back him.
Very excited to see Simons as some point.
Actually, make that 28 players? Not counting a 3rd choice keeper.
(Could argue some of the positions, but for a quick view!)
GK (2) Norris, Rav
DR (3) Grimmer, Pattenden, Back
DL (2) Harvie, Reach
DC(5) Taylor, Low, Bradley, Hagelskajer, Skura
MC (7) Leahy, Scowen, Humphries, Bakinson, Lowry, Westergaard, Simons
Wingers (5) Fred, McCleary, Berry, Kodua, Sadlier
CF (4) Kone, Lubala, Udoh, Vokes
In more important news, there’s no halftime pint at Crawley ☹️