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Reply | manager
at 10:30 12 Nov 2024
I've often thought why a top manager - a proven winner (not Ruud), rarely takes on the challenge of managing a lower league team and leading them up the divisions in true 'Football Manager' style!
With financial security from their career, they'd test their skills without relying on a £200m war chest. If they've already won stuff, it'd be a true test of their ability. Sure, not that glamorous, and reputation risks are higher if things go wrong, but wouldn't the challenge be worth it? Pep at Wrexham... just because he can.
Of course the higher up you go player ability comes more into it, yet it's still rare to see an elite coach (who isn't past it) testing himself at a lower level. I can think of Bielsa doing it at Leeds with a somewhat average team, without even speaking English! |
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Reply | London Clubs and those nearby in the last decade on the up !!
at 11:28 8 Nov 2024
Since my first game in 94/95 season it has quite literally been 30 years of steady painful decline, with a few bright spots of upward momentum on the way. Back then, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Tottenham might’ve had bigger budgets and histories, but on the pitch we were competitive. Fulham and Brentford.. not even on the radar. As for Millwall, Watford Charlton they were bottom-feeding plankton.
WHU were more kind of our level but we had the beating of them, and Palace who were yo-yo-ing were below our level at the time.
Palace is an interesting and frustrating one in comparison. Relegated from Prem late 90's like us, a quick 1 season return mid 2000s and then steady decline to almost dropping into L1 when we nab Warnock and rise up. Then, out of nowhere, they scraped into the Prem through the playoffs under Holloway - and have stayed there for 12 years. |
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Reply | Kieran Morgan
at 20:47 2 Nov 2024
From the little I've seen, what's impressed me so far is his comfort on the ball whichever way he's facing, and not afraid to receive / play forward. Most often picks the right ball and does the so called easy things well to keep it ticking along, which in itself is a difficult skill. Defensively I'd like to see him in more challenging situations but hasn't been found wanting when needed thus far.
Overall good awareness, and a small thing i liked from today was him standing over the ball preventing Sunderland from taking a quick FK. Maturity beyond his yrs and not even 19. 10 yrs in the Tottenham academy has developed him well.
Interesting that on the bench today we had Aoraha & EDB (soon 22 & 24), who must be thinking this lad +3yrs younger is ahead of me in my position. If you're good enough you're old enough as they say. [Post edited 2 Nov 20:48]
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Reply | Marti and yesterday
at 12:32 27 Oct 2024
That triangle base of Nardi, Cook & JCS is quite reasonably top-6 quality. A strong foundation to work from and get out of this early mess we find ourselves in. |
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Reply | Celar - Nothing Again
at 12:00 27 Oct 2024
Yes he needs to do better, and the way we set up is not doing our front man, that lone ranger far into the distance, any favors.
If it really is Dykes > Celar, then why didn't we just go for a bigger, taller, faster, 1 in 5 guy. A unit to play off and get the team up there, & stay there. Some kind of ball retaining wizard. Kind of like a Dykes/Armstrong love child, unlikely to score but there for the greater good. A true altruist.
I'm sure the algo filters could spit out a long list plying their trade in the lower leagues or European backwaters, even as a 3rd option, a 3rd striker you say? Absolute gluttony.
In many of the scenarios we currently find ourselves (and set up) in, Celar is just not compatible. [Post edited 27 Oct 12:21]
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Reply | Turfed over once Moor - Burnley Match Fred
at 16:48 26 Oct 2024
Time to implement Operation Amarillo:
Every player not on a booking to take 60 seconds on each restart or until booked. That's a solid 10 mins burned. |
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Reply | Turfed over once Moor - Burnley Match Fred
at 14:14 26 Oct 2024
Literally what is the point of x2 GK's?
And if you really have to do it, why not just throw in young Salamon who we've actually been developing for years.
Shepard looks to be a 24yr old journey man who's just won a prize to sit on the bench for the day. |
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Reply | The Calf Curse
at 08:13 25 Oct 2024
As crazy as it may sound, Fox may need to come in at LB (LCB if 3 at the back).
Until last week Fox was considered a reliable and useful alternative, he needs to get the monkey off his back and play again at some point. He's an experienced head, bit of a unit and will surely be on high alert to avoid mistakes like last week.
Saito wont play LB in a back 4 away at Burnley, done well at WB so lets see. Either way i see Fox getting some minutes in Paal's absence. |
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Reply | Celar - Nothing Again
at 21:16 24 Oct 2024
Marti gonna drop the false 9 bomb on sat with a rotating midget quadrant of Dembele, Chair, Saito & Smyth zipping through the Burnley defense like they’re playing 5-a-side in a phone booth. Parker better be ready. |
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Reply | Bus stop in Hounslow.
at 16:01 24 Oct 2024
The question is:
Did you smash it?
Mind you, that's a stupid question, if you were any where near it.
You definitely smashed it. You'd have gone round there any night and found Snipper... |
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Reply | Celar - Nothing Again
at 17:10 23 Oct 2024
Whilst i completely get where these comments are coming from and of course agree his performances have been ineffective, i don't actually recall him in many chance / half-chance situations (perhaps Plymouth aside)..
Is that 100% due to his lack of desire / movement to receive in attacking situations, probably not. Are we laying ball after ball for him on a plate for a shot at goal which he's squandering, not either. Smyth's flashed ball across the box was with so much pace that unless its more or less on the money its difficult to connect with.
He is not and never will be a Frey / Dykes hopeful get-out ball option scrapping for pieces. The way we play with 1 up top and infrequent runners beyond will most often isolate our striker against x2 CB's. Our build-up can be so slow, and when Chair & Dembele play wide their 1st priority is cut in and shoot. It's clearly not compatible dynamic.
Yes he needs to take responsibility and improve on the pitch - he’s dynamite in training apparently :) Similarly, our recruitment team should reflect on why they thought he would fit into our system, as currently that relationship is incompatible. |
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Reply | kieran morgan...
at 14:05 23 Oct 2024
Yeah it's an interesting one, EDB barely been seen since letting Nketiah run off him to score, and then hooked at h/t. Kolli too, but supposedly other factors at play there.
We know Marti is open to giving players an opportunity, but can be ruthless when needed. The fact Morgan was brought on ahead of Madsen speaks volumes and aligns with how we've all felt about his recent performances.
However, I don’t think Madsen will be completely binned just yet, given our investment in him. It seems more like a chance for him to reflect and come back stronger - or at least that’s the hope. |
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