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Reply | Ashby.
at 23:51 11 Jan 2025
My suspicion with Ashby, and I’ve said this to those around me in the Pu, is that in a few years time he’ll be playing League 2/Conference. I think he might be one of these players who has been made to look a lot better than he is playing in academies of good clubs with lots of good players around him.
As you peel back those good players, level by level, I think he’ll be found out. He does some batsh*t crazy stuff. He has stopped when he thought the ball was out, when it wasn’t. He has caught the ball in play because he thought it hit the Ellerslie Rd roof. He plays some very risky passes at times. He sold himself at Watford with no one at home behind him. He just looks like he’s playing at a level well above his own. [Post edited 12 Jan 0:04]
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Reply | Madsen Mins
at 18:48 11 Jan 2025
Perhaps he will adapt, settle, and get up to the speed and physicality of English football.
However, it doesn’t look like he will. And, at present, I’d have to concur with an earlier poster that we may talk about his signing in a similar vein as one of our worst in history (in terms of outlay and at a time we had money to invest and chose to buy him), like Ned Zelic.
£3m would get you quite a lot in central midfield in the Championship. We could have used it to sign another forward. 5 year contract too. A hell of a lot of FFP cap space locked up in him.
Today was his chance to make an impression. First start in ages. Strong opposition. Lay down a marker - “this is the standard I can play at” - and he has gone totally missing all game. The wrong sort. |
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Reply | Andrew Slade
at 12:50 11 Jan 2025
Very sad. Sounds like a good man. Very touching tributes too. RIP. |
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Reply | Madsen Mins
at 16:28 10 Jan 2025
I think it is more of an asymmetrical 4141 shape more than a flat 3 in a 433. Varane is definitely the “6” and both Field and Morgan sit higher than him, pressing, getting into the oppo’s box, and supporting the wingers, even making underlapping runs into the channel ahead of the wingers. Varane rarely gets within 40 yards of the opponent’s goal! He’a sitting deeper, shielding, and operating as a single pivot, with the other two being all action, box to box players. You can say it is a variation on 433 but I think 4141 is more accurate. Neither Chair/Saito or Smyth get narrow to support Frey; they tend to stay wide so they can sling it in for him, with Field or Morgan getting up in support of Frey.
The whole shape only works because of Field’s and Morgan’s industry. It’s why I cannot see Madsen ever being part of Plan A, without suddenly demonstrating a much higher work rate and physicality. |
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Reply | Madsen Mins
at 09:59 10 Jan 2025
He’ll be kept out by Colback as well…
Madsen has the technique. But he has not displayed the work rate, physicality, and reading of the game you need to play in the Championship in the middle of the pitch, certainly not in our 4141 shape. He needs to run more, compete more, and tackle more. If he does this, great. If he doesn’t he does not deserve to play. Our improvement in form and results has correlated with his reduced game time and lack of starts. It’s not unconnected.
Unfortunately I suspect he is one of these footballers who doesn’t really have a position, and doesn’t fit in our shape or style at all. Begs the question why we signed him, but we’ve been through that before. |
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Reply | Leicester City v Q.P.R Match Type Thread.
at 09:55 10 Jan 2025
Yeah, feels like too much confidence.
It’s QPR. It is the 3rd round of the FA Cup. We’ll lose. Haven’t we lost at this stage 51 times post war and only Plymouth have lost more times? We’re basically the second worst league side at the FA Cup. It doesn’t matter who we play and what they’re like. We’ll lose.
If Marti can get us on a genuine FA Cup run to the quarters or something, then he is a miracle worker. |
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Reply | Rest of the Championship thread
at 23:16 9 Jan 2025
Completely. Lloyd, was certainly in control of his shooting. No one else was. So, yes, agree. That wasn’t bad luck. However people use that phrase when someone is close to doing something very good and it doesn’t quite come off. It isn’t bad luck, but it was very close to being good execution so people tend to be forgiving, want to soften the blow, and credit how close it was so say “bad luck” as a way of making that point.
But our 2nd goal was good luck. We didn’t “make our own luck” there. Chair wasn’t aiming at Fox. He wasn’t aiming wide. He executed badly but he and we were lucky it hit Fox’s heel whilst he was trying to get out of the way and then lucky it deflected towards the part of the goal their keeper couldn’t reach. |
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Reply | Rest of the Championship thread
at 17:47 9 Jan 2025
Except that “luck” as a concept is undeniable. It exists. None of us control everything that impacts us.
All those quotes above are actually nothing to do with luck and misusing the word to make a pithy comment. They are all referring to things they control: how hard they work, how much practice they do, how they react to things, etc, etc. And their mentalities are superb. Focus on what you control and influence; try not to focus on what concerns you but which you don’t control or influence. Covey’s circles. One of the traits of highly effective people. Massive fan of this.
But there are lots of things your don’t and can’t control or influence. And they can impact your life. That is luck.
I always find anyone who doesn’t acknowledge the role luck has played in their life quite arrogant. Should those born into hardship have worked harder in the womb or a previous life? Should those struck down my cancer or similar have tried harder? Should the person hit by a car spinning off the road done something different? Of course not, it’s bad luck. Once you accept bad luck exists, so must good luck.
Everyone successful has experienced good luck in their life, many have experienced it a lot. Doesn’t mean they haven’t worked hard or lack talent, but no one should deny luck. It’s not an excuse. It’s being grounded and realistic. We are not in control of entire world and it’s arrogant to think everything you have is because of you and not in some part down to luck. |
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Reply | Frey
at 14:36 9 Jan 2025
In the Championship?? Really? Not sure we do, and pretty sure we won’t be able to afford better.
We certainly need another forward. Ideally you’d have two target men and two quicker finishers, and rotate/play as necessary based on oppo, availability, form, game situation, etc.
Not sure there are many better goal scoring target men in the Champ than Frey. Availability is the key. If he stays fit for most of these last 20 games - big IF - and gets to, say 32 appearances for the season, and doubles his current tally to 12, that’s a pretty good return. Even more so when you factor in all the other benefits he brings for the team that a poacher type player doesn’t.
We don’t have to defend deep as much and be on the back foot when Frey plays because the ball does not come back quickly. And, if it does, it is rushed. So he’s playing a part in helping us concede fewer. His first touch is good and his positional play is excellent. Best centre forward we have had since Austin in his prime, IMO. Obviously not his level, but best since. |
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Reply | Unicorn
at 07:54 8 Jan 2025
But the tatoo isn’t done in reverse so he can read it in the mirror. It’s to tell every other bastard who he is.
He’s clearly nuts but I love him for it.
And there is a genuine footballer in there. His touch and lay offs are very good (miles better than we’ve had for years), he won’t be bullied so the ball doesn’t come back quickly, he reads the game very well, and he has some composure in front of goal which has been critically missing for years. 6 from 16 this season so far. |
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Reply | Sorry Paal
at 07:43 8 Jan 2025
Paal played very well on Monday. Had his best game of the season. Fair’s fair.
Doesn’t mean he has played well this season though. Still maintain he has been going through the motions mostly, as outlined in earlier posts. |
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Reply | Luton Reflection
at 22:55 6 Jan 2025
Well, it’s not if you’ve watched him play and paid attention to what is making is good currently.
Running, tackling, competing. |
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Reply | Tomorrow's referee
at 11:37 5 Jan 2025
Let’s hope Mr Davies warms up properly, with Gavin Ward in the building as the 4th official. |
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Reply | Rest of the Championship thread
at 22:41 4 Jan 2025
I’m not L Block. But if we won all our games in Jan, which isn’t impossible, we’ve be very comfortably mid table. At that point, people would start dreaming. That’s all.
I’m more worried we lose to Luton, Hull, and Plymouth and we are suddenly bottom 3 again! |
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Reply | Rest of the Championship thread
at 22:01 4 Jan 2025
Never predict…but it is reasonable to say that this month is our season.
IF we have a very good month, we will be looking up not down. We’ll have a lovely run in to May with faint hopes of sneaking a play off spot.
If we have a very bad month, we will be in the thick of a relegation battle. |
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Reply | NZ travel thoughts & ideas
at 14:27 4 Jan 2025
There’s so much to see and do. Very short list from me:
NZ
Obvs Auckland
Fox Glacier
Lake Wanaka
Queenstown
Aus
Brunch/coffee in Melbourne
Manly in Sydney for an afternoon/evening
I thought the Great Barrier Reef was a thrill and would recommend. Does depend on the weather a lot though
Whitsundays - again, lovely in the right weather
Wine Tasting in the Hunter Valley region
Blue Mountains
Both the last two are doable from Sydney. You’ll need an overnight stay for Hunter Valley, especially if you want to indulge, which is the whole point. You can do some good wine tours.
Avoid Gold Coast. It is not worth it.
If there is some form of sport on at the MCG in Melbourne, do it. If it’s a big match and full the atmosphere will be great. Sydney cricket ground is lovely.
Both Sydney and Melbourne have a ton of craft beer breweries that are quite good and, of course, some great parks and museums to spend afternoons in.
You’ll have a great time. 8 weeks should be enough time to see loads. |
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Reply | Sorry Paal
at 15:27 2 Jan 2025
To be very clear, I’m not blaming Paal for the goal entirely. It obviously begins with Ashby bombing on with no protection and Smyth losing it.
All I am saying is Paal should be much tighter. He’s backed off 5 yards deeper than the other defenders when the striker takes the shot, is 5 yards off the shooter when he should have been rushing to close down. He would have blocked the shot or forced the forward to beat him on his outside which would have closed the angle down. I’ve re-watched it several times and I think Paal plays the situation badly.
The thread was about Paal. I don’t think he is playing well. I think he is going through the motions. Absolutely no issues with people who disagree, but I’ve been a ST holder for 30 odd years and I just don’t rate him very highly. I think there’s ample evidence to support my opinion. He has a decent touch and technique. I just don’t like his attitude. I don’t think he’s brave on the ball, and I don’t think he’s giving 100%. Players like that bug me.
Is he the best left back we have? Yes. That is because he is the only left back. It’s a bit silly to be in this situation. A left back in Jan would be behind a forward only in priority for me.
Whatever happens with all the young European fellas brought in, going into the season with 2 strikers and 1 left back was pretty shambolic. We get to rectify this month. Failure to do so will be inexplicable. |
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Reply | Champ Survival
at 15:19 2 Jan 2025
Heart:
Cardiff, Luton, Preston (or Stoke!)
Head:
Plymouth, Oxford, Cardiff |
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