Hutch injury

[Mickjj]

4 minutes ago, Dutch McLovin said:

I honestly don't think we'll sign anyone, maybe a CH that we can rush through but not the ones we want. I am worried about that also 

To quote what someone else said in a FFP thread we have created our own embargo to prevent an enforced one. So I'm with you in thinking there will be no significant signings this window.

[Owlsend]

Surprise surprise I've always said we needed a strong centre mid in the transfer market just like the two centre backs been looked over yet again instead we Get centre forward for 10 million Who has clearly lost his confidence when we are clearly blessed in that area  before we got him poor management

[Holmowl]

2 hours ago, Lord Snooty said:

 

No problem at all with him playing his deep lying anchor role as he did superbly against The Arsenal last season in a 3 man midfield.

 

In a two man midfield though I quite agree.

That said I'm not confident of any of the others playing in a two man midfield either. 

 

If we're to persist with this 442 then we need to aquire a different sort of central player. A robust one who had the combative nature, but can also break box to box with tremendous stamina.  Oh, and chip in with some goals. 

 

Not sure where the scientific boffins are at the moment with their cloning but a Carlton copy  would fit the bill.

 

Failing that someone like the Irvine boy at Burton. 

Of course....where the money comes from for this is a different matter. ..

 

You are a reasonable man, so here's a question.

 

Why do we need a different type of CM, if last season we finished on a run of 28 matches where we were an automatic promotion team?

[billyblack]

1 minute ago, Holmowl said:

 

You are a reasonable man, so here's a question.

 

Why do we need a different type of CM, if last season we finished on a run of 28 matches where we were an automatic promotion team?

Just playing devils advocate. The season is 46 games, not 28. We havent got promoted in the last 2 seasons. We may need to alter something to actually get that promotion.

[Lord Snooty]

3 minutes ago, Holmowl said:

 

You are a reasonable man, so here's a question.

 

Why do we need a different type of CM, if last season we finished on a run of 28 matches where we were an automatic promotion team?

 

Because whilst I appreciate the varying skills and qualities that all our central players bring when it comes to the crunch games I always think we are either too easily bullied and bustled. 

 

I know it's not always as simple as a numbers game in central midfield. 

Out quality in there will mean we can get results that way,  with these players. When our pairing are of of a better quality than the opposition.

 

But in the big crunch games....when the opposition has equal quality in there then...

 

It's history now. 

But that we tried to best Hull with a beastly midfield triumvirate of Livermore,  Huddlestone and Diame with two diminutive and physically inferior players puzzled me then and puzzles me now.

 

That we fell into the same trap again Huddersfield who pulled a similar stunt......"fool me twice shame on me"

 

I'm sure that we can start picking up results. With our 442.  Our quality nicking us wins with 30 yarders against the run of play.

 

Im sure we can make the play offs again.

Where we will play a team with similar quality to own but who will neutralise us by having players of equal ability but tactics which mean the equalness of those players is nudged in their favour.

 

[Malkmus]

Poor challenge, was surprised he didn't get a yellow card.

 

Still thing he's a great player though :-)

[Owl At Risk]

22 hours ago, richowl said:

Unfortunately a crock along with Loovens.

 

Is that the same Loovens who has played 127 games in the past 3 and a half season he has been with us (average of 36 games a season)?

 

It's a bit harder to argue against Hutch being a crock (although he averaged 32 games over last 2 seasons), but then we all know it is a major part of his makeup and he would be in the Chelsea first team now if he wasn't so broken. Also, he is worth having for sexiness alone.

[Holmowl]

4 hours ago, billyblack said:

Just playing devils advocate. The season is 46 games, not 28. We havent got promoted in the last 2 seasons. We may need to alter something to actually get that promotion.

 

Of course fair point.

 

But, my point is that we were tripe in the first 18 games. Carlos played his lop-sided midfield and we were terrible (and 10th).

 

After he largely binned the 3 CM set-up we were far better. Not perfect, but far better....and in the next 28 games we were the second best team in the league.

 

So my point is, with a 442, with our current crop of midfielders, we clearly are good enough.

[Holmowl]

11 hours ago, dumboldowl said:

 

How the hell can the medical team be expected to prevent injury?

 

Volvo build safe cars, but they can't prevent crashes.

 

By using Loovens and Hutch carefully, and not in the same team. We ran Hutch into the ground last season playing him game in, game out, Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday. He and Loovens should share the CB duties, rather than both be shagged at the same time.

 

To have played Hutch and Loovens in both league games, and Hutch v Chesterfield, shows very poor forethought.

[Animis]

15 minutes ago, Holmowl said:

 

Of course fair point.

 

But, my point is that we were tripe in the first 18 games. Carlos played his lop-sided midfield and we were terrible (and 10th).

 

After he largely binned the 3 CM set-up we were far better. Not perfect, but far better....and in the next 28 games we were the second best team in the league.

 

So my point is, with a 442, with our current crop of midfielders, we clearly are good enough.

 

I don't agree - you may point to stats but I think we compensate for weaknesses and grind out some results, with the wide men having to play very narrow making servicing the strikers a luxury.

 

The centre midfield needs addressing. Only Hutch really offers any physicality, and he was earmarked for CH by CC this time last year. We are dreadfully light in the centre and whilst individually, Lee and Bannan are quality players, for them to play together, one needs to be out wide.

 

Don't get me started on Abdi as this is systematic of the strange transfer policy.

[Beauchief Owl]

Hutch for CB as he has proven to be good in that position. I also feel that his days of being a combative midfielder player that needs to do a lot of running is increasingly being beyond him given the state of his knees. He would also probably get less yellow cards and injuries at CB.

[billyblack]

56 minutes ago, Holmowl said:

 

Of course fair point.

 

But, my point is that we were tripe in the first 18 games. Carlos played his lop-sided midfield and we were terrible (and 10th).

 

After he largely binned the 3 CM set-up we were far better. Not perfect, but far better....and in the next 28 games we were the second best team in the league.

 

So my point is, with a 442, with our current crop of midfielders, we clearly are good enough.

I tend to agree. We have an achilles heel though and thats our tactics which is ultimately CC. I think we have a decent squad in most areas. Defence is still an issue obviously. But i dont believe CC will get the best out of it consistently enough this season to reach the clubs objectives which i believe to be promotion.

[Holmowl]

56 minutes ago, Animis said:

 

I don't agree - you may point to stats but I think we compensate for weaknesses and grind out some results, with the wide men having to play very narrow making servicing the strikers a luxury.

 

The centre midfield needs addressing. Only Hutch really offers any physicality, and he was earmarked for CH by CC this time last year. We are dreadfully light in the centre and whilst individually, Lee and Bannan are quality players, for them to play together, one needs to be out wide.

 

Don't get me started on Abdi as this is systematic of the strange transfer policy.

 

They are not stats. They are points. We had more points playing that way, with the current squad, than anyone else for the final two thirds of the season. 

 

Had we not played the awful lop-sided ultra cautious set up for the first 18 matches we could well have gained a top two spot. 

 

And don't forget we now have Winnall, Rhodes and Boyd, which we didn't at the start of those 28 games.

 

 

[Animis]

1 minute ago, Holmowl said:

 

They are not stats. They are points. We had more points playing that way, with the current squad, than anyone else for the final two thirds of the season. 

 

Had we not played the awful lop-sided ultra cautious set up for the first 18 matches we could well have gained a top two spot. 

 

And don't forget we now have Winnall, Rhodes and Boyd, which we didn't at the start of those 28 games.

 

 

 

Yes - the points situation is my dilemma in all these discussion. We were quite painful to watch for most of last season but ended up with over 80 points. I can't see how it's sustainable other than a ****** and grab approach - like Wigan away last year. I think we'll get found out this season if we play the same way.