Players out V players in

[Chris Apolon]

Its interesting; I think we have a core group of players that wouldn't seem out of place in top 10. Last night on the EFL show whoever the pundit was said that he thought our squad was good enough to be challenging nearer the top of the table.

 

Whilst this is unlikely given the deduction a lot teams would be very happy with Lees, Iorfa, Flint (though I'm not a fan), Reach, Bannan, Luongo, Brown, Windass, Paterson, Marriot in their squad with the likes of Odabuajo, Harris, Kachunga as back ups especially those teams we will be battling against

[Big Jack]

51 minutes ago, gurujuan said:

Depends what you want from your football team. As others have said, we’ve lost a lot of quality, but if we you want a lot of huff and puff, we e got a few more who run around a lot Time will tell whether these players are what we need.

Insightful as ever. 

[gurujuan]

4 minutes ago, Asio otus said:

Insightful as ever. 

Read and learn

[shandypants]

5 hours ago, areNOTwhatTHEYseem said:

The overall quality of the squad has probably been reduced, when you compare the players on an individual basis.

 

However, in terms of work rate, energy, athleticism and fight, we look much stronger so far.

 

A good team is often greater than the sum of its parts; let's hope that rings true in this instance.

I agree about the overall quality but, with the exception of Murphy, those better quality players were out very often through injury and, in Hutchinson’s case, also suspension. 
 

I’ve got everything crossed that you’re right about the team being better than the sum of its parts also. 
 

Well said brother! 

[Spondon Owl]

5 hours ago, areNOTwhatTHEYseem said:

The overall quality of the squad has probably been reduced, when you compare the players on an individual basis.

 

However, in terms of work rate, energy, athleticism and fight, we look much stronger so far.

 

A good team is often greater than the sum of its parts; let's hope that rings true in this instance.

I think this is a very astute appraisal. I think its fair to say, for example, and has been evidenced recently, that Joao and Fletcher are technically much better players than those we have brought in to replace them however monk has majored on the team ethic. Hard work. Discipline. Togetherness. 

 

Often, and this is why individual brilliance is sought after, individual brilliance can win you games even when teamwork and hard work fail. The test of this squad will be whether we can keep that base going through a series of losses. If we don't we'll have trouble as there are very, very few players with sufficient individual talent to create something from nothing in our squad.

[areNOTwhatTHEYseem]

2 minutes ago, Spondon Owl said:

I think this is a very astute appraisal. I think its fair to say, for example, and has been evidenced recently, that Joao and Fletcher are technically much better players than those we have brought in to replace them however monk has majored on the team ethic. Hard work. Discipline. Togetherness. 

 

Often, and this is why individual brilliance is sought after, individual brilliance can win you games even when teamwork and hard work fail. The test of this squad will be whether we can keep that base going through a series of losses. If we don't we'll have trouble as there are very, very few players with sufficient individual talent to create something from nothing in our squad.

 

Very true.

 

Although I was pleasantly surprised by Windass' freekick which struck the post yesterday; that's another string to his bow that I hadn't realised he had.

[NorthernOwl]

14 minutes ago, Spondon Owl said:

I think this is a very astute appraisal. I think its fair to say, for example, and has been evidenced recently, that Joao and Fletcher are technically much better players than those we have brought in to replace them however monk has majored on the team ethic. Hard work. Discipline. Togetherness. 

 

Often, and this is why individual brilliance is sought after, individual brilliance can win you games even when teamwork and hard work fail. The test of this squad will be whether we can keep that base going through a series of losses. If we don't we'll have trouble as there are very, very few players with sufficient individual talent to create something from nothing in our squad.

 

Yes absolutely this. Whilst I'm cautiously optimistic about the season we are rarely going to outplay anyone and most of our wins will be by a single goal.

 

That's great when you have momentum but it can easily go the other way and without individual quality it can be tough to turn around.

[RichSheffWeds]

Talented individuals mean nothing in a disjointed, spiritless squad that is pulling in different directions. 
 

If that penny hasn’t dropped with some, it never will. 

[gurujuan]

Just now, RichSheffWeds said:

Talented individuals mean nothing in a disjointed, spiritless squad that is pulling in different directions. 
 

If that penny hasn’t dropped with some, it never will. 

Conversely, a team of hard working, but limited footballers, will generally struggle in this league. We have to hope that we have the balance right. It’s in attacking area where I feel we lack that extra quality

[oldishowl]

Trouble was the so called quality players were seldom actually on the pitch.

 

[Mick70]

1 minute ago, oldishowl said:

Trouble was the so called quality players were seldom actually on the pitch.

 

Hooper ff to some extent till his last two seasons fletcher hardly played? Their class undoubtedly won us games sometimes when we didn’t deserve it? That’s why you pay more for these players think the desire to play or not to when we came back showed a lot about one or two and their characters? I for one would love a fit and bothered ff and joao in this squad both capable of doing something from nothing! But times have moved on hope we have enough to stay up one thing for certain I do think this group will at least give it a go and that’s all you can ask for atm

[Dizzys Dad]

3 hours ago, gurujuan said:

Depends what you want from your football team. As others have said, we’ve lost a lot of quality, but if we you want a lot of huff and puff, we e got a few more who run around a lot Time will tell whether these players are what we need.

Only the top 25% of players have ability and desire, and we don’t shop in that market. The remaining 75% ,being professional players obviously have one or the other, but the talented ones are mainly in it for the money. That’s why they aren’t in the top 25%. I would much rather have players with desire, than players with more talent and less motivation to get better playing for my team. There is nothing worse than players receiving a fortune while taking the mick.

[gurujuan]

1 minute ago, Dizzys Dad said:

Only the top 25% of players have ability and desire, and we don’t shop in that market. The remaining 75% ,being professional players obviously have one or the other, but the talented ones are mainly in it for the money. That’s why they aren’t in the top 25%. I would much rather have players with desire, than players with more talent and less motivation to get better playing for my team. There is nothing worse than players receiving a fortune while taking the mick.

Fair comment, hard to argue against that

[Mike Hunt]

2 hours ago, gurujuan said:

Conversely, a team of hard working, but limited footballers, will generally struggle in this league. We have to hope that we have the balance right. It’s in attacking area where I feel we lack that extra quality

You say we lack that quality but we created mayhem at Birmingham yesterday 

even their commentators said so 

Just because you don’t rate our forwards means nothing only to you 

[gurujuan]

57 minutes ago, hugeowl said:

You say we lack that quality but we created mayhem at Birmingham yesterday 

even their commentators said so 

Just because you don’t rate our forwards means nothing only to you 

Yeah thought we played well yesterday, and I’m sure it’s not just me who thinks our front players are the weakest department of the team You think otherwise, then fair enough, I’m sure others will share your opinion also

[RichSheffWeds]

4 hours ago, gurujuan said:

Conversely, a team of hard working, but limited footballers, will generally struggle in this league. We have to hope that we have the balance right. It’s in attacking area where I feel we lack that extra quality

Although Huddersfield, Burnley, Cardiff, Pigs, Stoke, have all took limited quality players and found a formula for promotion based around team spirit and hard work. 

[gurujuan]

2 minutes ago, RichSheffWeds said:

Although Huddersfield, Burnley, Cardiff, Pigs, Stoke, have all took limited quality players and found a formula for promotion based around team spirit and hard work. 

Indeed, though maybe not Huddersfield, they went up with some pretty talented midfielders. It can be done, there’s no denying that

[Nero]

Yes we have very different goals this season and I'm behind the team 100%.

 

Watching them however isn't going to be the joy that it was when watching peak Wallace Bannan Hooper Forrestieri Keiran Lee Hutch Joao Hunt Pudil.

 

Thats ok. Here's to the artisans. Winning is everything.

[Jim]

Since Downes and Hughes arrived as the recruitment team, our recruitment has been measured and solid rather than spectacular. They did the business more often than not for Bruce, it looks like they could do the same for Monk?

[gurujuan]

56 minutes ago, Jim said:

Since Downes and Hughes arrived as the recruitment team, our recruitment has been measured and solid rather than spectacular. They did the business more often than not for Bruce, it looks like they could do the same for Monk?

Agree, but even before that, we’d started to get things right, Hector was a good signing, and Onomah could have been