Its all a bit average isn't it?

Phil_bfc deux

Well-known member
Ok i will be honest i didn't want Critchley as our manager, I've said as much several times

I wanted someone with more experience

Our transfer window was all a bit scattergun signing loads of attacking players who don't have set positions

We must have about half a dozen of this sort

We also started the season without a proper defensive midfield player Dougall came in later as did the Viking and Ballard

All 3 are great signings imo

So we basically started the season under prepared for the season ahead

We were sold on fast attacking football with a high press, like some sort of tikki takka Barcelona of the 3rd tier

I think its fair to say it didn't work

The upturn in form was when Madine came back into favour along with the 3 who i mention above

Madine is a target man but is also a bit of a leader and a character, he wasn't first choice by any stretch of the imagination as he doesn't really fit into the football philosophy that the board and manager had been pushing all season

So we are kinda stuck between getting results the ugly way with a more traditional 442 or 4411

Or the more expensive way and Critchleys obviously preferred system of 433

I have no problem with either style or system as long as we are getting results

But lets be honest we certainly aren't playing the attacking football that we have been promised

Its a bit of a dilemma for sure and at the moment we appear to have several players out of form and a bit confused on their roles

I dont know why we are playing wide men on their wrong side like kaikai when we have at least 2 other left footed players who could perform that role better

Kaikai is this months scapegoat a few have worn that badge this season when in reality we should be looking at Critchley

These are Critchley players now, his system and tactics and its all a bit average and a million miles away from the fast attacking free flowing football that we were all promised

Results are ok and we are doing ok in the league about mid table and about where we were this time last season

All a bit average isn't it?

Utp...
 
Some of the players just simply aren’t good enough.
Kai Kai
Lubala
Ward
Robson
Move them all on.
The midfield needs serious strengthening we need Atleast a good winger, attacking central midfielder and a striker for us to even have a sniff.
 
I think that Critchley has realised that it’s impossible to play fast, attacking free flowing football in this division. It’s full of teams that just like to lump it up their ploughed field (pitch) and has changed his system accordingly.

It is no coincidence that we play better against opposition of a higher division.
 
After an overhaul of management and a completely new squad, many would predict mid table in the first season.
I’ve enjoyed watching Pool this season. I can see we’re on a journey, the squad is full of potential and we’ve played some nice football, unfortunately it’s the final third that matters most which we’re nowhere near good enough. The key now is improving the starting 11 with our new signings, if we do that it will come, just perhaps not this season.
 
I don't think anyone could argue with the statement that it is average, the mid-table spot reflects that I believe.

My only counter would be that sometimes you can see the football we're trying to play, and when it comes off it is beautiful. We are unfortunately too inconsistent in producing it but the positive in that is that I don't think it will take a huge amount to unlock that consistency, it could easily be done this window alone (hopefully anyway)
 
Spot on Phil it's been a disappointing 1st half to the season I think we were all expecting more given the fanfare of a new beginning with the manager and all the new signings.
The loan signings haven't come off with the exception of Ballard the substitutions seem hit and miss and we can't score enough goals.
My biggest disappointment has been the lack of high press attacking football which we all bought into but mid table seems to be our destination this season.
 
I think you are being a bit unfair. It was a bold move to bring in Critchley and was clearly going to take some time to start getting things right. Mistakes have clearly been made but there seems an awful lot more pluses than last season. Technically we are a far better side and when we get this right we will run many league one sides ragged. The quality of the squad is greatly improved with the likes of Marvin, Dougall, CJ and Gretarsonn brought in and signed on long term contracts. Players such as Ward, Maxwell and Turton are better players then last term. Madine is looking real quality. I believe things will improve but maybe next season we can be a lot more optimistic about things.
 
If I was Sadler, I'd be employing me as subs coach (third time I've offered to take charge of taking players off and on now and still no reply!) and Phil as director of pragmatism.

I'd say overall it is average. There are points when it isn't and as Leeds says above, their invariably against better teams, or at least teams who aspire to play 'progressively'

I think the key is how we develop from here. How does he recruit and what system does he recruit for. Plans have definitely changed since summer. Does he know where he's going yet? Will he go back to plan A or has he got a new Plan A?

I'd also say, I think average is ok and I think people demanding we're top of the league now simply don't get how long it takes on average to overhaul a club.

It's ok. It's not terrible, it really isn't. Very few of our players are actually shite no matter how much people put it in capitals, very few of them are really game changers either though. Shite players cost games, waste chances. Average players just don't impact enough, they frustrate more than amaze but are basically competent. That's a fair few of ours.

I don't think we'll solve this in January, just cos it's largely cast offs and kids available then, it might improve, but I can't see us just magically becoming ruthlessly clinical and significantly more creative with a couple of loanees. I think the reality is, Critch needs to have an absolutely clear idea of what he wants going into summer and some very focussed recruitment. How much his vision has been informed by what he's learned this year will dictate whether we're still the same next November or Christmas or looking like a side that can really control the majority of games we play.

To quote Phil - 'we're stuck with him' and I don't really mind that. Can see potential and can see problems but happy to give him the time. I'm not convinced he'll do it but I'm also convinced he won't take us backwards either.

Put it this way, if it was as simple as "Liverpool coach + money = promotion" them everyone would be getting promoted all the time cos the investment is worth it to get the £7 million TV cash from the championship. It's clearly not that easy and never was going to be. It's always, always been about what happens next year and anything this an unlikely bonus.
 
Ok i will be honest i didn't want Critchley as our manager, I've said as much several times

I wanted someone with more experience

Our transfer window was all a bit scattergun signing loads of attacking players who don't have set positions

We must have about half a dozen of this sort

We also started the season without a proper defensive midfield player Dougall came in later as did the Viking and Ballard

All 3 are great signings imo

So we basically started the season under prepared for the season ahead

We were sold on fast attacking football with a high press, like some sort of tikki takka Barcelona of the 3rd tier

I think its fair to say it didn't work

The upturn in form was when Madine came back into favour along with the 3 who i mention above

Madine is a target man but is also a bit of a leader and a character, he wasn't first choice by any stretch of the imagination as he doesn't really fit into the football philosophy that the board and manager had been pushing all season

So we are kinda stuck between getting results the ugly way with a more traditional 442 or 4411

Or the more expensive way and Critchleys obviously preferred system of 433

I have no problem with either style or system as long as we are getting results

But lets be honest we certainly aren't playing the attacking football that we have been promised

Its a bit of a dilemma for sure and at the moment we appear to have several players out of form and a bit confused on their roles

I dont know why we are playing wide men on their wrong side like kaikai when we have at least 2 other left footed players who could perform that role better

Kaikai is this months scapegoat a few have worn that badge this season when in reality we should be looking at Critchley

These are Critchley players now, his system and tactics and its all a bit average and a million miles away from the fast attacking free flowing football that we were all promised

Results are ok and we are doing ok in the league about mid table and about where we were this time last season

All a bit average isn't it?

Utp...
No

We almost beat second in the league away, a team that’s come down from the Championship
 
Ok i will be honest i didn't want Critchley as our manager, I've said as much several times

I wanted someone with more experience

Our transfer window was all a bit scattergun signing loads of attacking players who don't have set positions

We must have about half a dozen of this sort

We also started the season without a proper defensive midfield player Dougall came in later as did the Viking and Ballard

All 3 are great signings imo

So we basically started the season under prepared for the season ahead

We were sold on fast attacking football with a high press, like some sort of tikki takka Barcelona of the 3rd tier

I think its fair to say it didn't work

The upturn in form was when Madine came back into favour along with the 3 who i mention above

Madine is a target man but is also a bit of a leader and a character, he wasn't first choice by any stretch of the imagination as he doesn't really fit into the football philosophy that the board and manager had been pushing all season

So we are kinda stuck between getting results the ugly way with a more traditional 442 or 4411

Or the more expensive way and Critchleys obviously preferred system of 433

I have no problem with either style or system as long as we are getting results

But lets be honest we certainly aren't playing the attacking football that we have been promised

Its a bit of a dilemma for sure and at the moment we appear to have several players out of form and a bit confused on their roles

I dont know why we are playing wide men on their wrong side like kaikai when we have at least 2 other left footed players who could perform that role better

Kaikai is this months scapegoat a few have worn that badge this season when in reality we should be looking at Critchley

These are Critchley players now, his system and tactics and its all a bit average and a million miles away from the fast attacking free flowing football that we were all promised

Results are ok and we are doing ok in the league about mid table and about where we were this time last season

All a bit average isn't it?

Utp...
Am I missing something? Did we not just get a well earned point away at 2nd in the division yesterday?
 
Am I missing something? Did we not just get a well earned point away at 2nd in the division yesterday?
Yeah we got a point and it wasn't a great watch was it, Hull aren't that great are they?

Intact i haven't seen one team this season who i think are that great

Its all a bit of a muchness and any team can get beat any other on any given day

We are playing catch up a bit so a point is errrr ok ish i guess ...
 
Some of the players just simply aren’t good enough.
Kai Kai
Lubala
Ward
Robson
Move them all on.
The midfield needs serious strengthening we need Atleast a good winger, attacking central midfielder and a striker for us to even have a sniff.
Ward has been outstanding, you must be watching a different team. Kaikai is a class player, but he’s not a winger. Robson is a good squad player and more than capable of doing a job in the middle. Lubala is inexperienced.
 
Nothing was ever promised by Critchley. Absolutely nothing. So we could just end this thread right now really as it’s absolute drivel.
"The Blackpool way" was a quote from Ben Mansford

Its also been peddled about through the summer that the board want an attacking progressive style of play

Critchley has said as much as has Simon Sadler

Brett Garrity also told me directly what the plan was with Critchley and how Critchley wanted us to play

So thats basically all the key people at the club

So infact Puma you are absolute drivel ...
 
Ok i will be honest i didn't want Critchley as our manager, I've said as much several times

I wanted someone with more experience

Our transfer window was all a bit scattergun signing loads of attacking players who don't have set positions

We must have about half a dozen of this sort

We also started the season without a proper defensive midfield player Dougall came in later as did the Viking and Ballard

All 3 are great signings imo

So we basically started the season under prepared for the season ahead

We were sold on fast attacking football with a high press, like some sort of tikki takka Barcelona of the 3rd tier

I think its fair to say it didn't work

The upturn in form was when Madine came back into favour along with the 3 who i mention above

Madine is a target man but is also a bit of a leader and a character, he wasn't first choice by any stretch of the imagination as he doesn't really fit into the football philosophy that the board and manager had been pushing all season

So we are kinda stuck between getting results the ugly way with a more traditional 442 or 4411

Or the more expensive way and Critchleys obviously preferred system of 433

I have no problem with either style or system as long as we are getting results

But lets be honest we certainly aren't playing the attacking football that we have been promised

Its a bit of a dilemma for sure and at the moment we appear to have several players out of form and a bit confused on their roles

I dont know why we are playing wide men on their wrong side like kaikai when we have at least 2 other left footed players who could perform that role better

Kaikai is this months scapegoat a few have worn that badge this season when in reality we should be looking at Critchley

These are Critchley players now, his system and tactics and its all a bit average and a million miles away from the fast attacking free flowing football that we were all promised

Results are ok and we are doing ok in the league about mid table and about where we were this time last season

All a bit average isn't it?

Utp...
Exactly what I've been saying. I've seen no real evidence that Critchley's coaching is improving the players either individually or collectively. 14th and just 7 points above 4th bottom says it all.
 
The basic fact that we blow a bit hot and cold, often even within the same game, shows it's WIP. Let alone structure, formation and style of play I reckon we could have nicked half a dozen or more extra points through nous and game management. That would have put us closer to the mix for promotion but I'll say again I kind of like our purity of approach - you could call it naivety. If I could change just one thing it would be to cut out the inverted wingers thing and thus stop turning inside so much. If defences are on the back foot keep them there!
 
Ok i will be honest i didn't want Critchley as our manager, I've said as much several times

I wanted someone with more experience

Our transfer window was all a bit scattergun signing loads of attacking players who don't have set positions

We must have about half a dozen of this sort

We also started the season without a proper defensive midfield player Dougall came in later as did the Viking and Ballard

All 3 are great signings imo

So we basically started the season under prepared for the season ahead

We were sold on fast attacking football with a high press, like some sort of tikki takka Barcelona of the 3rd tier

I think its fair to say it didn't work

The upturn in form was when Madine came back into favour along with the 3 who i mention above

Madine is a target man but is also a bit of a leader and a character, he wasn't first choice by any stretch of the imagination as he doesn't really fit into the football philosophy that the board and manager had been pushing all season

So we are kinda stuck between getting results the ugly way with a more traditional 442 or 4411

Or the more expensive way and Critchleys obviously preferred system of 433

I have no problem with either style or system as long as we are getting results

But lets be honest we certainly aren't playing the attacking football that we have been promised

Its a bit of a dilemma for sure and at the moment we appear to have several players out of form and a bit confused on their roles

I dont know why we are playing wide men on their wrong side like kaikai when we have at least 2 other left footed players who could perform that role better

Kaikai is this months scapegoat a few have worn that badge this season when in reality we should be looking at Critchley

These are Critchley players now, his system and tactics and its all a bit average and a million miles away from the fast attacking free flowing football that we were all promised

Results are ok and we are doing ok in the league about mid table and about where we were this time last season

All a bit average isn't it?

Utp...
I think its your best post on the subject Phil and I am a bit underwhelmed with the football we are producing...its beginning to look a lot like Grayson at the moment and as I keep saying we dont create enough chances or shots on goal. Madine is playing well but its not really the flowing football I like to watch and we are still a good few players short of the tools required to compete at the very top of this division. I know you would rather win ugly and to some extent I agree BUT losing and drawing ugly is not much fun and we have done plenty of that.

I think some of the signings have been a massive improvement on what we had but there are still a lot of very average league 1 and even league 2 players mixed in. I dont think we will be in the play offs and the manager needs to hit the ground running next season or he wont get more than 10-12 games
 
I don’t want to say a bit of perspective, but it is a bit of perspective.

I think most of us expected a different outcome at the start of the season. The players looked a different class pre-season to what we have seen in recent years, but once the hard graft of the third division started we were found wanting, not sure whether it was system, confidence or something else.

I don’t think any team has outplayed us, but we were making so many defensive errors early doors, and not taking chances that results appeared to show we were being outplayed. The Ipswich game in particular, I think we gifted to them.

Since that game we have tightened up at the back and probably have three of the best CH’s in the division but we are a bit exposed at full back. Husband always has the potential to be turned or to put in a reckless tackle (or both at the same time) and the younger more attack minded full backs don’t look that secure defensively. Saying that I think Turton is much improved this year. Yesterday against a good winger he was exposed but with Lubi in front of him had little cover /support in fairness.

We have seen how we can play, quick movement, quick passing and there have been some fantastic goals this season, but we should have had at least another ten, the number of chances spurned is just way too high. If we had been more clinical in front of goal in almost every game there would be a very different discussion today, and the defensive errors that were happening early doors would not have been such an issue.

Now to yesterday, away to second in the league, a large proportion on here were predicting a loss, and we came away with a point without really impressing. In the game between the two teams at Bloomfield Hull came and played and tried to be on the front foot and the 3-2 score line was flattering to Hull. Yesterday despite being at home they were set up to spoil and contain, and possibly hit us on the break. They sat deep, and used an awful lot of, let’s be charitable and say “gamesmanship”, and with a green ref consistently got away with it.

At first glance the team looked ok, bearing in mind the injuries and other missing players. But it was apparent after twenty minutes that we were going to have issues down the flanks, neither Kaikai nor Lubi are wingers, and without a driving midfielder we were just not getting enough bodies into the box, or around Madine who was winning everything, except against the referee. Hull were difficult to break down and crowded us out, but we had more shots at goal and probably the better chances throughout the game. The reality is that we should have put one or more of those clear-cut chances away.

It wasn’t a great game to watch too bitty and broken up, but I was still on the edge of my seat for most of the 90 minutes.

The squad isn’t really the right squad for the system that we play. We have pace and movement but often don’t use it very well and tend to be a bit static and one dimensional. The squad does need strengthening but there are some very good players at the seaside now and more than that we can see how they have improved. Kaikai is an enigma, Lubala, and Woodburn still haven’t shown what they are really capable of during a game, we get glimpses. The Yates Madine partnership works sporadically, but it does work - the more they play together the more they will develop an understanding.

So in conclusion, we went to the second placed team in the league, the bookies had us as odds on losers, many on here thought the same, we matched them if not bettered them through a lot if not most of the game, we can be disappointed we didn’t get all three points but that’s football. Im looking forward to the next couple of weeks, because I can see that there is something more to come.
 
Got to admit its not a great watch game on game, wins and goals cause excitement and we're not get many of either.
8 wins from 21 and third lowest scorers in the division the only consolation is since we got Ballard and the Viking in we're not shipping in as many.
God knows what the atmosphere would be in the ground in normal circumstances with the football on show.
 
....its beginning to look a lot like Grayson at the moment and as I keep saying we dont create enough chances or shots on goal.

This is uncomfortably true.

What did Grayson get, 26/27 games?

Whilst some of the football is a bit easier on the eye we’ll likely be in a worse position compared to 12 months ago when Grayson was fired.

Swapping managers, unless you’re called Chelsea is always a disaster. We have to stick with Critch now for another 18 months minimum get him the players he wants and see what he can do.

The next two transfer windows are crucial for this so next season there can be a clean slate, and a fair crack at the whip for him.
 
one of the main reasons i got a season ticket this season is because i knew this manager would try and play attractive football pleasing on the eye and its proven to be the case ive enjoyed watching them on i follow it would be almost impossible to bring in a full new squad and for them all to gel and work out some players will be a flop and others great signings ive said from the very start we dont score enough goals even when we dominate games hopefully its something we can sort out as we go forward the phrase ive said all season is were a work in progress and its still very much the case.
 
Some of the players just simply aren’t good enough.
Kai Kai
Lubala
Ward
Robson
Move them all on.
The midfield needs serious strengthening we need Atleast a good winger, attacking central midfielder and a striker for us to even have a sniff.
Utter bollox about Ward and Robson
 
Exactly what I've been saying. I've seen no real evidence that Critchley's coaching is improving the players either individually or collectively. 14th and just 7 points above 4th bottom says it all.
I disagree, Madine especially has looked a better player this season than he has been for a couple years now, Ekpiteta has grown since coming here, as has Yates, Ballard etc.
 
Well I enjoyed the game yesterday but I accept I'm a bit of a weirdo on here because I enjoy watching BlackpoolFC come rain or shine.
Fortunately I've seen both.
I see we are talking about scapegoats, during the match yesterday I was probably called out for criticism of Lubala and making him a scapegoat. On this thread its Kaikai that's given that title. This is a football messageboard where you offer an opinion about players. My opinion is currently these 2 players are out of form, that doesn't make them scapegoats it just an opinion that these two players out of form.
So yesterday the overall performance was average, the result was above average.
Early season we had posters saying on the back of an above average performance and a defeat what they'd give for a scabby goal and a point.
Finally to suggest that Critch hasn't been instrumental in improving any players is just nonsense. Just look at Ekipeta and Ward.
 
We’re currently an average League 1 side, that’s proven by our league position and inability to consistently get positive results. I’d give NC plenty of time to improve things though as it’s clear we’re in no danger of the drop and are looking up the table, not down.

There are problems though and they need to be addressed. Pip’s right that the summer window was scattergun and that has caused problems. We have a squad of players brought in for a high pressing, 433 style but without the quality of Liverpool it looked woefully disjointed, carried little attacking threat and left us hopelessly exposed at the back.

That - possibly with Calderwood’s arrival- brought about the change to 442 and since then we’ve been better. But we are still missing some ingredients to move us from a promising side that can beat good teams if we click to a side that is a top 6 team.

NC and the staff all need to learn from the naivety of the summers approach and get more realistic about what you need to be effective in league 1. That doesn’t mean hoofing it, but it does mean that preconceived ideas about style and flair have to be reigned in a little. Results are the most important thing. Everything else is a sideshow.

I’m comfortable with where we currently are - as long as we keep learning and improving. A top ten finish would be good enough for me and a foundation to build on for next season. Boring, I know. But in my view, it’s where we’ve always been since the first balls up with Larry and the merry go round of players last season.
 
Grayson got dogs abuse for so called hoof ball

Not much different to now except the Grayson team had players who could cross the ball playing on the correct side of the pitch

We dont set up to get our wide players high enough the pitch

If we are going to continue with this 442 we must have someone like Garbutt or Mitchell on the left and a right footed wide player on the right
 
Exactly what I've been saying. I've seen no real evidence that Critchley's coaching is improving the players either individually or collectively. 14th and just 7 points above 4th bottom says it all.
Or 14th and 8 points off the team at present in the last playoff place with 2 games in hand on them. We can all spin things to our advantage 62, yours unfortunately is always negative 🙄
 
Below is what I wrote on another thread earlier, a bit long but a bit of balance to your O/P Phil. I agree with some of your points and not others. I see why you and others think it's average but I see it differently -

Therein lies the problem. We get rid of the stains, joy of joy and we are then lucky enough to get a true Pool fan who happens to have done rather well for himself and from the depths of despair we are suddenly on the edge of becoming a proper football club for the first time in.... well pre Cartmell, which is at least 50 years and because there are so many great things going on, which are still going on and will continue to do so so it is only natural that we, the supporters suddenly think that because of this it will bring success on the pitch. Well, it doesn't work like that, and the understandable but as it turned out wrong appointment of Larry was far from the start we or SS expected and that left us searching for a new manager, which was a really important appointment and as this isn't an exact science, whoever you employ, you can't guarantee success but you can guarantee a type of person, an ethos and a style of football you want to be watching.

So, Critch was a brave choice in many ways as he had never been a manager in charge of a Football league club but he was the coach/manager of the PL champions and had been there for years and was highly regarded by Liverpool and Klopp in particular. He is also one of the handful of people to have the very top coaching badge. Do you think then that when SS and Critch were talking at the start that SS was telling Critch that he wanted promotion in the first 2 seasons? And do you think Critch was promising that? This is a project, promotion in 3 seasons. Well he has only had half of one so far, you can't count last season because of Covid and the cancellation of the season. He had a squad of inherited players and he had time to assess them and clearly didn't think the majority of them were the type of players who could play the style of football he wanted to play.

He was lucky to have an owner who was prepared to back him and we went on a big recruitment drive and bought in masses of new players whilst selling or releasing a mass more. That was last summer and we are now in January. Not all the players are going to work and it is based on mainly young players (under 25). Players who are new to the club, new to each other and about to be coached a completely new, skilful style of play. So, I would say, after 4 and a half months we, unsurprisingly, started badly even though we played good football and it took a while for Critch and the players to start to find the right tactics and the addition of Calderwood was an excellent move to give Critch an experienced coach to work alongside.

Since then we went on a really good run sadly blemished by our usual poor Christmas (why is that??) but since then we have started getting points again and beating a PL team in the cup.

We are just over halfway through the first season in charge for NC and we are 14th and after a poor start and the 3 games over Christmas. I have watched every game and if you watch it properly then you can see all the positives and also the negatives. Critch isn't perfect, he is inexperienced at this level and he makes mistakes. He has gathered together a really good squad of players who are learning his tactics and getting better with every game, but we have some players that were bought in that just aren't going to work and we still need some players for certain positions which is clear for us and him to see.

So being below Accy, Gillingham and Crewe is not really relevant, as you say, half way through the season. We still half half a season to go and we will keep improving. If you take our games against the top clubs we have been the better side, so I would take that as a marker of where we are going rather than where we are in the table.

In conclusion SS sees the appointment of NC as a long term appointment (so long as it wasn't an obvious mistake, which it wasn't) he said 3 seasons for promotion to the Championship and we are halfway through the first and who is to say we can't make the play offs this season? Not that it would be terrible if we didn't as long as the team are getting better. Critch is going to be around for a few years in my opinion, he could be one of the managers that stays with a club for years if successful, but let's give him a chance. SS will so we need to sit back and enjoy the football. I have watched every game this season and I have really enjoyed the way we play even when we have lost, because you can see the plan, the improvement and the style of play that will take us to the Championship in the next 2 or 3 seasons.

Oops! That's gone on a bit!
Grayson got dogs abuse for so called hoof ball

Not much different to now except the Grayson team had players who could cross the ball playing on the correct side of the pitch

We dont set up to get our wide players high enough the pitch

If we are going to continue with this 442 we must have someone like Garbutt or Mitchell on the left and a right footed wide player on the right
Totally agree with your last paragraph but to compare Grayson style of play to Critchley's! Come on Phillipo you can't really mean that?
 
I disagree, Madine especially has looked a better player this season than he has been for a couple years now, Ekpiteta has grown since coming here, as has Yates, Ballard etc.
Madine is an experienced player who Critchley didn't want to select but was forced into it following bad results. His form isn't down to Critchley.
Ekpiteta is 25 with plenty of games behind him. His passing hasn't improved under Critchley.
Yates plays his own high energy way and is no different to the way he played before at Swindon.
Ballard was a full international when he came here and from Arsenal.
I haven't seen any improvement in Gabriel, Mitchell, Robson, Lubala, Anderson, Woodburn or Kemp.
Kaikai has gone backwards.
 
There is a problem with our wide midfield players, they dont contribute enough going forwards or defensively.
I would also start with Garbutt and Gabriel, Husband and Turton are not rock solid in defence so better to put the full backs in that can offer a bit in attack.
We do look average in most games but it is a good platform to add some quality and hit the ground running next season.
 
Madine is an experienced player who Critchley didn't want to select but was forced into it following bad results. His form isn't down to Critchley.
Ekpiteta is 25 with plenty of games behind him. His passing hasn't improved under Critchley.
Yates plays his own high energy way and is no different to the way he played before at Swindon.
Ballard was a full international when he came here and from Arsenal.
I haven't seen any improvement in Gabriel, Mitchell, Robson, Lubala, Anderson, Woodburn or Kemp.
Kaikai has gone backwards.
I would agree with a lot of that but Turton and Ward look like better players than they were.
 
Or 14th and 8 points off the team at present in the last playoff place with 2 games in hand on them. We can all spin things to our advantage 62, yours unfortunately is always negative 🙄
Accrington have 3 games in hand on us, Doncaster 2, Portsmouth, Pboro, Ipswich, Sunderland & Oxford have all played one game less than Pool.
We have 1 game in hand on 6th placed Charlton.
Not done your homework again Mosser. Not much point in you commenting if you are not up to speed...again!
 
Some of the players just simply aren’t good enough.
Kai Kai
Lubala
Ward
Robson
Move them all on.
The midfield needs serious strengthening we need Atleast a good winger, attacking central midfielder and a striker for us to even have a sniff.
kai kai is a luxury that doesn't perform enough when we need to dig in for a result
lubala - sorry not for me
ward is one of our better midfield players, i think we win more games when he plays
Robson - i actually think he is a decent player but more defensive, we seem to struggle going forward when he plays

When is cj back ?
 
In Ward's case it's down to an injury free pre season spell. Turton has been ok but no more than that.
Turton has become an average league 1 full back, last season he was less than that, so an improvement under Critchley.
Ward has been given a specific role and does it well, another improvement under Critchley.
I'm not overly excited by the team but a solid platform is being put together. We are currently average but I dont think it would take much to make us good on a regular basis.
Progress is being made in what is a very strange season.
 
Accrington have 3 games in hand on us, Doncaster 2, Portsmouth, Pboro, Ipswich, Sunderland & Oxford have all played one game less than Pool.
We have 1 game in hand on 6th placed Charlton.
Not done your homework again Mosser. Not much point in you commenting if you are not up to speed...again!
It was deliberately worded like that to show what “spin” is........ do keep up old chap 😉
 
kai kai is a luxury that doesn't perform enough when we need to dig in for a result
lubala - sorry not for me
ward is one of our better midfield players, i think we win more games when he plays
Robson - i actually think he is a decent player but more defensive, we seem to struggle going forward when he plays

When is cj back ?
We’re definitely missing CJ. Teams at the moment must be so glad he’s out injured
 
Turton mostly dependable but totally uninspiring. A full back of the old school. In a 433 athletic high press he ought not to be anywhere near the first team and that he is shows the Crtichball experiment to have failed with this particular squad. The question is whether he keeps on the same path to try to reach the tikataka summit or we choose a different path.
 
Grayson got dogs abuse for so called hoof ball

Not much different to now except the Grayson team had players who could cross the ball playing on the correct side of the pitch

We dont set up to get our wide players high enough the pitch

If we are going to continue with this 442 we must have someone like Garbutt or Mitchell on the left and a right footed wide player on the right
The problem you’re describing is directly linked to the recruitment approach. 442 needs wide men who want to hold their width and can deliver. From yesterday’s starting line up, neither Lubala or KaiKai are that sort of player. One looks like striker and the other is an inside forward/10. Too many square pegs because we recruited with a specific system in mind and apparently little thought of options. As you and I have said on many occasions; the lack of game time for Madine in pre-season shows you how he was being thought of by the coaching staff. Now he’s pretty much a guaranteed starter.

Larry’s problems were more than just hoof ball though. He’d lost the plot and it was sad and frustrating to see a coach make the same basic errors around shape over and over again.
 
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