Yeah, so overall we're quite average I'd infer from that. I suppose it depends on whether you say 'ok, we started at year zero, we had almost no players, so to be average by now is ok cos it takes time' or believe we should be able to buy the league therefore average is unacceptable. I've said since summer that I don't think we'll go up cos almost no one does like that. You can buy Will Grigg or whoever, but to get out of this division requires team spirit and fight and cohesion that takes time to mould. I also think that by the nature of football, a certain percentage of signings that ANY manager makes don't work out. We don't notice the signing that Klopp, Pep, Clough, Fergie or whoever make or made that are shite cos we just see the silverware and they disappear from view or never emerge. The idea he could have just bought an oven ready promotion team in one go is absurd optimism but I think also slating him cos he bought say, Sarkic, is also absurd. You're ALWAYS going to get some duds if you buy 17 players no matter who you are. Hence my belief that a) the target isn't promotion or bust this year (or if it is, that's fanciful) and b) he could have evolved the process slower - that said, I respect him for being decisive and backing himself.
It's not so bizarre I think - it's like you said above (i think it was you!) - it's redolent of Grayson in some ways this team. We hammered Fleetwood, beat Oxford (ok, it was lucky but we did) and played a blinding game against Peterborough. Ok, we fucked up the second half against Cov, but we were brilliant first half against them. The only to top side I remember us struggling badly with were Wycombe who are really a shit team. It was shit teams that Grayson's side really couldn't manage or to be honest, from what I saw, Mcphillip's side too. So in some ways were Billy Ayre's team. We'd beak Stoke or West Brom but then lose to the bottom of the league. It's very Blackpool in a way. Do the double over liverpool, get relegated.
That same problem remains. We can't play round a side that just sets up to defend and have a few breaks. We can play against a side who comes on to us or tries to play football. Oddly, Grayson's side were similar despite their different style and it also was highly reliant on the right winger...
I think Dougall is class but I think you need a more productive player as well. Dougall is really key but he's a facilitator who will also contribute creatively at times. I can't see him banging in ten goals or setting up 2 or 3 in a game, but I can see him making some lovely play and being the third or fourth touch out from a goal or the tackle that sets up the break. We don't have the player who will pull strings or make something entirely by himself (other than CJ). Dougall is more Vaughan than Adam so to speak. We don't necessarily need an Adam to go up, we could just have a really solid midfield centre instead but if not, we need two functioning flanks and at the moment, we've only got a right wing cos Sullay's in the doghouse, Keshi isn't a left winger, Bez is only allowed on for 4 minutes at a time and Mitchell has to play on the right for no obvious reason I can fathom despite having no right foot. I woudn't play Garbutt there as he's not really about beating people and he plays best coming from deeper into space and you need either mad pace or a trick or two to play more advanced. He'd be fine if his job was just to get it and swing it in straight away, but that's not the way this side needs it delivered at the moment.
Y'know what, I think Dougall and KDH would have been something but that's just wishful thinking.
Right. I'm spending no more time this week speculating about us. Had enough. It's only football innit.
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