Rich3478

7 minutes ago, Needlesh said:

Dissapointed, but 3 goals despite massive possession tells you the story of our first 4 games. We need to find more cutting edge as we're looking for worldies or mistakes to get us our goals.

We have the players, but the blend isn't right yet. I think we're crying out for more energy, pace and urgency in the middle to get us nearer to Collins...or we have to start with a genuine 10 just off him.

Knight would be first name down in midfield, for me. Can't Smith play RB?

Agree massively on knight! Him or sibley need to start to give us something different. Smith at right back next game

All for a point away, but we were a long way from them in quality. They were time wasting from sixty minutes. 
 

starting midfield is too similar, need knight or sibley in there to drag players around. Hope Collins comes good but not seeing much to be enthused about so far.

really needs speeding up away, we let teams set up two banks of four by passing sideways and then have no clue how to break through it. Must say it’s not a new thing, change of approach needed away.

40 minutes ago, Ambitious said:

All that positivity was wiped out with the first sentence. 

The thought of selling Sibley makes me feel genuinely sick. For the love of god, I hope it doesn’t happen.

Like sibley, but the fact he couldn’t get in our team last year, and rarely plays well twice in a row tells you a lot. Was great on Saturday, so probably be terrible if starts Saturday! Also the fact that no one will pay £2m again suggests he’s not quite as good as you think. 
 

Definitely has something, really needs to start fulfilling his potential soon though. 

46 minutes ago, B4ev6is said:

Give young stretton a break he brought throught before he was ready.

46 minutes ago, B4ev6is said:

Give young stretton a break he brought throught before he was ready.

I hope so! Just never see anything from him

4 hours ago, DCFC1388 said:

Probably Stretton but Dobbin can play out wide as well. We need more attacking players in the first team squad, none of academy are ready yet

Stretton had two years to improve and get a place, not seen that to be honest. Not every academy player will make, don’t think Stretton will.

6 minutes ago, chadlad said:

He can play right back very well but in terms of contributing to the team he would provide much more in centre mid.

As a box to box midfielder he will run all game, he has an eye for goal and he can break up play. Pretty sure he was MOM in the last game for his country.

Good in a two or in a three, I would play him as the runner between DM and AM. A midfield three of Bird, Knight & Hourihane would be excellent in L1 imo.

Agree totally! Told smith can cover right back too, swap them over next game if we don’t have a right back in by then.

14 minutes ago, Srg said:

I think it’ll be Striker, Winger and Full back as the main priorities. Not sure we need a defensive midfielder, especially if your option is McDonald. We have Bird, Hourihane, Smith, Thompson and Knight who could all do it.  

Agree with this, another cm should be very last option. 
 

right back is number one priority, we probably need another keeper. Striker and winger needed for depth. Not got much from the bench have we.

1 hour ago, Bris Vegas said:

Sibley’s introduction made a huge difference.

That’s the thing. Decent ball carriers moves the opposition out of position more than possession football (unless you pass at the speed of a PL side).

We were slow in possession. But getting NML, Sibley and Knight running on the ball moved them out of position and created the space.

I don’t think we can have Bird, Smith and Hourihane as a midfield three. All too similar possession players. We need a runner in there.

Knight in the midfield three seems an absolute no brainer!! Probably for smith.

15 minutes ago, DCFC1388 said:

Could we not have done a six month loan in that case then?

finances probably dictates it somewhat to, be good to see him back for us next season.

1 hour ago, Ramarena said:

He doesn't really fit into LR's system. Knight's at his best as a box to box midfielder, but at present we don't play with one. That's why he spent half of last season stuck out on the wing and this season he looks like he might be RB. 

It's a shame really because he looks much better when he plays for Ireland in his more natural position, rather than filling gaps for us!

He’d be great in a midfield three like Bryson wouldn’t he. Licence to bomb on, think he’d score goals.

1 hour ago, rammieib said:

Everyone is saying we must get millions for him but most Derby fans don’t even have him in their starting 11.

Yeah it’s a tough one, he’s almost a victim of being too versatile. Doesn’t score or assist enough to be one of the front four, his energy is amazing though. Needs to pick a best position.

If brings in big money I don’t think I’d mind him moving on. 

Is this thread not a bit dramatic?

people talk about the games, it’s part of why we go! If someone’s not playing well over a period of time are they a scapegoat? Think it’s ok to point out things you think players struggle with

stupid comments as well like “real fans don’t want you there”! Who made you head of fans?

support the team how you want

12 minutes ago, LazloW said:

How is my comment suggesting people can't talk about the game?  How is my comment stopping people talk about the game?

My comment is, those people talking about the game - and reading things into that aren't there - are talking nonsense. But, by all means, carry on, and I'll carry on calling it out as nonsense.

Good for you!

15 minutes ago, LazloW said:

FFS, same as usual. Playing a Premier League side in a pre-season friendly and some still try to read things into about where we're going to end up in the league.  Is it beyond the realms of fantasy that we might be able to play a bit differently against League 1 opposition than a team very obviously better than us? We might even be able to fill the obvious gaps in the squad before the window closes, thus enabling us to play differently again.  This games means nothing apart from fitness, sharpness, trying things out and, for fans, hopefully a bit of relaxing fun watching a game of football.  It will have zero, nada, nothing, zilch, to do with where we finish in the league.

Just watch the game then?

Maybe let the people who want to talk about it do that?

5 minutes ago, dcfcreece1601 said:

I'm under the impression that NML is RW and knight is RB and korey Smith next to bird and hourihane behind Collins? 

That’s how I read it as well

3 minutes ago, Carl Sagan said:

Midfielder Knight still at right back. Centreback Roberts at left back. McGoldrick out with "a niggle". Young Robinson on the bench. No Amadou Diallo. Midfield looks pretty defensive. Only Sibbo and Stretton as attacking options off the bench. Guessing everyone on the bench will get a run out at some point.

Quite like the look of the eleven, an actual right back would help. 

knight and mendez Lang our right wing options, need a bit more on the left.

and mcgoldrick being fit would help the bench.

main issue is I don’t see much pace in the team at all. Or the squad. Hopefully loans can add a bit of that.

1 hour ago, MACKWORTHRAM said:

Mate fill in for who?

A right back is an absolute must. Our only one's highest level of football is U18s at Man City 

Yeah I really don’t get how people don’t see this?

as if knight wants to be playing right back in league one as well?

8 minutes ago, MACKWORTHRAM said:

Not bothered about tonight really but I think you are absolutely spot on here.

We won 3 out of 23 away games last season. How we were set up Way clearly didn't work yet we just carried on playing the same way.

We can't seem to play against teams that press us. There's a time and a place to playing out from the back. 

The 8 or so defeats in a row is what cost us any chance at staying up, watched and we were the better team in about six of them. Just never create enough and always conceded a goal or two. It definitely needed tweaking. And certainly away in league one, we’ll be expected to take the game to a lot of teams

3 minutes ago, LazloW said:

Pre-season match day threads make me pee myself. So much analysis going on of players, formations and guesswork about it all translates into the season.  It’s the hottest day ever, we still haven’t got a full squad, there are players missing.  It’s a run out for fitness and to try a few things.  Could get tonked 10-0 and it would mean absolutely f-all.

Just enjoy a game of footy on a beautiful summer evening. 

Fair one!

2 minutes ago, Tamworthram said:

They said Stevenage only retained something like 7 first team players so it’s a pretty new team for them as well. 
 

I know results don’t really matter in pre-season friendlies but we have been very poor so far and lucky to only be 1:0 down. Looks more like a first pre-season friendly than the third.

Was more commenting on putting a squad together from scratch, by all accounts Saturday was good so hopefully tonight just a blip.

3 minutes ago, jono said:

Eh ? Can’t agree with that, He had a couple of meh games where he didn’t show much and got caught but his consistency (at a high standard)  for the rest was amazing.

obviously I can’t comment about tonight because I’m not seeing it but to say that Tommo just had a few good games is a bit unjust IMO

Think boro away was terrible, Blackburn another. He had great ones like west norm at home, think was his debut. But the bad ones were that bad made it like playing with ten. He definitely needs to be a lot more positive and play more centrally.

2 minutes ago, Ram1988 said:

I agree. It doesn't feel balanced. 

Must be difficult starting from scratch. Let’s see what we start the season with!

Maybe loans will happen closer to the deadline, be nice having some younger full backs and wingers.

1 minute ago, sage said:

That suggests Smith is pencilled in for RB

Yeah I can’t work the squad out at all, really limited out wide. Have loads of options centre back and centre mid. 

Just now, rammieib said:

Thompson struggling here for me a lot. 

Was hard to work him out last season, had a few good games and a couple of excellent ones. Had some real bad ones though. Almost to the point that costs you the game. Think he should very much be fourth of fifth choice midfielder for us.

7 minutes ago, Big Trav said:

2 on Saturday mate. Midfielder and an attacker. My guess would be Kevin McDonald and maybe Deji sotona

Do you presume bielik moving on? With McDonald would have a lot of options.

or maybe knight or bird?

think we’ll bother with a left back or right back? Other than fozzy