YorkshireRam

Your LB shags dogs, simmer down now

I take your point. To the media, Warne seems to front up and accept responsibility for losses, i'd hope it's the same behind closed doors. The second part about belief in tactics is a tricky one as we'll likely never have a definitive answer. I think the Cheltenham game next up is huge. It's an easier game on paper (no games are ever easy though) and one where I'm not sure 3 points alone is adequate if we're serious about promotion. We need a proper performance that rebuilds confidence and potentially sets us on another run. This is going to require solid man management and motivation from Warne to achieve- I hope he does and we can start to rebuild form.

It's not enough. You've made a disparaging comment that you can't explain. That's nonsense. If you can't back up negative claims you make, then I don't think you should make the comments in the first place. Very simple concept.

Why say anything at all then? If your opinions are as uneducated as you're admitting they are, as to be indefensible by yourself, then why comment in the first place?

So you can't answer my question?

Simple passes, yes. 5 yard passes should rarely go awry from professional footballers. The danger of just short-sightedly blaming Warne for all our failings is you remove accountability from underperforming players. It's always a combination of factors, never just one. Can you explain how Warne is ''tying our players hands behind their backs''? I don't really understand what he's supposed to be doing that restricts our players to such a degree they then fail to do the basics of the game successfully?

Ambivalent really. The players were well off their individual games, incredibly sloppy in possession, and lacked concentration at times. I agreed with the substitutions when they were made, and a shame we couldn't wrestle something back from the game, although not sure our performance merited anything. We need to address the midfield balance, but the double pivot has worked at times this season so it's not an outlandish mistake Warne made fielding the team he did. I think the players have to take the brunt of the blame for the complete lethargy we witnessed last night.

Interesting you mention creative writing as the rest of your comment here is pure fiction... Good players will not misplace simple passes, regardless of the tactics imposed by the manager. See mistakes last night. Don't use reductionism to absolve the players themselves of any wrongdoing, that's daft.

The fact you've been so active on this thread today after a long period of quiet is laughably predictable 😂

How much defensively has Barkhuizen offered when he's played opposite NML? None. Warne revealed earlier in the season he's explicitly told NML to abandon the defensive side of his game, and actively attributed that change to his upturn in form. Our system is largely symmetrical so this is likely the instructions to both wingers, and given the recent trend of both wide players overlapping the striker, I think CBT on the opposite side to NML is actually the very obvious expectation, given he's featured primarily as a left winger for Charlton this season, while Mendez-Laing has been at his best on our right flank?

RoyMac5 typing this out:

Welp, it's an 'I'. Time to start panicking!

No because the OPTA data (which WhoScored runs off) is always going to penalise wingers given the inherently inconsistent nature of their role. CBT has been the most productive winger in the league this season, so his G/A is doing most of the heavy lifting for his overall score; wingers not producing G/A doesn't mean they're not effective though...

I'm not so sure. It was reported we'd already agreed personal terms in the summer, but due to the protracted nature of Cashin's negotiations with Brighton, we didn't have time to complete the deal. Come January, all we apparently have to do is sort the bid with the club as personal terms aren't an issue. I suspect if the bid got accepted on Thu/Fri then the medical would, in fact, have been very quickly, however getting the press pack together would have taken longer as nothing could be sorted in advance during the previous stages which would usually take longer? Basically I think getting the photos/interviews done would have been short notice due to the nature of the deal and then we want to make sure it gets good engagement online due to it likely being our marquee signing of the season.

Great shout, I'd wager it is you know, as he'd be one we probably aren't too fussed about extending.

Why are you using 'flattered' in the past tense? This is how many minutes he's played since coming back from injury, while probably still not playing to his full physical capacity given his history. Still plenty of time and definitely more to come from him. His first touch and instinctive finishing are what's stood out to me so far.

You're probably right, however I like to remember footballers are human beings and don't like to insult them unnecessarily. This isn't 1972 where we're the best club in the country, this is 2023 where we're in the 3rd tier after exiting admin and aren't financially loaded. Any player that comes here and genuinely grafts has my respect, gone are the days of giving out huge contracts with players like Anya simply here to pick up a wage. Washington, from what i've seen, tries hard and does his best. I'm not going to sit here and write flippant comments that completely dismiss him when he's had a respectable career in the game and is currently contributing to a squad trying to get us promoted. Just don't think he's done anything here to warrant being called 'nothing' or 'mediocre'...

I was thinking this, but after chatting at the game last night apparently he wasn't his best v Oxford and admittedly I missed that game so couldn't state he shouldn't have been with any conviction. In many ways I think Wildsmith has been one of the best signings we've made post-admin. Remarkably consistent which is rare for keeps below elite-level. On a free, he's been a cracking bit of business so far!

His form hasn't been that bad, been steady all season to my eyes. Not sure Vickers has done enough to keep the starting spot, so I'd have Wildsmith back as #1 for the time being, from Lincoln onwards. Good to have competition.

Maybe just don't resort to referring to him using insulting terms such as 'nothing player'... Nobody is asking you to be happy with who we sign, and you're entitled to criticism, but flippant, reductionist phrases like that are always going to wind people up. He's had a decent career, primarily playing in the second tier of English football. However you dress it up, he isn't a ''nothing player''; use your words better.

I get your point, but Fornah is experienced at this level and above. Robinson is still an unknown quantity. Given players on the bench may need to make an impact if brought on in conditions where we're not winning, I'd trust Fornah right now to be able to offer that more than Robinson getting his first proper taste of professional football?

This is it. Was tempted to go with Sibley over Elder but you're right we need to give Elder the gametime to improve. I'd definitely have Fornah on the bench if he's fit though, probably over Robinson?

The Keogh/Roos/Bradley effect

Bear in mind, Warne admitted himself this season the key to NML's form has been telling him to abandon the defensive elements of the wide role. If our ideal system is symmetrical, CBT may have the same instructions on the opposite flank which could suit him then?

I went and rewatched the Northampton (H) highlights on the back of this amusing rumour. Couple more games like that and we'll have already got value out of him, same with Waghorn v Peterborough.