Will Hughes Hair

I presume he’s an interceptor?

It's sounds a bit bloody pathetic to be honest - say what the team needs and get on with it. Deal with any consequences of upset player feelings afterwards for goodness sake - I thought that was what he was all about. It's easy when everyone loves each other but not so easy when there's mardiness around?! FFS.

I also think Warne has painted himself into a corner on getting promoted this year.
He’s signed ready made experienced players. They’re all talking about not messing around and making memories etc.
Then he admits the squad still has the same structural issues as last year.
He might have been cut more slack if he’d brought in some youth and pace and admitted some were a gamble but that he was building the foundations for several seasons of success and growth.

I also think Warne has painted himself into a corner on getting promoted this year.
He’s signed ready made experienced players. They’re all talking about not messing around and making memories etc.
Then he admits the squad still has the same structural issues as last year.
He might have been cut more slack if he’d brought in some youth and pace and admitted some were a gamble but that he was building the foundations for several seasons of success and growth.

I also think Warne has painted himself into a corner on getting promoted this year.
He’s signed ready made experienced players. They’re all talking about not messing around and making memories etc.
Then he admits the squad still has the same structural issues as last year.
He might have been cut more slack if he’d brought in some youth and pace and admitted some were a gamble but that he was building the foundations for several seasons of success and growth.

A lot of our recruitment seems to be very Warne, not very Thomas, based on Oxford's signings over the years. 

How about the fact that he's elderly and well past his best?

The thing is, if you look at any player that gets a load of assists, they aren't all going to be defence-splitting passes or inch-perfect crosses, there will be the ones that fly off their backside and drop to someone, or the miscued shots that someone gets on the end of.  If Max Bird doesn't get himself in the box and get his head on it, we probably don't score that goal.  He directly impacted the game, and that's what people have been clamouring for.

I also think Warne has painted himself into a corner on getting promoted this year.
He’s signed ready made experienced players. They’re all talking about not messing around and making memories etc.
Then he admits the squad still has the same structural issues as last year.
He might have been cut more slack if he’d brought in some youth and pace and admitted some were a gamble but that he was building the foundations for several seasons of success and growth.

Exciting isnt it - problem is my predictions are usually done on what I think is lucky and was not trying to get it right 😂

I’m not arguing with any of that, but I am far from certain that Paul Warne sees it the same way.
l still think, but happy to be proven wrong, that Clowes made a mistake hiring Warne. I do think Rosenior would have given more opportunities to playing and progressing youth, and formulating a strategy that links the academy to the first team. I also think where we were at the time he would have been the better of the two options to get us up in two seasons, and that we would have been in the playoffs last season if he had stayed in charge. It was a very strange decision to change managers after the work he had done in the summer - in my view.

Surely the pertinent point, is why have we spent the whole of preseason practicing only one formation, when we still don’t have the players to play it properly?

Is prioritising short term gain by giving over the hill players contracts rather than putting some faith in young talent not part of what put us here in the first place? Yet when we finally had our hand forced into playing said young talent they performed above what anyone could’ve asked or expected of them. I’d argue there’s equally as much if not more risk in giving a deal to a 37 year old Billy Sharp who scored two goals last season, hasn’t had a preseason and at that age may not even be able to find the fitness to play regularly without frequent injury, and makes he absolutely no sense when what we’re lacking is some pace and energy, he’s the opposite of what we need. At least Brown will be able to provide some energy up top, and how are we ever meant to know if these youngsters are good enough if they don’t get game time? 

We’ve been trying to replicate the gegenpress? The one that relies on relentless pressing and pace to exploit opposition mistakes?
It does explain a lot and is quite inspirational. In fact it’s inspired me to milk the neighbours cat and use it as the base ingredient for an award winning Brie. Can’t see how either me or the Warnemeister can possibly fail!

We did it quite well at times last season, when we had a front four of like McGoldrick + NML, Knight, Barkhuizen (all reasonably mobile, at least fairly hard working etc).  This system we’e playing now gives us less bodies up there to press, and several of them are less mobile than the other lot on top of that.

They also try and keep the ball when they get it back, rather than give it away as quickly as possible so they can run around and press some more.

Half Nelson you say? Sounds like he could be the new Bucko!

I also think Warne has painted himself into a corner on getting promoted this year.
He’s signed ready made experienced players. They’re all talking about not messing around and making memories etc.
Then he admits the squad still has the same structural issues as last year.
He might have been cut more slack if he’d brought in some youth and pace and admitted some were a gamble but that he was building the foundations for several seasons of success and growth.

I also think Warne has painted himself into a corner on getting promoted this year.
He’s signed ready made experienced players. They’re all talking about not messing around and making memories etc.
Then he admits the squad still has the same structural issues as last year.
He might have been cut more slack if he’d brought in some youth and pace and admitted some were a gamble but that he was building the foundations for several seasons of success and growth.

I also think Warne has painted himself into a corner on getting promoted this year.
He’s signed ready made experienced players. They’re all talking about not messing around and making memories etc.
Then he admits the squad still has the same structural issues as last year.
He might have been cut more slack if he’d brought in some youth and pace and admitted some were a gamble but that he was building the foundations for several seasons of success and growth.

I also think Warne has painted himself into a corner on getting promoted this year.
He’s signed ready made experienced players. They’re all talking about not messing around and making memories etc.
Then he admits the squad still has the same structural issues as last year.
He might have been cut more slack if he’d brought in some youth and pace and admitted some were a gamble but that he was building the foundations for several seasons of success and growth.

I’m in 7th place in the Premier League. An all time high 😁😁😁
Thanks @mozza!

Derby County v Wigan Athletic
 
5pts
NONE
3pts
bucktwo    3    
gccrowdpleaser    3    
ramant62    3    
 
2pts
NONE

1pt
CBRammette    1
Jimbo Ram    1
littleover ram    1
Will Hughes Hair    1
 
Derby County 1 Wigan Athletic 2, Forsyth = FRGS.
 

I remember thinking after the Sheff Weds game last year, what this team really needs is Conor Washington, Martyn Waghorn and possibly Billy Sharpe and Jordan Rhodes. They were the first names on my list because there definitely can’t be anyone better. My cup runneth over. 
I’m also pleased we have failed to address the glaring midfield imbalance and have chosen to go with three centre halves with no pace whatsoever. What could possibly go wrong! 
Quite like the lad Forsyth though.

Concerned from Derby.