Blondest Goat

On 22/12/2023 at 01:04, Carl Sagan said:

I think that's the marker from now on. Are we capable? I think we're not up to the demands the pressure puts on us, and we'll more likely finish 3rd or 4th.

 

I agree.  I think we'll miss out too.  We haven't looked as good as we did last season at any point this season and our frailties are apparent for large periods of most games.  We just don't pass the ball well enough for a team with top two aspirations in my opinion and that will catch up with us at some point.

2 hours ago, Chester40 said:

It was no big deal to me. I've always been on his side, especially in relation to his style of football.

We were all sat in the car after the game and his tone seemed unnecessarily irritable. 

I was most interested in him saying 'maybe this is as good as we are'... because I'm constantly thinking we won but can play better ..but we never seem to. Was interested if he thinks certain players are under performing, if he wants money for recruitment or thinks the fans are expecting too much with what we have..

He just wants us to move the ball quicker.  Says it after every game.

5 minutes ago, Gee SCREAMER !! said:

What Sibley did was exactly what Bird and Fornah don't.  Give a defence something to be concerned with, by running at them 40 yards from goal rather than collecting sideways on and moving slowly.  it's shifting them from a a comfortable position in their own third and making space.  Sometimes he's better at it than at other times but I can't see any benefit in him sitting on his arse watching Fornah looking like Bambi on ice for an hour. He's a better player.

They're not the same age though mate so you can't compare them.  Apparently.

42 minutes ago, jono said:

I think that says it all. I’m baffled that you don’t see that.

 This whole conversation (from my pov) is about potential versus performance 

Barks is not going to improve because of his age. He is what he is. 

Sibs on the basis of his early promise should be improving  but doesn’t seem to be. Why ?

You and Roy think it’s game time, misuse, and general unfairness. 

I don’t know what it is, but it’s not anything to do any of the things you guys think. He just doesn’t look special, when a couple of years ago he looked to be healthy  root stock who was going to produce seriously good fruit

Think we are talking about different things.  Improvement hasn't come into my thinking.  You said that other teams probably didn't fear Sibley and I said that I doubted they feared Barks either.  Then I mentioned the out of possession stuff because someone (possibly you) had been criticising that part of Sibleys game.  They were the comparisons I was drawing.  Nothing to do with improvement.

Exactly why I rarely post on here.   Like pulling teeth trying to make a point.

21 minutes ago, jono said:

It’s a daft comparison because you are not comparing like for like

Barks is a player in the latter stages of his career. He is a known quantity

Sibs is a young player, who at this point in his development hasn’t improved on his early potential. Early on he looked like he was going to grow to be a serious contender to be a star player. He has stalled. Why I am not sure but it isn’t lack of opportunity. If you’re special it’s going to show wherever you are playing, in touch, vision, passing and a load of other things. It’s a lot more than goals or winning headers. 

Lawrence was also a mature player and the 1:12 game thing you suggest, is inaccurate. He did blow hot and cold but teams feared what he might do (because he could) and then attempted to adjust

At the moment that isn’t happening for Sibs. I hope it does, tonight or the next game. The minute he steps on the pitch I am right behind him but objective comments always get met in some quarters by complete denial or “it’s not fair” 

So we can't compare any aspect of Sibs or Barks games or how they are treated by fans / management cos they're not the same age?  Absolutely baffled by that.  

2 hours ago, jono said:

Ok I am biting 🤣 Tom is a player in the autumn of his career. His abilities are known and in decline. It’s a daft comparison. Tom Lawrence was inconsistent but had enough good games to attract interest from many places and displayed a recognisable skill level for a mature player. Again a poor example. This game time malarkey doesn’t hold water. Again though, I am not anti Sibs. I want him to succeed, he has shown at times, special attributes but he has had more than enough game time for those to develop. He’s behind the curve that you would expect. Mind you, maybe he’s peaked ?  maybe another coach will unlock him - but he has had a fair few ? maybe a different playing system would help ?  I really don’t know but it isn’t game time or opportunity he’s had plenty. Wilson is wild and makes bad final decisions sometimes, but is way more scary to any opponent at the moment. 

You always bite, despite your comments in the Tiresome Oneupmanship thread.  🤣

How's it a daft comparison?  They play in a similar position.  What does age have to do with it?  Sibley is criticised for his work out of possession.  Do you think Barkhuizen is any better?  The guy never wins a header, he never wins a 50-50, he's about as lightweight and ineffective as it's possible to be.  But I don't see anyone criticising him.

I don't see how Lawrence is a daft comparison either.  He was picked week after week for the one good game he had in a dozen (possibly being generous) because on those occasions he might score you the goal that won the match.  Sibley can score the goal that might win us the match too but doesn't get anywhere near the amount of game time.  If he has a quiet game or even sometimes just 45 minutes he's off.

Leigh Curtis on the latest Rams Review podcast saying that the club believe they are in a strong position with Bird and believe they would probably get more by going down the compensation route than any offer they are likely to receive for him in January.

1 hour ago, jono said:

It’s so frustrating though isn’t it. He is such a committed player with the ball. He’s got something but as you say, maybe it’s coaching that could bring it out. That said he has had various influences over time. When he scored that hat trick I thought we’d unearthed a gem. There have been other flashes of real skill but they are too infrequent given the game time he has had. Every time he’s in the team I am hoping that “todays the day” but it never seems to happen. He still a useful player but in reality I don’t think other teams say “oh no Sibley’s playing, watch out for him” 

Very much doubt they say that about Tom Barkhuizen either.  Don't think Sibley offers any less out of possession than he does either.  Neither are great but that's not what they're in the side for. 

As someone said Tom Lawrence was indulged week after week without contributing much.  Sibley never been afforded anywhere near that much game time. 

2 0.  Mendez-Laing FRGS

Sibley and Barks did well against this lot in the Bristol Street Motors game.  But Sibley has had his 45 minutes to score another goal before getting hooked so will only now get back in the side for brief cameos until he again proves he's one of only a select few in the squad who know where the net is.  Then he'll get another 45 minutes to keep his place.  Rinse and repeat.

58 minutes ago, NottsRam77 said:

Todays game pal its a stone wall 

any contact in the box at pace its a pen 

var would have given it.. so in todays game its a pen .. do i think it is .. no , not a f****** chance 

but tbh im asking questions about everything we did that lead to it

so preventable 

I was talking about the one one NML.  I agree with you.  Theirs was a pen, ours wasn't 

6 minutes ago, NottsRam77 said:

The guy played the ball first .. the give away is the ball shot off ti the edge of the penalty area before nml went down 

It wasn't even close to being a penalty.  

Derby 3 - 1  Wycombe

FRGS.  Sibley

55 minutes ago, CongletonRam said:

I stand by what I said. Nitpicking semantics over his interviews  and now developing victim complexes about the ''abuse' is pathetic.

It's also unfair and bordering on bullying.

Your lack of self-awareness is staggering.   

2 hours ago, Comrade 86 said:

They're completely different players so comparing goal output is an irrelevant distraction. Both lads are highly talented, they just do different things. 

Cheers for that. I'll remember to consult you before I offer an opinion in future.  

1 hour ago, Tamworthram said:

I agree that Sibley can’t be criticised for taking the shot on mainly because he scored of course but also because he didn’t have the benefit of slo mo and freeze frame. However, I disagree with your opinion of Bird’s position or the likelihood of scoring. IF Sibley had got the pass right (just in front of Bird for him to run on to) and played it early enough then Bird would have been through with just the keeper to beat. The defender was too far out and would not have closed the gap if the pass had been played early enough. Also, if Bird had “bombed forward” then he would either have been offside or it would have been difficult for Sibley to play it in front of him, and get it around their number 5, without it being too close to the keeper.

All if’s but’s and maybe’s. The important thing is the outcome was a good one.

And he'd have still contrived to miss.  I'm never going to criticise Sibley for being selfish by taking a shot on rather than passing to Bird.  Look at their respective goal returns.  Despite a lack of minutes Sibley is always able to find the net and score important goals.  Bird is the polar opposite.

1 hour ago, RadioactiveWaste said:

 

Pretty much exactly what Warne said after the Stevenage game I'd imagine.

Also think anyone in football who goes on twitter / forums to see what people are saying about them is on an absolute hiding to nothing and no good can come of it.

3 minutes ago, Tamworthram said:

Assuming that to be true then both the player in question and the friend strike me as a little naive to think a) the fans that had tweaked the friend necessary represent the majority of fans and b) the fans of the club in question are really any different to the vast majority of fans of all clubs. I feel confident that every club in the country/world have their fair share of trolls and keyboard warriors. 

Was just about to type the very same.  Surely the player will know that every club has idiot fans and good fans? Would be insane to turn a move down on the circumstances described above.

Orient 1 - 2 Rams

FRGS - Collins.

Rams 1 Fleetwood 0

John Jules 

15 hours ago, jono said:

No. We were relegated because we had points deducted. We weren’t relegated because we didn’t win enough games/get enough points. 

We'd have been relegated the season before had it not been for Wednesdays points deduction.  

Swear to god people are pretending to not get how our xG can be low and their keeper can still be their man of the match ( not ours, theirs).  

Port vale 1 - 2 Rams

FRGS.  Collins

Why do we always look like this after an international break?  Same every time.