Connor Sammon > Nick Blackman

[SillyBilly]

19 hours ago, RamDon said:

2 April - 10 minutes against Cardiff 

12 March - 14 minutes against Rotherham 

8 March - 11 minutes against QPR

5 March - last start

So...prior to today's 13 (from memory) or so minutes, the bloke's been on the pitch for 35 minutes in 46 days. He's not practiced at it either (unlike Bent).

There's precisely the reason why his reactions are slow atm. As someone has already said, it was a bad move for Blackman.

Never really bought this match sharpness talk as an explanation for not being able to do the basics, trap a ball or pass a ball or score a tap in...because you have not had match time. I accept some time is needed to get back to peak, yard of pace etc. but there is a line I draw somewhere, arbitrary line admittedly but even still, below it IMO. 

[DarkFruitsRam7]

 

[EssendonRam]

2 hours ago, SillyBilly said:

Never really bought this match sharpness talk as an explanation for not being able to do the basics, trap a ball or pass a ball or score a tap in...because you have not had match time. I accept some time is needed to get back to peak, yard of pace etc. but there is a line I draw somewhere, arbitrary line admittedly but even still, below it IMO. 

I would have thought it reasonably uncontroversial TBH. There is match conditioning / fitness and there is match 'sharpness' (was that your phrase or mine? I don't want to bag it if it was mine!)

Match fitness can largely be mimicked by any half-decent training regimen; the exception being the mental toll on players' physical well-being. Match 'sharpness' is not dissimilar in principle. You can practice your skills all you want on the training track - and, indeed, you ought do your utmost to train as you intend to play.

The problem is that it's near impossible to psychologically deceive yourself. Inwardly, you know that you won't cost yourself or your team a match in training. Multiply this by eleven (as there are potentially 11 players in your team with slight variations in how they may respond in certain conditions) and it's easily apparent that, while training is critical, it is no substitute for match preparedness, ie knowing how your teammates may react in certain high pressure situations. Even if the effect is only a moment's hesitation processing how teammate X usually responds to stimulus Y, it could be enough to wrong step you under match conditions. The ball could at your feet but not addressing the ball as you'd have hoped, causing you to second-guess yourself and..well, potentially making you look clumsy and foolish. Precisely as it did today for Blackman but the margin could be that fine.

That, of course, why virtually any manager worth his salt tries to rotate his squad sufficiently to keep the entire squad fine tuned. 

You're right about Darren Bent's ability to just 'switch on' after a break. He's renowned for it precisely because he unusually good at it.

[Alph]

It really wasn't that bad. 

Honest. Watch it again. 

Russell chance was easier. Bryson too. The ball came cleanly to them. They didn't need a touch. The ball was in front of them. 

Totally a nothing issue. 

He's not been good for us. That's it. He's not killed anyone. He's not the reason we're not in the top 2. Nothing. 

Chill 

[FrostedRam]

19 hours ago, Tim Bucktoo said:

Fair play. Just me being thick!

Just watched the highlights. Looks like the flick came from their player, as him and Hughes tangled. 

[North East Ram]

1 hour ago, FrostedRam said:

Just watched the highlights. Looks like the flick came from their player, as him and Hughes tangled. 

So we can say that Hughes is class after all 

[Dimmu]

Blackman is decent player but poor signing.

Comparing him to Sammon is laughable, fish is striker who can't shoot ffs.

[FrostedRam]

31 minutes ago, Tim Bucktoo said:

So we can say that Hughes is class after all 

Nah as a defensive midfielder for the day he should have made a stronger challenge.

???

 

[eddie]

36 minutes ago, FrostedRam said:

Nah as a defensive midfielder for the day he should have made a stronger challenge.

???

 

He'd already been booked.

[FrostedRam]

3 minutes ago, eddie said:

He'd already been booked.

My laughing emojis came out as question marks. I wasn't being serious 

[Warren Hobhead]

23 hours ago, jagerbob said:

If he had as much game time as Olsson has been getting with no proper competition. I am in no doubt he would be as good. Just also to say, Olsson was a mountain today, great at every part of the the game. Showing why we signed him, as opposed to the shower of a defender I saw against Wolves, QPR and Rotherham.

The best post in the thread. Summed up perfectly. Lots on here are so quick to jump on our players if they aren't on top form every game. Butterfield copped for it in his first few games, "not good enough" "waste of money" etc. Johnson had a bad spell and got even more grief to be honest, with suggestions it was part of his contract to start every game. Butterfield came good and it was "who needs Hughes?" and even when the Hull team was announced, Johnson was given right stick on here. He scores a couple and suddenly he's top banana. 

 

Martin was written off after the new year. Chris Martin. Scorer of something like 60 goals for us. Too fat, slow etc. Very few rated Bryson or called for him to return, now he's king. Ince, Keogh, Warnock, Grant, Christie, even George Thorne have all had unfair criticism on here this season. And both managers. I'm no saint, I react at times. But I like to think I'm supportive for the most part. You won't find me slating any player unfairly. Suggesting someone didn't play well, yes, no problem. But some of the bed wetting on here is laughable. And it's Blackman this weekend is it? He fudged a chance, mitigating circumstances, it's not cost us anything. So what? I feel sympathy for him. Not too much, because at the end of the day they are footballers earning silly money and will get another club. But our fans are so quick to judge or turn face. 

 

At this stage of the season we need to be united. In my humble opinion.

[Harry_Forsyth]

Regardless of my earlier views, i do hope the boo's when Blackman came on where aimed at the taking off of Russel not the bringing on of Blackman - personally do hope he gets a start in the 2nd leg with a two up front scenario to either play him on the right of midfield/ up front alongside Martin (the two positions he played at Reading so he can actually have a chance to play in his strongest positions)