Trialist & Martin

[Tamworthram]

15 hours ago, goldstar said:

And someone like Dowell is? Hes finding the net regularly, stick him on the pitch! 

He may be finding the net regularly but not at first team level. 

Thanks to free coverage on Rams TV I've watched quite a few U23 and U18 games and the difference in quality (of opposition) and type of football played between those levels and the Championship is massive in my opinion.

[Sparkle]

We actually looked an attacking threat vs Middlesbrough with Martin Marriott up front and Lawrence behind but since then we haven’t bothered doing that which is mind boggling- anyway if we can’t get Marriott on the pitch give someone else a go next to Martin with Lawrence behind 

[goldstar]

5 minutes ago, Tamworthram said:

He may be finding the net regularly but not at first team level. 

Thanks to free coverage on Rams TV I've watched quite a few U23 and U18 games and the difference in quality (of opposition) and type of football played between those levels and the Championship is massive in my opinion.

Totally agree its a different level, but when is the step up when we're in freefall? However, as I've mentioned above, I'm conflicted because how are they meant to show their skill in a team that cant even pass the ball?

This season is so bad I'm arguing with myself. 

[Tamworthram]

Just now, goldstar said:

Totally agree its a different level, but when is the step up when we're in freefall? However, as I've mentioned above, I'm conflicted because how are they meant to show their skill in a team that cant even pass the ball?

This season is so bad I'm arguing with myself. 

I don't know what the answer is but, it feels like blooding too many youngsters and expecting them to make that leap when we're in such a rut is a dangerous thing to do both for the team and the individuals.

I know some will say they can't do any worse but it feels like a high risk strategy. 

 

[Wolfie20]

12 minutes ago, Sparkle said:

We actually looked an attacking threat vs Middlesbrough with Martin Marriott up front and Lawrence behind but since then we haven’t bothered doing that which is mind boggling- anyway if we can’t get Marriott on the pitch give someone else a go next to Martin with Lawrence behind 

Agree we should have persevered with Martin and Marriott upfront with Lawrence in behind them but the constant niggling injuries to Marriott have been a major concern for me.

Also it's not as simple as those 3 playing together - the 3 behind them are crucial and here again frequent absences through injury to Bielik and Shinnie has meant far too much of the onus for providing the supply has been down to Holmes. I like his energy and enthusiasm but his final pass isn't consistently good enough for him to be the main source of creativity from midfield.

[May Contain Nuts]

2 hours ago, Sparkle said:

We actually looked an attacking threat vs Middlesbrough with Martin Marriott up front and Lawrence behind but since then we haven’t bothered doing that which is mind boggling- anyway if we can’t get Marriott on the pitch give someone else a go next to Martin with Lawrence behind 

We looked a threat against the 10 men of an awful Boro team, yeah. Did we look a genuine attacking threat playing that way against Forest? (I don't know, I haven't seen a second of that match but I didn't get the impression we were particularly dangerous from reading the thread). Whatever the case, we didn't score.

We dropped Marriott for the Preston home game, a match in which the first half performance was described by some as "the best football we've played in years"

It only really worked once, and that was in a team which included Matt Clarke, Graeme Shinnie & Kristian Bielik. The latter 2 are players who make us tick in the middle of the park (well, more so than Evans, Holmes & Knight) - do people really want to play a diamond midfield without them?

Sure, maybe "Martin & Marriott with Lawrence in behind" could be something for the future, and it's true that we chose not to play them together again even when all 3 players were available for selection (although who knows how their fitness levels were) but the idea that we simply didn't bother doing it again is simplifying it too much when what's behind them wasn't.

Oh and that's before we get to the matter of Tom Lawrence as a No. 10 and the idea that he's suddenly going to come to life and be a consistent performer just because he's in the middle of the pitch. It's simply not going to happen!

He's scored a few goals when played there, yes, but that's the best you can hope for. A goal every 10 games or so, no link-up play, constantly giving the ball away (easily pushed off it, terrible basic passing) no awareness of his teammates, constantly giving away free kicks from petulant fouls and pushes.

The bloke's a detriment to the team in so many ways and exactly the opposite to what you want in a position that's supposed to link everything together. A couple of good performances here and there doesn't change anything.

[Sparkle]

3 hours ago, Coconut said:

We looked a threat against the 10 men of an awful Boro team, yeah. Did we look a genuine attacking threat playing that way against Forest? (I don't know, I haven't seen a second of that match but I didn't get the impression we were particularly dangerous from reading the thread). Whatever the case, we didn't score.

We dropped Marriott for the Preston home game, a match in which the first half performance was described by some as "the best football we've played in years"

It only really worked once, and that was in a team which included Matt Clarke, Graeme Shinnie & Kristian Bielik. The latter 2 are players who make us tick in the middle of the park (well, more so than Evans, Holmes & Knight) - do people really want to play a diamond midfield without them?

Sure, maybe "Martin & Marriott with Lawrence in behind" could be something for the future, and it's true that we chose not to play them together again even when all 3 players were available for selection (although who knows how their fitness levels were) but the idea that we simply didn't bother doing it again is simplifying it too much when what's behind them wasn't.

Oh and that's before we get to the matter of Tom Lawrence as a No. 10 and the idea that he's suddenly going to come to life and be a consistent performer just because he's in the middle of the pitch. It's simply not going to happen!

He's scored a few goals when played there, yes, but that's the best you can hope for. A goal every 10 games or so, no link-up play, constantly giving the ball away (easily pushed off it, terrible basic passing) no awareness of his teammates, constantly giving away free kicks from petulant fouls and pushes.

The bloke's a detriment to the team in so many ways and exactly the opposite to what you want in a position that's supposed to link everything together. A couple of good performances here and there doesn't change anything.

I am not disagreeing with any of that Preston was our best 45 mins this season and against forest Marriott Martin and Lawrence all had major chances as did Waghorn ( should not have lost that one) 

in terms of Lawrence I am in the camp of selling him to get some decent finance but currently he is one of the few hopes we have of scoring a goal and in my mind I don’t think he has improved himself or us since he has been here