Louie Sibley

[Ghost of Clough]

A much more rounded performance from Sibley.

He was willing to put the defensive work in: blocked one near the goal line; tracked back to provide Buchanan more protection than he received all game; but also didn't dive in to give away any fouls.

Still comfortable trying to progress up the field with the ball at his feet, but willing to pass (to King Kazim) rather than shooting.

Competed for the ball in the air a few times, including one he flicked on leading to our goal.

 

However, he still needs to get involved in general play a bit more. Most wingers struggle to get on the ball but it's more extreme with Sibley. The likes of Lawrence will be on the ball 40 times or so during the full 90. Whereas Sibley would only be at the 20 mark. There's a naivety at the moment where every time he gets the ball, he feels it's his just to dribble the ball forward. He needs to learn to use his teammates, which would create more space for him up the field.

 

Did enough to earn a start vs Cardiff.

[Curtains]

Very good when he came on.

Liked what I saw so maybe he will be very effective for us now. 

[DarkFruitsRam7]

Sibley is probably the player most similar to the teenage Wayne Rooney in our squad. He'll get his chance.

Edited February 27, 2021 by DarkFruitsRam7

[DavesaRam]

It is interesting that we only really threatened Forest for the last 10 minutes or so, i.e. after Sibley had come on, and, curiously, after Waghorn had gone off. One wonders if we had started the match the way we finished it what scoreline we could have achieved? For me, there has been a lot of talk about there not being room in this team for Sibley. Well actually, there is. It is the place occupied by Waghorn. ? And no, we shouldn't be keeping Waggy in for his free kicks, because they have been poor for several matches. And his last corner hit the side netting at a height of about 2 feet. Time to make way for the Sibbers!

[RadioactiveWaste]

He did well on Friday.

I suspect after a lot of just going up and up as a young player this is the first time he's really had to fight to get in a side and with a manager who needs more from him than his talent and agression. If he works hard at doing the right things, he'll start to flourish.

[angieram]

Okay. It's a year ago today since he burst onto the first team scene with "that goal". 

Next game he scored a hat-trick against Millwall.

Since then his form has dipped, he has been played out of position or used as an impact sub (which he definitely isn't. )

His reputation as a red card waiting to happen has grown despite any actual evidence to back this up.

He is that creative midfielder we are all craving for but he just cannot hold a place down in the team. Seems strange when of all the players that match Rooney's profile, Louie is the one. Why hasn't he been able to harness and unleash his talent? 

What has happened? Bad management? Poor training profile? Bad attitude? Too pragmatic team selection? 

I dread seeing Louie sold off and becoming a big creative player at another club.

Who can solve the enigma that is Louie Sibley? 

[Sparkle]

1 minute ago, angieram said:

Okay. It's a year ago today since he burst onto the first team scene with "that goal". 

Next game he scored a hat-trick against Millwall.

Since then his form has dipped, he has been played out of position or used as an impact sub (which he definitely isn't. )

His reputation as a red card waiting to happen has grown despite any actual evidence to back this up.

He is that creative midfielder we are all craving for but he just cannot hold a place down in the team. Seems strange when of all the players that match Rooney's profile, Louie is the one. Why hasn't he been able to harness and unleash his talent? 

What has happened? Bad management? Poor training profile? Bad attitude? Too pragmatic team selection? 

I dread seeing Louie sold off and becoming a big creative player at another club.

Who can solve the enigma that is Louie Sibley? 

Pragmatic team selection probably covers it but for me I understand why he isn’t a regular starter but I want him starting games because he runs at teams and shoots and we need that rather than running across outside the penalty area.

[RamNut]

Put him in the team , attacking central midfield, and he’ll come good.

his head must be a mess. So far all the current management are doing is destroying his confidence.

[superzak]

Played full game for the u23s against Liverpool 

[VulcanRam]

5 minutes ago, RamNut said:

Put him in the team , attacking central midfield, and he’ll come good.

his head must be a mess. So far all the current management are doing is destroying his confidence.

I'm not sure whether its the management destroying his confidence; he's hardly been playing that well this season and nothing about his performances have demanded that he plays. Rooney will see whether on the training ground he is doing what he's being asked to do, and the answer is presumably not because let's face it, the midfield isn't really functioning atm and Rooney is happy to make changes so there's always places up for grabs.

You might as well start him on Wednesday given our lack of attacking guile or threat of late. Rooney has intimated it's his lack of discipline that's the reason he's fallen out of favour but seeing as the whole team is lacking discipline at the moment he's hardly alone. 

Quite like the idea of a diamond midfield with him at the tip and Shinnie at the base, and then two of Waghorn, Joswiak and Roberts, with CKR and Gregory up front. But that might well negate Byrne, who's our best crosser of a ball, and whoever is playing left FB.

Also it depends on whether Rooney wants to play Watson - I can't see both getting the nod. 

[cheron85]

25 minutes ago, angieram said:

Okay. It's a year ago today since he burst onto the first team scene with "that goal". 

Next game he scored a hat-trick against Millwall.

Since then his form has dipped, he has been played out of position or used as an impact sub (which he definitely isn't. )

His reputation as a red card waiting to happen has grown despite any actual evidence to back this up.

He is that creative midfielder we are all craving for but he just cannot hold a place down in the team. Seems strange when of all the players that match Rooney's profile, Louie is the one. Why hasn't he been able to harness and unleash his talent? 

What has happened? Bad management? Poor training profile? Bad attitude? Too pragmatic team selection? 

I dread seeing Louie sold off and becoming a big creative player at another club.

Who can solve the enigma that is Louie Sibley? 

Oddly I was discussing this with the old man the other day

I don't think he's dipped as such - He's just being asked to become a more 'grown up' player

When he burst on to the scene he was lively, intriguing and a bit magic - But mostly floated around doing whatever he wanted - More than Hughes ever did he drifted in and out of the game - Yes, you got those moments of magic but he wasn't as involved in the rest of play

Now, that's great when you have a team around you capable of supporting that - But this season we haven't and Rooney has show that he values every player contributing to every element on attack and (more importantly) defence - I think that's something which Sibley is working hard to address and getting used to - Much the same as Jozwiak it's an element which detracts from their natural game but will benefit them (and us) in the long run

I think give it another year under Rooney (and Macca?) and we could slot Sibley into a deeper number 8 (ish) role like Hughes used to play and he'll be a proper all round central midfielder

[Dimmu]

30 minutes ago, angieram said:

Okay. It's a year ago today since he burst onto the first team scene with "that goal". 

Next game he scored a hat-trick against Millwall.

Since then his form has dipped, he has been played out of position or used as an impact sub (which he definitely isn't. )

His reputation as a red card waiting to happen has grown despite any actual evidence to back this up.

He is that creative midfielder we are all craving for but he just cannot hold a place down in the team. Seems strange when of all the players that match Rooney's profile, Louie is the one. Why hasn't he been able to harness and unleash his talent? 

What has happened? Bad management? Poor training profile? Bad attitude? Too pragmatic team selection? 

I dread seeing Louie sold off and becoming a big creative player at another club.

Who can solve the enigma that is Louie Sibley? 

I don't think there's a massive enigma here. Sibley is very attacking number 10 and there's no place for such player in our squad. I still do think he could be re-educated as a winger, but I'd rather see him on the right than left. 

I think our caoching team has got this one wrong. 

[Bald Eagle's Barmy Army]

This time last year most people were saying build the team around Sibley. This year we've swapped and changed formations that many times, yet Rooney still can't get him in the team. 

He's one of the most direct forward playing players that we have at the club (something Rooney keeps saying that we're lacking) and the only one that consistently wants to have a shot on target.

Let him get a red card, at least he shows some fight in his belly whenever he puts the shirt on. 

At the moment for me, it looks like bad management with a very promising player. 

[angieram]

But I don't want to see him on the wing I want to see us play through midfield with some attacking intent. It says more about the way we are set up than anything, no place for an attacking midfielder in our team! 

And as for him not showing it in training, I am sure the current players aren't being coached to be so negative on the pitch but they keep doing it and aren't being dropped.

Personally I would like us to take the hand brake off and start playing to win. This solid defensive approach is hardly working lately and you can just see the confidence draining out of all the players, not just Louie.

[Parsnip]

If we were any other team, off the back of that Millwall hat-trick I'd have said put him in as #10 and build the team around him. 

But this is Derby. So like we did with Will Hughes he needs converting to a defensive midfielder. In fact I'd put him in at DM alongside Louie Watson - tell them both to sit and hold and try and get some clean sheets. I reckon that should give them both the right message and @RamNut can stop putting his childish "forward" arrows in front of players on his team sheets. 

These lads can save their "creativity" for when they get a move. Just like Will did.

[CBRammette]

15 minutes ago, angieram said:

But I don't want to see him on the wing I want to see us play through midfield with some attacking intent. It says more about the way we are set up than anything, no place for an attacking midfielder in our team! 

And as for him not showing it in training, I am sure the current players aren't being coached to be so negative on the pitch but they keep doing it and aren't being dropped.

Personally I would like us to take the hand brake off and start playing to win. This solid defensive approach is hardly working lately and you can just see the confidence draining out of all the players, not just Louie.

Totally agree with this

[Anag Ram]

11 minutes ago, angieram said:

But I don't want to see him on the wing I want to see us play through midfield with some attacking intent. It says more about the way we are set up than anything, no place for an attacking midfielder in our team! 

And as for him not showing it in training, I am sure the current players aren't being coached to be so negative on the pitch but they keep doing it and aren't being dropped.

Personally I would like us to take the hand brake off and start playing to win. This solid defensive approach is hardly working lately and you can just see the confidence draining out of all the players, not just Louie.

Yes indeed. 

For a while we scraped through with battling displays from our defence and midfield. 

Now our defence is looking shaky and our midfield has run out of puff. 

It's time to play the footballers in the squad. Players who are keen to receive the ball and who can find a pass. Players who are not afraid to shoot. 

I'm afraid for all their many attributes Knight and Bird are not going to bring you goals. Even Shinnie has the occasional shot so I would have him as the battler. 

Watson can be alongside him and Sibley just in front of them where he will be best placed to gather, run and shoot. 

Upfront I would give Roberts more chances and more support. He is made to look less effective because he darts inside and sees only blank faces and stationary bodies. 

I would also (tin hat) play Gregory over CKR for a bit. Because we have big Colin, we lump it. We are at our best when we play on the ground. 

We need Lawrence back to run at the opposition, even though that comes to nothing so often. 

My team would concede but would also be more entertaining and likely to win. 

[angieram]

19 minutes ago, Anag Ram said:

Yes indeed. 

For a while we scraped through with battling displays from our defence and midfield. 

Now our defence is looking shaky and our midfield has run out of puff. 

It's time to play the footballers in the squad. Players who are keen to receive the ball and who can find a pass. Players who are not afraid to shoot. 

I'm afraid for all their many attributes Knight and Bird are not going to bring you goals. Even Shinnie has the occasional shot so I would have him as the battler. 

Watson can be alongside him and Sibley just in front of them where he will be best placed to gather, run and shoot. 

Upfront I would give Roberts more chances and more support. He is made to look less effective because he darts inside and sees only blank faces and stationary bodies. 

I would also (tin hat) play Gregory over CKR for a bit. Because we have big Colin, we lump it. We are at our best when we play on the ground. 

We need Lawrence back to run at the opposition, even though that comes to nothing so often. 

My team would concede but would also be more entertaining and likely to win. 

Agree with all of that except the CKR bit! I think he can be the pivot for all that creativity. 

[Anag Ram]

2 minutes ago, angieram said:

Agree with all of that except the CKR bit! I think he can be the pivot for all that creativity. 

He can, but I think Gregory is more likely to get on the end of a cross. 

I'd keep CKR on the touchline, feeding him raw meat and goading him to prove himself. 

We saw one naughty foul on Saturday then he disappeared. 

Anyway it's all about opinions! ?

[Dethorn]

I think we look more positive with him - I think his impact in causing the Birmingham errors was massive

I also reckon he could play in 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-2 either as the CAM or the second striker playing off CKR

But I would struggle to get him in 4-3-3 unless you stick him out on the wing

The issue I think Wayne has is who to drop - the Shinnie, Knight, Bielik axis provided us with the solidity to get out of the relegation zone and since the injury he has tried to replicate this rather than rip it all up and start again.

Not sure I blame him to be honest, but I think Sibley is a special case and should be treated as such - even if he is not fitting into current plans try and give 20 minutes here and there to keep up confidence and development - got to be good for all involved