Pro Warne

[Caerphilly Ram]

31 minutes ago, sage said:

Without wishing to sound pedantic, that isn't somewhere in the middle. Someone was wrong, that was pointed out, you've explained why they were wrong.   

 

26 minutes ago, Comrade 86 said:

That's a long mighty walk from what's his face's claim that, 'we're paying Embleton's wages for the whole season' is the point I was making. 

I know, I was being…erm…diplomatic? 🤷🏻‍♂️ 

[sage]

14 minutes ago, Caerphilly Ram said:

 

I know, I was being…erm…diplomatic? 🤷🏻‍♂️ 

I gave up diplomacy for Lent

 

 

 

Lent 1994 

[Comrade 86]

14 minutes ago, Caerphilly Ram said:

 

I know, I was being…erm…diplomatic? 🤷🏻‍♂️ 

How's that working out for you? 😋

#nogooddeed

[Tyler Durden]

19 minutes ago, TINMANTED said:

plus the arsenal sick note,both were massive gambles,much sooer have taken a gamble on one fit proven striker

Hindsight has 20:20 vision 

[Crewton]

2 hours ago, tomsdubs said:

That's reasonable but looking at our squad we've had a number of lads brought in aren't really performing or constantly injured. Elder injured all the time, JJ injured permanently, Ward always injured it seems. Waghorn looked inspired initially but now struggling. Embleton got totally crocked which was a shame because I rated him. Bradley gets beaten everytime a team hoofs and up and under ball and loses his head at away game home fans.

We need to add in Jan upfront, if Mendez-Laing is out for a while I reckon we'll dip in form as we are massively reliant on him. Is our cautious approach causing us to spend more in the long term?

I'm not impatient for us to be a top Champ side any time soon but I think we should maximise what is in front of us, this league is poor.

And if we splash out on a player and he gets a season/career-ending injury early on (see Thorne, Bielek and others) we're back to Square One and facing a significant financial issue perhaps. I'd be very happy for us to sign a striker in January, but I'd be more than a bit concerned if we started splashing around even "Shaun Barker-sized fees" without reassurance that this was entirely within budget. I'm getting too old to go through 1984/2003/2022-type trauma again!

[tomsdubs]

2 hours ago, Crewton said:

And if we splash out on a player and he gets a season/career-ending injury early on (see Thorne, Bielek and others) we're back to Square One and facing a significant financial issue perhaps. I'd be very happy for us to sign a striker in January, but I'd be more than a bit concerned if we started splashing around even "Shaun Barker-sized fees" without reassurance that this was entirely within budget. I'm getting too old to go through 1984/2003/2022-type trauma again!

I'm not really thinking of mega fees, if there is a good prospect doing the biz in L2 for a nominal fee surely we have to take a look? Good defenders can be found on frees but I see usually good attackers you need to pay up for most of the time.

[Crewton]

9 minutes ago, tomsdubs said:

I'm not really thinking of mega fees, if there is a good prospect doing the biz in L2 for a nominal fee surely we have to take a look? Good defenders can be found on frees but I see usually good attackers you need to pay up for most of the time.

I think if they're a good prospect, even a L2 club is going to want more than a nominal fee which, at this current time, we may not be able to pay. Obviously, I hope we're looking for bargains all the time, but there are undoubtedly limits on what we can do.

Arthur Cox built his team by selling before buying, and that's probably where we are right now.

[Ghost of Clough]

13 minutes ago, tomsdubs said:

I'm not really thinking of mega fees, if there is a good prospect doing the biz in L2 for a nominal fee surely we have to take a look? Good defenders can be found on frees but I see usually good attackers you need to pay up for most of the time.

Excluding players on loan from PL and Championship clubs, these are some of the best young players in League 2...

Sam Stubbs - 24 year old CB at Bradford. Son of Alan Stubbs. Aerially dominant, but a bit slow and not the best passer. Out of contract at the end of the season.

Jayden Fevrier - 20 year old wing back at Colchester. 1 goal and 6 assists in 18 games this season.

Dan Kemp - 24 year old AM at Swindon on loan from MK Dons. 11 goals and 5 assists in 18 games.

Ali Al Hamadi - 21 year old CF at Wimbledon. Had a short trial with our U21s 2 years ago. 6 goals and 5 assists in 17 games this season.

Freddie Draper - 19 year old CF at Walsall on loan from Lincoln. Previously in our academy, but has 8 goals and 2 assists in 14 games

Isaac Olaofe - 23 year old CF at Stockport. 12 goals and 2 assists in 19 games.

Jake Young - 22 year old CF at Swindon on loan from Bradford. 12 goals and 4 assists in 17 games.

[tomsdubs]

3 hours ago, Ghost of Clough said:

Excluding players on loan from PL and Championship clubs, these are some of the best young players in League 2...

Sam Stubbs - 24 year old CB at Bradford. Son of Alan Stubbs. Aerially dominant, but a bit slow and not the best passer. Out of contract at the end of the season.

Jayden Fevrier - 20 year old wing back at Colchester. 1 goal and 6 assists in 18 games this season.

Dan Kemp - 24 year old AM at Swindon on loan from MK Dons. 11 goals and 5 assists in 18 games.

Ali Al Hamadi - 21 year old CF at Wimbledon. Had a short trial with our U21s 2 years ago. 6 goals and 5 assists in 17 games this season.

Freddie Draper - 19 year old CF at Walsall on loan from Lincoln. Previously in our academy, but has 8 goals and 2 assists in 14 games

Isaac Olaofe - 23 year old CF at Stockport. 12 goals and 2 assists in 19 games.

Jake Young - 22 year old CF at Swindon on loan from Bradford. 12 goals and 4 assists in 17 games.

I just watched some recent highlights with Olaofe in, all rounder with a good touch. Little bit raw but with coaching could turn into a decent player. Holds it up well.

Saw we've been linked with Al Hamadi, seems like a more polished player on the stuff i've watched.

Kemp scores and Young gets 4 in one game against Crawley, both look pretty tidy player but they aren't very tall so might be limited in a Warne side.

Personally though I think we need at least another winger to support ML and Barks, losing Embleton left us massively reliant on those two to perform every game. Luckily Wilson has stepped up lately.

[i-Ram]

I still, and probably always will, struggle with Warne. I am of course pleased we have had two good league wins in a row, and that we are now on the edge of the playoffs, but it has been a disjointed affair season to date. Hopefully we will continue to gain ground on Pompey and Oxford as we reach the turn of the year, playing football which involves our midfield rather than hitting it hopefully down the channels. Neither of those teams have better squads than ours imho and I am frustrated that we are some distance behind them. Anything less than automatic promotion will be a failure this season (given the strength of the league) and I am concerned whether we might be able to hold onto Cashin and Bird in January. Victories against the Gas and Vale would be wonderful. COYR!!

[Ghost of Clough]

47 minutes ago, tomsdubs said:

I just watched some recent highlights with Olaofe in, all rounder with a good touch. Little bit raw but with coaching could turn into a decent player. Holds it up well.

Saw we've been linked with Al Hamadi, seems like a more polished player on the stuff i've watched.

Kemp scores and Young gets 4 in one game against Crawley, both look pretty tidy player but they aren't very tall so might be limited in a Warne side.

Personally though I think we need at least another winger to support ML and Barks, losing Embleton left us massively reliant on those two to perform every game. Luckily Wilson has stepped up lately.

Embleton was signed to play as an AM, so I'd be surprised if we don't sign another in January. Few players in L2 have more shots and create more chances than Kemp, so he's definitely someone I would be looking at depending on cost and ending his loan early.

Al Hamadi is one of those few players with a higher attacking contribution. However, CFs with a high creative output, especially young ones, will be in high demand.

As for wingers, I'd still be trying to get Demetri Mitchell from Exeter. He should be available fairly cheaply with his contract expiring in the summer. Same level of attacking output as Mendez-Laing, but in a struggling Exeter side. He'll also slot into the LWB role when we inevitably s*** to 3 at the back again.

[Jayram]

16 hours ago, Jram said:

I think what is happening is exactly what some sensible forum members have been saying for weeks- injury crisis over and we’ve started to get some luck and take chances and now, shock horror, we’re winning games 

I don’t doubt we’ll go on another bad run at some point this season which is why Warne says he never gets too up or down after a win/defeat 

Nothing to do with luck or the injury crisis, more the style of football has changed from tedious hoofball to actually playing some of it through midfield and on the ground because our manager finally understands that his style alone was getting us nowhere. Credit to him for adapting though; I enjoyed the match on Saturday - that’s the first time I’ve been able to say that since Blackpool. Long may it continue.
 

[On the Ram Page]

47 minutes ago, Jayram said:

Nothing to do with luck or the injury crisis, more the style of football has changed from tedious hoofball to actually playing some of it through midfield and on the ground because our manager finally understands that his style alone was getting us nowhere. Credit to him for adapting though; I enjoyed the match on Saturday - that’s the first time I’ve been able to say that since Blackpool. Long may it continue.
 

Our style of football has not changed. Warne goofball is a figment of the imagination of those who want him out and others have just jumped on the bandwagon. It’s just the players are passing the ball better, moving into spaces to receive passes and are playing with more confidence. Of course injuries have also had a dramatic affect, anyone who doesn’t believe so, in my opinion is deluded.

[angieram]

I've seen a few comments about the style of football changing, maybe so in the last few games. Ironically on Saturday we scored from a penalty given when a ball was crossed into the box from wide, and two long punts forward by the goalie that completely bypassed midfield. Not much passing on the floor in those three examples but all very effective. 

[Archied]

11 minutes ago, angieram said:

I've seen a few comments about the style of football changing, maybe so in the last few games. Ironically on Saturday we scored from a penalty given when a ball was crossed into the box from wide, and two long punts forward by the goalie that completely bypassed midfield. Not much passing on the floor in those three examples but all very effective. 

Spot on angie , truth is you have to be able to mix it up and then that comes down to the players when they cross the line , for me this Saturday was all about the team being organised and playing as a unit , the best I’ve seen this season , maybe that’s down to players starting to gel , perhaps warne and the coaches wernt managing to drill stuff into them well enough up till now , who knows , but if Saturday was warne ball then I’m fine with it , it was less gung ho with less massive gaps and space when we lost the ball , a patient and determined performance 🤷🏻‍♂️

Edited November 13, 2023 by Archied

[Jram]

1 hour ago, Jayram said:

Nothing to do with luck or the injury crisis, more the style of football has changed from tedious hoofball to actually playing some of it through midfield and on the ground because our manager finally understands that his style alone was getting us nowhere. Credit to him for adapting though; I enjoyed the match on Saturday - that’s the first time I’ve been able to say that since Blackpool. Long may it continue.
 

Eh? Did you see the goals on Saturday? Penalty from being fouled from a cross and two long balls from the keeper headed on 

Hardly slide rule, eye of the needle stuff 

[Jubbs]

9 hours ago, Ghost of Clough said:

so I'd be surprised if we don't sign another in January.

Hopefully Warne gets on the phone to Villa asking for Kellyman for the rest of the season.

[Crewton]

I'm pretty sure that during the times under McClaren, Clement and even Lampard, whenever we struggled against mass defences, fans would bemoan that we had "no Plan B". Now that we seemingly have the ability to play in different ways and formations (with increasing success perhaps?), fans bemoan that we don't have a clear identity or style? I've always thought that ideally, while a preferred style of play gives that clear identity, having multiple styles and formations that the team can effectively switch between was the best of all worlds. If the players (and manager) are becoming more comfortable switching between styles to confound different opponents, that surely has to be a good thing?

[Sheff Ram]

11 hours ago, i-Ram said:

I still, and probably always will, struggle with Warne. I am of course pleased we have had two good league wins in a row, and that we are now on the edge of the playoffs, but it has been a disjointed affair season to date. Hopefully we will continue to gain ground on Pompey and Oxford as we reach the turn of the year, playing football which involves our midfield rather than hitting it hopefully down the channels. Neither of those teams have better squads than ours imho and I am frustrated that we are some distance behind them. Anything less than automatic promotion will be a failure this season (given the strength of the league) and I am concerned whether we might be able to hold onto Cashin and Bird in January. Victories against the Gas and Vale would be wonderful. COYR!!

Promotion via the playoffs would also count as a success! Not good on the nerves, admittedly...

[Van der MoodHoover]

9 hours ago, Crewton said:

I'm pretty sure that during the times under McClaren, Clement and even Lampard, whenever we struggled against mass defences, fans would bemoan that we had "no Plan B". Now that we seemingly have the ability to play in different ways and formations (with increasing success perhaps?), fans bemoan that we don't have a clear identity or style? I've always thought that ideally, while a preferred style of play gives that clear identity, having multiple styles and formations that the team can effectively switch between was the best of all worlds. If the players (and manager) are becoming more comfortable switching between styles to confound different opponents, that surely has to be a good thing?

I think up to this point it would be more accurate to say that we have given a few formations a go without showing much ability to play any of them.

We appear by a process of elimination to have landed on a starting 4231. But we have them had games in which we have swapped it around more than once. Didn't nyambe play 3 or 4 different roles within one half recently?

Somewhere between the McLaren and Warne extremes will do fine 🤙