The Captain.

[Srg]

3 minutes ago, sage said:

You don't rate Smith?

You should have mentioned this earlier 😀

You didn't read properly did you? I don't rate the combination. If Smith is in the team, fine, but don't play Hourihane. I actually prefer Smith at this stage of their careers, but given the options to replace Hourihane, Smith is the easier option to put on the bench. Trying to play Smith in this pseudo-advanced role doesn't achieve a thing.

[i-Ram]

1 hour ago, angieram said:

Do you think so? I don't think he gives a s*** either way! 

Angela!!
 

[RoyMac5]

2 hours ago, StaffsRam said:

I'm looking forward to the summer when most of the mercenaries will be out of contract. A lot of this is down to how we went about recruitment in the immediate aftermath of the takeover. Granted, a lot of it was through sheer necessity to actually get a squad of players, ANY squad of players, but it's obviously less than ideal.

The only fly in the ointment is the thought of giving Warne another window and a big rebuild. The players HE'S brought in are hardly setting things alight. 

I'm also not thrilled with the transition from the youth teams/academy into the first team. Last night was the perfect example, the chance to play two or three of them. At the very least the chance to bring some of them on in the second half, especially when we should have been trying to desperately chase the game. Instead we brought on Bradley. Comes to something when the best chance these younger players are going to get is to go out on loan rather than being able to force their way into the first team. 

I fully expect to lose Bird and Cashin during the January transfer window. F*** knows who we'll get in to replace them, but I'd wager it'll be older players on last paydays again.

Lol. All that will happen is we'll end up with cheaper worse mercenaries. Why would a young player looking to improve come here? Why would an experienced pro, like say Hourihane come here?

[Ambitious]

Impossible for us to say what kind of captain Hourihane is, without being behind the scenes. The players voted him as captain, presumably because he has shown that leadership behind the scenes. 

I don't think for one minute the players are thinking they would try that 10-15% bit harder was captain over him. It's a lazy argument IMO. 

[oodledoodle]

Good players are sometimes stunted by poor systems. We've seen players improve and deteriorate when we've changed managers. I just don't think Hourihane suits the way we're set up to play. He's given no protection/passing options on the ball, and someone described him as a "turnstile" out of possession. I'd much prefer him to use his passing in midfield, and pop up on the edge of the box more. When he sits deep, and we're being told to bypass midfield, I think he offers us very little.

As for the captaincy, if the players pick him then that's good enough for me. I don't see any other real leaders on the pitch, aside from maybe Nelson.

[Ambitious]

5 hours ago, StaffsRam said:

I'm looking forward to the summer when most of the mercenaries will be out of contract. A lot of this is down to how we went about recruitment in the immediate aftermath of the takeover. Granted, a lot of it was through sheer necessity to actually get a squad of players, ANY squad of players, but it's obviously less than ideal.

The only fly in the ointment is the thought of giving Warne another window and a big rebuild. The players HE'S brought in are hardly setting things alight. 

I'm also not thrilled with the transition from the youth teams/academy into the first team. Last night was the perfect example, the chance to play two or three of them. At the very least the chance to bring some of them on in the second half, especially when we should have been trying to desperately chase the game. Instead we brought on Bradley. Comes to something when the best chance these younger players are going to get is to go out on loan rather than being able to force their way into the first team. 

I fully expect to lose Bird and Cashin during the January transfer window. F*** knows who we'll get in to replace them, but I'd wager it'll be older players on last paydays again.

By mercenaries, you mean players who came through our academy or signed for our club post-administration while still heavily regulated by the EFL... those mercenaries? 

I think that might well be one of the harshest indictments of our current team I can say I've honestly seen. 

[StaffsRam]

3 hours ago, RoyMac5 said:

Lol. All that will happen is we'll end up with cheaper worse mercenaries. Why would a young player looking to improve come here? Why would an experienced pro, like say Hourihane come here?

Kind of hoping that we'd promote from within, especially if we could play some of the youngsters over the rest of the season. Of course that won't happen though, it's Warne.

[StaffsRam]

49 minutes ago, Ambitious said:

By mercenaries, you mean players who came through our academy or signed for our club post-administration while still heavily regulated by the EFL... those mercenaries? 

I think that might well be one of the harshest indictments of our current team I can say I've honestly seen. 

I try not to do anything by halves 🙂

Either way, if they can't consistently put in the effort, bye bye.

[Ram-Alf]

5 hours ago, Old Spalding Ram said:

 

I hope there’s a Baldrick down Pride Park who has a

“cunning plan more cunning than cunning can be”

Nope, But we do have a Bald Pr**k 😉

[Premier ram]

15 hours ago, 1of4 said:

I believe a successful team needs a strong captain. One if not leading by example, has the personality to cajole, bully, encourage his team mates to give of their best, when things are no going right in the game.

 Hourihane's team mates voted for him to be captain but he doesn't seem to be able to do either. Tonight we desperately need that strong captain but one never appeared.

Who from our squad has the right qualities to be the leader and captain, I'm not sure. That problem needs to be resolved by the manager, not by a player's vote.

 

Curtis Nelson

[oodledoodle]

11 hours ago, RoyMac5 said:

Lol. All that will happen is we'll end up with cheaper worse mercenaries. Why would a young player looking to improve come here? Why would an experienced pro, like say Hourihane come here?

Because his alternative was signing for Warne at Rotherham. Glad that worked out for him.

[europia]

21 hours ago, 1of4 said:

I believe a successful team needs a strong captain. One if not leading by example, has the personality to cajole, bully, encourage his team mates to give of their best, when things are no going right in the game.

 Hourihane's team mates voted for him to be captain but he doesn't seem to be able to do either. Tonight we desperately need that strong captain but one never appeared.

Who from our squad has the right qualities to be the leader and captain, I'm not sure. That problem needs to be resolved by the manager, not by a player's vote.

 

It was actually a big mistake by Warne to ask the players to elect the captain. No one knows what might influence the votes. Some players might vote for the guy who they think won't get on their back, some might vote because it's a mate who buys the beers. Very naive of Warne, to actually  assume that all the players would vote with the interests of the club/fans above their own personal interests. A good manager knows who is the best man in the squad for the captains role. 

[Magicman]

Captain Foz 

[DCFC Kicks]

What do captains in football even do apart from coin tosses and being allowed to talk to the ref a bit more? If a players a leader they're going to lead whether they have the armband or not. Bradley, Collins, Forsyth, Bird, Nelson, Smith and Hourihane have all been captains at either this club or another. 

[Chris_Martin]

4 minutes ago, DCFC Kicks said:

What do captains in football even do apart from coin tosses and being allowed to talk to the ref a bit more? If a players a leader they're going to lead whether they have the armband or not. Bradley, Collins, Forsyth, Bird, Nelson, Smith and Hourihane have all been captains at either this club or another. 

go down with the ship?

[RadioactiveWaste]

Just make Keogh the captain.

Neat way of making everyone happy.

 

[sunnyhill60]

16 hours ago, angieram said:

I was talking about Hourihane! 

How did he do in the first Crewe game? He seemed to care a lot and also delivered

[angieram]

7 hours ago, sunnyhill60 said:

How did he do in the first Crewe game? He seemed to care a lot and also delivered

I wasn't there but  I watched on tv and  scored him 6.5, so better than average. Of course, I prefer to be at the game so I can note positioning, work off the ball better, but that was what I picked up from the screen.

I always look at a player's performance on the day from scratch and I have given Hourihane some good scores this season as he has been really committed in some games. As I say, a 7 against Barnsley.

But he has a tendency to put in these below par performances. I was there on Tuesday and I thought he was awful. (He wasn't the only one!)

I expect Warne is as frustrated with his variable performances as I am. 

[MaltRam]

On 15/11/2023 at 09:20, Old Spalding Ram said:

I think you’re spot on there StaffsRam.

I wouldn’t be surprised if both Sibley & Nyambe have got their agents on manoeuvres and as of yet no word on trying to extend John-Jules loan.

I hope there’s a Baldrick down Pride Park who has a

“cunning plan more cunning than cunning can be”

To almost quote Captain Blackadder...

"This is a crisis. A large crisis. In fact, if you got a moment, it's a twelve-storey crisis with a magnificent entrance hall, carpeting throughout, 24-hour portage, and an enormous sign on the roof, saying 'This Is a Large Crisis'. A large crisis requires a large plan. Get me Nigel Clough and a pair of inexpensive Scottish signings."

[1of4]

11 hours ago, sunnyhill60 said:

How did he do in the first Crewe game? He seemed to care a lot and also delivered

In the first Crewe game, I gave him 5.5 and I only scored him that high due to his goal. Up until the final 15 minutes, his performance wasn't much different from his performance in the replay.