(04-10-2019, 08:06 AM)Mcforest Wrote: I like SL and i really like the 4-1-4-1 formation we play even though when i first saw it on paper i was like seems very defensive. But  the room it gives for players to build and the move ball to go forward quickly i love it. I've actually nicked it for the academy teams i run up here. Its so much simpler to explain and players to understand roles than a 4-3-3 we had been teaching them for when they move up.

(03-10-2019, 02:06 PM)Alf Wrote:

(03-10-2019, 08:23 AM)Sabricadabra Wrote:

(02-10-2019, 10:56 AM)MAlf Wrote: Lamouchi is brilliant. What he is doing is working - look at the league table and fact that we're smashing top sides away from home.

What he is doing, is building a core of together players who are ready-now for this league. Dawson, Worrall, Cash, Watson, Sow, Lolley, Grabban. The likes of Yacob & Milo, two players who were nowhere to be seen under MON (a man who values attitude) have no place in a team which is designed to be just that - a team.

What Mouch does lack though is genuine 2nd choice options. Our recruitment this year has, IMO, been largely "make-do". Again. For me Sow & Adomah are the only real genuine quality outfield additions (Samba's been a great buy, but GK-ing is a different kettle of fish, plus the timing of his arrival & origin make me wonder if Mouch recomended him anyway. Speculatory or course). Ribero's been a good buy too, nowt spectacular but a good player in that position.

However, that leaves us with........

Muric - Crap. Sorry, but an awful aquisition. A kid nowhere near ready for the task in hand, in an area which we have a ton of depth, and better, already here. Not ready for Champ promotion.
Ameobi - 3rd choice wildcard. Yeah a decent free, but you're not gonna get promoted playing him every week. He's a bit like Tyson under Billy. The fact that it was a choice between him & Lolley to cover the ACM position last night shows how thin our attacking options are. Wouldn't get into any other top 6 side.
Jenks - Might be great, but has a history or injuries & has so far carried that trend on here.
Chema - Unknown as of yet.
Bostock - Unfit. Not sure that time invested in developing him wouldn't be time better invested in someone like Yates instead. Not yet ready for Champ promotion.
Semedo - Inconsistant. Still clearly needs lots of work, and not a player I'd like to have playing every week. We really look vulnerable when he plays. Again, not a Champ promotion ready player, and again a loan, so why invest time in him?
Silva - Another inconsistant player not ready to play week-in, week-out at this level. Definitely has quality, but is often as bad in equal measure. For me he's a bench option when we need to rely on set peices more. But again, he's not someone who I think would feature much in any other top 6 side.
Mir - Another loan, another player in need of development, and again another one for the "Not ready for Champ promotion" label.

Despite a handful of really good signings, the squad is still severely lacking in quality in depth. We've simply signed too many players who require significant development before being fully up to speed. The fact that Mouch had to start Adomah up top against Arsenal & play both Ameobi & Lolley in ACM last night to me shows how short Mouch is of genuine options.

There were a lot of fans picking holes in our recruitment policy per-season, and that to me has been proven right. We've chanced our arm on gambles, instead of going for proven quality. It's no coincidence that our best attacking option was a player who finished in the top 6 last year in Adomah.

TLDR: I don't think Mouch did much wrong last night. I think his options are very limited, and that any failings this season so far fall at the feet of those recruiting players at the club, not the manager.

I think we can wing it until Jan, and that Lamouchi will keep developing these players, but if fingers for points dropped are getting pointed they should largely be pointed at Modesto & the board, not Lamouchi.

I disagree with most of this.

We are two points off the top after ten games, yet summer recruitment was poor. What?

Other than in attack we have very good squad depth. Look how our second XI destroyed Derby’s second XI.
Recruitment has been very good, if not perfect.
No club has perfect recruitment, it is a hit/miss game.

Some fans expect perfection and make a habit of criticising the club regardless, but recruitment has greatly improved since EM took over as evidenced by the improvement in League position year on year.

Not poor, just the area where we can improve.

Two points off top after 10 games? With these players making the most game time:

Worrall 900min
Grabban 900min
Watson 860min
Daws 754min
Robinson 720min
Cash 703min
Lolley 693min

ALL of the top 7 players already at the club from pervious seasons.

Fans have a habit of seeing areas where we can improve as criticism. I'm not unhappy with recruitment, I just think it's the area we need to improve on come Jan, and that the squad is still short of key additions.

(02-10-2019, 10:27 AM)Paplane Wrote:

(02-10-2019, 08:35 AM)Duncan Mckenzie Wrote: Sabri Lamouchi ''We do not accept losing.”

Love it!

Be interesting to see him losing his S**t when we do lose a game. We've not seen Angry Sabri yet.

(04-10-2019, 09:52 PM)wassy04 Wrote: I want to join this debate, I thought we did well this summer when compared to previous. We’ve signed 4 players who look like they could make a real impact in a promotion battle (I’m including ameobi). Samba and Sow are two of the best signings we’ve made in years too.

i agree on Silva, set piece delivery is not enough. Semedo is just a kid and will be up and down, this is his first season playing regularly. No problem with using him in a rotation, he will improve.

Of the rest Mir looks average and we’ve barely seen the rest (thought chema looked decent v stoke)

So in conclusions thats 4 very good signings, a couple of solid ones and a few misses. I would always air those odds, we normally get 0 good signings!

(05-10-2019, 11:24 AM)Frochy1977 Wrote: Alf, you are very very demanding, I think you should take one step back. You are craving something that does not exist at any football club and that is squad perfection. There will always be good and not so good signings at every football club in the land. Some players lose form, some get injured, some get personal problems, some can't settle, some don't fit into a certain formaton. No squad will ever be 100% perfect.

(05-10-2019, 10:46 AM)Username Wrote: The most important part of this run has arguably been the signing of Samba.

(05-10-2019, 07:35 PM)woody Wrote:

(05-10-2019, 10:46 AM)Username Wrote: The most important part of this run has arguably been the signing of Samba.

Couldnt agree with you more.

Dont know is you are old enough Username but there were a few eyebrows rasied when Clough signed Peter Shilton for 270K. A fortune for a goalie back then but anyone whoever watched the Reds back then would tell you the just how many points he saved each season. Not only that but a good keeper will bring out the best in his defenders too.