We need a left back in the mould of Matt Hill who can bomb forward and get back, hopefully like Olosunde at right back. Would like an experienced centre half to partner Patrick, with bit of pace, ala Southgate and a target man to accompany Riis, do you think that's too much to ask for.
This squad
A flat back four with young fullbacks capable of both rolls, defending and attacking
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Matt Hill? Loved the guy, but he was less of an offensive threat than Andrew Hughes.
We keep going on about us being a few players short, but if you watch other Championship games, most teams have 16 and 17 year olds coming on as substitutes. None of our lads even make the bench. We should be giving some of these lads a taste of first team football especially when we clearly have no ambition of promotion.
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No, but it won't happen.
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Perhaps controversial but I dont think our squad is any worse than the majority of Championship sides, we cant compete with the parachute payment clubs.
Towards the end of his managerial stint alex Neil, for whatever reason, couldnt get the best out of the squad. He got potted and suddenly, "Just like that!" McAvoy got them playing well.
Occasionally, this season, he has ,managed to do the same but way too often the players appear to walk out on the pitch with little motivation. I just dont get it because, on our day, we have the ability to compete with the best that this league has to offer.
If there is to be a managerial change then it needs to be a good man motivator. AN appeared to be a disciplinarian wheras FM seems more like the arm around the shoulder type, so what is the answer?
Towards the end of his managerial stint alex Neil, for whatever reason, couldnt get the best out of the squad. He got potted and suddenly, "Just like that!" McAvoy got them playing well.
Occasionally, this season, he has ,managed to do the same but way too often the players appear to walk out on the pitch with little motivation. I just dont get it because, on our day, we have the ability to compete with the best that this league has to offer.
If there is to be a managerial change then it needs to be a good man motivator. AN appeared to be a disciplinarian wheras FM seems more like the arm around the shoulder type, so what is the answer?
I agree, I don't think the squad's bad and I don't get how they can beat Bournemouth one day and lose to Nottingham Forest the next.
Then again, they've been like that since I've lived in Preston, beating Aston Villa one day and losing to Barnsley another 🤔
A size 11 up the arse!
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- Feb 27, 2006
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Out of our 25 man squad we have the nucleus of a team that could actually challenge for a top 6 place in my opinion.
The problem is that if we lose any of that nucleus as we did on Saturday the rest of the squad are really very poor and not good enough to step in.
The problem is that if we lose any of that nucleus as we did on Saturday the rest of the squad are really very poor and not good enough to step in.
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We have too many in the squad who just aren't up to this level, plus others who are being underused as a result of the managers set up.
Why sign Murphy for example then not use him?
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Because we do literally zero tactical preparation before games and just play mini games in training. Occasionally postman’s one tactical system will work.
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I think Murphy’s injured but the only reason to sign him seems to be to give the manager the option to go 4-3-3 as he did on Saturday…..and that only happens when the shit hits the fan.
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Plenty of established first team players were woeful on Saturday, but I think with upgrades on Earl and Maguire, we have the core of a decent mid-table squad.
Iversen is worth more points than any player in the league not named Alexander Mitrovic, Whiteman has been tremendous so far this season and Riis is the first striker we've had capable of scaring the opposition since Garner and Beckford.
DJ and Browne have shown slight improvements on last year's abysmal form, but are still a long way off justifying the large contracts they have been given. Still not sure we are getting enough out of whoever we play in the 10
"Not good enough to step in" is being very kind to certain players. Storey and Lindsay have both shown that they are capable of totally destabilizing the back line and costing us the game when played in the middle of the 3.
I think Potts and Co should have a week on Strickly Come Dancing for preparation and focus, they wouldn't know whats hit them 😉
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Agree.
The league is very even (or poor) this season, bar a couple of teams.
This squad is more than capable of achieving a top 6 spot.
OP
I wouldn't say they're more than capable of top 6, but barring injuries this is a top half squad all day long, who could push for the play offs if things go our way.
But there are two fundamental changes that need to be made immediately if that is to happen.
Need quality back up for BFG.
Thracia
Club Owner, or wingback, depending on your view
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We have a handful of Championship players but squad depth is a puddle.
We let any emergent quality go as soon as they outgrow our ambition, while keeping L1 dross hanging around for years.
We have no systematic plan for quality recruitment, so our long-term project is diminishing returns year-on-year and gradual squad erosion back to L1 levels.
Gameplay has to protect the weakest players, so it's slow-paced and safety-first, focused on winning set pieces and running down the clock.
One game in 4, some of our very few shots-on-target will go in and we'll manage to hang on for the win.
That doesn't get you into the top 6, or even the top half, no matter how subjectively poor the rest of the league is.
We let any emergent quality go as soon as they outgrow our ambition, while keeping L1 dross hanging around for years.
We have no systematic plan for quality recruitment, so our long-term project is diminishing returns year-on-year and gradual squad erosion back to L1 levels.
Gameplay has to protect the weakest players, so it's slow-paced and safety-first, focused on winning set pieces and running down the clock.
One game in 4, some of our very few shots-on-target will go in and we'll manage to hang on for the win.
That doesn't get you into the top 6, or even the top half, no matter how subjectively poor the rest of the league is.
I agree with this, we are like Jekyll and Hyde as a team. I wonder if it’s the culture of the club, in that we are satisfied to be where we are. A couple of results and then relax, we are pulling away from danger but don’t want to get ahead of ourselves either. I say this because it’s not one season or one set of players it’s the same very regularly. I recall Simon Grayson, once we reached safety, out come the flip flops and we would lose 6 on the bounce. The loan players aren’t bothered they are going back to parent clubs. Some of the ones we sign don’t care because they are consistent sick notes, the average players don’t care because they know they will be surplus to requirements if we got near promotion, the good players see what’s going on and get out pdq as per Pearson. It’s been the same for decades bar hitting upon an excellent manager twice both of which were gone sharpish when opportunity arose. We have always been content to paddle rather than to swim. What I would give for a Moysie or a Billy Davies now, just to bring something to look forward to at the club. As it is folk are bored, very bored it’s gone way too stale now.