05-12-2018, 18:07
Interesting stuff. I wonder what`s going on behind the scenes and how much pressure MA is under from above. It`s the old story; where does the dividing line lie between ‘decisive action’ and ‘panic’? It can be a very blurred line at times.
I`m not really with you, Dev, on the ‘keeper business. Burton is playing okay, Jalal is a useful back-up and defensively I don`t think we have that much of a problem. We aren`t shipping an inordinate number of goals at the moment; it`s at ‘t other end where the problems lie and it`s noticeable that most of the players to be shipped out – apart from those already on the list – are from that end. Long term, you may be right about having a dominant ‘keeper but I really do think that in the short term we have more pressing priorities elsewhere.
Sorry, but I don`t agree at all about Hines being ‘one of our most consistently threatening players’. If he could learn to play more with his head up, so was more aware of what his team-mates are doing and where they`re doing it, he might well be; but he just doesn`t. He plays with his head down, so runs into blind alleys, jinks backwards and forwards, all looks very intricate, but generally goes nowhere and by the time he finally releases the ball the defence are all back in position. In truth, he creates very little; much less than Kiwomya or Shaw, to my thinking. He`s frustrated the hell out of me all season.
As I say, we don`t know what`s going on behind closed doors. MA probably wants to strengthen but can`t until he makes room on the payroll. The fact that Fortuné is deemed to be surplus to requirements comes as no surprise to me – he`s done bugger all all season – but slightly surprised at Reid; he seems to have been getting a bit more effective of late.
Anyway, one more roll of the dice. Whether it works depends, as always, on the quality that we bring and whether they gel together; the current team certainly isn`t.
I`m not really with you, Dev, on the ‘keeper business. Burton is playing okay, Jalal is a useful back-up and defensively I don`t think we have that much of a problem. We aren`t shipping an inordinate number of goals at the moment; it`s at ‘t other end where the problems lie and it`s noticeable that most of the players to be shipped out – apart from those already on the list – are from that end. Long term, you may be right about having a dominant ‘keeper but I really do think that in the short term we have more pressing priorities elsewhere.
Sorry, but I don`t agree at all about Hines being ‘one of our most consistently threatening players’. If he could learn to play more with his head up, so was more aware of what his team-mates are doing and where they`re doing it, he might well be; but he just doesn`t. He plays with his head down, so runs into blind alleys, jinks backwards and forwards, all looks very intricate, but generally goes nowhere and by the time he finally releases the ball the defence are all back in position. In truth, he creates very little; much less than Kiwomya or Shaw, to my thinking. He`s frustrated the hell out of me all season.
As I say, we don`t know what`s going on behind closed doors. MA probably wants to strengthen but can`t until he makes room on the payroll. The fact that Fortuné is deemed to be surplus to requirements comes as no surprise to me – he`s done bugger all all season – but slightly surprised at Reid; he seems to have been getting a bit more effective of late.
Anyway, one more roll of the dice. Whether it works depends, as always, on the quality that we bring and whether they gel together; the current team certainly isn`t.