The Season so far

[Sammy Chung was King]

The first Five League games we started with a record of
P  W  D  L   F   A  PTS  Possible    Cup  P   W  D   L   F   A
5   2  1  2   6   6   7    15                    2    2   0  0   3   1

Last Ten League games
P   W   D   L  F  A  PTS  Possible    Cup  P  W  D  L  F  A
10  3    2  5  8  16  14   30                    3   3  0  0  9  2

So after a muddling start to the season,getting 7 points from a possible 15,we are averaging 7 points out of 15 possible over each lot of 5 games .
We have managed to score 6 goals more in those ten games,opposed to what we managed in 6 games,but we have conceded 9 more goals,yet in that time the squad has been strengthened,so where is the improvement?,we have virtually maintained the same form.

We have carried on performing impressively in the cup games as the records show,beating notably beating Watford on their own ground.
I Felt before looking at the cold hard facts,that we had without the Sheffield United game shown some improvement,but the facts don't back it up.

The records show we have problems at both ends,yet the manager plugs the defensive gaps up,but not the striking options,14 goals in 16 league games is a very poor return for the talent we have up there,where is the pressure on the bench to make them perform?
Main is understandable he has been injured much of the time,and looks very dangerous when he is playing.
Tyson has looked good on and off,but Theo Robinson's confidence looks completely destroyed,is this poor man management on Dickov's part?,Why hasn't he brought a striker in on loan or free just to try and rectify that a bit?

Though the records point to just defence and attack,for me we have niggling problems in midfield,due to players not being picked who should be,and the manager not plugging the gap in the holding position,which has given us problems all season.
I Know i have said it before,but Keegan shouldn't have got such a long contract,a fine club man,but wages tied up in a player that has gone backwards since last season,and we are in a poorer league.
A Thought i have is though Wellens can't tackle,he could be better just in front of the back four linking things up,that really is his game,though i would prefer a specialist in there,it could be the change that improves us.
Forrester should be in Wellens position,he is frustrated because he knows this should be his role,it would give us dynamism,a goal threat and unpredictability which we don't have at the minute.

Having Bennett,Forrester and Coppinger alternating in front of any defence is a nightmare for them to face,it sounds very attacking but i think it could work,Wellens back there would give greater ball retention quality.
We can afford to take a few chances with the defence we have now,Butler and Stevens bring more solidity,i would play the same home and away,this would get consistent results.
For me i would be looking to get Robinson's confidence back,if he can get back to his best,there's no reason he can't get 10 goals at least,15-20 for Main if kept fit,i would expect Tyson to get around 15,for me to add to that Forrester played in that position would chip in with goals,Coppinger and Bennett as well.

We still need another striker to add to this,for me football is a simple game,play players in their best positions and you will get the best from them.

This would be the team i would pick,yes we wouldn't be as good defensively,but if the team knows it has to defend as a team rather than rely on the 'Comfort Blanket' of Keegan being there,they will work harder.

Wellens will use the ball better,i see good link up play throughout the team,we need to play to our strengths and stop worrying about the opposition.
I Forgot to add what is promising is the improvement in the youth set up,we see to have a good few who might be good enough,i just think we need to wait till next season with some of them.
And try and ease them in gradually this season,the Mandeville kid especially for me has a good future,the McKay lads as well,and i don't think Lund,Middleton and a few more are far away.
Wakefield has improved so much this year,i don't see him as youth team any more,i see him being a long term centre back for us.

                                                         Johnstone

                                                 Butler              McCullough

                                          Wabara                                  Stevens

                                                               Wellens

                                           Coppinger                         Bennett

                                                               Forrester

                                                 Robinson               Main

[godlike1]

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz lol :-)

[jonnydog]

Agree with all of that Sammy...

In a nut shell:-

We've got shitter
We need a striker
The midfield needs sorting
Dickov has got to start managing (including man-managing) to get the best out of the players AND the team!!
... And a comma should always be followed by a space

[DonnyOsmond]

So average defence and we can't score for shit. So same as last season. 

[IDM]

Am I missing something?  Where are the 2 extra league games we have won according to your data?  I thought we have won 5 and not 7?

I thought we have played 15 games too?  So your first 6 and last 10 overlap?

Cup games?  I seem to remember we lost (undeservedly as we were brilliant in the second half) at Fulham - or did I dream being there?  Must have also dreamed a couple of business meetings in London that day which have since borne fruit..

I think we have the players, and don't need any more other than for injury cover or if we decide to transfer out and in.  I agree we have a few players not at their best such as Robinson and Forrester, but otherwise this squad should be playing with more consistency.  This is why many supporters are very dissatisfied with the manager as that is his responsibility to achieve.

[bpoolrover]

Until we signed butler and enda the defence was crap,not sure that was pd fault,Tyson and Robinson are never going to score that many either

[Sammy Chung was King]

Am I missing something?  Where are the 2 extra league games we have won according to your data?  I thought we have won 5 and not 7?

I thought we have played 15 games too?  So your first 6 and last 10 overlap?

Cup games?  I seem to remember we lost (undeservedly as we were brilliant in the second half) at Fulham - or did I dream being there?  Must have also dreamed a couple of business meetings in London that day which have since borne fruit..

I think we have the players, and don't need any more other than for injury cover or if we decide to transfer out and in.  I agree we have a few players not at their best such as Robinson and Forrester, but otherwise this squad should be playing with more consistency.  This is why many supporters are very dissatisfied with the manager as that is his responsibility to achieve.

You are right i must have put them in as wins instead of losses, he the manager has never managed a level of consistency throughout his time with us, i keep hoping it changes for the better, but it doesn't happen.
He doesn't seem to know who are his best players, or how to get the best from them, Forrester is potentially our best player, put him just behind the forwards, and see what happens.

He get's on about rotation which is fine, but he has been rotating his team when he hasn't needed to, it is one of the reasons we are inconsistent.
The team is running around without direction, no organisation, why can't he get the best from a very talented team?, nobody will convince me this is a season for stability, it's a load of rubbish, it's just so under achievers can hide, he has turned us in to Oldham.
Meanwhile the guy who has replaced him there, is doing better with a smaller wage budget, in his first managerial job.

Now tell me it's not time for him to go, this is aimed at those who blindly support him with no reason to, i respect your opinion, but in my opinion the best for the club comes first.
Any decent manager would get the talent we have at least just below the play off's challenging.

[Chris Black come back]

Consistently inconsistent. Absolutely flatlining in terms of performance. One good game followed by two poor games. Doesn't seem to matter who is in the team or which league we are playing in either.

Players on a individual level don't appear to be playing to their potential and very few if any appear to have improved this season compared to last, even though we are playing in a poor league.

No sign of any real hope for significant or sustained improvement in the months ahead.

Season so far I would give 5/10.

[acko]

we are were we deserve to be whichever way you look at it,the players we lost from last season left a big hole in the team our replacements have as yet failed to delliver and the early injury to both jones and main certainly didnt hep,as of now the team is taking a better shape but we must remember the main men in the team are only loanees.

[les@donr]

We are where we are, nothing spectacular, closer to relegation than promotion.

[Sammy Chung was King]

Mediocrity must be the Buzz word in the boardroom,because Dickov is serving plates and plates of it up.

[bpoolrover]

More like the players are serving it up

[bfdoncaster west]

who wood you get as manger

[Sammy Chung was King]

who wood you get as manger

Brian McDermott,BF,it's going to sound stupid replacing Dickov, with somebody with less experience, but i am impressed with the job Lee Johnson has done at Oldham.
He is getting the maximum from a limited in numbers squad, smaller budget, they have become a team who are very hard to beat, i would love to see what he could do with our squad.

His dad though he has been a good manager over the years, i think Lee will be better, the most promising young manager in the football league, don't be surprised if he get's the better of Dickov tactically, and we go out of the cup.