Westbrook

[dickos1]

Leaves me with a feeling of we haven’t learned. I hope I’m wrong but I expect he will spend half of his contract on the treatment table.

Why?
The operation he’s just had was the first of his career.
One bad injury can’t be a reason not to sign someone

He's clearly had issues with injury throughout his career given the sheer number of games that he's missed, though. It's not just about one bad injury but regular smaller injuries.

If we get half a season out of him at the level he was performing earlier on, though, that's not bad given his quality.

He fell out with the manager at Bristol
Wasn’t injured

[dickos1]

No doubt he can play, just his durability that’s in question. Hopefully we get 35+ games out of him next season.

He’s 27 and has never once managed 35 league games in a season. Really hope McCann and his team are confident about his physicality.

In Wood and Zain we have given contracts to players who are very unlikely to play >60% of the games next season. Interesting call.

I’ll have a wager with you that both will be available for more than 50% of the games next season.
Wood is hardly ever injured looking at his career and westbrooke similar

[ncRover]

Gaz do you still reckon we can find someone better than Adelakun?

[ncRover]

Leaves me with a feeling of we haven’t learned. I hope I’m wrong but I expect he will spend half of his contract on the treatment table.

Why?
The operation he’s just had was the first of his career.
One bad injury can’t be a reason not to sign someone

He's clearly had issues with injury throughout his career given the sheer number of games that he's missed, though. It's not just about one bad injury but regular smaller injuries.

If we get half a season out of him at the level he was performing earlier on, though, that's not bad given his quality.

He fell out with the manager at Bristol
Wasn’t injured

Falling out with Joey Barton shows you’re a sound bloke

[Spud]

Leaves me with a feeling of we haven’t learned. I hope I’m wrong but I expect he will spend half of his contract on the treatment table.

Why?
The operation he’s just had was the first of his career.
One bad injury can’t be a reason not to sign someone

He's clearly had issues with injury throughout his career given the sheer number of games that he's missed, though. It's not just about one bad injury but regular smaller injuries.

If we get half a season out of him at the level he was performing earlier on, though, that's not bad given his quality.

He fell out with the manager at Bristol
Wasn’t injured

Falling out with Joey Barton shows you’re a sound bloke

Agree to a point, but I bet Joey Barton could start a fight with Joey Barton.

[GazLaz]

Gaz do you still reckon we can find someone better than Adelakun?

Let’s get things clear. Adelakun has been fantastic. He’s everything that we have been missing for the last few years, pace, directness, end product etc etc.

This dozen games is a freak situation though. Prior to today he had 4 assists from 0.74 xA and 5 goals from 1.73 xG. Thats 0.19 xG per 90 and 0.08 xA per 90. Kyle Hurst has 0.26 xG per 90 and 0.16 xA per 90.

I’ve already found you a player that is likely to be better than HA if played regularly over the next couple of years.

[dickos1]

He’s played 11 games, scored 6 goals and got 4 assists.
That is more goal involvement percentage wise than anyone else in the league. And by a distance.

[GazLaz]

He’s played 11 games, scored 6 goals and got 4 assists.
That is more goal involvement percentage wise than anyone else in the league. And by a distance.

At that rate, of course he has. He’s over performing at an unsustainable rate though. Hopefully he keeps over performing till we win at Wembley.

[Jonathan]

He’s played 11 games, scored 6 goals and got 4 assists.
That is more goal involvement percentage wise than anyone else in the league. And by a distance.

At that rate, of course he has. He’s over performing at an unsustainable rate though. Hopefully he keeps over performing till we win at Wembley.

Genuine question - is it a freak, or is it down to other variable factors (management, system etc.)? Some players are suited to a certain way and maybe this is it for him. Surely he is performing at his ability now whereas at previous clubs he wasn’t and hence his numbers were poor. The difficult thing for all players is finding a setting that brings that best from them.

[dickos1]

Sometimes people have form like this that continues for a season, would that be classed as freak?
If he carries on and we somehow reach the playoffs it will have to go down in folklore

[Chris Black come back]

He is playing at League Two level. He has spent the vast majority of his career at levels higher than this.

[dickos1]

He is playing at League Two level. He has spent the vast majority of his career at levels higher than this.

What does that mean?

[RoversInSpain]

He’s played 11 games, scored 6 goals and got 4 assists.
That is more goal involvement percentage wise than anyone else in the league. And by a distance.

At that rate, of course he has. He’s over performing at an unsustainable rate though. Hopefully he keeps over performing till we win at Wembley.

Genuine question - is it a freak, or is it down to other variable factors (management, system etc.)? Some players are suited to a certain way and maybe this is it for him. Surely he is performing at his ability now whereas at previous clubs he wasn’t and hence his numbers were poor. The difficult thing for all players is finding a setting that brings that best from them.

Yes, this. I give you John Marquis… I remember MCcann saying the team played to his strengths in many areas… is he doing the same with Haks? If he is it’s working and Haks will like it, fingers crossed….

[GazLaz]

He’s played 11 games, scored 6 goals and got 4 assists.
That is more goal involvement percentage wise than anyone else in the league. And by a distance.

At that rate, of course he has. He’s over performing at an unsustainable rate though. Hopefully he keeps over performing till we win at Wembley.

Genuine question - is it a freak, or is it down to other variable factors (management, system etc.)? Some players are suited to a certain way and maybe this is it for him. Surely he is performing at his ability now whereas at previous clubs he wasn’t and hence his numbers were poor. The difficult thing for all players is finding a setting that brings that best from them.

It’s a combination of things probably. The over performance will level off though obviously. If I have time I’ll look at his past few seasons numbers. May be that he’s under performed and this is it all just reverting to the mean.

[dickos1]

He’s played 11 games, scored 6 goals and got 4 assists.
That is more goal involvement percentage wise than anyone else in the league. And by a distance.

At that rate, of course he has. He’s over performing at an unsustainable rate though. Hopefully he keeps over performing till we win at Wembley.

You could be right!

[Pancho Regan]

He’s played 11 games, scored 6 goals and got 4 assists.
That is more goal involvement percentage wise than anyone else in the league. And by a distance.

At that rate, of course he has. He’s over performing at an unsustainable rate though. Hopefully he keeps over performing till we win at Wembley.

You could be right!

Steady on Dickos, Gazlaz hasn't reported back yet on checking Westbrooke's numbers over the last few seasons, if he's had time ....

[jmt23]

He is playing a level or two lower than he should be, so he is finding it easier. The lad came through Crystal Palace’s system, he is a better standard than anything we have.
Grant is also an excellent man manager, he always finds an angle that helps these types of players - Wilks and Kane other examples of this, great under Grant, do not really perform anywhere else.
The player has to take some of this responsibility, so rather than over performing now, it could be said he under performed for a couple of seasons.

[GazLaz]

Gaz do you still reckon we can find someone better than Adelakun?

Let’s get things clear. Adelakun has been fantastic. He’s everything that we have been missing for the last few years, pace, directness, end product etc etc.

This dozen games is a freak situation though. Prior to today he had 4 assists from 0.74 xA and 5 goals from 1.73 xG. Thats 0.19 xG per 90 and 0.08 xA per 90. Kyle Hurst has 0.26 xG per 90 and 0.16 xA per 90.

I’ve already found you a player that is likely to be better than HA if played regularly over the next couple of years.

Probably time to revisit this. Hurst has been great for two seasons now. Just criminally under used. Trust the underlying data.

[Plumbster]

I wouldn’t say Hurst was ‘criminally underused’- we could all see occasional glimpses but they were not enough to outweigh the other weaknesses in his game. Grant has been waiting for him to take a step forward and, hopefully, he has just made it.

[pib]

Seems like Hurst is better suited to playing in a narrow front 3, rather than out wide or in the no.10 position behind the striker? He picks up great positions and his quality in and around the box is clear to see.

[Usher wide.]

If he carries on performing as he did in the Brad City game then Grant will give him all the game time he can. It’s down to Kyle to ensure he never gives a manager the cause to ‘under use’ him again.

I’ve never rated Zain Westbrooke for what it’s worth but then again I don’t rate Ben Close or Joe Sbarra (apart from his ability to deliver a decent corner) either. Just my opinion.

[Bessie Red]

Judging from his interview after Barnsley he looks determined to keep his place in the starting 11.