Holmes_and_Watson

The deal is perhaps structured in a way our insurers like. After Stewart they might be looking at the risks we take in signing players, hence the 20 games.

This is what Martin and the team will be looking at. Individual errors preventing us getting a point in each game. High possession stats will please them too. They will be frustrated at the lack of movement and tempo, which rendered us a bit toothless. But they will look to various things like bedding in new players at a higher level, as well as the plan a tweaks taking a little time. A lot of that is the same as last season. It would have been nice to have gone into this season, without having to go through it again. Narrow defeats might give Martin confidence to build on. But we've had years of single minded tactics, with the same results. It's not new for us. It didn't save us from the drop last time either. Martin is single minded, passionate and committed to his style. So, perhaps doesn't see where some of the frustration comes from. Not to mention, that when it doesn't click we get location maps like the above. We get games where we've failed to move a team, or break them down at all. It's a frustrating watch, seeing them play a system that doesn't look remotely likely to get a goal. Martin, of course, is looking at the risk of attacking, only to get punished. It can work, and I'm thinking of the PL games last season, where I saw teams go end to end. But neither had any real control or movement, in the way Martin's side had. Just have to see if it works for the PL.

Appliance

Just the sort of report that makes Rasmus all the more certain in his left field data analysis results. 🙂

Although it looks as though a few (of the no doubt many) targets have gone elsewhere, it could still be busy. Not fitting into Martin's system/ plans, the club and the agents of a few will be trying to find a new home. ABK, Onuachu, Charlie, Sule and Lis (if he hasn't already gone on loan) top that list. Bree/Manning, if KWP stays, fall down the pecking order with the arrival of Sugawara and Taylor. Meghoma might also be on the move, with a year left and not much chance of breaking into the squad. Charles could do with a season on loan at a decent club, to really develop. At the start of the window, it looked like we needed to replace McCarthy, Downes, Stu, Che, Fraser, Brooks/Tella and get DM cover. Of those 7 we've arguably signed 3/4. If Fernandes is more of a Lavia/Livramento standard, and if Les is similar then, along with Downes, we've a versatile midfield. If they are Charles and Charlie replacements needing a bit of development, then we still need a Stu replacement. We've brought in 2 forwards, but still have a Che shaped hole in the squad. As was very evident against Forest. Stewart can't be relied upon to be that replacement. Martin may want BBD and AA in the wider attacking positions of a 3. If they are a more central 2, then the need for wide attackers is lessened. Even so, someone lke Fraser would be still useful. We need a direct, versatile player to give us depth there. Perhaps that's where Martin sees BBD. None of Sule, Edozie, SAA or Dibling are there yet.

Home

Back home... Partner: What did you do this afternoon dear? Fan: Went down the station. Partner: Booking some tickets for us? Fan: No. Got there an hour early to get the best position to shout obscenities at grown men! Partner: I don't see any blood. Didn't they just punch you in the face? Fan: No! They have to walk past and take it! Because we're fans, and they would get charged and sacked for retaliating. Partner: You realise I'm fictional, as no one as pathetic as you could ever have a partner? Fan: They aren't fit to sit in our amazing dug outs! Grrrrrrr!

Telephone

Sargent has definitely developed. Norwich aren't great at providing service to their forwards, with occasional boosts from the likes of Buendia, Hernandez and a fit Rowe. So, they have to make the best from what they get. When he arrived and had to work off scraps, I wasn't convinced. He's improved, and would fill a few of the Adams' shaped gaps in the team.

This. The players that drive a game and push us forward individually, offer something different, and often increase the noise are the ones on the periphery. That's in part because to have those skills, they aren't the something-of-everything players better suited for Martin's system. It's early for Archer, but others don't look as though they will fit. All managers have their preferred players and targets. This was the same last season. With the same players mostly too. SR are backing Martin, who is focused on his plan-a only system. The risk is that if it doesn't work, we'll have moved on a lot of players that could have changed our approach. It worked out last season. And there's an argument for any funds being used to improve Martin's line up. Dibling has replaced Alcaraz, it seems. He could be the only one left offered a direct role, until it's trained out of him. It's just not part of Martin's possession based game management. Structured passing is preferred to individual runs to reduce risk. We went down with a number of narrow defeats and managers saying how close we were to it clicking. Martin's first 2 games were built on a similar approach.

He's cup tied for Cardiff too. What a waste!

I think...hang on there's a sign here... "Do not cross the threads!" Not Ghostbusters, but a warning that the summer window combined with the Brexit thread spells doom for the forum. 🙂

Just don't hire the ground floor, left hand side of any building to host it. 🙂

You might throw it. But would he catch it? 🙂

Funnily enough, 15 years from now "Immaterial: My Shot Stopping Moments" is the title of Baz's autobiography. 🙂

Tator in indulgent tone: Alex Arnold is coming off to be replaced at right back. That's if you could call him only a right back. 🤮

Yup. I had Archer in to begin with, but wanted at least someone in there with more physical presence. Archer is going to be getting plenty of PL minutes, and can be a sub in the second half here.

Alex Bree Wood Taylor Manning Les Dibling Fernandes SAA TP Edozie

Early days. He has to be given time to get it up to 200. 🙂

Six

Heart breaking for them.

The smaller partner of Tall Paul, who is working tirelessly behind the scenes with James Bree. Deep crosses into the tall man to knock down to Archer to score. Martin will still pretend it's all part of Plan A, but that's our future. 🙂

A forgettable performance today. Martin will be happy with the level of possession. We set our stall out to maximise that, keeping it safe and at a comfortably slow pace. But it was a game, and we’ve seen enough of them, where that possession and tempo doesn’t move opposition around, and we create very few chances. We had 1 shot on target and 1 off target today, and that was with making a number of late changes and trying to be a lot more attacking. Something that is itself hampered by the side’s struggle to shift gears. Downes looked by far the most versatile midfielder we had. Will linked up a couple of times. But didn’t help shielding or attacking today. Further, he was bypassed a number of times when we did try something more direct. Aribo had the ball stick to his feet a couple of times, but frustrated in not offering any attacking outlet or support. With such a limited midfield, AA ran around but offered little up front. Diaz also looked slow and not up to the challenge either. Archer wasn’t able to do much as a sub. Iat the back, McCarthy did okay with anything he was asked to do. The tempo we were playing at, meant he wasn’t relied on for quick passes out either. Both KWP and Sugawara ended up taking responsibility to get forward. While it looks better, it doesn’t help our possession set up, and neither really linked up well with others in the team. KWP still stood out as easily our best player, and it was a frustrating day for him as he looked around at the lack of support from others. Dibling looked direct and attacking. But other than winning a free kick, there wasn;t anything to show for it. Edozie got a couple of speculative balls into the box, and a few errors. He once didn’t get back to stop his marker, and he did well defensively today. Far more learning curves than positives today. Martin has to decide how he expects his side to create chances against PL opposition. Waiting for Forest to make a massive blunder seemed to be the only hope today. There was no movement, tempo shift or attacking intent to get a winner from that game, even when we were chasing.

Good run back from Edozie. Although he has got the ball into the box a couple of times, nothing really aimed at picking anyone out. And as I type one goes well past everyone.

Ah Edozie. Showed far too much of that. Earlier, he went for the trained cut back, with 2 broadly better deliveries on.