Holmes_and_Watson

Dolly

Shopping

I'd guess they and/or we would be waiting to see where we sit, and the pennies available, at the end of the season. If we've an option for THB that sorts that one out, one way or another. Fraser wants to stay. But wages might be an issue, if we stay down. With Downes, he's on a long contract with the club he loves. He's already showing he can play in that team. You never know, but that one seems less likely. In January, it might be worth keeping Adams for the contributions he does make. He's getting game time with us, so unless we're replacing him in January might be worth keeping. Even if a fair bit of that game time is due lost to Stewart, it's depth to someone coming back from injury. Likewise with McCarthy and Baz. We've been trying to move him on for ages, but might regret that should Baz get injured. I can't imagine Onuacho wanting to come back. It's been a bad match and Martin has had a look. I think all parties would be happy if he moves on for as much as we can get. If we can't then another loan. Like Adams, Aribo is getting first team minutes. He's done a good job in a certain role late in games. Something we don't have elsewhere. Mara would really have had to have shown Martin he can develop into Martin's system. He doesn't offer the things AA, Stewart, Adams or even Aribo offer. He hasn't shown goal scoring either. But it's not been in the best of circumstances. He's probably the one whose departure would have the least impact.

Dyche: It's backs against the wall. We'll fight together to get out of this crisis. It will take a massive effort to achieve... oh 3 points for our next win gets us clear of relegation...

"But this fanbase is like no other because in the face of adversity we stand up like no-one else. We will back the team and club through absolutely everything" From the fanbase that turned on the club with protests against the board not long ago.

Note

If you are a special player at the most special of clubs, there will always be a space for you. I skipped the second half. A collection of players he feels he has to play, those he's overly fond of, giving them game time, and a random selection of those he's trying out. No suprise there was no cohesion for nearly all of the half I saw.

Apart from a nice move involving Foden, England have looked pedestrian and not showing a gap in quality.

Score

Assassination

No wood? 🙂

Crumbs! If that was last season it would have given us the momentum to be...slightly less abject. They're all of 2 points off of 4th bottom. So, not a mountain to climb there.

Business

There's been improvements in some of the other areas in his game recently. Opponents know about his pace. So they've been giving him extra attention, which helps us on the other flank, quite often with AA popping up. RM's system is getting better, allowing him some opportunities to use pace, but often teams have reset, as we pass or have compacted to deny us passing space. So RM is getting him to bring others into the game more, and to work on getting into his own shooting chances, as Edozie has been encouraged to do. Little changes so far, but he'll end up a better rounded player, with more to his game. And when teams do let him use his pace/ play a high line we know how talented he is there already.

Birthday

Whigs

Disaster

Truck

Change

Convenience

Poster

Slasher

Citing Shilton or Niemi is a bit of a red herring. Not only has the role of the keeper changed in many systems, but the fitness, development and facilities have also changed along the way too. Reversing the scenario, let’s put Baz back in the days of ploughed fields, being assaulted by opposition strikers and playing it out to a fullback who has spent as much time in the pub as he has in training that week. Baz wouldn’t get a look in. Switching back to this scenario, none of our top goalkeepers would randomly hoof it out in a panic given the chance to do something better. I’d fancy them to adapt to our system far more than I would for Baz to adapt to theirs. It’s a bit of a disservice to their abilities to suggest that, while Baz will seemingly develop in all the areas he’s lacking, that top goalkeepers of the past simply couldn’t. SR have got Baz in as they want to develop a possession style that begins at the back. Martin fits into that model. Martin would have known about Baz before he joined us, and probably couldn’t believe his luck. Baz is excellent at picking out passes in a variety of situations. Our defence is getting more stable and better at creating lots of options for him, and that’s brings out more of that from him. There was a game a couple of weeks back, where our defence abandoned Baz to make the most of a situation. I don’t know if its because they’re just comfortable with his skills, or just switched off. Baz did really well with it, and 2 minutes later was making sure the ball, and his defence, were a lot further away from him. It’s not just the passing, it’s the weight of those passes. When Baz pings one out, it’s at a speed where the receiving player can do something with it. Not just try and control it, and lose any advantage from the pass. Our more stable defence and control of games (at least for good periods) is also helping Baz. We’re not suicidal in defence from our own attacks. We have better cover when we concede the ball. I’m not sure Baz has improved massively in the areas he’s weakest in, and that’s partly because he’s not had to be overly tested in those areas of late. We’re getting to see games with his strengths on show. I’m sure he’s working away at them in training. A question is:- Have Baz’s strengths led to us being a better side, getting us to pick up more points? I think we’re seeing benefits lately. But that certainly wasn’t the case back when the club stuck with him through sheer bloody mindedness when we couldn’t string 3 passes together, regardless of his distribution from the abck. Then we needed someone with other strengths. Arguably, we would have gone down anyway, and we’re now seeing the benefits of Baz having gone through all that (which I’d not wish on anyone). But just as easily a shot stopper/ physical presence and experienced leader at the club could have made quite a difference.

Dynasty

We are winning by narrow margins. Narrower than anyone would like. Some games a narrow win is fine. Others, there's the feeling we made it narrow by our tempo, style of play. Our opponents do get the odd chance to punish us, such as WBA effort off the bar, that can change results. However, we're clearly developing. We'll be looking at the chances we had that were offside after our first. Lots of little moments where better anticipation would have set a player free etc. We had a good mix of play in the first half, against that opponent. It went some way to showing we can still create chances, and not sit on a 1-0 lead. RM's pointed out that we weren't anywhere near as good second half . We seem to have similar spells in games, and that's something to work on. We're clearly better defensively. We cover far better when we've lost the ball and for KWP being forward. Smallbone and AA really help there too. I doubt we're going to go on all out attacks. Our squad isn't built to outmuscle opponents. We do have some pace, but we're not fully counterattacking. So, we're only going to get bigger wins through improving the things we're already seeing. We earn these wins, working hard to the end. Hopefully improvements will happen to give us some breathing space, for those games where our opponents do take their chances.