saintant

This guy is about as much of a centre forward as Bazunu is a goalkeeper.

You couldn't clone even a half decent 'keeper from the best attributes of both of them.

He did at least explain that the main reason is to get some physicality on the pitch and I suggested this might be the case recently in another post. So the only way out of it I can see is if we are active in the January market and bring in perhaps a decent sized fullback and midfielder. If not we're gonna be welded to 3 centre backs until such time as we do add some physicality to the squad. Interesting to note that he also said the squad have agreed to some extra training sessions - I think he mentioned today and Xmas Day. Bit different to the relaxed approach under Rusty.

Maybe you could explain why Bazunu is pretty much always bottom of the stats in whatever league he play. Surely if we are unfairly maligning him he'd be further up those tables but he is constantly last. I guess he's decent but just unlucky that the stats always go against him 🙂

Shooting practice without a goalkeeper - that must really teach him a lot 🙂

Can recall Rusty getting all uppity with someone at a fan's forum who dared to question Bazunu's competency and he more or less tried to claim the guy is and would prove to be one of the best 'keepers in the Championship. He might even have added he wouldn't swap him for any other team's 'keeper. This is the sort of arrogance we have to put up with from people like Rusty who try to tell us not to trust what we have seen with our own eyes because he knows best.

This was the prime cause of the Coventry goal. We can analyse what each player did wrong after Manning decided that he would be better off trying to keep the ball in play but the root cause of the goal was him not booting the ball into row Z. His decision was probably born out of this constant obsession to always find a team mate (I hesitate only slightly to say stemming from Russball) and, in the days before such nonsense, any fullback worth his salt would have put the ball where it can do least harm - in among the spectators.

The majority, if not all, of teams in the Prem play a big centre forward. Why are we trying to buck the trend?

Can't see it myself. Squad is still too bloated. However, it is clear we need a goalkeeper, a good commanding centre back, two full backs, one big unit in midfield and a big strong centre forward. We continue to be too small and weak all over the pitch.

Surely it's time those running this football club looked at the mounting evidence and admitted City pulled their pants down and we must have a change of keeper. Bazunu is consistently bottom of every statistic going.

I meant he passes quicker - Quarshie is clumsy and takes too long to control the ball and make a pass.

Lots of theories put out there regarding playing 3 centre backs. I'll add another into the mix. We are a team of mainly dwarfs so if we removed one of the centre backs we'd struggle to cope with high balls into the box - and yeah, I know we already do with 3 centre backs but that's another story 🙂

Bit of a worry considering he's the quickest, most reliable and most accurate passer out of our lumbering centre backs 🙂

Mainly because he has zero positional sense.

I think Prem clubs will be more interested in Jander than Charles - he's a far better footballer with a sharper brain.

Can't work out why Wood seemed to be marking Bazunu when the cross came in for the Coventry goal.

Maybe but I'm sure he's already on the radar of plenty of Premier League clubs. There aren't many around who dribble as well as Leo and that's a skill that can be game changing.

Yeah, aside from the money it's shaping up to be a bad move for him. Purely from a playing angle he'd surely have been better off having another season with us and then considering a move next summer because he's still so young. He's now getting the odd 15 minutes here and there which is never going to help him get into his stride especially as he often comes on when Everton are struggling. Think we pulled their pants down because he was never ready for the Premier league and, with his apparent problems away from the comfort of St Marys, they have their work cut out knowing what is best to get him operating at the required level.

Well, unless it's clearly a head injury the referee should be letting play continue unless goalkeepers are treated differently - not sure what the rule is.

Yeah agree we've been sussed out to a certain degree. However, I still believe we have the players to hurt opponents and need to work out how to better utilise the talents of our more gifted players. Probably our biggest problem is that our centre backs, apart from THB, are not great at controlling the ball then hitting crisp accurate passes so everything becomes a bit clunky and clumsy. Also, our wingbacks, apart from Fellows, are reluctant to get higher up the pitch when our centre backs have the ball so we have five players strung out in a horizontal line with nowhere to go but....er sideways which leaves us blocked in by a good press.

I agree with much of what you say about our goalkeepers. However, suggesting we may be the most painful club in the country to support is frankly ridiculous 🙂 There are countless clubs who have never and will never play a single season in the Premier League whereas we have enjoyed many seasons in the old First Division and Premier League. We've been involved in some brilliant encounters with the top clubs and come out winners. I think sometimes we forget how relatively fortunate we are and I know there have been plenty of lows not least last season.

The problem is that many suspect playing 3 centre backs is a club decision and it does seem quite plausible because every manager plays this system whereas most good sides don't. There is something not right about the way we are welded to a system that doesn't really suit the players we have and has Fellows operating as a wing back.

His starting position for the through ball that led to their penalty claim against THB was ridiculous - as they broke from the left and the through ball was played he was close to his own goal line when he should have been near the edge of the penalty area. If he's in the correct starting position he easily rushes out and clears the through ball and avoids THB's desperate lunge. He doesn't get the basics of goalkeeping I'm afraid and likely never will.

Agree and maybe the link should involve more than just AA. Perhaps our midfield two need to be more ready to get themselves into space to receive from our backline as well as Arma. Jander does a reasonable job and gets on the half turn but Downes has always been happier to just pass the ball back so he might be part of the problem. He still seems welded to Russball. We have to try something because we have become far too predictable. Bragg played the role well against Charlton and I know they played somewhat into our hands but I'd like to see him given a few starts instead of Downes. I think Charles will also improve us once he gets back from injury.

To a certain degree but I believe we have reverted to doing everything slower and being happy to pass sideways and backwards at walking pace. When Tonda first came in it was clear that he wanted the ball advanced forwards at pace without the faffing around and pointless passing between goalkeeper and centre backs. It was a breath of fresh air. The comfort zone for these players seems to be playing a form of Russball and we've sunk back into it and stopped playing on the half turn. I get that we are being pressed more but it shouldn't be as bad as it is. Every free kick in the middle of the park now automatically gets played back and we end up on the edge of our own penalty area - we weren't seeing this when he first took over.