Bradshaw

Gordon Ramsay. Or Clare Balding.

 

I noticed the Ramsay resemblance straight away, but Clare Balding is an absolutely genius observation! Therefore the next question is - have Clare Balding and Cameron McGeehan's "mum" ever been seen in the same room together? No, thought not........

 

We don’t know that though. Until he pulls on the shirt and laiks, no amount of google searches will tell us that.

We also don’t know if him in the side (better player than Bradshaw or not) will make the side as good or better than when Bradshaw was in it. Maybe he will, we all hope so.

You are right in that we also badly miss Potts. For a similar reason, he is high energy, a strong runner, and at this level a good player.

There’s threads saying it’s ridiculous that some are criticising (to be fair some of the stuff, like saying we’ve only played well in one game as someone has, is downright stupid).

But there’s a lot of folk quoting stats as an argument that our form is fine (overall it is), but the most obvious stat to quote is that with Bradshaw we got 10 points in four games. Without him we’ve got 5 points in four games.

If we carry on at our overall rate of 15 in 8, we will get 86 points. Decent, touch and go as to whether that would be enough for top two, but on past seasons it would be top three or four minimum, and a decent chance of automatic promotion on that tally.

However if we carry on at a rate of 5 in 4 from here on in, we’ll barely make the top half of the table.

I don’t think we will do the latter. But it has to be observed that taking one or two players out of the first eleven, as will happen throughout the season, weakens us dramatically. And one of those first eleven isn’t in the side as we chose to sell him. Yes there’s reasons for it, non footballing and not all financial. Yes, on the face of it, to a bloke that always gave his all for us, the club perhaps should have felt compelled to allow him to go in the circumstances. I accept that.

But in doing so and not having a fit and able replacement we have to accept that we have elected to weaken the side. Even when Woodrow is fit and available it would be unfair for the expectation be put onto his shoulders that we’ll all of a sudden be the side that schooled Oxford, Rochdale and Bradford.

We all want the same, but I don’t think it’s unreasonable to be concerned that the goals have somewhat dried up, nor is it unreasonable to suggest our dip in form is linked to selling the number 9, at least in part.

Whether you rated him or not, this season we got twice as many points in the games he played than the ones since, and we haven’t looked as good. There have been other reasons, missing Potts for a couple, missing Dougall last week (and arguably this week as I think he left half of his game on the plane), but we are missing Bradshaw, no doubt.

 

I agree. The squad isn't big enough in terms of first team quality and is paper thin in places.
1. Lindsay got 8 yellows last season. It's likely he will be suspended at some point this season as well and we have to hope that when he is, we still have two fit centre-halves.
2. We have no like for like deputy for Dougall.
3. We are short of a quality reserve striker and that's assuming Woodrow will be up to the job when fit.
Closing your eyes, putting your fingers in your ears and humming loudly, doesn't stop that being the case.

 

Its a good post but I do think we are over thinking things, it's a blip in form like nearly every other team will suffer, if woodrow struggles we will strengthen in January no doubt but with what we have come January we will be around the top anyway. With Bradshaw going it has given game time to Vic, Brown, Moncur, Thiam which is needed. Bradshaw wanted to leave and I think we got more than he was worth. The board wouldn't have let him go just for the money as a million quid isn't desparately needed to keep the club going anymore they let him go because it was in the interest of all parties. Our season is not collapsing due to Bradshaw leaving its a blip due to injuries and the affect of international call ups and we will be back to winning ways next week.

 

We defo need two strikers who are firing...we have gambled on woodrow...who has been injured....a mistake or a gamble either way...we need a competant replacement as soon as...