So refreshing for a long time to be witnessing the team at the moment. Best defence in the league and playing some delightful stuff. Mowatt looks in a different league to everyone we've played and we seem to have so many attacking options. Thiam, when he feels like it like yesterday is unplayable Cam is the most improved player at the club. Pinnock is probably our greatest assett and just hope we can hold on to him. My only worry is we still seem a bit short up front if anything happens to Moore or Woodrow, just hope Woodrow's injury isn't as bad as it looks. All in all Stendel has done a brilliant job and we are at present a joy to watch. (sorry for the positivity! )
I would just add to that a cause for concern is the occasional switching off at the back. Yes I realise this is a negative in what is an otherwise positive post, but that miss of theirs yesterday was up there with absolute howlers. Having said that, keep banging them in like we did yesterday, and it will matter not a jot.
My worry is long term. If we should gain promotion we will be in big trouble as the attack won't be able to overrun championship teams and our frail defence will be exposed more and more just like last season. I think we need to improve the defence this window to allow the players to slot in ready for the next season rather than having to make wholesale changes in the summer and being on the back foot again
Don’ Worry about that yet. We’ve still to get up. The minute the Club/players/ fans take that for granted, we’re stuffed. It really has to be one game at a time. Show Rochdale respect then go out compete with them. Earn the right to play our football and we’ll be okay.
It's not about taking it for granted because I'm certainly not but it's about future planning. If our aim is to get promotion then we must ensure that if we succeed we have planned accordingly and aren't once again on the back foot. Also I feel we should be doing everything in our power to make sure we do get promoted which as harsh as it may seem means some players making way for better alternatives rather than just hoping that our strengths in other areas will continue to cover for these frailties. Couple of new full backs and a centre back are needed imo
Fair enough and i’d Agree with much of that. What about a new policy? Signing good players who help the team, and here’s the radical bit, regardless of how old they are?
Big fish little pond. Largely the same squad that were awful to watch last season. Let's not get too carried away.
One step at a time, we're still 3rd tier so attracting quality players won't be easy. Like I say we have a better defensive record out of every other team in this league at the moment.
The defensive record is because of the attack. Though which is the biggest provider me. We are allowing raw statistics to make decisions for us instead of our eyes
Well to be fair cavare didn't feature much last season, pinnilos in and out, pinnock hardly given a chance, mcgeehan loaned out, mowatt loaned out, thiam in and out mostly sub appearances, Woodrow wasn't here, brown was in the 23s. And the style of play is totally diffrent to how we tried to play in the championship. I'd fancy this team to beat your rotherhams Ipswich readings and Bolton. But if we were to go up we would need to add to what we already have.
Apart from the midfield of Mowatt McGeehan and Dougall + Bahre. And Woodrow That and the fact that Thiam is finding his feet. The defence is the same more or less but the midfield is offering much more support. Best defence in the league this time and it wouldn’t have been with last seasons midfield This team is better than the one that came down. True it’s not good enough to be in playoff contention and we should look to improve but wholesale changes don’t work too well. I think we would be good enough to stay up without too much trouble. Especially with a couple of decent full backs and a bit more cover up front
Completely different coaching team. Which is clearly obvious in the confidence / belief & application of the players.
It'll be interesting to see who does cut it if we do end up promoted. I think we have a far better squad than the one that came down although to achieve anything more than survival will still, in my opinion, need investment. But I think you've hit on a key point Farnham_Red. Some of our players have developed well under Stendel, and if we go up, we'll have a side full of confidence in their own ability. And it's what you say about not now needing wholesale changes that I fully agree with. We will hopefully have a chance of steady player turnover in each window rather than a rebuild, so we have fewer players to settle in to our way of playing. And hopefully that lays foundations for a few steady years in the Championship. I wonder if the club are now thinking promotion is a reality and are offloading players with some value who they don't think would cut it in the Championship and slowly going through the process of bringing in those who they think will do it? The risk being that we don't lose momentum and fail to get promoted.
A decent coach from Jan to May would have kept us up with the players we had. We now have a very good coaching team, and I hope we look after them and keep them here. Realistically. From what I have seen so far. This coaching team can maximise the players they have to work with, so the owners should bust their balls to keep them (Grace metaphorically of course)