Naivety, Inexperience and Lack of Communication

3 major flaws in our squad that will cost us points time and time again.

We all know they are there, we know that LJ knows they are there, we all appreciate and understand why they are there. But at the end of the day they ARE there and they will be all season.

As much as LJ would like to believe it you cant 'fast track' experience, you cant make mutes into leaders. You can try and teach and paper over the cracks but during a game at key moments players will always revert back to their natural type. Naivety can only be removed by making mistakes, unfortunately mistakes cost you football matches.

Doncasters last minute winner sums up everything that will ultimately cost us a playoff push this season.

Hourihane and Pearson - Both show their inexperience, naivety, lack of communication. Both are caught ball watching at a key moment. Neither take responsibility. An old head there screams 'I'll close down you track the runner''. Neither think to take the responsibility.

Mawson - His potential is better than this league. But at the minute he's making a lot of mistakes. It might be harsh but at times I think he shows a lack of desire to make that last ditch block or tackle. He's very similar to Cranie. He might be our captain but at the minute he doesnt have the experience to be a leader. The last goal he should be screaming at Hourihane and Pearson to track Chaplow. He doesnt. If he's not going to do that he needs to read the game, take responsibility, move over and go and mark Chaplow himself. Neither happens and its point dropped yet again.

Nyatanga - He's been fairly solid this season. He's the oldest player but again he isn't a natural leader. He's being forced into taking up the role and it just doesn't work. At key moments he's focused on his own game rather than others. With the flaws in our squad he's got to be the man to organise.

I completely understand the direction the club is going. I understand the recruitment policy. But surely these young players will perform better, learn quicker and most importantly get results with 2-3 older heads around them. If they're performing better and getting results then they're going to be worth more. Being stuck in midtable isn't going to create resale value within these young players. If we keep making mistakes or not killing off games such at Doncaster, Blackpool, Bradford and Shrewsbury then we aren't going anywhere. Players like Hourihane and Winnall wont attract the big money like they could have done. Instead at best they'll be panic sold for less than half a million with 6 months left on their contract.

I feel for LJ. His hands are clearly tied in terms of recruitment. For a fast track improvement we need to pay fees for players in their prime at 26-31. Unfortunately it isn't going to happen as they dont create resale value. I'm not sure how we move forward from here. Maybe the money from Stones will help.

 

Great post. Agree with near enough all of that.

 

You forgot to mention the goalkeeper. He cost both goals on Saturday and was certainly at fault for the goal Swindon scored. In all three cases if he'd used his vocal cords, the end result could have been him saving the goals.

 

Great post chris.

 

Absolutely bang on. We have some talented youngsters, there's no doubt about that. Without the adding of some vital experience in key areas we are going to tread water in mid table of a very poor league.
That's very frustrating because the league will be a lot tougher next year regardless which three teams drop from the Championship.

 

Agree. I meant to mention Townsend and it slipped my mind. Beaten way too easily at his near post. Again that could be put down to lack of experience.

 

We`ve hed plenty of owd heads over the years that made the same mistakes as the youngsters are doing, slack defending from Tarn late on in games aint a new phenomenon.

 

Completely agree, good to hear some sense being spoken on the forum.

 

Great post and hard to disagree in any way with it we need at least a couple of experienced players not necessarily costing anything but good enough to get in the team I'm thinking someone like Heckingbottom last time we went up. I understand the resale policy and its a good one but you need to mix it up a bit. Townsend scares the bejesus out of me.

 

The only reason I say for a fee is to avoid the Treacy, Lita argument. If you're paying a fee for a player above 26 at our level its likely to be a player who is sound at Championship level but is currently out of favour. Or a player at League One level who is capable and in form such as a Pope, Henderson, Vincenti, O'connor (Walsall) ect.

 

Yes I can see that but don't see why you can't do due diligence and get a few solid pros in like Matt Carbon, Nick Colgan or Hecky. Not world beaters but at the same time not on the downward spiral of Lira/Tracey. If you're going to pay a fee the players you have said could be considered a good investment if they assist the development of some of our young lads.

 

In his pre-match LJ alludes to players out there who may have expected Championship contracts and haven't yet got them. Maybe the types of player we are desperately in need of are in that group. I hope so.

 

You seem to indicate that LJ has been told that he can only recruit players of a certain age.

Which I have not seen absolute evidence of.

Then there appears to be an assumption that only experienced players can organise.

Which I don't think is true.

I say this because I have become somewhat fixated with the career of John Stones.

Cos he's one of ours.

For the first time ever I watch him rather than the game. When he plays.

He organises. His prime is yet to come. It seems.

So it isn't a 26-31 thing.

It may be a "we need to pay fees for players" thing though.

Hourihane and Winnall won't attract big fees because others will appreciate what they can't do, rather than what occasionally they can.

 

John Stones is world class and is playing at the side of Phil Jagielka. In front of him he has Gareth Barry. Behind him he has Tim Howard.

Other clubs are also irrelevant to the point i am making. I'm talking about BFC. Our squad is crying out for a leader and a communicator. Johnson has said it himself enough times so the evidence it's needed is coming from the horses mouth. As well as what is obvious on the pitch. Johnson has tried all sort of methods recently to improve communication and try and develop leadership withing the group. If he was able to go out and buy it he would. And he has stated that too.


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Spot on.

 

Posted something on similar lines to this thread............'SOFT young players'

I think the point we are trying to get over here is this.........the youngsters are good...........whoever identified those youngsters did a sterling job.

However, we seem to have gone down a path where the strategy is to bring in 'only' young players.
And I was trying to point out that has this decision been made so it will keep the cost of the wages bill down.
That is to say - the directors don't want an experienced player (a leader) because that would be too expensive.

Now, LJ has openly said that he has had the team doing extra work on 'communication'.
And its plain to see that an older more experienced player is likely to steady the ship when it is under attack.

 

Don't think this can be argued with.

 

Other clubs were not mentioned by me. You mentioned one - Everton it would seem. I was talking about an individual.

You can have who you like in front or behind. What matters is talent and the ability/experience to organise.

Johnson is trying to teach leadership.

This is not secured automatically by age. I look at my own "team" at work and do not rate them by age. Some work hard but say nowt. Some assume more responsibility at half the age.

Sticking an old bloke with a large gob in midfield or at centre back is not a miracle cure.

Any more than is Red Rain's idea of beating them with formations.

 

You just don't get it but never mind.

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Perhaps I'm missing your overwhelming logic - the "it". Which you seem unwilling to further explain.

Which seems a shame after such a long first post.