We’ve endured 3 months of young lads learning the hard way week in week out getting beat most weekends but now they look like there getting to grips with things, still a long way to go but these lads have certainly learnt the hard way
Sink or swim for them at the start and I think they've mastered the doggy paddle! Great bunch of lads who have a great team spirit, that has carried on from last season Onwards and upwards hopefully but one thing at least this season wont have been boring!
Yep can’t disagree, although the back 4 seem to be launching it a bit more when under pressure so somets sinking in
The back four looked a lot better yesterday, although a game-changing mistake always looked likely. But to restrict an in-form team to a single shot on goal(granted, some wayward finishing from Bradshaw, for example, contributed to that) needs some praise. I know people(myself included) have been calling for a new defence to be purchased in January, but would that not be a case of 2 steps forward and three steps back seeing as those defenders need to "blend" together again?
Very good performance and vital win , so not probably best time to discuss individual players Watching our goalkeeper, he never commands the box. Then his roll out , we lost ball and a corner nearly gave Bradshaw a goal. The hug between him and manager says he will be our no1 for as long as he is here. Diaby, man mountain but not best football brain. His dribbling out of defence, lost ball and gave them a real good chance on goal I think we need these two out and a good replacement in Wood. An experienced player who can command defence in place of Diaby As people have said before the lads are playing good football and Chaplin is on fire, partly to Woodrow taking pressure off him in his new role This new confidence would not surprise me if we did not win WBA
For all of bambos mad moments if it was between him and andersen id choose bambo all day long. Put him next to a proper centre half, let him develop then sell him for 5 million in a couple of years..... Job done.
Even if we do go down (and I'm happy to say 'if' as there is now a glimmer of hope that we won't), there are still positives from this season already. Jacob Brown - I thought he would step up, with ease, into this league. Slow start but he's now starting look like a seasoned old pro but with unreal energy levels. Conor Chaplin - as above with the energy and tireless running but now he's discovered where the net is, he can't get enough of it. Top find this lad. Cauley Woodrow - no longer being used as a 'right place at right time' striker, which is fine as he always puts a shift in and is always capable of producing a 'worldie'. Alex Mowatt - without question, he belongs in this division, so we owe it to him to try and stay here. I also predict Bambo and Oduor have very bright futures once they gain more experience. And Collins will be, if not already, a top keeper, and in my opinion, the 'mistake' against Stoke was a slip, not a mistake, so very unfortunate. Disappointments, thus far; Bahre - amazing natural talent but really needs to contribute more or Thomas will take his place and shine. Cavare - someone will, one day, discover what his best position is. We haven't. Wilks - no idea what goes off behind the scenes, but what a waste of talent and money having this lad on the payroll to go shopping while those with the right attitudes are fighting for the club and their shirt. Baby steps and all that, but being off the bottom creates a more positive mindset to both players and fans, and as for final league position, 21st would do nicely for this season.
Yesterday, on a number of occasions, Diaby started to run after the ball, as is his natural instinct, because he wants to win and he wants to stop any opposition player getting anywhere near our goal. But unlike in previous games, yesterday he stopped himself, he went against his instinct and heard the voices of his coaches in his head. And he dropped back into position. On an individual level, it wasn't Diaby's best game. No swashbuckling tackles, no heroics. But it was the best defensive performance as a unit we've seen all season. Millwall, for all the possession they had in the first half, didn't create many chances, didn't have many shots at goal. Because, for the first time this season, our defenders were stood where they're supposed to stand.
Agree with everything...including the Bahre quote Mike Steven Bahre Marmite Sprouts Bahre (You either love 'em or hate 'em) I like him but he can be so frustrating and I'm not sure he has the consistency needed to fight a relegation battle at this moment. I think there are some teams he will really shine against, others he will be poor against but I hope we persevere with him, I'm sure he'll improve in time By the way, I hate Marmite and love sprouts!
I think all our players have the potential to have bright futures. It's a shame that their learning curve has been artificially steepened by the club's recruitment policy, as most if us would have liked to see them given a guiding hand by a couple of experienced pros on the pitch. That said, I'd struggle to decide which players to drop if I wanted to put some older heads in. They are all giving 100% and fully deserve their chance to shine. The league table is looking much better than it did a month ago and I'm hopeful that we can continue to build on recent results.
I think Bahre will always divide opinion until he becomes a consistently good performer. Some see only good in him, others only bad. Some see moments of genius accompanied by anonymity. I think he could still go either way, either light up The Championship or wind up in the Austrian third division. But...the clock is ticking for him as some of our younger, less experienced players are now starting to perform consistently while Bahre is still finding his feet after all this time. But that's only my opinion.
Very good summary. Yesterday he took the ball from the air, as has been described earlier in this thread, performed a pirouette that would have brought Nijinsky to his feet, then played the ball directly to the nearest available Millwall player. And that's Bahre.
It's all different fans opinions If they carry on winning it will suffice for me The defence must be getting better, they have had enough faults and are rectifying them
