Lopata

I notice since his return from injury he’s been an ever present in the centre of Ross County’s defence again. Does anyone know how he’s been performing?

I know we’re all excited to get Shepherd back in the summer and feel he can improve the defence. I just wondered if this lad was also ready.

 

I always thought he didn’t look bad for us,certainly better than some others I’ve seen

 

Think I remember reading that he's been doing really well up there.

 

1 report I read the other week, said, he's been the kingpin in defence.

 

I thought he was poorly treated by us and showed signs of being decent. Put him with Robbo and let him learn. He doesn't shirk a challenge but needed to develop his positional skills.

 

7.1 out of 10

Shepherd 7.3 out of 10

 

You’d argue the SPL is a better standard than L2 as well.

Worth noting that Lofthouse has been getting great reviews at Burton too. Highly rated on WhoScored website also. Played a couple of games as a centre mid too.

 

Surely he can’t be worse than Pines

 

I've not seen Lopata or Shepherd to form an opinion.

You'd hope we'd be offloading McCarthy and Pines given they are out of contract. It still leaves us with Roberts, DeGevigney, Earl, Lopata and Shepherd with Barratt as a youth option.

I'd hope we'd be trying to offload at least one of the disasters who are supposed to play either side of Roberts too and either bring in a much more solid replacement or see if Lopata and Shepherd can make the grade.

 

I’d play a back four next year, with Earl left back, Shepherd and Roberts centre halves. Then it’s about working out who can play right back from Cotter, O’Keeffe, Lofthouse or maybe MDG. Or, bring a specialist in.

It’s good that some players are out of contract, and I’m sure the club will also sell two or three of the better lads. But there’s a handful I wish we could move on, who we probably won’t be able to.

Big summer ahead. I hope the young lads get more chances before then and put themselves in the frame too.

 

Good to see that both of these players appear to be kicking on in their development. Perhaps they're now ready to be part of our defensive line next season.

However, they're both good examples of where the club needs to look at its recruitment system, as both were brought in and effectively thrown into the first team too early, and struggled to perform consistently there, despite flashes of potential from both. They look to be benefitting from the drop in level where they're currently playing, which gives them a better chance of being able to make the step up to League One, but there's still a chance that might prove to be a step too far.

We make far too many of these types of signing. Loaning out players developed through the academy is one thing, but loaning out players we've recruited to be part of the first team setup is evidence of a flawed recruitment process. Ironically, we've seen two of our better recent players, in Mowatt and Herbie Kane, go down a similar route of being loaned out and then return to perform well for us, but it means that we don't get the full benefit of their contract periods. Mads Andersen was a similar case where, rather than being loaned out, he benefitted the Covid break to rebuild his confidence after getting dog's abuse for his early performances in the first team. In ordinary circumstances, he'd probably have been loaned out too.

We've been setting up too many players to fail within our first team structure, if we're reliant upon them building up their form/confidence at other clubs for them to have a shot of succeeding in the first team. A few of these will succeed, but we'll sign a greater number who will fail. Bloating the squad with these types of signings is a luxury we don't appear to be able to afford if it takes a season or two of development before they're trusted enough to become part of the regular first team setup.

I'd love to see both Lopata and Shepherd thrive with us next season, but I hope that we change the recruitment model so that we don't continue to sign these types of players as first team squad members and then hinder their development by placing too much expectation on them. We're not a Premier League club that can hoover up youngsters and farm them out for development on loan deals, but at times it seems like we're trying to adopt the same overall model. Ironically, we've now reached the stage where we've had to recall our own developmental academy players to cover the holes in the first team squad that these loans have left behind (and based on limited evidence so far, they seem to be doing OK).

 

Earl is far too slow to play at left back. Even in a four a modern day full back has to get up and down a bit.

 

Do you know if that James is still at the club. Looked class and mature beyond his years when he got a couple of chances with us. And that seems yonks ago

 

Still here, he played for the academy against Hull two weeks ago before the international break. I think he’s just dropped down the pecking order below Barret

 

I thought they both looked better options than the current mob playing alongside Robbo

 

Players have got up and down at full back my entire life. It’s not a modern thing.

We got out of this division last time with Dani Pinillos in a four. I was quicker than him.

Earl would be fine. Gent is out until 2026. I don’t rate Farrugia. We can’t just keep signing more and more.

 

I'm with you on the back 4, but none of the above should be at right back. You could maybe play Cotter, O'Keeffe or Lofthouse on the right of midfield if we go 4-4-2, or even as out and out wingers at a stretch. I do wonder if Pines would do well in a 4, but that ship has probably sailed.

 

Yeah, you're right about full backs always having to get up and down to be fair. Just not convinced Earl can play there.
Seen nothing in Farrugia so far, when he's managed to stay fit that is. Doesn't look very good either defensively or going forward.
Already looking another pointless addition to a bloated squad.

 

I've also thought it and said it on here, I liked him/Lopata at first and I thought we'd signed a decent player there. But we offloaded him almost all of a sudden, like he's done something wrong!.

 

MDG can play right back and would be streets ahead of those others you mentioned.