Davey's Signings - Too Many New Players???

How do we keep them all happy? Would you move aborad to be a 'back-up'? Supporters are already getting on his back, how long before the players do too?

For example, Nyatanga probably expects to play each game - so will Kozluk (high wage earner) and probably Foster (a defender we payed for!). Reid is team captain, Davey's chocie too, so as such should be first name on team sheet.

If the above decides the back four, what about Ginger Bob, without doubt the best defender from last season, and Dennis, this seasons best defender?

Likewise with midfield - Howard should start and I expect Johnson thinks he should. This leaves Ricketts and Devaney - if we play 4-4-2 they fit in, but hang on, we've just got an Everton player on loan - surely he'd expect to play. Also, there's McCann (international player) and Togwell (one of last seasons most consistent performers). If we play 3-5-2 then we'd have to drop one of the above, at the min Disco.

Moving onto strikers and Davey has bought 4 players. Most expensive being Mostto. Can't speak the language, long way from home and not got youth on his side - will he be happy to sit on the bench? Odejayi is young, and it could be understood if he was brought in for the future, but as yet looks the best attacking option. Ferenczi did the biz to keep us up, but will he be happy to be disgarded for the Dane who cost more. Will the Dane be happy to warm the bench at Barnsley when he could have gone to Hibs where he could have also warmed the bench but had a better chance of playing in Europe? Also, does rotation work? A good policy in thoguht, but you saw what happened under Ritchie - not one player got over 10 goals in a season, and some players lacking confidence (understandable when you can score one week and be dropped the next)! Look at Colchester last season, shows how far a settled strike force can get you.

I'd love nothing better then for us to have a great season, but as well as supporters being on Davey's backs I can many of his signing getting the hump too.

Although the likes of Austin, Williams, Kay, Tonge and Wroe were not Championship quality (as proved by who they've signed for), at least, Kay aside, they'd have been happy to warm the bench. At present, the jury is still out on whether the new signings are any better, but will they be content on warming the bench every week?

I'm all for having strength in depth, but has Davey put his foot in it by signing so many unknown foreigners (but hope they all prove me wrong and turn out to be excellent!!)

Anyways, thoughts over and oiff for another can - it took me two already to get through writing this!

 

Good post...

...will it cause more unrest than it's worth?

This ***** lager's put me in contemplative mood (chinny)

Dont worry, come may we'll be looking forward to a great day out at Wembley....

Carlsberg by the way, makes you talk /poo

 

RE: Good post...

Thanks - most alcohol makes you talk and comtemplate - but stay off the Stella - makes you evil and fight!

 

Whilst you make some very valid points...

It's up to the players to fight for their places and earn the right to be in the side every week - like Howard for example.

If one of the strikers gets on a hot streak, they'll probably stay in the team... so there's the incentive.

 

Davey wants competition in each position. Now that's fine and it keeps players on their toes and training hard to get their place. He does however say (on the official site) that he wants everyone to be under pressure. I don't know if this is an unfortunate turn of phrase but surely pressure is bad. Competition good. Pressure bad. Pressure surely doesn't breed confidence and allow the players to play their game. Too afraid to make any sort of mistake.

Squad rotation doesn't have to mean sending out a different team every match of course. It can just be used to give players a break, get them fresh again. Big squads have a big advantage in this respect.

I suppose also, when you're taking a punt on relatively unknown foreign players, there's sense in buying plenty to play the percentage game. If 50%+ of the players work out then you'll have done some good business. Probably.

 

RE: Whilst you make some very valid points...

Definately agree with that. Problem is that I see certain players who won't be dropped unless injured or suspended (no matter how bad they play)

1) team captain - currently Paul Reid
2) Highest Wage Earners - one of which Rob Kozluk
3) Loan Player - Nyatanga - wanted by other clubs - came to us for first team football - if we want to extend loan and Derby are willing he'll have to be playing or will go elsewhere.

Probably Foster making up the back four due to being last signing (is he better then other players?) and costing a fee.

IF the above is true, I feel that no matter how well Hassell/Souza play while covering for injuries/suspensions, they will be back on the bench once injury/suspension is over.

 

RE: Whilst you make some very valid points...

don't agree.

1 Reid, why should he start every game, he won't (next two max)
2 Kozluk - will play if best player, is he highest paid?
3 Nayatanga: we have him for season so doesn't matter if he plays or not, if not good enough by end of season we wouldn't want to buy him anyway.

more players more comp, if they're not good enough we end with the same players and Davey goes.

 

Nyatanga's only on loan till Jan 1st mate nt

 

Reid

Massive discussion about him at the moment, and I agree it seems as though the manager wants him in.

HOWEVER... after the red card and IF we can somehow defend well in the next 2 games (one of which unfortunately is WBA away), hopefully he won't be recalled.

I've nothing against ANY Reds players, I simply, like most, want the best 11 playing every week... but IF current individual form continues, I fail to see, whether captain or not, how SD can continue picking Reidy - certainly not ahead of either Souza or Nyatanga.

Eventually if form remained bad, the good of the team would surely have to come above any favourites - that or obviously like any manager, his job would be under threat so I'm sure he'll do ANYTHING to try and get the team winning, whether that's dropping Reidy or not.

I don't think ANY player should be guaranteed a place, as that can lead to complacency, lethargy etc etc.

 

RE: Whilst you make some very valid points...

Reid is team captain, as decided by Davey. If dropped shows lack of confidence the manager has in him - do u see Gerrard not plauying of Liverpool or Terry not playing for Chelsea when fit, other than against teams they expect to win easily?

Kozluk came out when he signed and said he was in the top wage earners bracket.

 

decided before new signings, and davey has said himself that he still has a lot to learn.

Given captaincy to boost confidence, taken away because it hasn't worked, doesn't show a u turn, shows Davey has the strength to make a tough decision.

 

RE: Reid

'I don't think ANY player should be guaranteed a place, as that can lead to complacency, lethargy etc etc.'

I agree, but after Davey has backed him against the boo-boys, could he then be seen to drop him?

Is Davey strong enough to deal with the backlash from the crowd and Reid?

 

I agree, and I think he has shown the courage to change before - dropping Howard gave him a kick up the backside, dropping Devaney, changing the whole squad, dropping an international goalkeeper and signing a replacement, the Kay incident.

I don't believe he will shy away from such a decision IF he sees things as many fans/media do regarding the situation.

Howard as captain for me every time, he's the heartbeat of the side and leads by example.

 

Reid had bad games last season. Captaincy could have been changed before start of season if Davey wasn't too sure if Reid was one of the better defenders or not.

If captaincy was given to Reid to boost is confidence in the first place is this right? Surely a captain shouldn't be too much of a confidence player!

We are predicted to struggle - wouldn't losing more games then winning have a deterimental effect on Reid if he was a confidence player - wouldn't we be better off having a captain that could get heads up and rally the troops regardless of score/previous results?

 

When you say he's backed Reid against the boo-boys...

I must say I haven't read that, but was he not just saying that the fans shouldn't boo players?

Knowing the little that I do so far about the media, the facts are very rarely what you read in a newspaper, and indeed even the full story of such things is unlikely to appear on an official website.

If someone asks him what he thinks about people booing Reid, he can hardly say 'Yeah he's crap' can he?

Words are often fed in interviews - it's bad interview technique, and I always try and ask open questions wherever possible - but people do it.

 

Like Howard?

I agree.

 

You're living proof

that we have no idea what it's like to have strength in depth.

I have been dropping bacon butties all summer at the volumes of fresh players arriving at the 'well - have we ever, in living memory brought so many new faces in, close season? Certainly not in my time, and I have been going since circa '83.

I agree that there are question marks over rotation policies, and that a good many players are prone to sulking if not getting a regular place in the starting side, but when you look at the squads of our opponents they all have at least 22 contenders for a starting place, this being the reason that they don't fall apart, say, if they lose two midfielders simultaneously e.g. to injury and suspension.

Your analysis of the individual scenarios is absolutely top drawer, but it leaves me feeling smug that we have such dilemmas this year - let them bloody scrap for a place, maybe that's what we've been lacking. This football thing is all about me & thee tha knows, not about massaging inflated player egos and guaranteed first team football for pie-eaters!

 

caffrey's mate...

8 cans for a fiver at mozzers.

it's the future.

 

Spot on.

Choices all over the pitch, 2 serious contenders for almost every position.

Only Howard, at this early stage, looks an automatic choice.

 

RE: Good post...

You can say that again :- Stella is mad!