How do you have that much talent in your squad

And lose 3-0 to Stevenage?

That takes some skill to make them that bad. I'm impressed.

 

Very few can complain if they aren't picked Tuesday night.

 

Mmm. Lots of talented players i agree. The balance is weird though - like, we're still stuck with Sam Cosgrove as first choice number 9 for example, who's pretty much as bad as we've ever had as a consistent starter

 

Yeah, but a bad centre forward (I don't personally think he is, but I'll accept your point) doesn't make you lose 3-0. You could fish a man off the street to manage this squad and we wouldn't lose 3-0 to Stevenage.

 

Because talent isn't everything you have to have the willingness to fight for the right to show that talent. Also some of our players just aren't as good as they seem to think they are, just turning up at a ground on a Saturday afternoon / Tuesday evening doesn't give you an automatic 3 points you still have to earn them.

 

Of course, they need managing.

 

Since when did we have an amazingly talented squad? I don’t think we have a single player that would get a regular game in the Championship. In several positions we’re still significantly weaker than last season.

 

Careful posting this, according to some Clarke gives amazing interviews and he's honest so that makes everything ok....

 

So would you swap Stevenage's squad for ours? Do you think they have better players than we have?

 

I don’t know the Stevenage squad well enough to make an informed judgement, but that’s a different point. I was only challenging your assertion was that we have a ‘talented’ group of players. I think many are bang average.

 

I personally think it's a very pertinent point considering my question in the OP is how we managed to lose 3-0 to Stevenage.

 

Your question is built on a false premise - that we have loads a talent in our squad.

 

DKD
Phillips
Cotter
Connell
Craig
Pines
Jalo
Lofthouse
Roberts
Earl

All at the very least top-end L1 players.

 

I still think we've not addressed our defensive frailties properly. Whilst Roberts adds experience, the other 3 regular centre halves still have a mistake in them. So too does the keeper. And whilst I reckon Craig will provide a good shield to the back line, he too is still relatively inexperienced. It's the physical sides, like Stevenage, that we'll probably come unstuck against this season.

 

Top end only in your opinion- you are not making a factual statement.

Plus “top end” is open to interpretation.

Quite a few of those you list are in my judgement regularly below promotion material.

They have the talent but not the consistency.

 

Maybe there's too many voices telling them what to do with us having 6 first team coaches..

 

Going in at half time 0-0 it then becomes a test of each managers tactical awareness. Assessing what you have seen in the first half and how to get the upper hand in the second half. Our manager came a poor second.

 

Consistency usually comes if talent is combined with hard work and a run in the team. Cotter is proof of that. Earl also seems to be looking like the player we signed in February, rather than his less talented body double who finished last season. The young lads will definitely have dips in form, but that's where the experienced pros come in. I still think we've got a very capable squad for this level, and the odd ****-show like yesterday doesn't change that. It's if it becomes the norm that we'll need to start worrying.

 

Its very early days imho...what are we 5 games in? Our coach is getting to know these players and having identified a "soft underbelly" the other week.....it re surfaced in spades v Stevenage.
The first half i felt we controlled and I was remarking how they had no football in them and to keep those long balls and long throw ins coming as it was bread and butter with Pines.
I still think our coach didn't do himself any favors with some of the changes and the hosts out worked and physically got in our faces and we couldn't deal with them.
Hopefully Clarke learns big time from this...we were very poor second half.
If I were to pick one player to impitomise that second half I would say Phillips....I like the kid and he gets goals and shoots and crosses well. His application is at times poor and is very slow to get to/on the ball...you can't do that against the physical teams....that's how and why we were outdone...plus the defence 2nd half was rubbish!

 

What I saw was a numb first half a head coach that saw that and tried to change it to put us on the front foot to go and win the game.. Which was fair enough.. but it didn't work out that way.. It was Stevenage that got stronger and us weaker.. Maybe something to do with Pines going off which we couldn't do anything about. Clarke said he couldn't see.. but we still shouldn't fall to pieces just losing one player..