Central defenders don't necessarily need lightning pace to be good. Some of the world's greatest defenders were relatively slow for pro footballers, but obviously their reading of the game was exceptional. Developing that reading and understanding as a team takes time. I'm certainly not worried about the quality we've got in that position, and I'm sure they'll click as a back line. I'm far more concerned about the complete stifling of creativity in our midfield.
Of the away games I've seen, yesterday was dreadful of course. Cambridge - excellent display plus a bit of luck. Northampton - slightly fortunate to win. Wigan - got the rub of the green with the sending off but a real textbook display against ten men. You can only beat what's in front of you, and we've been pretty effective at doing that away from home this season, matter how ugly it looks. I'll take ugly away wins all season long. At home however, it's largely been ugly and only moderately effective. Something definitely needs to change.
Worryingly after the game in his opinion of the match he started talking utter b*IIo*ks, flying in the face of the fans who saw the games opinion , which is never a good sign!
Can’t sack him with the hand he’s been dealt and we’re sixth. If we start sliding down the table, might have no option but at the moment he needs a chance. As a fanbase we moan all the time about swapping and changing every season. Whoever comes in with the players we have won’t do any better than what Collins is doing. Yesterday was an horrendous performance but every team has them and we’ve had a couple recently but as been mentioned above, we’ve also had some good performances this season as well.
Which is why I think sacking him when he's not had a full deck to play with would be premature. 6th with attacking football would be absolutely fine by me at this stage. Neill Collins isn't an idiot. I can't for one second imagine that he thinks sideways and backwards football is going to entertain the fans. If he does, that's a big worry.
We only have to look at Futch who had the uncanny ability to be in the right place at the right time despite not being the quickest out of the blocks.
That is the point I'm trying to make... last year's players are now rightly in a league above.. but just remember though we didn't get promoted with those players, why we should have greater or similar expectations of lesser players I don't understand. Just saying they're good enough doesn't make it so.
Tell me what he has done then. If it is his body that is the problem he shouldn't get past the medicals.he honestly doesn't do much running about when he gets on. He doesn't tackle. The only one good thing i have seen from him is an half decent shot from a dead ball. Perhaps i am a nob , but i know a footballer when i see one and Benson isn't. We do have another player who has a lot of health problems but is a footballer with dreams. He is called Luca Connell
They wouldn't Sack him anyway, that costs money. We will only have loan players to look forward to in January because the money we made from player sales just about covers what the investors invested.
Simple fact is that if we want better players we need to be better at making money from other things. Having a fanzine that generates money for brewdog when it's open and nobody when it's shut isn't the way and having kits that nobody can,buy is certainly not the way.
Not taking money out no, they are taking what they put in. When they can take it, like now we have sold players they can reclaim the money.
I agree the kit situation has been a shambles, but this has thrown me. What's the Club fanzine that generates money for Brewdog?
This is a real first serious test for Neill Collins. On the back of a poor result in the cup and one in the league, he now has to show how he can rally the troops, stop any blame, or infighting and rebuild confidence. If he can do it and get results in the following games, he will have proved himself. If he starts to implode, his period of tenure will be on a downward trend. The cycle we are now in will be his biggest test and I for one would not be able, at this stage, to guess the outcome, but I hope that, both for club and manager, it is positive.
I think the league position flatters us because we have played a lot of the bottom half in the early part of the season. The Port Vale game seems an aberration but I can't help thinking that it was the last shout of some of the players playing to their strengths before Collins started to stamp his way on them. In the Fleetwood game I specifically watched for where the possession was breaking down. It was so repetitive it was untrue. We would come out of defence to our half way line and Williams or Kane would have the ball. They would each bring it to the half way line, often with at least a clear 10 yards in front of them to run into. Instead they would turn and pass it sideways or backwards to a player in a worse position than themselves. That player would either dither and be caught in possession or be pressed and hoof it up field aimlessly and surrender possession. Kane is allowed to go forward only when we need an equaliser, like Orient and like Fleetwood where a superb goal and a superb assist show the effect he can have if allowed to play in the final third. Similarly my impression of Williams (who is being played out of position) is of a defender who likes to get forward, who can make runs down the wings. We have consistently lost three goals to the clubs who are in or around the top six and he hasn't thought to change the defensive set up. He adds no value and shows no sign of being able to change his playing style. I also think he may be starting to lose the dressing room. Five games ago, i'd have given him a free hit because of the woeful recruitment this summer (goalie apart). Not now. Line up a replacement first though and sign at least one experienced centre back in the window or a free agent before then.
I meant fanzone. It always seems to autocorrect it. When the fanzone is open it generates sales for brewdog. ALL the stalls in the fanzone should be run successfully by the club generating money for the club imo rather than having volunteers working their balls off to staff them and taking profits where they choose.