Centre midfield

[Hoop Blah]

As I said, a forward thinking company speculates to accumulate and is proactive as opposed to reactive.

If it's a nailed on certainty that we're going to lose these key individuals then make sure we get the best replacements in that we can by acting early.

As for Mills/Gorkss we took the best part of 2 months to make the Gorkss deal once Mills left. We thought we had enough in the squad already but got that wrong.

[Svlad Cjelli]

These things are like buying houses - sometimes there are whole chains, and players are only available for sale once the selling club has lined up a replacement, etc.

In principle you're right - but in practice it's often not that easy - especially when we refuse to allow ourselves to be blackmailed.

Look how much Carroll's price from Newcastle was inflated on deadline day because Liverpool needed a player. We won't let ourselves be railroaded like that into buying at teh wrong price - we'd rather make-do for 4 months.

[Vision]

Generally speaking I like the way we go about the transfer side of it.

I know the point is valid that we don't seem to start the season with a settled side but given that we're still in the process of reducing our wage bill from the "parachute years" down to a sustainable level we can't simply go after money replacements in advance of perceived sales. As with all transfers sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. We're generally looking for the next big bargain so buying the likes of Morrison and Manset in January could be perceived as forward thinking in preparation for losing players in August.

The fact that those two players haven't yet developed as we'd liked meant we then turned our attention to the loan market (Khumalo). Once it becomes clear that that wasn't going to work out then we go for the more substantial transfer targets IE Gorkks and to a lesser degree Le Fondre.

Also always worth bearing in mind that it's also our style and part of our appeal to players that we give those already within the squad the opportunity to step up and fill the void left by departing players.

Not saying we get it right all the time but in the last few seasons we've done ok and from a purely personal preference I prefer this way of doing things.

[melonhead]

thats where i am with it too

good post

[Hoop Blah]

These things are like buying houses - sometimes there are whole chains, and players are only available for sale once the selling club has lined up a replacement, etc.

In principle you're right - but in practice it's often not that easy - especially when we refuse to allow ourselves to be blackmailed.

Look how much Carroll's price from Newcastle was inflated on deadline day because Liverpool needed a player. We won't let ourselves be railroaded like that into buying at teh wrong price - we'd rather make-do for 4 months.

Sorry Dirk, although I agree that a lot of what we do is right, we also make (IMO) mistakes. One of those is waiting so long to be apparently held to ransom on deadline day (if that actually happens).

In the example of Gorkss I'm sure last time this was dicussed there were quotes from Warnock that suggested he was available all summer and it was only when we realised we were severly lacking at centre half that we went out and got him. I don't think there was any chain to speak of apart from us waking up to a Gorkss size hole in the squad.

As for Carroll, his price wasn't inflated by deadline day but by the agreement with Newcastle that they'd pay £15 less for him than they managed to get out of Chelsea for Torres (perhaps his deal was inflated by the timing but I think that was more just by it being a Liverpool to Chelsea deal).

[Svlad Cjelli]

Happy to stand corected on Gorkss - I was a bit out of the loop this summer and at the start of the season.

[Extended-Phenotype]

Excuse me while I gather my composure from rolling around on the floor laughing my arse off, but that is the worst idea I ever heard.

Apart from when your Dad said “nah, let’s keep it.”?

I don't mind ideas being slated, but at least put some content in your posts, Ideal. Otherwise you may as well just copy and paste "I'm a mistake" into the reply box each time.

[Snowball]

Despite conceding two goals on Saturday


RFC are 5th-best defence in the league overall, SECOND-BEST defence in the league away.

We are a LONG way from the finished article and I'm a long way from feeling optimistic
but that above stat is a very good one. First get a tight defence was always the way.

Pearce-Gorks should improve still further.

Cummings can only get better

Mills can only get better.

Feds is excellent with two VERY good keepers pushing for a place.

If we can finish the season with second/third/fourth best defence overall, IMO the future will be VERY bright.



Though McD is starting to make excuses, I definitely think we were unlucky not to get at least a point on Saturday, and I doubt if anyone would be saying Cardiff were robbed had they lost.

The disallowed last-minute goal at Palace, Derby, Southampton... we could easily be on 7 or 9 more points,the margins are that fine.

I DON'T say, "if only". I know it can go both ways.
I just make the point that a tiny bit of bad luck, one or two good saves, hit the woodwork etc


I look at a very good defence (with a blind spot tho) that will get better and better...


Interesting how similar to last season things are... Not too many defeats but not quite enough wins
and an improving defence...

Last season we experimented, though, changed things and had that flurry of high-scoring games

4-0 A Burnley
4-3 H Doncaster
1-3 A QPR
1-1 H Cardiff
3-3 H Norwich

followed by 1-1, 0-0, 0-0, five consecutive draws

I still think we'll do someone 5 or 6

[Hoop Blah]

Although I don't subscribe to the view that young players can only get better I do agree that our back four is doing a decent job and should get better as a unit the more they play togther.

I also agree that a good defence is the way to start building a decent team. I think the problem we have is that our defensive record is built on more than just the back 5, it's a product of the way the whole team is set up and the defensive nature of the midfield and the way we play the percentages a little too much (IMO).

Last year you (Snowball) made a interesting ascertion that goal difference was the best indicator of where a team might end up in the league. I'm not sure I really agree that it's that accurate but I do think it's probably better than using just goals scored or goals conceeded as it takes into account both sides of the game.

Looking at the current table we're pretty much in the right place by goal difference.

As with last year, if we don't make changes, or something doesn't click sooner rather than later, we're not going to be challenging for the play offs.

[melonhead]

but that above stat is a very good one. First get a tight defence was always the way.

its the way McD has built both of his succesful sides here
get that sorted, then slowly shift the balance forward, until we hit that sweet spot

[LoyalRoyalFan]

Why can't we just give Jake Taylor a few games?

[melonhead]

hes on loan, and the club obviously dont think hes quite ready

personally, id let this syste4m have a few more games to build, and if it still isntworking try 433 with taylor in the middle behind lefondre
i think thatll work(but what do i know-ill leave it to the pros)

[Ferris]

Why can't we just give Jake Taylor a few games?

Because if he's not the immediate answer he'll be lynched. And he's on loan to Exeter.

[Svlad Cjelli]

Why can't we just give Jake Taylor a few games?

http://hobnob.royals.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=109584

[Ian Royal]

Why can't we just give Jake Taylor a few games?

Because McDermott knows he isn't a magic bullet. He's made, what, 9 starts in first team football and suddenly you want to build a team around him? Because that's exactly what we'd have to do to accomodate him. It'd mean completely changing style and potentially changing formation. For a teenager with virtually no senior competitive experience, let alone Championship experience.

We'll do exactly the right thing with him. Leave him on loan getting proper match experience for a while, maybe a few games here and there this season. Then depending on how he's doing, a go in the League Cup and see where we go from there.

[under the tin]

Despite conceding two goals on Saturday


RFC are 5th-best defence in the league overall, SECOND-BEST defence in the league away.

We are a LONG way from the finished article and I'm a long way from feeling optimistic
but that above stat is a very good one. First get a tight defence was always the way.

Pearce-Gorks should improve still further.

Cummings can only get better

Mills can only get better.

Feds is excellent with two VERY good keepers pushing for a place.

If we can finish the season with second/third/fourth best defence overall, IMO the future will be VERY bright.



Though McD is starting to make excuses, I definitely think we were unlucky not to get at least a point on Saturday, and I doubt if anyone would be saying Cardiff were robbed had they lost.

The disallowed last-minute goal at Palace, Derby, Southampton... we could easily be on 7 or 9 more points,the margins are that fine.

I DON'T say, "if only". I know it can go both ways.
I just make the point that a tiny bit of bad luck, one or two good saves, hit the woodwork etc


I look at a very good defence (with a blind spot tho) that will get better and better...


Interesting how similar to last season things are... Not too many defeats but not quite enough wins
and an improving defence...

Last season we experimented, though, changed things and had that flurry of high-scoring games

4-0 A Burnley
4-3 H Doncaster
1-3 A QPR
1-1 H Cardiff
3-3 H Norwich

followed by 1-1, 0-0, 0-0, five consecutive draws

I still think we'll do someone 5 or 6

What a load of cobblers. All opinions, no statisics to back it up

[specialjon]

The thing that I've liked about McD as a manager is that when we have had a problem he has solved it by changing the way we play or bringing new players. So I can't see why it'd be any different this time.

Interesting point of view.

He's done pretty well doing that defensively, but going forward I don't think he's had any real success as yet has he?

I actually think its time we delved into the loan market. Over the last few years the Championship has seen a few examples of young Premiership kids going out on loan and adding goals to sides (Lansbury, Cleverly, Larsson etc) and perhaps it's something we need to do. Someone like McEachran or the next big thing waiting to come out of the big boys academies might just have that swagger and spark that we need.

I'd say he has solved our problems going forward by changing the way we play rather than buying players in. So we went 4-5-1 when the sig nearly got us into the play-offs. We then changed it to 4-4-2 when long got us into the play-offs but he realised we didn't have the central mids to do that so we got Ledge in. I think his first idea this season was Alf up front with Church which hasn't brought enough goals. The reason i think this is, is that Kebe and McAnuff have both had very quiet seasons so far, to get us up the league, all we'd need is those two on fire and we'd fly up the league. If this doesn't happen then i think the system will be changed and maybe a new player brought in on loan in January.