Are the experts wrong?

[Salopian]

Many pundits in early September were saying that our squad was the strongest in the Championship, and we would take some holding. We all thought that NA had done well to fill so many positions on such a limited budget.

Perhaps, as a result, in the earlier games other teams engaged in damage limitation, setting out not to be beaten, but now they know we can be beaten and they are now more willing to take us on. This gave us early points, but put us under pressure most recently.

Looking at the squad, however, I wonder if we expected too much.

• There are problems in the defence, and three new centre backs have not helped to overcome this. Ruddy seems way off his best. Olsson is not as good as he was last year.
• The midfield, deprived of Vadis, can under-perform, even if the remainder are fit. Potentially our most potent contributor, (Redmond) has had an up and down season and failed to score so far.
• The strikers comprise a very good one (Jerome), but who has some matches where he seems very ordinary. We have one who can score for Ireland, but has failed so far for us, one (Grabban) who misses far too many chances, and one who has suffered too many injuries (Hooper). One (Becchio) left on loan, only to return injured.

We have had some medium term injuries - Bennett, Howson, Wes, Vidas, Hooper, but if our squad were really strong we should have been able to overcome these.

Above all we lack an outstanding talent, one player who can win a game almost from his own brilliance. We need to play as a team, but the various parts of the team are misfiring mostly, at the moment.I don't see us succeeding without a consistent clinical striker, a master creator in the midfield, or a quick, strong and intelligent centre back.

 

[eatonparkboy]

Many pundits in early September were saying that our squad was the strongest in the Championship, and we would take some holding. We all thought that NA had done well to fill so many positions on such a limited budget.

Perhaps, as a result, in the earlier games other teams engaged in damage limitation, setting out not to be beaten, but now they know we can be beaten and they are now more willing to take us on. This gave us early points, but put us under pressure most recently.

Looking at the squad, however, I wonder if we expected too much.

• There are problems in the defence, and three new centre backs have not helped to overcome this. Ruddy seems way off his best. Olsson is not as good as he was last year.
• The midfield, deprived of Vadis, can under-perform, even if the remainder are fit. Potentially our most potent contributor, (Redmond) has had an up and down season and failed to score so far.
• The strikers comprise a very good one (Jerome), but who has some matches where he seems very ordinary. We have one who can score for Ireland, but has failed so far for us, one (Grabban) who misses far too many chances, and one who has suffered too many injuries (Hooper). One (Becchio) left on loan, only to return injured.

We have had some medium term injuries - Bennett, Howson, Wes, Vidas, Hooper, but if our squad were really strong we should have been able to overcome these.

Above all we lack an outstanding talent, one player who can win a game almost from his own brilliance. We need to play as a team, but the various parts of the team are misfiring mostly, at the moment.I don't see us succeeding without a consistent clinical striker, a master creator in the midfield, or a quick, strong and intelligent centre back.

You are right that we don't have that outstanding talent. And we don't have a talisman either. When I look back to many of our successful squads over the years, there was always the leader, the larger than life guy who became the rallying point and battle flag for the team.

The Forbes, Bones, Hockeys, Roberts, Drurys of this world would ignite the match and the crowd with nothing more than their charisma. I have to say that Russell Martin does not give me the impression that he is charismatic. The usual bull of the pre kick off huddle and come on lads cry just isn't enough.

 

[ZLF]

Leadership is missing but it's also clear players are not performing to their best, ruddy, Olsson, Martin,Whits,bj, howson turner Grabban are all regulars not performing consistently to their best at the moment.

They have to step up and play for 90 mins

 

[Salopian]

You are right that we don't have that outstanding talent. And we don't have a talisman either. When I look back to many of our successful squads over the years, there was always the leader, the larger than life guy who became the rallying point and battle flag for the team.

The Forbes, Bones, Hockeys, Roberts, Drurys of this world would ignite the match and the crowd with nothing more than their charisma. I have to say that Russell Martin does not give me the impression that he is charismatic. The usual bull of the pre kick off huddle and come on lads cry just isn't enough.

eatonpark boy is surely right. I am sorry that I missed the possibility of leadership deficiency. Certainly Grant Holt, in recent years, showed how to lead by example, and how to encourage other players. The last ten minutes at Forest were something of a disgrace. We seemed to lose confidence and despair. It might have been very different if Holt had stiffened resolve.

I have no idea  what influence Russell Martin has in the dressing room, but on the pitch he seems relatively quiet and undemonstrative. His leadership in general seems a sub-managerial one, with public relations. He is the players' spokesman after failures. and presumably chosen by management. Bassong was even more wanting, which might explain the disappointment last season.

 

[The Great Mass Debater]

Lafferty should be our talisman. I thought he might prove to be the pivotal signing of the season, to replace what we never did when we lost Grant Holt. Adams isnt playing him in that role though, maybe his yellows are due to frustration?

Remember also, with regards to expert opinions, and also our own, we were widely praised last season for the signings we made, not least the coup of getting RvW

 

[Matt Hopkins]

You can look from the outside and see a strong squad (on paper)

If that squad does not perform because of training, tactics personal disputes whatever, then that squad will never be a team.

Teams win, squads of individuals don't.

I hoped that Adams would have used more of the youngsters as they had shown that spirit which seems to be missing.

Perhaps he listened to Hansen "you wont win anything playing youngsters" without looking at the results that those youngsters achieved.

 

[morty]

I sometimes look back at the squad that got us promoted, and wonder how the hell we did it lol.

(Obviously I know the answer)

 

[Yellow Fever]

Leadership is missing but it's also clear players are not performing to their best, ruddy, Olsson, Martin,Whits,bj, howson turner Grabban are all regulars not performing consistently to their best at the moment.

They have to step up and play for 90 mins

I agree with this mostly, and I don't think it has much to do with the management team either. I'd disagree about Howson though, as I think he has been improving since coming back from injury and was our best player against Forest. Tettey, Turner and Cuellar all had a good game until the final ten minutes. Howson gives me hope, as do Wes and Odjidja-Ofoe when they return from injury, but I agree that there are many others you need to get back on top of their game. 

 

[Canaryboy]

I sometimes look back at the squad that got us promoted, and wonder how the hell we did it lol.

(Obviously I know the answer)

Even more amazing is that we finished 12th in the Premier League with pretty much the same squad.

 

[ZLF]

Was not just referring to the forest game, but over the last month or so don't think we have seen a full 90 mins from them, my concern with howson is the number of spells where it seems he is not on the pitch mid game

He is clearly regaining fitness and us improving,but we have not yet seen him consistently back to his best, yet.

 

[GJP]

To be fair to Howson, not only has he been returning from injury but he has also been asked to play 2 or 3 different roles in midfield recently. But he has still notched an assist and a classy goal in 2 of our last 3 games.

I wouldn't identify him as someone who needs to buck his ideas up a bit or as someone who goes missing.

 

[eatonparkboy]

Even more amazing is that we finished 12th in the Premier League with pretty much the same squad.

People said the same about the 88 and 92 squads who nearly went the full distance.