I have a theory that, at this level, the difference between a rubbish team and a title-winning team can just be having players who make a difference at each end of the pitch.
A really good keeper or centre-back and a really sharp (or Sharp?) striker and you can go from bumbling along to beating all-comers.
These difference-makers are so important because, ultimately, there is not much to choose between most teams at this level. So if you have a player who can take more chances than is normal or someone at the back who can stop more than is normal, you’ll turn a 0-1 defeat into a 1-1 draw or a 1-1 into a 2-1.
Who do we have that fits that bill? Van Veen? Possibly but I still think he’s best at making others look good rather than being deadly in front of goal. Eisa? Ditto. At the back? There aren’t really any candidates.
I’m genuinely interested in the thought process behind anyone who looks at the outcome of the last half a dozen manager sackings & thinks that sacking another manager will make a positive difference this time.
I don’t understand praise of being “honest”, what does that mean? Are you expecting a summariser who tells us we’re 4-0 up and haven’t conceded a penalty for 6 months?
Do people think Covid has made much difference to our league position (aside from the fact we’ve got games in hand) this season? Would it have been any different if this had been a normal season?
First time I’ve heard him but I thought he was pretty poor, seems to only be able to talk about running & “hard work”. Nothing else seems to occur to him like confidence, skill, vision, organisation.
I must have missed something SanFran, what you driving at?
I love the FA Cup but it’s hard to think of a match I’ve been less arsed about, given the situation in the country, given the state of the club’s league position, given the daft kick-off time.
It’s a great story worth celebrating. I hope the model they’ve got isn’t wrecked by the pandemic.
I could be wrong but I wonder if they’re actually better set up to survive. Ask yourself this: if you had an actual stake in the club, would you consider chipping in to help it through the bad times? I think I’d be much more likely to do so.
I was reading elsewhere that Exeter are doing well because their outstanding youth academy has seen them receive some big transfer fees, including a chunky sell-on for the striker Brentford sold to Villa (Watkins?). Sure, some of that is lucky timing but it comes from doing things the right way.
Spot on, out of the 30+ we have there are probably 7 or 8 that won’t figure in the match day squad unless we’re devastated by injury or Covid. Also some of those that make the squad will just be there to make up the numbers with little hope of getting on the pitch. A harsh assessment? Maybe but a genuine opinion nonetheless.
Sure, I understand in normal circumstances that fans would want more players but we have a squad of 30+ and we are currently not playing games in front of fans and we’re unlikely to do so for the rest of the season I would have thought.
Yes Mick we would have to withdraw like notts county did, Neil Ardsley believes 75% of the teams in the cup at the weekend would each have 3 or 4 players with covid, but his team like ours are been punished for doing the right thing in testing and states like I have been saying “ignorence is not bliss”.
Just like Orient losing out on their League Cup game against Spurs. Crazy.
October 27, 2020 at 5:43 pm
in reply to: Covid#196705
And players can’t train in the meantime. Rest is important for athletes but so is training, it’s a delicate balance. This season is feast or famine in that respect.
A bit naughty perhaps, after all I find keepers do need a few games to show their best form but equally I can’t think of many keepers who’ve had a worse debut for the Iron.
Sorry if I seem a bit simple but why does it cost £100 to test a footballer?
Because they’re not entitled to the ones which the NHS pay for, by and large. I guess they would be if they had come into close contact with another person who tested positive but then they would have to go through the rigmarole of finding a public test centre with available slots, which takes time. So private testing makes sense but these things cost money.
It is ridiculous that the rules on testing are not the same for all clubs. I don’t see how a club that is not doing testing can be seen to be fulfilling its duty of care as an employer. That fact alone will undermine any attempts to get this season finished.
