Leigh Curtis match ratings

[DelroyFacey22]

Just been reading the Leigh Curtis webchat and these two stand out. Thoughts please as I think Curtis is a complete Muppet

Paul: Are you disappointed / surprised by the team selections, match tactics and game management (lack-of) by Mr Ardley? Same old players keep getting selected and they keep failing. Why does Stead play 90 minutes of every match, the guys legs have gone, stick a CB upfront! Give the youngsters a go!
Hi Paul, hope you are well but no I am not surprised or disappointed with team selections as what else is there to choose from? I think the manager would love to give Stead a rest, but Hemmings is injured and Stead is the top goalscorer. And what happens if the youngsters are given a go, but suffer a defeat. The fans would go bonkers at not playing the strongest team available.

Sally: How has Ozzy not been given a chance at right wing back?! It's a joke
Hi Sally, as much as I like the thought of having a team full of young players, would now be the right time to play them in a pressurised situation? There’s a time and a place to try young talent. Now isn’t one of them imo.

Never read an Evening Post article in my life but I agree with him 100% on both questions.

Fans thinking playing Sam Osbourne out of position because he's done alright playing in a completely different role in games that are absolutely miles away from the standard of league football are just clutching at straws. It's like thinking Husin should be playing because he's an Afghanistan international, the standard is awful, the competition is awful.

As for the squad, again, he is limited by what he has, he's already giving chances to two youngsters in Barclay (though not our own player, still a 22 year old with little experience) and Pierce Bird, who was a factory worker before last season. Without Hemmings his other options are Dennis and Stead, Dennis should have played more but he's not someone that you can play on his own up front, that much is obvious.

I think Vaughan is sh*te too but him, Milsom and O'Brien are unfortunately up there with our best options, Nolan has his pants pulled down when he was convinced to sign Patching and Crawford imo, neither have shown much of anything and haven't been rated by any of our 3 managers so far this season other than a brief spell Patching had playing on the wing, where he was cr*p.

[Disturbed]

Never read an Evening Post article in my life but I agree with him 100% on both questions.

Fans thinking playing Sam Osbourne out of position because he's done alright playing in a completely different role in games that are absolutely miles away from the standard of league football are just clutching at straws. It's like thinking Husin should be playing because he's an Afghanistan international, the standard is awful, the competition is awful.

As for the squad, again, he is limited by what he has, he's already giving chances to two youngsters in Barclay (though not our own player, still a 22 year old with little experience) and Pierce Bird, who was a factory worker before last season. Without Hemmings his other options are Dennis and Stead, Dennis should have played more but he's not someone that you can play on his own up front, that much is obvious.

I think Vaughan is sh*te too but him, Milsom and O'Brien are unfortunately up there with our best options, Nolan has his pants pulled down when he was convinced to sign Patching and Crawford imo, neither have shown much of anything and haven't been rated by any of our 3 managers so far this season other than a brief spell Patching had playing on the wing, where he was cr*p.

But Bird and Barclay given a chance has been a success (well, in terms of how the season has gone) as these two put more of a shift in than others who have played in this position. You even acknowledge that we are conceding less goals now (on another thread) so the next step is to get the midfield sorted and this is how (if I was the manager) would do it. But if you still want to clutch at straws thinking the current midfield selection will work, then that is your choice and you must have a bet on relegation as that is what will happen

[DelroyFacey22]

Barclay hasn't impressed me at all to be honest, I don't think he's an improvement on Brisley, Turley or Ward and gave away the second goal at Yeovil, Bird is doing alright but if you look at our form I'm not sure bringing in either of them has improved us a great deal, we're still sh*t, my point is that it's not like he isn't giving younger players a chance in the first team, he's not against it and will pick them if he thinks they're good enough. For that reason he clearly doesn't think Osbourne playing well in the U23's is worthy of picking him as a right wing back. Even Charlie Slater downplayed his form for the U23's and said it was a completely different level.

He's trying to improve the team by bringing in players that are better than what we have and I don't think we have players that are better than the midfielders that start games at the club, that's why O'Brien was brought in, he's also re-introduced Allessandra, who was one of our best players before his injury and will be bringing back Enzio when he's fit. Milsom isn't an awful player by the way, he was player of the year here not too long ago and looked fine last season when he played, most people were annoyed with Nolan for not picking him more often and were saying Nolan "only picked his mates", some of those same people now think he's one of the worst players we've ever had.

Some of these players are not as bad as they are playing. To fix the squad in general they need to play to the best of their abilities, that's the challenge, it doesn't matter how many players you bring in (unless you literally completely change the whole squad) as they will be brought in to an underperforming team that is weak mentally and will buckle at the slightest pressure, that is not an environment you can succeed in easily and it's the worst kind of an environment to bring in youth team players just because you think "it can't get worse" or they've done well doing a completely different job in the U23's.

[Disturbed]

Barclay hasn't impressed me at all to be honest, I don't think he's an improvement on Brisley, Turley or Ward and gave away the second goal at Yeovil, Bird is doing alright but if you look at our form I'm not sure bringing in either of them has improved us a great deal, we're still sh*t, my point is that it's not like he isn't giving younger players a chance in the first team, he's not against it and will pick them if he thinks they're good enough. For that reason he clearly doesn't think Osbourne playing well in the U23's is worthy of picking him as a right wing back. Even Charlie Slater downplayed his form for the U23's and said it was a completely different level.

He's trying to improve the team by bringing in players that are better than what we have and I don't think we have players that are better than the midfielders that start games at the club, that's why O'Brien was brought in, he's also re-introduced Allessandra, who was one of our best players before his injury and will be bringing back Enzio when he's fit. Milsom isn't an awful player by the way, he was player of the year here not too long ago and looked fine last season when he played, most people were annoyed with Nolan for not picking him more often and were saying Nolan "only picked his mates", some of those same people now think he's one of the worst players we've ever had.

Some of these players are not as bad as they are playing. To fix the squad in general they need to play to the best of their abilities, that's the challenge, it doesn't matter how many players you bring in (unless you literally completely change the whole squad) as they will be brought in to an underperforming team that is weak mentally and will buckle at the slightest pressure, that is not an environment you can succeed in easily and it's the worst kind of an environment to bring in youth team players just because you think "it can't get worse" or they've done well doing a completely different job in the U23's.

I actually agree with most of what you have said there but if these players are not doing what they are capable of doing, being told what to do or do not have the ability to do what the need to do, then wouldn't it be best to try something else? If anything, wouldn't it give them the kick that they need to think that they will get dropped if the do not perform? These players have the luxury of knowing that they will play each week unless they cry off with a chipped nail, scratched nail polish or a bad hair day, but if they were dropped and another given the chance, then would that not spark some sort of life into the squad thus improving the results, confidence and hope?

[DelroyFacey22]

If anything, wouldn't it give them the kick that they need to think that they will get dropped if the do not perform?

Honestly? I doubt any of them would be bothered about losing their place in the slightest, a lot of them would be thankful for not having to be out there and there lies the problem.

[Disturbed]

Honestly? I doubt any of them would be bothered about losing their place in the slightest, a lot of them would be thankful for not having to be out there and there lies the problem.

So lets try something else then. if it doesn't work then at least Ardley can say he tried, but to not do anything is just plain crazy. If these players don't want to be out there, drop them (into the Trent with weights on is my advice)

[navypie]

So lets try something else then. if it doesn't work then at least Ardley can say he tried, but to not do anything is just plain crazy. If these players don't want to be out there, drop them (into the Trent with weights on is my advice)

I think the Trent as enough rubbish in it already.

[Disturbed]

I think the Trent as enough rubbish in it already.

Oh go on Sir, PLEASE, just a bit more, it wont hurt, for the sake of humanity

[durhampie]

Honestly? I doubt any of them would be bothered about losing their place in the slightest, a lot of them would be thankful for not having to be out there and there lies the problem.

This bunch of losers get paid good money to be out on the pitch. But to date they have managed only 4 wins since the start of the season and it doesn't look as though they will add to that tally. They have had ample chances to impress and to at least look bothered, but they have managed neither. Enough is enough, they have had there chance and not taken it. Now is the time to **** them off and give some of the younger players a go. At least we will have tried something different..

[legs77]

If we aren’t going to bring the kids in when we are completely sh*t then when are they going to get a chance ?

I will tell you when they will get thrown in when relegation is confirmed and the pressure is off then we won’t see them again next season as they will be deemed “too small”,who in the right mind would send their kids to us you pretty much get no game time no matter how bad the side is.

As for Charlie Slater when cares what a Stag thinks and a man who wanted Kewell out well he got his wish and we have someone with a win percentage which makes Kiwomya look like Guardiola.