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To be fair to Baird, he's stepped in and provided solid cover at both right and centre back. He's a useful steady Eddie covering these positions, and there aren't many players happy to be signed up for such a job. I'd keep him for this reason.
Weimann is something I was thinking about recently, he's certainly an option for Rowett to consider. But, I don't think he's good enough, and can see him dropping another league to find his level.
Since when have we exploited the loan market like we did whenQuote:
Originally Posted by Rams4Justice
Ibe
Wisdom
Bamford
Lingaard
Thorne
Ince
came in
I'm surprised that McClaren didn't go this route in January , Oh hang on De Sart oh dear
and he should of Loaned Nugent not bought him or not bothered
Until we start too out many of the list I made earlier, make shrewd loanee's and only buy higher quality in fewer numbers .We won't get anywhere .hope Rowett is that strong man, because that willy nilly buying that Clement or Clement's men did is pure madness
Our scouting for top quality players, has significantly dropped since those loan signings under the first season under Steve and we drastically need to improve in that area, under Rowett going forward. It also depends on who is available at the current time and also depends on what you can afford that suits your current play-style.
True , but no way should we sign anyone for the sake of signing someone ,like what appears we have been doing.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rams4Justice
No doubt about that.....Quote:
Originally Posted by eddy779h34
I think that is a pretty good summation Eddy. the only thing I would say is that the negative crabbing was there before Clement arrived, disguised by being likened to tikki takka in McClaren's earlier incarnation. The patient sideways structure which sometimes worked - but most often did not (as a pressing midfield tended to nullify it) - predated Clement but he expanded on / perfected it by utilising essentially negative non creatives. Clement was initially successful but boring as hell - it was like watching us under Clough N all over again, or Billy Davies' "1-0 to the Derby" squad.Quote:
Originally Posted by eddy779h34
Strange thing is that Johnson and Butterfield were, before they came to us, regarded as creative and free scoring midfield players at Norwich/Leeds and Huddersfield. Now they seem incapable of a forward pass or creating anything. They come to us and change almost overnight - perhaps to fit into Clement's system - but seem to have retained that new style under subsequent managers.
It has been suggested that this is because our defence is slow and ponderous and so their first thoughts are towards lying deep and providing cover even when in possession, and this may well be true. More so in the absence of George Thorne whose absence has been a massive factor in our lack of success IMO. Strange how one player with not that many appearances has become central to our success.
Rowett's biggest job, before even reconsidering squad membership, has to be to rid us of the negativity that besets our gameplan in the next 10 games. We have nothing to lose if we go down 4-3 when going for the win at 3-1 down. Change that mindset (somehow) and some of these negative players might regain their positivity - they were decent championship players before catching "Derbyitis".
Also we need to make sure we don't get quality loan players in, with a bring back clause to a parent club like Liverpool did with us for Ibe, during a crucial part of our promotion season campaign that proved costly indeed.
So , in summary our problem may lie with the back four. I believe strongly that if we continue to defend deep we have to play Three at the back with five across the middle ,until we get some more pace at the backQuote:
Originally Posted by roger_ramjet
The usual drivel play we see at Pride Park: Lob the ball up field and hope to god, it finds someone up front and has a shot on target. Pass back and forth to the GK and let the opposition push forwards and close you in, your own half. Too much space in midfield allows opposition to squeeze through and cause us major problems. Midfield is the weakest area for example: I see De Sart, Butterfield and Johnson just run about 2 yards and stop instead of running into open space, their reactions to open play is poor and needs improving to their game.
I would agree with that.Quote:
Originally Posted by eddy779h34
The third centre back in effect would balance the lack of GT and provides the cover that we have struggled to get from the various players we have tried in the GT slot. If we had the full squad available then Forsyth could fulfill the 3rd at the back role as he has a bit more pace: but there is no point playing another slow player like Shackell in there as the defence as a whole would still have to play too deep and just get in each others way. We need a quick "libero" type player to allow our CB's to sit higher up the field.
Then the creatives in midfield can pull the strings closer to the point of attack and, with two wing backs in the 5 in the middle we can get width for Vydra/Ince or whoever the two attacking players are