Didzy, JJ and Crowley

[BigFatPie]

At the start of the season we would probably have all agreed that for creativity and goals we were heavily reliant on 4 players, McGoldrick, Crowley, Jones and Jatta. Luckily Jatta has started the vast majority of games and results have fluctuated accordingly. Unfortunately the other 3 have spent long periods out either injured or sold. Ive crunched the numbers to see how their presence or otherwise has affected results. Started with how combinations of the 3 starting has affected how many points weve gained ;


Jones and Crowley 3 games @ 1.66 points per game

McGoldrick and Crowley 8 @ 1.75 ppg

Crowley, Jones and McGoldrick 3@2 ppg

Just McGoldrick 8 @ 2.125 ppg

Just Crowley. 4 @ 1.75 ppg

Just Jones 1 @ 3 ppg

None 8 @ 0.75 ppg

and then worked out how many games each has started and the points weve gained from those games.

McGoldrick. 19. @ 1.94 ppg
Crowley 18 @ 1.77 ppg
Jones. 10@ 2.1 ppg
None 8 @ 0.75 ppg

Won?t come as much of a surprise to see weve been much less successful when theyve been absent. And I mean relegation, bottom of the table less successful.

We could take these figures a few ways. How unfortunate weve been to have our best players out for so long. How dependent we are on them. How weve not managed at all without them. And how unsuccessful we?ve been at replacing them . Who?s to blame for that is a good question.

[the_anticlough]

It was a promotion winning quartet with the solid pros we had behind them

Alas, not to be - the formula failed with injury and Crowley's departure.

[matt_magpie]

I thought it would look something like this, you?re only as good as your players. I do think we have been a bit unlucky and also dropped a clanger not replacing Crowley with someone half decent.

[BigFatPie]

Should add as well that the one game we won without any of them was that crappy near fiasco against Tranny the other week.

I dont want to say we travel with very little hope without them on Tuesday, but we travel with very little hope without them. Did alright against Fleetwood I suppose.

[maddogslater]

Excellent post fat pie, just as I expected.

[Pie-eyed&legless]

At the start of the season we would probably have all agreed that for creativity and goals we were heavily reliant on 4 players, McGoldrick, Crowley, Jones and Jatta. Luckily Jatta has started the vast majority of games and results have fluctuated accordingly. Unfortunately the other 3 have spent long periods out either injured or sold. Ive crunched the numbers to see how their presence or otherwise has affected results. Started with how combinations of the 3 starting has affected how many points weve gained ;


Jones and Crowley 3 games @ 1.66 points per game

McGoldrick and Crowley 8 @ 1.75 ppg

Crowley, Jones and McGoldrick 3@2 ppg

Just McGoldrick 8 @ 2.125 ppg

Just Crowley. 4 @ 1.75 ppg

Just Jones 1 @ 3 ppg

None 8 @ 0.75 ppg

and then worked out how many games each has started and the points weve gained from those games.

McGoldrick. 19. @ 1.94 ppg
Crowley 18 @ 1.77 ppg
Jones. 10@ 2.1 ppg
None 8 @ 0.75 ppg

Won?t come as much of a surprise to see weve been much less successful when theyve been absent. And I mean relegation, bottom of the table less successful.

We could take these figures a few ways. How unfortunate weve been to have our best players out for so long. How dependent we are on them. How weve not managed at all without them. And how unsuccessful we?ve been at replacing them . Who?s to blame for that is a good question.

I think that correlates with my theory that it's not only his goals we miss when MG is not on the pitch but his leadership and player motivation - he gets everyone else playing! - that leadership & motivation is sadly not provided by any other player on the pitch. We do need a Captain or someone else who can provide this.

[Glad2BeAPie]

I think that correlates with my theory that it's not only his goals we miss when MG is not on the pitch but his leadership and player motivation - he gets everyone else playing! - that leadership & motivation is sadly not provided by any other player on the pitch. We do need a Captain or someone else who can provide this.

I'd say we need someone to provide motivation from the dugout which currently we don't have anybody to do this

[SwalePie]

I'd say we need someone to provide motivation from the dugout which currently we don't have anybody to do this

By 'motivation' do you actually mean 'angry shoutiness'?

[Bohinen]

By 'motivation' do you actually mean 'angry shoutiness'?

Far better to have SM's calm, intellectual approach where every game is like a chess match, played with no rooks and the bishops on the wrong coloured squares. And when a pawn gets promoted, he chooses another pawn.

[jacobncfc]

The 0.75 stat is the damning one. McGoldrick, Jones, and Crowley to a slightly lesser extent are clearly really good players at this level who can make the difference for you. However.. there is absolutely no way that this squad without them is bad enough to justify bottom of the table form.