MATCHWATCH : Stockport County (h)

[katweslowski]

Norwood got a fair amount of fan criticism here and wasn't very highly rated by a lot, who he proved wrong. Hate to see it, but if he's one of those who read online comments, it may not be without justification.

Fair enough, I wasn't aware of that

[Crowbar6753]

FB position is really starting to hurt, especially on the left. Dorsett, Garcia and Kanu have all tried this position, some games it has worked and some games we've been brutally exposed!! Missing Mbengue really doesn't help as he had the pace and power to cover up when the FB's were exposed.
I'm confident that when Yiadom and Abfrefa are fit that area of the pitch will become less of an issue and i really like the look of Abrefa. On the left, Dorsett seems the best bet for now if fit.
I have mentioned this before but Craig really needs to start as DM and given a run in that position. He reads the game so well and has an eye for a pass which in turn allows Wing to create further up the pitch which is something we are lacking.
Getting Kelvin.E back should really help balance the attack with that added threat down the left as well as Campbell on the right.

Onwards and hopefully upwards, three more wins to hopefully cement a place for next season.

[WestYorksRoyal]

The target for the club this season is getting the joker out and surviving i.e. still having a club next season, anything else is just a bonus. Therefore not all that bothered about results and which players get sold this month, though it is still annoying when performances like Saturday turn up.

Well quite but that wasn't really my point. I'm curious as to why we our sides struggle against physical teams. Maybe it's something to do with the sort of player that is selected and succeeds in our Academy.

Yes. Reading have struggled with the Stockport template sides all season. Presuming a lot of it is down to the way players are developed with the Academy encouraging the latest trend of getting the ball down and never playing simple direct football when there’s a chance to build the “oh so important” possession stats up with extra passes sideways and back. And, of course, the state of the club at the moment meaning it’s just “not quite the finished article” kids against the proper big tough athletic no nonsense adults.

Category 1 academies teach technical and tactical excellence, and then where those players adapt to the competitive, more physical nature of professional football they have a higher ceiling to go further. If you prioritise them being streetwise or hardened over this, you find we're limited at the top of the game. Remember the late 00s and 10s when basically every major footballing nation was producing better footballers than England? I believe La Masia famously don't ask their academy to play competitive games until they are 16.

Our problem is we're being forced to play players who are not ready to adapt, and teams who prey on that are successful against us. Whereas we cope better against teams who are trying to be more "modern" in their style.

[Dirk Gently]

Well quite but that wasn't really my point. I'm curious as to why we our sides struggle against physical teams. Maybe it's something to do with the sort of player that is selected and succeeds in our Academy.

Yes. Reading have struggled with the Stockport template sides all season. Presuming a lot of it is down to the way players are developed with the Academy encouraging the latest trend of getting the ball down and never playing simple direct football when there’s a chance to build the “oh so important” possession stats up with extra passes sideways and back. And, of course, the state of the club at the moment meaning it’s just “not quite the finished article” kids against the proper big tough athletic no nonsense adults.

Category 1 academies teach technical and tactical excellence, and then where those players adapt to the competitive, more physical nature of professional football they have a higher ceiling to go further. If you prioritise them being streetwise or hardened over this, you find we're limited at the top of the game. Remember the late 00s and 10s when basically every major footballing nation was producing better footballers than England? I believe La Masia famously don't ask their academy to play competitive games until they are 16.

Our problem is we're being forced to play players who are not ready to adapt, and teams who prey on that are successful against us. Whereas we cope better against teams who are trying to be more "modern" in their style.

Sums it up nicely - and also covers one of the perennial problems for EFL teams, that the skills and playing style you need to get you up to the Premier League (out of the physical and intensive Championship) are not the same skills you need to survive and prosper in the Premier League.