yuomi Dr Hfuhruhurr Forest Gump Reading (unambitious, short-sighted, f'king hopeless)
Not too sure about the short sighted bit - in fact their current model is the purest definition of far sightedness.
Im fully expecting us to be bottom 6 if not bottom 3 for the first ten games of the season. Its quite clear that we are testing who is capable from the Academy and its also quite clear that some of them will fail. That's our game nowadays and it seems it i staking the fans just as long to adjust as the players. I dont know how successful this will be in the long term, but there is only one way to find out if this works. Given the end of last season, I cant really see why we have a complaint about the club trying something new.
So, no, I wouldnt say short sighted or, even, particularly unambitious, given the amount we have stumped up front for Rodgers.
But, yes, I do sense that we may have striker issues - but I would like to see if our goal rate improves (yes, I know) with a more confident midfield.
these guys arent kids. im getting less and less happy with this apologist attitude that its okay whats happening,because these guys will grow into their roles. karacan, davies, pearce, chruch..theyre all 20. these guys are reserves (possible exception of karacan and pearce who has shows, albeit glimpses, of pure quality). they are reserves who have been promoted to the first team through the sale of better, more able players, and have been found wanting in terms of talent, commitment and technical ability...
which of them lack commitment?
which of them lack technical ability or talent?
This lot can knock the ball about rather better than a lot of the experienced players we have sold.
What they lack is creativity, and that's been a problem for a very long time, and isn't just limited to the younger players. Kebe isn't creative. Harper isn't creative. Matejovsky, as much as I think he could be a great player for us, just isn't anywhere near creative as he should be as he and the rest of the squad aren't on the same wavelength. Gunnarsson isn't a creative player and neither is Tabb.
To play a 4-3-3 you need players who know how to pass and move on the edge of the box to create openings. Players in England just don't grow up playing that way, so they invariably lack the ability to play that style. To play a 4-4-2 you need players good at getting behind the defence and putting a cross in. We don't have anyone who does that.
Individually, I think pretty much all of the players who have come through the academy are fine and are all capable of playing well enough in this division (although Henry has been a bit of a disappointment). The problem is that they are very much round pegs in square holes when it comes to creating a team. We have no decent wide men to play a 4-4-2, and we don't have players capable of playing a 4-3-3 as they just don't have enough experience of the system to know how to make it work.
Slating BR isn't the answer, unless anyone really thinks anybody else would have this squad creating chances at will. Just a few days ago this board was full of people cheerfully greeting the sale of Stephen Hunt, saying how rubbish he was etc. His attitude may have been poor last season, as were many of his crosses, but that fact is he put in more crosses and created more chances than any other player in the championship last season. For all of his faults, he was our only genuinely creative player. Without creativity, we will struggle.
