Poll: Recruitment

[Extended-Phenotype]

Positionally speaking, we appeared to do a good job at patching up where we needed players. I'd argue the majority of those players should be playing better than they have managed, and maybe this is reasonable evidence for Hunt coming up a bit short as manager. It's going to be interesting to see if the likes of Lane, MOM, Doyle, Burns and Kyereewa improve under Leam.

But in general, I don't think anyone has looked terrible - it's more that they have looked a bit lost, lacking in confidence, prone to mistakes and not gelling as a team. Every one of those players have shown flashes of quality, we just need to see more of that without the brainfarts. I'm kinda hopeful that this is something that can be unlocked by the right manager.

Yeah. I think the attempt was good, execution less so. Striker is the weak point in the strategy for me, with it not helping the signing it looks like we got the most wrong was for there (O'Mahoney).

It's all a bit Clement. I think he was trying to fix the right problems in mostly the right way with his signings. He just didn’t get enough of the signings to be a success.

Signing strikers was always going to be tough. Felt we flumped about a bit with Kelvin, for some reason management AND fans seemed to suffer minor dementia about his ability. MoM had too much put on his shoulders. But Marriott has been great.

[Extended-Phenotype]

Agreed - I don’t think any of them are poor players as such - though Stevens and DK did a good job to change my mind on that against Carlisle

Though I’m critical of the numbers and the profile of the players brought in, it’s understandable we made mistakes

First signings for Hunt and JJ, ever pretty much. Neither had ever had to build a team. I don’t get the impression they were very closely aligned

Carey’s halo has faded plenty imo and I’d be interested to know what input he had. Some of the signings just seemed to be S Hunts dodgy recommendations, not what we needed or blatantly obvious (even I had O Connor down as my number one signing to make before we signed him). Scouting done on whoscored in the cases of Doyle and Fraser

I really like Fraser. Playing him in an advanced position was a bit weird, though. The guy can clearly attack-pig (was that a thing? It sounds like a thing).

Doyle plays like a good player in poor form. Again, I'm not sure if we are playing him in the right position. Actually, he's probably one signing we didn't really need. The midfield three of Wing/Savage/Knibbs used to work as they all kinda did whatever wherever. Doyle seems more specialised which maybe takes Wing and Savage out of the game a bit. I initially thought the idea was to balance that out with Fraser.

Midfield is complicated. I'd argue most of our problems come from a failure to work out how to set that up properly. I have no idea if Lane is better on the right or left, whether Kyereewa should start, whether Doyle is better out wide, who to buddy up with Wing in the middle three or how to arrange that three to get the best of everyone.

[Armadillo Roadkill]

The nearest I'll ever be toward being ITK is from a contact inside the Crawley camp from last year - where they said Doyle was the outstanding player the've had it years - his attitude, his work rate, in training and on match days, was just miles ahead of anyone else.

It was a no brainer to take him. Quite how we've managed to break him is a mystery. I 100% believe he will come good. We're already seeing signs of it.

[Hound]

Do you think Doyle was helped by literally being labelled as plan b for if/when Knibbs left? Esp as he isn’t really very similar to him

But he clearly has something. Fraser also has something, has scored 2 good goals, but was in and out and put in different positions. I actually think he could be closer to a Knibbs replacement thank Doyle

Two good players who were worth signing but that we didn’t really know what to do with. And there’s the problem, and what I mean by scouted on whoscored

[Snowflake Royal]

Do you think Doyle was helped by literally being labelled as plan b for if/when Knibbs left? Esp as he isn’t really very similar to him

But he clearly has something. Fraser also has something, has scored 2 good goals, but was in and out and put in different positions. I actually think he could be closer to a Knibbs replacement thank Doyle

Two good players who were worth signing but that we didn’t really know what to do with. And there’s the problem, and what I mean by scouted on whoscored

I don’t think he was hurt by it. I know football fans can be thick, but just expecting a new player to be a carbon copy of an old player? Nah.

Doyle's weird. He's obviously got two good feet. But he doesn't ever seem to beat anyone, he doesn’t look like he's got a good shot from 18 to 25 yards. He's not quick - when he gets a break he never gets away from anyone.

Maybe Hunt's training has him playing at 75% through tiredness. Maybe our forwards don't link with him well, but I don't see anything like the player Crawley describe.

[Hiram K Hackenbacker]

Do you think Doyle was helped by literally being labelled as plan b for if/when Knibbs left? Esp as he isn’t really very similar to him

But he clearly has something. Fraser also has something, has scored 2 good goals, but was in and out and put in different positions. I actually think he could be closer to a Knibbs replacement thank Doyle

Two good players who were worth signing but that we didn’t really know what to do with. And there’s the problem, and what I mean by scouted on whoscored

I agree

[Orion1871]

Do you think Doyle was helped by literally being labelled as plan b for if/when Knibbs left? Esp as he isn’t really very similar to him

But he clearly has something. Fraser also has something, has scored 2 good goals, but was in and out and put in different positions. I actually think he could be closer to a Knibbs replacement thank Doyle

Two good players who were worth signing but that we didn’t really know what to do with. And there’s the problem, and what I mean by scouted on whoscored

I don’t think he was hurt by it. I know football fans can be thick, but just expecting a new player to be a carbon copy of an old player? Nah.

Doyle's weird. He's obviously got two good feet. But he doesn't ever seem to beat anyone, he doesn’t look like he's got a good shot from 18 to 25 yards. He's not quick - when he gets a break he never gets away from anyone.

Maybe Hunt's training has him playing at 75% through tiredness. Maybe our forwards don't link with him well, but I don't see anything like the player Crawley describe.

So pretty much like all our attack then.

[Hound]

Very good new Couhig interview on YouTube which talks through the recruitment as well as Noel/Leam

Difficult to argue with to be fair and very honest

[Mid Sussex Royal]

Very good new Couhig interview on YouTube which talks through the recruitment as well as Noel/Leam

Difficult to argue with to be fair and very honest

Has a clear dislike for BBC Berks too

[Brogue]

Very good new Couhig interview on YouTube which talks through the recruitment as well as Noel/Leam

Difficult to argue with to be fair and very honest

Has a clear dislike for BBC Berks too

Not too sure what dellor did wrong. He was told couhig was skint and not good for the club by Nigel Howe. And dellor reported that. That’s kinda his job. Nigel Howe was a very senior person within the club, and would have had access to rob’s worth and his business plans. After all he was tasked with triaging the prospective owners. Why would dellor disbelieve Howe. If couhig has an issue with anyone it should be Nigel Howe not dellor.

He can’t be that naive to think a local reporter wouldn’t report something like that if a senior director in the club passes on that information…. And from what we’ve seen so far Howe is correct. So all this is , is couhig deflecting the heat away from himself and putting it on to dellor trying to discredit the story’. It’s a classic lawyer tactic. Smoke and mirrors. Ask yourself this, why has he gone after dellor and not Howe…

[Brogue]

Very good new Couhig interview on YouTube which talks through the recruitment as well as Noel/Leam

Difficult to argue with to be fair and very honest

And yet we have an interview on bbc berks with Noel hunt today where he says he wanted more players through the door. And he has been ‘very vocal on that fact’

Couhig however says he backed Noel and asks for names of players that were presented to him that we didn’t go for, or players who didn’t join because we didn’t offer to pay them enough.

So who are we believing here? Noel a scorned manager looking to keep his reputation intact, saying he wasn’t backed. Or an under pressure owner saying he gave hunt everything he asked for… it can’t be both.

[leon]

Very good new Couhig interview on YouTube which talks through the recruitment as well as Noel/Leam

Difficult to argue with to be fair and very honest

Has a clear dislike for BBC Berks too

Not too sure what dellor did wrong. He was told couhig was skint and not good for the club by Nigel Howe. And dellor reported that. That’s kinda his job. Nigel Howe was a very senior person within the club, and would have had access to rob’s worth and his business plans. After all he was tasked with triaging the prospective owners. Why would dellor disbelieve Howe. If couhig has an issue with anyone it should be Nigel Howe not dellor.

He can’t be that naive to think a local reporter wouldn’t report something like that if a senior director in the club passes on that information…. And from what we’ve seen so far Howe is correct. So all this is , is couhig deflecting the heat away from himself and putting it on to dellor trying to discredit the story’. It’s a classic lawyer tactic. Smoke and mirrors. Ask yourself this, why has he gone after dellor and not Howe…

Is it a classic lawyer tactic Brogue?!!?

[leon]

Very good new Couhig interview on YouTube which talks through the recruitment as well as Noel/Leam

Difficult to argue with to be fair and very honest

Has a clear dislike for BBC Berks too

Not too sure what dellor did wrong. He was told couhig was skint and not good for the club by Nigel Howe. And dellor reported that. That’s kinda his job. Nigel Howe was a very senior person within the club, and would have had access to rob’s worth and his business plans. After all he was tasked with triaging the prospective owners. Why would dellor disbelieve Howe. If couhig has an issue with anyone it should be Nigel Howe not dellor.

He can’t be that naive to think a local reporter wouldn’t report something like that if a senior director in the club passes on that information…. And from what we’ve seen so far Howe is correct. So all this is , is couhig deflecting the heat away from himself and putting it on to dellor trying to discredit the story’. It’s a classic lawyer tactic. Smoke and mirrors. Ask yourself this, why has he gone after dellor and not Howe…

Is it a classic lawyer tactic Brogue?!!?

[leon]

Very good new Couhig interview on YouTube which talks through the recruitment as well as Noel/Leam

Difficult to argue with to be fair and very honest

Has a clear dislike for BBC Berks too

Not too sure what dellor did wrong. He was told couhig was skint and not good for the club by Nigel Howe. And dellor reported that. That’s kinda his job. Nigel Howe was a very senior person within the club, and would have had access to rob’s worth and his business plans. After all he was tasked with triaging the prospective owners. Why would dellor disbelieve Howe. If couhig has an issue with anyone it should be Nigel Howe not dellor.

He can’t be that naive to think a local reporter wouldn’t report something like that if a senior director in the club passes on that information…. And from what we’ve seen so far Howe is correct. So all this is , is couhig deflecting the heat away from himself and putting it on to dellor trying to discredit the story’. It’s a classic lawyer tactic. Smoke and mirrors. Ask yourself this, why has he gone after dellor and not Howe…

Is it a classic lawyer tactic Brogue?!!?

[leon]

Yeah!!

[stealthpapes]

Very good new Couhig interview on YouTube which talks through the recruitment as well as Noel/Leam

Difficult to argue with to be fair and very honest

link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=8I6sXSd0FUE

[stealthpapes]

Yeah it’s too early to say on some. None have been an unqualified success yet. Everyone (including me tbf) said Williams is a good signing but he’s been injured more than he’s played, he’s 33. With our recent history on ‘experienced’ CBs he might not play another 5 games

Others have time to improve and will do I’m sure. I don’t think Burns has been awful tbh, done an ok job overall

what sort of gets me is that we are - sensibly - recognise that it all takes time. Our youth players need time and minutes to get better. Our new signings need time.

And yet when push comes to shove, nahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[leon]

Yeah it’s too early to say on some. None have been an unqualified success yet. Everyone (including me tbf) said Williams is a good signing but he’s been injured more than he’s played, he’s 33. With our recent history on ‘experienced’ CBs he might not play another 5 games

Others have time to improve and will do I’m sure. I don’t think Burns has been awful tbh, done an ok job overall

what sort of gets me is that we are - sensibly - recognise that it all takes time. Our youth players need time and minutes to get better. Our new signings need time.

And yet when push comes to shove, nahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Well not sure that’s entirely true. We’ll give the perm players time but loans? If theyre blocking kids coming through….?

[Brogue]

Has a clear dislike for BBC Berks too

Not too sure what dellor did wrong. He was told couhig was skint and not good for the club by Nigel Howe. And dellor reported that. That’s kinda his job. Nigel Howe was a very senior person within the club, and would have had access to rob’s worth and his business plans. After all he was tasked with triaging the prospective owners. Why would dellor disbelieve Howe. If couhig has an issue with anyone it should be Nigel Howe not dellor.

He can’t be that naive to think a local reporter wouldn’t report something like that if a senior director in the club passes on that information…. And from what we’ve seen so far Howe is correct. So all this is , is couhig deflecting the heat away from himself and putting it on to dellor trying to discredit the story’. It’s a classic lawyer tactic. Smoke and mirrors. Ask yourself this, why has he gone after dellor and not Howe…

Is it a classic lawyer tactic Brogue?!!?

What’s funny? Of course that’s what lawyers do. they look to discredit stories by changing the narrative. Moving the focus to other people. It’s called ‘witness impeachment ’. But you know this.

[leon]

Not too sure what dellor did wrong. He was told couhig was skint and not good for the club by Nigel Howe. And dellor reported that. That’s kinda his job. Nigel Howe was a very senior person within the club, and would have had access to rob’s worth and his business plans. After all he was tasked with triaging the prospective owners. Why would dellor disbelieve Howe. If couhig has an issue with anyone it should be Nigel Howe not dellor.

He can’t be that naive to think a local reporter wouldn’t report something like that if a senior director in the club passes on that information…. And from what we’ve seen so far Howe is correct. So all this is , is couhig deflecting the heat away from himself and putting it on to dellor trying to discredit the story’. It’s a classic lawyer tactic. Smoke and mirrors. Ask yourself this, why has he gone after dellor and not Howe…

Is it a classic lawyer tactic Brogue?!!?

What’s funny? Of course that’s what lawyers do. they look to discredit stories by changing the narrative. Moving the focus to other people.

Righto.

You could say that about anyone tbf.