Richard Gould

[mozo]

6 minutes ago, Northern Red said:

It has to be. I know some people are desperate to claim that we've been crap all season, but it's in the last month or so that the performances and results have nosedived.

Yeah, I was definitely not alone in saying earlier in the season that I was just happy that we were competitive in every game. Then we drastically dropped off at some point and became comically bad.

[Red-Robbo]

5 minutes ago, JonDolman said:

Injuries not helped with losing Atkinson and James recently.

I do think though there isn't much difference from start of September in performances to now.

How many games have we been the better team in since Cardiff which was all the way back in August.

Peterborough game, and some would argue they were better. Certainly they were in how they passed the ball but I felt we were the slightly better side in that one.

Other than that I'm struggling! I think we have been 2nd best in 11 of the 12 games since that Cardiff game. Up to that point it had not been too bad but that was a long time ago.

 

We lost two of our first 6 games, we've lost 5 of our last 6 games.  There's the difference.

For me - I can't attend away games, unfortunately - our best performance came v Fulham in late September.  Our more recent games are a million miles away from that standard. We have injuries to deal with now, but we had injuries to contend with then. 

[Davefevs]

9 minutes ago, JonDolman said:

Other than that I'm struggling! I think we have been 2nd best in 11 of the 12 games since that Cardiff game. Up to that point it had not been too bad but that was a long time ago.

Just a challenge.  Of those 11 out of 12, do you see any of them as being pretty even, e.g. not better, but not worse either.  The game that jumps out w/o me going back over every game was Millwall.  For me that was a big 0-0 in terms of balance of performance.  Not saying your 11 out of 12 will drop much, much thing there can be middle ground rather than black or white / better or worse.

[Merrick's Marvels]

14 minutes ago, JonDolman said:

Injuries not helped with losing Atkinson and James recently.

I do think though there isn't much difference from start of September in performances to now.

How many games have we been the better team in since Cardiff which was all the way back in August.

Peterborough game, and some would argue they were better. Certainly they were in how they passed the ball but I felt we were the slightly better side in that one.

Other than that I'm struggling! I think we have been 2nd best in 11 of the 12 games since that Cardiff game. Up to that point it had not been too bad but that was a long time ago.

Results since the last international break - LLLWLL 

Results immediately prior to that break - DDWDLW 

However we rate the performances, results - which are all that matters - have fallen off a cliff and have us on a massive downward spiral

[Merrick's Marvels]

What worries me most is Gould making a direct correlation between Pearson's absence and the down turn in results - then saying we're going to do nothing about Pearson's absence! 

Even if that's a short term position, there's an air of fiddling while Rome burns about it. Meanwhile, others are taking decisive action - Villa sacking their manager after looking at the trajectory of their results over this whole year (not just their last 5 defeats). Our form has to be the worst in the entire 4 divisions over that period, yet here we are, umming and ahhing about what to do. 

I fully expect results in the next few games to force the owner's hand though.    

Edited November 10, 2021 by Merrick's Marvels

[Davefevs]

24 minutes ago, JonDolman said:

Agree. But I thought people were talking about performances. No doubt results have got worse but that was always going to happen imo if the performances had carried on the way they were.

Let's just hope the team's we play next miss the kind of sitters other teams had before!

This was coming. But results as you say can paint a better picture of things.

The hope for me is that looking at the last game, we should (should ) have Williams, Atkinson, James, Baker and Semenyo available for selection for Blackburn.  I’m not saying all 5 would start every game, but they would take up a significant amount of the 900 outfield minutes available each game.

Assuming they are then we really do need to see an upturn in both performance and results over the next 6 or so games.  And that’s not me saying we are suddenly gonna win 4 out of 6, just get back to the kind of levels we had early season, when we were in all games, and competitive.

[Kid in the Riot]

2 hours ago, JonDolman said:

Well actually Forest, though I thought they were the better team but just lacked end product before Lyle Taylor came on. A point would have been fair. We had a good period first half but then it was all Forest till we scored against the run of play. 2nd half very poor and wrong subs made, but we did get some bad luck, as did Forest with refereeing decisions.

Millwall I thought we were poor. Did we create a chance? Weimann on the angle. Can't remember if he got his shot off as the keeper came out and defender got back. Our only chance coming from a shocking backwards header by their player. Otherwise they looked pretty comfortable with us.

We got the ball into good positions for a period but didn't know what to do with it when we did. Millwall should have scored first half, Afobe had chances, one sitter. Then the goal 2nd half.

The biggest problem for me was how bad we were after that 2nd goal. We didn't even know how to get the ball near their goal, let alone create a chance.

Put it this way I would rather have put in their performance than ours.

Going back to Peterborough game, quite a number of fans from what I remember thought they were the better side. Not sure if it was mainly those that went. I remember Ole was very critical of our performance in his post match report. Interesting how they saw it that way. 

I guess I could say we were not as bad as a lot seemed to be saying in the first 60 of the Barnsley game. But then I'd have to talk about the last 30 minutes!

Regards the Posh game, our xG in that game was one of the highest in the division that weekend, whilst Peterborough's was the lowest. That means we created lots of good chances and restricted them to next to nothing. So, on that measure at least, we certainly deserved the win.

[Merrick's Marvels]

19 minutes ago, billywedlock said:

You want a sacking . That is all .

Easily the worst post you've ever made.

So to be clear, I absolutely do not want a sacking and, if you're looking for an argument with the anti-Pearson brigade, you've taken aim at completely the wrong target.

Oh dear.  

[Lew-T]

3 hours ago, JonDolman said:

Injuries not helped with losing Atkinson and James recently.

Well on that point, Nige has always said that he doesn’t look into things like that in a negative way. It gives other people opportunities to stake their claim….

Unfortunately those opportunities to some players have been missed.

[Phileas Fogg]

13 hours ago, JonDolman said:

I think Bakinson might have kept his place in the side. 

Such a shame with Vyner. Looks class in 99% of what he does but then makes an awful error costing us a goal in both games. So I doubt will be trusted.

Can you try and sell Vyner to me? I've never been convinced by him. Looks nervous, unconvincing and unaggressive. Being honest, I think if he wasn't academy he would've been shipped out by now as he doesn't look good enough.

I'm open to having my opinion changed though - just the bolded bit caught my eye as it's completely the opposite to my impression of him. 

[Kid in the Riot]

4 minutes ago, Phileas Fogg said:

Can you try and sell Vyner to me?

Hi, would you like to buy Zak Vyner? 

[Taz]

45 minutes ago, Kid in the Riot said:

Hi, would you like to buy Zak Vyner? 

[KegCity]

14 hours ago, JonDolman said:

I think Bakinson might have kept his place in the side. 

Such a shame with Vyner. Looks class in 99% of what he does but then makes an awful error costing us a goal in both games. So I doubt will be trusted.

Does he? He won't touch the championship once he leaves City.

 

57 minutes ago, Phileas Fogg said:

Can you try and sell Vyner to me? I've never been convinced by him. Looks nervous, unconvincing and unaggressive. Being honest, I think if he wasn't academy he would've been shipped out by now as he doesn't look good enough.

I'm open to having my opinion changed though - just the bolded bit caught my eye as it's completely the opposite to my impression of him. 

Agree, he needs a massive turnaround to have a long term future at the club. Think he'll have a good career in League One.

[Davefevs]

Imho Zak Vyner is an “ok” Championship player, never gonna set the world alight?  He is closing in on 100 Championship appearances.

He can be a steady RB, or RCB in a 3.  He makes mistakes, needs to cut those out.  We are currently a bottom half Championship side, so he probably fits where we are, but if we harbour greater ambitions he will fall by the wayside….unless he improves with us.

[Phileas Fogg]

11 minutes ago, JonDolman said:

I think he looks very quick for a centre back, very good on the ball for that position. Take away those 2 awful errors, or 3 if we count 2 errors in one attack against Coventry, then he'd have had good games. But of course we can't take away those mistakes. And we can't trust he won't make those mistakes in future games so he will be dropped. 

Also he isn't strong enough to be a centre back in a 2, or central of a 3. Which was a bizarre move by Pearson in the Birmingham game imo. 

He's also a good passer of the ball and can dribble out from the back. He has the height to be better than the air than he is, but still doesn't have the strength. 

I actually like him more in midfield..but doubt he will be needed there with players returning.

I can see why city might have been excited by him by what he can do. But he so far has not shown he can reliably defend, so that's all that really matters.

Thanks Jon. I'll try and reassess next time I watch him play - I just don't have a good gut feeling about him.. same way I don't about CO'D.

[Davefevs]

12 minutes ago, JonDolman said:

Also he isn't strong enough to be a centre back in a 2, or central of a 3. Which was a bizarre move by Pearson in the Birmingham game imo. 

Or a necessary compromise to have Kalas as RCB3 and “hopefully” marking Deeney / Hogan, leaving Zak spare.

Be interesting to know why Zak ended up losing the header, and why Kalas was “sweeping”….albeit sweeping poorly.

Apart from that incident, Zak had a pretty comfortable game imho.  Tidied up nicely, composed on the ball, bar one blocked clearance.

Be interesting to know Nige’s opinion on who he thought was at fault for the goal….pretty crap all-round imho….I wouldn’t be laying that goal firmly at Zak’s feet.  Being really harsh, did Bents have to charge off his line, with Hogan on his weaker left foot?

[WECANDO]

I believe Vyner should adopt the  position of Rice at West Ham. Both pretty quick, can tackle and can run with the ball.

[Davefevs]

Just now, JonDolman said:

I thought that was a basic long ball for any centre back to defend. I don't blame Vyner for being too weak, there isn't much he can do about that. But he is too weak imo against players like Deeney.

I would have put Vyner right side if anything and put Kalas centrally. Vyner did ok right of a back 3 under Holden imo.

Yes, my point was - why was Vyner under it and not Kalas or Atkinson - Vyner was the designated non-marker in that back three set-up?

He doesn’t dominate aerially, agreed, we all know that….hence why he played Kalas RCB3.

            Vyner

Kalas       |       Atkinson 

(Deeney)         (Hogan)         *or vice versa

 

As a three with have big issues with NOT marking, we pass-on too readily.  We saw that last season, even in Holden’s 5122, 1 CF against 3CBs, and often none of them marking, e.g. Norwich (h).

I think Vyner is better as a RCB3 but not if the opposition have a target man who is gonna peel onto him.

[mozo]

10 hours ago, WECANDO said:

I believe Vyner should adopt the  position of Rice at West Ham. Both pretty quick, can tackle and can run with the ball.

In theory, I agree, but there must be a reason that Pearson chooses not to.

[Hampshire reds]

Zac has a mistake in him when he plays. sadly a league one player

[Bob Taylor is GOD]

12 hours ago, billywedlock said:

Those mistakes are why he is not really a Championship player . He is L1 at best . 

Be ok for next season then

[Mendip City]

On 11/11/2021 at 10:57, Davefevs said:

Imho Zak Vyner is an “ok” Championship player, never gonna set the world alight?  He is closing in on 100 Championship appearances.

He can be a steady RB, or RCB in a 3.  He makes mistakes, needs to cut those out.  We are currently a bottom half Championship side, so he probably fits where we are, but if we harbour greater ambitions he will fall by the wayside….unless he improves with us.

Agree. He’s up to this standard…. Just. I think he’s not been helped by being shunted around the pitch. If he’d played in one position only, he’d probably be more consistent. For my money, the best I’ve seen him play is in midfield. Then right back, then right of a centre back 2 or 3.  Playing him left centre back last week was asking for trouble and unfair on the player. It’s interesting that if you were playing a right back at left back, he’d be cut a lot more slack. Not sure Vyner at left centre back is any different really. 
If I was him I’d be worried that becoming “Jack of all trades” is not doing any favours.  

[woodsyred]

On 11/11/2021 at 10:57, Davefevs said:

Imho Zak Vyner is an “ok” Championship player, never gonna set the world alight?  He is closing in on 100 Championship appearances.

He can be a steady RB, or RCB in a 3.  He makes mistakes, needs to cut those out.  We are currently a bottom half Championship side, so he probably fits where we are, but if we harbour greater ambitions he will fall by the wayside….unless he improves with us.

Sooner he falls to the wayside the better he seems to lack concentration and gets caught out far to often for a championship player 

[The Dolman Pragmatist]

1 hour ago, woodsyred said:

Sooner he falls to the wayside the better he seems to lack concentration and gets caught out far to often for a championship player 

Zak was City’s best player after Pearson came in last season.

[woodsyred]

14 minutes ago, The Dolman Pragmatist said:

Zak was City’s best player after Pearson came in last season.

To be honest that didn't take a lot the way we finished last season we were appalling

[Waconda]

7 minutes ago, woodsyred said:

To be honest that didn't take a lot the way we finished last season we were appalling

Yep, several of the players became worse from that point.