Merrick's Marvels

Zak Vyner doing Zak Vyner things. One week Rio Ferdinand, the next Franz Ferdinand. Twas ever thus.

When Moyesie first started coaching he was sharing a flat with Joe Jordan, a man about as old school as it can get. Nuff said.

Thank you that would great. Looking forward to seeing Twine play. Up the City!

I wonder how they define "successful"! Not tripping over his own bootlaces?? Personally, for instance, I wouldn't count the times a winger gets the ball in the middle third, advances 20 or 30 metres up the line unopposed, before losing possession as much of a "success". I would watch the whole match again as I can't believe those opta stats but can't find the whole 90 minutes anywhere. Out of interest, do opta also have Mehmeti's stats for the game at Watford as I do have access to that 90 minutes?

Henry Winter???

I'm on about end product. I'd expect anyone we sign, from wherever, to already be doing the basics you describe. In the final attacking third we are seriously wasteful, not just Mehmeti btw.

Blimey were those stats from StevieWonder.com, mate?

I get the modern style for ball carriers but the best ones don't get their team 40 or 50 metres up the pitch then surrender the ball cheaply. And yes, I do expect end product from our wingers, certlainly from a player with MEH-meti's technical skills. Otherwise you might as well just play anybody out wide. Sykes delivers more with less. MEH-meti needs to step it up. It's obvious it's all in his head. Whether the penny will ever drop is anyone's guess. And I'm not sure how long we can wait if we're serious about making proper progress.

You're basically bigging up someone for doing the absolute bleedin basics of his job. Wish you were my boss!

Nope I cannot agree. Nothing wrong with my memory thanks.

He was. But it's completely irrelevant if it ends up with him being dispossessed or passing to an opponent. Which is what happens 9 times out of 10. Nowhere near enough end product, goal threat or assists.

Good to hear there's a pathway for our academy young uns to taste some action. For a minute, I thought the mention of Poles and Serbs meant we'd gone down the loan route instead.

Joe Williams turned it into a game the opposition didn't want. That's always a good thing. But, by today's standards, he got lucky with the ref. In fact, we all got lucky with the ref - we got one who allowed a proper contest to develop and one who treated both sides as equals. Early in the game Cornet fell over under pressure trying to buy a cheap free kick and the ref just waved play on - i thought we might have half a chance when that happened. Fair play to him. But for me, Matty James was our best player by a country mile. "If you can keep your head while all about you..." wrote Mr Kipling as he baked his exceedingly good cakes. Well James certainly did that - every other player spent the game giving the ball away, he didn't. In the right place at the right time all the time, breaking up play, keeping it simple, always passing to a red shirt, cool, composed and committed. Not a foot out of place all night. If the rest of our boys had his pass completion rate we'd be a heck of a team.

Clarkson was poor but had his moments. I'm blessed never to have seen Diony or Kent. Mehmeti is the most wasteful I've seen in my time - cuts inside onto his right foot and gets dispossessed/passes to an opponent - repeat ad infinitum. No end product whatsoever.

A decent start. Looks like he's a talker and leader and obviously a strong physical type. All attributes that will make us better. And thanks to Jonathan Pearce for confirming what the actual problem was - a pelvic bone infection. Ouch.

Yeah, by UFC.

The most wasteful player I've seen in nearly 50 years. Deary me. Ok, ok, now's not the time, let's enjoy the win etc.

I refer you to Mr Aden Flint.

Couldn't believe it. Then again...

I think he missed Uncle Tom Cobbley

Love JP but he needs to shut up every now and then.

Good player. Look forward to watching him play. Shame it's not permanent. Think that covers it.

Tinnion and Lansdown jr cannot allow Manning to fail. This takes the heat off, even if it's just for half a season. Money well spent in their eyes if not anyone else's.

Forget the goals and assists from dead ball set pieces just for a minute (they'll come in handy, mind). Look at where on the field he picks the ball up and hurts the opposition, look at the runners ahead and around him. That's where we need to play him and those are the options we need to give him. Can we do that?

Superior set piece delivery. Not as a mobile. Does his best work in the attacking third, Brownhill is box to box.