Numero Uno

Fair enough although @Davefevsmakes a good point about where they are passing and the direction of passing. What Swansea "produced" yesterday was not good passing football imo unless your definition of good is keeping the ball, so the opposition aren't a threat whilst not being any sort of threat yourself. Swansea's major threat attacking wise yesterday came from set pieces. I'm willing to bet that there are other very good attacking sides who offer far more than Swansea at a higher level than Swansea and who don't need to make 600-900 passes per game.

It would be interesting to count how many passes the best attacking teams in the world need to play in 90 minutes. With the possible exception of Man City, and even they have morphed to a slightly more direct side (in terms of passing it forwards not smashing it forward) with Haaland up top, I would guess less than 638 passes a game in many cases.

A Lee Johnson spreadsheet if ever I saw one. Get those percentiles up on Power Point and add the "Bomb Alley Co-Efficient" and I think they've nailed it. The stat that really matters, ultimately, is Goals Against. I am guarded using stats as the sole basis of argument as sample sizes vary, they often only tell the picture at the moment in time, and they rarely add context. You have to do that yourself. A Goalkeeper could have great stats in a dominant team where his work is relatively easy (you could have a save record of 92% comprising mainly of pea rollers and you hardly get a difficult shot to save like Swansea's goal yesterday) but put that same keeper behind our back three and the "percentiles" might change dramatically. However, you can reasonably compare stats from keepers at the same club because the variables are very similar to both keepers - same players in front of them, same style of play, same method of defending corners and set pieces, same team strengths and weaknesses etc. etc. For those who love stats the current difference between the two relates to 19-20 goals per season - how many additional points might that be? Interestingly the current stats for Crosses Stopped and Defensive Actions Outside the Penalty Area seem to back up what Pearson is saying about Max's positivity in comparison to Bentley but also back up those who say Bentley is a better shot stopper. This ultimately proves the point that for all the stats and spreadsheets what we see with our own eyes is often what the stats are also saying. However, that's also why scouts exist in addition to scouting reports - someone needs to physically check that what the stats are saying is real.

The key stat for me is that “shot stopping liner” Bentley has conceded 21 goals in 13 league games whereas Max who isn’t as good a shot stopper (Bentley is a very good shot stopper tbf) but is far more willing to put his cock on the block and get amongst the high balls has conceded 6 in 5. There’s more than one way to skin a cat and if you come out and catch crosses or punch them away and do it well then there is often not as much that needs saving!! Not saying Max has “arrived” yet but I would argue that with our obvious lack of aerial domination at the back the team is better defensively for having a positive keeper over a liner. Whether it is Max, Bagic or A N Other that is what we need right now.

It’s interesting that when we passed it around, albeit much less than them, we created three great chances and a number of balls flashing across the box that were screaming for someone to get in the end of them first half yesterday. They created **** all with their 23,000 passes. O’Learys only save was the last kick of the half when they pumped a set piece into the box. That was great handling by Max btw. Swansea for all the possession play a very cautious game, hundreds of passes in areas where they can’t hurt you but also means you can’t hurt them. It looks easy on the eye but as you say you aren’t under huge pressure but you don’t see much of the ball and it detracts from the atmosphere of the game. The one area we have made massive improvement this season is attacking where we are very positive in possession and can cause any team problems albeit we still put in Birmingham, Millwall and Reading performances where we offer sod all. Given the apparent message on points deduction the other night if we can offload the OOC players in Jan such as Massengo and add one or two to give us physicality we really ought to be ok this season.

Oh yeah, he cant play central of the three every week against all comers but he’s had a great game today. Given the stick he gets from a few on here it’s only fair to give credit where it’s due.

There were only 1000 coppers in the park, no visibility at all………

There was one superb ping to Sykes first half that had he controlled we were in tbf. Agree with the point that he has to think and believe like a No.1 keeper. That’s the key, he needs to add that arrogance that says it’s my shirt and back it up with continued good performances like todays.

We all know Zak is prone to the odd lapse in concentration but I would say, overall, he has been our most reliable defender this season. Outstanding today.

The problem is there’s also clubs at that level that pay bugger all and asking lads to go to Devon and Cornwall on a Saturday on a semi-regular basis for the love of playing football is probably a bit much tbf. Paying £200 in the Toolstation when there are plenty in the Southern League on significantly less is also downright stupidity.

Plan A wasn't working so you've got to try something.

I thought it was the bloke who was stood on the near post and didn't move that scored it?

Tbf King had a decent game the other week against QPR before he had to go in the back three so would expect him to come in.

Important for Max to be positive, that’s what caused the issues at Birmingham.

I get the impression reading other Managers comments that we are seen as a team who can play if you let us but can be knocked out of our stride. Reminds me of back in the day when teams down South were labelled Southern Softies. It’s obvious that Reading will be looking to do what Birmingham did to us if Caroll is starting. Big game for the back three and Max in particular today. This is when he shows us whether he can cut it longer term at the level imo.

The strange thing this season is that in tighter games we have been dominating possession and then seem to go the opposite way when we get in front or that’s at least how I recall it. Not sure whether it’s instructions or mentality?

Yep, we’re not here to put him in the shop window particularly as we’ll struggle to get our money back in him. You either have a long term plan or you don’t and picking players who want to piss off, when you don’t need to and when they don’t effect games in your favour, is not a long term strategy.

He just needs to come out and say to the Chairman/ Owner “it’s gonna take 18 months to sort this lot out” and then bank the compo…….

Could be on his way in the morning…….

That’s the value of a commanding keeper (not suggesting Max is that btw). Shot stopping is one aspect of the game but give me a keeper that dominates in that 6-10 yard zone any day.

That’s still an improvement on pretty much everyone saying we are shit??. But I take your point, more consistency is the next thing Nige has to deliver.

Interesting take on the West Brom forum from a few posters basically saying we bossed it first half, won the game with good passing and movement, then defended in numbers, allowing them to fail miserably second half. We might not think it at times but we are being described as a half decent side and definitely improving our reputation with other fans (compared to previous seasons when any win away from home would greeted with “we just lost to the poorest team in the division, make no mistake”).

Massengo has been given runs of games and I believe he is close to or over 100 games now. No goals and an amount of assists you could count on the fingers of a City fans hand let alone a Gashead suggests to me that he doesn’t produce anything resembling enough and I’m not sure much would change if the kid was handed protracted runs of games, as has been suggested above, that other players wouldn’t be afforded if they didn’t produce. I think, to play for Pearson, you have to produce in a measurable way (which is one reason together with injuries that the much maligned Vyner is an ever present) and that Massengo’s shortfall on that front together with a reluctance to sign a contract means he’s cooked his goose with Nige. Yesterday was as clear a statement as Pearson could make imo.

I get you. Misinterpret a post, it’s been explained to you now I believe, and you get nasty. No problem, takes all sorts.

By the same token you are allowed to hold the opinion that Nige is doing a good enough job in tough circumstances without needing to be labelled a “NP Lover” by people who don’t share that opinion. Works both ways unless it’s only your opinion that counts.