LJ is just not seeing it

[JoeAman08]

8 minutes ago, simon uk said:

I initially considered this to be harsh, but you are right, next season is huge for the likes of freeman, bryan, ayling, williams etc. They were too good for league 1, but will have had this season to get used to the championship. Next season they have to turn into good championship players.

practically speaking, we need someone like judge in midfield with corey smith, and we probably need to take a view on little, fielding, agard and wilbs on whether they are the future for us. If we had matt smith, nahki wells and kodjia, and tomlin to pull the strings, that would be a considerable upgrade on what we have had this season, and thats the sort of quality we will need to compete.

It is a bit harsh but it's been a harsh season for all of us watching. I like Freeman, Ayling, Agard, Bryan and Williams. I expect them to get better but we can't wait for them to do so. Replacing all of them is probably unlikely but we need to start. If we can get a couple in to replace 2 of them, say a new winger and center mid and we drop Pack and Freeman for example. If Joe gets better then fair play to him. We can't wait on 5 or 6 to get to above average levels in this league. That complacency will have us right back in a fight next season. I don't want to rush it and get whoever but we need to assume we are staying up and start lining up targets. We don't need a bunch of new faces. A proven championship goal scorer, proven center mid and proven CB along with 1 or 2 or 3 from lower leagues would be ideal. Maybe 4 or 5 permanent signings with another couple of loans would do us good. If players like Reid, Agard, Wilbraham, Little and Fielding need to go to help free up some wages then so be it. I don't think we should give up on Bryan, Freeman, Pack and Ayling but they need some competition and guidance. 

Looking at it I think Ayling and Williams are good cover for the left and right side of the defense. If we could keep Baker and add maybe another loan CB we would be fine as Joe could also slot in at LB if Scott is out. I like the wing options in Joe, Freeman and Burns but a serious upgrade on at least one of the wings is needed badly. Two of those 3 can be cover and fight to play. I really rate Korey Smith and don't think goals are his game. He needs to chip in 3 or 4 in a season but he's a keeper. He needs a creative force in there with him though. Someone that can chip in 6 or more in a season. Look at Jordi Gomez from Sunderland to Blackburn. Has made a huge difference with goals. Then up front, we have 1 legit championship striker. If we could get a Wells, Gayle, Gray or someone of that ilk it would be great. Need someone to compete/spell/pair with Kodjia. Then maybe a younger version of Wilbraham that can be on the bench as a different type of striker. Someone like Murphy from Ipswich(an example not someone I'd say we were in for). 

Ive probably ranted a bit there and it's just my opinions. I like out young core but they can't do it yet. We don't need an overhaul but we need 3 or 4 significant signings to compete for top half of the table. I hope we are doing our homework now. Easier to react to going down as a bigger club in league 1 than reacting to just barely staying up in the championship. 

[Super]

I like Kodjia but the guy is so frustrating. Twice yesterday he beat his man in the box and twice he tried to beat him again and blew the chance. 

[One Team In Keynsham]

5 hours ago, bearded_red said:

Yeah our lack of goals is definitely Kodjia's fault, let's ignore that him and Flint are the only players at the club that ever look like scoring. I'd be interested to know if there is another player in the league that has scored a greater share of his teams goals than Kodjia..

 

Meanwhile the midfield should be ashamed.

Reid 0, Bryan 1, Smith 0, Pack 0, Tomlin 1 penalty and Luke 'never scored a goal at Ashton Gate' Freeman one massively deflected goal that he should take no credit for.

But yeah, let's blame Kodjia.

I'm not sold on this "must share the goals around" nonsense.  Take Barcelona in this La Liga season for instance, only 3 players have each scored more than 4.

[Redmycolour]

4 hours ago, Bicester Red said:

I don't believe you

YOU RATE AGARD!

You want to take up another sport

I didn't say i rate Agard?.i said he knows where the net is.there is a difference.

 

[Robbored]

I haven't scrolled through this entire thread but.....the problem in front of goal isn't Kodger or Tomln but those ( Flint in particular) whose welly 30/40yard balls up to them and that "tactic" inevitably leads to City losing possession. 

With pacy strikers like Kodger it's through balls that'll cause more problem for the opposition - not those hopeless aimless punts up to Kodger. 

It's  such a low percentage way of using the ball and I'd be very disappointed if LJ hasn't spoked to the defenders about it.

[samo II]

9 minutes ago, redmycolour said:

I didn't say i rate Agard?.i said he knows where the net is.there is a difference.

 

So does Kodjia, and on the evidence of this season, he's better at regularly finding it than Agard.

Kodjia isn't perfect, and he can be frustrating, but despite all that he's already scored only one less than Agard did all last year, and if he keeps up his strike rate, he could easily end up with over 15 goals in a team who spent a good portion of the season in the relegation zone.

I agree that we need more effective striking options, but it seems very odd to me that people are calling for us to drop a striker who has just scored three in four matches recently, and a significant percentage of our total goals this year.

To me, we need someone to compliment not replace Kodjia, and give opposition defenders a hard job by spreading our goal threat to more than one player.

[spudski]

6 minutes ago, Robbored said:

I haven't scrolled through this entire thread but.....the problem in front of goal isn't Kodger or Tomln but those ( Flint in particular) whose welly 30/40yard balls up to them and that "tactic" inevitably leads to City losing possession. 

With pacy strikers like Kodger it's through balls that'll cause more problem for the opposition - not those hopeless aimless punts up to Kodger. 

It's  such a low percentage way of using the ball and I'd be very disappointed if LJ hasn't spoked to the defenders about it.

I agree...and I believe LJ touched on this recently, when he said certain players weren't keeping to the game plan.

He said we did at Forrest.

Kodger needs through balls along the ground. He plays off the shoulder of the last defender and is always looking to make 'that run'. Crisp, fast, one touch passing is needed...again LJ mentioned this...Tomlin and particularly LF need to be quicker and more direct with their passing, instead of trying to beat players all the time. Over playing everytime...you lose that advantage Kodger needs.

[spudski]

2 minutes ago, cynic said:

Been saying it all season, as soon as Freeman has taken his third or fourth touch, the chance has gone.

He needs coaching or he need offloading in the summer.

Kodjia has done wonders considering the lack of meaningful midfield support he receives.

I do agree...he over plays everything. Can get away with it in league 1...but not the Championship.

[Taylor10]

5 minutes ago, cynic said:

Been saying it all season, as soon as Freeman has taken his third or fourth touch, the chance has gone.

He needs coaching or he need offloading in the summer.

Kodjia has done wonders considering the lack of meaningful midfield support he receives.

Agree. So very frustrating. Doesn't matter if he has quality on the ball like some claim he has, means very little if his decision making is woeful and he's unable to spot the runs.

[TV Tom]

4 hours ago, BRISTOL86 said:

Don't rate 'Kodyia' but bemoaning Wes going out on loan. Wow, I'm done. 

While we're at it lets get that Tomlin out and give Bobby some more games..

By the way, only five players in the league have score more goals than the striker you're moaning about. Our problem all season has been that we are not dangerous from anywhere else in the team other than the odd corner. 

And those 5 players are all penalty takers, if JK took our penalties and assuming he scored he would now be on 15 goals.

[Lanterne Rouge]

22 minutes ago, cynic said:

Been saying it all season, as soon as Freeman has taken his third or fourth touch, the chance has gone.

He needs coaching or he need offloading in the summer.

Kodjia has done wonders considering the lack of meaningful midfield support he receives.

I don`t know about coaching, he just needs telling. He`s one of the best I`ve seen at the Gate at controlling a long pass and getting going with the ball but then, as everyone`s said, he overplays it by about three touches. He needs to be told to get his pass in early or he`s dropped, as simple as that IMO.

[bearded_red]

57 minutes ago, One Team In Keynsham said:

I'm not sold on this "must share the goals around" nonsense.  Take Barcelona in this La Liga season for instance, only 3 players have each scored more than 4.

Our only other way of scoring than Kodjia is a centre back up for corners.

I'm not sure comparisons with probably one of the best teams ever is particularly relevant but even then they have three players who will probably get somewhere near 150 between them, we have 1 that will hopefully get just under 20.

There can surely be no other verdict than the goal threat from our midfielders is absolutely pitiful. 

[NickJ]

I'm going to stick my neck out and say that between them, SL and LJ will get us out of this division.

[ralphindevon]

7 minutes ago, NickJ said:

I'm going to stick my neck out and say that between them, SL and LJ will get us out of this division.

Which direction? 

[NickJ]

2 minutes ago, ralphindevon said:

Which direction? 

[Robbored]

Yesterday Kodger was over playing. Taking on a defender he'd just beaten and then getting dispossessed by another. He must have missed crossing opportunities or the ball info the mix at least 4 times. 

Never seen him do that before.

[Frenchay Red]

It's all very well berating Freeman for over playing, but so often his options are limited or non existent. Kodjia for all his pace and ability has not yet mastered the technique of losing his marker and finding space as much as he might. If he can master that skill then his goal tally will be even more impressive I reckon.

[Shtanley]

3 hours ago, Frenchay Red said:

It's all very well berating Freeman for over playing, but so often his options are limited or non existent. Kodjia for all his pace and ability has not yet mastered the technique of losing his marker and finding space as much as he might. If he can master that skill then his goal tally will be even more impressive I reckon.

Did you see the MK dons goals?

[westonred]

19 hours ago, Ivorguy said:

Remember when we bought Agard, rather quickly to fill a gap, Rotherham just promoted to the Championship and with him scoring freely for them in league1, didn't rate him as a championship player and offloaded to us.

Why did they try their hardest to keep him then ? We came in for him and they couldnt match what we were offering him . Their manage and fans were gutted when he left

[Mad Cyril]

14 hours ago, redmycolour said:

I didn't say i rate Agard?.i said he knows where the net is.there is a difference.

 

He does. It's about six feet below where he shoots.

[Frenchay Red]

6 hours ago, Shtanley said:

Did you see the MK dons goals?

I was there, and MK were poor. JK took the second very well, but not many teams push up that high at the 'Gate. I think he sometimes need to be more inventive with the runs he makes. 

[Unan]

20 hours ago, Phileas Fogg said:

Exactly, if we stay up I can see us spending big on a forward. Lansdown obviously likes Lee (I'd wager a fair bit more than SC!) and will want to give him the best possible chance next season, especially if he wants 20k+ crowds regularly.

Hopefully Lee can tempt them and our wage budget is a bit more malleable than last summer..

SL stated relatively recently that we'll be going for L1 players next year and NOT spending big.

[cidered abroad]

59 minutes ago, Frenchay Red said:

I was there, and MK were poor. JK took the second very well, but not many teams push up that high at the 'Gate. I think he sometimes need to be more inventive with the runs he makes. 

He will only learn how to make different/better runs if the midfield and Freeman in particular release the ball at the right time and not play keep ball trying to nutmeg three or four every time they get the ball.

[Son of Fred]

2 hours ago, westonred said:

Why did they try their hardest to keep him then ? We came in for him and they couldnt match what we were offering him . Their manage and fans were gutted when he left

He will move on when we buy.not a Championship player.

[downendcity]

48 minutes ago, Griffin said:

SL stated relatively recently that we'll be going for L1 players next year and NOT spending big.

I suspect the reality is that SL will be prepared to spend the right amount on the right players to fit within LJ's and the clubs plans  and as long as the salary involved fits within our budget and ffp rules - that could be a league 1, championship or premier league player.

[nathredwood]

22 hours ago, redmycolour said:

Just why cant he see we're in desperate need of a striker.sorry dont rate Kodyia.he wont pass The ball.he tries to walk it into the net.Wilbs is not good enough for championship.we let Burns out on loan.WHY.Agard knows where the net is but not being given the chance.but not with penalties.come on LEE before its too late.I know a few wont agree.but im entitled to my opinion.

I got as far as Kodyia and stopped reading. I assume. THE. rest of the post. WAS. absolute nonsense. LEE!

[samo II]

20 minutes ago, Thatch35 said:

The squad isn't good enough, not enough goals being scored! If the midfield are not scoring a decent new striker could be the difference between relegation and staying up.

I don't think you're wrong in that we could do with another goal scoring striker, but I just think the time of year and situation we are in mean it is highly unlikely we can do much about this before the end of the season.

This is all fallout from the complete dog's dinner of a summer last time out, which we weren't able to solve in January due to our league position.

I'm pretty sure if someone we could afford and would be willing to move to us (and who's club would let them leave) were available then they'd be here by now; just not sure there is anyone who fits all those criteria at the moment.

That being the case; trying to get goals from elsewhere in the team isn't such a bad plan b. 

[Jack Dawe]

32 minutes ago, Thatch35 said:

The squad isn't good enough, not enough goals being scored! If the midfield are not scoring a decent new striker could be the difference between relegation and staying up.

Yes, I think we have established this. The question now is: who and where is this "decent new striker" just waiting by the phone?

The consensus seems to be, there isn't one available for hire at this time of year. If there is, speak up now and let LJ know

[Jack Dawe]

4 minutes ago, Thatch35 said:

Yes goals from elsewhere is a must.

As you say the summer was a disaster, but we have just had January, and now the loan window. Maybe what people here are saying is true, LJ thinks his strike force is good enough......slightly worrying if true.

But it's not true. 

[samo II]

1 minute ago, Thatch35 said:

Yes goals from elsewhere is a must.

As you say the summer was a disaster, but we have just had January, and now the loan window. Maybe what people here are saying is true, LJ thinks his strike force is good enough......slightly worrying if true.

I have zero doubts he'd aim to improve it immediately were the options available to him, as neither Wilbraham nor Agard offer enough at this level, even if they do work hard in their cameos.

But the reality is that LJ has very little latitude to do much in the transfer market; to suggest any lack of action if is because he's totally happy seems both presumptious and overly negative.

LJ has been head coach for only a month and a day, and with only the loan market to work with while he's been here - even Guardiola would struggle to get someone in to fill that gap under those circumstances. 

If we're looking for someone to blame for the unbalanced and thin nature of our squad, the last person in line for blame is LJ - he's the one left to work with what he's been given.