Piercy on Pearson

[steviestevieneville]

2 hours ago, VT05763 said:

Almost as bad as what Holden had to deal with. A lot of that was put down to a dreadful medical team.

Worrying that the replacement medical staff have not improved the situation at all and our injury list is horrendous, making NPs job very difficult.

Why is our club so cursed with injuries ? Holden and now Pearson have been denied being able to put out their first team (or anything like it) for the majority of both of their tenures.

That's the biggest worry for me going forward.

 

That’s simply not true is it. Every team will get injuries. Last season we had between 10-14 players out injured for long periods at various times. We have 5 out injured at the moment ( don’t think I’ve missed anyone) but that doesn’t suit your agenda does it . 

Edited February 16, 2022 by steviestevieneville

[Davefevs]

16 minutes ago, GrahamC said:

See a cynic would say that you excluded Weimann & yet included Baker (signed in identical circumstances) because it didn’t fit the narrative…

as a forum we are good at that!

5 signings:

• King (free - temporary)
• James (free -  project)
• Atkinson (£1.6m - project)
• Tanner (£0.3m - project)
• Klose (free - temporary)

3 resignings:

• Baker (lower wage - mid-term)
• Weimann (lower wage - project)
• Simpson (low / lower wage - temporary)

each and everyone of us can have our view, but players were signed / re-signed for individual purposes. As you say King in my opinion wasn’t signed to start 30+ games.  Those individual purposes (unknown to us, but we can have a stab) need to be factored into the discussion, as does their cost (fee / wages).

If you don’t do that, then you are reaching a contextless opinion.  That’s fine btw, but it will likely see some challenge from others, which is also fine.

No doubt Simpson hasn’t worked out but I’m a bit more tolerant on the other two, personally I wouldn’t have signed Baker (though I have no idea what terms he’s on or who we could have got for free who is better) but there were signs early this season he was at his very best & his absence has come from something cumulative, not as a result of a specific injury.

similar view to me.

King was always lined up to be cover for James & Williams, not to be a regular starter & in some of the games he played he did a decent job. I also understand he is coaching the U18s at present & making a good impression.

yep, totally different expectation of playing minutes to James.

Last season James managed 39 games, if that had happened again or Williams had finally been able to start more King’s absence wouldn’t have been an issue. Expect him to stop playing this summer & join the coaching staff.

yeah, seems likely.

[Davefevs]

24 minutes ago, steviestevieneville said:

That’s simply not true is it. Every team will get injuries. Last season we had between 10-14 players out injured for long periods at various times. We 5 out injured at the moment ( don’t think I’ve missed anyone) but that doesn’t suit your agenda does it . 

It’s a very one sided argument at the very least.

Where is the credit for:

• Martin’s rehab from hamstring 
• O’Dowda’s rehab from hamstring 
• Baker’s rehab (admittedly his concussion is a real bummer, but he hasn’t suffered a recurrence of his hamstring issue from last season)
• Pring’s rehab from hamstring which happened within a week of his coming back to our training regime

I’ve not included Weimann’s ACL rehab as most of that was done under Rolls, but it’s amazing he’s not suffered from hamstring issues this season.  It is common that the use of one of the hamstring threads to replace the cruciate ligament can often lead to weaker hamstrings, and regular strains.

We haven’t seen the same number of longer term casualties.

Even Williams has gone 5 games off the bench.  Hope I’m not jinxing it.

[steviestevieneville]

1 minute ago, Davefevs said:

It’s a very one sided argument at the very least.

Where is the credit for:

• Martin’s rehab from hamstring 
• O’Dowda’s rehab from hamstring 
• Baker’s rehab (admittedly his concussion is a real bummer, but he hasn’t suffered a recurrence of his hamstring issue from last season)
• Pring’s rehab from hamstring which happened within a week of his coming back to our training regime

I’ve not included Weimann’s ACL rehab as most of that was done under Rolls, but it’s amazing he’s not suffered from hamstring issues this season.  It is common that the use of one of the hamstring threads to replace the cruciate ligament can often lead to weaker hamstrings, and regular strains.

We haven’t seen the same number of longer term casualties.

Even Williams has gone 5 games off the bench.  Hope I’m not jinxing it.

There’s one or two on here , we know who they are that will try & twist a negativity onto everything because they have  a agenda against Pearson . If they don’t like him fine , but don’t blatantly lie about everything because it just makes them look pathetic. Please have a reasoned argument & post it so it can be debated. Posting lies just proves a point that they haven’t got a clue what they’re  on about. 
 

[Fordy62]

This seasons injuries seem as significant as last seasons because the percentage of players ruled out through injury is probably the same, but the difference being that we don’t have the luxury of a zillion players this season so ever injury is magnified. Just one of the examples of the different playing field Nige has to operate on compared with previous regimes. 

[Clutton Caveman]

3 hours ago, Bar BS3 said:

I'm slightly more comfortable with the fact that there are, finally some signs of developing some sort of pattern & game plan now - so I'm more happy giving NP time to build a team... 

However - I also firmly believe that he has been lucky in our added attacking threat, with Wiemann being fully fit & in form and, mostly, the return of Semenyo certainly turned our drap attacking play (credit for the improvement in his more direct approach though) 

There also have to be serious questions over the utter inability to tighten up defensively. 

Still far from convinced about NP but at least we don't look like the total lost cause that we have done for most of his first year in charge, when we were actually going from dire, to even worse..! 

I am concerned that the evasive and somewhat arrogant approach that NP takes with the press is not reserved only for the press. Frankly it is becoming a bit boring.

Clearly nobody knows what happens on the training ground but clearly NP is a special and unusual character. Some may like that and some not. Todays players are spoilt and have multiple options available. The threat of being dropped does not carry the weight it once did. Threatening to drop players in our squad is basically an empty threat as we are so thin on the ground. The coach and the players are in this together they all fail or thrive based on results. I wonder if some players have not quite bought into the NP way of management and as such will not be 100% in their approach.

[Monkeh]

I saw an interesting fact, while we haven't won back to back games this season we haven't gone more then 3 games without a win,

We are the very definition of inconsistent, which ties in to the number of young players we've had to blood this season 

[Ska Junkie]

I don't see much wrong with the article in all honesty, it's nothing we haven't noticed ourselves.

Yes, we most certainly have a defensive issue which may be caused by injuries, loss of form, lack of talent even plus we have great attacking power with WSM.

Maybe, just maybe, it's finding that balance? I'm no tactician but would give Nigel time to assess / modify the defensive aspect of the side, as he alluded to over the weekend.

[054123]

4 hours ago, Marina's Rolls Royce said:

Another very interesting albeit highly uncomfortable read from James Piercy.

He is , as usual, balanced in what he says and feels NP should take significant credit for developing play in the final third. He also points to our rapidly deteriorating defensive ability and suggests that we are potentially on target to have the worst defensive record in 10 years since DM/SOD when we finished rock bottom with 84 goals against- we are in danger of shipping 83. this season.

James is not suggesting that Nige should go or even hinting this should be the case. He does question that if Nige cant turn it around ("make definitive improvements") in the remaining 14 games then this will give reason for doubt about whether he can do it over the medium/long term.

Painful reading but definitely worth a look and written with careful thought backed with facts not guess or emotion.

The defensive frailties have been hugely frustrating.

I think this has been covered many times but I don’t think people are particularly ‘pro Pearson’ just more the fact we were left with a stinking on and off the field mess that would need time to sort.

To that end, myself included, the majority are happy to let him have a crack at sorting it all out over a period of time.

If by October this year we are still suffering with the same problems and generating a similar portfolio of results, I’d agree that something is potentially wrong with the management and we would need to address it.

Solving it with our financial constraints would not be an easy task.

[Davefevs]

1 hour ago, Monkeh said:

I saw an interesting fact, while we haven't won back to back games this season we haven't gone more then 3 games without a win,

We are the very definition of inconsistent, which ties in to the number of young players we've had to blood this season 

That was me….and my felt tips!

31 minutes ago, Ska Junkie said:

I don't see much wrong with the article in all honesty, it's nothing we haven't noticed ourselves.

Yes, we most certainly have a defensive issue which may be caused by injuries, loss of form, lack of talent even plus we have great attacking power with WSM.

Maybe, just maybe, it's finding that balance? I'm no tactician but would give Nigel time to assess / modify the defensive aspect of the side, as he alluded to over the weekend.

no, it’s a good piece of writing, which we’ve come to expect from James P.  Questioning, factual, informative etc.

I guess most people try to build from the back…and in some respects he did, early season reflected improvement.  But injuries, change of system, approach, etc, have influenced goals…at both ends, even if results haven’t changed that much.

I think there is a big element that says our fans want their cake and eat it.  With a sub-optimal eleven (squad?) they want attacking football and wins.  That’s fine as an aspiration, I’m sure Nige wants that too.  But the reality is something different.  And reality, and the expectation that comes with that reality is something they find difficult to get their heads around.  Those fans might challenge me back and say “I’m too easily pleased”.

As bad as the result on Sunday looked, it wasn’t a 3-1 drubbing….but the scoreline (especially more goals conceded) creates a negative vibe. Their second goal was offside, we didn’t get a penalty and their 3rd goal was in the 4th minute of injury time with us trying to force an equaliser.  We aren’t that far away, but mistakes are killing us.

[Monkeh]

9 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

That was me….and my felt tips!

no, it’s a good piece of writing, which we’ve come to expect from James P.  Questioning, factual, informative etc.

I guess most people try to build from the back…and in some respects he did, early season reflected improvement.  But injuries, change of system, approach, etc, have influenced goals…at both ends, even if results haven’t changed that much.

I think there is a big element that says our fans want their cake and eat it.  With a sub-optimal eleven (squad?) they want attacking football and wins.  That’s fine as an aspiration, I’m sure Nige wants that too.  But the reality is something different.  And reality, and the expectation that comes with that reality is something they find difficult to get their heads around.  Those fans might challenge me back and say “I’m too easily pleased”.

As bad as the result on Sunday looked, it wasn’t a 3-1 drubbing….but the scoreline (especially more goals conceded) creates a negative vibe. Their second goal was offside, we didn’t get a penalty and their 3rd goal was in the 4th minute of injury time with us trying to force an equaliser.  We aren’t that far away, but mistakes are killing us.

Yea I saw it in twitter this morning, thought it was interesting

[Marina's Rolls Royce]

28 minutes ago, 054123 said:

The defensive frailties have been hugely frustrating.

I think this has been covered many times but I don’t think people are particularly ‘pro Pearson’ just more the fact we were left with a stinking on and off the field mess that would need time to sort.

To that end, myself included, the majority are happy to let him have a crack at sorting it all out over a period of time.

If by October this year we are still suffering with the same problems and generating a similar portfolio of results, I’d agree that something is potentially wrong with the management and we would need to address it.

Solving it with our financial constraints would not be an easy task.

It's hard to see how the financial mess will pan out. If FFP rules stay in place without some Covid exemptions then we are in really difficult territory. If we sell our best players/up and coming youth then we are destined for L1 with or without a points deduction. To try and ditch players who are with the benefit of hindsight overpaid and underwhelming is going to be vv difficult. Who on earth would take Palmer with his wages?

If we start paying up contracts then we just add more debt. If FFP rules are relaxed then SL , however reluctant, will have to bail the club out but as he was partly responsible for our current mess- I think he'll have little option. To rely on Webster/Kelly/Brownhill as some have suggested is fanciful, imo.

Meanwhile, Np has got to mend and make do. I dont expect miracles but the squad we currently have, even with the injuries, is capable of better and its his job to sort out the increasingly desperate defensive frailties. We have 14 games in which to guarantee our survival for a second season which shouldn't be too difficult but I'd really like to see a 0-0 or 1-0 or anything nil really soon. I'd love us to score and to think it matters again as opposed to ok- so how many are going to be coming in reply? 

[054123]

50 minutes ago, Marina's Rolls Royce said:

It's hard to see how the financial mess will pan out. If FFP rules stay in place without some Covid exemptions then we are in really difficult territory. If we sell our best players/up and coming youth then we are destined for L1 with or without a points deduction. To try and ditch players who are with the benefit of hindsight overpaid and underwhelming is going to be vv difficult. Who on earth would take Palmer with his wages?

If we start paying up contracts then we just add more debt. If FFP rules are relaxed then SL , however reluctant, will have to bail the club out but as he was partly responsible for our current mess- I think he'll have little option. To rely on Webster/Kelly/Brownhill as some have suggested is fanciful, imo.

Meanwhile, Np has got to mend and make do. I dont expect miracles but the squad we currently have, even with the injuries, is capable of better and its his job to sort out the increasingly desperate defensive frailties. We have 14 games in which to guarantee our survival for a second season which shouldn't be too difficult but I'd really like to see a 0-0 or 1-0 or anything nil really soon. I'd love us to score and to think it matters again as opposed to ok- so how many are going to be coming in reply? 

The defensive mistakes are what I’m struggling with. 

Surely Zak Vyner (as an example) is being sat down and made to review games to see how he loses people then being coached on how to improve this.

There is always the possibility that he is useless and is just crap at reading the game, no matter how intense the coaching.

Absolutely agree there are frustrating elements of our game. I also know that nobody can 100% say nobody could do better or indeed somebody would be worse.

I just think we have to give until the start of next season.

Edited February 16, 2022 by 054123

[Kid in the Riot]

3 hours ago, JonDolman said:

King is like the Brunt signing for me. Body can't do it anymore. Playing one full game in the previous 3 years at other clubs before joining us and 33 years of age.

King's availability has been far from ideal, however he has at least started 10 games for us (12 apps in total) scoring once and claiming two assists.

Brunt contributed nothing. 

[P'head Red]

5 minutes ago, Kid in the Riot said:

King's availability has been far from ideal, however he has at least started 10 games for us (12 apps in total) scoring once and claiming two assists.

Brunt contributed nothing. 

Was listening to him on the Ben foster podcast the other day, I raised an eyebrow when he said he felt he had a positive impact during his time here. Also stated he was feeling a niggle before being brought on by Holden for Rotherham away, a game which was the last for him due to the season ending injury.

Edited February 16, 2022 by P'head Red

[Monkeh]

15 minutes ago, 054123 said:

The defensive mistakes are what I’m struggling with. 

Surely Zak Vyner (as an example) is being sat down and made to review games to see how he loses people then being coached on how to improve this.

There is always the possibility that he is useless and is just crap at reading the game, no matter how intense the coaching.

Absolutely agree there are frustrating elements of our game. I also know that nobody can 100% nobody could do better or indeed somebody would be worse.

I just think we have to give until the start of next season.

This is what's frustrating,

People are rightly complaining about vyner and when challenged no one can offer an alternative 

I'm sure Pearson wants to drop him but who for?

Cundy who isn't match fit

Tawler who has no experience 

Atkinson and Baker who are injured

So do we change formation, what too?

4-4-2? Which would stop our attacking threat,

I think Pearson hands are tied and with our new found attacking threat is working on the basis that we could score more then you 

[Monkeh]

9 minutes ago, P'head Red said:

Was listening to him on the Ben foster podcast the other day, I raised an eyebrow when he said he felt he had a positive impact during his time here. Also stated he was feeling a niggle before being brought on by Holden for Rotherham away, a game which was the last for him due to the season ending injury.

He probably did, on the training pitch and as an experienced head, 

Just now, JonDolman said:

In terms of number of good performances I don't think there is much in it.

Disagree, king looked good when fit and playing, he helped Scott a d massengo as well which you can't overlook

[Davefevs]

1 minute ago, Monkeh said:

He probably did, on the training pitch and as an experienced head, 

Disagree, king looked good when fit and playing, he helped Scott a d massengo as well which you can't overlook

Helps the full-backs and CBs with passing angles, even if he doesn’t get the ball.  Does the basics very well.  Brunt had never really played in CM and it showed.  @Harrypicked out some great examples of his body positions being all wrong.  I assumed he came here to play LB / cover LM

[Monkeh]

Just now, Davefevs said:

Helps the full-backs and CBs with passing angles, even if he doesn’t get the ball.  Does the basics very well.  Brunt had never really played in CM and it showed.  @Harrypicked out some great examples of his body positions being all wrong.  I assumed he came here to play LB / cover LM

Indeed,

It's like signing Ronaldo and sticking him in at centre back

[Red-Robbo]

10 minutes ago, JonDolman said:

In terms of number of good performances I don't think there is much in it.

 

Not sure I saw Brunt even approach competence in the 12 games he played for us, let alone score a goal.  King is much better, although clearly not at his peak,  I can see him getting involved in the coaching set-up as an ongoing transition off the pitch, a lot more than someone like Danny Simpson. 

[lenred]

17 minutes ago, JonDolman said:

In terms of number of good performances I don't think there is much in it.

Really? As KITR said they are chalk and cheese even accounting for Kings injuries. Brunt was a complete waste of space in a team full of them. Maybe you watched different games to me and my mates but my City chat groups were at their wits end whenever he came on or started - as was this place iirc. That reaction simply does not happen with King and that’s telling.  
There’s also no doubt whatsoever that King will have been brought in for his experience and dressing room presence which from what I can judge has seen an improvement. Counter that with Brunt who was also brought in with that in mind but who didn’t appear to have any such effect for whatever reason.  

Edited February 16, 2022 by lenred

[cidered abroad]

6 hours ago, IAmNick said:

A team who were expected to be near the bottom of the table who signed 3 defenders over the summer (Baker, Atkinson, Tanner) - all of whom are now injured. And two extremely experienced midfielders over the summer (James, King) - both of whom are now injured. Are conceding a lot of goals? Hmmm.

The article says itself, after 10 games we were 7th for goals conceded and it's gone downhill from there. Look at the team we're having to put out. We must have about the youngest / most inexperienced central midfield pair, Vyner and a free transfer in central defence, Dasilva playing out of position.

Of course it's disappointing but maybe it isn't that much of a mystery when the back line and 2/3 in front of them has been different every half dozen games all season, and largely not through choice.

Personally I think we're also sacrificing stability / organisation in order to try out players for next year, but that's another conversation.

As you say @IAmNick we've not had a settled team at all, apart from the front three since Semenyo returned from injury.

As for defending, I have an opinion that our major problem is that we have neither a centre half nor central midfielder who are "Organisers". In fact if you think back ten to fifteen years, we haven't had such a person in the back line since Louis Carey and only two or three in midfield with Marvin Elliott, Wade Elliott and Brownhill.

Don't get me wrong, we've had dominant defenders like Flint and Kallas but both are " Doers" not leaders. And decent midfielders but again no leaders. Recent signings are young ones with potential. But does anyone know what Massengo will do when he gets the ball? Not criticism, just how I see him. He's still only young and will improve

We still have four or five in the squad who are sucking the life out of us with an annual total pay package of around £5 million. Until we can sort that out, we'll continue to struggle to find consistency with the number of young ones doing their best and making costly mistakes.

[Monkeh]

1 minute ago, cidered abroad said:

As you say @IAmNick we've not had a settled team at all, apart from the front three since Semenyo returned from injury.

As for defending, I have an opinion that our major problem is that we have neither a centre half nor central midfielder who are "Organisers". In fact if you think back ten to fifteen years, we haven't had such a person in the back line since Louis Carey and only two or three in midfield with Marvin Elliott, Wade Elliott and Brownhill.

Don't get me wrong, we've had dominant defenders like Flint and Kallas but both are " Doers" not leaders. And decent midfielders but again no leaders. Recent signings are young ones with potential. But does anyone know what Massengo will do when he gets the ball? Not criticism, just how I see him. He's still only young and will improve

We still have four or five in the squad who are sucking the life out of us with an annual total pay package of around £5 million. Until we can sort that out, we'll continue to struggle to find consistency with the number of young ones doing their best and making costly mistakes.

It's where we miss Baker,

It's no coincidence that defending as gone to pot since he is out of the team,

The effect he has on others can't be understated

[KegCity]

6 minutes ago, JonDolman said:

I thought Brunt had a few decent performances. So King maybe slightly better than that but not a lot in it imo.

Both players signed when their bodies could not do it anymore. Shame. 

Think that's very kind to Brunt and harsh on King. King's been solid enough when he's played he just isn't up to a full season of championship football, but then again he wasn't brought in to play that much. Brunt on the other hand was off the pace every time he stepped on the pitch and couldn't handle nearly as much game time as King.

[Mr Popodopolous]

King was better than Brunt certainly, although like others I thought the latter would be signed to cover- and perhaps pass on some knowhow about- LB and LWB.

CM was not his position.

[Mr Popodopolous]

As for the article, largely agree though would point out that we have conceded seven penalties this season, not six.

I'll rephrase that...we have conceded 6 penalties but 7 awarded against us.

1. 1 at Millwall- Conceded.
2. 1 v Nottingham Forest- Conceded.
3. 1 at Coventry- Conceded.
4. 1 v Huddersfield- SAVED.
5. 1 v QPR- Conceded.
6. 1 v Millwall- Conceded.
7. 1 v Reading- Conceded.

He's partially right but his point lacks a bit of context. As an aside, it's quite difficult to a) Progress or b) Keep a tight ship when you concede so many penalties- 7 in 32 games or more recently 4 in 10 games is very poor indeed. Indeed you could spin it another way, as Millwall was matchday 10 it is 7 in 23 games- or equivelant to half a season.

Edited February 16, 2022 by Mr Popodopolous