shefflatic

unless he has a radical brainwave overnight and suddenly decides he wants to attack with the ball and make runs from midfield then he rightly is on the bench. Simpson has been no worse than him in the middle and also offers that attacking/forward movement - even if he doesn't pass it forwards he runs forward with it creating gaps in itself. Wes and Dean are both DM's that has to be obvious to us all; with Wes getting forward a little better of late. Wes for me is the better player - Dean has had a poor season IMO Preston and Crewe aside and quite rightly was benched - i think the very fact he has been shocked to be on the bench tells it all about his mentality - he had evidently rested on his laurels knowing he was the gaffers pick 'because he's captain' - NO ONE is undroppable/deserves to automatically get in the team otherwise the whole squad may as well pack up and leave if that's the case. Should he come in in place of Wes/Simmo and do really well and attack as well then maybe look to offer him a deal for next season. For me though, if any suitors then get rid in Jan and use the funds to give Baxter a good deal with release fee if we aren't (ultra positive) in the top 6 and up in May - we could easily command £2m for him and i don't think that's unreasonable given the fees paid for many a one season wonder (Trotman £500k anyone?!) and extend Derbyshires loan til May (cup run would help). Wes is the better of the two and for me we can cover Furman with Simmo Changy and Mellor when he's back - players as good as Furman are out there, not as big a loss as Wes IMO.

what is it with all this talk - as soon as someone says he is staying/is hopeful he is staying, others jump on them and say 'no he won't you idiot he will go for more money' Since when were 30 posters on here all psychics????? 'Do you want to stay?' This gives him two options - yes or no if he wants more money then the answer to the question even if he likes it here is no If he wants to genuinely stay then money would not be the main driver and he will stay. If he goes it won't be because he has been dragged away by an agent - it will be because HE HIMSELF does not want to stay; money or otherwise. Don't understand all this 'oh his agent will get him a deal blah blah' - yeah of course he will line deals up, but since when did the agent sign the contract? Since when did the player themselves not have the final say as to where they go/who they sign for - its as if the player cannot decide what he wants and is virtually told by this 'voice' what to do, and will do nothing other than what this voice tells them. The guy is local to the north west, is playing regular football with very decent players around him, has been given an opportunity, likes the management and the way things are going. AND he is only 20!!!!! If he was 24-25 i would agree that he may well be off but i just cannot see it. He may well get offers of 8k a week, but they may be down south etc and wherever he goes he would be a bench-warmer. Cannot see him going anywhere else until May. If he wants to go for one reason or another then bye bye - if you don't want to be here then see ya...next. If he wants to stay he will stay, certainly until May. Come that time if we haven't by the grace of god gone up then no one can deny him the step up, fairs fair. What will be will be, but i can see him staying.

fa cup run and a good 3rd round tie = possibly back on a 6 month loan in Jan until May

In terms of what he is currently offering us as a team, no i don't i judge all our players on what the give to the team - at the moment all i see is a totally defensive minded player - which is fine - but one which cannot and does not want to attack at all, or with the greatest reluctance. We as a team operate far more effectlvely with Wes in there as our DM and Simpson/Baxter as the forward playing midfielder. We look a poor side with both DM's in there - never understood the hype last season as we played exactly the same then with them both as we do now. For the DM role Wes is better at it than Furman so Furman doesn't play - 'ooooh but he's captain you can't drop him' yes you can and either he changes his game radically for the benefit of us and his career quickly or he will find himself (quite rightly on present form) on the bench by default. Sell him and get the funds in for Baxter and Derbs til May.

bouzanis wabara byrne mvoto grounds Croft Wes Lee Montano Baxter Derbyshire what a team.......................

just back today after an overnight stay, visiting an old aquaintance not far from Crawley so an excuse to make the trip. first things first what a :censored:hole - makes our 3 sided :censored: tip look like a palace - their club shop is one big portacabin as is their ticket office and the away side stand is simply just tiered events seating with a marquee over it - shocking they are allowed in this league. As for the game a fairly drab affair - great effort from our lads throughout though. Special mention for Crofty and Derby - absolutely magnificent in effort. Jean was stupid to do it but for me its not a red card - ok he pushes him but a little common sense a yellow and a stern word is all thats needed - other challenges in games that are worthy of reds are given yellows and yellows no card at all - for me its just sad that no ref uses fair common logic and does all he can to not send off a player. If that had been against our team, i would've expected a yellow cause its a daft thing to do but not malicious in any way, not as if he headbutted him. So now we're facing RM without or best team, brilliant. first half nothing in it at all, we looked in control. Second half again nothing in it, a drab game until about the hour mark when we scored and for those 10 minutes we really went for them - Derby should have bagged but then again at 10 v 10 we just sat back instead of going for it. No doubt the lads felt the effects of the lesser man in their legs but we had them on the ropes as Quark said but never went for them after the goal. Furman came on and as usual went and sat on the edge of our box marking space with his arse instead of challenging their men and closing down - exactly what would have stopped them scoring - NO ONE closed him down at all - so from nothing yet again with us its 1-1 and theyre back in it. Last 10 with our new defensive tactics naturally we invited them to do their best to get a winner which they almost did. In the circumstances at 10 v 10 a poor 2nd half - no need to bring Furman on - if anything Smith should have been on for Simpson and to go with him up top with Derby and Baxter just off, really wouldve had them worried. The one chance furman had to break forward into the box into space, he actually immediately turned back to go away from their goal and lost possession - he really is a nothing player - marks space and certainly never gets forward, like he genuinely doesn't want to attack anyone. If we can then sell Furman - him and Wes are DEFENSIVE midfielders all day long - Wes is the better player in doing this job - we simply look :censored: with those two in there - they get it, pass it to the wingers who can only hit it long to the strikers as no one bothers to run up the pitch and get at teams. Even if theyre being told to 'keep their shape' as a midfielder if you have half a brain you would surely know that when the winger/striker has it that they need suport and its your job to get up their and link it all together............? I'm now convinced that Furman only bothered to attack against Crewe and Preston because we really did need the results full stop so everyone had to be on it. Now that the dust has settled the midfield has reverted to type and it is just completely ludicrous, illogical and unacceptable for a professional midfield duo to be as defensive minded and ridgid as our 2. If its the manager telling them to play like this then number 1) they should have the brains to judge the game situations and realise that they DO need to get forward and 2) i would question whether we have the right guy in charge - Royle had MM and NH similar players but one or both of them always got forward and followed the attacking play up the pitch. He may not tackle ala Wes but my god do we look a more threatening team with Simmo in there - he at least runs FORWARD with the ball if nothing else. Sell Furman so he can go and defend a 1-0 defeat with the Bafananananas and lets keep Baxter and Derby til May, play simpson or Mellor in there. HAVE to get 6 out of 6 in the 2 homes games - how Crawley are 2nd is beyond me, as is Tranmoore being 1st. On paper we have one of the best 11 of 'established' and talented league one players in the league - we should be doing an awful lot better than we are and the lack of ability to win more than 2 games in a row is a really worry - 3-4 wins consecutive and playoffs are there and is where we should be, in my opinion with the players we have. Against the crowds we get Corney has again allowed PD to establish a genuinely talented 12-14 players of real quality and league one ability - time we showed it CONSISTENTLY. Well done to the lads for effort but 2 dropped for me given the state of the game in the last 20 at 10v10. Frustrating season so far yet again - i am hoping a big cup run/payday and/or the sale of Furman keeps the current starting team intact until May and we reverse the old trend of starting great and finishing poor to give us all some cheer come May. Get on a run and we can do something - nothing in the league to fear AT ALL and that's what nags away whilst we're 17th........... KTF

Furman back in and we go to long-ball defensive minded play according to LP??? hmmmmmmmmm

or we sell the micah clause for £500k.........................

sign him up on a 2 year deal now - with the option that should we not go up this season and a club comes in he can go - we would get a fee for him as well. If he continues the way he's going he could net us a million quid just by signing the contract. aarrgghh!!!!!

if you believe this. when will we EVER be able to build a successful team and keep it together for 2-3 years? http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2219803/Jose-Baxter-puts-Burnley-Ipswich-Birmingham-Blackpool-red-alert.html The current 11 is good enough for promotion if they all stay fit and are here for the season - i would hate to see us as good a team as we have now and just disipate to nothing again in January. Lets hope that team spirit is thicker than water until May

hope to god we can get a money spinner so we can keep baxter wabara and derbyshire to end of season!

have a ticket but unable to go as work committments to prepare for tomorrow Please can the question be asked as to why Taggart or Dickov don't sit in the main stand to view games, alternating at HT so both can be on the touchline during games? Far better view of team shape when higher up. Also, many fans see David Mellor as a future central midfielder - does he agree and if so what is the reason for his lack of involvement this season?

yep, i was one of them - i suggested that one of them is dropped for Baxter or if they still both play that one of them ala Furman actively gets forward and doesn't run to the back 4 to collect the ball when there is Wes already there as the DM. Furman has attacked when we have attacked and...oh look...we have looked far more threatening and he has SCORED! never was rocket science - reckon PD always told Furmn to go forward but he never truly did - one massive kick up the arse seems to have done it

only one option for me - i know he's not had much game time aside from ressies but Mellor would offer us bulk, power, pace, good passing/shooting ability and is composed on the ball. Changy works hard but as been said i think he is not the most composed/level headed player and seems to get flustered easily which is not what we need to be carrying away from home. Mellor for me but Changy is a cert as he came on on sat to get a few mins under his belt. He'll give his all whatever happens so we'll see. We can't be any worse than last season in the first 45 - we went into the game on a real downer with virtually no midfield yet went at them 2nd half and got the win. Expected to lose, high on confidence hopefully 1k+ away fans and lets have a go - NOTHING to fear in this league, not one team stands out as being head and shoulders above anyone. Positivity as in the last 2 games and 3 points is a definate possibility.

well done to the lads tonight sounded like an all round attacking peformance BUT....... this is always the way - pressure is on, get a win then relax into the old ways again, We should DEMAND 3-4 straight wins and an unbeaten run of 8-10 games - we have the players to do it IF they are played and coached properly - if fooking Tranmoore can do it so can we. Same again lads x4 please - they should be full of belief now and should enjoy how it feels to attack a team rather than tippy tappy on our half and socre some goals. I want to know if our midfielders attacked properly tonight - thats the key going forward......

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19785790 no doubt he will cut us to bits in 2 weeks

because i sat near someone with similar views and wondered if it was your good self?

mcvitie man can i ask where you sat and watched the game from today ie. which stand and which part of it?

Montano hell of player and works his balls off for the team racking back and going again the other way at full pelt. 10x the player Taylor is. Clarke would be no use to us because the strikers don't get the correct service with our 2 defenders in midfield, so pointless. And i would never pay £50k willingly for a loan deal, no way.

Ritchie has been out of the game for too long. Of those available they've all :censored:ed up somewhere except Dowie to an extent, who would get us motivated. One man for us who has the lot and that is Billy Davies Don't give me all this 'we've no chance' bollox - we may not get him as no doubt he has already put in for the blackburn job seeing as he is unemployed, but if he IS looking for employment and keen on the north west and wants a hell of a challenge then why not approach and sell him the stand idea? Phil Brown is another but i think his attitude is too abrasive. Davies 1st, Dowie 2nd choice, Philiskirk third

http://maps.google.c...ed=0CK0BEPwSMAc 15-20 mins walk according to google maps. Walked from just past the Sheff Uni last season and took about 20 minutes. Pub-wise, from my time at Sheff Uni the Dev Cat is a must (no football shirts though) - aside from that not much else towards the stadium as its right on the edge of the city as opposed to the tram accessed Hilsborough. Getting the coach this time myself, but the walk aint too bad - a lot quicker on the way back after we'd won!!

my post is purely hypothetical but at the same time is 'possible' given the current concerns and trends prevalent in the team. no need to get worked up, chill your beef as they say

Barnsley set for an Italian takeover - HillCroft set to be replaced. Keith the man to replace PD? - with our current squad there is certainly a good base of 14-15 players to work from...... i don't get all this 'no one will want the Oldham job' That's bollocks. Ok we aint done owt for years but we are still highly thought of and regarded by those in the game with an appreciation of the past glories and traditions. Any manager out of work, unless enjoying £million pay offs will be looking for work - that includes the 'we aint got a chance with him' people like Davies, Dowie, Brown. People currently in jobs looking for a sideways or new challenge will also apply - i'll bet a lot of interesting names and suprise names would stick a CV in. We presently have a very competent League one squad, certainly a top half squad with the potential for top 6. Our squad is capable and hats off to PD for getting in who he has managed to, but it is my point and that of others that - very reluctantly - it is clear that he cannot coach them to play any form of cohesive football and does not know how to use the players to their best or who to use in fact, The first 8 months prior to Feb 2011 were really good to watch - all the team was together, they had all the attributes as a cohesive unit - the 1-0 win at home vs Hudds was one of the most aggressive attacking committed performances i have seen in my time aside from a couple of grest games with Shez as boss. Then the wheels came off. Then for whatever reason in that pre-season he changed style and evidently holds back our midfielders so the only form of attack is through 4 players; 2 wingers and strikers, which is where the lack of linkage and attacking threat occurs. Don't know why he changed his philosophy from those first 8 months but he did. Its clear that EVERYONE on this board likes and appreciates the bloke PD is and impressively how he has cobbled together a very decent squad, but the way we are playing WITH the players we do have is just poor poor stuff. If we had lesser players due to a poorer budget then we would be more akin to being symptathetic. But qute rightly, budget or no budget, we all pay our money and expect a certain level of product and competence by players who get paid whether they play :censored: or not. We are simple not getting a level of football that concurs with the standard of player in the building. Not a case of us being unlucky etc; we are simply playing :censored: - only Montano Croft and Baxter genuinely look like they want to attack players, score and win the game. They can't do it on their own and it is not going to or getting us results and that comes down to the coaching and what they're being told to do. When i see Paul Butler giving more tactics out to the players than GT or PD put together it really begs the question what the hell is going on? I think PD is too lax with the players as well - they don't seem urgent or bothered on the pitch when we are playing :censored: or 1-0 down and that again asks questions. Hope you turn it around Paul, i really hope you do; but you are rightly at this stage now being criticised and you have had a reasonable level of time to put a pattern and dynamism of play into the team. It isn't there - get it there quickly.

Billy Davies Out of work and lived in Preston when there so knows the area. He will have had big pay-offs from past clubs so question is, is he willing to take us on? Phil Brown was on GMR and didn't deny he had applied for the Bury job - 'the quality of applicants is always high no matter what jobs available - all jobs are work for managers' So as its a job and employment, no reason why no manager aside from Redknapp wouldn't want it...... like any of us, its a job and a living at the end of the dau regardless of league.

to go Paul, sorry. I am not one for making changes and believe in giving people time, but it's the way we are setting out and the way we are playing - poor negative football with flashes of attacks. For the players we have and the budget extension that SC has obviously giving him, it is simply not good enough. Games are seeing us only get 1 goal - take out the Pompey 'win' with an own goal and we would be deep in the :censored:. Trannies are sky high, scoring goals - there squad is man for man not better than ours yet RM for all the stick i give him and hate the bloke, he has them playing. Players are there - tactics, attacking intent and motivation isn't. Not been today but from the LP it sounded like only attacked them in the last 10 and upped it with Baxter on.....too little too late PD I am sick of this 'well, apart from their goal theyve done nothing' - they don't need to cos we give them everything! 'They've not ripped through us' again, they don't have to. Time to change whilst we have a realistic gap to close on the top 6 and have the players here to be moulded into an attacking, good league one side (ie Baxter and Derbyshire). Bye Paul - will be the saddest and most disappointed time for me to see a manager go, but it is not acceptable any longer. Billy Davies is our man - passion, attacking intent and done well where he has been - only question is does he desparately want to get back in the game.