Sunderland, Bradford and Walsall (H)

[the_mighty_bosh]

I wonder if Kewell can crack the code of how to win at home?

 

Sunderland will probably play out like an away game where the try to attack us, which could work in our favour if we can hit them on the break.

 

Bradford is a game that we know we have the ability to win, but our mentality may be different from the previous two encounters and there may be more expectation on us.

 

Walsall will be a tight one as most of their games have been this season, beating Tranmere away is a very good win though so it won't be easy.

 

I feel much more confident about these games after recent wins on the road, but not yet convinced that we'll get a win from any match.  

[TheBigDog]

9 hours ago, the_mighty_bosh said:

I wonder if Kewell can crack the code of how to win at home?

 

Sunderland will probably play out like an away game where the try to attack us, which could work in our favour if we can hit them on the break.

 

Bradford is a game that we know we have the ability to win, but our mentality may be different from the previous two encounters and there may be more expectation on us.

 

Walsall will be a tight one as most of their games have been this season, beating Tranmere away is a very good win though so it won't be easy.

 

I feel much more confident about these games after recent wins on the road, but not yet convinced that we'll get a win from any match.  

 

Or home form is indeed a conundrum. Not sure you should include the Sunderland game in your assessment as we are doing just fine at home in the cups.  

Played three and won three: 3-0, 4-0, 2-0 to be precise. Sunderland were beaten at home by Wigan on Saturday so Lee Johnson may well play a few fringe players in order to see as many of his squad in a competitive game. I also expect Harry Kewell to rotate his squad as one or two need game time. Expect Hamer, Barnett, DKD and maybe Sutton to start. 

 

Bradford - we’ve already beaten them twice away and in those two matches the bantams looked an average side. Agree that the expectations will be higher but definitely a winnable game. We may even see the return of Dearnley...

 

Walsall - more of an unknown quantity. They are a bit of a mixed bag both home and away but have drawn at Newport and won at Tranmere in their last two away games.

 

As you say.. if Kewell can crack this one while maintaining the Away successes...

 

[Monty Burns]

Sunderland I'd be playing Hough, Da Silva, Bilboe at the very least and giving not one fuck about the result. Think we've already qualified too, but I also think I read that on here so it may be false.

 

In league games we can't really change our style unless we play Whelan and try and take a bit more time over things. Personally, I expect (yes, expect) a pass completion of 80% and ours on Saturday was 64%. But is that going to make us less exciting in transition and is the breakdown of attempted quick breaks mostly responsible for such a poor score? Is it just cos we started Garrity? Do I really expect to get away w using the word exciting?

[Dave_Og]

9 hours ago, the_mighty_bosh said:

 

 

Walsall will be a tight one as most of their games have been this season, beating Tranmere away is a very good win though so it won't be easy.

 

 

Tranmere have lost half their home games. Normal rules have gone out of the window this season 

[Dave_Og]

16 minutes ago, Monty Burns said:

Sunderland I'd be playing Hough, Da Silva, Bilboe at the very least and giving not one fuck about the result. Think we've already qualified too, but I also think I read that on here so it may be false.

 

 

This is a knock out game

[Monty Burns]

6 minutes ago, Dave_Og said:

This is a knock out game

I'll admit I didn't know that and I'm actually quite chuffed w myself for avoiding news on this tournament

I'd still play them three w Hamer, Blackwood, Whelan. Pidge in for Clarke leave Diarra in see if he can earn a spot ahead of Pidge for wknd.

[the_mighty_bosh]

2 hours ago, Monty Burns said:

I'll admit I didn't know that and I'm actually quite chuffed w myself for avoiding news on this tournament

I'd still play them three w Hamer, Blackwood, Whelan. Pidge in for Clarke leave Diarra in see if he can earn a spot ahead of Pidge for wknd.

 

I'm a bit torn about the Sunderland game.  I agree that the competition doesn't deserve our respect and all things being equal I'd want us to give fringe players and youngsters game time, but with £20k up for grabs for a win I think the club will take it more seriously.

 

It would also be nice to get one over on Johnson too. 

[Monty Burns]

Yeah true I don't think a team of 

bilbo

hamer

pidge

diarra

barnet

ntambwe/macca

whelan

hough

DKD

blackwood

da silva

would be too disrespectful and would leave us nice and sharp for weekend..

[BP1960]

It's big physical teams we have a problem against. Maybe for home games draft in a few more like for

or like?

[Pidge]

No one is mentioning David Wheater.  His is now fully fit and I’m sure raring to go.  He must have a point to prove surely.  

[TheBigDog]

1 hour ago, Pidge said:

No one is mentioning David Wheater.  His is now fully fit and I’m sure raring to go.  He must have a point to prove surely.  

He will not play for us again and will be gone in January.

[oafc1955]

David Wheater’s inclusion right now would probably improve our defence. I have to admit at being ‘moderately ecstatic’ when the news broke that he he had put pen to paper but he is definitely not the player I thought and expected we were getting in any way shape or form.

 

Compared to others in the twilight of their careers we have signed over the years he is not a Martin Buchan, a Paul Jones or a John Hurst, and definitely not a Peter Clarke. I have to admit at being slightly underwhelmed with his overall impact and general contribution.

 

He is not a leader, an organiser, or even a talker out on the pitch and certainly not Captain material!

IMO, we draw a line under it and the best thing for everyone concerned would be a move away in January.

 

Whatever has gone on behind the scenes is not going to go away, he’s obviously on a big wage and if some of the money saved were to be made available to Harry Kewell I think that would be the best outcome.

[LightDN123]

29 minutes ago, oafc1955 said:

David Wheater’s inclusion right now would probably improve our defence. I have to admit at being ‘moderately ecstatic’ when the news broke that he he had put pen to paper but he is definitely not the player I thought and expected we were getting in any way shape or form.

 

Compared to others in the twilight of their careers we have signed over the years he is not a Martin Buchan, a Paul Jones or a John Hurst, and definitely not a Peter Clarke. I have to admit at being slightly underwhelmed with his overall impact and general contribution.

 

He is not a leader, an organiser, or even a talker out on the pitch and certainly not Captain material!

IMO, we draw a line under it and the best thing for everyone concerned would be a move away in January.

 

Whatever has gone on behind the scenes is not going to go away, he’s obviously on a big wage and if some of the money saved were to be made available to Harry Kewell I think that would be the best outcome.

I appreciate what you are saying but he’s better than what we have. How many times are we going to let this happen ?

[League one forever]

15 minutes ago, LightDN123 said:

I appreciate what you are saying but he’s better than what we have. How many times are we going to let this happen ?

Is he better than what we’ve got? Based on what- that he played for Middlesbrough once? He was ever present in a side that finished 17th last season and was/is our top earner. In pure footballing terms and value for money I think he’s been a very poor signing. 
 

54 minutes ago, oafc1955 said:

David Wheater’s inclusion right now would probably improve our defence. I have to admit at being ‘moderately ecstatic’ when the news broke that he he had put pen to paper but he is definitely not the player I thought and expected we were getting in any way shape or form.

 

Compared to others in the twilight of their careers we have signed over the years he is not a Martin Buchan, a Paul Jones or a John Hurst, and definitely not a Peter Clarke. I have to admit at being slightly underwhelmed with his overall impact and general contribution.

 

He is not a leader, an organiser, or even a talker out on the pitch and certainly not Captain material!

IMO, we draw a line under it and the best thing for everyone concerned would be a move away in January.

 

Whatever has gone on behind the scenes is not going to go away, he’s obviously on a big wage and if some of the money saved were to be made available to Harry Kewell I think that would be the best outcome.

Nailed it 55. 

[disjointed]

9 minutes ago, League one forever said:

Is he better than what we’ve got? Based on what- that he played for Middlesbrough once? He was ever present in a side that finished 17th last season and was/is our top earner. In pure footballing terms and value for money I think he’s been a very poor signing. 
 

Nailed it 55. 

But whatever you think, does it make it right the way the owner has treated him. 

In my opinion a happy David Wheater would have been a big asset for us, I am only guessing here, but I think he wasn't in the right place mentally very soon after signing for us, and think a lot of the blame has to be apportioned to the owner. 

[oafc1955]

Let what happen? Admittedly, AL has form for this sort of thing but we still don’t know the full story about what has actually happened do we? In any case do you really think after all that’s happened we would get back a truly committed player, he  hardly looked committed before all this came to light.

I just feel it would be the best solution for all parties if he moved on.

[kowenicki]

WWW

 

[League one forever]

10 minutes ago, disjointed said:

But whatever you think, does it make it right the way the owner has treated him. 

In my opinion a happy David Wheater would have been a big asset for us, I am only guessing here, but I think he wasn't in the right place mentally very soon after signing for us, and think a lot of the blame has to be apportioned to the owner. 

I disagree. He had three quarters of a season before any problems- then covid hit and the disagreement over his pay started. Where was the happy David Wheater before Covid? Where is his personal and professional responsibility?? My guess is, he signed a relatively lucrative contract, a contract he is happy to apply when the situation suits him. (Fair enough) But then very quickly he thought ‘this is a shit show’ and downed tools.  Well, I’ll tell you what you Dave, how about you get your head down, enjoy your 4/5 bags a week and give it your all. But no, he just went through the motions on the pitch. 
 

 In terms of his treatment. Neither you or I can honestly answer that can we? We have no idea what went on. What will say is- both Wheater and Rowe had disagreements over pay. Rowe has found a way back in but Wheater hasn’t. Maybe one showed the right attitude, and one didn’t. 

[nzlatic]

30 minutes ago, League one forever said:

Is he better than what we’ve got? Based on what- that he played for Middlesbrough once? He was ever present in a side that finished 17th last season and was/is our top earner. In pure footballing terms and value for money I think he’s been a very poor signing. 
 

Nailed it 55. 

He’s played 350 times at championship level or above hasn’t he?

 

He didn’t start great last season, but did form a decent partnership with Piergianni from Jan onwards which saw our defensive stats improve. 
 

You say we don’t know what’s happened between him and the club this summer, but then make some pretty specific assumptions about his attitude last season. 
 

On the pay thing, may have remembered this wrong but weren’t there late payments of wages last season pre Covid? Given AL convinced him to sign by saying he could come here and get paid rather than stay at his long standing club and not get paid, if he then got done over on payments I can understand him being a bit off about it. 

[Fervid]

Shite cup but a win over Sunderland would be excellent and keep the momentum going, plus getting one over on that wee runt Johnson. 

[mcfluff1985]

Bored of the Wheater chat. I miss it right the way he was treated, probably not, don't have both sides really. I'd guess likely not going off everything else we've seen. Is he better than what we have, not sure he's much of or a massive improvement. Nobody was singing his praises much before he was given the cold shoulder.

 

Stats about goals conceded with last season and without this don't count. We weren't exactly up top attacking and creating chances when he was in the team.

 

If his attitude is right then give him a shot, if we don't I'm not too arsed about keeping the defenders in that we've got

[League one forever]

2 minutes ago, nzlatic said:

He’s played 350 times at championship level or above hasn’t he?

 

He didn’t start great last season, but did form a decent partnership with Piergianni from Jan onwards which saw our defensive stats improve. 
 

You say we don’t know what’s happened between him and the club this summer, but then make some pretty specific assumptions about his attitude last season. 
 

On the pay thing, may have remembered this wrong but weren’t there late payments of wages last season pre Covid? Given AL convinced him to sign by saying he could come here and get paid rather than stay at his long standing club and not get paid, if he then got done over on payments I can understand him being a bit off about it. 

I didn’t mean he literally played for them once.

 

To be fair, he did improve after Christmas. But not to any great degree, and his leadership on the pitch remained poor. Again - I want a lot more from somebody of his experience and wage. 
 

My assumption about what went on is from the attitude he showed on the pitch, and the reality that Rowe has come back in and he hasn’t. Maybe it’s  just coincidence. . .

 

On your pay point- where you in the room when they had this very specific conversation??

[League one forever]

3 minutes ago, mcfluff1985 said:

Bored of the Wheater chat. I miss it right the way he was treated, probably not, don't have both sides really. I'd guess likely not going off everything else we've seen. Is he better than what we have, not sure he's much of or a massive improvement. Nobody was singing his praises much before he was given the cold shoulder.

 

Stats about goals conceded with last season and without this don't count. We weren't exactly up top attacking and creating chances when he was in the team.

 

If his attitude is right then give him a shot, if we don't I'm not too arsed about keeping the defenders in that we've got

Not that bored. .

[another fan]

49 minutes ago, oafc1955 said:

Let what happen? Admittedly, AL has form for this sort of thing but we still don’t know the full story about what has actually happened do we? In any case do you really think after all that’s happened we would get back a truly committed player, he  hardly looked committed before all this came to light.

I just feel it would be the best solution for all parties if he moved on.

My thoughts for what little they are worth is that he left his beloved Bolton having no choice because he needed to earn and signed for Oldham

Nothing wrong with that. Unfortunately his heart is not in the right place and the owner has not helped. 

Pity as he could be a great asset to the team

[nzlatic]

39 minutes ago, League one forever said:

I didn’t mean he literally played for them once.

 

To be fair, he did improve after Christmas. But not to any great degree, and his leadership on the pitch remained poor. Again - I want a lot more from somebody of his experience and wage. 
 

My assumption about what went on is from the attitude he showed on the pitch, and the reality that Rowe has come back in and he hasn’t. Maybe it’s  just coincidence. . .

 

On your pay point- where you in the room when they had this very specific conversation??

On your last point do you mean the bit about how AL convinced him to join? I thought that had been talked about openly?

 

There are different types of leaders. The whole situation is a tricky one as none of us know what has actually happened behind the scenes so we’re all guessing. But there’s a collective responsibility between AL, Mo, Kewell and Wheater to get him on the pitch or off the wage bill.

 

I believe a fit and firing Wheater would be a massive asset, and could really cement our form and help us kick on so it’s a shame it hasn’t been resolved.