Is it bad that the thought of JJ or JE being made manager till the end of the season, feels like its relighted my excitement for the rest of the season?
No. I wasn't going to bother on Saturday but i am now. IF JJ and Euell are in charge i hope those waverers will go and get behind the team while we still have a chance of going up.
So I want to go at this from a different angle. Something I think is vastly under-appreciated in the modern game as a whole, but particularly in England where it's "manager needs to get his players in," is how managers improve players. It's not a substitute for good performances and results, but I think it's part of the criteria that a manager should be judged by.
This is how I see individual players under Robinson:
Improved: Konsa: Has really matured this year and he's been our second best center back in my opinion. Obviously has a lot of natural ability but has really put it all together in the last few months.
JFC: A big change from when he joined us. One of his biggest challenges throughout his young career has been consistency. For most of the season he's been one of our most consistent performers.
Aribo: Robinson basically gave him his chance last year. He's shown this year that he has a tremendous amount of talent, even if he's inconsistent.
DaSilva: Another with obvious natural ability, but who thought when we signed him last year that he would be this good and this consistent? POTY for many.
Fosu: Needs no explanation.
Sarr: Really started to put the pieces together this season.
Mav: Could barely get in the Preston side, looked a class above when he's played for us. Given his injuries it's hard to say if this is down to Robinson or just the player getting a regular chance at a lower level (a la KAG).
Gone Backward: Marshall: I think there's the question of whether or not he was a one season wonder exploiting the space afforded in a counter attacking team, but he has been woeful much of the year.
Reeves: There is a good player in there. Has rarely shown it this season.
Solly: To what extent this is down to Robinson and what extent it's down to time catching up with him I don't know, but given he looks to have lost a yard of pace over the course of the season I think the latter definitely plays a large role. He's been largely poor this season, at least by his own high standards, and I think he should have been dropped on more than one occasion.
Dijksteel: It's not that he's gotten worse, quite the opposite. But he can't get a run in the side to save his life despite the fact that there is clearly a player in there and we're desperately missing a defensive midfielder. Just as we were all frustrated when Robinson came in and started playing Aribo regularly, I wonder if we'll feel the same about the next manager and Dijksteel.
The rest of the players I'd have as "Nominal," about what is to be expect. Just a couple of note: Bauer: Not in the "improved" because I think this is more a reversion to the mean for him, but he's been my POTY this season and is our best center back.
Clarke: Watching him in pre-season I thought he would be tricky to play against, but didn't expect him to be so crucial. I think a lot of that is the skill set he came with.
Pearce: He's the "nominal-backwards" for me. Not just in recent games, but all season he's struggled with possession and playing a high line.
I’m not sure about Konsa improving - maybe it’s the fact he hasn’t had a settled partner, but I think he has gone slightly backwards.
JFC - started the season off very well off, but has been a passenger in recent games. Maybe he’s not quite over the injuries he had. I actually spoke to him before the first game of the season, mentioned I had him first goal scorer - he replied he had been told to get in the box more. He did exactly that for the first 2 or 3 months of the season and all of a sudden it stopped.
Marshall it a tricky one. He got in the League 1 team of the year last season - playing in a 4-4-2. Robinson hasn’t used him there. Maybe Marshall knew what his role would be, but if you want the best out of a player, you have to put him in his proper position.
Anyway, the the common denominator here - it’s piss poor management.
Agree JFC has tailed off a bit since coming back from injury. He hasn't gotten forward nearly as much since Clarke got hurt, and I think that's because both Clarke's positional sense and ability on the ball provides cover for JFC.
On Marshall, unlike with say a Fosu or Reeves he plays wide on the right and I don't think his positioning would be drastically different in a 4-4-2. I just think he had more space last season because Bradford weren't playing against teams sitting very deep, and without space to run in to he's not effective.
You are bang on the money with Clarke. I was seriously underwhelmed when he signed, but he has been a massive loss. He is the only one that has taken the number 10 role and made it work.
Unless something dramatic happens in the last few weeks of the season Clarke is still getting my vote as PoTY.
So I want to go at this from a different angle. Something I think is vastly under-appreciated in the modern game as a whole, but particularly in England where it's "manager needs to get his players in," is how managers improve players. It's not a substitute for good performances and results, but I think it's part of the criteria that a manager should be judged by.
This is how I see individual players under Robinson:
Improved: Konsa: Has really matured this year and he's been our second best center back in my opinion. Obviously has a lot of natural ability but has really put it all together in the last few months.
JFC: A big change from when he joined us. One of his biggest challenges throughout his young career has been consistency. For most of the season he's been one of our most consistent performers.
Aribo: Robinson basically gave him his chance last year. He's shown this year that he has a tremendous amount of talent, even if he's inconsistent.
DaSilva: Another with obvious natural ability, but who thought when we signed him last year that he would be this good and this consistent? POTY for many.
Fosu: Needs no explanation.
Sarr: Really started to put the pieces together this season.
Mav: Could barely get in the Preston side, looked a class above when he's played for us. Given his injuries it's hard to say if this is down to Robinson or just the player getting a regular chance at a lower level (a la KAG).
Gone Backward: Marshall: I think there's the question of whether or not he was a one season wonder exploiting the space afforded in a counter attacking team, but he has been woeful much of the year.
Reeves: There is a good player in there. Has rarely shown it this season.
Solly: To what extent this is down to Robinson and what extent it's down to time catching up with him I don't know, but given he looks to have lost a yard of pace over the course of the season I think the latter definitely plays a large role. He's been largely poor this season, at least by his own high standards, and I think he should have been dropped on more than one occasion.
Dijksteel: It's not that he's gotten worse, quite the opposite. But he can't get a run in the side to save his life despite the fact that there is clearly a player in there and we're desperately missing a defensive midfielder. Just as we were all frustrated when Robinson came in and started playing Aribo regularly, I wonder if we'll feel the same about the next manager and Dijksteel.
The rest of the players I'd have as "Nominal," about what is to be expect. Just a couple of note: Bauer: Not in the "improved" because I think this is more a reversion to the mean for him, but he's been my POTY this season and is our best center back.
Clarke: Watching him in pre-season I thought he would be tricky to play against, but didn't expect him to be so crucial. I think a lot of that is the skill set he came with.
Pearce: He's the "nominal-backwards" for me. Not just in recent games, but all season he's struggled with possession and playing a high line.
I’m not sure about Konsa improving - maybe it’s the fact he hasn’t had a settled partner, but I think he has gone slightly backwards.
JFC - started the season off very well off, but has been a passenger in recent games. Maybe he’s not quite over the injuries he had. I actually spoke to him before the first game of the season, mentioned I had him first goal scorer - he replied he had been told to get in the box more. He did exactly that for the first 2 or 3 months of the season and all of a sudden it stopped.
Marshall it a tricky one. He got in the League 1 team of the year last season - playing in a 4-4-2. Robinson hasn’t used him there. Maybe Marshall knew what his role would be, but if you want the best out of a player, you have to put him in his proper position.
Anyway, the the common denominator here - it’s piss poor management.
Agree JFC has tailed off a bit since coming back from injury. He hasn't gotten forward nearly as much since Clarke got hurt, and I think that's because both Clarke's positional sense and ability on the ball provides cover for JFC.
On Marshall, unlike with say a Fosu or Reeves he plays wide on the right and I don't think his positioning would be drastically different in a 4-4-2. I just think he had more space last season because Bradford weren't playing against teams sitting very deep, and without space to run in to he's not effective.
You are bang on the money with Clarke. I was seriously underwhelmed when he signed, but he has been a massive loss. He is the only one that has taken the number 10 role and made it work.
Unless something dramatic happens in the last few weeks of the season Clarke is still getting my vote as PoTY.
Is it bad that the thought of JJ or JE being made manager till the end of the season, feels like its relighted my excitement for the rest of the season?
No. I wasn't going to bother on Saturday but i am now. IF JJ and Euell are in charge i hope those waverers will go and get behind the team while we still have a chance of going up.
I'm going regardless now, either way Saturday could be quite significant
I really hope Oxford apoint a new manager today ( Hopefully not Robinson). Then Roland excepts his resignation and then Robinson will be out of a job. Which is the best outcome because if he doesn’t want to be here he can fxxk off and take his MK rejects with him.
Can we please fast forward to when everything is back to how our club used to be? Stable owners the cornerstone from which everything is built. The continual car crash cycle is both soul destroying and tedious.
It is on record that KR said he spoke to a number of football people. They all advised KR not to take the job. KR took the job against everyone's advice.
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He must have already gone. The silence is deafening.
Won’t be long now beforethe cycle returns to “get behind
Riga Peeters Luzon Fraeye Slade RobboJacko” yadda yadda.....Did he know Robinson wants out so made his coaching position clear to Roland?
The continual car crash cycle is both soul destroying and tedious.
If the catering wasn't top drawer, I'd start to lose interest.