I respect the alternative views, but I honestly think some on here are overstating the quality that actually exists in the current squad.
It’s more that we don’t know for certain as there are a lot of new signings coming who haven’t had a run yet and academy players who will hopefully improve as the season goes on.
That’s not the same as being confident that we have a promotion quality squad.
Our squads are usually stronger defending than they are attacking, and if the creativity and goals aren’t there you need players that will improve that. If Appleton can get us more organised defensively we probably won’t need an entirely new back four/five.
I understand and don't disagree with your view, but Scott has gone on record stating ours is a "strong squad" and I see some on here who believe the same. I disagree as it lacks experience & leadership "on the grass" and any success will require the younger players & loans to step up significantly on what I have seen thus far. He also quotes it being enough to be successful and challenging this season at the top end of the league (I think he is wrong and failing that won't be Appletons fault) - time will tell.
I respect the alternative views, but I honestly think some on here are overstating the quality that actually exists in the current squad.
It’s more that we don’t know for certain as there are a lot of new signings coming who haven’t had a run yet and academy players who will hopefully improve as the season goes on.
That’s not the same as being confident that we have a promotion quality squad.
Our squads are usually stronger defending than they are attacking, and if the creativity and goals aren’t there you need players that will improve that. If Appleton can get us more organised defensively we probably won’t need an entirely new back four/five.
I understand and don't disagree with your view, but Scott has gone on record stating ours is a "strong squad" and I see some on here who believe the same. I disagree as it lacks experience & leadership "on the grass" and any success will require the younger players & loans to step up significantly on what I have seen thus far. He also quotes it being enough to be successful and challenging this season at the top end of the league (I think he is wrong and failing that won't be Appletons fault) - time will tell.
I think we absolutely have 10-15 players that are good enough to play for teams that would get in the play offs, at least.
I have no idea if we can get all our best players into some sort of feasible formation, without any square pegs in round holes.
Then you have the other stuff. Do you have enough athleticism in the team, hight, goals, pace, left foot and right foot set pieces, leadership, resilience, experience etc etc.
That's why football managers never pick the same team that fans and journalists pick.
I respect the alternative views, but I honestly think some on here are overstating the quality that actually exists in the current squad.
It’s more that we don’t know for certain as there are a lot of new signings coming who haven’t had a run yet and academy players who will hopefully improve as the season goes on.
That’s not the same as being confident that we have a promotion quality squad.
Our squads are usually stronger defending than they are attacking, and if the creativity and goals aren’t there you need players that will improve that. If Appleton can get us more organised defensively we probably won’t need an entirely new back four/five.
I understand and don't disagree with your view, but Scott has gone on record stating ours is a "strong squad" and I see some on here who believe the same. I disagree as it lacks experience & leadership "on the grass" and any success will require the younger players & loans to step up significantly on what I have seen thus far. He also quotes it being enough to be successful and challenging this season at the top end of the league (I think he is wrong and failing that won't be Appletons fault) - time will tell.
I think we absolutely have 10-15 players that are good enough to play for teams that would get in the play offs, at least.
I have no idea if we can get all our best players into some sort of feasible formation, without any square pegs in round holes.
Then you have the other stuff. Do you have enough athleticism in the team, hight, goals, pace, left foot and right foot set pieces, leadership, resilience, experience etc etc.
That's why football managers never pick the same team that fans and journalists pick.
We do have some good players - some very good players but we do appear to lack some actual bollocks, leadership and have too many young players in the side for what usually makes up a promotion achieving side.
Time will tell but certainly something hasn't been quite right for most of the season so far.
For what it's worth, Scott will be very much aware that him saying "the squad's shit isnt it, we have no chance" isn't really an option.
It's certainly not a squad that should be in 17th place and not one that should ever be in the relegation mi?x. The upper limit though is still unknown but if Appleton gets this lot promoted then a lot of us will owe him an apology... IF.
If Appleton gets us promoted this season I will have his name tattooed on my todger (might have to be an app though ) and that’s with a boner. I feel it will compliment the two B’s I have on either arse cheek.
Until we cut down the amount of goals (and cheap goals) we are conceding we will be treading water and going nowhere, I hope the new recruits are up to it, but I fear it’s still not enough.
Until we cut down the amount of goals (and cheap goals) we are conceding we will be treading water and going nowhere, I hope the new recruits are up to it, but I fear it’s still not enough.
Read & heard quite a few comments about how we need to start winning games quickly under Appleton's remit. But I would say we need to not lose games as a priority. Clean sheets before anything else.
Until we cut down the amount of goals (and cheap goals) we are conceding we will be treading water and going nowhere, I hope the new recruits are up to it, but I fear it’s still not enough.
Read & heard quite a few comments about how we need to start winning games quickly under Appleton's remit. But I would say we need to not lose games as a priority. Clean sheets before anything else.
That's not the nature of our squad at the moment and that's the issue. We're an attack focused squad, which is why despite not having a 20 goal a season striker last season (that stayed fit all year) we still scored more goals than any team outside the playoff places, and more goals than 5th place Bolton.
Personally I don't mind conceding goals in games, but I'd like them to be consolation goals for the opposition, or an absolute worldy that you say "fair play" to. The issue is so far this season the goals we concede have been absolute gifts.
The squad is good enough for the top 6 overall, if we have more luck with injuries and they play to potential/form they've shown before.
For whatever reason Holden wasn't getting what was needed out of the players, was it being too much of a nice guy and one of the boys in and around training? Maybe he just didn't have the tactical nous to realise when to push on and when to hold back, maybe the players didn't understand a word he said, who knows?
Let's hope Scott's words are backed up by his actions because we've reacted early enough to almost start again and turn this into a 40 game season where promotion, or at the very least playoffs, is still the aim
Until we cut down the amount of goals (and cheap goals) we are conceding we will be treading water and going nowhere, I hope the new recruits are up to it, but I fear it’s still not enough.
Read & heard quite a few comments about how we need to start winning games quickly under Appleton's remit. But I would say we need to not lose games as a priority. Clean sheets before anything else.
That's basically the same thing though. We score enough goals to win most games, with May and Leaburn that is not an issue.
The problem is conceding too many goals, most of them through errors by us not brilliance of the opposition.
If we start keeping clean sheets, we WILL win games, more often than not.
You can be old and crap and unable to contribute, you can be young and good and able to contribute, you can be young and possibly not good enough and unable to contribute, and you can be old and good and contribute plenty. The manager should not see the age of a player as the first port of call, and certainly should not drop a player simply because they're young (or old). Surely many other factors come in to it. "Too many young players' seems like a bit of a broad statement to me. I think I know what he is getting at in terms of collective experience, then again young players get experience by playing. Too many useless players is a better statement than too many young players, but best to hold personal counsel on such generalisations.
For a regime that keeps saying they will use actions rather than words, I’m hearing a lot more words than I’m seeing actions. Scott now seems to just be repeating the same interview soundbites every week
For a regime that keeps saying they will use actions rather than words, I’m hearing a lot more words than I’m seeing actions. Scott now seems to just be repeating the same interview soundbites every week
Damned if he does, damned if he doesn’t.
He’s right in what he says about the club. Let’s see how it pans out. None of us are hugely optimistic, but I’m more confident with Scott running things than Thomas and Martin Sandgaard.
I agree with Micky Apples, we have too many young but more importantly sufficiently experienced players to get us promoted. Need a couple more old heads who have seen it, done it, got the tee shirt but not the likes of Arter or Watson.
For a regime that keeps saying they will use actions rather than words, I’m hearing a lot more words than I’m seeing actions. Scott now seems to just be repeating the same interview soundbites every week
Talk is cheap, much like our squad. When Holden was saying that we needed another striker (as most of us agreed with) the owners/smt sat on their hands until the last day of the window & then brought in an unproven striker who wasn't exactly a big success in this division last season. In what way was Holden being supported ? Oh but don't blame scott as he only came in on 26th July or whenever. So from February until the end of July scott totally removed himself from anything to do with us even though methven etc were the only show in town & it was only a matter of time before they took over & we all assumed he would be returning. Just bullshit.
For a regime that keeps saying they will use actions rather than words, I’m hearing a lot more words than I’m seeing actions. Scott now seems to just be repeating the same interview soundbites every week
Talk is cheap, much like our squad. When Holden was saying that we needed another striker (as most of us agreed with) the owners/smt sat on their hands until the last day of the window & then brought in an unproven striker who wasn't exactly a big success in this division last season. In what way was Holden being supported ? Oh but don't blame scott as he only came in on 26th July or whenever. So from February until the end of July scott totally removed himself from anything to do with us even though methven etc were the only show in town & it was only a matter of time before they took over & we all assumed he would be returning. Just bullshit.
By what, realistic, comparison is our squad cheap?
Is it cheaper than the teams we play against? Because that's the only meaningful comparison.
I would guess that the only team we have played this season that cost more than ours is Peterborough and, as we know, that was funded by player sales.
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I have no idea if we can get all our best players into some sort of feasible formation, without any square pegs in round holes.
Then you have the other stuff. Do you have enough athleticism in the team, hight, goals, pace, left foot and right foot set pieces, leadership, resilience, experience etc etc.
That's why football managers never pick the same team that fans and journalists pick.
Time will tell but certainly something hasn't been quite right for most of the season so far.
But I would say we need to not lose games as a priority. Clean sheets before anything else.
Personally I don't mind conceding goals in games, but I'd like them to be consolation goals for the opposition, or an absolute worldy that you say "fair play" to. The issue is so far this season the goals we concede have been absolute gifts.
The squad is good enough for the top 6 overall, if we have more luck with injuries and they play to potential/form they've shown before.
For whatever reason Holden wasn't getting what was needed out of the players, was it being too much of a nice guy and one of the boys in and around training? Maybe he just didn't have the tactical nous to realise when to push on and when to hold back, maybe the players didn't understand a word he said, who knows?
Let's hope Scott's words are backed up by his actions because we've reacted early enough to almost start again and turn this into a 40 game season where promotion, or at the very least playoffs, is still the aim
The problem is conceding too many goals, most of them through errors by us not brilliance of the opposition.
If we start keeping clean sheets, we WILL win games, more often than not.
I don't doubt Methven Scott and Appleton all want the same thing.
The problem as I see it is they appear to have very differing views on how to get there!
Which could be a problem.
The manager should not see the age of a player as the first port of call, and certainly should not drop a player simply because they're young (or old).
Surely many other factors come in to it.
"Too many young players' seems like a bit of a broad statement to me. I think I know what he is getting at in terms of collective experience, then again young players get experience by playing.
Too many useless players is a better statement than too many young players, but best to hold personal counsel on such generalisations.
Not interested in methvens views on the footballing side regardless.
He’s right in what he says about the club. Let’s see how it pans out. None of us are hugely optimistic, but I’m more confident with Scott running things than Thomas and Martin Sandgaard.
We need a manager to grab players by the neck.
Is it cheaper than the teams we play against? Because that's the only meaningful comparison.
I would guess that the only team we have played this season that cost more than ours is Peterborough and, as we know, that was funded by player sales.
Still waiting to see the minutes as only got quick verbal feedback