[dim view]

h again, on 26 October 2014 - 06:45 PM, said:

Personally I don't think he's going to get things sorted without one or two new defenders....

...The root cause of the problem is that our defence is not performing as an efficient unit. People are standing about like L2 defenders, where you could get away with things. The back 4 have to be further up the field and in tune. That new defender you suggest might have to be a goalkeeper. Now, that WOULD test fans' support for PC.

[Wooden Spoon]

dim view, on 26 October 2014 - 08:39 PM, said:

...The root cause of the problem is that our defence is not performing as an efficient unit. People are standing about like L2 defenders, where you could get away with things. The back 4 have to be further up the field and in tune. That new defender you suggest might have to be a goalkeeper. Now, that WOULD test fans' support for PC.

Evatt has played in the premier league for a season, and in the championship for years. He is probably our most experienced footballer. Yet he is making as many mistakes as anyone else. He needs to get a grip of the back 4 and lead them.If he cant organise the defence he shouldn't be in the side

Blaming the keeper for this taking the easy option

[60s 70s Spireite]

a kick in the balls, on 26 October 2014 - 08:53 PM, said:

Evatt has played in the premier league for a season, and in the championship for years. He is probably our most experienced footballer. Yet he is making as many mistakes as anyone else. He needs to get a grip of the back 4 and lead them.If he cant organise the defence he shouldn't be in the side

Blaming the keeper for this taking the easy option

Was just about to post the same. Before the match, we were reading that they were welcoming back Tom Bradshaw who had been starring for the Saddlers but had been laid up by an injury.

Yet between them Margrieter and Evatt lost him totally, leaving him to receive the return pass unhindered. If folk can mark Doyle out of the match (because he is now a known danger) why can't we do the same with our opposition's main man? And what has this to do with Tommy?

[Dotty Com]

dim view, on 25 October 2014 - 07:43 PM, said:

....without pretending to know 'owt myself, I've spoken to one influencial bloke who reckons we could have kept Johnson under the terms of the Youth Loan system. If that's right, I reckon there will have been high level pow-wows to discuss whether keeping him is a sound strategic decision. I think PC has got his eye on at least 1 other loanee who a) he can't afford unless Johnson goes back and b) strengthens another position and c) allows him to play his contracted goalscoring midfielders, which Johnson aint. Patience required.

The thought that we can sign another loanee earlier if Johnson returns might reduce your bewildernment.

So you have the chance to keep a quality player - Johnson - and don't take it?

The supposed loanees must be really classy to make sense out of your post tbh

[Wooden Spoon]

60s 70s Spireite, on 26 October 2014 - 09:05 PM, said:

Was just about to post the same. Before the match, we were reading that they were welcoming back Tom Bradshaw who had been starring for the Saddlers but had been laid up by an injury.

Yet between them Margrieter and Evatt lost him totally, leaving him to receive the return pass unhindered. If folk can mark Doyle out of the match (because he is now a known danger) why can't we do the same with our opposition's main man? And what has this to do with Tommy?

The apologist has his targets and favourites. Not long ago he suggested Chapman was a serious threat to Tommy!!!! Head in clouds me thinks. Player with potential yes, ready for first team L1 football? Not yet by a long way.

This post has been edited by a kick in the balls: 26 October 2014 - 09:26 PM

[dim view]

a kick in the balls, on 26 October 2014 - 09:23 PM, said:

The apologist has his targets and favourites. Not long ago he suggested Chapman was a serious threat to Tommy!!!!

who would be daft enough to suggest that then?.

[Tha Knows...]

h again, on 26 October 2014 - 06:45 PM, said:

It's a bit early to judge, after one game. I'm inclined to think he's getting it wrong by reducing our attacking threat, but it's a new system featuring a new player making his first appearance for the club. To expect the thing to click straight away is asking a lot.
Personally I don't think he's going to get things sorted without one or two new defenders, and tinkering with the midfield isn't the answer, but Cookie thinks it is, and he's earned the right to at least try something new.
Not that it's much of a change. One defensive midfielder changed for a slightly more defensive midfielder. He'd have done better to ask Jimmy Ryan to play slightly more defensively, but a bit of added height was probably the decider.

Which defenders are you unhappy with?

[Wooden Spoon]

dim view, on 26 October 2014 - 09:34 PM, said:

who would be daft enough to suggest that then?.

Well if the cap fits........

[Spireite82]

There must be something going on that we don't know about regarding Johnson. Not selecting him even for the bench on Saturday made absolutely no sense whatsoever. If Cooky isn't planning on using him again, he may as we'll go back a month early...

IMO, you play the best team possible every week; granted, when he leaves he will be difficult to replace but surely you solve that problem once he's left...not with four games to go!

I would love to see him back in a town shirt (on another loan) if he doesn't make it into Villa's first team squad...

[dim view]

a kick in the balls, on 27 October 2014 - 03:42 AM, said:

Well if the cap fits........

Unlike some people, I didn't have you down as someone who pedals rubbish.

[Phil V 72]

Spireite82, on 27 October 2014 - 08:01 AM, said:

There must be something going on that we don't know about regarding Johnson. Not selecting him even for the bench on Saturday made absolutely no sense whatsoever. If Cooky isn't planning on using him again, he may as we'll go back a month early...

IMO, you play the best team possible every week; granted, when he leaves he will be difficult to replace but surely you solve that problem once he's left...not with four games to go!

I would love to see him back in a town shirt (on another loan) if he doesn't make it into Villa's first team squad...

I think the same - I haven't heard any of the interviews from Saturday, but does anyone actually know why Johnson wasn't playing?

[boot]

Spireite82, on 27 October 2014 - 08:01 AM, said:

There must be something going on that we don't know about regarding Johnson. Not selecting him even for the bench on Saturday made absolutely no sense whatsoever. If Cooky isn't planning on using him again, he may as we'll go back a month early...

IMO, you play the best team possible every week; granted, when he leaves he will be difficult to replace but surely you solve that problem once he's left...not with four games to go!

I would love to see him back in a town shirt (on another loan) if he doesn't make it into Villa's first team squad...

Not even on the bench smacks of perhaps something a lot more than we are being told. A fallout of some kind maybe - player, agent, Villa, Town, Cook, deals agreed and then broken - plenty of permutations and possibilities. How else can it be explained ? Another Brindley scenario ?

Pure rumour from the game and I give little credence to it but this guy said Forest were taking him.

[gloucestershireblue]

Phil V 72, on 27 October 2014 - 09:00 AM, said:

I think the same - I haven't heard any of the interviews from Saturday, but does anyone actually know why Johnson wasn't playing?

I totally agree with Cookie. Johnson is going back, and yes, will probably go straight to another club in a higher division. He stated on his interview that we have got to live without Johnson so needs to get players (Banks/ Gardner) match fit who haven't been playing full matches.
I think it's good management myself. I am sure others will disagree!

[60s 70s Spireite]

gloucestershireblue, on 27 October 2014 - 09:21 AM, said:

I totally agree with Cookie. Johnson is going back, and yes, will probably go straight to another club in a higher division. He stated on his interview that we have got to live without Johnson so needs to get players (Banks/ Gardner) match fit who haven't been playing full matches.
I think it's good management myself. I am sure others will disagree!

Fair enough. So why play Gobern or indeed any other short term loanee?

[brianclose]

60s 70s Spireite, on 27 October 2014 - 09:26 AM, said:

Fair enough. So why play Gobern or indeed any other short term loanee?

Exactly - no point playing Gobern if he can only appear in 4 games according to Cookies rhetoric - we should already be planning for life without him!

This post has been edited by brianclose: 27 October 2014 - 09:52 AM

[Phil V 72]

I get the feeling that PC may be dancing around this a little bit and either can't or doesn't want to say what's going on.

On the wider point, yes he's getting critisism now, but is he sacrifing results now for the longer term goal of defensive security? The good start we had in terms of points on the board actually means he's got a little time to get the defensive side right and allow us to build more solidity. This will disrupt us for a while but might mean that later in the season, we will be harder to beat and our midfield can again start to dominate the opposition.

I'm not sure we've any intention of promotion this season, he will use this season to re-jig again, to consolidate, to create a stronger established L1 team. What we're seeing is the start of our evolution I reckon.

All this could actually prove to be a masterstroke by PC and yes, there will be some disappointment that we're not involved in those entertaining games, but some of those games (Donny, Bristol for eg,) were not winning us anything other than plaudits. Is it the case that he's actually miles ahead of the average fan and he is looking much further ahead? He is prepared to take some poor performances in the short term to get it right long-term.

Managers have to take a punt sometimes, Fergie did it many times and reaped the rewards.

It's quite right, as fans, that we question but hasn't he earned our trust?

[brianclose]

Far more likely that Johnson has got a bit big for his boots, said something out of turn and Cookie has spat the dummy out (I heard from a mate that Cookie had told him after the Huddersfield game that he wouldnt play Johnson again unless he had to - well he had to at Vale and at home to Scunny and since then until recently Jonno has been so good he couldnt leave him out).

Why shouldnt we strike whilst the irons hot and go for the play offs this season? Rotherham did it when nothing much was expected of them last year. Judging by the yearly accounts a lot of book-balancing is on the horizon, and sneaking up through the play-offs might be the only way to keep hold of our better players. Picture us a year from now. No Jonno, Morsy gone,Doyle potentially gone, Roberts a year older/more injury prone, Evatt a year older, Ryan and Darikwa getting twitchy for moves. Is this really an evolution of a side? In my opinion we will not have a better chance than this year with where everyone is at the stage of their careers - if we had signed Johnson I would have been even more confident.

This post has been edited by brianclose: 27 October 2014 - 10:19 AM

[Phil V 72]

brianclose, on 27 October 2014 - 10:16 AM, said:

Far more likely that Johnson has got a bit big for his boots, said something out of turn and Cookie has spat the dummy out (I heard from a mate that Cookie had told him after the Huddersfield game that he wouldnt play Johnson again unless he had to - well he had to at Vale and at home to Scunny and since then Jonno has been so good he couldnt leave him out).

Why shouldnt we strike whilst the irons hot and go for the play offs this season? Rotherham did it when nothing much was expected of them last year. Judging by the yearly accounts a lot of book-balancing is on the horizon, and sneaking up through the play-offs might be the only way to keep hold of our better players. Picture us a year from now. No Jonno, Morsy gone,Doyle potentially gone, Roberts a year older/more injury prone, Evatt a year older, Ryan and Darikwa getting twitchy for moves. Is this really an evolution of a side? In my opinion we will not have a better chance than this year with where everyone is at the stage of their careers - if we had signed Johnson I would have been even more confident.

You mean he values discipline and respect and won't allow a player to do this? If that was the case (and I have no reason to say it is) I'd be on PC's side and would support him.

During September and October, in games where we were arguably playing excellent stuff

- Preston - drew
- Donny - lost
- County - Draw
- Bristol - lost
- Oldham - drew

Only wins were Scunny and Blades (which we tried our best to throw away) - it isn't good enough, however well you play - you're not a play-off team if you concede like we were doing. We were too easy to score against.

Am I happy with last few performances/results? No
Am I happy with Paul Cook? totally

[warfey is a spireite]

brianclose, on 27 October 2014 - 10:16 AM, said:

Far more likely that Johnson has got a bit big for his boots, said something out of turn and Cookie has spat the dummy out (I heard from a mate that Cookie had told him after the Huddersfield game that he wouldnt play Johnson again unless he had to - well he had to at Vale and at home to Scunny and since then until recently Jonno has been so good he couldnt leave him out).

Why shouldnt we strike whilst the irons hot and go for the play offs this season? Rotherham did it when nothing much was expected of them last year. Judging by the yearly accounts a lot of book-balancing is on the horizon, and sneaking up through the play-offs might be the only way to keep hold of our better players. Picture us a year from now. No Jonno, Morsy gone,Doyle potentially gone, Roberts a year older/more injury prone, Evatt a year older, Ryan and Darikwa getting twitchy for moves. Is this really an evolution of a side? In my opinion we will not have a better chance than this year with where everyone is at the stage of their careers - if we had signed Johnson I would have been even more confident.

exactly what i think this year it has to be playoffs

[60s 70s Spireite]

brianclose, on 27 October 2014 - 10:16 AM, said:

Far more likely that Johnson has got a bit big for his boots, said something out of turn and Cookie has spat the dummy out (I heard from a mate that Cookie had told him after the Huddersfield game that he wouldnt play Johnson again unless he had to - well he had to at Vale and then Jonno was so good he couldnt leave him out).

Why shouldnt we strike whilst the irons hot and go for the play offs this season? Rotherham did it when nothing much was expected of them last year. Judging by the yearly accounts a lot of book-balancing is on the horizon, and sneaking up through the play-offs might be the only way to keep hold of our better players. Picture us a year from now. No Jonno, Morsy gone,Doyle potentially gone, Roberts a year older/more injury prone, Evatt a year older, Ryan and Darikwa getting twitchy for moves. Is this really an evolution of a side? In my opinion we will not have a better chance than this year with where everyone is at the stage of their careers - if we had signed Johnson I would have been even more confident.

Good post. History tells us the best chance of achieving the play offs is very often when you come up, eg Rotherham last season and Stevenage in 2011-12. History also tells us, as you indicate, we won't be keeping players of the quality of Morsy, Doyle, Ryan, Darikwa and others too long before they move on to better things (in their view).

Look at Leyton Orient, just missed out on promotion, invested heavily this season, and yet they have had a poor start that will take some recovering to challenge for promotion this season. And they haven't had to sell any players.