[Yenx]

Yes there are bits that need fixing. I don't think anyone who watched on Saturday thinks we are sorted by a long way
Tommy Wright has stated a few times since he took over that we are unbalanced. There are no illusions there, at least.

The back four looked nervous at times - I think that's down to confidence. I don't think ability is lacking.
We gave away far too much space in midfield. One of the CM's was a new signing, a young lad who is eager but mostly inexperienced although he had a great game. Togwell I see as a younger version of Allott - he isn't flashy, but he does what he does well.
The winger situation is dire. No left winger to speak of so we were reduced to swapping Westcarr and Talbot around.

Lester was....well he was Lester. In my opinion the finest player ever to wear the blue.
Richards put in 100% effort, but I think his lack of confidence showed on Saturday.

Maybe he should have gone for the shot, but it was almost as if he could hear the jeers of the fans had he made the shot and missed, so went for the "safer" option of trying to play in Lester.
I've said it before and I'll say it again - it was the right decision. Jack was unmarked. I think he'll come good.

All my opinion.

This post has been edited by Yenx: 16 September 2012 - 11:02 PM

[lindave]

Radders, on 16 September 2012 - 10:07 PM, said:

I've just read this entire thread (perhaps I should get a life) - anyway, it seems to me that almost everyone thinks Randall is a good player. After that it is a case of if he's shown the right attitude or not. Personally I think we have to point a huge digit at Mr Sheridan. If he thought Randall was the right player to bring in, then he should have had the courage of his convictions and played the lad if it hadn't worked what would have been the worse thing that could have happened? I'll tell you what - we could have got relegated - but we managed to do that anyway. I like Randall - he's a proper midfielder - he finds space and hits a nice ball - and for all those who say he can't tackle..... aggghhh - give it a rest. He does put a challenge in. Ok he may not be a muscle bound freak, but that doesn't mean he can't put a shift in. I remember people saying Phil Bonneyman was garbage because he walked off Saltergate with white shorts - what they didn't realise was that Bonneyman was so good he didn't need to get them dirty. Randall has played a handful of games and people hate him, there were people round me doubting Richards after two games, and they now think he was a reasonable signing.
I'm a town fan

I wish we had a Bonnyman now,what a class player.

[Radders]

Yenx, on 16 September 2012 - 11:01 PM, said:

Yes there are bits that need fixing. I don't think anyone who watched on Saturday thinks we are sorted by a long way
Tommy Wright has stated a few times since he took over that we are unbalanced. There are no illusions there, at least.

The back four looked nervous at times - I think that's down to confidence. I don't think ability is lacking.
We gave away far too much space in midfield. One of the CM's was a new signing, a young lad who is eager but mostly inexperienced although he had a great game. Togwell I see as a younger version of Allott - he isn't flashy, but he does what he does well.
The winger situation is dire. No left winger to speak of so we were reduced to swapping Westcarr and Talbot around.

Lester was....well he was Lester. In my opinion the finest player ever to wear the blue.
Richards put in 100% effort, but I think his lack of confidence showed on Saturday.

Maybe he should have gone for the shot, but it was almost as if he could hear the jeers of the fans had he made the shot and missed, so went for the "safer" option of trying to play in Lester.
I've said it before and I'll say it again - it was the right decision. Jack was unmarked. I think he'll come good.

All my opinion.

As I walked out I said that had the players been reversed - Lester would have shot and probably scored, he has the confidence of, as you rightly point out, being the finest player ever to pull on a blue shirt. Richards got caught in two minds and had he already notched up a goal he might have broken the net. Lester was on his heals a little as I think even he expected Richards to go for goal.

[Wooden Spoon]

Radders, on 16 September 2012 - 10:07 PM, said:

I've just read this entire thread (perhaps I should get a life) - anyway, it seems to me that almost everyone thinks Randall is a good player. After that it is a case of if he's shown the right attitude or not. Personally I think we have to point a huge digit at Mr Sheridan. If he thought Randall was the right player to bring in, then he should have had the courage of his convictions and played the lad if it hadn't worked what would have been the worse thing that could have happened? I'll tell you what - we could have got relegated - but we managed to do that anyway. I like Randall - he's a proper midfielder - he finds space and hits a nice ball - and for all those who say he can't tackle..... aggghhh - give it a rest. He does put a challenge in. Ok he may not be a muscle bound freak, but that doesn't mean he can't put a shift in. I remember people saying Phil Bonneyman was garbage because he walked off Saltergate with white shorts - what they didn't realise was that Bonneyman was so good he didn't need to get them dirty. Randall has played a handful of games and people hate him, there were people round me doubting Richards after two games, and they now think he was a reasonable signing.
I'm a town fan

Bonnyman would still cover the ground, and when he had the ball he used very wisely, either the simple ball the lovely weighted pass or the killer one that went to Ernie/Birchy.

Randall - well he has the ability in his passing, but I still maintain he does not cover the ground, you dont have to tackle to cover your area of responsibilty and pressurising the man with the ball is something he in particular, and the midfield as a whole have not done enough of. He also needs to learn that not every ball needs to be a 40 yard defence splitting pass.

I agree that most here recognise the lad has ability, and would like to see him do his stuff in a successfull side.....but can we afford to carry him in a 5 man midfield to accomodate his passing?

Then there is the RPL factor.......everyone saw last season the loss of form DW suffered. I personally wouldnt have re signed him, certainly not to play on the left. However the man deserves a large pat on the back for his application and performances this season, and when played behind the front 2 you see just what he brings to the side. RPL refuses to acknowledge this however - simply regurgataing the get rid of Allott + Whits (and Lester to a lesser degree) while saying Randall should have the side built around him. This totally ignores the performances of each player this season, so tends to polarise views on this message board.

It sums the situation up when Whittaker has been head and shoulders the better player, and Randall is kept on the bench by a 36yr old Mark Allott.

[Yenx]

When we're talking about Randall, there's no doubt he's got ability. I just don't think he's got the right mental attitude.
From what I can gather, he plays a fair few games in the reserves, but has been generally unremarkable in most of them. (I don't go to reserve matches, so this is 2nd hand information).

Surely as a pro football player you want to be playing 1st team football all the time?
Playing in the reserves is the opportunity to show the manager that they SHOULD be playing in the 1st team.

From the outside, it looks like he might feel it's a bit beneath him, so doesn't put 100% effort into it.
Fortunately he's still young enough to sort this out if he wants to.

I really hope he does, because I think he can become a great player for us (or whoever, should he move on)

[Yenx]

(I also think that the fact he's RPL's favourite turns a fair few minds against the poor lad)

[Goku]

Yenx, on 17 September 2012 - 10:20 AM, said:

(I also think that the fact he's RPL's favourite turns a fair few minds against the poor lad)

I'd say the fact he rarely ever impresses in both first team and reserve games as well as ducking out of headers and the odd challenge would be a more popular reason to dislike the lightweight combover only way is essex wannabe.

[Yenx]

No, don't beat about the bush, Goku - say what you really think about him

[GB1984]

Yenx, on 17 September 2012 - 10:14 AM, said:

When we're talking about Randall, there's no doubt he's got ability. I just don't think he's got the right mental attitude.
From what I can gather, he plays a fair few games in the reserves, but has been generally unremarkable in most of them. (I don't go to reserve matches, so this is 2nd hand information).

Surely as a pro football player you want to be playing 1st team football all the time?
Playing in the reserves is the opportunity to show the manager that they SHOULD be playing in the 1st team.

From the outside, it looks like he might feel it's a bit beneath him, so doesn't put 100% effort into it.
Fortunately he's still young enough to sort this out if he wants to.

I really hope he does, because I think he can become a great player for us (or whoever, should he move on)

A little bit of inside knowledge on Randall: a guy who played in Derby Reserves' midfield against us last season (at their training ground: 1-1 scoreline), described Randall as a "good player!" And this lad is really sniffy about the quality of opposition. He meant it as a big compliment.

I thought at the time, if he's a match for DCFC's reserve midfielders, why the effin' jeff isn't he in our first team, at a time when we were bottom 3?

I hope Randall can be great for us - but surely he needs a manager who actually has faith in him. Or does he **** it up at night or loaf around in training. We need some inside info!

The Derby reserve, btw, is an ever-present for them this season.

[Goku]

GB1984, on 17 September 2012 - 10:57 AM, said:

A little bit of inside knowledge on Randall: a guy who played in Derby Reserves' midfield against us last season (at their training ground: 1-1 scoreline), described Randall as a "good player!" And this lad is really sniffy about the quality of opposition. He meant it as a big compliment.

I thought at the time, if he's a match for DCFC's reserve midfielders, why the effin' jeff isn't he in our first team, at a time when we were bottom 3?

I hope Randall can be great for us - but surely he needs a manager who actually has faith in him. Or does he **** it up at night or loaf around in training. We need some inside info!

The Derby reserve, btw, is an ever-present for them this season.

In all honesty, a Derby reserve player's opinion doesn't hold any more weight than Joe Bloggs off the CFC messageboard.

I know what the obvious reply is - 'he's a footballer, he plays the game at a higher level than Joe Bloggs ever did so he must know his onions' etc. but then you just have to look at all the ex-players who've failed in management to see that that ain't true.

This post has been edited by Goku: 17 September 2012 - 11:02 AM

[GB1984]

necronomicon ex mortis, on 17 September 2012 - 10:07 AM, said:

Randall - He also needs to learn that not every ball needs to be a 40 yard defence splitting pass.

TBF, Randall played the shortish, perfect pass for Westcarr to score at Wembley. He's just been on the pitch a short time and bam! Killer ball, right there, job done. It's that kind of decisive quality that all teams require...

[Andy Spireite]

GB1984, on 17 September 2012 - 11:03 AM, said:

TBF, Randall played the shortish, perfect pass for Westcarr to score at Wembley. He's just been on the pitch a short time and bam! Killer ball, right there, job done. It's that kind of decisive quality that all teams require...

I'm not denying it was a nice pass, it was, but you also need to look at it in the context of the game, it was right at the end of the match when Swindon were chasing the game and commiting people forward. It's much easier to go on a nice break and score under that situation than when you are facing a team who are comfortable settling for a win/draw during a league game and getting plenty of bodies behind the ball.

[JonB]

GB1984, on 17 September 2012 - 11:03 AM, said:

TBF, Randall played the shortish, perfect pass for Westcarr to score at Wembley. He's just been on the pitch a short time and bam! Killer ball, right there, job done. It's that kind of decisive quality that all teams require...

For what its worth about said pass i would have been disappointed if he'd buggered it up..he had plenty of time and half of Wembley to pass it into!! If we are using that as the basis for how great he is and how he should be playing every week then we are struggling!!

My opinion for whats its worth is yes he has ability but on its own its not enough and in the main he has struggled to have an impact on games on a regular basis. Yes there may be the odd pass here and there but is that enough to warrant changing the shape of the side just to accommodate him? I'm not sure it is!!

[GB1984]

Goku, on 17 September 2012 - 11:01 AM, said:

In all honesty, a Derby reserve player's opinion doesn't hold any more weight than Joe Bloggs off the CFC messageboard.

I know what the obvious reply is - 'he's a footballer, he plays the game at a higher level than Joe Bloggs ever did so he must know his onions' etc. but then you just have to look at all the ex-players who've failed in management to see that that ain't true.

I thought my post might get a daft reply like that. "In your opinion", in answer to your first line.

If you think you or I can judge Randall as well as someone who plays the game at Championship level and has played against him, then I just have to say I completely and utterly disagree with you.

The case against my comment is that as evidence, two words are pretty thin. But I'll take them against a Town fan with an axe to grind who comes on saying they've seen him in our reserves and he's lazy, rubbish, whatever.

This post has been edited by GB1984: 17 September 2012 - 11:08 AM

[Wooden Spoon]

GB1984, on 16 September 2012 - 10:42 PM, said:

The smart anus act is just a response to you being so bl**dy nasty to RPL42Years. Three sneering posts that just destroy a lot of people's idea of a good message board: one where people talk about football or music or whatever in an enjoyable way without brutal, contemptuous insults being thrown about left and right. And if the fighting was fair it wouldn't be quite so bad, but there's ganging up going on and it's really, seriously unpleasant to look at. If you want to slag someone off, why you start on Gary Megson or Chris Kamara, or Alan Shearer: then we can all join in.

New? New handle, maybe...

and what is the common denominator?

[Hector]

GB1984, on 17 September 2012 - 10:57 AM, said:

A little bit of inside knowledge on Randall: a guy who played in Derby Reserves' midfield against us last season (at their training ground: 1-1 scoreline), described Randall as a "good player!" And this lad is really sniffy about the quality of opposition. He meant it as a big compliment.

I thought at the time, if he's a match for DCFC's reserve midfielders, why the effin' jeff isn't he in our first team, at a time when we were bottom 3?

I hope Randall can be great for us - but surely he needs a manager who actually has faith in him. Or does he **** it up at night or loaf around in training. We need some inside info!

The Derby reserve, btw, is an ever-present for them this season.

This is not a go at Randall, as I think he is class at picking out a pass, but that's all I've seen. Compare him to Atkinson yesterday - who passed, tackled, covered the pitch and even scored.

Anyway, DCFC's reserve match -so what? Not real, competitive football is it? I would imagine he wouldn't be 'chased down' as happens in L1/L2 therfore given more time on the ball, to do what he does best. Having said that, I really want him to come good as we have seen instances of his quality, but L1/L2 football demands a bit more 'physicality' which is not his game. I'm sure however, in a Championship side, he would have the time and space to 'express' himself. In summary - I think he's a 'luxury player' for us, not really what we need right now.

[GB1984]

JonB, on 17 September 2012 - 11:07 AM, said:

For what its worth about said pass i would have been disappointed if he'd buggered it up..he had plenty of time and half of Wembley to pass it into!! If we are using that as the basis for how great he is and how he should be playing every week then we are struggling!!

My opinion for whats its worth is yes he has ability but on its own its not enough and in the main he has struggled to have an impact on games on a regular basis. Yes there may be the odd pass here and there but is that enough to warrant changing the shape of the side just to accommodate him? I'm not sure it is!!

Have to say I just don't agree with you having watched Whittaker, Allott and Talbot last season. If you can't see that and that the Wembley pass is exactly what you can't take away from Randall - the talent that got him on to Arsenal's books - then...well fine, whatever, I'm not going to play the insult swapping game.

[GB1984]

Hector, on 17 September 2012 - 11:09 AM, said:

This is not a go at Randall, as I think he is class at picking out a pass, but that's all I've seen. Compare him to Atkinson yesterday - who passed, tackled, covered the pitch and even scored.

Anyway, DCFC's reserve match -so what? Not real, competitive football is it? I would imagine he wouldn't be 'chased down' as happens in L1/L2 therfore given more time on the ball, to do what he does best. Having said that, I really want him to come good as we have seen instances of his quality, but L1/L2 football demands a bit more 'physicality' which is not his game. I'm sure however, in a Championship side, he would have the time and space to 'express' himself. In summary - I think he's a 'luxury player' for us, not really what we need right now.

We might have to simply disagree, but I really don't believe that Championship managers let their reserves stroll about as if it's a friendly. My contact's performances for their Stiffs got him his chance in the first team. So I would say it IS real football.

[JonB]

GB1984, on 17 September 2012 - 11:08 AM, said:

If you think you or I can judge Randall as well as someone who plays the game at Championship level and has played against him, then I just have to say I completely and utterly disagree with you.

Cant believe it was that much of a match though...bit of a kick about at Derbys training ground!! Probably the kind of pace that allows him to play rather than in hustle of league 2 where he wont get time to linger on the ball.

[GB1984]

JonB, on 17 September 2012 - 11:13 AM, said:

Cant believe it was that much of a match though...bit of a kick about at Derbys training ground!! Probably the kind of pace that allows him to play rather than in hustle of league 2 where he wont get time to linger on the ball.

You're just guessing. So...

necronomicon ex mortis, on 17 September 2012 - 11:09 AM, said:

and what is the common denominator?

You mean, the original post and its poster?