[azul]

Goku, on 12 May 2024 - 09:16 AM, said:

‘Yeah my recent ex-teammate was actually poor as a CB in a back 4, not strong enough or quick enough to go man for man, so that’s why he has only ever had success in a back 3 where our defence has a numerical advantage and as a stay at home left back over a period of about 8 matches’

Is definitely not what King was going to say was he? You simpleton. Imagine Loz playing all season at LCB in place of Grimes ��

I know you find it hard to move on from ex-players and members of staff who you form strange attachments to. Isn’t it odd that you don’t like Paul Cook, the man who replaced your flashing hero, and now you’re overrating Loz, blatantly because it’s about the only thing close to being ammunition which you can aim at Cook. Proper freak you lad.

Of course he could’ve just said nothing if he didn’t rate him

We probably would’ve won the league at canter

Bottom line is he may be playing football a full two leagues above the league that many claimed he wasn’t good enough for (the NL)

Someone is wrong if that actually transpires

This post has been edited by azul: Today, 09:40 AM

[JonB]

Not the first time a player has done well elsewhere after not fitting in at one club. Lot of players done well at Crawley this season having not excelled elsewhere which you put down to how they’ve set up and the manager. When Maguire was here plenty weren’t enamoured with his performances. He did well under Rowe in a back three, he did well in that run at left back under cook but for whatever reason they decided he wasn’t in the plans for this season.

I think we can just sign it off that with us winning the league at a canter and him making a play off final it’s all gone well for all parties.

[azul]

JonB, on 12 May 2024 - 09:49 AM, said:

Not the first time a player has done well elsewhere after not fitting in at one club. Lot of players done well at Crawley this season having not excelled elsewhere which you put down to how they’ve set up and the manager. When Maguire was here plenty weren’t enamoured with his performances. He did well under Rowe in a back three, he did well in that run at left back under cook but for whatever reason they decided he wasn’t in the plans for this season.

I think we can just sign it off that with us winning the league at a canter and him making a play off final it’s all gone well for all parties.

It is interesting that he has played as LCB in a 2 and 3, LB and defensive midfield and many slagged him off in all those positions. The narrative always existed that he was better in a 3 by those attempting to defend him and it did gain credence when playing as a regular for Crawley - some will never accept it though.

Personally I’m glad for him but I suspect others are biting their lips waiting for it to go wrong for him. The move that he seemed so reluctant to make (it is Crawley after all) has certainly worked out well for him and saved him from rotting on the scrap heap.

[Goku]

 azul, on 12 May 2024 - 09:32 AM, said:

Of course he could’ve just said nothing if he didn’t rate him

We probably would’ve won the league at canter

Bottom line is he may be playing football a full two leagues above then league that many claimed he wasn’t food enough for. Someone was wrong if that transpires

I suppose people saying he can’t even play NL level when he’s now playing well at L2 level shows precisely the point of how important systems can be. He isn’t a dominant defender, absolutely could not have replaced Grimes to a similar level in a 4, probably would’ve just about won the league, maybe. It’s an entirely sensible POV that he plays as a Conference level player when he’s in a 2 but a L2 level player in a 3.

Anyway I like Loz, always defended his ability to play as the left of a 3, on his day he’s a decent ball playing defender. Always happy to engage in good faith discussion with people who are offering genuine opinions not based on mud-slinging (I see the subtext, others may not) 🥸

This post has been edited by Goku: Today, 10:28 AM

[azul]

Goku, on 12 May 2024 - 10:22 AM, said:

I suppose people saying he can’t even play NL level when he’s now playing well at L2 level shows precisely the point of how important systems can be. He isn’t a dominant defender, absolutely could not have replaced Grimes to a similar level in a 4, probably would’ve just about won the league, maybe. It’s an entirely sensible POV that he plays as a Conference level player when he’s in a 2 but a L2 level player in a 3.

Anyway I like Loz, always defended his ability to play as the left of a 3, on his day he’s a decent ball playing defender. Always happy to engage in good faith discussion with people who are offering genuine opinions not based on mud-slinging (I see the subtext, others may not) 🥸

Let’s face it Grimes is by far the best of a very bad lot in defence. Regarding your point about Maguire replacing Grimes, I still find it hard to imagine us conceding many more than 60 goals. I’m sure we can agree our runaway win wasn’t based on sound defensive principles and personnel.

[Osborne again]

 azul, on 12 May 2024 - 10:42 AM, said:

Let’s face it Grimes is by far the best of a very bad lot in defence. Regarding your point about Maguire replacing Grimes, I still find it hard to imagine us conceding many more than 60 goals. I’m sure we can agree our runaway win wasn’t based on sound defensive principles and personnel.

Our defence is based on two central defenders and two defensive midfielders with the full backs playing much higher up. When we played Mike Jones and Tom Naylor as the defensive pair, we did fine. It was when Banks or Oldaker, or both were used in that role that the wheels came off, and to some extent when Naylor was pushed further forward. We had a spell where we had Naylor in front of Jones or Oldaker and it didn't work.
Both Palmer and Williams are decent players for league 2 so long as they have cover from those two in front, but we do need an injection of pace at the back.
As for Maguire, I've always rated him, but in a three not a two because he isn't strong enough to take that position from the captain. He did well when he filled in as left back but he played more of a mixture of full back and one of a three, but that's not what the manager wants. Good luck to him and all those who've left for pastures new.

[Goku]

 azul, on 12 May 2024 - 10:42 AM, said:

Let’s face it Grimes is by far the best of a very bad lot in defence. Regarding your point about Maguire replacing Grimes, I still find it hard to imagine us conceding many more than 60 goals. I’m sure we can agree our runaway win wasn’t based on sound defensive principles and personnel.

Certainly not but we still had to have defenders able to consistently win their battles or we would’ve conceded many more. Grimes does that on a consistent basis (admittedly he has his bad days but they were few and far between this season), Maguire doesn’t.

[Search & Destroy]

 Goku, on 12 May 2024 - 12:03 PM, said:

Certainly not but we still had to have defenders able to consistently win their battles or we would’ve conceded many more. Grimes does that on a consistent basis (admittedly he has his bad days but they were few and far between this season), Maguire doesn’t.

I like Grimes, but he’s up against Dorking and the like

Maguire against Stockport and the like

I’d rather Maguire than Freckleton considering they cover the same position and he was already our player

[The Earl of Chesterfield]

Yeah, if only Cook had played LM we would've won the league in Jan.

Oh, wait...

[DIFH]

 Search & Destroy, on 12 May 2024 - 12:21 PM, said:

I like Grimes, but he’s up against Dorking and the like

Maguire against Stockport and the like

I’d rather Maguire than Freckleton considering they cover the same position and he was already our player

Good job Cook is the manager then.

[whittman]

team success is more important than any fans preferences over individual players performances in the season

We won the League due to the manager playing a system that obviously suits the players he picked to play in that system

End of regardless of how other players play in other systems with other clubs

lets just see what the EFL brings next season

COYB

[azul]

The Earl of Chesterfield, on 12 May 2024 - 01:10 PM, said:

Yeah, if only Cook had played LM we would've won the league in Jan.

Oh, wait...

I disagree, I don’t think we would have won it in January with LM. As it was we won it in March