roversfan99

The change in formation has undoubtedly had a positive effect on performances and results. The last 5/6 games in isolation certainly make things seem more optimistic. But due to the make up of the squad and also a few injuries, the squad looks even thinner so looking forward ita a massive worry. Miller, McLoughlin, Alebiosu, Ohashi and Gudjohnsen will pretty much have to play every minute in each 2 game week due to a lack of credible alternatives, thats half a team. Add to that, is a defence of Miller, McLaughlin and Pratt protecting Pears strong enough even without injuries? We know what January will spit out. Excuses, disappointment and negligence.

Hes up with them, many of them didnt play anywhere near as much as Gueye has.

Yesterday was a really good win and the recent run of form has been impressive and much needed. The current team looks much more well balanced and some of the players we already had (Hedges, Ohashi) have stepped up following the change in system. I have also seen some merit in some of the signings. Alebiosu has always looked very good, but Morishita (who I always felt contrary to a number of the others looked like he had some ability and something about him) has also started to contribute. Gardner Hickman has been ok, Miller and McLoughlin are serviceable and useful Championship players, and Gudjohnsen still is often underwhelming in general play but has a knack of scoring poachers goals which is the most important thing in a striker. De Neve, Henriksson and Tavares still look nowhere near it and Baradji is obviously a bit of an enigma/parody. But I am wary of getting carried away. I still have big fears about how the squad is going to cope in particular over this next month. The subs bench looks so weak. Defensively, we are in a position where it is critical that Miller and McLoughlin play every minute, and its going to be an enormous ask to expect Pratt to maintain a good standard twice a week for a prolonged period of time. Alebiosu is also going to have to play every minute. Up front, again Gudjohnsen and Ohashi are pretty much going to have to play every minute. If we need a goal and need to change something, we dont have any serious options to change it up.

If you think that those named signings prove that we do add quality in January then again, I think we have different standards. Ayari was not the player he is now, Sanderson was just back up who barely played and Ribeiro is bang average. None of them improved us particularly. Kargbo as a striker? What a frightening thought. Those behind the goal should be prepared to duck for cover (if his hamstrings dont go again). We needed a centre back regardless, not a young lad back from loan, we didnt replace selling our best one. Playing 3, I think we need 2, if the second is O'Riordan then fine, but we need a first choice one to slot straight in. I am assuming that we are making the decision to build a squad around playing the formation we are at the moment. Therefore, we need a couple more strikers as you need 4 to compete for 2 places. Because of the change in formation, some of those players dont need directly replacing, but no one will want them anyway so they will be stuck here. The 2 left backs are no longer needed in our formation. A (really poor) winger in Kargbo is no longer needed in our formation. Henriksson is behind Cantwell and Morishita, and Tavares behind at least 5 midfielders. We wont get what we need, we never do, but I think that is what we need.

I think he deserves credit for sure for recent results, and the change in formation certainly has really helped. I dont think he is doing a good job overall though, no. His record in charge still is poor, but it was terrible before recent results. And this doesnt matter but I also find him incredibly difficult to warm to. Very much the type of manager that suits these owners and this board, willing to talk rubbish publically to protect them. Im guessing that you think hes doing a good job.

He is definitely not doing a "great" job.

We wont add 2 or 3 quality players in January. We never do. I think the change in formation being successful increases the number of players that we need. 2 centre backs, 2 forwards and right wing back cover. No idea where 7 or 8 came from. A number of Gestede's crap in Gueye, Henriksson, Kargbo and Tavares can all leave for me. Pickering and Ribeiro also become surplus to requirements, although I'd keep the former in case we ever want to go back to a back 4 occasionally, he can also provide extra centre back cover but it seems hes the next on the cull list for earning normal wages.

You would expect him to take great pleasure in beating us. Beating a club (ie owners and management) that massively let him down and a fanbase of which a big chunk has given him lots of stick in the 2 games since he moved.

We need more than just defenders. You look at the bench and how weak it was last night. Gudjohnsen and Ohashi seem to benefit from the current system (as do a few others) but there is absolutely no credible alternative to the pair of them. If we are sticking to the current system then we badly need most likely 2 more forwards.

Michalski played one game and looked nowhere near ready at his age. Pears is certainlg not good enough to start at this level but as backup hes probably passable.

Great result and unexpected once the team was announced. In the first half hour we were poor, and once we conceded so sloppily seconds after scoring I feared the worse but we rallied at the start of the second half and saw the game out pretty comfortably. Tronstad was our best player and back to his best. Pratt deserves immense credit for slotting in so comfortably considering the level hes been playing at. Hedges is certainly suited to a wing back role, Morishita and Ohashi are both pests and Gudjohnsen lacks in general play but is developing a great habit of pitching in with important goals. Our side feels like its patched together and the subs bench highlights how thin on the ground we are going into such a busy period so whether we can maintain this is another question but a very enjoyable night to push us away further from the bottom 3.

Based on what we have seen, which isnt enough for me to say with any certainty, I dont think hes up to the level, by quite a bit. You dont count the cup games when defending Ismael's record so presumably they dont count here. Even if they do, graduates starting games is at best seldom happening and only in low priority games. Im not saying they should or shouldnt be playing, but Ismael has said that they purposefully didnt fill the full squad for that (stupid) reason. My point was about the contradictory rubbish that the likes of Gestede and Ismael have come out with and keeping coming out with to try and defend the shambles of a summer.

Everything they say is just full of contradictions, and ultimately full of shit. Ismael is a proper lap dog, nothing likeable about him. Setting yourself a self imposed squad limit, less than the one that is in the rules? Bizarre, purely to cut costs. Its a tough season, you need the full quota of senior bodies. They then compound that by signing an injured player, signing a veteran not suited to starting games, knowing we already have injury prone players, and signing players that need time to "adjust." But they say that its to ensure that young players play? I call bullshit. When we are short of centre backs, does a graduate step up? No, its square pegs in round holes, even a winger at centre back. Montgomery was constantly being bigged up in the summer, I don't rate him but thats what they were doing, hasnt started a game. Has any youngster started a game this season from the academy? They have also tried to claim that Miller was signed as a centre back. Why did he just happen to sign within hours of Brittain leaving, and start featuring at right back initially? Why did we sign only one right back otherwise, when we had already said we wanted cover in that position as one of the priorities in the summer? A couple of months ago, never mind now, Ismael said he wouldnt consider the free agent market as it takes time to get up to speed. Why did he want Baradji then?

Why is it harsh? Im not having a go at him personally (im not Ismael) and I appreciate that he wont be enjoying the situation, far from it. But he is a waste of space in terms of as a resource for a football club. He cannot even get through a week of training without picking up a new injury. Obviously, any anger at the situation should be aimed 100% at those who knowing the injury records of our 3 centre backs (which isnt enough anyway) allowed the summer window to unfold as it did.

Its very unfortunate for him, he doesnt want to be injured. But he is the very definition of a waste of space to us. He is never fit to contribute, he cant go a week of a training post one injury before breaking down again.

Carter needs to retire. An absolute waste of space. Absolutely unforgivable that we pushed Hyam out, didnt bother getting at least one defender in and then tried to pretend it was all part of a plan. Hard to see past a home win tomorrow especially with Hedges and a jet lagged Miller at the back.

Yeah I can sort of appreciate that there maybe is an argument there to suggest that Scholes has been overrated and overhyped post retirement. I dont agree with it but theres a discussion there. To suggest that Wharton is better is clearly a new account on here to cause a splash. No way does anyone believe that.

"Take those tinted glasses off" is the next phrase in line for the echo chamber.

I agree with some of what you said, my issue is with how people use data, over rely on data, dont question data enough or purposely manipulate data. Take the Anderson example. One of the 2 sources came from a Nottingham Forest twitter account. So natural questions would be, why those specific stats? Why compare 15 minutes at the end when winning against a tired team to 75 minutes prior? And I think some of my questions about the other data are fair. If its about England, are those specific stats the most important? If its passing, if completion is high, is it safe and backwards/sideways? If its forward, does a 1 yard and 30 yard pass equal the same? Are the chances created reasonable ones? I dont think my opinion is any more credible or real than anyone elses. Judging players is still as subjective as it has ever been. Some teams use data and find good players, some find poor players. Same as before without data, it can help and it can hinder.

Of course luck plays a part though, moreso in international football. Southgate did benefit from some favourable draws that did not come as a direct result of anything he had done. Equally, I think Ismael is a poor manager. But he was unfortunate to see weather conditions call a game off because that was out of his control.

My issue is with the idea that it PROVES anything. Those stats do not PROVE that Anderson is the best midfielder in the league or that he should play next to Rice. They can be used as part of an opinion but they are often used conclusively as if a player is factually better. They are also often hand picked to suit a narrative. Stats are useful, Ive never denied that. But there are limitations to their use. There are grey areas in how they are measured. And they are often wrongly manipulated. I never said that there are MORE grey areas with stats. But someone saying x player is good/bad/better than y wouldnt be treated as if its objectively the case, it would be seen as what it is, an opinion, when you throw pre selected metrics in the mix people often seem to think that it objectively proves whatever conclusion they personally have come to. We have seen at Rovers that we seem to have gone down a more data driven route of selecting players and some right shite has come as a result. Obviously those metrics become even looser when you cant possibly objectify differences in standards of leagues.

Its not leaping to Waggott's defence. But historically you have regularly diverted blame away from the owners.

Why does it always divert away from the owners and to Waggott?

I never denied its benefits. I said there is a massive overreliance on it, too much importance is placed on it and it is flawed. Conclusions are reached based solely on them, often illogically. Chaddy said that Anderson is the best midfielder in the league because he was top rated in a hand full of pre selected metrics. He also said that it proves that he should start next to Rice without considering the context of him playing a different role in a different team of different quality. He might be great at "progressive carries" for example but I dont think its a key requirement in the type of player we need next to Rice. You mention xg. A player runs through on goal, takes too long and doesnt get his shot away. Hes had a great chance, its 0 xg. A players pass completion will be better if he keeps things safe and makes no attempt to pass it forward. Forward passes could be 1 yard forward to someone essentially next to them or a defence splitting 30 yard pass. Metrics surrounding chances created will be affected by whether the striker gets a shot away. There are so many grey areas.

I cant believe the clearly sarcastic suggestion that Wharton is much better than Scholes was has been taken so seriously.