Mackail-Smith to Leeds rumour picking up...

[Triggaaar]

Gus hates admitting failure he dropped Ankergren far too late had Brezovan been made number 1 earlier we would have made the play offs

No we wouldn't. Brez was also given a chance to prove himself in the friendly against Spurs, and he f***ed it up, which wouldn't have encouraged Gus to swap.

 

[LamieRobertson]

Gus does not have to admit to is mistakes,but if he sticks with McSmudger we will not get promotion this season i can promise you that

so for the record unless CMS goes we don't have a chance of promotion...but of course even if he did we aren't guaranteed ..lol

 

[severnside gull]

Gus does not have to admit to is mistakes,but if he sticks with McSmudger we will not get promotion this season i can promise you that

To be honest if you promised a monkey some nuts I would worry for its welfare.

You may or may not be a second account for Withdean Wanderer - you sound uncannily like him - but your sole intent seems to be to snipe and to slag off the club.
Do you think you might be better received on BBS?

 

[OSRGull]

Sorry mate, nothing against you or what you said, and the rumour may be true, but this had me creasing.

Fair enough lol.

 

[Pevenseagull]

f*** off everyone (I'm putting it in the bottom left hand corner)

 

[Stumpy Tim]

So - as if to prove my point, please explain how CMS's replacement will score 20 goals if he only gets the same (lack of) service - does Gus admit that he got his own tactics wrong and changes how we play? Either way it's humble pie time. The alternative is my preferred option - keep CMS and then strengthen the squad with another striker, but someone with a premiership pedigree (so that counts McCormack, Rhodes, Becchio etc out). That is the sort of statement of intent that we are aiming for the Premiership. Anything less than that is questionable. IMHO The Championship will be even tougher this season and will take a bit more than swopping strikers to make a big impact.

The main reason we didn't create lots of chances for CMS last year was because 95% of the time the ball was played into his feet, it would ping off for a throw-in or to an opposing player. The replacement doesn't need to be a target man, as long as he can involve himself in passing football - CMS has been unable to do so. So to answer your question, having a forward who can be successfully involved in passing movements will mean our moves won't break down and we'll create more chances.

 

[Commander]

Read the earlier exchange #282. Merely quoting Gus this time last year saying he wanted to build squad around CMS, so would be humble pie time if he sells him now but acknowledging there is no room for sentiment in footie. Especially in our case when we are looking to be promotion contenders. My real concern is that we could bring in Messi but even he wouldn't be prolific if he had to put up with the service that CMS had. Why would McCormack do significantly better?

Last season was very much about building a squad for promotion hopefully after this coming season or worse case after 2013/14, so bear with it. Secondly that Gus is also finding his feet as a manager at this level too so will understandably make a mistake or two. If CMS is one of those mistakes (I never viewed CMS as a Prem striker, but more someone who might help get us there and maybe remain a squad player?) then ok as long as equally Gus learns his lesson and as long as we progress upward. This is all about the bigger picture and the vision that Tony Bloom has for The Albion. It might be 'weird' but is an honest appeciation and one that you have agreed with in the past.

But I don't see why our manager had to eat humble pie if he brings in a better striker than the one we already have. Find me a manager at any level of the game that hasn't made a signing that didn't work out quite as well as they had hoped it would. If Gus sold CMS and brought in someone else who scored 20 goals, then surely that would be good, assertive management? I don't see why there has to be any humble pie involved.

Personally I'n still in the 'give CMS another season' camp, but I do think McCormack would probably score more goals than him. CMS did miss a lot of chances last year. I think he'll come good this season though.

 

[Commander]

Gus does not have to admit to is mistakes,but if he sticks with McSmudger we will not get promotion this season i can promise you that

Again, you genuinely think that you know better than Gus, don't you?

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

The main reason we didn't create lots of chances for CMS last year was because 95% of the time the ball was played into his feet, it would ping off for a throw-in or to an opposing player.

I am afraid to say I agree with that analysis. As a player CMS wants the ball played in front for him to run onto. With his back to goal, often his first touch makes me wince. There are glorious exceptions - like his first against Leeds - so I hope it is in there and Gus is working him hard on improving that part of his game.

 

[Mendoza]

The main reason we didn't create lots of chances for CMS last year was because 95% of the time the ball was played into his feet, it would ping off for a throw-in or to an opposing player. The replacement doesn't need to be a target man, as long as he can involve himself in passing football - CMS has been unable to do so. So to answer your question, having a forward who can be successfully involved in passing movements will mean our moves won't break down and we'll create more chances.

Well why not adapt our game to suit him? Look at the majority of his goals during his career. His first touch is normally putting the ball in the net. (i.e.) not having to actually control the ball with his back to goal)

When he gets the ball with us, he is facing our goalie. Look at the goals he has scored, again most of them are his first touch being putting the ball in the net.

No goal poacher strikers will score goals if we put the ball in the 6 yard box once every 2 or 3 games.

 

[pork pie]

So - as if to prove my point, please explain how CMS's replacement will score 20 goals if he only gets the same (lack of) service - does Gus admit that he got his own tactics wrong and changes how we play? Either way it's humble pie time. The alternative is my preferred option - keep CMS and then strengthen the squad with another striker, but someone with a premiership pedigree (so that counts McCormack, Rhodes, Becchio etc out). That is the sort of statement of intent that we are aiming for the Premiership. Anything less than that is questionable. IMHO The Championship will be even tougher this season and will take a bit more than swopping strikers to make a big impact.

Whilst it is a fair comment about service being somewhat limited at times last year, CMS had more than enough chances to score which he invariably wasted by a poor first touch, being out of position, or simply making a poor shot. For me, that is the whole point about CMS, he is simply not lethal enough, and needs too many chances - as strikers get at lower league level. We need someone with a higher conversion rate. That is why Ashley Barnes does so well.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Well why not adapt our game to suit him? Look at the majority of his goals during his career. His first touch is normally putting the ball in the net. (i.e.) not having to actually control the ball with his back to goal)

When he gets the ball with us, he is facing our goalie. Look at the goals he has scored, again most of them are his first touch being putting the ball in the net.

No goal poacher strikers will score goals if we put the ball in the 6 yard box once every 2 or 3 games.

Never change an approach that is being implemented through every level of the club from the kids through to the development squad to the first team for a single player. No player is bigger than the club, and the club is embarking on long term vision for playing football in a particular way which I might add is attracting some top top players. If CMS can't adapt his game to our way of playing, then we need a new striker, not the other way round.

We don't need to 'adapt' our game, we actually just need to get better at playing it. It was by no means perfect last season, but that doesn't mean you need to change, you just need to improve.

 

[Stumpy Tim]

Well why not adapt our game to suit him? Look at the majority of his goals during his career. His first touch is normally putting the ball in the net. (i.e.) not having to actually control the ball with his back to goal)

When he gets the ball with us, he is facing our goalie. Look at the goals he has scored, again most of them are his first touch being putting the ball in the net.

No goal poacher strikers will score goals if we put the ball in the 6 yard box once every 2 or 3 games.

Change the way the ten other players have been playing to suit one player? Erm... no.

 

[Seagull over Canaryland]

The main reason we didn't create lots of chances for CMS last year was because 95% of the time the ball was played into his feet, it would ping off for a throw-in or to an opposing player. The replacement doesn't need to be a target man, as long as he can involve himself in passing football - CMS has been unable to do so. So to answer your question, having a forward who can be successfully involved in passing movements will mean our moves won't break down and we'll create more chances.

There were too many games last year where CMS was isolated, only received the ball a handful of times and often in positions where he was obliged to wait for support that never arrived in time before the defence had regrouped. Many strikers (not just CMS) would have struggled in that system. I feel we will be so much stronger having more dynamic midfield and a fit Vicente playing most games and developing a real understanding with whoever the forward(s) are. I really hope CMS will benefit from this.

 

[Blues Rock DJ]

Never change an approach that is being implemented through every level of the club from the kids through to the development squad to the first team for a single player. No player is bigger than the club, and the club is embarking on long term vision for playing football in a particular way which I might add is attracting some top top players. If CMS can't adapt his game to our way of playing, then we need a new striker, not the other way round.

We don't need to 'adapt' our game, we actually just need to get better at playing it. It was by no means perfect last season, but that doesn't mean you need to change, you just need to improve.

Barry Fry remarked several times last season on the lack of service we gave to CMS.....hopefully that will change with a new strike partner.....I fail to see, though, which 'top, top' players we're attracting. That statement , to me, implies Prem class of some standing, Crofts, Bridge (nowadays) and Vicente do not come in that category imho.

 

[somerset]

Change the way the ten other players have been playing to suit one player? Erm... no.

It only needs a slight change in the middle third, the CMS vs service issue is already solved,.... Crofts and a more present Vicente...... but certainly a hold it up striker in support would have made a huge difference last year..... but 1) Gus won't play two strikers, and 2) there is a lot of opinion (not mine), that says Barnes is the answer...... who knows what will happen.

 

[Bozza]

Can anyone smell smoke?

 

[forumwayseagull]

Can anyone smell smoke?

What are you suggesting?

 

[HAILSHAM SEAGULL]

No smoke without a fire.

 

[Stumpy Tim]

There were too many games last year where CMS was isolated, only received the ball a handful of times and often in positions where he was obliged to wait for support that never arrived in time before the defence had regrouped. Many strikers (not just CMS) would have struggled in that system. I feel we will be so much stronger having more dynamic midfield and a fit Vicente playing most games and developing a real understanding with whoever the forward(s) are. I really hope CMS will benefit from this.

Many strikers, but not ALL strikers. We need to find a striker that won't struggle. Personally I felt the Chelsea game showed what we could do when the front man had a decent touch. Vicente, Barnes and Buckley seemed to rotate in that role and they linked up so well. CMS hasn't been able to link up well with anyone since he arrived, apart from a couple of early games (e.g. Leeds) with Barnes.