Pints, Punts and Points. Home v Cambridge United, Easter Monday 3-0'clock

[truewhite15]

Yes but you're ignoring the other end where we hit the post and had shots blocked, we were unlucky not to score 3 or 4.

Yeah we had Charles off the post and then the series of shots. I agree. We had chances to make it two.

But I still think overall we very easily could have lost it.

Of course you do. Because your default is doom-mongering.

For what it's worth, I'm in agreement that Mbete had a poor game, and that (all things being equal) he wouldn't be starting. But I disagree that playing him means immediate and automatic defeats for the rest of the season (you're being ridiculous, and you know it), and I disagree that getting rid of Aimson was somehow a mistake. Aimson wasn't sticking around to be bit-part any longer, not many sides in this division wouldn't look weaker in any given position with two bona-fide first teamers out injured, and it's not as if Aimson was signed by a promotion rival. He went to a team with a much lower ceiling than us, much lower ambitions, for the sake of first-team action week in week out.

[BWFC_Insane]

Yes but you're ignoring the other end where we hit the post and had shots blocked, we were unlucky not to score 3 or 4.

Yeah we had Charles off the post and then the series of shots. I agree. We had chances to make it two.

But I still think overall we very easily could have lost it.

Of course you do. Because your default is doom-mongering.

For what it's worth, I'm in agreement that Mbete had a poor game, and that (all things being equal) he wouldn't be starting. But I disagree that playing him means immediate and automatic defeats for the rest of the season (you're being ridiculous, and you know it), and I disagree that getting rid of Aimson was somehow a mistake. Aimson wasn't sticking around to be bit-part any longer, not many sides in this division wouldn't look weaker in any given position with two bona-fide first teamers out injured, and it's not as if Aimson was signed by a promotion rival. He went to a team with a much lower ceiling than us, much lower ambitions, for the sake of first-team action week in week out.

My point wasn’t that we shouldn’t have sold Aimson it’s that we should have replaced him with a proper league one centre half especially as at the time Johnston was out and Mbete was thrust straight in. You can’t even argue it was just a squad filler. He came in and started. And what we needed was a proper replacement with experience and capability.

It was a mistake. Every team will be targeting our left hand side now. Because John isn’t a great defender and then Mbete is struggling all over.

That’s the concern I have. It looks a huge liability to me. Cambridge aren’t very good but got a lot of joy down there. As did Exeter but couldn’t finish it off.

[truewhite15]

Yes but you're ignoring the other end where we hit the post and had shots blocked, we were unlucky not to score 3 or 4.

Yeah we had Charles off the post and then the series of shots. I agree. We had chances to make it two.

But I still think overall we very easily could have lost it.

Of course you do. Because your default is doom-mongering.

For what it's worth, I'm in agreement that Mbete had a poor game, and that (all things being equal) he wouldn't be starting. But I disagree that playing him means immediate and automatic defeats for the rest of the season (you're being ridiculous, and you know it), and I disagree that getting rid of Aimson was somehow a mistake. Aimson wasn't sticking around to be bit-part any longer, not many sides in this division wouldn't look weaker in any given position with two bona-fide first teamers out injured, and it's not as if Aimson was signed by a promotion rival. He went to a team with a much lower ceiling than us, much lower ambitions, for the sake of first-team action week in week out.

My point wasn’t that we shouldn’t have sold Aimson it’s that we should have replaced him with a proper league one centre half especially as at the time Johnston was out and Mbete was thrust straight in. You can’t even argue it was just a squad filler. He came in and started. And what we needed was a proper replacement with experience and capability.

It was a mistake. Every team will be targeting our left hand side now. Because John isn’t a great defender and then Mbete is struggling all over.

That’s the concern I have. It looks a huge liability to me. Cambridge aren’t very good but got a lot of joy down there. As did Exeter but couldn’t finish it off.

But any "proper league one centre half" would have a) cost cold, hard cash and 2) known that they were coming in as first or second alternate AT BEST. They'd be behind Rico, Johnston, Toal and Jones, if all were fit. Anybody willing to sign in those circumstances, you would have complained that they weren't good enough anyway.

[Bertie Wooster]

What on earth went on with Evatt & his thought process that whilst playing shit but fortunately winning 1-0 he would bring on 2 attackers instead of bringing MJ Williams on to play DM to see the win out.

Absolutely baffling decision.

[DJBlu]

What on earth went on with Evatt & his thought process that whilst playing shit but fortunately winning 1-0 he would bring on 2 attackers instead of bringing MJ Williams on to play DM to see the win out.

Absolutely baffling decision.

Probs thought the best form of defence is attack. We all know how we're missing players. Keep them suppressed in their own half.

What would be said if he did bring on MJ and we tried to hold out a 1 nil win and conceded two?

Damned if you do damned if you don't.

[BWFC_Insane]

What on earth went on with Evatt & his thought process that whilst playing shit but fortunately winning 1-0 he would bring on 2 attackers instead of bringing MJ Williams on to play DM to see the win out.

Absolutely baffling decision.

Probs thought the best form of defence is attack. We all know how we're missing players. Keep them suppressed in their own half.

What would be said if he did bring on MJ and we tried to hold out a 1 nil win and conceded two?

Damned if you do damned if you don't.

Not having that. He left Morley in on his own with Kachunga and Lee not sure what they were meant to be doing.

We’ve not done that all season. It’s not like playing MJ and Morley would have been particularly negative. It would have just given us an actual midfield. It was baffling to me.

[DJBlu]

Why not ask him next time you see him?

[Bertie Wooster]

Why not ask him next time you see him?

If you do see him, can you also please ask why we played so ponderously slowly with a complete lack of tempo - we play better & win more when we play quicker at a higher tempo & move the ball quicker.

Surely that's something that can be quite easily instilled in the team by the coach / manager ?, it was like walking football at times today.

[DJBlu]

Genuinely can't be arsed with this. It's like people are waiting for them to feck up just to have a go.

We're 6th in the league with a trophy in the cabinet and you're raging at the fact we've drawn a game.

It's genuinely depressing.

[dave the minion]

Keep coming back to Mbete signing. We let Aimson go cos he had a great offer. Fair play. But he was a solid 7/10 never let you down experienced defender.

We replaced him with a kid who looks like he’s playing with his shoelaces tied together. And he’s played a fair bit too. We also knew Johnston was out at this point.

Why wasn’t an experienced and competent centre half signed?

I don’t think we can play Mbete again this season and expect anything. So we’ve either got to play MJ there or change the system. I don’t really fancy Jones and Johnston as a back two either. But playing Luke is simply not an option. Probably a lovely kid but he’s going to cost us a play off spot. And in reality it’s not his fault. He should never ever ever have been signed in this scenario.

So its Mbete at the moment that isn't good enough is it? I guess you've already banged (bung??) on about Santos, Dapo, Bradley, Shoretire - to name but 4 - that aren't good enough, so there can't be many left to unfairly lambast on before then end of the season....

As for Mbete, wasn't he a last minute panic stop-gap once Johnstone got injured against Charlton? Didn't we only have a day or so left in the transfer window to try to get cover in? Maybe - just maybe - the "experienced and competent centre half" you wanted just wasn't available?

Oh yeah, and he isn't going to cost us a play off spot on his own. Far from it. He might end up being part of a team that doesn't ultimately make them, but to pin it on him is ludicrous even by your standards....

[truewhite15]

Genuinely can't be arsed with this. It's like people are waiting for them to feck up just to have a go.

We're 6th in the league with a trophy in the cabinet and you're raging at the fact we've drawn a game.

It's genuinely depressing.

This.

[BWFC_Insane]

Keep coming back to Mbete signing. We let Aimson go cos he had a great offer. Fair play. But he was a solid 7/10 never let you down experienced defender.

We replaced him with a kid who looks like he’s playing with his shoelaces tied together. And he’s played a fair bit too. We also knew Johnston was out at this point.

Why wasn’t an experienced and competent centre half signed?

I don’t think we can play Mbete again this season and expect anything. So we’ve either got to play MJ there or change the system. I don’t really fancy Jones and Johnston as a back two either. But playing Luke is simply not an option. Probably a lovely kid but he’s going to cost us a play off spot. And in reality it’s not his fault. He should never ever ever have been signed in this scenario.

So its Mbete at the moment that isn't good enough is it? I guess you've already banged (bung??) on about Santos, Dapo, Bradley, Shoretire - to name but 4 - that aren't good enough, so there can't be many left to unfairly lambast on before then end of the season....

As for Mbete, wasn't he a last minute panic stop-gap once Johnstone got injured against Charlton? Didn't we only have a day or so left in the transfer window to try to get cover in? Maybe - just maybe - the "experienced and competent centre half" you wanted just wasn't available?

Oh yeah, and he isn't going to cost us a play off spot on his own. Far from it. He might end up being part of a team that doesn't ultimately make them, but to pin it on him is ludicrous even by your standards....

Mbete was signed to replace Aimson. We let an experienced one go. And we knew Johnston was out too.

Which to me just screams had to ensure we had someone more proven to come in.

Sure it may not have been possible. But if it costs us then we have to learn for next season.

Can’t go with kids at level of Mbete and Shoretire ever again if you really want to get out of this league. They aren’t cutting it. More established older ones fine. But if they’ve barely played men’s football look elsewhere…

[truewhite15]

Yep. Never ever sign kids. They all turn out sh*te, says BWFC-I. All those kids, like Trafford and Bradley...

Oh.

[BWFC_Insane]

Yep. Never ever sign kids. They all turn out sh*te, says BWFC-I. All those kids, like Trafford and Bradley...

Oh.

Again…if you read what I said…I distinguished between one’s like Bradley and Trafford who are both more established and in Bradley’s case older….

Kids on fringes of premiership first teams is one thing….ones who’ve spent their whole times playing in u23s or whatever…then it’s too big an ask.

Nobody would ever say don’t sign youngsters…but there is a particular profile that has worked and one that hasn’t.

[bw@bw]

Yep. Never ever sign kids. They all turn out sh*te, says BWFC-I. All those kids, like Trafford and Bradley...

Oh.

Again…if you read what I said…I distinguished between one’s like Bradley and Trafford who are both more established and in Bradley’s case older….

Kids on fringes of premiership first teams is one thing….ones who’ve spent their whole times playing in u23s or whatever…then it’s too big an ask.

Nobody would ever say don’t sign youngsters…but there is a particular profile that has worked and one that hasn’t.

At the time we signed Trafford he was nowhere near first team - he was at least 5th choice keeper, and had been sent back from his loan at Accrington as not good enough.

Meanwhile Liverpool think so much of Bradley that-"Calvin Ramsay: Liverpool sign Aberdeen defender described as ‘one of the best young full-backs in the world" - and push Bradley further away from the Premier League.

Hindsight makes things look so easy

[Harry Genshaw]

Mbete was fine when he started with us. Solid, assured and even chipped in with a goal. When the team started to struggle as a whole and he was under greater scrutiny, then some of the flaws in his game became more obvious. Talk of never playing him again is just daft though. He's a young lad with bags of ability and we need him right now. He'll be reet.

Shoretire worrys me more. At Charlton I thought we'd unearthed a real gem but his performances have majorly deteriorated since then. I'm sure he's still got something to offer but probably more as a potential impact sub.

[truewhite15]

Yep. Never ever sign kids. They all turn out sh*te, says BWFC-I. All those kids, like Trafford and Bradley...

Oh.

Again…if you read what I said…I distinguished between one’s like Bradley and Trafford who are both more established and in Bradley’s case older….

Kids on fringes of premiership first teams is one thing….ones who’ve spent their whole times playing in u23s or whatever…then it’s too big an ask.

Nobody would ever say don’t sign youngsters…but there is a particular profile that has worked and one that hasn’t.

Connor Bradley - 19 years old.
Luke Mbete - 19 years old.

If you weren't so prone to ludicrous hyperbole, people would stop arguing with the crap you spout.

[officer_dibble]

One things for sure the panning they are both getting online tonight won’t help either - Mbete will be playing for the foreseeable.

[BWFC_Insane]

Yep. Never ever sign kids. They all turn out sh*te, says BWFC-I. All those kids, like Trafford and Bradley...

Oh.

Again…if you read what I said…I distinguished between one’s like Bradley and Trafford who are both more established and in Bradley’s case older….

Kids on fringes of premiership first teams is one thing….ones who’ve spent their whole times playing in u23s or whatever…then it’s too big an ask.

Nobody would ever say don’t sign youngsters…but there is a particular profile that has worked and one that hasn’t.

At the time we signed Trafford he was nowhere near first team - he was at least 5th choice keeper, and had been sent back from his loan at Accrington as not good enough.

Meanwhile Liverpool think so much of Bradley that-"Calvin Ramsay: Liverpool sign Aberdeen defender described as ‘one of the best young full-backs in the world" - and push Bradley further away from the Premier League.

Hindsight makes things look so easy

I mean Trafford had played men’s football when we signed him albeit not too successfully but had also represented England up to u20’s and Bradley was a full international.

Any signing is a risk. Signing young players is a risk. No matter what.

But there are levels to it. Shoretire was a stage behind Bradley and Trafford when we signed him and it shows. It’s fine if we were mid table but he and Mbete with the best will in the world aren’t what we needed for a promotion push.

If that means next season we have to go for some more solid experienced pros then so be it. But second half of the season I think we’ve suffered for our January decisions.

[Worthy4England]

Yep. Never ever sign kids. They all turn out sh*te, says BWFC-I. All those kids, like Trafford and Bradley...

Oh.

Again…if you read what I said…I distinguished between one’s like Bradley and Trafford who are both more established and in Bradley’s case older….

Kids on fringes of premiership first teams is one thing….ones who’ve spent their whole times playing in u23s or whatever…then it’s too big an ask.

Nobody would ever say don’t sign youngsters…but there is a particular profile that has worked and one that hasn’t.

Not a big number, but I think I'm right in saying Shortire has more first team appearances than the other three...