The Coutts Excuse

[JohnDenver]

Poor old Coutts - he’s got a tough act to follow in err himself.

 

[cooperblade]

If we'd had a season where we'd got a lot more points than our performances merited then I'd agree that wholesale changes (i.e. 4 to 6 new starters) were required but that hasn't been the case. If we miss out on the play-offs, then we'll probably do so by a handful of points. We're very close and I'd say we need evolution rather than revolution - part of our strength is that the players know each other's games inside out.

Obviously, keeping hold of what we've got is going to be incredibly important. I've said it in another thread but I don't think we could recover from losing Fleck.

In terms of who we add and where, I think it's a bit more complicated than "we need a striker". I agree that we can probably find someone who is a better all-round player or has better attributes than the likes of Sharp or Donaldson but I'm not entirely convinced that we'll add goals by replacing one of the strikers. We already have the 3rd and 12th top scorers in the division - are we realistically going to end up with 2 strikers who score significantly more than Clarke and Sharp have?

Even though one has been very good and the other's been steady and reliable, it's probably the wing back position where our production in terms of goals and assists has been weakest (given our style of play). Having Freeman available might make a difference on the right, if nothing else I think it will help to be able to rotate a position which requires an enormous amount of running.

Central midfield hasn't performed goals-wise but we look pretty well stocked in that department and I'd only sign someone if they were better than Coutts, Fleck or Duffy - not sure that player's within our budget.

I think Basham and O'Connell are perfectly suited to the way we play and I think over-lapping centre backs are probably rare. Stearman is maybe one who could be upgraded although he's had a good season.

So - keep everyone other than the fringe players, bring Blackman back, maybe gamble on a lower division striker with blistering pace, sign a left wing back and a dominant centre back, improve by 5 or 6 points and finish 6th. Easy...

 

[crucialkneeligaman]

Admire the optimism, but i think that depends on player purchases. Next season will see some of our best players a year deeper into their thirties, and we won’t have the same adrenaline fuelled start as this season.

I think we need 4-6 good quality signings to challenge next year. Otherwise I predict a grind.

With the boardroom in turmoil, we'll be lucky to sign one JD never mind four to six, but you are spot on. To add, who's to say some of our better players will still be here.

 

[Ricky]

Had he not been injured I think we'd be 5th on about 70 points now.

 

[Grappler]

Coutts is/was a massive loss, we should not underestimate that.

We should also try and address the fact that we have no one who can continually head the ball with any pace and power. Most of our corners are a waste of time, as we have no real aerial threat.

 

[Geordie Blade]

At the time of his illness - yes. Had he not got ill and had another 20+ games under his belt - yes.

At the time of his (Brooks) illness, he'd started 5 out of our 21 games so far.

 

[ForgeBlade]

I (somewhat ludicrously I know, bear with me) compare it to Barcelona a few years ago when they were truly unstoppable. They had the midfield(ish) 3 of Xavi, Iniesta and Messi. With all 3 on song, they were unplayable. Take 1 out and they looked the worse for it.

It's not about losing "a good player." It's about losing part of a trio that stormed L1 last season and looked capable of something close again this time round. Coutts, Fleck and Duffy seemed at times to have an almost telepathic understanding between them. They were the heart of the team, and Coutts as an individual was what made that heart beat. Replacing him isn't as simple as putting another talented player in there. It takes time for another player to form the same level of understanding and sync with the players around him to the same level.

Just my 2p-worth mind you, but for this reason I have made a prime spot for that fucking thug Sordell on my personal footballer shit-list.

 

[FinchleyBlade]

Hardly an excuse, just a fact. He is key to how we play, dictating the tempo and freeing up Fleck and Duffy to be the creative engines of the team.

We have hugely missed him.

 

[coaxingstar71]

The impact of losing Coutts cannot be over-stated.

It isn't the loss of one player. Its the loss of the wider impact he has on the team: the chemistry with Duffy and Fleck; the confidence and reassurance he gives to the wing-backs; the constant availability for a pass that he gives to the centre-halves; and the licence that he gives the centre-halves to get forward.

As others have mentioned, it was also a massive blow to the side's morale. With Coutts in the team, the players were walking out on to the pitch with the knowledge that the best player on the park was in our side. Coutts was the player who invariably controlled how our games panned out.

The late goals conceded in recent weeks and failure to close games out from winning positions, illustrate how we have lost the ability to control and manage games, since Coutts was injured. The stats before his injury bore this out; Coutts was the Championship player with the most touches and best passing percentages in the entire division.

And don't be in any doubt that the players are aware of that. Just read how player after player spoke about Coutts in the match programme, prior to his injury. They know that he is the main man.

I felt sick when Coutts was injured at Burton. It was clear that he was the one player that we simply could not afford to lose. I said at the start of the season that if Coutts, Fleck and Duffy could play the majority of games this season, we would not be far from automatic promotion and I stand by that.

I just hope that Coutts can come back at the same level next season.

100% agree with this ^^^^^

Since his injury what we've seen is Fleck trying to do part of what Coutts did, which has detracted from his own game. Although Evans has been solid in terms of breaking play up, he's just not the same type of player as Coutts. I think Lundstram, in patches, has been about the closest but he needs to do it more consistently.

I think the other concern is how long it will take Coutts to get back to being the same player he was before this injury, bearing in mind he took a long time to fully get over his last one just before he joined us. I think people are deluded if they expect he's going to just walk straight back into the team and pick up where he left off.

 

[Boxer Blade]

What's happened has happened, I just hope and pray after reading this post that coutts starts in August and is the same player he was, otherwise it sounds like we doomed, we move on

 

[Revolution]

Coutts is/was a massive loss, we should not underestimate that.

We should also try and address the fact that we have no one who can continually head the ball with any pace and power. Most of our corners are a waste of time, as we have no real aerial threat.

If someone put together a video compilation of the number of times O'Connell has failed to hit the target with a back post header from a corner it would make grim viewing. To not have scored even once from all of the chances he's had is pretty poor.

Last season he bagged 4: this year 41 games, no goals.

 

[coaxingstar71]

If someone put together a video compilation of the number of times O'Connell has failed to hit the target with a back post header from a corner it would make grim viewing. To not have scored even once from all of the chances he's had is pretty poor.

Last season he bagged 4: this year 41 games, no goals.

He's definitely 'due one'. Someone did a very good and in-depth analysis article on our success at set-pieces early in the season, naming O'Connell as key to our success. All the opposition managers must have read it!

 

[ChipDayFriday]

Coutts ability to hold onto and keep the ball moving gave the players behind him (e.g. CCV / Stevens / Baldock) more room to get up and down the pitch without necessarily allowing the opposition to capitalise on the types of mistakes occuring since his injury. Replacements have been as good as can be expected, though the magical triangle of Coutts/Fleck & Duff is irreplaceable.

Something else that coincided with Coutt's injury was Stearman's position in the team. Might be unfair to say but I think having him as a regular has resulted in a less-progressive defence, in that 3-5-2 system (or variation of).

Duffy not playing as regularly as we'd like, another one, but then this is a player who every other club promoted form L1 has offloaded as soon as they reached the Champ. So perhaps Wilder has done well to get him going as well as he can...

As noted above lots of small things have contributed to where we are but stats wise probably always going to end up 8th, 9th or 10th.

So many reasons but actually, we've done ok haven't we? Fascinating season, let's hope the ownership gets sorted for the good of the club.

 

[IdLiketoRogerMoore]

At the time of his (Brooks) illness, he'd started 5 out of our 21 games so far.

Yet been the difference in the Derby, scored the winner at Leeds, and was showing signs of developing into one of the best players in the League - hence his Wales debut in France.

 

[Geordie Blade]

Yet been the difference in the Derby, scored the winner at Leeds, and was showing signs of developing into one of the best players in the League - hence his Wales debut in France.

I'm not saying he was rubbish - just that he probably wasn't one of our best three players up to that point. At that stage of the season, Clarke was absolutely on fire, Coutts and Fleck had been the best midfield partnership in the league, Jack O'Connell was showing everyone how to attack from the back, Duffy was creating chances in every game and Billy was also in the top ten goalscorers list.

 

[Rodders]

100% agree with this ^^^^^

Since his injury what we've seen is Fleck trying to do part of what Coutts did, which has detracted from his own game. Although Evans has been solid in terms of breaking play up, he's just not the same type of player as Coutts. I think Lundstram, in patches, has been about the closest but he needs to do it more consistently.

I think the other concern is how long it will take Coutts to get back to being the same player he was before this injury, bearing in mind he took a long time to fully get over his last one just before he joined us. I think people are deluded if they expect he's going to just walk straight back into the team and pick up where he left off.

He just needs a pre-season

 

[super_pig]

Coutts ability to hold onto and keep the ball moving gave the players behind him (e.g. CCV / Stevens / Baldock) more room to get up and down the pitch without necessarily allowing the opposition to capitalise on the types of mistakes occuring since his injury. Replacements have been as good as can be expected, though the magical triangle of Coutts/Fleck & Duff is irreplaceable.

Something else that coincided with Coutt's injury was Stearman's position in the team. Might be unfair to say but I think having him as a regular has resulted in a less-progressive defence, in that 3-5-2 system (or variation of).

Duffy not playing as regularly as we'd like, another one, but then this is a player who every other club promoted form L1 has offloaded as soon as they reached the Champ. So perhaps Wilder has done well to get him going as well as he can...

As noted above lots of small things have contributed to where we are but stats wise probably always going to end up 8th, 9th or 10th.

So many reasons but actually, we've done ok haven't we? Fascinating season, let's hope the ownership gets sorted for the good of the club.

agree about Stears.. when he got injured early doors we started playing better.. it's a weird one because individually he has been one of the best (if not the best) player on the team.. but are we more effective as a unit.. hmm .. Pinchy in 4..3..2..
what happened to the overlapping centre backs. have we stopped doing them? it started around Xmas.. is this van Winkel involved.. i think we should be told

 

[robbiez666]

All teams get injuries. It's par for the course. It's not like losing Ched has cost us anything, but Coutts has.

If we'd have lost Fleck, O'Connell, Stevens, Clarke, Duffy, Baldock, we'd be equally in trouble.

We simply don't have any squad depth and that's because we've just come up and are (relatively) poor.

 

[coaxingstar71]

He just needs a pre-season

I sincerely hope so.

 

[Houston_Blade]

He's definitely 'due one'. Someone did a very good and in-depth analysis article on our success at set-pieces early in the season, naming O'Connell as key to our success. All the opposition managers must have read it!

We haven’t taken a decent set piece since.

 

[Tommoblade66]

we'd have made the playoffs with Couttsy.. we would 'never' have won the league though, who said that? it's idiotic. Wolves have spent a gazillion quid on their team.. we've spent ten bob

What you mean we would have? We still can

 

[super_pig]

What you mean we would have? We still can

i'm trying to trick the football gods by 'pretending' i think we've had it.. i hope they don't notice this

 

[oldblade]

I think it's the lack of goals from midfield that has cost us not simply the injury to Coutts. I don't think we should be overly critical of Clarke and Sharp. They have done their job to a degree but the goals form midfield is woefull. I believe Fleck's goal yesterday was his first since September.

Last season Freeman scored 11 goals. Where would we be now with another 11 goals in the bag. They could have changed losses into draws and draws into wins.

Midfield needs to chip in on a more regular basis and as much as I like Coutts, Duffy and Fleck they need to up their goals to games ratio. The same goes for the wing backs.

I know that losing arguably your best player for the last six months of the season is never going to be good, but we do have other talented players in the side who should be able take up the slack.

Edit. Just seen Bladesman 's post with which I concur

I think you have a point.

Looking back at the 2002-3 season, Brown, Tonge and Ndlovu contributed around 30 league goals between them. Significantly higher than the midield contribution this season.

Also, during the 2005-6 promotion season Ifill, Quinn, Tonge, Jagielka (played most of that season in midfield) and Montgomery contributed around 25 goals.

Added to this our defenders also seemed to chip in with more goals. Bromby, Morgan and Unsworth probably got as many between them as our current midfield.

 

[Revolution]

I think you have a point.

Looking back at the 2002-3 season, Brown, Tonge and Ndlovu contributed around 30 league goals between them. Significantly higher than the midield contribution this season.

Also, during the 2005-6 promotion season Ifill, Quinn, Tonge, Jagielka (played most of that season in midfield) and Montgomery contributed around 25 goals.

Added to this our defenders also seemed to chip in with more goals. Bromby, Morgan and Unsworth probably got as many between them as our current midfield.

This was a problem for years for us, with Cloughs penchant for scrappy midgets and the nightmarish Hammond/Coutts/Woolford combo under Adkins being particular lowlights.

Before that there was the depression of Blackwell thinking that Britton and Monty would create or score.

One of the positives of Wilders first close season was him targeting Duffy, who had a lot of goals and assists in him. He also got great contributions from Freeman and Fleck and some of the defenders. Going up a level you expect that to dry up a bit, but it's a shame in particular that the wing backs haven't scored more when the same system last season got about15 league goals for us.

 

[Fulwood Blade]

but it's a shame in particular that the wing backs haven't scored more when the same system last season got about15 league goals for us.

Agreed - particularly disappointing - it's as though the priorities have changed for our wing backs this season, in that their main job is to deliver balls into the box. If so, then midfield aren't busting a gut to get in there and on the end of them.

UTB