Paul-ee-oh why sat on the benchy?

[Gavlar]

So Lundstrum has started a couple of games recently and Coutts is sat on his arse.

Reasons?

Saving him for the madness of the festive period?

Not fit?

Fallen out of favour?

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

I think Tufty sees him as Olly's understudy now and that they can't play in the same team.

 

[DronnieBlade]

Form of Norwood. Plain and simple.

Although I’ll still maintain the PC of Aug-Nov 2017 is better.

UTB

 

[Gavlar]

I hear you gents, but it doesnt answer why Coutts didnt play instead of Lundstrum?

 

[SwitchBLADE Smiles]

I hear you gents, but it doesnt answer why Coutts didnt play instead of Lundstrum?

Because Norwood played.

 

[Gavlar]

Because Norwood played.

Surely they can play together and better than Lundstrum played?

 

[Gavlar]

I think Tufty sees him as Olly's understudy now and that they can't play in the same team.

Weird if true. Coutts and Oli are both excellent footballers.

 

[itsinyerblood]

Form of Norwood. Plain and simple.

Although I’ll still maintain the PC of Aug-Nov 2017 is better.

UTB

I'd agree with the comparisons between PC and ON. None of which diminishes my opinion the Norwood has been an excellent signing.

What I do believe to be true is that when playing together, Coutts and Fleck were a far more effective unit (and I include Duffy in this equation) than what we currently watch. It's all about chemistry, and playing alongside Coutts, Fleck had the licence to go forward at will, just as he was able to use Coutts as a foil, being able to read the game according to the way that Coutts would play a pass.

 

[knowsnowt]

Ffs. Yeah we must play someone/anyone rather than that cunt lunny, even someone unfit and returning from serious injury whose not up to speed yet.
Also. Why are you questioning Wilders judgement? Are you a better manager or summat?

 

[Sean Thornton]

Ffs. Yeah we must play someone/anyone rather than that cunt lunny, even someone unfit and returning from serious injury whose not up to speed yet.
Also. Why are you questioning Wilders judgement? Are you a better manager or summat?

#settlingformediocrity

 

[SwissBlade]

So Lundstrum has started a couple of games recently and Coutts is sat on his arse.

Reasons?

Saving him for the madness of the festive period?

Not fit?

Fallen out of favour?

Coutts doesn't really fit that role, just like Lundstram doesn't fit the Coutts/ Norwood/ Fleck roles

 

[Gavlar]

Ffs. Yeah we must play someone/anyone rather than that cunt lunny, even someone unfit and returning from serious injury whose not up to speed yet.
Also. Why are you questioning Wilders judgement? Are you a better manager or summat?

Sorry for having an opinion.

Yes of course I was saying I'm a better manager than Wilder. Same as every person on here must think they are better managers than any football manager they have ever questioned.

In my view Coutts is better than Lundy. If you disagree then fine. I agree that Coutts is returning from serious injury, and that may be the reason he isnt being risked.

Have you ever disagreed with any decision Wilder has ever made?

I will never dare question the god that is lundy ever again.

 

[Gavlar]

Coutts doesn't really fit that role, just like Lundstram doesn't fit the Coutts/ Norwood/ Fleck roles

Interesting point.

What role was lundstrum playing yesterday?

 

[knowsnowt]

Sorry for having an opinion.

Yes of course I was saying I'm a better manager than Wilder. Same as every person on here must think they are better managers than any football manager they have ever questioned.

In my view Coutts is better than Lundy. If you disagree then fine. I agree that Coutts is returning from serious injury, and that may be the reason he isnt being risked.

Have you ever disagreed with any decision Wilder has ever made?

I will never dare question the god that is lundy ever again.

They're different beasts, play on different positions and have a different role. But let's shoehorn anyone in shall we just to keep that useless waste of space lunny off the pitch.
I'm glad we lost now. That'll teach Wilder.

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

Sorry for having an opinion.

Yes of course I was saying I'm a better manager than Wilder. Same as every person on here must think they are better managers than any football manager they have ever questioned.

In my view Coutts is better than Lundy. If you disagree then fine. I agree that Coutts is returning from serious injury, and that may be the reason he isnt being risked.

Have you ever disagreed with any decision Wilder has ever made?

I will never dare question the god that is lundy ever again.

Not questioning Lundstram, but you're comparing apples and oranges. Coutts is better than Baldock, so play him there. Coutts is better than O'Connell so play him there. See where this is going? Norwood and Coutts compete for the same position, just like Freeman and Baldock compete for the RWB position. Trying to shoehorn in players out of position tends to lead to problems.

 

[Gavlar]

They're different beasts, play on different positions and have a different role. But let's shoehorn anyone in shall we just to keep that useless waste of space lunny off the pitch.
I'm glad we lost now. That'll teach Wilder.

I'll come back to you when youve finished your period.

 

[SwissBlade]

Good question... I know that he wasn't the ball player like Norwood and Fleck, LundstrAm had a bit more of a free role backing up the wingbacks and centre half, Fleck was also doing this but was playing the balls as well. Lundstram seemed to be the enforcer (in ice hockey terms)

 

[Gavlar]

Not questioning Lundstram, but you're comparing apples and oranges. Coutts is better than Baldock, so play him there. Coutts is better than O'Connell so play him there. See where this is going? Norwood and Coutts compete for the same position, just like Freeman and Baldock compete for the RWB position. Trying to shoehorn in players out of position tends to lead to problems.

I'm confused as to why you think I would think playing a right back in centre midfield would be the same as playing a centre midfielder in centre midfield?

What position was lundy playing? Number 10 like Duffy? Genuine question. Is Lundy a number 10 Duffy replacement?

Was Fleck trying to be Duffy in the first half? Again genuine question.

Will Coutts never fit in with Norwood in the team?

 

[Gavlar]

Good question... I know that he wasn't the ball player like Norwood and Fleck, LundstrAm had a bit more of a free role backing up the wingbacks and centre half, Fleck was also doing this but was playing the balls as well. Lundstram seemed to be the enforcer (in ice hockey terms)

I agree that he was playing that role. I'm confused as to why that role was needed? We were playing a lower table side with no manager devoid of confidence. It didnt seem to work either, and hence was changed at half time.

Also thought, for me Coutts could do that enforce role better, but you may disagree, which is fine.

 

[Gavlar]

I'd agree with the comparisons between PC and ON. None of which diminishes my opinion the Norwood has been an excellent signing.

What I do believe to be true is that when playing together, Coutts and Fleck were a far more effective unit (and I include Duffy in this equation) than what we currently watch. It's all about chemistry, and playing alongside Coutts, Fleck had the licence to go forward at will, just as he was able to use Coutts as a foil, being able to read the game according to the way that Coutts would play a pass.

I hear you mate, although I think Norwood has been different class so far. Its an interesting conundrum.

 

[Harry's Game]

He is not fit enough yet, that should be clear to anyone who’s seen his cameo’s

I’m not expecting anything of note from him until about February.

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

I'm confused as to why you think I would think playing a right back in centre midfield would be the same as playing a centre midfielder in centre midfield?

What position was lundy playing? Number 10 like Duffy? Genuine question. Is Lundy a number 10 Duffy replacement?

Was Fleck trying to be Duffy in the first half? Again genuine question.

Will Coutts never fit in with Norwood in the team?

They do different things, play in different ways. Lundstram couldn't do the passing thing that Norwood and Coutts do (though they do it slightly differently) and Coutts couldn't do the defensive, covering thing that Lundstram does (Bash can do a similar thing). That would be a better comparison, as I think Bash in that role, offers more than Lundstram.

 

[SwissBlade]

I'm confused as to why you think I would think playing a right back in centre midfield would be the same as playing a centre midfielder in centre midfield?

What position was lundy playing? Number 10 like Duffy? Genuine question. Is Lundy a number 10 Duffy replacement?

Was Fleck trying to be Duffy in the first half? Again genuine question.

Will Coutts never fit in with Norwood in the team?

I think you're being too simplistic many central midfielders can play a variety of roles, however, what we have found is that Lundstram isn't going to be the ball player like Norwood, Fleck and Coutts are. He just isn't at that point yet. He has a good passing range, but i don't think positionally he's got what it needs. The same way that Duffy couldn't play the Norwood role.

Lundstram and Duffy didn't play the same role yesterday, although i'd say that Duffy was more transitional when he came on at half time, he sat in a bit to start and then got the freedom.

I hadn't noticed it at the time, but the commentator mentioned that Norwood was playing further forward in the second half, i'd be interested to watch back and see if fleck was sitting deeper as a result, Jack and Egan seemed deeper but could be wrong.

 

[SwissBlade]

I agree that he was playing that role. I'm confused as to why that role was needed? We were playing a lower table side with no manager devoid of confidence. It didnt seem to work either, and hence was changed at half time.

Also thought, for me Coutts could do that enforce role better, but you may disagree, which is fine.

Coutts would sit more centrally in that role and he also picks the ball up better off the centre halves, Lundstram roams better

I'm surprised that you think it didn't work, i thought it worked well. I don't think Fleck, Norwood and anyone else were playing the ball well really in that first half, but tactically we did what we seemed to have intended - let them attack and couter them - as a result we had two disallowed goals from Set pieces and a sitter missed by McG.

For me though, it depends on what you think the intention of the tactics was. If like me you thought it was to entice them out from parking the bus and creating space in behind by forcing a niave side into adopting a higher line then it worked well. Second half they were unable to deal with the way we changed.

 

[itsinyerblood]

I hear you mate, although I think Norwood has been different class so far. Its an interesting conundrum.

As I wrote, Norwood has been an excellent signing. He needed to feel wanted, and the quality of his game was exactly what we missed since Coutts' injury. What Norwood's signing identified was exactly how difficult it is to sign a replacement for a key payer. Posters clamour for a goalscorer, as if they happen to be two a penny, so it is with someone like Coutts. He orchestrated our midfield, enabling Duffy and Fleck to contribute to our attacking play to an unusually high degree.

I'm not doubting Norwood's quality, I just think that Fleck is a better players when playing alongside Coutts. That's called chemistry, just as certain combinations work between the pairing of certain forwards, so the combination of Coutts, Duffy, and Fleck enabled the Blades to control opposing teams more often than not.

 

[Gavlar]

As I wrote, Norwood has been an excellent signing. He needed to feel wanted, and the quality of his game was exactly what we missed since Coutts' injury. What Norwood's signing identified was exactly how difficult it is to sign a replacement for a key payer. Posters clamour for a goalscorer, as if they happen to be two a penny, so it is with someone like Coutts. He orchestrated our midfield, enabling Duffy and Fleck to contribute to our attacking play to an unusually high degree.

I'm not doubting Norwood's quality, I just think that Fleck is a better players when playing alongside Coutts. That's called chemistry, just as certain combinations work between the pairing of certain forwards, so the combination of Coutts, Duffy, and Fleck enabled the Blades to control opposing teams more often than not.

Fair points mate. The thing that I like is competition for places. Our midfield is as good as I can remember. Perhaps near the days of Brown, McCall etc?

 

[Gavlar]

Coutts would sit more centrally in that role and he also picks the ball up better off the centre halves, Lundstram roams better

I'm surprised that you think it didn't work, i thought it worked well. I don't think Fleck, Norwood and anyone else were playing the ball well really in that first half, but tactically we did what we seemed to have intended - let them attack and couter them - as a result we had two disallowed goals from Set pieces and a sitter missed by McG.

For me though, it depends on what you think the intention of the tactics was. If like me you thought it was to entice them out from parking the bus and creating space in behind by forcing a niave side into adopting a higher line then it worked well. Second half they were unable to deal with the way we changed.

I thought we had chances in the first half for sure, but second half we totally dominated. Duffy is such a clever player and having him and Norwood on at the same time caused so many more threats than the first half. Of course having Billy on was fantastic as well. I though Washington did ok, but Bill just brings goals.

I agreed with the sky sports commentary really. Both Kitson and GOodman felt we werent our normal selves in the first half.

 

[SwissBlade]

I thought we had chances in the first half for sure, but second half we totally dominated. Duffy is such a clever player and having him and Norwood on at the same time caused so many more threats than the first half. Of course having Billy on was fantastic as well. I though Washington did ok, but Bill just brings goals.

I agreed with the sky sports commentary really. Both Kitson and GOodman felt we werent our normal selves in the first half.

We weren't our normal selves first half, but we weren't intending to be. If we'd set up in our normal way and they'd done a Wednesday, parking the bus and we couldn't get in behind them, people would've moaned.

What we did was set up in two contrasting ways, designed to disrupt them and give us space to exploit behind them. Changing it second half, not directly at the kick off on 46th min from what i saw, again disrupted them.

 

[Gavlar]

We weren't our normal selves first half, but we weren't intending to be. If we'd set up in our normal way and they'd done a Wednesday, parking the bus and we couldn't get in behind them, people would've moaned.

What we did was set up in two contrasting ways, designed to disrupt them and give us space to exploit behind them. Changing it second half, not directly at the kick off on 46th min from what i saw, again disrupted them.

Maybe we did that, but i'm not convinced. Though that was an option, as Duffy and Sharp dont tend to play that many full games at the mo. I think we did the same as Brentford in that we played Washington and Lundstrum from the off to rest players. Reading could have parked the bus, but they were at home as well, needing to impress the soon to be appointed new manager, so may have wanted to restore some pride for the fans with a performance.

Who knows?

 

[bromtom]

Lundstram did what he was told to do yesterday, and played alright for me (at least as well as the team as a whole, who were quite cautious in the first half) so it's a bit harsh on him.

Lundstram is a unit, and despite the curse of Lundstram that people think we have (even though he's started 2 and we've won them both recently) he's not a bad player when he's not having to impersonate Fleck or Coutts.

Coutts isn't quite there yet, but if he was I don't think Wilder would have started him there. Bash maybe would play there as SouthEssexBlade says, but Cranie hasn't got the game time either so we need Bash at RB.