Halfway through - we've stayed fit

[Revolution]

Looking at the appearance stats halfway through the season, we really have - for once - been lucky with injuries this season, and that has been a big help in terms of consistency of team selection.

3 players have featured in every league game: Henderson and O'Connell have started all 23, and McGoldrick has started 18 and made 5 sub appearances. O'Connell is closing in on 100 consecutive starts, I think.

4 players - Egan, Basham, Fleck and Stevens - have only missed one game each. Basham would be ever present but for suspension.

Sharp has featured in 21 games (17+4 sub) and was an unused sub in the other 2 games

Norwood has featured in 20 games - he hasn't missed a game since we signed him

Duffy and Clarke have both featured 19 times (Duffy has started 16, Clarke only 9). Clarke has tended to start instead of Sharp or McGoldrick, with Washington also making the odd start.

Only at right back - where Baldock has started 7 games, but has been first choice in the last few games - are we playing someone who hasn't played nearly all the games this season.

Wilder is fortunate to have his first choice players available so often, given our reserve strength is thin. We've avoided serious injuries, unlike last season.

Of course fatigue can play a roll in the second half of a season. Let's hope the lads stay fit and keep fit.

 

[SwissBlade]

Whilst its great that we're getting so few injuries, I don't believe that its a sustainable way to play when we have players in back up.

A point to note is that that Freeman and Baldock don't seem to have been fit at the same time.

I'd say that the highest intensity positions are:
Left/ Right centre half
Wingback (particularly down the right)
Attacking Midfield
Strikers

So i think that second half of the season we will need to manage players and positions better, use the squad better. We saw with Washington that if you persist with just a few games he's able to play a role. The only position where we've transitioned a back up is Right Wingback.

Duffy has been managed a bit, particularly in away games where we need to sit deeper.

Thankfully, JOC, Bash, Duffy, Billy and McG don't get picked for their national sides, so they get some level of recovery during this time

Something that i mentioned at the start of the season, you can't be at your peak of fitness all season. So we will have players going through the motions at some point in the season.

What it does show (once again) is that our medical, sports science and fitness coaches are doing a cracking job, plus importantly we're not bringing players in for them to go out with reoccurring injuries.

 

[Revolution]

So i think that second half of the season we will need to manage players and positions better, use the squad better

It would be optimum to do this but other than Stearman and Freeman it's arguably a big drop in standards to bring anyone else in (I don't count the forwards as we have Clarke and Washington doing some rotation already). Lundstram has his uses but if he's playing more than a handful of games we are in trouble.

We need a good transfer window but I am not holding my breath on that front.

 

[SwissBlade]

It would be optimum to do this but other than Stearman and Freeman it's arguably a big drop in standards to bring anyone else in (I don't count the forwards as we have Clarke and Washington doing some rotation already). Lundstram has his uses but if he's playing more than a handful of games we are in trouble.

We need a good transfer window but I am not holding my breath on that front.

We're never going to keep a complete 2nd squad happy to change out a full side, but i think we need to be a bit smarter in rotation.

As we've seen, there are games where Lundstram and Coutts could certainly offer more than Duffy or in games where perhaps going 1 up top with Duffy in behind.

However, i'm thinking really that Marvin Johnson should be used more than just thrown on in the 80th minute when we're chasing a game or preserving a lead. He needs to be starting games when we're on the front foot and wanting to dominate sides.

 

[Stretch]

Lady luck has certainly smiled on us injury wise so far, let's hope it continues.
If we get can also get Dowell and a proven champ striker over the next few weeks then there is no reason why we shouldn't kick on and consolidate our play off spot in the second half of the season. Top 2 seems remote now, but I do feel Norwich are very reliant on Puki, so there is a slight [yes I said slight] chance that we could catch them, but a lot would have to drop for us and the likes West Brom, Forest etc will only get stronger. too.

 

[Cerberus Blade]

Lady luck has certainly smiled on us injury wise so far, let's hope it continues.
If we get can also get Dowell and a proven champ striker over the next few weeks then there is no reason why we shouldn't kick on and consolidate our play off spot in the second half of the season. Top 2 seems remote now, but I do feel Norwich are very reliant on Puki, so there is a slight [yes I said slight] chance that we could catch them, but a lot would have to drop for us and the likes West Brom, Forest etc will only get stronger. too.

You're making some assumptions there that the second half of the season, which hasn't begun yet btw, will follow a similar pattern to the first half of the season. Teams could fall away, including those in front of us now. Other teams could appear from much lower in the table and get on a run that takes them into the top 6. Let me give the example of Charlton Atheltic perhaps, who a few years ago were bottom of the Championship at Christmas and promoted to the Premiership at the end of that season. I think Crystal Palace also had a similar run, starting in a lowly relegation position at Christmas time and getting promoted at the end of that season.

So, nothing is out of bounds in terms of possibilities at this stage. I disagree that a chance of the top 2 spots is "remote". In fact I just find that a really negative, defeatist, perspective. Things can change so quick and 3 weeks ago, 3 games ago, the situation looked very different. If we'd only got half a dozen games left and there were teams 9 points above us then yes...you'd have to stroke your beard and think...Hmmm! we're not going to catch them now, barring a miracle. But with 20 odd games left mate...come on!

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

We haven't had back to back wins since the beginning of October and for a consistent team, which we are in terms of stats, performances etc etc that has to be worrying, especially as a dip in form/results happened last season at the same time. We were happy (if that's the right word) to put that down to the loss of Coutts last season but it makes you wonder if the intensity of our play (and training) added to the fact that it is pretty much the same 15/16 players, does catch up with us at this stage of the season.

 

[Stretch]

You're making some assumptions there that the second half of the season, which hasn't begun yet btw, will follow a similar pattern to the first half of the season. Teams could fall away, including those in front of us now. Other teams could appear from much lower in the table and get on a run that takes them into the top 6. Let me give the example of Charlton Atheltic perhaps, who a few years ago were bottom of the Championship at Christmas and promoted to the Premiership at the end of that season. I think Crystal Palace also had a similar run, starting in a lowly relegation position at Christmas time and getting promoted at the end of that season.

So, nothing is out of bounds in terms of possibilities at this stage. I disagree that a chance of the top 2 spots is "remote". In fact I just find that a really negative, defeatist, perspective. Things can change so quick and 3 weeks ago, 3 games ago, the situation looked very different. If we'd only got half a dozen games left and there were teams 9 points above us then yes...you'd have to stroke your beard and think...Hmmm! we're not going to catch them now, barring a miracle. But with 20 odd games left mate...come on!

Remote might have been overstating things then but I just get the feeling we won't quite have enough for autos. Whilst we can outplay anyone for large spells we just lack that bit of potency that the likes of Leeds, West Brom and amazingly Norwich have at the moment. January could change that, but none of the teams around us will stand still either.
You are right though in that 20+ games could see huge changes. But by that logic we are just as likely to fall away as push on - I don't think we will be the way, I think we will be good enough for top 6 with the right additions.