McNulty

[DronnieBlade]

to play starring / hero role tonight.

UTB

 

[Silent Blade]

to play starring / hero role tonight.

UTB

When I saw the line up last night, I knew that picking McNulty instead of Davies would be a big mistake. McNulty is a good finisher but weak in the air and not strong enough. Davies is a far better team player whose strength helps our players to push higher therefore we get more attacking chances

 

[Thaddeus]

When I saw the line up last night, I knew that picking McNulty instead of Davies would be a big mistake. McNulty is a good finisher but weak in the air and not strong enough. Davies is a far better team player whose strength helps our players to push higher therefore we get more attacking chances

I had a feeling when I saw the team that Davies was only on the bench because of injury. I know there's a comment elsewhere about him pulling up near the end on Thursday, so I thought the thinking was that he might not last a full 90 minutes.

 

[sitwell]

When I saw the line up last night, I knew that picking McNulty instead of Davies would be a big mistake. McNulty is a good finisher but weak in the air and not strong enough. Davies is a far better team player whose strength helps our players to push higher therefore we get more attacking chances

Done plays far better when davies is on too.

 

[Woodwardfan]

Clough had yet another right pop at McNulty's performance and fans who clamour for him to play.

 

[Woodwardfan]

Done plays far better when davies is on too.

Done was brilliant before and until Davies arrived.

 

[robbiez666]

Was I the only one shocked when he started with McNulty? It had more sense to have Done up there with Adams playing a free role behind him.

 

[SotonBlade]

One thing for sure, Adams has to be starting games next season, from the outset

 

[boo radley]

Done plays far better when davies is on too.

If we can get Davies on permanent , that is one partnership I'm really looking forward to. I'm surprised not more have noticed how much of an understanding they seem to have with each other. Not much to be excited about today but a hope for a partnership we have longed for coming to fruition?

 

[Silent Blade]

Done was brilliant before and until Davies arrived.

What???

 

[Lane Ender]

If we can get Davies on permanent , that is one partnership I'm really looking forward to. I'm surprised not more have noticed how much of an understanding they seem to have with each other. Not much to be excited about today but a hope for a partnership we have longed for coming to fruition?

We can do better than Davies.

 

[boo radley]

We can do better than Davies.

I agree in general but the partnership is what I'm after and it has more potential than any for a long time. Davies works very hard and does not get the goals he maybe should but them two backed up by Murphs Adams and full backs overrunning could be special.

 

[Lane Ender]

I agree in general but the partnership is what I'm after and it has more potential than any for a long time. Davies works very hard and does not get the goals he maybe should but them two backed up by Murphs Adams and full backs overrunning could be special.

He does put a shift in and good close control.
I thought he was getting on a bit but he's only 28
Maybe it could happen

 

[GlosBlade]

Adams has huge potential and hopefully first team regular next season. I do wonder if Mcnulty will be shipped out this summer, I think Clough is trying the 'kick up the arse' management style with him and it doesn't seem to be working.

 

[Woodwardfan]

What???

" I'll illustrate the statistics of contributions from Done since before and after Davies arrived and made his debut on 7th March.

Prior to then Done had played every game apart from subbing against his old club Rochdale. That was 6 starts and he scored 5 goals.

Since Davies arrived the new signing has played all but one game when he was sub. In that time Done has made 5 starts and has been sub 6 times and has missed just the two recent games when he was rested prior to the play-offs along with others.. That's 13 games and Done has scored just the 2 goals."

The above is a quote from an earlier thread. Since then Done subbed last Thursday and Davies subbed last night when both Done and Davies scored.

 

[Elsecar_Blade]

I don't understand the love for McNulty. Is it because he WAS our top goalscorer?

Whilst I don't get Clough's constant criticism of the boy, he offers next to nothing in my opinion. Even in a decent attacking performance last night, how much was down to him? Davies gives us a focal point and others play off. Will Davies be a 30 goal a season striker like he who must not be named? No. Will he contribute in many other ways if we play to his strengths? Yes. I'd expect 15-20 goals from Davies if he started the majority of the games, we got balls into the box from out wide and we had players playing off him rather than leaving him isolated. I'd prefer O'Grady I think but Davies is a good alternative option to CO'G - maybe get both and ship out McNulty and Higdon?

Last night showed that if Clough lets them off the leash a little, we can be good going forward. We have good attacking players but we need to play an attacking system for it to show and that means Basham in central midfield. It's no coincidence that Coutts' best performances - Bristol, Barnsley, first half on Thursday and second half last night - have come with him playing alongside Basham. Those two (hopefully with Wallace challenging them too) with an athletic AM (maybe Done) and two pacy wide players (Murphy/Adams/Done) would supply the bullets for COG/Davies. For me, McNulty isn't good enough. I'd loan him to League 2 next season and tell him to impress us or else he's off permanently.

 

[Silent Blade]

" I'll illustrate the statistics of contributions from Done since before and after Davies arrived and made his debut on 7th March.

Prior to then Done had played every game apart from subbing against his old club Rochdale. That was 6 starts and he scored 5 goals.

Since Davies arrived the new signing has played all but one game when he was sub. In that time Done has made 5 starts and has been sub 6 times and has missed just the two recent games when he was rested prior to the play-offs along with others.. That's 13 games and Done has scored just the 2 goals.".

When we signed Done, he was carrying an injury and played when he wasnt 100% fit, had his injury aggravated in March so he had to be rested. His injury is not Davies fault. They look very good together. If we sign Davies then we have a good attacking force ready for August

 

[Woodwardfan]

When we signed Done, he was carrying an injury and played when he wasnt 100% fit, had his injury aggravated in March so he had to be rested. His injury is not Davies fault. They look very good together. If we sign Davies then we have a good attacking force ready for August

I think you're missing my point. Done's scoring record was better before Davies arrived. He also played every game bar one whereas he has been "rested" all those games since.

Done and Davies have only started 4 games together tops in all that time. Clough had no intention of playing them as a pair including last Thursday when we failed to secure an advantage to take to Swindon for the second leg.

The manager insists on 4-5-1 not the players. I'm sure Done and Davies would love to play in a pair. done played with Henderson at Rochdale and they were both in the league leading scorer charts. Done has dropped down those since he came to us.

 

[Silent Blade]

.

The manager insists on 4-5-1 not the players..

For a long time we didnt have the squad to make 442 work. Clough thought Butler was a good defender, wanted to play Basham and James Wallace in CM so with Butler being a poor signing and Wallace being injured so he had to bring in Doyle who only plays well in 451 formation. If we sign good centre backs this summer then this will allow Basham to play in midfield which will mean Davies and Done will play in the starting line up more often

 

[Woodwardfan]

For a long time we didnt have the squad to make 442 work. Clough thought Butler was a good defender, wanted to play Basham and James Wallace in CM so with Butler being a poor signing and Wallace being injured so he had to bring in Doyle who only plays well in 451 formation. If we sign good centre backs this summer then this will allow Basham to play in midfield which will mean Davies and Done will play in the starting line up more often

Fair enough, yet another failure to put another part of the squad together in 19 months. what have we got right?

Central defence -no......central midfield-no............keeper -no left back - no .......what have we got right.?.....strikers ,oh, we have two strikers (one on loan) who may well play well together. given the chance but for all the months before february -no ...have we given them the chance? ....... err 4 games and even then we played Done wide midfield..... great!.

We've got two good wide men Flynn and Murphy, just a minute they were here before Clough joined us.

 

[Silent Blade]

Fair enough, yet another failure to put another part of the squad together in 19 months. what have we got right?

Central defence -no......central midfield-no............keeper -no left back - no .......what have we got right.?.....strikers ,oh, we have two strikers (one on loan) who may well play well together. given the chance but for all the months before february -no ...have we given them the chance? ....... err 4 games and even then we played Done wide midfield..... great!.

We've got two good wide men Flynn and Murphy, just a minute they were here before Clough joined us.

Clough had had rotten luck with injuries this season so lets see who we will sign this summer

 

[Putney Blade]

At best McNulty is a reserve. Not good enough for the 1st XI - too static & slow, no power or height. I'd get shut...

 

[Woodwardfan]

Clough had had rotten luck with injuries this season so lets see who we will sign this summer

That is so kind to the man as I don't think our injuries have been so bad, apart from Wallace and Kennedy and to be fair it took Clough an age to recognise Kennedy's potential. Wallace was a calculated gamble with a big pay off if it works out.

Yes let's wait and see, we have no choice actually. Fingers crossed though because our personal time is gradually running out.

My father before me supported them for over 50 years and to use his words " we've never won a sausage".

I'd love to see us back in the Premier League in due course but if I could just get the sense we are making progress that would be good as a starting point. This season has been a major disappointment to me, not just not getting promoted but the rag bag performances we have dished out and the lack of quality in the vast majority of the signings.


BTW The "What???" was not your style.

 

[SandyMcBlade]

Got to admit although I'm in the keep Nigel fan club he has to improve next season.
The big argument about him keeping us in this division sounds good looking a the position we were in when he came and could easily have been dire with the wrong appointment, but.
Take out that disastrous choice of manager in Weir, (some one Woody, god knows why wanted us to keep) we are now back to the level we were under Wilson, so while there has been a definite uplift in Nigel's tenure it has not yet been a great one in the grand scale of things.
Having said that, although the band wagon seems to have run out of steam a little this last season there have been signs in the cup runs and other games that he could still be the one to take us forward and be capable of managing at a higher level.
For these reasons I believe he has earned himself another season.

I've never considered McNulty as anything but average and he'll never be a lone front man in a million years ....

 

[LoughboroBlade]

and to be fair it took Clough an age to recognise Kennedy's potential.

Eh? He was injured when the season started, then had a careful process of returning from the lengthly injury, and at various times in interviews with Radio Sheffield in the autumn he said that it was important to get him fit, and that he wished "there were more Terry Kennedys in the squad" in terms of his effort. That was before he'd even kicked a ball this season. I don't think his plan at the start of the season was for him to be first choice, but I'm struggling to see why you view it that way - since QPR he's pretty much played whenever he's been fit to play, and not ever-present due to the obvious limitations with his knee.

 

[MiserableBlader]

Since QPR he's pretty much played whenever he's been fit to play, and not ever-present due to the obvious limitations with his knee.

Rubbish.
By his own admission he didn't play in the two games against Spurs.
If he had done, if only at home we would have won with Basham in midfield,
instead of shite like Baxter and Doyle.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

Rubbish.
By his own admission he didn't play in the two games against Spurs.
If he had done, if only at home we would have won with Basham in midfield,
instead of shite like Baxter and Doyle.

Please try and read the following words carefully:

Terry Kennedy came back from a serious injury. It has been stated, repeatedly, that his involvement had to be carefully handled so as not to result in a recurrence of this injury. Clough stated that in particular it would be a struggle for him to play "Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday-Tuesday". He played the full 90 minutes the Saturdays before and after both Spurs games. He was not considered fit enough to start the Spurs games.

To further connect these dots, please bear in mind:
- when he did play "Saturday-Tuesday" in the games at Bristol City and Notts County, he couldn't start the following Saturday against Coventry
- when he then returned to play the 90 at Rochdale the Tuesday after, he lasted about 30 minutes starting the Saturday after against Crawley

To suggest that Clough hasn't tried to play Kennedy when he can is utter rubbish - I'd go as far to say that Clough's done everything he can to get him on the pitch as much as his knee can take it. There are plenty of things to criticise Clough for - this is not one of them. Re: his handling of Kennedy, the only criticism that you could possibly make links back to the main one this season - not getting in centre-backs. Had we done so, we wouldn't have had to play Kennedy as much as he played.

 

[bornablade]

Woodwardfan- look back over your previous posts. I am certain that when Done was signed ( I don't think the ink had even dried on his contract) you made a comment on the lines of - Done and McNulty do not instill you with a great deal of confidence. And now you seem to argue that pairing is better than Done and Davies.

If we want consistency on the pitch then let's have some consistency on the forums.

As far as your comment regarding Murphy and Flynn being here before Clough it's been debated to death on here that Cloughie has turned both into far more effective players since his arrival.

Give the guy some credit.

 

[Woodwardfan]

Got to admit although I'm in the keep Nigel fan club he has to improve next season.
The big argument about him keeping us in this division sounds good looking a the position we were in when he came and could easily have been dire with the wrong appointment, but.
Take out that disastrous choice of manager in Weir, (some one Woody, god knows why wanted us to keep) we are now back to the level we were under Wilson, so while there has been a definite uplift in Nigel's tenure it has not yet been a great one in the grand scale of things.
Having said that, although the band wagon seems to have run out of steam a little this last season there have been signs in the cup runs and other games that he could still be the one to take us forward and be capable of managing at a higher level.
For these reasons I believe he has earned himself another season.

I've never considered McNulty as anything but average and he'll never be a lone front man in a million years ....

Sandy. David Weir was a rooky who was appointed in totally different financial circumstances and his brief was to learn on the job and develop youth over a long term; the money had dried up and there was no other alternative. As soon as the new owner arrived he was in the wrong place at the wrong time; nobody's fault, that's life. He's done well at Brentford since he left mind you.

You say Clough has lifted the club since he arrived and he has marginally. However he has had a big budget, yes a "big budget" for this league and way more than Weir. For Clough to point out we have done better is disingenuous frankly.

I think he has fared poorly apart from the cup runs which are way out of context with the rest of his performance. I look at the quality of the players and the way they play without method or togetherness. I watch the quality of the football and the negativity of the tactics and think "oh dear" week in week out, rarely seeing any foundations to build on.

I think Clough can get us up next season. I honestly don't think he'll build anything special to lift the club to the Premier League within a few years though. He has shown no signs whatsoever of building a Southampton, Swansea or even a Brentford or a Bournemouth.

This stability thing is great if you've found the right manager. My paradox is that I believe the manager should be given a bit more time to fail. In a way that's daft because I think if we go up the manager can't put it all together to achieve success up in the Championship, he has too many limitations in his own ability and his staff. It might be another 5 years of "stability" before that all unfolds and he leaves us mid-table with a rag bag Championship outfit with average players and no ingrained culture or method of playing. That will be 7 years of "stability" and 7 years of wasted opportunity, and I'll be 72 years old

 

[Woodwardfan]

Woodwardfan- look back over your previous posts. I am certain that when Done was signed ( I don't think the ink had even dried on his contract) you made a comment on the lines of - Done and McNulty do not instill you with a great deal of confidence. And now you seem to argue that pairing is better than Done and Davies.

If we want consistency on the pitch then let's have some consistency on the forums.

As far as your comment regarding Murphy and Flynn being here before Clough it's been debated to death on here that Cloughie has turned both into far more effective players since his arrival.

Give the guy some credit.

Good points and I understand why you think that.

Let me say I do not like 4-5-1 in League 1 apart from early periods of games against the better teams.

If we do have to play the system then I think we need a mobile and pacey player up there. Done fits the bill to a tee but he is not strong in the air. I don't think that matters but Clough seems to think it does. Davies is stronger in the air and impresses everybody with his involvement and yet he does not possess the two ingredients which I believe are essential in that role i.e. mobility and pace, nor does he score enough goals ( averages just over 1 in 5 in his career). Done does the lot but not in the air in general play. I think 4-5-1 should be played on the ground, the manager doesn't.

I'm not one of McNulty's biggest fans, his all round game is limited but he does score goals. and therefore cannot be rued out. If Done is unfit, and I'm not sure just how unfit he has been, then the choice is McNulty over Davies for me against better teams. Why, for the reasons above and because it encourages the team to play better football not just lob it up front for one man to challenge for the ball and nod it on to nobody!

If I was honest I'd prefer Baxter up there if that's a way of including Baxter's skills but that's another story long buried.

For me we should play 4-4-2 in League One 90% of the time. Davies and Done up front is plenty good enough. For a promotion challenge Adams is worth a place in a strike-force of four but I'm not sure McNulty is good enough if Adams is the development player ( and yes he would have to play up there in 4-4-2) . We need a more certain winner to cover for the main two probably and I'm not sure McNulty plays that well when there are two up front. Nor do I think he is going to be develop well enough anyway.

I hope that makes sense and is not inconsistent. Please comment.

As for Flynn and Murphy, yes they have played better under Clough, spectacularly so last season in a team that played with style and purpose ( that seems a long long time ago). This season they have been disappointing in my view but the team has been harder to play in.