Paul Coutts

[Bert]

Oh to have these back, at their best, till the end of the season.


View attachment 103576

Crab Graphics?

 

[Stretch]

Could have sworn it was the year after..............

Wilder joined us in the summer of 16.

 

[Large Mendonca]

Wilder joined us in the summer of 16.

He did - it's just that date, the 24th Sept.

 

[Stretch]

He did - it's just that date, the 24th Sept.

I thought he had switched to that midfield 3 slightly earlier in the season, but I can only assume this is right. It was Scunthorpe away.

 

[Bearlie]

He was a great player for us for a couple of years but his tackling was on a par with Ollie Norwood's and his mobility was arguably worse. Like Norwood, he was a real Rolls Royce when we dominated games, but I fear his reputation would have been completely trashed this season.

It is understandable that people look back to times of success, but a Coutts style player in the PL would need two very fast hard tackling water carriers around him.

People only remember the good times ......

 

[CaptainMorgans]

People only remember the good times ......

I think Oli Norwood would challenge you on that.

 

[Sean Thornton]

People only remember the good times ......

What times they were. Before his injury ( and under Wilder) Coutts was a joy to watch.

 

[bladesmanluke]

He was better than Norwood pre injury. He had everything Norwood has, but was almost impossible to tackle as well

 

[Sean Thornton]

He was better than Norwood pre injury. He had everything Norwood has, but was almost impossible to tackle as well

And a far better first touch.

 

[robbiez666]

He was better than Norwood pre injury. He had everything Norwood has, but was almost impossible to tackle as well

at a lower level

 

[BornOnShorehamStreet]

Crab Graphics?

A certain Mr Prest, maybe?

 

[CaptainMorgans]

He was better than Norwood pre injury. He had everything Norwood has, but was almost impossible to tackle as well

He didn't have Norwood's passing range or set piece delivery which proved to be huge assets in our promotion season & first season in the Prem.

When Norwood first came into our side he elevated us to a completely different level and it was clear that he was the best signing we'd made in a long time.

Don't let his form this season cloud the judgement too much. Norwood is a lovely footballer & he has a winners attitude. These conditions are not ones under which he thrives.

 

[JackSUFC]

He was better than Norwood pre injury. He had everything Norwood has, but was almost impossible to tackle as well

Norwood has a better passing range.

Coutts was less sloppy in possession and better at driving forwards.

Both incredible for us at their peak though and key components of two promotion winning sides.

at a lower level

Coutts did it pretty well at Champ level for six months to be fair.

 

[robbiez666]

Norwood has a better passing range.

Coutts was less sloppy in possession and better at driving forwards.

Both incredible for us at their peak though and key components of two promotion winning sides.



Coutts did it pretty well at Champ level for six months to be fair.

But Norwood has played for us at a higher level. Hard to compare really.

 

[Sean Thornton]

But Norwood has played for us at a higher level. Hard to compare really.

At which he’s currently failing miserably. I really can’t recognise this superman Norwood in the Championship season. Played very well yes, but some talk as if he was our best player. He wasn’t even our best midfielder.

 

[bladesmanluke]

But Norwood has played for us at a higher level. Hard to compare really.

Like I say, the injury was the caveat, but there's no reason Coutts couldn't have done it at this level. He was more athletic than Norwood.

I like Norwood, for what it's worth. Obviously a brilliant footballer. He's having a shocker at the moment though.

 

[bladesince64]

My two penneth.
Coutts has suffered TWO potential career-ending injuries, the latter one affecting his pace and mobility which effectively cut short his PL/Championship performance levels.
Norwood was simply the best midfielder we'd had at the club since Kevin McDonald. We got rid of Evans because he didn't quite have the passing range of ON. He always had the pace/athleticism issues from the get go, but he was never the midfield hard-tackling ball winner cos that was/is the remit of others eg Fleck/Lundstram/Bash. Close down/press, win the ball, give it to Olli. Bit like Trevor Hockey in the 70s, told to win the ball then just give it to Currie (if you're old enough to remember)
Worked like a dream but only if each is effective and good at their jobs

 

[IdLiketoRogerMoore]

And a far better first touch.

And a far better appreciation of the tempo of a game. He could speed it up, slow it down as required...

 

[Working Class Hero]

He was better than Norwood pre injury. He had everything Norwood has, but was almost impossible to tackle as well

That's League One nostalgia talking. Norwood took us to another level completely.

 

[bladesmanluke]

That's League One nostalgia talking. Norwood took us to another level completely.

Coutts was the best midfielder in the championship for a few months before the injury.

We were top of the league and steamrolling teams. We'll never know where we might've ended up. Norwood thankfully got us back to similar levels

 

[LS16Blade]

Coutts was the best midfielder in the championship for a few months before the injury.

We were top of the league and steamrolling teams. We'll never know where we might've ended up. Norwood thankfully got us back to similar levels

Completely agree.

Personally, I enjoyed watching us during the 'peak-Coutts' period up to September 2017, more than when Norwood became the fulcrum.

That's not to decry Norwood at all as he was excellent for us up until lockdown. Rather, that the side that went to the top of the Championship in the 17/18 season, until the fateful day at Burton, played more swashbuckling football than the 18/19 side. The team became rather more pragmatic after Norwood joined.

Had Coutts not been injured, I have little doubt that the 17/18 side would have secured a second successive promotion.