Woodwardfan
Woodwardfan
- Banned
- #1
Gillingham away. Not an easy fixture but one we have to win, or at least not lose. It is time to cement our Play -Off place and at last the cups are out of the way.
In all games from for the rest of the season the manager has all his squad to choose from, with nobody cup-tied. If Scougall has a long term injury that solves one selection dilema and creates an opportunity for someone. I hope Reed and Baxter with Coutts. You hope 4-4-2 instead, in fact most do. 4-5-1 away and 4-4-2 at home? probably. Whatever he decides, Clough has to create a winning formula and a settled side which can get into a routine and create understandings and partnerships all over the field. I hope Kennedy establishes himself in this period.
Brayford has taken a salary cut to return to the club and play for his old manager again. We all wanted him back and always felt he would return one day, maybe towards the end of his Cardiff contract. He was a talisman last time round but nobody should presume he will carry on where he left off. Having gone through the emotion of the transfer Brayford has to prove to himself, his team mates, the fans and himself that he is worth a disproportionate fee spent on a full back in our situation, when we need to score more goals. Flynn had been playing great in that position and Alcock is a worthy full back, plenty good enough at this level.
Will Brayford be made captain, probably yes and that creates more pressure on the lad. Brayford's debut against Swindon was average and maybe indicative of the pressure he's under. We need to give him time to settle in even if we all feel there's not a lot of time left.
Matt Done is also under pressure to "hit the ground running". Looking at his career to date he is still termed a "winger" on Wikipedia etc. He was unwanted by Barnsley just over 2 years ago and returned to his old club where he had been valued but not a prolific goalscorer. He scored few goals at Barnsley and indeed when he returned to Rochdale it was only on a one year contract and goals did not come that easily.. After he played well in their promotion from League 2 he was awarded a 2 year contract and he has been one of their main men in a very successful 1st year in League. Featuring up front in 4-4-2 he has scored plenty of goals including 2 hat tricks and perhaps equally as important loads of assists.
Done says he relishes playing in front of 20000 fans every other week and good on him. However, those fans are getting very nervous about our promotion prospects and there is undoubted pressure building. We fans have been crying out for a new striker for over a year and through circumstances Done is suddenly that striker we are all desperate for. Is he though? Playing for a bigger club brings pressure. Looking at his CV I see a converted winger who has done very well and maybe has been the talisman at Rochdale this season. The lad is only learning his trade as a striker and we should not lose sight of that. In interview Clough was quick to confirm the lad had been playing central striker "but he plays out wide as well and that gives us more options". Is there another striker on the way in the loan window?
Why have I said all that? Expressing my worries publicly I suppose. I think we all need Brayford and Done to succeed; this is a new and vital stage for Clough and the club. But these lads are human beings and there are no guarantees either of them are going to "hit the ground running". Despite all the pressure, we fans need to cut these lads a bit of slack, indeed the whole squad and the manager need support and encouragement not extra pressure from us fans. If things go wrong and Done doesn't score for a while I can imagine the morons in our midsts giving the lad a really hard time. Do you know, I could even imagine them turning on Brayford before long if things are not going well.
In some ways our season starts here. Let's hope Clough makes the right decisions about formation, team selection, gets more men upfield and creates a settled and successful side in time for a real go at the Play-Offs. To do that I do think we need a seasoned or highly talented front running striker though and hopefully we'll get one when the loan window opens. If Done provides the answer then that will be fantastic, but we still need cover for injury and I feel in my bones that Done is the secondary striker not the main one. McNulty and Done, with Higdon on the bench doesn't excite me to be honest.
In all games from for the rest of the season the manager has all his squad to choose from, with nobody cup-tied. If Scougall has a long term injury that solves one selection dilema and creates an opportunity for someone. I hope Reed and Baxter with Coutts. You hope 4-4-2 instead, in fact most do. 4-5-1 away and 4-4-2 at home? probably. Whatever he decides, Clough has to create a winning formula and a settled side which can get into a routine and create understandings and partnerships all over the field. I hope Kennedy establishes himself in this period.
Brayford has taken a salary cut to return to the club and play for his old manager again. We all wanted him back and always felt he would return one day, maybe towards the end of his Cardiff contract. He was a talisman last time round but nobody should presume he will carry on where he left off. Having gone through the emotion of the transfer Brayford has to prove to himself, his team mates, the fans and himself that he is worth a disproportionate fee spent on a full back in our situation, when we need to score more goals. Flynn had been playing great in that position and Alcock is a worthy full back, plenty good enough at this level.
Will Brayford be made captain, probably yes and that creates more pressure on the lad. Brayford's debut against Swindon was average and maybe indicative of the pressure he's under. We need to give him time to settle in even if we all feel there's not a lot of time left.
Matt Done is also under pressure to "hit the ground running". Looking at his career to date he is still termed a "winger" on Wikipedia etc. He was unwanted by Barnsley just over 2 years ago and returned to his old club where he had been valued but not a prolific goalscorer. He scored few goals at Barnsley and indeed when he returned to Rochdale it was only on a one year contract and goals did not come that easily.. After he played well in their promotion from League 2 he was awarded a 2 year contract and he has been one of their main men in a very successful 1st year in League. Featuring up front in 4-4-2 he has scored plenty of goals including 2 hat tricks and perhaps equally as important loads of assists.
Done says he relishes playing in front of 20000 fans every other week and good on him. However, those fans are getting very nervous about our promotion prospects and there is undoubted pressure building. We fans have been crying out for a new striker for over a year and through circumstances Done is suddenly that striker we are all desperate for. Is he though? Playing for a bigger club brings pressure. Looking at his CV I see a converted winger who has done very well and maybe has been the talisman at Rochdale this season. The lad is only learning his trade as a striker and we should not lose sight of that. In interview Clough was quick to confirm the lad had been playing central striker "but he plays out wide as well and that gives us more options". Is there another striker on the way in the loan window?
Why have I said all that? Expressing my worries publicly I suppose. I think we all need Brayford and Done to succeed; this is a new and vital stage for Clough and the club. But these lads are human beings and there are no guarantees either of them are going to "hit the ground running". Despite all the pressure, we fans need to cut these lads a bit of slack, indeed the whole squad and the manager need support and encouragement not extra pressure from us fans. If things go wrong and Done doesn't score for a while I can imagine the morons in our midsts giving the lad a really hard time. Do you know, I could even imagine them turning on Brayford before long if things are not going well.
In some ways our season starts here. Let's hope Clough makes the right decisions about formation, team selection, gets more men upfield and creates a settled and successful side in time for a real go at the Play-Offs. To do that I do think we need a seasoned or highly talented front running striker though and hopefully we'll get one when the loan window opens. If Done provides the answer then that will be fantastic, but we still need cover for injury and I feel in my bones that Done is the secondary striker not the main one. McNulty and Done, with Higdon on the bench doesn't excite me to be honest.
but it was the manner of the defeat that unsettled me and allowed that nasty thought to cross my mind - "another season in this accursed Division???".
