I do wonder if CW is playing the long game. Having bought SB & knowing JL will possibly/probably depart, he is keen to bed in SB whilst we have a final 10 game run in with no pressure of having to get points to stay up [which is unprecedented in football in the PL]. It gives game time to try a few options if he wants. Whilst if things went well & Europe was on then great, but that is not his primary focus, that is looking beyond this season. If he can get SB sorted then that will be 1 less to introduce to the team before any new additions join. Teams that add 3 - 4 players often start slowly as they get OK with the system, & ours is complicated!
The injuries & sending off will also give him chance to see the mettle of those that come in, & to confirm that we are a bit thin beyond the first 14. He has already said that we have been in contact with those we are interested in signing, & probably knows who he would be willing to sell.
Also all 3 promoted clubs lost over the weekend to a goals ratio of 8-1, & possibly 2 will go back down to the Championship, this could have been us but for the first 28 games & CW will be keen to make a good start next season, & I think he is using the current run of games to prepare for that.
One telling statement from yesterday was that since August we have only lost to L/pool, MC & NU, which is fantastic in reality.
MTLBWY
UTB
Good points your Reverence.
I'll repeat what I've said previously: I think Berge was bought to be a central midfielder, competition for Norwood. The reason why he hasn't been deployed in that role so far is because Norwood has been outstanding - pre lockdown.
I'm reluctant to pass opinion on Berge because he has come from a totally different standard of football and he's admitted himself it's a huge step up in pace, in skill, everything. I've also seen many players down the years who didn't impress at first but went on to be key players for us. The issue for Berge is probably one of fan's expectations as much as anything else - we aren't used to spending that kind of money on one player and we thought we'd be able to see the reason why from his first kick of a ball - and we can't!
I watched him really closely v Villa and I thought he used the ball very well on occasions, he's a calming influence and I like that about him, however, a calming influence is great when you want to slow the game down, but when you want to speed it up and get more urgency running through the team he doesn't seem like the best option at present. The lad just doesn't impose himself on the game in the way that we've seen him do it on YouTube at his previous club. He also seems to be struggling to adapt to the pace of our game and he got caught in possession and fluffed a fair few passes as well. If I was writing a report on his progress it would read like my old school reports,
"Could do better".
I think the only way that he's going to adapt is for him to have exposure to more games at this level. To that extent I agree with you that there is an element of "bedding in" that may be going on. The only thing I'd say to that though is, fine...whilst we are playing well and winning, but based on the performances and results of the last 2 games I doubt that Wilder will put the long term future of Berge ahead of short-term results. So I'm expecting to see him dropped to the bench for the next game.
As for Lundstram, his rise from bang-averageness to where he is this season is nothing short of remarkable. I still think there's a bang-average player in there, waiting to get out, and I think he shows that fairly regularly with his ability to vanish for large periods during a match. But when he's on it, he's on it. And he has a spark and a sense of urgency, coupled with good technique, that put him ahead of Berge in the selection process for me. I don't think he will be here next season. I think he has his eyes set on perceived bigger things. I'm sure if Liverpool came in for him he'd walk back over the Pennines to play for them. But somehow I think it's more likely he'll end up back on Merseyside with Everton - and finish his career with Tranmere Rovers.
