Paul Coutts haters look away now

[Grizzly blade]

I think it's human nature to express opinion at either end of a spectrum, and also to overreact to short term performance.

Consider the large majority of fans who are happy to be convinced that Nigel Adkins either turned shit overnight, or achieved 4 promotions by luck. That based on one really poor year under difficult circumstances, and 2 shit signings. Football fans are incredibly fickle in their views, yet loyal in their support.

UTB

As far as Adkins is concerned, and any manager we have had you judge each person on the job in hand, and their past experience under similar circumstances rather than just his record of wins, promotions and the like.

As soon as we appointed him and it became clear we were sticking to the plan of affordable investment I knew he was going to struggle. He needed to rebuild a whole squad with a limited budget. When he blew his whole budget on Sharp, Sammon and finally Hammond it showed his lack of brain and confirmed my concerns he had no idea what he was doing.

Adkins needed a huge budget, a bottomless pit almost to bring in a full squad far better than anyone else if he was going to succeed. He inherited finished squads pretty much with the two clubs he had success. When tasked with a job more akin to what we needed with Reading....he bombed.
Finally it seems we have brought in a man who can work under the parameters set of him, a man who has done it under tougher conditions and achieved an impressive success.

Still early days, but already he's shown more actual manager ability with us, than Adkins has in his whole career. I am convinced pretty much any manager could have achieved success with Southampton.

 

[Chali 2na]

For now, with what we have and in the system we’re playing I think it is enough to justify his place. We look a better team with him than without him at present.

Fair enough, I'll concede that based on good form, he's justified his place at the moment.

Is he the long term solution though? My point remains that as much as I appreciate that he's a technically gifted player, does this obvious ability compensate for his shortcomings (no goals, few assists, poor stamina, no pace, poor defensive contribution)?

We all acknowledge that we need goals from midfield don't we? It's brought up frequently on here. If Coutts isn't going to provide these goals, and one of his midfield partners isn't because they are pre-occupied doing his defensive work, where do these goals come from?

I think what the 352 does is make the best use of EEL, JOC (having Wright as sweeper to let them attack everything), Freeman (allows him to get forward and EEL takes some defensive responsibility from him) Coutts and Basham (cover each others weaknesses), Duffy (allows him to get central with attacking license meaning his lack of pace is less of an issue) and the front 2 (3 in midfield means they get a lot more ball to feet rather than having to “make it stick” which they struggled to do with Tuesday’s 442). That’s most of the team benefiting for me. We don’t have sensational wingers. We don’t have a target man available and we don’t have the legs in midfield to play 442 so I think this really helps us. I’d like someone quicker than Lafferty in the LWB role but at least he looks a decent crosser of the ball.

I agree with all of that, but can you see us playing this system consistently, when it relies so heavily on exceptional wing backs?
Are Freeman or Lafferty going to be able to cope when we play teams who play wide, and their full backs double up?

 

[Finn Keane o' Balmaqueen]

Let's see where we are at the end of the season and what he and the others have contributed to that position.

As for the newspaper it's written for, make yer minds up, one day it's garbage, the next it's providing articles that you like.
A bit hypocritical or just selective reading?

 

[sitwell]

Let's see where we are at the end of the season and what he and the others have contributed to that position.

As for the newspaper it's written for, make yer minds up, one day it's garbage, the next it's providing articles that you like.
A bit hypocritical or just selective reading?

I read it on Twitter ,don't know if that makes it any better or not really
Do like Kevin Gage though ,he would be much better than Edwards on commentary I reckon ,not hat I ever hear it mind.

 

[Finn Keane o' Balmaqueen]

I read it on Twitter ,don't know if that makes it any better or not really
Do like Kevin Gage though ,he would be much better than Edwards on commentary I reckon ,not hat I ever hear it mind.

Give Edwards' a season off. Try a new flavour, a player from the last decade perhaps?
Twitter's cool, if played in the right way, don't believe the nonsense some write on it. My feed is sublime...
Gage, how's he got The Star gig?

 

[sitwell]

Give Edwards' a season off. Try a new flavour, a player from the last decade perhaps?
Twitter's cool, if played in the right way, don't believe the nonsense some write on it. My feed is sublime...
Gage, how's he got The Star gig?

I like a nosey ,very rarely post unless I like upsetting someone like that cunt from Reverend and the makers and Mark the pitsmoor pig ,follow my Lydon Ill follow you back ,Im sitwellsheff

 

[Finn Keane o' Balmaqueen]

I like upsetting someone like that cunt from Reverend and the makers

Just for that.
Have a like.

Name noted...

 

[Trigger Blade]

Trigger, what is your fascination with my finances? It really is weird.

I have no interest in your finances. It's really weird how you've arrived at the conclusion I'm fascinated by them.

 

[robbiez666]

Heartening to know that all you have to do is go from being garbage to average in order to trigger a forum-wide throb on.

Go write your name in the stars Couttsy lad, you prince among men.

It's surprising how much motivation an ucoming contract expiry can give.

 

[Chali 2na]

It's surprising how much motivation an ucoming contract expiry can give.

Very good point Robbie. I think many may be overlooking this.

 

[Iceybabey]

Coutts wouldn't be in the team if he'd not earned it. We know enough about Wilder now to understand how the gaffer works. Coutts is obviously getting his head down and grafting and demonstrating effort on the pitch. And even if his motivation is down to his contract situation hes going the right about it. He's clearly grafting in training and looking to be a TEAM player on the pitch. Say we do offer him a new contract because he's earned it, do we think Wilder is the type to let him go back to mediocrity? One thing Wilder is doing is putting the mentality into the players to not rest on a few good wins and a few good performances. Wilder wants us to keep striving and pushing. It's how you create a hunger. Wilder in a sense is making the players bellys grow so a small amount doesn't fill them up. My point is I can't see players going backwards under Wilder.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

Didn't he lay one on a plate at Chesterfield too ?


We were forced into it on Tuesday and was the reason we didn't dominate as much. I actually think Wilder would prefer 4-4-2 but your have to get 2 really good midfielders to play that these days as they will invariably be up against 3 opposition. Duffy has been the disappointment for me so far ,he tends to break moves down and haven't seen that much from him yet. Hope he comes good because he has talent.


Is it always going to be 3 or 4 games in some peoples eyes ,even though its far more. Why wont people accept that he didn't 'mug us off' ,same as Brayford didn't ,these guys have come back from bad injury in the game that earns them a living. You have to give them time to heal both mentally and physically ,to say they are mugging us off is totally unfair.

I think he might have got an assist at Chesterfield now you mention it. In fact, didn’t he also get one at home to Doncaster?



I take your point regarding the injury but let’s bear in mind Coutts suffered the dislocated knee in September 2013. An injury that was expected to keep him out for 5 months at the time. He was back playing for Derby in cup and reserve games the following season before we signed him in January 2015. It’s taken him around 2 years to reach an acceptable level of fitness which doesn’t’ say great things about him. The fact he was quite happy to laugh about being regularly fined for being too fat doesn’t say good things about him either. He has showed in short spells what he can bring to the team when he fancies it. He needs to make sure he fancies it on a consistent basis. The signs are better this season. He needs to keep it going. If he’s still doing well come xmas then we can genuinely call him an asset and consider giving him a new deal.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

As far as Adkins is concerned, and any manager we have had you judge each person on the job in hand, and their past experience under similar circumstances rather than just his record of wins, promotions and the like.

As soon as we appointed him and it became clear we were sticking to the plan of affordable investment I knew he was going to struggle. He needed to rebuild a whole squad with a limited budget. When he blew his whole budget on Sharp, Sammon and finally Hammond it showed his lack of brain and confirmed my concerns he had no idea what he was doing.

Adkins needed a huge budget, a bottomless pit almost to bring in a full squad far better than anyone else if he was going to succeed. He inherited finished squads pretty much with the two clubs he had success. When tasked with a job more akin to what we needed with Reading....he bombed.
Finally it seems we have brought in a man who can work under the parameters set of him, a man who has done it under tougher conditions and achieved an impressive success.

Still early days, but already he's shown more actual manager ability with us, than Adkins has in his whole career. I am convinced pretty much any manager could have achieved success with Southampton.

But following relegation, he completely rebuilt Scunthorpe’s team on a shoestring and got them back to the championship before going to Southampton. I think any manager would have struggled last season; especially one who was so different in style to Clough as they were his players and there were a ridiculous number of them contracted to the club. The best thing we could have done with that squad would be to let Clough have another season given that we weren't going to overhaul that season anyway. Wilder had a relatively clean slate after being able to dump 10 out of contract players and the loans as soon as he walked through the door on top of those Adkins had already moved on making it a very different job.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

Fair enough, I'll concede that based on good form, he's justified his place at the moment.

Is he the long term solution though? My point remains that as much as I appreciate that he's a technically gifted player, does this obvious ability compensate for his shortcomings (no goals, few assists, poor stamina, no pace, poor defensive contribution)?

We all acknowledge that we need goals from midfield don't we? It's brought up frequently on here. If Coutts isn't going to provide these goals, and one of his midfield partners isn't because they are pre-occupied doing his defensive work, where do these goals come from?



I agree with all of that, but can you see us playing this system consistently, when it relies so heavily on exceptional wing backs?
Are Freeman or Lafferty going to be able to cope when we play teams who play wide, and their full backs double up?

Re Coutts, as I say in my post above, if he can keep the form up til xmas, I can maybe start to believe he is a longer term solution. If we stick with the current system, I’m hopeful Duffy will help solve our problem of lack of midfield goals as he’s given the most license to get forward and support the front 2. So far this season we’ve had Duffy, Basham, Scougall and Chapman get on the score sheet from midfield with Freeman, Wilson and EEL chipping in from defence. That’s 7 goals that have come from midfield and defence so far. I’m not sure how that compares to the rest of the league but seems reasonably healthy to me (especially considering none came in the first 3 games so those 7 have all come in the last 8 games).

 

[PeteBlade]

The circumstances have already changed my view of Freeman for instance, who I wanted gone at the close of last season. I'm happy to acknowledge his vast improvement. I think Coutts has improved too actually, just not enough to warrant him being everyones flavour of the month.

But I do agree with your last paragraph, because there's plenty on here who are determined to slate Scougall and Sharp at every given turn, for no good reason at all. Which is something I hate quite frankly.

I find that those who take a dislike to a player such as Scoogs or Sharp as you mention don't actually watch us play, so it's a lot easier to stick to an original opinion.

 

[bobbofit]

I think he might have got an assist at Chesterfield now you mention it. In fact, didn’t he also get one at home to Doncaster?



I take your point regarding the injury but let’s bear in mind Coutts suffered the dislocated knee in September 2013. An injury that was expected to keep him out for 5 months at the time. He was back playing for Derby in cup and reserve games the following season before we signed him in January 2015. It’s taken him around 2 years to reach an acceptable level of fitness which doesn’t’ say great things about him. The fact he was quite happy to laugh about being regularly fined for being too fat doesn’t say good things about him either. He has showed in short spells what he can bring to the team when he fancies it. He needs to make sure he fancies it on a consistent basis. The signs are better this season. He needs to keep it going. If he’s still doing well come xmas then we can genuinely call him an asset and consider giving him a new deal.

I remember hearing that soon after returning from the dislocated kneecap he suffered a serious injury when he had a piece of bone chipped off his hip in a pretty shocking tackle. Hopefully he's over all these injuries and stats fit for a long time. Now that he has some better ball players around him a really fit Coutts could shine.

 

[corneto]

i was one of coutts biggest critics but these last few games he has been transformed by wilders cajoling,he seems to be prepared to actually take some responsibility now and drive forward rather than just make the easy square pass.long may this continue

 

[Grizzly blade]

Watched the Bladesplayer....sorry but if anyone still thinks Coutts isn't a top quality footballer in this division then they may as well give up watching the game.
Think he misplaced a pass maybe three or four times....his first touch is sublime. He's running the show, and he did have I think four shots which were each charged down bar one which he dragged wide with his left foot.
But his range of passing is that of a premier league footballer, and if he stays fit and continues his rate of improvement in his fitness he will be picked up by a higher league club. I would even say premier league club.

Him and Fleck....controlled the midfield better than any side I can remember. Granted I know it's league one, but it's a huge improvement on what we have seen. I'm personally chuffed for the lad.

 

[Jacopo]

I remember hearing that soon after returning from the dislocated kneecap he suffered a serious injury when he had a piece of bone chipped off his hip in a pretty shocking tackle. Hopefully he's over all these injuries and stats fit for a long time. Now that he has some better ball players around him a really fit Coutts could shine.

I think a lot of people also forget the effect an injury can have on a players mental fitness. Years ago, I played at a very amateur level and I suffered quite a minor injury, but it involved broken ribs. I was physically fit again after a few weeks but I was neshing out of challenges and I didn't want to get involved in anything remotely physical. I was doing so without even realising and that was not normally how I played. I prided myself on being aggressive in my all round play.

Even though I knew I was fit and strong enough, it took much much longer for me to get the confidence back in my body. That mental process took much, much longer than the physical healing.

My point is, maybe Coutts has had something similar with all his injuries and niggles. Now that he's been fit for a prolonged period maybe he is finally fully confident in his own body/ability and we're now seeing how Coutts really is as a player. Whatever it is, long may it continue.

 

[Grizzly blade]

Don't be daft....these lads are machines and not affected by past injuries and other mental aspects of the game....those players have just been shit and scrounged a wage for 2 years and are only playing now because they want a new contract somewhere.

 

[Pinchy]

To paraphrase Lloyd Bridges:

"Sure picked the wrong place to be a proper footballer..."