Updates from Clough.....

[bartman]

When does McC


McCarthy, rather than getting better as his fitness improves, actually looks worse by the game. His use of the ball is just ridiculous most of the time.
Basham is a poor CM so his moving there from CB just weakens two ares of the team for me.

Don't agree. After his 1st game against Chessie when he obviously wasn't fit ,he has performed consistently well in my opinion from a defensive point of view


McCarthy's distribution is poor but his defensive qualities are considerably better than Collins and McGahey therefore, if Basham is in midfield, McCarthy plays. Basham was excellent against MKD in centre midfield and is a better option than Scougill at the moment and is more physical.

Many fans seem to have a 'downer' on McCarthy similar to how they use to treat Doyle and Flynn. However when McEverley has a poor performance (i.e. on Saturday against PAFC) it appears to be glossed over. As a centre half partnership,I think PM and JE are ideal. With Basham in midfield,we have someone who is box to box and tackles unlike SS,JCR,JM and JB

 

[JasonEllis]

Don't agree. After his 1st game against Chessie when he obviously wasn't fit ,he has performed consistently well in my opinion from a defensive point of view


McCarthy's distribution is poor but his defensive qualities are considerably better than Collins and McGahey therefore, if Basham is in midfield, McCarthy plays. Basham was excellent against MKD in centre midfield and is a better option than Scougill at the moment and is more physical.

Many fans seem to have a 'downer' on McCarthy similar to how they use to treat Doyle and Flynn. However when McEverley has a poor performance (i.e. on Saturday against PAFC) it appears to be glossed over. As a centre half partnership,I think PM and JE are ideal. With Basham in midfield,we have someone who is box to box and tackles unlike SS,JCR,JM and JB

I agree re Basham having usefulness in midfield, but I simply think that Basham is far more effective at CH and that McCarthy has been rather poor.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

Not sure if it was a comment to justify Collins's absence, or if it's a genuine approach, but a few weeks back NC explained his preference for the centre-half pairing that he ideally wants a natural left-sided player as the left of the two. That didn't seem to be an issue with him picking Collins-Maguire last season, but perhaps explains why Collins is probably behind HM2 in the event that J-Mac is unavailable. It's a pity how it's all gone wrong for Collins - there were plenty of games last year where he was excellent, and over the last 3 seasons he'd been one of our most consistent performers.

 

[Newbury Blade]

It's odd and just shows Clough as being too stubborn to realise the value of Bash in central defence. Very frustrating.

I know it's old news, but if Warnock had played Jags at centre-back where we all wanted him to play instead of midfield we would not have got relegated from the Premier League.

He turned out to be rather good there for Everton and England.

He was also a better goalkeeper than some we have had but that's a different issue.

 

[wizadry]

Not sure if it was a comment to justify Collins's absence, or if it's a genuine approach, but a few weeks back NC explained his preference for the centre-half pairing that he ideally wants a natural left-sided player as the left of the two. That didn't seem to be an issue with him picking Collins-Maguire last season, but perhaps explains why Collins is probably behind HM2 in the event that J-Mac is unavailable. It's a pity how it's all gone wrong for Collins - there were plenty of games last year where he was excellent, and over the last 3 seasons he'd been one of our most consistent performers.

Totally agree mate,the times he got Maguire out of the shit was astonishing at times and people gloss over this fact just because Sir Nigel of Cloughness doesn't see fit to pick him.

All blades fans are aloud their own opinions,but to me,a centre back who can't even pass or bring the ball out in this division,in a side with 5 midfielders,like McCarthy can't,is quite shite really to say he's supposedly a Premier league player.Collins can do both those things to a certain degree,and there is no way on earth that McCarthy is any better than our supposable 5th choice centre back.Like iv'e said from day one,McCarthy doesn't offer us anything better than what we already have.

 

[Bladesman]

Or that with the current team,he is better in central midfield as we are currently being outmuscled in there and Wallace is injured. Stubborn or thinking of his best 11 to start (in his opinion)



But Basham is needed in centre midfield until Wallace is fit (ok don't laugh) as Scougill isn't strong enough in there. If Wallace does get fit I would agree.



I think Doyle & Scougill in the centre is too lightweight and we need a Wallace/Basham alongside. I think this is especially important as Murphy and JCR rarely make a tackle



Clough doesn't say that thou does he. He says Basham will start. In my opinion, Basham should start centre mid and Scougill is in a poor run of form at the moment and Basham is the better option. Whether McNulty plays or not is irrelevant to whether McCarthy starts. I suspect he will start with COG upfront on his own on Saturday



errm...considerably better.



And you're evidence Clough has fallen out with Collins is ? There is a difference between 'falling out' and being dropped because the manager doesn't think they are good enough. Clough has openly said Collins can go out on loan. Not exactly a 'I understand ....' moment is it



Agreed



Really ?



The key is, don't treat every unsubstantiated rumour stated on an internet forum as fact.

Yes I heard that from a few people.

They were not happy knowing they would not be regulars in the starting 11. As you can tell from Nigel's summer signings he was planning and still is planning to phase both of them out. Could be bullshit like many rumours though.

 

[wizadry]

Some rumours can end up being true though!

As much as people like to quash such rumours because they don't think such a thing could happen like that at their club is quite laughable at times.Maybe the person that quoted such rumour doesn't want to lead on to who told them,or maybe they are talking bullshit,but to just say don't believe them and quash any rumours without any evidence of it being bullshit is very hypocritical to say the least.

 

[bartman]

You've just agreed

Yes I heard that from a few people.

They were not happy knowing they would not be regulars in the starting 11. .

That's not a falling out thou is it. It is the manager's opinion as to who should be in the team. By this benchmark every manager at every football club is constantly falling out with their players. In professional football,it is a occupational hazard to be dropped from the team.

 

[bartman]

Some rumours can end up being true though!

As much as people like to quash such rumours because they don't think such a thing could happen like that at their club is quite laughable at times.Maybe the person that quoted such rumour doesn't want to lead on to who told them,or maybe they are talking bullshit,but to just say don't believe them and quash any rumours without any evidence of it being bullshit is very hypocritical to say the least.

We all know that people make up rumours at times or try to put two and two together and come up with a ridiculous scenario. It is not a case of not believing them more that they are creating a 'headline' when it isn't really there. e.g. Is it Clough falling out with players or is it a case of Clough not picking them for the first 11 as he doesn't think they are good enough ?

 

[boo radley]

Totally agree.I personally think we have the players at the club to do the buisness in this league if used correctly,but that's not going to happen while ever Cloughy is shoe horning players in,especially in pleasing other people,i.e. NW.

Basham can play in midfield and is getting better there,but he's by far a better Centre Back and should be playing there instead.Always play players in their best positions,it's a no brainer.

Clough has also said he thinks Basham's best position is centre half.

If we're likely to be without Alcock people should remember that we're losing another player who competes well in the air. S24SU probably wants us to line up with...

Howard
Flynn Basham McEveley Harris
JCR Doyle Scougall Murphy
Baxter McNulty​

Which is a team with some decent qualities, but it is also light weight, vulnerable at defensive set pieces and it would have little aerial threat at attacking set pieces + high crosses. People can say that our wingers should whip in low crosses, but they will not always succeed in doing so and if that's the only option we could become predictable.

I've not seen Fleetwood, so don't know what they are like in terms of physicality and height, but having Basham in midfield will at least give us a third player with decent aerial strength. It may be sensible.

Basham may be slightly better at CB but he is also becoming very influential in CM. We are looking for players who can also score and Basham will do that more from CM. It would also strengthen the set piece issue that Bergen Blade talks about if we have a true CM there.
No one seems to be mentioning the fact that Scougall is doing very little at the moment. His movement is shocking and he does not take a chance at getting in the box enough and does not use the pace he has been blessed with. I can see people would like him to come good, (me also) but there seems to be some sentiment with him that if it was someone else would not apply. I did not like Bashams contribution when he first came but to me now he could become one of our most steady players.
Not that CBs have great vision but Basham has less than others there. He does not come out with the ball enough or make the right passes probably lack of confidence in those situations. In CM he runs and has a go. If Doyle sits deep then we need another to have a go.

 

[Grecian2000]

All blades fans are aloud their own opinions,but to me,a centre back who can't even pass or bring the ball out in this division,in a side with 5 midfielders,like McCarthy can't,is quite shite really to say he's supposedly a Premier league player

To be fair to him Wiz, he's come from a Premier League club where he played in the Championship but only appeared once (as a second half sub) in the top flight. Hardly classes him as a PL player so a bit harsh to judge him as one.

Basham may be slightly better at CB but he is also becoming very influential in CM. We are looking for players who can also score and Basham will do that more from CM.

He's scored exactly the same amount of goals from both positions for us though. He may have "an engine" and get about but the one thing he so obviously lacks is any sort of goal scoring instinct from any position.

NB: As I'm not going to Fleetwood I expect to be adding my congratulations on his hat trick tomorrow, back here on Monday.

 

[boo radley]

He's scored exactly the same amount of goals from both positions for us though. He may have "an engine" and get about but the one thing he so obviously lacks is any sort of goal scoring instinct from any position.

NB: As I'm not going to Fleetwood I expect to be adding my congratulations on his hat trick tomorrow, back here on Monday.

I don't know how you can say that. He's been so unlucky lately MK and Notts with those headers.
If he plays more forward than CB he will get far more goals and he is actually out Scougalling Scougall

Hope you're right about the hat trick.

 

[OllyBlade]

I don't know how you can say that. He's been so unlucky lately MK and Notts with those headers.
If he plays more forward than CB he will get far more goals and he is actually out Scougalling Scougall

Hope you're right about the hat trick.

Mmm I hope you're right, but my instinct is that just because Scougall isn't performing well doesn't make Basham the answer. He is clumsy as a midfielder and some of the worst individual performances of the season have come from him in midfield in my opinion. Perhaps though he can do what Coady did last season and once he has one start scoring with regularity. Depending on if you count Scougall as playing there or not, am I right in saying basically not one of our centre mids has scored this season?

 

[Pedro Verde]

I don't know how you can say that. He's been so unlucky lately MK and Notts with those headers.
If he plays more forward than CB he will get far more goals and he is actually out Scougalling Scougall

Hope you're right about the hat trick.

Basham isnt and never will be a regular goalscorer
What is your evidence that he will be
Stick him at CB , hes average at best in CM

 

[forever_blade]

Mmm I hope you're right, but my instinct is that just because Scougall isn't performing well doesn't make Basham the answer. He is clumsy as a midfielder and some of the worst individual performances of the season have come from him in midfield in my opinion. Perhaps though he can do what Coady did last season and once he has one start scoring with regularity. Depending on if you count Scougall as playing there or not, am I right in saying basically not one of our centre mids has scored this season?

Scougall got the winner away at Crewe mate.

For me Basham wasn't the answer for Coady, I feel Clough brought Wallace in to replace Coady however he's spent more time on the treatment table than the pitch.

I reckon Clough's ideal midfield three would be Basham in place of Doyle, Wallace replacing what Coady gave us & Scougs however he hasn't been able to do that on a regular basis for one reason or another.

For me Basham should start at CB, McCarthy should be sent back and we should use the wage elsewhere

 

[UnitedBlade]

Basham isnt and never will be a regular goalscorer
What is your evidence that he will be
Stick him at CB , hes average at best in CM

You only have to look at his career stats 6 goals in 155 games.

He's due one mind, as it looks as if he notches every 26 games or so.

 

[boo radley]

Mmm I hope you're right, but my instinct is that just because Scougall isn't performing well doesn't make Basham the answer. He is clumsy as a midfielder and some of the worst individual performances of the season have come from him in midfield in my opinion. Perhaps though he can do what Coady did last season and once he has one start scoring with regularity. Depending on if you count Scougall as playing there or not, am I right in saying basically not one of our centre mids has scored this season?

I did not think his performances much at the start of the season and also made the comparison with Coady a while ago. Since Basham had those couple of great performances at CB, he ahas played well where ever he has played and is growing more into the CM position than CB. I think he'll be wasted as a CB if he continues to perform so well in CM. We want someone to take control in there and as Doyle does not want to take as much responsibility as he used to Bash could be the one.

 

[boo radley]

Basham isnt and never will be a regular goalscorer
What is your evidence that he will be
Stick him at CB , hes average at best in CM

"Stick him at centre back"! with that statement he should not be playing at all if we're that desperate to accommodate him.
I have no evidence other than the potential I see. Which will be the same evidence you have that he has more quality being a centre back.

 

[Pedro Verde]

Ive seen him at CB and he looks competent and will do a good job at this level
Ive seen him in CM and he looks average I think Doyle has a better strike rate than Basham
so I dont see him being a regular goalscorer and have not seen any poential in him as a goalscorer to alter that view
The only reason that I can see for playing him in CM is because hes bigger than the rest of our dwarf like midfield
and that reason is not good enough to justify him playing that position

 

[Nick Jansky]

I did not think his performances much at the start of the season and also made the comparison with Coady a while ago. Since Basham had those couple of great performances at CB, he ahas played well where ever he has played and is growing more into the CM position than CB. I think he'll be wasted as a CB if he continues to perform so well in CM. We want someone to take control in there and as Doyle does not want to take as much responsibility as he used to Bash could be the one.

He's quickly become an influential player. Reminds me a bit of Keith Eddy, Ken Furphy said he wished he had 2 of them, one for CB & one for CM. Basham took time to settle for various reasons, but really beginning to look the part now, in either position.