Updates from the Gaffer

[bartman]

I disagree,you might think theyv'e got better but in actual fact we are never getting tested enough to judge whether we're better or not.The sides we've been playing recently have been non existent as an attacking force and the very few times we do get tested they end up breaching us,so if anything,we don't really know is the proper answer until we're well and truly tested.

yet we had one of the worst goals against records before he came. Strange that

 

[bartman]

True, but how much better would they be if they did train together

or if we didn't agree to this,how uch worse with Collins in there ?

 

[wizadry]

yet we had one of the worst goals against records before he came. Strange that

Opposition has a lot to do with it,plus a lot of players getting used to playing together.

 

[Mancblade1889]

Why is it a joke ? We are accommodating a player who is by far our best defender and the more games he has played the better our defence has become. Would you rather have Collins back there ?

It's a joke that we allowing a player to train elsewhere how desperate are we to get players to play for us. Yes I would rather we had one of our youth team players playing at the back than
Somebody who really can't be arsed and by the way he is no Paolo maldini

 

[Bladesman]

True our defence may have improved since his arrival but he must train with the rest of the squad. From what I have read it seemed like us agreeing to this arrangement has made the deal happen otherwise he would not have signed.

Is this really the crap you have to agree to? Just to get a player that isn't even yours and who will piss off after a couple of months.

 

[Pedro Verde]

by the way he is no Paolo maldini

Well there really is only ONE Paulo Maldini and he would be far too good to appear in the 3rd tier of English Football

 

[bartman]

It's a joke that we allowing a player to train elsewhere how desperate are we to get players to play for us. Yes I would rather we had one of our youth team players playing at the back than
Somebody who really can't be arsed and by the way he is no Paolo maldini

So you'd rather have a youth player,probably concede more goals because of that and lose more games. Yep,perfect sense

 

[bartman]

Opposition has a lot to do with it,plus a lot of players getting used to playing together.

You tend to give the better players from Premier League clubs more leeway. Our back 4 is not exactly our problem area at the moment is it

 

[Jonboy60]

Ha ha...just wait till you find out where Porter 'trains'..

Porter trains,?

 

[Mancblade1889]

So you'd rather have a youth player,probably concede more goals because of that and lose more games. Yep,perfect sense

No you plonker what I am saying is I would rather have someone committed to the cause not some premier league player just turning up because he can't get a game for his parent club and treating this club like shit. It's 170 mile away from London not the other end of the world some people travel to London do a 8 hour shift and travel home what's wrong with this dick. Rant over

 

[Cyprus Blade]

Porter trains,?

Has to train it - had to sell the car due to a drop in wages. Mind you he could stop at home for all the game time he has had.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

No you plonker what I am saying is I would rather have someone committed to the cause not some premier league player just turning up because he can't get a game for his parent club and treating this club like shit. It's 170 mile away from London not the other end of the world some people travel to London do a 8 hour shift and travel home what's wrong with this dick. Rant over

I don't really see what the issue is. He's dropped down two leagues to play for us - naturally we're going to flexible if NC feels he's worth it. I don't see it being too different to getting someone to sign for us by throwing more money at them, and from what I've seen of him McCarthy has looked on the pitch to be just as committed as those around him.

 

[Mancblade1889]

I don't really see what the issue is. He's dropped down two leagues to play for us - naturally we're going to flexible if NC feels he's worth it. I don't see it being too different to getting someone to sign for us by throwing more money at them, and from what I've seen of him McCarthy has looked on the pitch to be just as committed as those around him.

1. It cannot be good for team morale for in any shape or form. It's human nature that someone doing the same job as the next man but getting preferential treatment is going to upset others.
2. How does it help the team with the understanding of playing with each other and defending set pieces etc
3. How can NC possibly pick a player that he is not seeing day to day and just assume his form is ok because he plays for a premier league club.
4. Don't think we are that short of cover in this position to be that desperate for this to be allowed.

 

[Bladepicker]

He only trains light in the week due to his injuries. Paul McGrath did something similar for the last few years of his career and was one of the best defenders I have seen when he came to us.

He comes up the day before the match when the players will focus on the opposition and plans for thr game. His experience and leadership is clear and is not unusual for big defenders with dodgy knees.

 

[wizadry]

I will say it again,we are hardly getting tested at the back to judge whether we are better with him or not,and like i say the few times we are tested we get breached.I'm struggling to see where he has benefited us that much tbh.Just because he plays for a Premiership club doesn't mean he gets a free pass,and he certainly isn't Paul Mcgrath.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

He only trains light in the week due to his injuries. Paul McGrath did something similar for the last few years of his career and was one of the best defenders I have seen when he came to us.

He comes up the day before the match when the players will focus on the opposition and plans for thr game. His experience and leadership is clear and is not unusual for big defenders with dodgy knees.

This fucker from Palace is no Paul McGrath

 

[Bladepicker]

This fucker from Palace is no Paul McGrath

Agree, that was not my point. My point was that plenty of other defenders with long standing injuries don't train in the week, McGrath was used as an example.

 

[Bladepicker]

I will say it again,we are hardly getting tested at the back to judge whether we are better with him or not,and like i say the few times we are tested we get breached.I'm struggling to see where he has benefited us that much tbh.Just because he plays for a Premiership club doesn't mean he gets a free pass,and he certainly isn't Paul Mcgrath.

Again, I wasn't comparing his ability to McGrath just his training methods.

I see what you are saying but he definitely organises better than Collins and him and Basham have looked our most assured pairing.

Whether you think him good enough or not is personal opinion, but to say, like some have suggested, we should play a youth player there instead of him just because he doesn't train is a bit silly. Plenty do it that way, McGrath was just an example.

 

[wizadry]

Again, I wasn't comparing his ability to McGrath just his training methods.

I see what you are saying but he definitely organises better than Collins and him and Basham have looked our most assured pairing.

Whether you think him good enough or not is personal opinion, but to say, like some have suggested, we should play a youth player there instead of him just because he doesn't train is a bit silly. Plenty do it that way, McGrath was just an example.

I said that about McGrath just incase some people think he is,when he clearly isn't fit to lace his boots.

Iv'e never said put a youth player in,we have plenty of defenders here who can do a job at this level and don't let the recent upturn in defencive capabilities fool you,fixtures have been kind to us recently and this has a lot to do with it.

We've got Macarthy fit now for NW so we've done our jobhe goes back down south so we'll see if we can cope without him,which i think we can btw.Basham and one of either Mcgahey or McEveley is plenty good enough in this league.

Our tactics should have been to score our way out of this league and to not worry too much about the defence,this is a long way from happening though.If we can get a couple of decent loans in with a view to buy we are still in a decent position to go for that second spot but we have to act quick.

 

[Bladepicker]

Didn't mean you with the youth player comment wizadry - fair points though, I rate McCarthy though.

Agree we need a striker, but whatever league you are in, long term success is built on a firm defence.

 

[sitwell]

Kennedy only trains a couple of times a week I have been told. McCarthy goes back, basham gets injured then what ? Clough gets slagged for not getting players in then get a slagging for getting one in.

 

[wizadry]

Kennedy only trains a couple of times a week I have been told. McCarthy goes back, basham gets injured then what ? Clough gets slagged for not getting players in then get a slagging for getting one in.

We have Mceveley,Mcgahey,Basham,Alcock,Collins and Kennedy who can all play CB,that should be plenty in terms of quantity and quality against most sides in this league.

 

[wizadry]

Didn't mean you with the youth player comment wizadry - fair points though, I rate McCarthy though.

Agree we need a striker, but whatever league you are in, long term success is built on a firm defence.

I'm not saying McCarthy's crap btw,i just don't like quick or temp fixes when we have to play our own when he goes back anyway.I'd rather us get a settled pairing of our players then take it from there.

I agree on the long term success quote and i'd say we need another 2 strikers.Almost all sides that are succesful have an abundance of strikers to choose from,we have 2 and half,2 of those being out injured or scrapping.

 

[Mancblade1889]

Agree, that was not my point. My point was that plenty of other defenders with long standing injuries don't train in the week, McGrath was used as an example.

He doesn't train with us because of his family nothing to do with injuries

 

[Bladepicker]

He doesn't train with us because of his family nothing to do with injuries

He does train light in the week, due to his injuries which I am sure is a contributing factor in why we let Palace manage it and him stay close to his family.

My point was there have been many players that don't train with their team in the week, it is nothing new and worth it when you look at the context around this deal.

 

[Cyprus Blade]

For me the issue about where Paddy trains (apart from not building up relationships with the other players) is more to do with whether he is a potential permanent addition or not - which, given that he trains in London and wants to, seems highly unlikely. Whether he would consider moving north for a permanent move is a moot point I suppose but I have to say that he doesn't appear to be a player on loan with a view to a permanent signing, which I would much prefer.

 

[HoodedClaw]

I do struggle with this one. I'm not that bothered if he doesn't train with us all week, I just don't see what benefit there is for us if he's only going to be here 'til January?

If he'd come on a season long loan then fair enough.

I'm going to make an assumption that part of the agreement with NW is that if McCarthy is fit he must play (bar cup comps) so come January when he goes we start the most important part of the season with, effectively, a new CB partnership.

It just doesn't make sense to me.

 

[Reedy1889]

Read this quote from the gaffer on the Sheffield Star website earlier this morning

“Right now, we’ve got Diego, Jose Baxter, little Jam [Jamal Campbell-Ryce] had a run up front against Crewe, as did Jamie Murphy, and we’ve got Chris Porter and Michael Higdon. So we have enough players to fill the position, but we need sufficient quality.”

Does this mean Higdon is fit (I'm sure i read/heard he'd suffered some sort of injury (Hamstring was it?)) or just that McNulty is completely out of the picture now after the recent incident?...