Woodwardfan
Woodwardfan
- Banned
- #1
We've lost a game. Manager goes from "Hero to Zero". Some fans making sweeping statements re "Doom and Gloom". One or more even talking about giving us up.
But: Sky Bet still have us as favourites. There are still some 45 games to go.
This is the first time our new manager has seen some of our players not defend set-pieces and players who had impressed him so far. Friendlies arranged before he joined us did not test us in that key area.
Isn't it obvious that the new manager is having a good look at the squad. He needs to give all the players the opportunity to perform and to earn their place in his squad. For some the alternative is unemployment so please don't tell me they don't care.
He has signed two strikers and a wide midfielder to date. Why not defenders? Well he must have judged that the strikers previously at the club were not good enough just now; McNulty, Adams, Higdon, no others don't forget with Done injured, so that is fair enough.
He must have detected that there was some value in our defenders, particularly with the forthcoming return of Kennedy and Brayford in due course. Today he learned a lot and in any case who is to say he is not awaiting the release of a couple of Premier League or Championship players on loan and who he knows very well?
The simple fact is that we have lost 3 points and our manager knows he needs probably 3 defenders before January 31st. I think Basham is one of those defenders, but others prefer him in midfield, that is a prime example of the sort of decision our manager has to make. Another is George Long and I fully agree with him having the opportunity to show the manager what he can do; the lad's whole United career is at stake and he had been OK in pre-season. Added to that Howard's career record and fitness record is modest at best, so it was, and is, a worthy test but now he has started it he has to give him some game time to prove or disprove himself.
Somebody said recently that Adkins is delighted with the quality of the squad he inherited. All of a sudden we all know that is not the case. Adkins tries to spin a positive weave on things but he was critical last night and rightly so. But he is weeks into his tenure here, literally weeks. There's a long way to go, even for this season and certainly beyond.
But: Sky Bet still have us as favourites. There are still some 45 games to go.
This is the first time our new manager has seen some of our players not defend set-pieces and players who had impressed him so far. Friendlies arranged before he joined us did not test us in that key area.
Isn't it obvious that the new manager is having a good look at the squad. He needs to give all the players the opportunity to perform and to earn their place in his squad. For some the alternative is unemployment so please don't tell me they don't care.
He has signed two strikers and a wide midfielder to date. Why not defenders? Well he must have judged that the strikers previously at the club were not good enough just now; McNulty, Adams, Higdon, no others don't forget with Done injured, so that is fair enough.
He must have detected that there was some value in our defenders, particularly with the forthcoming return of Kennedy and Brayford in due course. Today he learned a lot and in any case who is to say he is not awaiting the release of a couple of Premier League or Championship players on loan and who he knows very well?
The simple fact is that we have lost 3 points and our manager knows he needs probably 3 defenders before January 31st. I think Basham is one of those defenders, but others prefer him in midfield, that is a prime example of the sort of decision our manager has to make. Another is George Long and I fully agree with him having the opportunity to show the manager what he can do; the lad's whole United career is at stake and he had been OK in pre-season. Added to that Howard's career record and fitness record is modest at best, so it was, and is, a worthy test but now he has started it he has to give him some game time to prove or disprove himself.
Somebody said recently that Adkins is delighted with the quality of the squad he inherited. All of a sudden we all know that is not the case. Adkins tries to spin a positive weave on things but he was critical last night and rightly so. But he is weeks into his tenure here, literally weeks. There's a long way to go, even for this season and certainly beyond.
