Yousef Salech

[kendoddsdadsdogsdead]

Back in the day, they named Will Carling as captain of the Lions...a certain Scott Gibbs kept him out of the Test matches...sometimes you have to do what you have to do

[jon1959]

I agree its about balance, but I'm pretty terrified of the kind of signings our much fabled recruitment team will cook up if they're given the brief of "experienced League 1 players"

The team on Thursday was young but there was also some experience in all thirds of the pitch. It may have been his first start but the keeper was a 27 year old who's played at this level and higher before, including the Danish top flight, at centre back was a 30 year old former England international with almost 200 PL games under his belt, our holding midfielder was a 28 year old with over 300 EFL appearances and on the wing we had a 27 year old who played almost 200 Championship games. That's a decent amount of experience, what they lack sadly is almost any kind of physical edge in a game that is increasingly concerned with speed. I reckon the worst thing we could do is bring in someone like Grant Hanley (off the top of my head I think he's available for free) and partner him with Chambers, we'd end up with the worst of both worlds - no youthful exuberance/quality and no physical edge in favour of experience

Personally I think keeping Joe Ralls would have gone some way to addressing the concerns about on and off field leadership, I also think making Chambers captain could have been a mistake despite him feeling like the natural option due to his seniority

One problem solved - Grant Hanley signed for Hibs (2 year contract) 5 days ago!

[delmbox]

I’m totally relaxed. You’re the one who’s whinging. “The kids, the poor kids, won’t somebody think of the kids?”

🤣

TLG, I've "known" you on here since 2008, not once during that entire time have you been relaxed. You're more uptight than a parchutist's backpack strap but I generally like your posts so leave me alone

[Tuerto]

I tend to agree, which is why I said the worst thing I think we could do is play them alongside any experienced signings, which is what I think would inevitably happen. It would take a brave manager to make Calum Chambers captain, then drop him.

Something else I'd mention is the recruitment setup at the club, like I said I'd hate to see the kind of players they'd sign with the "experienced League 1" remit. Are they capable of identifying courage & leadership? After all its the same guys who brought in Chambers, Willock et al and loaded our team with slow players

We need a couple of players who can manage situations during a game, we don't have any, they all seem to fold up or continue to do the same things that aren't working. I have absolutely no evidence to state this, but i do believe that the children of Pep (nearly any new coach in the age range of 38-45 have way too much influence on how games should be managed these days, and players continue to carry out the coaches tactical wishes when it's detrimental to performance and result. I think that modern coaches are so bogged down in detail that they forget that players can make decisions that suit the way a game is going at any given time.

[Father Dougal]

We need a couple of players who can manage situations during a game, we don't have any, they all seem to fold up or continue to do the same things that aren't working. I have absolutely no evidence to state this, but i do believe that the children of Pep (nearly any new coach in the age range of 38-45 have way too much influence on how games should be managed these days, and players continue to carry out the coaches tactical wishes when it's detrimental to performance and result. I think that modern coaches are so bogged down in detail that they forget that players can make decisions that suit the way a game is going at any given time.

Really like this.

I always wanted man u to lose under Ferguson but I think his teams were a good example of what you mean. Yes they were structured and everyone knew their jobs of course but on the pitch you always felt the players would find a way of getting the job done eg in the CL final gary neville sprinted to take a throw in on the left wing from right back that they equalised from as he spotted something.

Fergies man u had so many leaders. Leaders in every position really. Same as wengers arsenal.Compare that to modern day arsenal and man u.
Football was definitely more entertaining in the 90s and most of the 00s until pep came along and killed football.

[TheBirchgrovePub]

Ralls without a club I wonder if BBM would swallow his pride and get him in with what he’s seeing? Even from the bench he would provide leadership in the changing room. Towards the end of last season he was travelling to Sheffield Utd etc whilst not even in the squad.

It worries me that BBM has identified three as coming in and mentioned waiting until Premier League squads have finalised their squads - I would assume this would be for loans and therefore youngsters? Not sure where the experience is coming in

[Father Dougal]

Ralls without a club I wonder if BBM would swallow his pride and get him in with what heÂ’s seeing? Even from the bench he would provide leadership in the changing room. Towards the end of last season he was travelling to Sheffield Utd etc whilst not even in the squad.

It worries me that BBM has identified three as coming in and mentioned waiting until Premier League squads have finalised their squads - I would assume this would be for loans and therefore youngsters? Not sure where the experience is coming in

Nothing against ralls but him entering mid August without a Club isn't a big surprise surely?

He may sign a pay as you play with a league 1 club at some stage but can't see him getting anything else?

[TheBirchgrovePub]

Nothing against ralls but him entering mid August without a Club isn't a big surprise surely?

He may sign a pay as you play with a league 1 club at some stage but can't see him getting anything else?

I agree - it would be about what he can do off the pitch as much as on it. Though dare I say it he would’ve been a bit of a calming influence on the pitch on Thursday night whilst we were getting ran over constantly

[The Lone Gunman]

Ralls without a club I wonder if BBM would swallow his pride and get him in with what he’s seeing? Even from the bench he would provide leadership in the changing room. Towards the end of last season he was travelling to Sheffield Utd etc whilst not even in the squad.

Fat lot of good it did….

Ralls was always a committed player who gave his all and he came across as a good professional, but I’ve never classified him as a leader.

[TheBirchgrovePub]

Fat lot of good it didÂ….

Ralls was always a committed player who gave his all and he came across as a good professional, but IÂ’ve never classified him as a leader.

Disagree completely heÂ’s not a leader. Everyone involved in the promotion season talks highly about him being the driving force even without the armband. All the off the field stuff he gets involved in, respected by everyone around the club. The game has moved on and you donÂ’t need to be Roy Keane wiping out 3 people to show you care as a leader, leading by example will do.

CanÂ’t blame anyone having an opinion on his ability and whether he fits into a BBM team but not a leader is way off the mark

(and yes relegation does happen even with the captain being a leader - especially with the circus in charge)

[The Lone Gunman]

Disagree completely heÂ’s not a leader.

Fair enough. You’re fully entitled to your opinion, as I am to mine.

[blue matt]

Disagree completely heÂ’s not a leader. Everyone involved in the promotion season talks highly about him being the driving force even without the armband. All the off the field stuff he gets involved in, respected by everyone around the club. The game has moved on and you donÂ’t need to be Roy Keane wiping out 3 people to show you care as a leader, leading by example will do.

CanÂ’t blame anyone having an opinion on his ability and whether he fits into a BBM team but not a leader is way off the mark

(and yes relegation does happen even with the captain being a leader - especially with the circus in charge)

agreed, anyone involved with the club knew what Joe brought to the party, wasnt he club captain for 3 seasons ? ? under all them different managers and they all never got someone else to do it

[Father Dougal]

agreed, anyone involved with the club knew what Joe brought to the party, wasnt he club captain for 3 seasons ? ? under all them different managers and they all never got someone else to do it

To play and be a leader I can see that as he can lead by example with attitude on the pitch and I don't think even his biggest critics would ever question his attitude.

However the suggestion now seems to be to bring him back to sit on the coach for away games to provide leadership from there? Would be a pretty damning indictment on the coaching staff if they brought him back for that option.

[Wash DC Blue]

There was so much talk of Aaron Ramsey being a leader off the pitch and as much as I love him, it didn’t help at all.

A few experienced, players with a physical presence are most definitely needed at Centre Back and Centre Midfield even if it’s just journeymen that could just a job for a season or two.

There was a saying that you had to earn the right to play and in this division I think it rings true.

[Rock_Flock_of_Five]

We need leaders out on the field, not sat on the bus or in the dugout.

[Jordi Culé]

We need a couple of players who can manage situations during a game, we don't have any, they all seem to fold up or continue to do the same things that aren't working. I have absolutely no evidence to state this, but i do believe that the children of Pep (nearly any new coach in the age range of 38-45 have way too much influence on how games should be managed these days, and players continue to carry out the coaches tactical wishes when it's detrimental to performance and result. I think that modern coaches are so bogged down in detail that they forget that players can make decisions that suit the way a game is going at any given time.

Common (football) sense is coached out of players and being replaced by the coaches philosophy which some have imagined up after watching Pep speak on football focus. They then stick to that mantra even though the team they've 'created' is pisssing in the wind performance and results wise. The silly sods then see one decent passage of play and convince themselves they are right to continue pisssing in the wind.

I honestly think some coaches see themselves as footballing gurus and not coaches.

Russel Martin always springs to mind.

[Tuerto]

Common (football) sense is coached out of players and being replaced by the coaches philosophy which some have imagined up after watching Pep speak on football focus. They then stick to that mantra even though the team they've 'created' is pisssing in the wind performance and results wise. The silly sods then see one decent passage of play and convince themselves they are right to continue pisssing in the wind.

I honestly think some coaches see themselves as footballing gurus and not coaches.

Russel Martin always springs to mind.

Super russ.... Yeah, he fascinates me, i've never seen such Puerile methods, That man is not for changing...... Good bloke though apparently, bit of a leftie and doesn't touch any form of social media, although that's probably because he lives in a cave, staring at a tactics board with a picture of Pep above it..

[fugsyphil]

If Ralls is the answer then we're asking the wrong question

[NYCBlue]

Nothing against ralls but him entering mid August without a Club isn't a big surprise surely?

He may sign a pay as you play with a league 1 club at some stage but can't see him getting anything else?

He's only 31. He's had a long career and never played below Championship level. If there's nothing wrong with him physically, I can't see him not getting a contract before the end of the month. I'd take him back as a squad player in a heartbeat.

[A Quiet Monkfish]

He's only 31. He's had a long career and never played below Championship level. If there's nothing wrong with him physically, I can't see him not getting a contract before the end of the month. I'd take him back as a squad player in a heartbeat.

I've never been his greatest fan but it's hard not to imagine him being quite at home in league 1, especially with so much inexperience around him. Personally I was surprised they let him go. I suspect that he doesn't fit in with BBM's football philosophy. [then again, Chambers seems to have impressed him].