Cambridge Vs QPR - EFL Cup Round 1

stoatey
Gerry Francis

Posts: 8,623

Cambridge Vs QPR - EFL Cup Round 1 Aug 14, 2024 17:20:05 GMT

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Post by stoatey on Aug 14, 2024 17:20:05 GMT

Aug 14, 2024 14:57:09 GMT jrperry1882 said:

Worrying how few footballers are actually in this team, once Andersen went off we inept with the ball. Once Smyth went off we had no out ball. Bizarre but we won the game so

I totally agree. The issue we have suffered from over the years is not having a club strategy and one element of that is player recruitment .

The quality of players that we have recruited through both the development squad and the first team has been poor because the hierarchy have allowed managers like Hughes, Redknapp etc., and their agent mates to run the show by recruiting mostly over paid has beens without any attention to developing players for the future .

We have to hope that the recent changes at the club will now start to move things in the right direction but it will take time. We can't be handing out 4 year contracts to players like Hamallianen and Kakay who both became burdens rather than assets.

At the end of last season we had to ship out the following list of players with the majority being under performers.

First Team Squad -Released Players 2024

Willock -Midfield
Armstrong -Striker
Kakay-Right Back
Drewe-Right Back
Dozzell-Midfield
Archer- Goalkeeper
Begovic-Goalkeeper
Adomah-Midfield
Duke McKenna-Midfield
Gubbins-Centre Back

Loan Players-Out

Murphy Cooper-Goalkeeper
Kelman-Striker
Larkeche-Left Back
Taylor Richards-Midfield

It's still too early to make judgements on the following list of Marti's signings but are they really any better than those we released. New players need time to settle but for several of them it looked a bit of culture shock when they faced the robust play of WBA and then Cambridge.

First Team Squad - Permanent 2024

Celar-Striker
Santos-Right Back
Bennie-Midfield
Varane-Midfield
Nardi -Goalkeeper
Morrison-Centre Back

Loan Players -In

Koki-Midfield
Dembele-Midfield

I think Marti is fully aware of our deficiencies but we have so many weaknesses it's going to take several transfer windows to get things sorted.

jrperry1882
Lee Cook

Posts: 629

Cambridge Vs QPR - EFL Cup Round 1 Aug 15, 2024 10:05:29 GMT via mobile

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Post by jrperry1882 on Aug 15, 2024 10:05:29 GMT

stoatey I too agree with this. I do think that it is part of a wider trend in football whereby athletes are prioritised over footballers with skill and intelligence. I would make an argument that pressing symbolises this too. And while it’s an effective defensive strategy, it is somewhat basic — essentially it’s just closing the man down and forcing the mistake. But the number of players who cannot play through the press is tragic and endemic of a game where ability with the ball doesn’t matter now. Players cannot take corners any more. We see less goals from distance (largely owing to data) Free-kicks are worse.

A player that can run for days on end is now sadly valued more. Carlton Palmer used to be a player of ridicule. In todays game he wins 100 caps for England and sells for £70m+

We’ve not had a midfielder that can play properly since Faurlín and Granero. Yes, I know Granero wasn’t a success but he was a technician. But whilst I say this, Jake Clarke-Salter is probably the best footballing defender the club have had in my lifetime (post97)

The worries I do have with some of the signings is that Dembele and Saito could make us a bit one dimensional. Both of them two plus Chair will all want to play in the same space. That said, Georginio Rutter’s move to Brighton means Ilias may not be here at the close of the window now. But yes, it does seem to be that we are moving towards better footballers. Yet they still seem to be in short supply on the pitch.

Last Edit: Aug 15, 2024 10:07:22 GMT by jrperry1882

stoatey
Gerry Francis

Posts: 8,623

Cambridge Vs QPR - EFL Cup Round 1 Aug 15, 2024 12:32:02 GMT

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Post by stoatey on Aug 15, 2024 12:32:02 GMT

Aug 15, 2024 10:05:29 GMT jrperry1882 said:

stoatey I too agree with this. I do think that it is part of a wider trend in football whereby athletes are prioritised over footballers with skill and intelligence. I would make an argument that pressing symbolises this too. And while it’s an effective defensive strategy, it is somewhat basic — essentially it’s just closing the man down and forcing the mistake. But the number of players who cannot play through the press is tragic and endemic of a game where ability with the ball doesn’t matter now. Players cannot take corners any more. We see less goals from distance (largely owing to data) Free-kicks are worse.

A player that can run for days on end is now sadly valued more. Carlton Palmer used to be a player of ridicule. In todays game he wins 100 caps for England and sells for £70m+

We’ve not had a midfielder that can play properly since Faurlín and Granero. Yes, I know Granero wasn’t a success but he was a technician. But whilst I say this, Jake Clarke-Salter is probably the best footballing defender the club have had in my lifetime (post97)

The worries I do have with some of the signings is that Dembele and Saito could make us a bit one dimensional. Both of them two plus Chair will all want to play in the same space. That said, Georginio Rutter’s move to Brighton means Ilias may not be here at the close of the window now. But yes, it does seem to be that we are moving towards better footballers. Yet they still seem to be in short supply on the pitch.

jimjams
Terry Fenwick

Posts: 2,390

Cambridge Vs QPR - EFL Cup Round 1 Aug 15, 2024 21:37:54 GMT via mobile

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Post by jimjams on Aug 15, 2024 21:37:54 GMT

I’ll second jimjams I don’t mind Frey either. Of the three strikers we have, he’s the only one who possesses any level of intelligence. He understands how to press, he can move it a bit better and can bring others into play better than the other two. He’s not great but he’s the best of the bad bunch

Thank you for putting it into words! Spot on

Last Edit: Aug 15, 2024 21:38:38 GMT by jimjams