Ben Brereton Diaz

[Gloucester Saint]

2 minutes ago, egg said:

Yep. Fraser is a trier that's for sure. I still think BBD may have something through the middle, and if he'd taken the pen as he should have done and scored, who knows how the match would have gone and what we'd be saying about him! 

I was surprised to see Archer on the penalty, I assumed it would be BBD based on previous track record when AA isn’t selected. 

[egg]

1 minute ago, Gloucester Saint said:

I was surprised to see Archer on the penalty, I assumed it would be BBD based on previous track record when AA isn’t selected. 

Same. BBD was the obvious choice, and Archer looked like a rabbit in the headlights. I reckon young Tyler would have been more confident than Archer, and he certainly couldn't have done any worse. 

[AlexLaw76]

what a weird signing....millions of £££ thrown at this

Sports Republic for you

[Mr X]

A signing that reeks of desperation he's looked no better than AA and that's saying something 

[Bob60]

43 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

what a weird signing....millions of £££ thrown at this

Sports Republic for you

Bugger me but you don't half like to moan. 

 

[S-Clarke]

Looks a bit of a carthorse from the left, can understand why he was subbed by Chlie.

Maybe he'd be better through the middle?  Doesn't look dynamic enough to me, would fit better in a gung-ho playing off a target man/route 1 style team. Looks lost in a passing team as I don't think he's technically good enough.

[Gloucester Saint]

3 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

Looks a bit of a carthorse from the left, can understand why he was subbed by Chlie.

Maybe he'd be better through the middle?  Doesn't look dynamic enough to me, would fit better in a gung-ho playing off a target man/route 1 style team. Looks lost in a passing team as I don't think he's technically good enough.

I reckon BBD will do OK under whoever the new manager is, as I don’t think RM will survive much after the Ipswich game unless it’s an unlikely win. But yes, needs to play through the middle. Obvious to anyone with a football background that he isn’t a wide player.

[Mr X]

18 minutes ago, Gloucester Saint said:

I reckon BBD will do OK under whoever the new manager is, as I don’t think RM will survive much after the Ipswich game unless it’s an unlikely win. But yes, needs to play through the middle. Obvious to anyone with a football background that he isn’t a wide player.

If there's still no points on the board after the Ipswich and Bournemouth games as I suspect there might be things will get difficult for Martin, the club won't take any action if they can help it though as it makes them look a complete laughing stock after offering a new contract (to someone completely unproven at premier league level) and then sacking him after seven or eight games! It would show they've learnt a thing (which they haven't)

I can easily see him still being here at Xmas and us cut adrift at the bottom 

[Badger]

1 hour ago, AlexLaw76 said:

what a weird signing....millions of £££ thrown at this

Sports Republic for you

I think his scoring record with Sheffield Utd last season made him worth a gamble. Archer on the other hand ….. 

[S-Clarke]

Just now, Badger said:

I think his scoring record with Sheffield Utd last season made him worth a gamble. Archer on the other hand ….. 

But he was a success in that side because they played a target man, he made runs off of the target man through the middle. They were a route 1 side in many ways and he suited that. We are the total opposite and he is required to retain the ball and make recovery runs down the flank. He is completely ill-suited to this as he's not technical enough nor dynamic enough.

[Whitey Grandad]

He spent yesterday in acres of space out wide on the left with his arm raised asking for the ball which the rest of the team ignored. He didn’t help his cause on the couple of times that the ball was passed to him by his tactic of lobbing it first time over their central defence.

[Badger]

Annoying thing, yet again, look at the £ spent on BBD and Archer, then wonder who we could have spent it on.

Might add Wood into that calculation as well for that matter. 
 

Can’t believe there wasn’t a decent CF in that sum available for us to go after. 

[revolution saint]

1 hour ago, S-Clarke said:

Looks a bit of a carthorse from the left, can understand why he was subbed by Chlie.

Maybe he'd be better through the middle?  Doesn't look dynamic enough to me, would fit better in a gung-ho playing off a target man/route 1 style team. Looks lost in a passing team as I don't think he's technically good enough.

For the price I thought he was a decent signing, especially with his record for Sheff United.  I'll caveat that with I thought he played centrally and I also thought he'd be back up to another new striker.  If he's a starter then it's centrally or not at all because he ain't doing it wide left.

[Guest]

Should’ve gone for Liam Delap 👀

[OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint]

10 hours ago, Whitey Grandad said:

He spent yesterday in acres of space out wide on the left with his arm raised asking for the ball which the rest of the team ignored. He didn’t help his cause on the couple of times that the ball was passed to him by his tactic of lobbing it first time over their central defence.

And over the goal line! £7m doesn't buy much of a striker and we're not playing him to his strengths. Agree with S-Clarke, get him in the middle playing off someone.

[Badger]

14 minutes ago, OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint said:

And over the goal line! £7m doesn't buy much of a striker and we're not playing him to his strengths. Agree with S-Clarke, get him in the middle playing off someone.

Who exactly?
 

Unless Ross Stewart makes a miraculous recovery and more miraculously makes the step up, effectively from L1 to EPL level (almost from a standing start) the ‘someone’ is the elusive player that we’ve failed to sign.

This assumes Tall Paul isn’t being going to feature (if he’s still here). 

[OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint]

24 minutes ago, Badger said:

Who exactly?
 

Unless Ross Stewart makes a miraculous recovery and more miraculously makes the step up, effectively from L1 to EPL level (almost from a standing start) the ‘someone’ is the elusive player that we’ve failed to sign.

This assumes Tall Paul isn’t being going to feature (if he’s still here). 

I kept it suitably vague. Yes, most of us wished we'd spent our savings on a recognised and proven goalscorer but we didn't. That said, I actually thought Archer, despite being out muscled, despite his penalty, showed he has some tenacity and believe he could come good. Similarly, there's some comfort in Ross Stewart playing 30 minutes and not being stretchered off. He didn't do much yesterday but I've a lot more faith in him that I had two weeks ago!

[hypochondriac]

12 hours ago, Whitey Grandad said:

He spent yesterday in acres of space out wide on the left with his arm raised asking for the ball which the rest of the team ignored. He didn’t help his cause on the couple of times that the ball was passed to him by his tactic of lobbing it first time over their central defence.

This is correct. 

[Dman]

23 hours ago, S-Clarke said:

But he was a success in that side because they played a target man, he made runs off of the target man through the middle. They were a route 1 side in many ways and he suited that. We are the total opposite and he is required to retain the ball and make recovery runs down the flank. He is completely ill-suited to this as he's not technical enough nor dynamic enough.

Perhaps we should try and find a target man. Someone really tall 6'7ish, with a decent scoring record in europe would do the job. 

[Football Special]

[saintant]

Can anyone come up with an even half sensible explanation as to why RM's tactical genius tells him that it's a good idea to play BD wide left because I'm scratching my head on this one. Why loan out Edozie, who admittedly had his faults but at least had some trickery, to play BD wide left. We've also got Ryan Fraser so why didn't he start against Man Utd? For me it's another tactical blunder by RM and all it does is hang yet another player out to dry. Bonkers.

[chiknsmack]

7 minutes ago, saintant said:

Can anyone come up with an even half sensible explanation as to why RM's tactical genius tells him that it's a good idea to play BD wide left because I'm scratching my head on this one.

BBD is right footed and likes coming inside onto his strong foot to shoot. RM likes wide attacking players to come inside onto their strong foot (so he prefers right-footed left wingers and left-footed right wingers).

The problem is that BBD isn't doing a whole lot of "coming inside", so is left looking rather impotent.

In an ideal world you'd have a left-footed LB making overlapping runs so BBD can either drift inside to the half space on the edge of the box and shoot from there or make a near post run as the LB goes to the byline and looks for a pullback. Or you'd have BBD on the left of a front two so he doesn't start as wide and is able to find a central position on his strong foot while also being available for back post crosses from the right.

Our two best fullbacks are both right footed, so we have KWP looking to drift inside himself which means he and BBD would be occupying the same space if both did what they want. So instead BBD stays out of the way out wide, contributing nothing. Dropping one of KWP or Sugawara for Taylor is probably wrong in a "put your best players on the pitch" sense, but probably right in a "get BBD further inside where he can have more of an impact" sense. The correct answer is probably to keep the LBs and, if you're then going to have a front three with your wide left attacker staying wide, replace BBD with a bona fide winger.

I thnk there's definitely a player in BBD, but in his current role he offers nothing.

[Smirking_Saint]

37 minutes ago, saintant said:

Can anyone come up with an even half sensible explanation as to why RM's tactical genius tells him that it's a good idea to play BD wide left because I'm scratching my head on this one. Why loan out Edozie, who admittedly had his faults but at least had some trickery, to play BD wide left. We've also got Ryan Fraser so why didn't he start against Man Utd? For me it's another tactical blunder by RM and all it does is hang yet another player out to dry. Bonkers.

We spent last year with Armstrong playing off of the right… RM obviously prefers inside forwards to traditional wingers and as far as the Champ was concerned that was probably viable as generally we’d control the game and defending teams would sit deep, thats unfortunately not the case this year, we aren’t controlling the play in the opposition box, so realistically a winger would probably have been a better option

Im personally not writing off BBD yet, but I am worried…

[saintant]

26 minutes ago, chiknsmack said:

BBD is right footed and likes coming inside onto his strong foot to shoot. RM likes wide attacking players to come inside onto their strong foot (so he prefers right-footed left wingers and left-footed right wingers).

The problem is that BBD isn't doing a whole lot of "coming inside", so is left looking rather impotent.

In an ideal world you'd have a left-footed LB making overlapping runs so BBD can either drift inside to the half space on the edge of the box and shoot from there or make a near post run as the LB goes to the byline and looks for a pullback. Or you'd have BBD on the left of a front two so he doesn't start as wide and is able to find a central position on his strong foot while also being available for back post crosses from the right.

Our two best fullbacks are both right footed, so we have KWP looking to drift inside himself which means he and BBD would be occupying the same space if both did what they want. So instead BBD stays out of the way out wide, contributing nothing. Dropping one of KWP or Sugawara for Taylor is probably wrong in a "put your best players on the pitch" sense, but probably right in a "get BBD further inside where he can have more of an impact" sense. The correct answer is probably to keep the LBs and, if you're then going to have a front three with your wide left attacker staying wide, replace BBD with a bona fide winger.

I thnk there's definitely a player in BBD, but in his current role he offers nothing.

Thanks for your response and for agreeing with me that RM doesn't have a clue what he's doing.

[saintant]

12 minutes ago, Smirking_Saint said:

We spent last year with Armstrong playing off of the right… RM obviously prefers inside forwards to traditional wingers and as far as the Champ was concerned that was probably viable as generally we’d control the game and defending teams would sit deep, thats unfortunately not the case this year, we aren’t controlling the play in the opposition box, so realistically a winger would probably have been a better option

Im personally not writing off BBD yet, but I am worried…

Thanks and another confirmation that RM is tactically clueless.

[Smirking_Saint]

2 minutes ago, saintant said:

Thanks and another confirmation that RM is tactically clueless.

I think he’s more stubborn to clueless tbh

Im hoping Stewart is able to find a bit of form and gametime as I feel we’ll benefit from the ball sticking up front

[saintant]

15 minutes ago, Smirking_Saint said:

I think he’s more stubborn to clueless tbh

Im hoping Stewart is able to find a bit of form and gametime as I feel we’ll benefit from the ball sticking up front

I think he's a combination of the two.

[Holmes_and_Watson]

8 hours ago, chiknsmack said:

BBD is right footed and likes coming inside onto his strong foot to shoot. RM likes wide attacking players to come inside onto their strong foot (so he prefers right-footed left wingers and left-footed right wingers).

The problem is that BBD isn't doing a whole lot of "coming inside", so is left looking rather impotent.

In an ideal world you'd have a left-footed LB making overlapping runs so BBD can either drift inside to the half space on the edge of the box and shoot from there or make a near post run as the LB goes to the byline and looks for a pullback. Or you'd have BBD on the left of a front two so he doesn't start as wide and is able to find a central position on his strong foot while also being available for back post crosses from the right.

Our two best fullbacks are both right footed, so we have KWP looking to drift inside himself which means he and BBD would be occupying the same space if both did what they want. So instead BBD stays out of the way out wide, contributing nothing. Dropping one of KWP or Sugawara for Taylor is probably wrong in a "put your best players on the pitch" sense, but probably right in a "get BBD further inside where he can have more of an impact" sense. The correct answer is probably to keep the LBs and, if you're then going to have a front three with your wide left attacker staying wide, replace BBD with a bona fide winger.

I thnk there's definitely a player in BBD, but in his current role he offers nothing.

Well that saved me a post. With the added benefit for everyone, that yours was a lot better than mine would have been. 🙂

[OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint]

8 hours ago, chiknsmack said:

BBD is right footed and likes coming inside onto his strong foot to shoot. RM likes wide attacking players to come inside onto their strong foot (so he prefers right-footed left wingers and left-footed right wingers).

And I'm not sure I've seen such a one-footed player in the premier league. I don't think he touches the ball with his left foot yet alone kick it. He looks so one dimensional but get him off the wing and give him a chance.

[Badger]

9 hours ago, saintant said:

Can anyone come up with an even half sensible explanation as to why RM's tactical genius tells him that it's a good idea to play BD wide left because I'm scratching my head on this one. Why loan out Edozie, who admittedly had his faults but at least had some trickery, to play BD wide left. We've also got Ryan Fraser so why didn't he start against Man Utd? For me it's another tactical blunder by RM and all it does is hang yet another player out to dry. Bonkers.

Pure speculation, but recall reading somewhere that BBD likes to play on the left, and he thinks that its his best position.  Have to wonder if RM accepts his players expressing their preferences, then looks to accommodate them... Remember  AA wanting to play as No 9 in the centre and RM accepting it... similar to Archer thinking it a good idea for him to take a penalty and being allowed to.

[Badger]

33 minutes ago, OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint said:

And I'm not sure I've seen such a one-footed player in the premier league. I don't think he touches the ball with his left foot yet alone kick it. He looks so one dimensional but get him off the wing and give him a chance.

Not since Che Adams anyway.

[BarberSaint]

33 minutes ago, OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint said:

And I'm not sure I've seen such a one-footed player in the premier league. I don't think he touches the ball with his left foot yet alone kick it. He looks so one dimensional but get him off the wing and give him a chance.

How long is it since we had one-foot Adams with us?*

From what I've seen of him he's just a division three player.  Someone here watches Notts Forest and liked him there so maybe he could move and kick the ball a bit when he was younger. I do also believe he's another 'confidence player' i.e. probably not really very good at the highest level.

 

*Darn beaten to it.

 

[Fabrice Fernandes no.1 fan]

Thought he did alright yesterday when he came on, and showed he should have taken the penalty on Saturday really. Still not quite his best though, he had one moment where he drove well off the left, worked himself some space on the edge of the box, and hit it straight into the keeper. Needs to be finding the form to bury that sort of chance, or at least work the keeper beyond a simple save.

[benali-shorts]

Is his body attached to his brain?

[Saint NL]

He's not very good at football, so instead tries to wind up the opposition and cheat his way into winning free kicks. Sadly he's not very good at that either.

[S-Clarke]

21 games without a PL win. Looks an absolute carthorse.

What a miserable player he is. He's miserable to watch and looks miserable when he plays. He's got all the hallmarks of being someone who will end up being quite quickly derided by the fanbase if he doesn't sort his shit out.

[AlexLaw76]

Just now, S-Clarke said:

21 games without a PL win. Looks an absolute carthorse.

What a miserable player he is. He's miserable to watch and looks miserable when he plays. He's got all the hallmarks of being someone who will end up being quite quickly derided by the fanbase if he doesn't sort his shit out.

I think you have summed it up perfectly

That ‘dive’ 🤪

[S-Clarke]

2 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

I think you have summed it up perfectly

That ‘dive’ 🤪

He's doing a pretty good job of being hated by opposition fans too, so could end up being the most disliked player in PL history if he carries on. Another record we can close in on I guess.

[Lighthouse]

I’m astonished that anyone, let alone the club scouts, thought he’d be a decent signing at this level. Six goals in as many months (after netting zero in the first half of the season in La Liga) does not a Premier League player make. Runs like a tortoise in ski boots, goes down about as convincingly as an Oceangate submarine.

[RedArmy]

He would have struggled to get in our team last year. 
 

Fucking dross

[Jack]

Absolute Neanderthal this bloke. All he’s got in his locker is shithousing and looking to get us the odd free kick 

[LGTL]

Up there with the worst player we’ve ever had in the PL. And I watched Lee Todd. 

[Lighthouse]

9 minutes ago, LGTL said:

Up there with the worst player we’ve ever had in the PL. And I watched Lee Todd. 

I think Imants Bleidelis, Calumn Davenport, Craig Maskell, Veggard Forren, Mislav Orsic, Aleddine Yahia, Guido Carrillo, Mikel Nilsson, David Speedie, Kamaldeen Sulemana, Wes Hoedt, Ali Dia, Olivier Bernard, Philip Djuricic, Mark Draper, Jos Hooiveld, Mohammed Elyounoussi, Jeremy Pied, Ainsley Maitland Niles, Kleber Chala, Danny Fox, Andrei Kanchelskis, Sekou Mara, Angus Gunn, Martin Cranie, Will Smallbone, Darren Kenton, Moussa Djenepo, Yoanne Folly, Mohammed Salisu, Uwe Rosler and Adam Armstrong might have something to say on that, but I take your point.

[Colinjb]

26 minutes ago, LGTL said:

Up there with the worst player we’ve ever had in the PL. And I watched Lee Todd. 

Would rather watch him in his preferred position under a different manager before making a judgement. 

[benali-shorts]

You forgot Bazunu 

 

[egg]

5 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

I think Imants Bleidelis, Calumn Davenport, Craig Maskell, Veggard Forren, Mislav Orsic, Aleddine Yahia, Guido Carrillo, Mikel Nilsson, David Speedie, Kamaldeen Sulemana, Wes Hoedt, Ali Dia, Olivier Bernard, Philip Djuricic, Mark Draper, Jos Hooiveld, Mohammed Elyounoussi, Jeremy Pied, Ainsley Maitland Niles, Kleber Chala, Danny Fox, Andrei Kanchelskis, Sekou Mara, Angus Gunn, Martin Cranie, Will Smallbone, Darren Kenton, Moussa Djenepo, Yoanne Folly, Mohammed Salisu, Uwe Rosler and Adam Armstrong might have something to say on that, but I take your point.

Quite a few of them would have improved us in the first half tonight. 

[benali-shorts]

1 minute ago, egg said:

Quite a few of them would have improved us in the first half tonight. 

I'm pleased you didn't include Bazunu in that consideration.  

[hypochondriac]

48 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

I’m astonished that anyone, let alone the club scouts, thought he’d be a decent signing at this level. Six goals in as many months (after netting zero in the first half of the season in La Liga) does not a Premier League player make. Runs like a tortoise in ski boots, goes down about as convincingly as an Oceangate submarine.

He also doesn't suit Martin's style of play in the slightest. Absolutely bizarre choice was he scouted by us at all? 

[BarberSaint]

29 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

I think Imants Bleidelis, Calumn Davenport, Craig Maskell, Veggard Forren, Mislav Orsic, Aleddine Yahia, Guido Carrillo, Mikel Nilsson, David Speedie, Kamaldeen Sulemana, Wes Hoedt, Ali Dia, Olivier Bernard, Philip Djuricic, Mark Draper, Jos Hooiveld, Mohammed Elyounoussi, Jeremy Pied, Ainsley Maitland Niles, Kleber Chala, Danny Fox, Andrei Kanchelskis, Sekou Mara, Angus Gunn, Martin Cranie, Will Smallbone, Darren Kenton, Moussa Djenepo, Yoanne Folly, Mohammed Salisu, Uwe Rosler and Adam Armstrong might have something to say on that, but I take your point.

I think they'd all  agree he should get the award.

[bpsaint]

29 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

I think Imants Bleidelis, Calumn Davenport, Craig Maskell, Veggard Forren, Mislav Orsic, Aleddine Yahia, Guido Carrillo, Mikel Nilsson, David Speedie, Kamaldeen Sulemana, Wes Hoedt, Ali Dia, Olivier Bernard, Philip Djuricic, Mark Draper, Jos Hooiveld, Mohammed Elyounoussi, Jeremy Pied, Ainsley Maitland Niles, Kleber Chala, Danny Fox, Andrei Kanchelskis, Sekou Mara, Angus Gunn, Martin Cranie, Will Smallbone, Darren Kenton, Moussa Djenepo, Yoanne Folly, Mohammed Salisu, Uwe Rosler and Adam Armstrong might have something to say on that, but I take your point.

Fair play, that’s a pretty concise, and horrifying trip down memory lane that post!! I’d add Patrick Colleter and Juanmi to that list though.