A crossroads....

[Grecian Max]

I’d imagine if we hadn’t been in a ‘Transitional’ phase Kane Wilson would have been top of the signing list. Good character and seemed to fit in well.

Didn't FGR offer more dollar? What did you want the club to commit to in the middle of a once in a century pandemic that likely meant no gate receipts?

 

[crocks]

Personally think people have praised Sweeney more this year than any time before for standing in and doing a good job? He’s surprised me at how well he’s coped. But it’s also fair to want a proper CB rather than a converted RB that wasn’t fit enough to get up and down the wings.

Wasn't Sweenz originally a CB and then moved over to RB?...apologies, I have just seen the above posts that already make this point.

 

[The Proper Chap]

I think people are being harsh on Taylor in terms of his signings.

This season we have signed:

McArdle - Not worked out

Caprice - Decent full back at this level

Page - Good full back at this level

Andresson - Young keeper who has done well

Stubbs - Looks like a promising signing on paper

Overall a pretty good effort in my eyes.

Clearly Taylor has tried to learn from his errors, he doesn't like the loan market and the one loan signing thus far was a forced one, i.e. we needed a keeper. Despite his dislike of the loan market I think that is where he is going to be forced tomorrow, out of desperation more than anything else.

Also he has tried to look after the club this season, he hasn't been rash with signings, he realises we are in tough times and I think he has done his best.

He is stuck with the likes of Fisher and Ajose however he signed them and imho he should have got a lot more out of them. If either of them had been backed like Bowman has been I doubt they would have scored many fewer.

Like any manager he makes mistakes however I genuinely like him and rate him as a manager.

We just need to improve results in the short term otherwise the pressure will mount.

 

[ExmouthMart]

Didn't FGR offer more dollar? What did you want the club to commit to in the middle of a once in a century pandemic that likely meant no gate receipts?

But we sign an injured player, whose an unknown quantity on 2.5 year contract......

 

[ryancooper327]

Something to help this discussion going into the last day of the window. Players put into MT's favoured 4-4-1-1 this season, ranked by minutes played. I think defence is fairly stacked and unlikely to be reviewed until the summer with possibly Sweeney and Parkes off then. Urgent priorities for tomorrow, for me, are RM cover/starter to rotate with Williams and a CF that MT can trust over Fisher, Seymour and Ajose who he's used sparingly. Tomorrow and the next couple of games will define the remainder of the season.

 

[Legohead]

Is Ajose injured or just not used?

 

[The Proper Chap]

So Fisher has played little over 2 games in terms of minutes.

Ajose has played just over half a game in terms of minute.

Fair crack of the whip ?? Obviously not.

 

[Rosencrantz]

I don't necessarily think Sweeney or Parkes are not up to it as centre backs individually, rather that as a partnership it is not ideal. If Sam Stubbs is a "Dara O'Shea" type centre back, IE mobile and combative, then I think Parkes, being left sided, will be fine.

As for those who haven't had opportunity, we don't see what happens on the training pitch. They have to earn their place as much as someone plays themselves out of the team. The lack of U23 games where a couple of senior pro's who need minutes often would get game time probably hasn't helped in this.

 

[ryancooper327]

Personally I’d try going for Key - Stubbs (when he is fit) - Hartridge - Sparkes as a back line. At least you could put mistakes down to inexperience. At the moment they’re just laughable from ‘experienced’ pros.

 

[The Proper Chap]

Not sure Page has made too many errors, defensively he's a cut above Sparkes, as you would / should expect given Sparkes is younger and not even a full back by choice.