View Full Version : Where would we be now...
DutchBantam
11-22-2006, 03:13 PM
Without the loans?
We've got Black, Doyle, Parker, Healey, Holmes and Graham.
Had we not gone with any of these loans, where exactly would we be right now?
Right back we'd have been using Swift/Edghill
Left back we'd have had Bower/Edghill/O'Brien
Left midfield we'd have had BWM/Muirhead/Colbeck and Emanuel had he been offered a decent contract and not been allowed to leave on a free
Up front EJ/Windass/JoeBo and Symes had he been kept on
Central mid Shumi/BMW/JJ/Penford/Bentham/McGuire
With the (very) reluctant emergence of Ainge and the other youths it is impossible to tell whether our own kids have been too crap to make the grade or simply been Todded out of the picture. Would the likes of Swifty, O'Brien, Colbeck, McGuire, Brown and even Symes have put us in a worse position than we are in now? They have all bar Ainge been kicked in the knackers by Todd. So had they been treated decently like youths at most other clubs, could we have saved a lot of cash, blooded a few home grown talents and been in the same if not better position than we are in now?
Just a hypothetical thought to ponder on...
Superfatbantam
11-22-2006, 03:21 PM
A lot of ifs and buts there, Dutch.
DutchBantam
11-22-2006, 04:13 PM
True. But that is what being a supporter is all about. You think getting the loans in is for a promotion push but when it all goes wrong you think that perhaps if we'd stuck with our own then we'd be in the same position but at least have something to look forward to in the future as the players got more experience and got settled etc.
As it is we're left with no positives at all.
Mallorcabantam
11-22-2006, 06:38 PM
It a thought -- and we couldnt be much lower in the table and the team would all be our players
Superfatbantam
11-23-2006, 10:13 AM
I agree to a point. Huddersfield had to throw their kids in at the deep end and it paid off for them. Perhaps we would have been in a better position had Todd had the confidence in some of the younger players - it's all about opinions. I would like to see more involvement from those on the fringes, likes of Ainge, Swift, Colbeck, Brown, Penford and Bentham when they're fit, but it would seem Todd is of the view that you don't win owt with kids and he is taking the option available to him to get more experienced players in the team. Perhaps if we hadn't had that option things would have been different.
Still, in a way if we had exposed the kids too early no-one benefits. His choice to protect them by not playing them could see them fulfil greater potential later on - we won't know that until they finally are unleashed.
Looks like Ainge has got his feet under the Toddy table so were likely to see more of him :)
Swift is very over rated, He won't be here next season unless he performs miracles. People only like him because he's home grown - he's got Danny Forrest written all over him.
Colbeck and Penford have potential but Brown is just utter crap - bring back Gareth Grant :D
Jantje
11-23-2006, 10:46 AM
I think Bentham has potential to be a decent player also
Where will Bower play now Ainge is getting starts?
He's not a full back and acording to last weeks match report Oldham were crossing the ball at will.
Is it worth playing players out of position just to keep the player happy?
Maybe they will start playing with 3 at the back like they started todo with Stewart last season? Ainge and Bower either side of Wetherall and have 5 midfielders.
Maybe they will start playing with 3 at the back like they started todo with Stewart last season? Ainge and Bower either side of Wetherall and have 5 midfielders.
It wouldn't work, Todd only knows 4-4-2 so he will have to fit the players in to the system, not adjust the system.
Jantje
11-23-2006, 10:52 AM
This is a problem i have with managers, not just Todd, why play someone out of position when you have a replacement at the club or in a recent case on the bench.
The Scunny match was ridiculous with Parker in midfield & when Edghill got injured, instead of moving Parker back & putting either Doyle or McGuire in their proper position, he moved a CB out to FB. If the manager has enough faith in them to put them on the bench, then he should trust them to do a job if called upon.
baldbantam
11-23-2006, 11:05 AM
I don't care how well Ainge is doing, he isn't good enough to displace Bower. Bower is one of the names that is an automatic choice for the team if he is fit.
I don't care how well Ainge is doing, he isn't good enough to displace Bower. Bower is one of the names that is an automatic choice for the team if he is fit.
I know that, problem is Todd moves players to less effective positions to try and fit players in. The same happened with Stewart last season.
Bower is no fullback, but now we have wingers rubbing their hands together at the prospect of going up against a center back rather than a full back.
Thing is if we know this why doesn't someone who has been in the game for the best part of 40 years know?
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