Duxbury ruined my trust in the club so sorry, I don't believe Edwards is happy with this squad despite what he says.
I suspect every manager probably wishes they had more quality in and could buy more players but most don’t admit that in public . As Scott Parker found out such things only end in one way. I think people would be sympathetic to Edwards though if he did make a comment and got into bother with the Pozzos as their reputation is in the mud to most neutral observers when it comes to management issues .
No, Rob told the press he is of the opinion we are okay. Different thing. If he keeps playing our left back at RWB, then I think that’s very much an indication that he’s not particularly happy with our RWB options. Fingers crossed Gaspar or Ngakia can come good.
So the coach thinks he is right, and a fan thinks he is wrong. It’s a game of opinions, so both are entitled to theirs. Mine is that I’m inclined to believe the one that was a professional player, has the relevant coaching qualifications, and works with the players every day in training. But that’s just my opinion.
Different thing? Sometimes it is (see : everything Boris Johnson has ever said in public ) and sometimes it isn’t. I see no overwhelming evidence to date that RE is not happy with what he has, so I’m inclined to believe him. If he continues to play Kamara out of position over a fit Ngakia and an up-to-speed Gaspar then, I agree, that is evidence he isn’t as content as he says.
That’s fair. I think we’re broadly in agreement but I’m sceptical until he backs up his words with his selections!
And I'm entitled to think fans like you have had opinions about each of the last 12-15 coaches along the lines of 'they know what they're doing, they see the players in training' yada yada yada. Until they get sacked and then the very same fans are all 'they had to go, the Pozzos were right, let's back the new coach.' For the record, I like Rob but I think he's being naive by declaring he's content with his squad and I suspect that's poor PR. I don't think he's a bad coach and I hope we stick with him for at least a season to grow with us
At this juncture, whilst we retained Joao Pedro and Sarr, and are doing well in the table - he’d have been far more naive to come out and say he’s unhappy with the squad. Even if you disagree if he’s happy or not, you can surely see that one statement right now is better than the other?!
I don’t agree that him showing public support for the squad he has is meaningless, just because some fans believe he’s lying when he says he’s happy with it.
I think Rob making a party line statement is a complete red herring. Our window was poor and can be judged based on the obvious shortcoming any fool can see. Rob's inner feelings are neither here nor there for me.
Quite. I remember all the same fans running the same argument when people were questioning why QSF was putting 10 men behind the ball at home to Bournemouth/Sheff Utd. “Look at all his qualifications!” “You are just fans - he works with the players every day!” 4 month later those same fans were calling him the worse appointment ever.
Or he’s very happy with the squad and he’s also highly competent? It doesn’t make him incompetent just because he doesn’t share your view. But we will see over the season won’t we ?
Or it was great as any fool can see due to keeping our best 2 players, shifting loads of deadwood and adding a good CB, CM and CF. Some people just look for any reason to have a moan.
Worth noting here - Kane Wilson was a right-back before last season when Edwards converted him. And many Chelsea managers played Azpilicueta at LWB and achieved success - would they be classed as incompetent? Sure it’s not optimal to play Kamara there but there are worse things that we could do! Plus I really do believe that Edwards would want a defensive option if Sarr is played further up the pitch. I just don't get the depth of feeling about this! It’s definitely worth waiting and seeing how the next couple of months play out rather than going off the deep end right now about Edwards lying or being lied to.
I think it makes a lot of sense for RE to publicly praise his squad and build their confidence. His starting 11 however currently tells a completely different story. Picking a free existing GK over one who cost 8m, not starting a 5m striker, playing probably the best left back in the division out of position where he's almost useless instead of a RB (whilst refusing to sign a much better replacement who fits Edward's tactics to a tee). Choudhury is exactly what we needed. Hause should be too, if he stays fit. Keeping JP and Sarr means the rest of the squad doesn't need to be as good. So the window has been a fine one. But, there were many options which we could have signed which weren't such quick fixes, had greater potential and would increase more in value than any non-South American we've bought. We continue to splash money in the wrong areas, and using temporary plasters in positions we've neglected for years. We need more consistency and more forward planning if we want to stay in the PL.
Nobody is going off the deep end as you're implying. It's simply that your new CoG team have been using Edwards' statement that he was happy with the squad as evidence that it was a good window. Others are simply saying that it's meaningless.
The pedestal that people put these coaches on, yet then we see so many examples of why it's false. Every idiot fan calling for 4-3-3 in the promotion season, but Xisco only stumbling upon it when Deeney is injured. Fans calling for Gray to not play, but coaches picking him, only for us to ship him off as a total loss in the end. Fans seeing that WTE wouldn't cut it in the prem, only for coaches to select him and allow him to scar himself for life with some of his buffoonery. Rob putting Kamara at RB where he is gash, before pushing him back to his natural position for 10 min where he unsurprisingly is far more effective. But these people see the players in training every day and have their relevant badges etc.
You know the drill. I am the oracle. I’m being daft calling him incompetent. My balanced view is he has been given a squad that should be top 6 (as you’d expect from a relegated side). I’m sick of the poison up top so hope he is given plenty of time to implement. The lack of courage in mentioning the obvious RWB issue is a minor gripe that I will overlook.
On the latter, until we have a proper alternative at RWB, I can't criticise Rob too much for playing Kamara out of position!
Looks a good window to me and most others. Rob says he's happy with the squad and a RWB wasn't even discussed. You think he's lying and the RWB is a major issue for him and therefore it's a bad window. Fair enough.
If it was a lack of courage as opposed to Rob genuinely believing the words that came out of his own mouth
We signed a young English striker with PL experience. We signed a young English midfielder with PL experience. We signed a left sided English CB with PL experience. We kept Pedro and Sarr and were in a position to turn down £55m for them. Dreadful window. Mid table at best.
For all the gnashing of teeth about the club not bringing in another defender to play RB/RWB, why isn't there even more outcry with regards to the opposite side? Kamara is, or should be, first choice LB/LWB with Ken Sema as second choice at LWB only. Even then defensively he's pretty dire. Who else is there, James Morris? At a stretch but really not good enough sadly. Hungbo as a LWB? Worse defensively than Sema and no guarantee he's any better in an attacking sense. I can't imagine Gasper or Ngakia could switch flanks effectively, either as a full back or wing back. At least on the right we currently have three (on paper) in Gasper, Ngakia with Kamara as an awkward alternative. Ryan Andrews from the academy if things got particularly stretched but that just won't, or shouldn't, happen. Again, Hungbo as a RWB but defensively bad. Maybe someone should ask Rob Edwards about that.
Woah, Moog! I’m hardly a ‘COG’ just because I choose to believe a statement from the manager. And there’s been a few posts that have gone off the deep end me in my opinion. Everyone knows my thoughts about the owner, Duxbury, Giaretta, Mogi etc etc. Those opinions have not changed a single iota. I’ll put the above accusation down to your frustration and leave it at that - but I’m allowed to hold a few opinions about the club, squad and HC that aren’t exclusively negative. If you can’t accept that without thinking I’m suddenly all pro-regime, that’s on you, not me. Bit disappointed in you @Jumbolina for liking the post too if I’m honest!
You’re entitled to think what you want, but the fans you refer to are not “like me”, because that was not my opinion about all the last 12-15 coaches, either when they arrived or when they were sacked (those that were sacked - some left for other reasons).
I dunno Burnsy. Your posts the last month would have me casting a nervous eye at you in the trenches waiting for the bullet from behind. “They got to him Moog. They got to Burns!” <sad music and distant thunder>.
