Summer Transfer Rumours | Page 2 | Vital Football

Summer Transfer Rumours

It was just a thought that having brought in Kelman, who is certainly not in the back to goal striker mould he may have been looking at other possibilities.
 
TRUE BELIEVER said:
Given Maloney's comments about the way we played leading up to the goal on Saturday, it being the Wigan DNA, maybe a back to goal striker is not the way he eventually wants to go and Charlie Kelman was an attempt in the January window to bring in a striker to match the way he wants to evolve.
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Well the Wigan Athletic DNA I know and loved for years has been totally ripped up and destroyed by Maloney this season. Worst football and entertainment we have ever witnessed.
 
hindleymonwafc said:
Don't think we did owt different on Saturday just the speed we did it at. Makes all the difference.

Also too many times this season the midfield hid and didnt want it...they all wanted it against Lincoln.

Matt Smith was immense.
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Couldn't agree more hindley ... we did the same, but quicker, and more frequently throughout the whole game.
 
hindleymonwafc said:
Don't think we did owt different on Saturday just the speed we did it at. Makes all the difference.

Also too many times this season the midfield hid and didnt want it...they all wanted it against Lincoln.

Matt Smith was immense.
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I think that the willingness to show for the ball gave us much more movement and that gave us more options in spacing making it easier to pass the ball quicker. But also the players were much more willing to take the positive risk and play a more difficult forward pass which in previous weeks they maybe would've hesitated and opted for a safer option. Basically we were braver.

Those things made a world of difference. Maloney keeps saying it's down to the mentality rather than ability and it really is.
 
Perhaps this bravery that some of you speak of, might be down to the fact the team knows it's safe & can play with that more freedom, quickness & so on. In other words, relaxed!

With no restrictions whatsoever upon us next season, (although knowing the EFL there's time) I can see this being the style of play from August onwards.
 
runcornfan1978 said:
Perhaps this bravery that some of you speak of, might be down to the fact the team knows it's safe & can play with that more freedom, quickness & so on. In other words, relaxed!

With no restrictions whatsoever upon us next season, (although knowing the EFL there's time) I can see this being the style of play from August onwards.
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We've been virtually safe for a while but not shown that bravery, we've just been the same against the lower sides as we have all season.

We've been showing the bravery we did against Lincoln against the play off sides all season.

So I think it's just followed the same pattern rather than anything else.
 
Whilst I agree wholeheartedly about playing the same style but QUICKER allied to more forward attacking passes ….
It’s easier (easier NOT easy) to do that against a team like Lincoln, themselves desperate to win and on the front foot as opposed to all players manning the barricades.
Acid test will be next season when with a few additions developing the team further and them finding a way to play that gets them past the ‘bus parkers’
 
king_dezeeuw06 said:
We've been virtually safe for a while but not shown that bravery, we've just been the same against the lower sides as we have all season.

We've been showing the bravery we did against Lincoln against the play off sides all season.

So I think it's just followed the same pattern rather than anything else.
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We seem to incessantly have the same debate KDZ were you blame the mentality and players not being up for it whereas I still believe that it is more towards the fact that we don't have the ability within the squad to break down teams that play a low block.

Most of the teams in the higher reaches of the division are pushing forward themselves and leave space for us to play in, whereas those below us seldom try to play an open game and that causes us problems.

We always seem to start against the defensive teams on the front foot and usually have the upper hand for the first 10-15 minutes, after that our heads go down as we realise we are not going to be able to open them up or draw them out and we start to revert to a sideways and backward possession based game.

I seriously don't see that any player would go a whole season saying to himself in the dressing room, " Oh, they are a team lower than us in the division, I can't be arsed playing my best today, but we play a team higher than us next week and I will certainly be up for that".

It just doesn't add up for me.

I could see it for one or two games, but not for the number we have seen this season. There is obviously a mentality issue, as there is with most young squads without senior pro's to guide them but I can't simply accept that that is the whole crux of the problem.

As I say I am not being dismissive of the fact that the team mentality plays it's part but I also think there should be consideration given to the fact that we don't seem to have the type of player who can open up packed defences on a regular basis.
 
TRUE BELIEVER said:
We seem to incessantly have the same debate KDZ were you blame the mentality and players not being up for it whereas I still believe that it is more towards the fact that we don't have the ability within the squad to break down teams that play a low block.

Most of the teams in the higher reaches of the division are pushing forward themselves and leave space for us to play in, whereas those below us seldom try to play an open game and that causes us problems.

We always seem to start against the defensive teams on the front foot and usually have the upper hand for the first 10-15 minutes, after that our heads go down as we realise we are not going to be able to open them up or draw them out and we start to revert to a sideways and backward possession based game.

I seriously don't see that any player would go a whole season saying to himself in the dressing room, " Oh, they are a team lower than us in the division, I can't be arsed playing my best today, but we play a team higher than us next week and I will certainly be up for that".

It just doesn't add up for me.

I could see it for one or two games, but not for the number we have seen this season. There is obviously a mentality issue, as there is with most young squads without senior pro's to guide them but I can't simply accept that that is the whole crux of the problem.

As I say I am not being dismissive of the fact that the team mentality plays it's part but I also think there should be consideration given to the fact that we don't seem to have the type of player who can open up packed defences on a regular basis.
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The opposition sitting in a low block does make teams harder to break through, and if we were playing sharp and fast to the edge of their box then attempting loads of crosses and through balls but we were constantly crowded out and couldn't get though I'd agree it was the opposition set up rather than mentality.

But when the opposition sit deep that does give you more time and space on the ball until you enter their final third but despite that we move the ball far slower and move far less for the ball under less pressure in those areas. We sometimes get an opening but players often hesitate to play the difficult pass opt for the easier safer option more than you'd expect. Also when challenging for balls we dont seem to have the same aggression or urgency to close down. We seem quite negative in our own right rather than the us being positive with opposition just limiting us.

Compare that to when teams are more aggressive and the risk of us being punished for a misplaced pass or being caught out of position is far higher and we move the ball much quicker and have lots more movement. When we see an opening the players are more positive and likely to attempt to play the difficult pass more often. We seem to work so much harder in the press and willing to get more stuck in. We look like a different team in every aspect rather than just not having to break the opposition down.

I think we could show urgency and intensity and still find a low block too hard to break down but I think the lacking or urgency and intensity against the lower end sides isn't because they play the low block and it's like Maloney says more a mentality issue.

I dont think it's as simple as the players deliberately deciding to not try, it's a different type of pressure / motivation to being the favourite or the underdog in any game and I don't think we know how to deal with the former very well but the latter sees us raise our game for whatever reason.
 
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king_dezeeuw06 said:
The opposition sitting in a low block does make teams harder to break through, and if we were playing sharp and fast to the edge of their box then attempting loads of crosses and through balls but we were constantly crowded out and couldn't get though I'd agree it was the opposition set up rather than mentality.

But when the opposition sit deep that does give you more time and space on the ball until you enter their final third but despite that we move the ball far slower and move far less for the ball under less pressure in those areas. We sometimes get an opening but players often hesitate to play the difficult pass opt for the easier safer option more than you'd expect. Also when challenging for balls we dont seem to have the same aggression or urgency to close down. We seem quite negative in our own right rather than the us being positive with opposition just limiting us.

Compare that to when teams are more aggressive and the risk of us being punished for a misplaced pass or being caught out of position is far higher and we move the ball much quicker and have lots more movement. When we see an opening the players are more positive and likely to attempt to play the difficult pass more often. We seem to work so much harder in the press and willing to get more stuck in. We look like a different team in every aspect rather than just not having to break the opposition down.

I think we could show urgency and intensity and still find a low block too hard to break down but I think the lacking or urgency and intensity against the lower end sides isn't because they play the low block and it's like Maloney says more a mentality issue.

I dont think it's as simple as the players deliberately deciding to not try, it's a different type of pressure / motivation to being the favourite or the underdog in any game and I don't think we know how to deal with the former very well but the latter sees us raise our game for whatever reason.
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Unfortunately KDZ I fear neither of us will ever see eye to eye on this but much of what you have posted above would also apply to the way I see things.

In many of the games against lower opposition we have indeed started off playing at a quicker pace only to see the pace drop off as the realisation sets in that we are not having the desired impact. Players then lose the confidence to make the telling pass and settle in to drifting through the game.

Baba Adeeko is often guilty of this as if he attempts the more difficult passes early on and they go astray he then reverts to safety first and his lack of confidence shows in his sideways and backwards passes. In time, I hope, he will realise that if he persists in trying to make those passes he will gain confidence and could become the player we need to break down tight defences.
 
Should be plenty of good free transfers about this summer. Its finding the forward that we need from somewhere. Maybe a gamble in non league could be an option. But who do we have these days watching. These lads.
 
TRUE BELIEVER said:
Unfortunately KDZ I fear neither of us will ever see eye to eye on this but much of what you have posted above would also apply to the way I see things.

In many of the games against lower opposition we have indeed started off playing at a quicker pace only to see the pace drop off as the realisation sets in that we are not having the desired impact. Players then lose the confidence to make the telling pass and settle in to drifting through the game.

Baba Adeeko is often guilty of this as if he attempts the more difficult passes early on and they go astray he then reverts to safety first and his lack of confidence shows in his sideways and backwards passes. In time, I hope, he will realise that if he persists in trying to make those passes he will gain confidence and could become the player we need to break down tight defences.
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I agree that players individually and collectively can lose confidence during games even ones where we aren't losing and that is part of the mentality issue.

To me it feels like when we play the better sides who are favourites to beat us we have less pressure to win and more fear of them and that seems to fire them up.

But when we are the favourites to win it's the opposite a bigger pressure to win and less fear and we just are more casual or maybe complacent.
 
I was talking to the grandfather of a footballer this last week, no insider secretive stuff or claims to be ITK from the inner circle, our meeting was a pure coincidence, anyhow we got talking about where we originated from and he told me his grandson has agreed in principle a deal to sign for us in the summer after is current contract ends.
He is no spring chicken and is coming as part of Maloney's coaching team but will also combine that with a playing role, he has no intention of giving that side up.

He is well known to us and it will come as no surprise when it is announced.
 
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