it wasn't my terminology!Owned and rented.
Where do you live, Alabama in the 1800's?
it wasn't my terminology!Owned and rented.
Where do you live, Alabama in the 1800's?
Do you realise how difficult that is? To add 4 good quality starters. And that is assuming we don't lose Hackney, Howson or McGree I presume.What we need is 4 starteers next season, and good quality ones in key positions.
The vast majority of Boro fans know how good Hackney is…he is a great player.If I've learned anything from watch Dan Barlaser in midfield recently, it's how good Hayden Hackney is. Look at how Hackney receives the ball under pressure, takes the ball on the half turn, drives with the ball and commits players, he's massively under rated by some of our fans.
If one more person says we have a mid-table squad not good enough for promotion I'm going to have to get the xG table out
If I've learned anything from watch Dan Barlaser in midfield recently, it's how good Hayden Hackney is. Look at how Hackney receives the ball under pressure, takes the ball on the half turn, drives with the ball and commits players, he's massively under rated by some of our fans.
Of course there is, the argument is can they improve to be good enough Watmore and Bola were the finished article and not good enough, Engel has had 6 months playing and learning at this level and already looks a marginal improvement. Silvera has shown flashes in his 6 months at this level.There's no point in really arguing over whether Bola is better than Engel. Neither are good enough
There's no point arguing over whether Silvera is better than Watmore. Neither are good enough.
Two biggest factors for me are:This year we're in the red 5.8 on goals, scored 6 less than expected. We're also in the red 9.5 on xGA, but this to me seems more down to keeping than luck, although probably not worth the full 9.5.
It is without FFP headroom. Luckily we have plenty of thatDo you realise how difficult that is? To add 4 good quality starters. And that is assuming we don't lose Hackney, Howson or McGree I presume.
We signed 10 players plus 4 loans this season and we have probably added 2 good quality starters to the team.
Maybe we should let Scott signed 28 players next season and he'll find the 4 we need.
....and it's really important to the way Carrick plays. We need CM players to be comfortable dropping to receive the ball. If they are marked they need to bounce pass to keep possession and create space behind them, or turn and drive into the space. This is fundamental to how we play and why we have struggled with Barlaser and O'Brien as the midfield 2The vast majority of Boro fans know how good Hackney is…he is a great player.
Like you say, it’s the little things he does so well that takes really good awareness and technical ability.
Being able to play out of tight areas is what he does best.
He was woeful.Mcgree was dreadful for that first 30 mins against Norwich, worst player on the pitch for me. Certainly gave the impression of a player playing who wants to be away. Wouldn't surprise me if there is some truth into the rumours that are flying about.
Engel looks like he's only played for 6 month but I would guess at 25, he's actually played for more like 20 yearsOf course there is, the argument is can they improve to be good enough Watmore and Bola were the finished article and not good enough, Engel has had 6 months playing and learning at this level and already looks a marginal improvement. Silvera has shown flashes in his 6 months at this level.
We had headroom last season. But didn't spend in that wayIt is without FFP headroom. Luckily we have plenty of that
4mill for Hackney? Why would we sell for that when he's got years left on contract and is at least worth 15 mill in the current market.players that have a resale value heading into what would be the final year of their contract and clearly not wanting to sign or going to be offered a new contract are sold rather than lost for free. Been like that forever. Hasn’t McGree only got another year? If he isn’t likely to sign an extension or not going to be offered one then he will be out of the door. I want to like McGree as much as many do on here but his lack of consistency is an issue. Yes he had the long lay off but he can look so good on the ball one game then completely anonymous the next. In all likelihood I expect him to leave this summer.
Again I am not in the same camp as many on Hackney. Have seen him have real outstanding games and some absolute rubbish - more if the latter lately. I imagine he is a kid who at this stage in his career will clearly benefit from being at a club where he is surrounded by better quality players to bring him on. He won’t get that here so if I was his agent I would be looking for a move for him.i think he will go for a solid £4m offer (with the usual stupid add on’s) in the summer.
Not surprised at Forss looking elsewhere as he knows once Jones is back he will be on the bench. Needs more regular football and will get 10 goals in the Championship for a mid table side like a Blackburn or a Preston. Hope he doesn’t go but can see why he would want to.
This confirms what most of us know. Last season we made up for defensive deficiencies by out scoring the opposition, this season we haven't been able to as we cashed in on our leading goalscorer, lost a quality loan player and replaced them with a couple prospects who have been injured half the season, plus we let our creative replacement for our leading goalscorer go half way through the season just as he was getting up to speed. You reap what you sow!I really like xG, but you need to know it's limitations, as it's only showing goals scored against quality of chances created and conceded, against what is to be expected from an average player in the league.
We've scored less than the xG as our finishing has been worse than the average expected, so you could say that's down to our strikers, strikers being injured and other players not being great at finishing. Either way, that's a reflection on the squad.
Then as for chances conceded, we've shipped a lot of goals which should have been saved, especially when Dieng was away, a reflection on our keepers/ availability (squad issue).
Last year we in the green 11.1 on xG, which means we scored 11 more than expected, as players like Akpom, Archer, Ramsey were well above the norm. We were also in the red 11.7 on xGA, which means we also conceded more that we would have hoped but I remember discussing this last year when we conceded some really unlucky goals, early in the season at least. Overall this pretty much balanced out, and we were within 1 position/ 10% of our accrued points, to what xG expected.
This year we're in the red 5.8 on goals, scored 6 less than expected. We're also in the red 9.5 on xGA, but this to me seems more down to keeping than luck, although probably not worth the full 9.5.
The biggest change is from +11 to -6 on goals, which over a full season is probably 20 goals difference, which is what you get when you swap Akpom, Archer and Ramsey, for LL, Coburn (both injured a fair bit) and midfielders who aren't strikers. Not saying LL isn't average though, I think he's good enough to match xG and has done, but he's not above it like some of the other players we've had are.
Interestingly Forss is well up on xG, which I think most of us would have expected, but I don't think he's a lone striker which probably explains why we've not had him there, and he chips in well from the right.
Crooks and Rogers were both half of their xG, which isn't great. Jones is -2 also, but gets himself in the positions more, so it's less of a % drop.
I think overall what it shows is that we generally performed below expectations this season. And that matches up with what I see at the games, we have thrown so many games away this season through poor defending, stupid goals conceded, poor decision making, bad finishing, the list is endless.I really like xG, but you need to know it's limitations, as it's only showing goals scored against quality of chances created and conceded, against what is to be expected from an average player in the league.
We've scored less than the xG as our finishing has been worse than the average expected, so you could say that's down to our strikers, strikers being injured and other players not being great at finishing. Either way, that's a reflection on the squad.
Then as for chances conceded, we've shipped a lot of goals which should have been saved, especially when Dieng was away, a reflection on our keepers/ availability (squad issue).
Last year we in the green 11.1 on xG, which means we scored 11 more than expected, as players like Akpom, Archer, Ramsey were well above the norm. We were also in the red 11.7 on xGA, which means we also conceded more that we would have hoped but I remember discussing this last year when we conceded some really unlucky goals, early in the season at least. Overall this pretty much balanced out, and we were within 1 position/ 10% of our accrued points, to what xG expected.
This year we're in the red 5.8 on goals, scored 6 less than expected. We're also in the red 9.5 on xGA, but this to me seems more down to keeping than luck, although probably not worth the full 9.5.
The biggest change is from +11 to -6 on goals, which over a full season is probably 20 goals difference, which is what you get when you swap Akpom, Archer and Ramsey, for LL, Coburn (both injured a fair bit) and midfielders who aren't strikers. Not saying LL isn't average though, I think he's good enough to match xG and has done, but he's not above it like some of the other players we've had are.
Interestingly Forss is well up on xG, which I think most of us would have expected, but I don't think he's a lone striker which probably explains why we've not had him there, and he chips in well from the right.
Crooks and Rogers were both half of their xG, which isn't great. Jones is -2 also, but gets himself in the positions more, so it's less of a % drop.
We haven't really performed differently when we've had a full squad to choose from as when we were down to the bones. The good thing about our squad is that there is no massive drop in quality when a player is missing because our 1st and 2nd choice players are similar quality. Last year there would have been a noticeable drop if Akpom, Giles or Archer was missing. This year there isn't which is why it wasn't a disaster when they players were missing. The biggest reason there is no drop in quality is because our 1st choice have got significantly worse and not our 2nd choice being significantly better.Two biggest factors for me are:
1) we have played a third of the season without a fit recognised striker, so we haven't scored as many as we should.
2) no defensive selection consistency, meaning the unit as a whole aren't working together well, leading to a bit more time and space for the opposition.
Get a fit and regular back 4 and another CF and we will increase our consistency significantly and improve our actual performance against Xg and xGA