roversfan99

He is definitely not doing a "great" job.

We wont add 2 or 3 quality players in January. We never do. I think the change in formation being successful increases the number of players that we need. 2 centre backs, 2 forwards and right wing back cover. No idea where 7 or 8 came from. A number of Gestede's crap in Gueye, Henriksson, Kargbo and Tavares can all leave for me. Pickering and Ribeiro also become surplus to requirements, although I'd keep the former in case we ever want to go back to a back 4 occasionally, he can also provide extra centre back cover but it seems hes the next on the cull list for earning normal wages.

You would expect him to take great pleasure in beating us. Beating a club (ie owners and management) that massively let him down and a fanbase of which a big chunk has given him lots of stick in the 2 games since he moved.

We need more than just defenders. You look at the bench and how weak it was last night. Gudjohnsen and Ohashi seem to benefit from the current system (as do a few others) but there is absolutely no credible alternative to the pair of them. If we are sticking to the current system then we badly need most likely 2 more forwards.

Michalski played one game and looked nowhere near ready at his age. Pears is certainlg not good enough to start at this level but as backup hes probably passable.

Great result and unexpected once the team was announced. In the first half hour we were poor, and once we conceded so sloppily seconds after scoring I feared the worse but we rallied at the start of the second half and saw the game out pretty comfortably. Tronstad was our best player and back to his best. Pratt deserves immense credit for slotting in so comfortably considering the level hes been playing at. Hedges is certainly suited to a wing back role, Morishita and Ohashi are both pests and Gudjohnsen lacks in general play but is developing a great habit of pitching in with important goals. Our side feels like its patched together and the subs bench highlights how thin on the ground we are going into such a busy period so whether we can maintain this is another question but a very enjoyable night to push us away further from the bottom 3.

Based on what we have seen, which isnt enough for me to say with any certainty, I dont think hes up to the level, by quite a bit. You dont count the cup games when defending Ismael's record so presumably they dont count here. Even if they do, graduates starting games is at best seldom happening and only in low priority games. Im not saying they should or shouldnt be playing, but Ismael has said that they purposefully didnt fill the full squad for that (stupid) reason. My point was about the contradictory rubbish that the likes of Gestede and Ismael have come out with and keeping coming out with to try and defend the shambles of a summer.

Everything they say is just full of contradictions, and ultimately full of shit. Ismael is a proper lap dog, nothing likeable about him. Setting yourself a self imposed squad limit, less than the one that is in the rules? Bizarre, purely to cut costs. Its a tough season, you need the full quota of senior bodies. They then compound that by signing an injured player, signing a veteran not suited to starting games, knowing we already have injury prone players, and signing players that need time to "adjust." But they say that its to ensure that young players play? I call bullshit. When we are short of centre backs, does a graduate step up? No, its square pegs in round holes, even a winger at centre back. Montgomery was constantly being bigged up in the summer, I don't rate him but thats what they were doing, hasnt started a game. Has any youngster started a game this season from the academy? They have also tried to claim that Miller was signed as a centre back. Why did he just happen to sign within hours of Brittain leaving, and start featuring at right back initially? Why did we sign only one right back otherwise, when we had already said we wanted cover in that position as one of the priorities in the summer? A couple of months ago, never mind now, Ismael said he wouldnt consider the free agent market as it takes time to get up to speed. Why did he want Baradji then?

Why is it harsh? Im not having a go at him personally (im not Ismael) and I appreciate that he wont be enjoying the situation, far from it. But he is a waste of space in terms of as a resource for a football club. He cannot even get through a week of training without picking up a new injury. Obviously, any anger at the situation should be aimed 100% at those who knowing the injury records of our 3 centre backs (which isnt enough anyway) allowed the summer window to unfold as it did.

Its very unfortunate for him, he doesnt want to be injured. But he is the very definition of a waste of space to us. He is never fit to contribute, he cant go a week of a training post one injury before breaking down again.

Carter needs to retire. An absolute waste of space. Absolutely unforgivable that we pushed Hyam out, didnt bother getting at least one defender in and then tried to pretend it was all part of a plan. Hard to see past a home win tomorrow especially with Hedges and a jet lagged Miller at the back.

Yeah I can sort of appreciate that there maybe is an argument there to suggest that Scholes has been overrated and overhyped post retirement. I dont agree with it but theres a discussion there. To suggest that Wharton is better is clearly a new account on here to cause a splash. No way does anyone believe that.

"Take those tinted glasses off" is the next phrase in line for the echo chamber.

I agree with some of what you said, my issue is with how people use data, over rely on data, dont question data enough or purposely manipulate data. Take the Anderson example. One of the 2 sources came from a Nottingham Forest twitter account. So natural questions would be, why those specific stats? Why compare 15 minutes at the end when winning against a tired team to 75 minutes prior? And I think some of my questions about the other data are fair. If its about England, are those specific stats the most important? If its passing, if completion is high, is it safe and backwards/sideways? If its forward, does a 1 yard and 30 yard pass equal the same? Are the chances created reasonable ones? I dont think my opinion is any more credible or real than anyone elses. Judging players is still as subjective as it has ever been. Some teams use data and find good players, some find poor players. Same as before without data, it can help and it can hinder.

Of course luck plays a part though, moreso in international football. Southgate did benefit from some favourable draws that did not come as a direct result of anything he had done. Equally, I think Ismael is a poor manager. But he was unfortunate to see weather conditions call a game off because that was out of his control.