Unused Subs - WHY ?

CostaRufus

I can appreciate Parky wanting to try and keep a winning side on the pitch, but Saturday was crying out for Jonjo & Sam to come on and win the game.

Whats Parky's problem with mixing it up a bit in the final 10 at the very least, such a wasted opportunity and one that will add a nail to our coffin.

Tresor Kandol ??

WSS

Parky explained his decisions in the post match interview.

Does seem strange not to make any subsitutions but can you imagine if we took off Spring for example and brough Jonjo on and we conceded? The reaction would have been "Why the hell did he take Spring off? We were good for a point and that w*nker gambled - and lost".

I do think he is in a lose lose situation unless we win every game 2-0 with the opposition not creating a single chance.

CostaRufus

Can't agree with you more, Spring etc had to stay on, but Jonjo for Kandol could have been a super sub ?

Dave Rudd

I wasn't at the game, but I do confess to being surprised that Shelvey didn't get at least 10 or 15 minutes. We have long been at the stage where we need to get wins - and Shelvey has five goals in his last two Reserve appearances, I believe. The hypothetical 'what if we took Spring off and we conceded?' isn't really an argument to my mind. A defeat is not much worse than a draw. A win would have been priceless. And anyway, why Spring? Why not Kandol?

It poses the question 'do we think we've turned the corner with Parky in the last two games?' Is it four points gained from two games ..... or two points lost from fixtures where we needed six points?

bingaddick

Maglor and I were talking about bringing on Jonjo and Sam but as the game wore on, we just ed more likely to win it. I think it was a fine judgement. Who would you have taken off? Kandol possibly but that could have upset the balance of the team. Soares, possibly but he started to look more threatening in the later stages? Bailey, but hes our leading goalscorer? Racon, well he was our most dangerous player? In the end we felt Parky was probably right on this occasion.

The thing is we can't re-run life. His judgement was that those on the pitch on this occasion looked the best bet, he backed his judgement, we created some chances, should have had a nailed on penalty and won the game. Who is to say that changing it would have made a difference?

WSS

You can't lose points you don't have but as I said in the predictions - we'd draw here and go to Swansea and win and have 7 our of 9 which if we keep up for the rest of the season we'll stay up.

;-)

bingaddick

[cite]Posted By: Dave Rudd[/cite]I wasn't at the game, but I do confess to being surprised that Shelvey didn't get at least 10 or 15 minutes. We have long been at the stage where we need to get wins - and Shelvey has five goals in his last two Reserve appearances, I believe. The hypothetical 'what if we took Spring off and we conceded?' isn't really an argument to my mind. A defeat is not much worse than a draw. A win would have been priceless. And anyway, why Spring? Why not Kandol?

It poses the question 'do we think we've turned the corner with Parky in the last two games?' Is it four points gained from two games ..... or two points lost from fixtures where we needed six points?

Dave, I hate to pick you up on this mate but there is a alternative view to which I subscribe.

We have picked up four points from two games. Thats an average of two points a game. If we average that between now and the end of the season we will finish on 52 points. Only one team in the last twelve years - Leicester last season has been relegated on 52 points; sometimes the survival threshold is well below 50. So to my way of thinking we did enough on Saturday especially as we haven't picked up a point away for so long. We need momentum and that point may just have got the ball starting to roll.

At the end of the game we gave our players a standing ovation where as the Tykes booed their team off. That suggests to me that they have not hit rock bottom yet. We don't know yet which teams are going to be dragged into the scrap so a point, under all those circumstances was certainly a lot better than none in my opinion.

Oggy Red

The point at Barnsley, 2 clean sheets, 2 unbeaten games was a vital step in restoring the player's belief and confidence.
Parky evidently decided that was the valuable thing to take away from the game.

It's the very factor that the team will need to have a chance of staying up.
Far more important in the long run than 2 points we might have got in one match.

Get the belief, confidence and spirit right within the team - and the points will be made up in games to come.

pilchard

I agree.

Dave Rudd

Fair points, guys, but I can't help thinking that, if we are going to average two points per game from here on in, we need wins at places like Barnsley to counteract the likely defeats at more difficult venues.

Listen, they don't come more optimistic than me. One nil down with ten minutes of extra time left at St Andrews in 1987, I still thought we were going to win. I just think that draws are not a lot of use to us at this stage. We have 26 points, and realistically probably need another eight wins. For me, those wins are more likely to come from games at Barnsley rather than Swansea. So, you take a gamble at 0-0 with 15 minutes left.

Nevertheless, I recognise the views of those who were there on Saturday and respect Parky's judgement that a point is better than none. A win at Swansea (see, I told you I was Mr. Optimism) and I'll happily doff my cap in his general direction.

Oggy Red

But team belief and confidence has been really frail for most of the season, Dave.

Rebuild this belief in the side and the team then start to go out confident of winning.
And then it won't matter who our opponents are.

bingaddick

[cite]Posted By: Dave Rudd[/cite]I just think that draws are not a lot of use to us at this stage.

Don't get me wrong, I'd rather we had won on Saturday and frustratingly we probably should have done. The problem is we haven't picked up a point away for yonks so this is a start.

As for more difficult games coming up well I've got a shock for you mate, we will have to pick up some points against these teams, realistically to stay up. That was the case, in my view, before Saturdays draw. Does that worry me, no not really, the reality is we need 50 plus points. Thats it.

Oggy Red

And if the team go out believing they are good enough and prepared, then we are going to get results.

Just because opponents are higher placed than us in the table, doesn't mean we don't have a chance of winning ....(!)

;o)

Kap10

If we get the self belief we need and results like this can do it, we can play the Birminghams and Wolves and readings of this league and still have belief that we can pick up points. But confidence after our recent run must be fragile, so a change in formation and a late defeat could have put the confidence level back to square one. Now the players can begin to believe that they can hold a clean sheet home and away.

Dazzler21

[cite]Posted By: Oggy Red[/cite]And if the team go out believing they are good enough and prepared, then we are going to get results.

Just because opponents are higher placed than us in the table, doesn't mean we don't have a chance of winning ....(!)

;o)

As always 100% agree

Just talking to a mate and we both believe whatever happens Parky should stay he is getting a balance going and who knows if the board decide not to let alll the players go again it could be a swift return to the Championship if we were to go down.

stop_shouting

I like Parky but I too was baffled by him not using any subs. Kandol was an absolute embarrassment & it was crying for Jonjo or Todorov to replace him. I don't want to be too critical of Parky because he mainly got it right on Saturday but Barnsley were there for the taking & I think we just needed a bit more creativity. Fair play to the rest of the team as it was a good performance in tricky conditions.

Dazzler21

Why todorov he wouldnt last 10 mins ;o)

I am still waiting for Dicko and Jonjo in the same team with their little tricks and stuff...

guinnessaddick

3 less kits to wash?

bingaddick

I still feel the decision to appoint Parky was a big gamble given the first 8 games. I have seen some improvements now, which perhaps weren't apparent to those on the outside when the decision was made. What I think though doesn't really count because he was appointed, he is our manager and I give him my support. If he turns out to have an impact on our club as Curbs did, and if this takes more than this season before he turns it round, the Board will have made the right decision for the long term, despite the short term problems.

I looked at some past seasons yesterday. In the play off winning season in 97/8, the teams relegated to the third tier were.............

Man City
Stoke
Reading

I believe, whether we are relegated or not, we hit rock bottom a month or two ago and the club is now moving up again, both on and off the pitch. Much of that is down to Parky and Kins and I hope it continue.

Oggy Red

[cite]Posted By: bingaddick[/cite]
I believe, whether we are relegated or not, we hit rock bottom a month or two ago and the club is now moving up again, both on and off the pitch. Much of that is down to Parky and Kins and I hope it continue.

Yep, agreed Bing.

You can almost feel the change in mentality at the club during the last few weeks, including performances and determined talk in club interviews, which have much more substance and belief - rather than relying on just hope.

If indeed the momentum is building, then this club is in the upward process of revival.

stop_shouting

Nice post Bing & your sentiments are echoed. Still think Parky has loads to learn after his disaster at Hull but if we go down, I want Parky to be the man to get us back up.