I find it rewarding that the fans can see it but the manager can't.

You guys really know your football.

splinter wrote:

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We've still got one in thirty Freddie !!

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 Soccerbase say 1 in 2 starts. But then whatever floats you boat.

We used to complain about a poster who repeated himself many times over. So i will apologise early for repeating myself.

Not sure Hillsborough if you know JCH, if you do i apologise. You quote that Warne couldn't manage his ego. Well, as i have said before JCH was only 20 when he came to us, played 71 games in four seasons and only scored 9 times. He then went to Coventry who has a manager that is highly respected, but in his two stints there played 44 times and scored only 8 times. Since then his career has taken off and it looks like he could be moving to a big club for millions. On the times i saw JCH at the training ground and at the stadium it didn't look like a case of managing his ego to me. He was popular with players and staff(including staff in the office and shop), he did a load of work in the community and just appeared as a well rounded young man. My view is this on JCH. He was a young man with lots of ability, had pace,power and a terrific shot. He was desperate to do well and at times he was frustrated with his own game. He worked hard in training and was managed well by Barker on the training ground and Warne off it. Barker was firm but fair with him at the times i watched training. He was given an extension to his contract because the club believed he had something more to offer. It could be he has matured as a person now and he is fulfilling his undoubted ability. I hope he can produce the goods in the championship or higher, with whoever he plays with. I would also like to think that players like JCH and Yates benefited greatly from their time with us and got a great grounding from Warne and Barker. One thing i am just about certain of is, JCH had no ego to manage and just appeared as a great young man who was keen to do well.

Instead of blaming Warne and Barker for them not fulfilling their full potential here, i think we should be saying they were given a good start here and we helped on there way up. It shows we have something to offer. That is probably a reason why better clubs place there younger players on loan with us. Jamie Vardy is a classic example of maturing late after not making it at different clubs.

hillsborough miller wrote:

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Yes u have made valid points and yes he was injured for a season. My point is if warne and barker are that good then why they realise his potential E

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 Lots of managers who have done very well in the game had a go with JCH.  If he had been crap with us but great everywhere else, you might have a point Hillsborough.  But that isn't the case.  The reality is that he underperformed for a number of years despite his obvious potential and attributes and was moved on by many managers.  Maybe it is his mindset, maybe a penny has dropped with him, maybe he has matured as a person and as a footballer.  Who knows.  But for the answer to the question of why JCH is now performing well after years of underperforming, I would suggest that you look no further than JCH himself rather than try and use his late blossoming as another stick to beat Warne and Barker with.  I would also suggest that if we announced tomorrow that we had sent money on a striker who had missed twelve months with an ACL injury you would be hopping mad about it, but that is what JCH had with us and now you are complaining that we let him get away.  No offence.

The JCH issue is difficult for people who dont like Warne but loved Robins or Evans, because JCH didnt do it for them. Warnock never picked him either. Are they all bad managers, or is it just Warne who messed up? I think if you dont like Warne it must be tempting to use this to have another go at him, even though the facts dont fit.

Ok i will make it simple warne is doing a lessons learned process again. Lets see where we are come december and if we change our style of play tactics and approach to changing a game

Stability is the word, but this season has to be the one where warne shows progress Formation Players in right position injuries permitting Tactical approach to game Less hoofball

Good Post 'Worcester',especially what you say about Tomey and JCH.

I have to slightly disagree about Smith and Ladapo doing what they do best and score. Smith in particular is not a prolific scorer. He has played 377 games in total for various clubs and scored 88 times. For RUFC he has played 143 times and scored 33 times. His record in league one for us, is played 54 scored 15 times. At Swindon he scored 21 times in 63 games, his most prolific in his career.

Ladapo has played 283 times and scored 92 times. His last couple of tries in League one he played 45 times for Plymouth scoring 18 goals and for us he played 31 times and scored 14 goals. Ladapo look s the one to keep as he has scored well in league one and wasn't really given a fair crack of the whip in the championship imo. If we had stayed up i would have wanted to have moved him on.

Smith is 30 in October, somebody who we got on a free. It looks like Middlesbrough are looking to offer around 600k for him. If we could push that up towards 1 million i would snatch there hands off. It would also close a chapter on us playing the hoof ball up to Smith to relieve the pressure, providing we didn't get another Smith type player in. Apparently Barlaser is wanting a move to a championship club. He is a player who is talented imo, but our style of play has not suited him, when we bypass the midfield so often. 'Worcester' calls for 4.4.2. In that system the middle two of the midfield have to be outstanding and i am not sure Wiles and Lindsay would be good enough without another player with them. If we keep Ladapo, he needs to play in a front two. You can play width in a 3.5.2 set up and i think this would suit us best. We need to get Ogbene up to speed and concentrate on getting him high up the pitch and not play wing backs in a defensive five. Easier said than done but we have some talented players for league one if we can hold onto most of them.

I'm fine with us playing 352 but for it to work against teams who are content to sit in against us we need (as Whiston suggests) wing-backs who are forward thinking and also a couple of centre-backs who are comfortable bringing the ball out of defence, creating overloads. Sheffield United used to work that particularly well. We can't have three pure defenders often marking one forward against teams that are content to get men behind the ball and break on us. In League One, I would be tempted to try Mattock (if fit) on the left side of a three (tin hat firmly on).

We would also need someone in midfield to create something for us. Barlaser fits the bill. I would be disappointed if he moved on, but if there is interest in any of our players from Championship clubs with offers of Championship wages we will find it hard to hang on to them. Once those two things marry up, all we can really do is get the best fee possible for them and reinvest it well.