Keates shouldn’t have spent anything on the set up because it should have already been there!
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I don’t dispute that. But the paralysis that comes over them when they fail to defend the original attack suggests they’re getting contradictory info. It doesn’t necessarily mean there are too many,but maybe they’re trying to respond to mixed messages.
Hmm I’ve got to be honest if you want to blame the backroom for lack of systems or player development fine that’s what they are there for.
But players freezing when a ball comes into the box? That’s instinct and intiative and more than that it’s football basics. A centre half shouldn’t react like Guthrie for the OG the weekend no matter whose in the backroom. Same for Dobson getting turned like a top for the first.
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That’s what I’m suggesting. Maybe they’ve had so many contradictory messages, they’ve forgotten the basics of defence.
All the coaching the world will not make up for the fact that Martin can’t run neither can he header.
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This is what I’m most shocked by. He literally has no presence whatsoever when the ball is flighted into the box.
I expected him to be a bit on the slow side. I didn’t expect him to be none existent in an aerial challenge.
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Personally I think he believed that League 1 would be a doddle so hasn’t prepared correctly.
Add lack of fitness and conditioning to his age then you have a problem , unfortunately not all players body’s can maintain the required fitness levels especially when hitting their 30’s.
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A player of Martin’s experience over a sustained period at premier, championship and international level does not become a bad player over night. Agreed he could be fitter but his defensive colleagues are not good enough and never have been. They try hard but look at their pedigree. Before criticising Martin, consider a league two defender from Crewe, a RB from part time football In Scotlad’s Second tier and a Player who looked good going forward at Falkirk after starting out as a winger in the Gordon Strachan soccer camp. Add to that a goalkeeper with barely 50 appearances and Herman Munster (a Keates signing) as back up and the writing’s on the wall. But apart from that, blame Martin…
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Well I don’t think anybody is blameLESS here. That definitely includes Martin.
it doesn’t absolve any of the other players you’ve pointed out but there’s no getting round the fact that, whatever he has done in a Norwich or a Scotland shirt, he’s been very disappointing in a Walsall one.
Originally I wasn’t for this idea and I think we do lose a lot going forward doing this, but I wonder if it’s worth giving Martin a run at right back. I don’t think he has the legs for it but we have bigger issues than that at the moment and he must have better basic defending skills than Devlin.
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When Leahy and Devlin signed contracts (good ones I think), both were playing as wing-backs. Unfortunately Jon Whitney haven’t loaned, or bought another central defender (Bielik was last attempt to solve this problem I assume). So wing-backs have to play as full-backs and they are, how I could say it, not suitable for that role. I’m afraid no matter how big, or small, background staff is, they won’t improve. End of season clear-out, till this time patience is a virtue.
Vegans aren’t known for their boundless energy either.
Hmmm … that’s two vegan knocking comments on this thread (Walsall one the other)
Venus Williams
Lewis Hamilton
Jermaine Defoe
David Haye
Etc
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Davis just needs a clipboard and a scruffy beard and it’s just like last season
Add to that
Firmino
Messi
Aguero
Bellerin
Delph