Article in The Athletic

Just wait till we get Vernham, Angol, Elliott,
Ridehalgh, Staunton & Robinson back.

 

I did enjoy the win. Where did I say I didn't?

 

Vernam, Angol and Ridehalgh possibly improve us but the other 3 probably need to move on for next year.

 

I think that's slightly unfair to Staunton. Adams basically destroyed any young player we had on the books so I would like to see him have a fair crack of the whip under Hughes' coaching, who I feel will be able to get a hell of a lot more out of him.

 

He's not even making the bench in front of the very poor Kelleher which suggests to me he's not particularly standing out in training.

I think we're perhaps blinded by him doing OK in a particularly poor side for a while but he's clearly not progressed as we thought and unless he gets a run soon then it's all too little, too late. For his benefit as well as ours he should probably move on and get some first team football somewhere.

 

Didn't he get injured again and hence why he isn't on the bench?

 

I'm not sure Bots. Either way though, time is running out for Reece I'd suspect.

 

Unless its on a Pay as you Play deal, Angol needs moving on. Far too injury prone.

It'll be interesting to see whether Evans stays. I think he might, which would seemed massively unlikely a month ago.

 

Very much agree. He's unlucky to be injured right now

 

Yes, he had to be subbed in the game against Oldham just before half time with a hamstring injury.

 

Personally I think the narrow mindset is those who judge him on playing for Deluded Derek this season, in a formation less team, without giving him the benefit of improvements Hughes will/ has made to his game, but hey it takes all sorts of views to make a world.

 

Fair enough. You and @banbrotam take the £50 bet that was offered by another poster as clearly you see him as an asset going forward.

Mind you, I won't hold my breath.

 

I would like to see him have a full season in a stable team with no off the field shenanigans like we've had the past few years. If he doesn't kick on then I would completely agree. I do also think he's injured at the moment if I'm not mistaken. So for me on balance I think one more season and then move him on if he doesn't progress. I doubt he's on much and I feel like having a ball playing centre half like I think Staunton has/had the potential to be would be a great asset for the way hughes seems to want us to play.

 

I'd prefer to judge him on what Hughes gets out of him between now and May, and as for the bet, don't be daft. Why would I throw money away on a bet over an opinion. You know as well as I do that the people making these bets don't actually intend to pay on them.

 

The problem will be getting enough game time into him to help him improve. He's certainly not an automatic first choice and given that we're surely going to bring in reinforcements in the summer it could push him even further down the list.

The second problem, that no one has mentioned yet, is that he only looked decent in a back 3 and MH doesn't look like using that system. As a two I think he'd look exceptionally shaky and I'm not sure taking a risk on him improving rapidly there is something MH would be keen on.

 

I don't think he would look any more shaky than Song'o frequently does. Would also allow us to put song'o in his natural position further forward. The only way we'd find out is if he gets a chance, what he does with that chance is down to staunton.

 

I think Staunton's problem is that he simply isn't big enough for a centre-back.

 

Yes, but what position did Fabio Cannavaro play? ( do not take this as an ability comparison between the two!)

 

Mascherano played CB @ Barca 5' 9"

 

The mistake you're making is judging him after half a season and then not factoring into his previous successes, i.e, two promotions from this division.

Like a lot of clubs, City have a catalogue of players who simply looked poor for their first year, never mind ordinary for just the first half of a season. Robbie Blake, my favourite Bantam - was one such player. He wasn't even the first choice striker at the start of that memorable promotion seasons.

Garry Thomson was another, who looked average in this first two or three months - who then, as the season went on and character is needed just as much as skill went on to be the most vital player in our late season charge (i.e. like Songo is doing now).

So I'm simply not going to be daft enough to dismiss a player, been asked to play in the wrong position, after barely half a season.