Ash Taylor

Its like choosing between having your bollocks cut off with a rusty knife or a blunt pair of scissors, picking between the two in Hughes’ system,

but I would say Gillead was a better performer than Richie last season. Not miles better, but he was better.

Smallwood will likely boast better headline stats as he was on set pieces and will thus have created more chances and assists. Not sure about ball carrying stats and interceptions etc.

 

Think people are expected to much from smallwood he’s been a defence midfielder all his career he likes to sit in-front of back 4 and just do the simple pass, we needed someone like Pattison to do that extra attacking part as he hasn’t got the legs to be a box to box midfielder, Gilliead for me is a good squad player but last season 1 goal from a midfielder is shocking

 

Agreed. We need more goal output.

 

Yes your right doing that he could play till he's 50.

 

Think for money he's on and long contract too many ppl defend smallwood. We could get virtually any average player to sit in front of a back 4 and play a simple pass.

 

What money is he on?

 

Very good money for this level.

 

Assumed or actual?

 

I dont know an exact figure but i was told about the transfer before it happened by someone close to the player. I just remember him saying Smallwood approached City to move here and that he was on very good money for this level.

to be expected I suppose, given he was at Hull in the Champ and was offered a one year deal there.

Not many other offers location wise suited him - i think it might have been Posh in L1 that also offered him a deal.

 

We aren't half making a meal of this game.

 

Smallwood was a lot higher on almost everything.

I think @Jordan posted some stats.

 

Ah fair do’s then. Pattison will compliment him better than Gillead did last year, anyway

 

McDonald hopefully complements him even better, and we get Pattison up front with Walker and Cook!

 

Found it.... @borderlescott

Alex Gillieads season compared against every other CM who had 15 or more L2 games was.....

Successful tackles per game, he is joint 9th with 2.6 per game. Sylla at Hartlepool was top with 3.6 followed by Moxon at 3.4. Smallwood was also joint 9th. He was also 9th for attempted tackles per game at 3.7. McEachran at Swindon attempted the most tackles per game at 4.8, Moxon 2nd at 4.3. Smallwood was 13th with 3.5.

He was 47th for interceptions at 0.7 per game. Ashley at Colchester was highest with 2.6 per game, followed by Eastmond at Sutton with 2.2. Smallwood was joint 15th. He was also 47th for fouls committed per game with 0.9. Smallwood was 24th. Key passes per game, Smallwood was 5th ranked at 1.7 per game, Gilly was 57th ranked with 0.5 per game, Watt was highest at 2.7. Smallwood was 6th ranked CM at passes per game at an average of 52.3 passes per game, Gilly was 34th ranked at 31.9 passes per game, Watt highest again at 63.5 per game.

Statistically across all metrics, Smallwood was actually the 3rd best midfielder in the league behind Moxon & Watt. Gilliead came in 37th.

I think Pattison could also play alongside Smallwood and give the CM area some needed forward movement, but maybe McDonald will probably compliment Smallwood better leaving Pattison to play further up the field. Question is, does he do that instead of Walker, whilst sat behind a two man striking partnership? Or do we play Pattison and Walker behind Cook?

I'm not a fan of our current setup so far, because its supposed to be a 352 wingback setup but in both games it's quickly dropped set to a 541 as Halliday and Ridehalgh aren't attacking minded enough to play higher up and have a lot of the time been 10/15 yards further back than we need to start attacks. Which means Walker and Odour have been dropping back too creating a 4 man midfield and leaving Cook looking isolated. If he is persistent on playing Halliday and Ridehalgh, we need another forward starting and to be braver. If he plays proper wing backs, happy to have 1 up top.

 

I thought the whole plan this season was to have a squad that provides more versatility in terms of the formations we are able to play. If we bring in a quality LWB we should be able to do that and do it well, but only if Hughes is prepared to leave out his favourites when playing a formation that doesn't suit them. So far he's been reluctant to do that though, which worries me.

 

Although I reserve comment on Ash Taylor for now, it really is time to put this thread back on track.

 

Cheers Jordan - really interesting that

 

Thats what we were told the plan was.... what we are seeing instead of versatile formation switches are square pegs in round holes and hoping for the best.

 

Barnsley and Derby did as well.

 

Is there really much more to say about Ash Taylor?

I'm hoping he doesn't make another appearance for us this season and then is quietly moved on in the summer.