Distin absent from training.

[cjuk87]

I'm calling him out,

DISTINNNNNNNN!!!!!!! You think you're better than EFC lad?? PE6 Row N! Bring it son, me and you the Villa game!

 

[ijjysmith]

Is this all true then?

 

[ImKoneKoneKoneKone]

Can just see how the argument went
Martinez - " SYLVAIN THAT HEADER WAS NOT PHENOMENAL, THERE WAS NO PASSSHHHION IN YOUR GAME"
Distin - "sorry boss I didnt have me milk, ill go get it now"

10 days later and distin has not returned with the milk

 

[davek]

Go for it - it seems most of us have this 7-game old season written off anyway. Maybe we'll unearth another gem and it'll be Stones and Galloway for the next umpteen years.... just as long as we stay up!

I like the idea of using a fallow season to blood players on the periphery. We wont be getting a CL place and I see no benefit in using up a lot of energy from established players already stretched by 4 competitions to secure a high-ish top half position.

It would take a manager with real courage to now turn to his squad and decide that everyone in it would get extensive time in the first team and make good use of the rest of the season in that way. But it could save the club a fortune in transfer fees next summer if one or two from the likes of Galloway, Browning, Garbutt, McAleny, Long, Grant etc proved themselves as first teamers.

I'd love to see that bravery, buy sadly supporters wouldn't wear it by and large. Why, I dont know. There's no distinction in finishing top half of the table. None whatsoever.

 

[Brennan]

Galloway is a loan spell or two away from even getting a 1st team squad call up.

That's not what people at Finch Farm have been saying.

 

[Moomin]

That's not what people at Finch Farm have been saying.

What has been said??

 

[ijjysmith]

That's not what people at Finch Farm have been saying.

What have they been saying?

 

[cjohno]

I like the idea of using a fallow season to blood players on the periphery. We wont be getting a CL place and I see no benefit in using up a lot of energy from established players already stretched by 4 competitions to secure a high-ish top half position.

It would take a manager with real courage to now turn to his squad and decide that everyone in it would get extensive time in the first team and make good use of the rest of the season in that way. But it could save the club a fortune in transfer fees next summer if one or two from the likes of Galloway, Browning, Garbutt, McAleny, Long, Grant etc proved themselves as first teamers.

I'd love to see that bravery, buy sadly supporters wouldn't wear it by and large. Why, I dont know. There's no distinction in finishing top half of the table. None whatsoever.

wouldnt mind seeing a few more youngsters given a go, but sooner get up nearer the top 7/8 first, bit to much pressure from all sides when your near bottom even if its only 7 games in, need to get in a good position , build confidence and then its easier to throw a few kids in. its only early we can still push towards top 4 , nobody seems convincing except for chelsea and maybe man city, arsenal, liverpool, man utd, and spurs will lose plenty of games, a few wins on the bounce and we will be right back near top 4 spot.

 

[Boss_Blue]

What have they been saying?

That the players are in open revolt over Martinez and his tactics.

Brass tacs glued to the chair in his office, salt instead of sugar in his tea and his sandwiches have gone missing from the canteen refrigerator.

This is all being masterminded from home by Distin via Twitter of course.

 

[davek]

wouldnt mind seeing a few more youngsters given a go, but sooner get up nearer the top 7/8 first, bit to much pressure from all sides when your near bottom even if its only 7 games in, need to get in a good position , build confidence and then its easier to throw a few kids in. its only early we can still push towards top 4 , nobody seems convincing except for chelsea and maybe man city, arsenal, liverpool, man utd, and spurs will lose plenty of games, a few wins on the bounce and we will be right back near top 4 spot.

Maybe it is slightly early to be pulling the plug on this season, but even regardless of that I dont see us making a significant impact on the top 5 places this season, and finishing just out of the shake up again fills me with no sense of achievement.

If Martinez decided to use this injury crisis to get youngsters into the team and keep faith with them, that'd be a meaningful way of dealing with the situation. As said though, whatever the treatment room population, using the rest of the season to find out how solid the periphery of this squad is would be a very brave thing to do....but also a rational thing to do in all honesty if you look at this in the round. Use this season to make us stronger for next season.

 

[Moomin]

Maybe it is slightly early to be pulling the plug on this season, but even regardless of that I dont see us making a significant impact on the top 5 places this season, and finishing just out of the shake up again fills me with no sense of achievement.

If Martinez decided to use this injury crisis to get youngsters into the team and keep faith with them, that'd be a meaningful way of dealing with the situation. As said though, whatever the treatment room population, using the rest of the season to find out how solid the periphery of this squad is would be a very brave thing to do....but also a rational thing to do in all honesty if you look at this in the round. Use this season to make us stronger for next season.

I agree with it in principle, but the loss in prize money would be a big hit to us.

 

[D410]

I like the idea of using a fallow season to blood players on the periphery. We wont be getting a CL place and I see no benefit in using up a lot of energy from established players already stretched by 4 competitions to secure a high-ish top half position.

It would take a manager with real courage to now turn to his squad and decide that everyone in it would get extensive time in the first team and make good use of the rest of the season in that way. But it could save the club a fortune in transfer fees next summer if one or two from the likes of Galloway, Browning, Garbutt, McAleny, Long, Grant etc proved themselves as first teamers.

I'd love to see that bravery, buy sadly supporters wouldn't wear it by and large. Why, I dont know. There's no distinction in finishing top half of the table. None whatsoever.

I can see a lot of merit in the approach to go with the yougsters but I think that the players, agents, fans and owners have not signed up to a policy of two steps backward, one steps forwards when your a third of the way through the season.

 

[Foot Long Hot Dog]

Maybe it is slightly early to be pulling the plug on this season, but even regardless of that I dont see us making a significant impact on the top 5 places this season, and finishing just out of the shake up again fills me with no sense of achievement.

If Martinez decided to use this injury crisis to get youngsters into the team and keep faith with them, that'd be a meaningful way of dealing with the situation. As said though, whatever the treatment room population, using the rest of the season to find out how solid the periphery of this squad is would be a very brave thing to do....but also a rational thing to do in all honesty if you look at this in the round. Use this season to make us stronger for next season.

You can't chuck a host of youngsters into a side that's been struggling and needs points on the board.

 

[davek]

I agree with it in principle, but the loss in prize money would be a big hit to us.

Possibly, yeah. If we went the experimentation route you could expect to finish midtable (the league is pretty poor in all fairness). We'd lose out probably 4/5 places = £4.8/£6M. A lot of that could be clawed back though with EL and FA Cup TV appearance if we went on a run there.

The cost-benefit would ultimately be through savings in players bought + extra wages saved. I believe we could unearth at least a couple from the crop we have that'll save us in the summer transfer window.

 

[tadpole]

Is this all true then?

All rumour up to now, but based on Alan Ball's posts I'd be surprised if there wasn't some truth to it.