"Lucky to have Adams", "Can't believe we're able to win anything with this team" :funny:
Have people gone stark raving mad? We're not fielding a bunch of numpties; 11 players who's best years are behind them or punching well above their weight in this division. They may be made to look like a bunch of numpties who can't defend or consistently create chances but that is only 1 man's doing, the man who calls every shot at this club, Derek Adams, the man we're so "lucky" to have...
You break this team down player by player and it is by no means relegation fodder, in fact the vast majority of it was knocking on the playoff door a year ago. Our best XI:
Keeper
Letheren - Not a star but certainly a solid choice in L1. If he got the game time he deserved we'd be safe by now without a shadow of a doubt in my mind. He organises his defence, makes some good saves and his distribution is quick albeit not always accurate, as I say a solid choice but not a world beating one. You don't need to be a world beater to survive in L1 though.
Defence
ASB/Oscar, Edwards, Canavan, Sawyer
Not sure which of these players is completely useless, could someone point one out as I'm struggling to find one. Full backs you have experience on one side and potential on the other. Sawyer has played at Championship level, ASB/Oscar are probably both destined to end up there. Centre backs aren't Vyner and Sonny but they're both decent L1 defenders in their own right. Given the right tactics and coaching they've all proven themselves capable at this level of higher.
Midfield
Fox, Sarce, Ness, Songo'o
Paceless maybe but not useless. We need counter attack-ability IMO but in the meantime you play to their strengths. There's nothing stopping this midfield being successful, in fact it was successful less than 12 months ago, the first three are all very good passers of the ball and position themselves well, they may not break on you quickly but they can move the ball to crack your defence open in other ways, namely through the two superstars in front of them. It needs pace and a prodigy for Fox but that doesn't make it relegation fodder.
Attacking mid
Carey, Ruben
Do I really need to argue that these two aren't relegation players? If Adams used them properly with a genuine attack plan I don't think it's beyond reason to think they'd scare a defence or two.
Forwards
Ladapo, Taylor
A goal scorer and a target man. A player who likes to run onto balls and a player who likes balls played in to them. A man who harries defenders and a man who scares the living hell out of when he runs at them. Two forwards who fit very different systems and fit different situations. A flexible manager, one who reacts to those situations rather than fitting square pegs in round holes could/would take advantage of that. Maybe even rotate them to confuse opponents...Not Derek.
Once again though what do I know, Adams is an "expert", who am I to question him? :think:
