83
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The Hotel End / Cobblers Corner / Re: Summer 2021 Transfer Window
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on: June 22, 2021, 20:31:50 pm
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The level of negativity from some towards the new boys before having ever seen them play is absolutely baffling. How about waiting until you've at the very least seen them play in pre-season before making your minds up whether to write them off as poor signings or not?
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84
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The Hotel End / Cobblers Corner / Re: New Assistant Manager
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on: June 17, 2021, 16:22:38 pm
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I would not get too far ahead on your hopes. It really all depends on the recruitment drive. Some quality additions notably in midfield and firepower should, even may, bring the best out of the current new signings. If not the same 'hope for the best' team selection will be much in evident again. Before your time we signed Joe Kiernan from Sunderland and with his artistry and clever passing transformed a good but workmanlike side.
Too late I'm afraid Evers, I've already put the wheels into motion on the 21/22 L2 Champions merchandise! T-shirts especially are a treat. £10 a pop but for you I can stretch to a mates rate of £11!
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85
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The Hotel End / Cobblers Corner / Re: New Assistant Manager
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on: June 17, 2021, 13:25:30 pm
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Full credit to Kelvin Thomas and co. for assembling this fantastic non-playing staff team during this off-season period - Brady, Calderwood, Rico, Sammo, Carr, Foyle. I can't think that there will be many teams, if any at all, in our division that will have a better backroom staff than we do now. All seem to be committed to this being a project (2+ years minimum) and this should stand us in great stead for the future!
The first team additions have been strong too (in my opinion).
The club is starting to have quite a good feeling to it again!
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86
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The Hotel End / Cobblers Corner / Re: Summer 2021 Transfer Window
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on: June 15, 2021, 19:11:43 pm
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That’s a shame I’d have liked him as playmaker.
Same for me. Think in a lower division we would have seen the best of him. He has quite a decent passing range but we didn't have the mobile targets for him to find last year!
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88
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The Hotel End / Cobblers Corner / Re: Summer 2021 Transfer Window
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on: June 15, 2021, 15:37:20 pm
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I assume we will still play Hoskins right mid?
Well at the very least he will have competition now, something he amazingly didn't have at all last season due to Curle's bizarre squad planning! I hope the addition of pacey wide players will make Rose and/or Smith look better this year. Neither are particularly capable of making things out of nothing (bar Rose's bicycle kick wonder goal) but both seemingly could score a decent amount if they are getting crosses from the byline more often. That didn't happen enough last year as we didn't have that pace or invention in wide areas so fingers crossed that Pinnock and Connolly can add that, and Hoskins raises his game to what we have seen from him before!
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93
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The Hotel End / Cobblers Corner / Re: Summer 2021 Transfer Window
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on: June 11, 2021, 10:56:48 am
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I must have missed the interview where it mentioned we were taking a more data lead approach. I enjoy looking at the data occasionally so had a look at some extremely basic criteria to see where Lewis featured against his peers last season. There were 72 players that played more than 2000 minutes in CDM/CM/. All the stats I look at are pro rata'd to per 90 minutes.
There are a ton of things that come into it such as style of play etc, but these are just the raw numbers as may be of some interest to someone.
Lewis played in a variety of positions last season. 548 mins at CAM, ST for 238, and 2545 in CM/CDM. 5 of his 6 league goals actually came from when he was playing in CM which is interesting so that is why I am comparing him to other CM's as thats where he logged is most minutes.
Of those the ones where Lewis features very highly is Aerial duels he featured in the 4th most of those players at 8.95 a game (average of 4.3).His win percentage was 47.08% which is about 3% better than average.
His XG (expected goals I know is hated by some) was 6th in the league from CM at 0.22 per game (average was 0.08).
Other main positive, touches of the ball in the box he ranked 5th of the CM's in L2 last season.
So a midfielder who is aerially combative and has the ability to chip in with the odd goal. His passing stats are very low in terms of volumes so does not seen to particularly dictate play, especially in a Tranmere side that had a lot of the ball. He attempted very low numbers and the average length of those passes was the lowest of the sample size.
Would rather see him at CM I think and arrive late than play further forward ALA where we put Watson last season. Unlikely to create a large amount judging from his figures, not exactly expansive in his passing. But at this level I dont think that is an issue, get the ball to our creative players and get in the box!
We know Sean is fantastic at this level at interceptions, tackles etc which will hopefully allow Lewis to get forward where he seems to be good at coming into the box, bodies in the box is something we never seemed to do well at last season so I see the benefit.
So does he jump off the page as a marquee signing, not really. Could he be a solid player that could get us 6-8 goals from midfield, yes. With so many more additions to come seems fine to me, no reason to meltdown at the very least!
Very good post! Don't suppose you fancy doing the same for Kabamba and Pinnock too do you?
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94
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The Hotel End / Cobblers Corner / Re: Summer 2021 Transfer Window
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on: June 11, 2021, 10:29:01 am
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There’s no need to be rude, you wouldn’t dare say it to my face so please refrain from acting hard on a forum. Let’s just agree to disagree, I have no wish to argue with fellow supporters.
I wasn't being rude, and given that you're trying to intimidate me now it's clearly you who is trying to 'act hard'. Happy to agree to disagree.
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95
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The Hotel End / Cobblers Corner / Re: Summer 2021 Transfer Window
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on: June 11, 2021, 10:10:44 am
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Neal Eardley would be an excellent signing FFS have you seen what we are currently signing 😂 he was outstanding at Lincoln and would add the experience we need. As for Agard he’s scored 40 goals in 108 appearances for MK dons? I have no clue who you think we will sign but if you think they will be better than what I suggested your the one talking rubbish pal.
Can you read? Agard has 2 goals in the last 2 seasons! Eardley might have been an excellent signing 5 years ago, certainly not now - he couldn't hold down a starting place for either Burton or Barrow last year. If you think that we could sign Aneke in L2 when there is Championship interest then you are plain wrong. I'm glad you're not in charge because you talk absolute garbage! One of the players I suggested about a week ago was Pinnock, and low and behold he has signed for us since then. So yes I think I'm closer to realism on this than you are.
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96
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The Hotel End / Cobblers Corner / Re: Summer 2021 Transfer Window
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on: June 11, 2021, 09:35:10 am
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Can’t promise not over 31, Neal Eardley released by Burton, Chucks Aneke released by Charlton or Kieran Agard released by MK Dongs. They all will cost money so none will happen.
Neal Eardley is 32, and last season couldn't get into the Burton team so went out on loan to Barrow in L2 where he managed only 4 appearances. That wouldn't even be a good signing let alone a marquee signing! Would cost nothing so you're talking rubbish. Kieran Agard didn't play a single minute in the league for MK Dons last season. He only managed 2 goals in 19 games the year before that. Why on earth would we want him? Would cost nothing so you're talking rubbish again. Chuks Aneke I agree would be a marquee signing. He's also a star player for a L1 team that will be top half next season and he is wanted by Coventry, amongst others, in the Championship. There is zero chance of him signing for us at this moment in time. I'm sorry but these are poor suggestions and show that you shouldn't be writing the new signings off already; they're far more considered then the suggestions you've offered there. Have a bit of faith!
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97
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The Hotel End / Cobblers Corner / Re: Summer 2021 Transfer Window
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on: June 10, 2021, 23:52:20 pm
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Love the spin, we’ve lost our two best players and replaced them with very average ones by the fans of their old teams comments. We need a marquee signing, preferably before the shît hits the fan 🤐
Care to share a couple of names who would you might like to see sign who you would class as a marquee signing? Preferably no former players or players over the age of 31!
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98
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The Hotel End / Cobblers Corner / Re: Summer 2021 Transfer Window
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on: June 10, 2021, 22:48:43 pm
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Honestly. If you look at our championship winning team, we didn’t have any World Cup beaters! Just the right players with the right mentality, that formed a formidable group. Most of which weren’t highly regarding by their previous clubs when signing. They need to create the perfect blend and that can 100% be achieved by buying players who are yet to have shown their full potential. Have faith in what they are doing, they certainly know a hell of a lot more than you lot!
I certainly don't disagree with this - whilst I am sceptical that these changes are anything more than a few extra voices inputting their opinions, I do have full faith in JB and the rest of the guys to bring in the right players for the system they want to play! From the signings so far and from what JB has said about them, it seems we will play a high tempo style and get the ball into the box often from wide areas. These signings would surely all fit that style well. As you say, an effective yet individually unspectacular team where players fit their intended roles trumps a team of highly paid 'superstars' when there isn't a cogent plan - see Morecambe and Salford respectively this year! As it goes I personally think all 3 new lads look like good players - particularly Pinnock
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99
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The Hotel End / Cobblers Corner / Re: Summer 2021 Transfer Window
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on: June 10, 2021, 19:09:03 pm
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A few thoughts:
1. Watson and Jones were always going to get L1 offers. We shouldn't see their departures as rejection of Brady's 'project', just a exercise of completely justifiable ambition on their parts. Brady showed good management in setting a deadline and sticking to it.
2. I'd have liked Watson to stay but he's not a huge loss. 6 of his goals came in a 5 game purple patch and quite a few were from set pieces. His passing, creativity/assists and tackling were all bang average really and I wouldn't say he stood out when we were last in L2. In fact Curle benched him quite a bit at the start of this season. Will he repeat last season's feat and score 9+ goals again for a team who are not set up for him to play as a kind of advanced false 9? We'll see.
3. What I would say about the new signings so far is this:
- None of them are 'exciting' (not that this necessarily counts for much) - None of them scream revolutionary 'data-based' recruitment to me
At first glance, the thought process behind the Lewis signing seems to be: we've just lost a goal-scoring midfielder, let's bring another one in. Once again, I'd like to know the data which was used to identify Lewis as a good signing beyond a simplistic glance at the goals scored column.
If KT has identified poor recruitment as the primary reason for our relegation, and identified a data-based approach as the solution then we need to see some evidence that the process has improved.
Pretty much spot on here, but I would suggest that the data-based approach is very much still a planned idea at best. KT said already that they aren't looking into hiring a data analyst "yet" - because, you know, why would we rush something like this after a calamitous relegation with poor recruitment at the heart of the issues? As for Watson, I don't think he's close to being as much of a loss as Lloyd Jones. The Jones-Horsfall partnership had started to work really well for us and he'll be really hard to replace with the same quality; in fact I don't think we will. Watson is a very good player for L2 level but as you say he didn't massively stand out in that division before. His only real career goal spurt came under Brady, so perhaps we should look more to Brady's tactical nous for being able to get goals from a capable midfielder than to Watson being a regular goal threat? Paul Lewis clearly has it in him to arrive late in the box and score goals - there was plenty in the club's new signing 'scout report'! Would like to think that Brady is intending on using him as a number 10 with an aerial threat to get on the end of Pinnock's crosses. Think we need a playmaker still but I'm sure one will be signed in the next month or so!
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