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Ivf just looked at the table and we are still in with a shout of play offs. In fact there’s close to being a gap opening up between us in 8th and teams below us.

So....

What should Paul Cook do?

Interestingly he has already commented that you can’t coach the number of players we have in our squad - hardly surprising really is it !


Would he best to pick his best 22 players from that huge squad and concentrate on them , coach them , drill them into his way of doing this . In essence have a working “ playing off” squad within the larger squad as a whole ?

If so , and you were Cook, which 22 players would you have
in that 22 man squad ?

Liz: we must not try and push for promotion this season, ok if it happens it happens, but we can take better steps to sorting out this mess if we don't try and push Paul Cook too hard, just let him get his head around getting this squad sorted into a working number.

I just think we are expecting too much too soon it wont happen, but time is on our side.

The fixture list is on our side too. Especially if we can get results against Lincoln and Portsmouth.......

Dubai Blue wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 07, 2021 8:40 am

The fixture list is on our side too. Especially if we can get results against Lincoln and Portsmouth.......

Yes I was reading the other day that we play 4 teams that are in the top ten I think it was and the rest are below so every chance, saying that if we were lucky to get promoted investment would certainly be needed that's for sure.

Gillingham were below, how did that work out ?

Well Mike, they’ve had their free hit , haven’t they!

PC can essentially be ruthless with the players available now . I suppose it depends on how much he think it’s realistic to make those play offs. I’d say they are very reachable now .

They are reachable but much depends on which Town turns up, even though we weren't great against Accrington and Hull we did at least look resilient, yesterday however we looked lightweight and a soft touch, im sure it won't take long for Cook to suss it out and realise who is crap and who isn't. For me players like Bennetts, Sears, Woolfenden, Harrop shouldn't be anywhere near the first team squad while the likes of Downes, Dozzell, Toto, Wilson, Norwood are probably essential for the type of fight ahead.

Yep I think PC will have learned lots from yesterday too. But I'm starting to get worried about the core of players that are doing Sat-Tue-Sat-Tue for a couple of weeks now. Are a few of them getting jaded?

If there are going to be fitness issues, better to rest and recover now than get injured and miss a month.

I don't buy all this 2 games a week is too much rubbish - they are professionals and train regularly so there should be no issues at all with fitness.

I'm pleased that PC has alluded to the fact that the squad is way too large - I agree with Liz in that he should decide who his best 17 or 18 players are and stick with them. Given the lack of quality in the squad, though, it will be interesting to see who gets played in the next few games

Yes, really need to bin that “too many games” thinking. It’s their job. In between their “90mins of pure silky class”, they’re training and they’re getting indoor treatments etc etc. Their fitness both physically and mentally is constantly monitored.
Forget the “sat tues sat tues” is too much. It’s not.
It only increases the chance of injury but every club is in the same boat with that.

We seem to get more injuries in training than in games. Less training, more games..... we might have more fit players.

It’s pretty much the same schedule for most teams.

The amount of matches should also condition the players, one would think?

I also believe PC needs to not be 'PC' with his squad selection, and a few of our current starting regulars should either be benched or removed from first team duties entirely. There's been too many poor team performances for several years now. It's almost spring...so maybe it's time to deadhead the flowers and prune the shrubs and hope for a robust garden by the end of May.

number 9 wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 07, 2021 4:26 pm

....so maybe it's time to deadhead the flowers and prune the shrubs and hope for a robust garden by the end of May.

More like Saints horseshit.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=khFQDXKlvHY

“Who’s Paul Cook?”

Since it’s a YouTube day ... I’ve just inadvertently stumbled upon an old YT cricket video featuring Bumble (David Lloyd)... and strangely a reference to the great man, Cookie, amongst greats such as Alex Ferguson, Arsenal Wenger and Roberto Mancini . (30 secs in).

https://youtu.be/uuLQYu7Nuc0

“We pinched him from Sligo Rovers”

Bumbles a big Stanley fan.