Danny Guthrie - Refusing To Travel

[melonhead]

not incompetent
squad not good enough
not enough money to make it significantly better. hence all the frees.

[melonhead]

guthrie played, and wasnt great, karacan played, and results improved, karacan injured, tabb came it, results maintained their level.
further injuries and draining confidence hit us hard.
ledge has played ok before this run of games.



as much as i think brynn its the mutts nuts, i dont think hes quite whats required to turn our midfield around at 104 years of age

[Ian Royal]

not incompetent
squad not good enough
not enough money to make it significantly better. hence all the frees.

I'm talking about the squad he's got. I think it is better than this. Not a huge amount, but definitely better.

You think that sitting and watching your team surrender initiative, control, possession and the lead on a regular basis without taking any action to stop it until it's too late is competence?

You think persisting with playing a 4-4-2 style that's reliant on wingers tearing apart full backs and strikers being able to win hopeful balls into the channels because your midfield can't actually pass the ball, despite regularly getting turned over is competent?

You think that not playing someone because the won't sign a new contract and persisting with someone who's playing like a natural calamity is competent?

You think it's competent to make big money signings (for us) and then not really use them?

I would thoroughly support McDermott if I thought he was making the best of his squad and we were just getting beaten by better players. He isn't. We aren't. He is utterly out of his depth at the moment. He's clearly drowning, he doesn't know what to do and he's getting virtually everything wrong. That's why he's lost my support.

[melonhead]

not incompetent
squad not good enough
not enough money to make it significantly better. hence all the frees.

I'm talking about the squad he's got. I think it is better than this. Not a huge amount, but definitely better. - defo better-until a few weeks ago it was better.
You think that sitting and watching your team surrender initiative, control, possession and the lead on a regular basis without taking any action to stop it until it's too late is competence?-already criticised his substitutions, and agree our style isnt going to win enough games this year. until guthrie came back we only had two fit midfielders though, so playing 3 would have been difficult, and would substituting them
You think persisting with playing a 4-4-2 style that's reliant on wingers tearing apart full backs and strikers being able to win hopeful balls into the channels because your midfield can't actually pass the ball, despite regularly getting turned over is competent?-see above
You think that not playing someone because the won't sign a new contract and persisting with someone who's playing like a natural calamity is competent?- cant take ledge off when no other midfielders are available. you dont know thats not why pearce hasnt played, and if hes been tapped up, and he intends to leave in january or free in the summer im quite happy to go with players who do want to be here instead
You think it's competent to make big money signings (for us) and then not really use them?- gunters played a fair ammount, as has mariappa
I would thoroughly support McDermott if I thought he was making the best of his squad and we were just getting beaten by better players. He isn't. We aren't. He is utterly out of his depth at the moment. He's clearly drowning, he doesn't know what to do and he's getting virtually everything wrong. That's why he's lost my support.-i disagree with your assessment

[royalp-we]

I've stayed away from this for the last couple of days, but I still think, like a decent proportion of those who've posted, that McDermott has to carry a certain amount of blame for the way this has developed. He's not got the best out of Guthrie and his place in the squad still looks a bit of an oddity with the way we and he play.

I'm not sure I can forgive and forget the way a player has let the club down whatever the circumstances but, something that entered my thinking that I don't think has been mentioned is what if his state of mind really wasn't suitable for playing and being the Guthrie that the team needed? Dirk alluded to him already being switched off from the team and at this level I don't think you can be a useful player if you're not committed. Perhaps he really did think he would be better off staying away? Perhaps he felt that might be what McDermott thought with the way he's treated him recently and his comment about him not being fit enough to come off the bench at St Mary's.

The other thing is that there's been a lot of talk ove the last few years about mental health in sport and the effects of depression that can often go unnoticed in football and brushed under the carpet. Now anyone who's had kids will know that it can be a stressful time dealing with a pregnant wife and waiting for your world to be turned upside down. Add that to relocating down south, not playing amazingly well, having a fall out with your new boss, getting an injury that stops you doing the one thing that makes you feel worth something for 4 weeks at a time when it looks like your club really needs you and perhaps there's a strong case for Guthrie having a bit of a tough time mentally.

It doesn't matter how much you're paid, we've seen and heard over the last few years how depression can hit these young men in a highly pressured environment. Perhaps, and I'm not sure I quite buy this myself yet, he deserves and needs a bit of support from his manager and teammates to get his head right and it wasn't just a petulant F**k You I'm not playing that made him miss Tuesdays game.

Just over a month on from the big apology and Guthrie looks more integrated each passing game. I wanted to quote HB's excellent post from December, with a bit of support after the fall out the lad has really done well.

It'll be great if we see him standing over a free-kick Wednesday week

[chilipepper91]

"I don't want to say that our good form is because I'm back in the side..."

[melonhead]

hes still not playing brilliantly imo,
but hes getting there, and he has quality, which should come through
and now we are playing more to his strengths he should improve even quicker

really pleased for him tbf

[winchester_royal]

Liked his little embrace with McD at the end of the game. Shows he's buying into the way we do things.

[Royalclapper]

Steady Premier League midfielder. Looks like a good signing again now, would be great if he could avoid injury for the rest of the season and keep away from controversy. We're going to need some savvy in that midfield from someone who's played a good few games at this level.

[Big Foot]

PLEASE SELL HIM EITHER IN THIS WINDOW OR IN THE SUMMER

THANKS

[Royal91]

PLEASE SELL HIM EITHER IN THIS WINDOW OR IN THE SUMMER

THANKS

Under the premise that he's useless or a nob head or both?

I think you can see our performances have improved with him the side along with the formation change.

And if we allude back to this interview http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdEFoxzhR2k I would argue that he's genuine and isn't a nob head. Undoubtedly you can't defend the actions of him not going to Sunderland, but he's certainly improved as a guy since then.

[Wimb]

Tbf even Brian Howard had a decent six months....

Jury is still very much out but it's good to see him getting his head down and being part of a team that's grinding out some results. Like Howard in that 2009/10 season, he's probably not the long-term answer but he's the best we've got in the short-term.

[grey_squirrel]

Tbf even Brian Howard had a decent six months....

Jury is still very much out but it's good to see him getting his head down and being part of a team that's grinding out some results. Like Howard in that 2009/10 season, he's probably not the long-term answer but he's the best we've got in the short-term.

Talking of Howard, nicely timed appearance on Soccer AM at the weekend (good agent?). Wonder what Div2 or Conf club we will see him pop up at next?

[Millsy]

"I don't want to say that our good form is because I'm back in the side..."

THIS. He was more blatant than this IIRC. Really worries me. Still has an attitude problem. Cocky little tosser of an oik. BUT...

Liked his little embrace with McD at the end of the game. Shows he's buying into the way we do things.

This. A cocky little sh*t he may be but leopards don't change their spots overnight. He's clearly moving in the right direction and is on board. Plus I don't have to like him (yet), as long as he's helping us fight off relegation, which he undoubtedly is.

[Esteban]

Liked his little embrace with McD at the end of the game. Shows he's buying into the way we do things.

Or it could just be that he thinks Brian is quite cuddly.

[MartinRdg]

"I don't want to say that our good form is because I'm back in the side..."

THIS. He was more blatant than this IIRC. Really worries me. Still has an attitude problem. Cocky little tosser of an oik. BUT...

Liked his little embrace with McD at the end of the game. Shows he's buying into the way we do things.

This. A cocky little sh*t he may be but leopards don't change their spots overnight. He's clearly moving in the right direction and is on board. Plus I don't have to like him (yet), as long as he's helping us fight off relegation, which he undoubtedly is.

From his twitter
"All men make mistakes, but only wise men learn from their mistakes. - Winston Churchill "

"Gutted about tonight's result! Can't wait to help the team out "

"I will adapt to what is asked of me.... The most important thing is the team!!!! "

[Albert Spangler]

Liked his little embrace with McD at the end of the game. Shows he's buying into the way we do things.

Or it could just be that he thinks Brian is quite cuddly.

And who wouldn't?!

[Bandini]

Liked his little embrace with McD at the end of the game. Shows he's buying into the way we do things.

Team spirit is an illusion glimpsed in victory etc etczzzzzzzzzzzz

[maffff]

Well, we have to be tactical about this. Just let him do his job for now, and get rid in the summer.

If he's buying into the team and the ethos, seeming settled and actually starting to look decent for us, why would we push him out of the door? Live and let live.

And even if we go down, if he feels he's up for the battle, likewise he deserves a shot. He stayed with Newcastle when they went down after all.

[Reading4eva]

I like him, and understand his frustrations earlier in the season. Did anyone think he was annoyed as he wasnt playing, didnt like seeing us in the bottom 3, and couldnt do anything about it.