Back from the Game - Coventry (H)

[Cypry]

Did not everybody presume Connolly would play as soon as he was fit?

Do you believe he'd come from a premiership club to be warming the bench?

I fully expected him to play.

I've said before that we get "political" injuries and was battered for it.

Whereas I'm not saying people are LYING there's another way to look at this.

Imagine Cummings and Griffin and McAnuff etc are "playing with injuries" getting injections,
maybe strapped up, or just carrying niggles so they are playing at 97%

A manager has a class player he would like to play, so between him and the medical staff
they "Decide to rest players X and Y, to allow them to get fitter." They COULD HAVE played
if the cover was not there but they are taken out. It's "lucky" that the replacement (Connolly)
is a class player. Now get the shirt off him...


Mills seems an odd case, but listen to his interviews and he sounds like he expected to play
and he just got a contract. Maybe McDermott rested McAnuff because we have three games
in a week,

As I said before, Jobi stated in his program notes, he's been carrying a hernia for a while and had it operated on a week or so ago (he went into great detail about seeing a woman in Germany who operated on "the other side" 5 or 6 years ago) - likely to be out for at least another week...

[Cypry]

Strikes me that the club has decided to start playing its cards close to its chest on injuries anyway - no injuries section at all on the website this year, perhaps they decided it's better to keep the opposition guessing in terms of who will be playing, in which case, why would they tell the media the whole story on the Thursday before a game...?

[Hoop Blah]

Injured according the radio

Clubs statement certainly makes it look like he was dropped though, "not involved" always makes me think the players in some sort of disciplinary trouble

I didn't hear anything about him on the radio and hadn't seen any other mention of him being injured before or since so assumed he was just dropped. Not sure what to think with him then.

Snowball, I agree you do often get 'political injuries' but I'm not so sure Cummings and Griffin would fall into that category. Certainly not both at the same time when they've both been playing ahead of Mills and Harte recently. You wouldn't want to make 2 changes to the back four if you didn't really have to. One perhaps, but probably not two.

[Starry Blue Hooped Wonder]

Wingers in the squad

11 MF Jobi McAnuff (captain) (and injured)
14 MF Jimmy Kébé
19 MF Hal Robson-Kanu - injured
28 MF Michail Antonio - Injured
37 FW Jordan Obita - Out on Loan
41 MF Tomasz Cywka - not a starter yet
51 MF Ryan Edwards - only 17/18



I can see there may be an argument for starting with Cywka although I'm sure there's a good reason he hasn't been asked to start yet the only real option left was someone from the youth team or ask one of our more attacking full backs to play as a winger.

I was surprised when Mills stared as left wing as well. Looking at your list, I wonder whether Cywka was kept on the bench with the deliberate intention of replacing Kebe at some point during the game either as a 'plan B' or simply in case Kebe broke down - it was his first game back from injury. In which case Mills may have been the only choice for Left Wing if the list of injuries is correct.

[ZacNaloen]

I wasn't able to go to the game so I had the commentary on in the background and heard Dellor and Mick go through the wingers that weren't playing, dellor said then that Antonio was injured

But if he was injured I'm sure the club would have said so on the website, they've listed all the other injuries we've got and just said "antonio is not involved".

[Snowball]

Jobi needs a groin op and is out for six weeks but don't let the facts get in the way.

Not at all. So you've explained that McAnuff was out, fine but not why Griffin, Antonio, Cummings were out.

Obviously, if McAnuff is out for a few weeks then McDermott has a big choice to make.

Does he go with two out and out wingers or make one side more solid and use
Kebe more. The radio pundits, Adie Williams said he was used like that, to
make one side "safe", and perhaps that's why Mills is in rather than Antonio,

especially as we have two tough games coming up.

PS I didn't say we had NO injuries this week, but that 4 in a day was a bit hard to swallow

[Snowball]

Injured according the radio

Clubs statement certainly makes it look like he was dropped though, "not involved" always makes me think the players in some sort of disciplinary trouble

I didn't hear anything about him on the radio and hadn't seen any other mention of him being injured before or since so assumed he was just dropped. Not sure what to think with him then.

Snowball, I agree you do often get 'political injuries' but I'm not so sure Cummings and Griffin would fall into that category. Certainly not both at the same time when they've both been playing ahead of Mills and Harte recently. You wouldn't want to make 2 changes to the back four if you didn't really have to. One perhaps, but probably not two.

Let's just say I knew Connolly would start. I took that as a given, given his quality.

And McDermott would have had found it nearly impossible to drop Pearce (my worry)

[Cypry]

Jobi needs a groin op and is out for six weeks but don't let the facts get in the way.

Not at all. So you've explained that McAnuff was out, fine but not why Griffin, Antonio, Cummings were out.

Obviously, if McAnuff is out for a few weeks then McDermott has a big choice to make.

Does he go with two out and out wingers or make one side more solid and use
Kebe more. The radio pundits, Adie Williams said he was used like that, to
make one side "safe", and perhaps that's why Mills is in rather than Antonio,

especially as we have two tough games coming up.

PS I didn't say we had NO injuries this week, but that 4 in a day was a bit hard to swallow

But that's just it, it's not 4 in a day - Jobi's been out for a couple of weeks already, McDermott said on Saturday that Griffin had picked up a knock on Thursday, so the only two open to any debate are Antonio who there seems to be some debate as to whether he's injured or "rested" (and who plays on the right - perhaps McDermott felt he's made some progress and playing him out of position would risk setting that back?) and Cummings. HRK has also been out for a couple of weeks...he didn't train before the postponed Doncaster game...

[Snowball]

Let's just say I knew Connolly would start.

[melonhead]

its understandable because injuries occur more often in cold weather, and on hard pitches.......

If it's muscular injuries then the clubs not doing something right in their preparations or choice of training.

If it's impact because of the surface they're playing on then again I'd question their approach and choice of training.

If it's impact from a good old fashioned clash or tackle in training or a game then no issues with that, it's just part of the game, but not dictated to by the weather. I don't remember any of our injuries occuring during a game though so I just think something isn't quite right somewhere.

all happened late in the week.


you say weve chosen the wrong training, id say we didnt really have that choice, due to the weather restrictions on our training venues

[Cypry]

Let's just say I knew Connolly would start.

And I agree, just I had him down as left back, not right back - Cummings has been quality this year so far, it's left back where we've been forced to chop and change.
I simply don't buy that Cummings has a "political" injury just to get Connolly into the side, which, unless I've completely misunderstood, seems to be what you're saying...

[melonhead]

Did not everybody presume Connolly would play as soon as he was fit?

Do you believe he'd come from a premiership club to be warming the bench?

I fully expected him to play.

I've said before that we get "political" injuries and was battered for it.

Whereas I'm not saying people are LYING there's another way to look at this.

Imagine Cummings and Griffin and McAnuff etc are "playing with injuries" getting injections,
maybe strapped up, or just carrying niggles so they are playing at 97%

A manager has a class player he would like to play, so between him and the medical staff
they "Decide to rest players X and Y, to allow them to get fitter." They COULD HAVE played
if the cover was not there but they are taken out. It's "lucky" that the replacement (Connolly)
is a class player. Now get the shirt off him...


Mills seems an odd case, but listen to his interviews and he sounds like he expected to play
and he just got a contract. Maybe McDermott rested McAnuff because we have three games
in a week,

what a ridiculous post- i used to like you, but you are clearly a muppet

[melonhead]

Jobi needs a groin op and is out for six weeks but don't let the facts get in the way.

Not at all. So you've explained that McAnuff was out, fine but not why Griffin, Antonio, Cummings were out.

Obviously, if McAnuff is out for a few weeks then McDermott has a big choice to make.

Does he go with two out and out wingers or make one side more solid and use
Kebe more. The radio pundits, Adie Williams said he was used like that, to
make one side "safe", and perhaps that's why Mills is in rather than Antonio,

especially as we have two tough games coming up.

PS I didn't say we had NO injuries this week, but that 4 in a day was a bit hard to swallow

yeah mental, that something random could happen to 4 random players in such a random fashion over such a wide time frame.


weird- probably some sort of mentalist conspiracy going on id say

[Snowball]

What I mean is Connolly came here to PLAY, and I knew
"someone" would have been "injured" to get him into the side.

That may mean giving a low-level injury (that you can play on) player a rest, whatever.

The only player who could have been dropped (maybe) was Harte

[melonhead]

connolly came here to play just as anyone else does. he wasnt playing at QPR, and the fact that he came here instead of elsewhere in the prem says to me that its pretty clear he wasnt going to play anywhee there either, so im not so sure why you suddenly make him shoe in as first choice every week, or why he would either.
hell play support until injury or loss of form gets him in the side, and he plays a blinder, then it will be down to the others to wait their turn like he did.


he had a very encouraging debut out of position, and i must say im impressed with his ability to move the ball around.
like him alot

[Snowball]

is a class player. Now get the shirt off him...

what a ridiculous post- i used to like you, but you are clearly a muppet[/quote]

Of course it is a ridiculous post. Barring injuries, 17 games to go, how many games do you now think Connolly will play?

I'd estimate, 17 or maybe 17.

I expected him to come in and stay in. Let's see if he gets dropped. Do you think he will?

I like Cummings, but he's a lot easier to drop because of his age.

McDermott last season said that EXPERIENCE gets you out of this league

[Snowball]

connolly came here to play just as anyone else does. he wasnt playing at QPR, and the fact that he came here instead of elsewhere in the prem says to me that its pretty clear he wasnt going to play anywhee there either, so im not so sure why you suddenly make him shoe in as first choice every week, or why he would either.

I am saying he came EXPECTING to play if he was fit.



I am saying he was brought here to play.

hell play support until injury or loss of form gets him in the side, and he plays a blinder, then it will be down to the others to wait their turn like he did.

I disagree.

As soon as I realised we had signed him I knew he'd play virtully every game.

He was NEVER coming as understudy to Pearce, and Pearce doesn't want to get an injury or a red card.

I'm saying that Connolly is in to stay-in-the-side, barring injury, especially as he will get better and better,
and this was always the plan when he was signed, same as with Roberts.

We'll soon see who is right, won't we?

[Hoop Blah]

Let's just say I knew Connolly would start.

You mean you thought he'd start?

Or are you saying that you'd been told by McDermott that he was coming in to start as soon as he was available?

By the way, when you say Harte was the only player who could've been dropped, he'd already been dropped so he was actually one player who certainly COULDN'T be!

[melonhead]

is a class player. Now get the shirt off him...

what a ridiculous post- i used to like you, but you are clearly a muppet

Of course it is a ridiculous post. Barring injuries, 17 games to go, how many games do you now think Connolly will play?

I'd estimate, 17 or maybe 17.

I expected him to come in and stay in. Let's see if he gets dropped. Do you think he will?

I like Cummings, but he's a lot easier to drop because of his age.

McDermott last season said that EXPERIENCE gets you out of this league[/quote]


i will definitely put my guess as not 17. id be mildly surprised if he gets in ahead of cummings when hes fit. connolly looked decent, but he hardly eclipsed sean with any amazing brilliance on saturday.
he could get a game again at left back if hartes form drops, or at DM if ledge or karacan drop out through injury, same as at CB if pearce/gorkss get injured/become shit. he may even get a couple during periods of time where we play alot of games together through rotation to cover tiredness.

[melonhead]

connolly came here to play just as anyone else does. he wasnt playing at QPR, and the fact that he came here instead of elsewhere in the prem says to me that its pretty clear he wasnt going to play anywhee there either, so im not so sure why you suddenly make him shoe in as first choice every week, or why he would either.

I am saying he came EXPECTING to play if he was fit.



I am saying he was brought here to play.

hell play support until injury or loss of form gets him in the side, and he plays a blinder, then it will be down to the others to wait their turn like he did.

I disagree.

As soon as I realised we had signed him I knew he'd play virtully every game.

He was NEVER coming as understudy to Pearce, and Pearce doesn't want to get an injury or a red card.

I'm saying that Connolly is in to stay-in-the-side, barring injury, especially as he will get better and better,
and this was always the plan when he was signed, same as with Roberts.

We'll soon see who is right, won't we?

lol. you are a pathetic human being.
lol at actually caring, or thinking i care if you turn out o be right, you massive mentalist.

you have severe issues


if he plays 17 games it will because he grew into the postion he was asked to play, and got better and better, making it impossible for brian to drop him- and if that happens ill be ecstatic, cos it means we'll have kept winning football games, and weve managed to aquire yet another quality player in the window. the last thing i think about in that situation is whether some mentalist on tinternet was righter than me.