12-02-2019, 02:10 PM
(09-02-2019, 11:37 AM)NG3 Wrote:(09-02-2019, 10:24 AM)wassy04 Wrote: I think part of the issue with Grabban is naming him on the bench. Particularly now with bonatini and Karim back it would make more sense surely to rest him until it heals? Unless they’re just accepting it’s not going to heal till the summer now?
I think we've put ourselves in a position where that was the only solution.
Through bad recruitment we left ourselves with no cover, so instead of a full break which would have been better for recovery purposes we had to manage the injury & game time instead.
It's one of the reasons I've been annoyed by people getting on Martin O'Neill's back about this.
This issue first surfaced in August, he wasn't fit to do the full 90 against Bristol city & missed the Birmingham game, so there was forewarning, before the summer transfer window shut & yet we loaned/sold Brereton (yes I know that was a 50/50 thing, with faults on both sides) & loaned out Tyler (because...) which left only Murphy as cover, before bringing in Ansarifard, a move that didn't sit well with the owners, & considering his scheduled absence at the Asian cup it was a move that didn't ultimately provide the cover we needed.
It really wasn't that much of a surprise when Grabban broke down again & instead of giving him the ideal rehabilitation our hand was forced & we had to manage the injury, instead of fixing it properly.
It's not that dissimilar to our issues in defence, we really did create a position where we could have broken Grabban & left ourselves with the 35 year old Murphy, who can't play 46 games a season & with no cover.
Martin really shouldn't be getting flack for trying to manage a problem he inherited, however from the most recent updates I do think we've now decided we do have to manage it through until summer (we've missed the ideal opportunity to fix it properly), although hopefully with good management & because of his already managed game time, there should be improvements & therefore the opportunity for starts & to play 90 minutes sometimes, as long as we're guided by medical advice & allow for breaks when, or if necessary.
£25 million spent with no cover for striker, CH or LB positions. No experienced winger. No ACM cover.
How does that happen..?
Good post, NG3.
At least it was addressed to some degree in the Jan' transfer window. Signings for the spine where Forest were being bossed and bullied as well as getting hammered with crosses all season long they couldn't defend.
By previous measurements, Martin's deployment of playing staff has been a revelation and incisive.
SA.