(07-12-2025, 11:50 AM)Sniffer Dog (Admin) Wrote: (07-12-2025, 11:39 AM)Salvatore Matrecano Wrote: Other than yesterday when absolutely everyone was poor, when has MGW performed badly enough to justify playing McAtee instead?
I'd say about 75% of the season.
Not sure what others think?
Exactly this, when its going well he plays well, when there's a bit of a struggle where you need him to drive it, he goes a bit missing or over complicates it.
Dyche likes a consistent 11 and that is fair enough if that first 11 are performing. The warning signs were there to be seen on Wednesday, for example Omari looked gassed around the 75th minute and wasn't tracking back as much, not his fault btw as his fitness levels probably aren't quite there. Ultimately there are other players on the bench who have been signed to cover for when players don't perform consistently, have knocks, are flagging etc. If they aren't match fit enough then they have to be given some time to play their way into fitness.
Radio Nottingham kept going on about not having squad options but that's just not true, there were three players on the bench yesterday that could have started the match and freshened it up (those subs at half time could've started), plus another two options who aren't being picked other than in Europe or in the case of Cunha, given any minutes.
Now if I know we don't see what happens in training, but there is nothing you can say that will convince me that Ndoye being so badly out of form doesn't mean he needs some time on the bench, if Morgan has a back injury that needs managing, then at 2-0 down in the 60th you could sub in McAtee for minutes. If hitting long balls up to Igor isn't working bring Kali on for a change in style..
I just didn't get yesterday at all, what was the plan? Knocking long balls up to 1 striker up against two centre backs who love that sort of game? And why when it was obviously not working didn't the plan get a change? Around the 75th minute it was as if they just wanted to get off the pitch and go home.