funkyrobot

The fact he got Winks committed is quite an achievement based on his performances on and off the pitch under Cooper, RVN and Marti. Maresca getting promotion with a team built in the majority around a poor relegated squad, having taken decisive actions with players who he saw couldn’t play his system, then coaching the squad to quickly take on his distinct style of play, was an outstanding bit of coaching IMO.

I enjoy watching his teams. The football isn’t terrible. He plays creative footballers with two 8’s and two wingers. He loves tricky wingers taking on defenders. He had Fatawu and Mavididi playing their best football. He’s got Neto, Gittens, and Garnacho at Chelsea. Wingers are absolutely key to his style of play and if they aren’t playing as well then his teams suffer. The simple fact is Chelsea wingers are out of form at the moment. What manager out there is 100% appeasing fans? Pep gets the sane criticisms Enzo gets. Slot gets criticised for his defensive lapses. Arteta gets criticised for relying on physicality and set pieces. At the other end of the spectrum Dyche is getting ripped apart by Notts Forest fans for his style of play. Same with Nuno at WHAM. You’ll struggle to find fans who are entirely happy with their manager unless they are winning everything or performing well above expectations like the boss at Sunderland. Criticisms will start coming for his style of play when Sunderland inevitably drop off in form by the start of next season.

Maresca is a great manager. Unbelievable that he’s under pressure at Chelsea considering the age of the squad and the success he’s had there already.

I haven’t compared him to Winks. I just think with the ‘water carrier’ or enforcer role that he picks up alongside the creative JJ I think he could do more, show for the ball more. I realise there are other areas we need to strengthen which is why I suggested Braybrooke. I think Page could do it too tbf but he’s so young that it would be unfair to expect him to do that role yet.

Doesn’t influence the game enough for me. He got better in the second half but doesn’t see the ball enough to justify a concrete position in the starting team. He starts because there’s no one better available in the squad but for me it’s where we should be looking to strengthen, either through a signing in January or even welcoming Braybrooke back to give him some competition.

He definitely was much better last night. Played more positively and only dived in a couple of times. It’s consistency that’s his problem though. He’ll have a good game then have 2 or 3 shockers. If he could maintain a level then he’d justify his place, we just haven’t seen that consistency yet.

No yellow was one of the away shirts after white when we went to fox leisure.

Well if he came back he might experience a mentality testing relegation to League 1 rather than a mentality testing relegation out of the EFL completely!

Skipp is only in his position because there is no competition. Braybrooke would bring that competition. We are at a low point, with a lack of quality in the squad that will surely start to be rectified in the summer. Braybrooke might not have a better chance to cement a place in the team than in this moment when PSR is limiting purchases.

Why are you comparing him to VK? We know VK isn’t good enough. Nor is Thomas - He is part of the problem. We are very weak at fullback, probably the weakest team in The Championship in this position. He is targeted by the opposition every game and unlike most modern fullbacks can’t help with the attack. No other team is going to pay £30k plus bonuses to him irrespective of his age. We are stuck with him now for the next 3.5 years.

Yes

Skipp hasn’t done enough to justify his place. He was good against Derby and Ipswich but that’s about it. He’s had no influence in the last two games and we’ve been dominated in midfield by QPR and now Watford.

Getting relegated out of the football league is as bad as it can get for a professional footballer.

People keep saying why remove him from his current team? It’s quite simple - he’s been Newport’s best player by a distance and he’ll improve our terrible squad and specifically our midfield options. With competition mainly coming from Skipp, there’s every chance Braybrooke would get a chance to get game time.

Absolutely no bullying. He’s one of many of the squad who get criticised for being part of a team that got relegated and are now becoming the laughing stock of The Championship. He’s probably a good lad off the pitch. People just comment on his performances for Leicester and over the last two seasons he’s simply not been good enough. The season before that Enzo had a look and didn’t want him and he embarked on an unsuccessful loan at Boro and Sheffield Utd where he was criticised by their fans. He’s targeted by opponents every game. The frustration with him is that although he’s been poor for us and we are struggling financially, he’s been given a wage doubling 4 year contract. That’s not his fault but amplifies fans frustration with him and especially with the club.

Getting relegated from league 2 isn’t exactly beneficial to progression too. Assuming we can’t buy any players in January, Braybrooke is potentially the best way to improve our deeper midfield position. Winks won’t be selected, Soumare is injured and can’t be relied upon and so we are very dependent on an underwhelming Skipp staying fit. There’s Page I guess but he is very young and less experienced than Braybrooke.

If Skipp was less anonymous in midfield we might have created more chances too. Two players having an absolute shocker in Okoli and Stolarcyck doesn’t give everyone else an excuse to be poor. Skipp has been poor in the last two games and we have been dominated in midfield. Braybrooke might not be ready but we won’t know until he plays. Based on Skipp’s last two games (and the majority of his games before Derby and Ipswich) it’s worth a risk.

Skipp has not been one of our better players in the last two games. Utterly anonymous and carried by JJ.

I think the criticism of Radio Leicester is harsh. They give Pipes air time and he’s very honest. Says it how it is and doesn’t hold back. The only reason he’s not on more is because he doesn’t want/need to do it full time. Mike Stowell is also very honest about the state of the club.

I’d bring him back and give him a chance ahead of Oliver Skipp tbh. Fed up with anonymity in midfield.

He’s a professional footballer that’s somehow been in the Italian squad. He received the ball under minimal pressure and had a number of options (even just getting rid.) If he can’t deal with a pass like that then he has no business being in a Championship team. Bang average at defending to boot. That part of his game is hyped up because the lad can’t pass a ball to everyone assumes he’s a great defender and he just isn’t.

Okoli’s an average defender who can’t pass a ball to save his life.

Some around me were saying it wasn’t Okoli’s fault for the first goal as he was given the ball under pressure. 🤣🤣🥴

Our esteemed owner, currently allegedly taking on a more hands on role as CEO was not in attendance yet again. Top has absolutely no interest in the club.

Cannot pass a ball to save his life and is just average at defending. The least Italian ‘Italian defender’ I’ve ever seen.