Wellens back by Oct? Whitbread ready for Wolves?

[Babylon]

This crossing game is wasted on Nugent.

It is when he misses from two yards out with a free header, and Vardy similarly against Charlton. If those two piss easy chances had been put away and Vardys goal had stood against Blackburn then the balls in from wide would have proved much more fruitful so far.

Have the wide players switched wings much this year? It seemed a regularly feature last year but can't remember too much of it so far?

[marbelladave]

Col,

On the odd occasions that Wellens plays well forward I can kind of see the appeal, whilst he can pick a pass he simply does not do it often enough or quickly enough and if we are playing a system that gaves us a creative player 'in the hole' then we have much better options.

However I simply can not forget those laughable performances in 'the holding role' that did so much to disrupt the first half of last season under Sven. Unforgivable.......

[marbelladave]

It is when he misses from two yards out with a free header, and Vardy similarly against Charlton. If those two piss easy chances had been put away and Vardys goal had stood against Blackburn then the balls in from wide would have proved much more fruitful so far.

Have the wide players switched wings much this year? It seemed a regularly feature last year but can't remember too much of it so far?

To me this kind of makes the point, neither Nugent nor, to a slightly lesser extent Vardy, are at their best attacking crosses, both prefer the through ball on the deck.......

So why are we playing a system whose primary form of attack is to hit crosses into the box for them to attack?

I'm sure there is an excellent reason for this, but for the moment it is passing me by......

[Ric Flair]

Absence really does make the heart grow fonder, you just wait until the end of October and read the countless Wellens threads then. He's shit, he's past it. Fook him off.

[Corky]

If Wellens comes back and plays well, like King has done, then great, it's another option for us and a selection problem for the manager.

I hope he does play well, not his biggest fan but the more options available to the manager from in-form players the better.

[Trickyfox]

Richie Wellens was never as bad as people made out and, for me, still has a role to play. He lost form yes but so did Andy King and a few others. The guy is a talented player so he deserves a chance, his experience will be key also

what role would that be

[Col city fan]

To me this kind of makes the point, neither Nugent nor, to a slightly lesser extent Vardy, are at their best attacking crosses, both prefer the through ball on the deck.......

So why are we playing a system whose primary form of attack is to hit crosses into the box for them to attack?

I'm sure there is an excellent reason for this, but for the moment it is passing me by......

Add Beckford to this surely?

I always said (as have many), to get the best out if him we MUST play this way. He's not an attacker of crosses, he's a ball slipped past the last defender to run onto, striker.

This more than any other reason is why I'd have loved to have seen us sign Koren.

[Charl91]

Glad he's getting back to fitness, but for me he's probably fourth choice. Still, it wont hurt having extra options.

[Fox92]

On the odd occasions that Wellens plays well forward I can kind of see the appeal, whilst he can pick a pass he simply does not do it often enough or quickly enough and if we are playing a system that gaves us a creative player 'in the hole' then we have much better options.

However I simply can not forget those laughable performances in 'the holding role' that did so much to disrupt the first half of last season under Sven. Unforgivable.......

Think you've got it without realising too much... Wellens isn't a defensive/holding midfielder... He has always been a better player when driving with the ball, winning fouls and picking out team mates. For example, Burnley away last season when he picked the ball up, drove forward and eventually won a penalty which we scored from. Another example, Hull City away the year before, he picked the ball up, drove forward, picked out a great pass which Vassell scored from.

But, for some reason, Sven saw him in this holding role, which he obviously never adapted.

[marbelladave]

Add Beckford to this surely?

I always said (as have many), to get the best out if him we MUST play this way. He's not an attacker of crosses, he's a ball slipped past the last defender to run onto, striker.

This more than any other reason is why I'd have loved to have seen us sign Koren.

We don't really need Koren, we have Marshall and Knockeart, either of whom can play the creative role in the hole, though as I pointed out earlier we will have to set up differently, something that will not be happening anytime soon......

Think you've got it without realising too much... Wellens isn't a defensive/holding midfielder... He has always been a better player when driving with the ball, winning fouls and picking out team mates. For example, Burnley away last season when he picked the ball up, drove forward and eventually won a penalty which we scored from. Another example, Hull City away the year before, he picked the ball up, drove forward, picked out a great pass which Vassell scored from.

But, for some reason, Sven saw him in this holding role, which he obviously never adapted.

Nobody in his right mind has ever thought Wellens an effective holding midfield player, I have been pointing out for most of the last 3 years that for him to be even remotely effective he needs to get forward and do so quickly.

Why Sven allowed him to indulge his fantasy and try and play like Xabi Alonso, God only knows........

[Guest MattP]

Wellens could be just what we need to push this team onto a top two slot.

[Bob Weasel Fox]

Absence really does make the heart grow fonder, you just wait until the end of October and read the countless Wellens threads then. He's shit, he's past it. Fook him off.

he can share the blame with JB then . . . . .

[Col city fan]

he can share the blame with JB then . . . . .

Or Waghorn it would appear?

Even though he ain't played....

Fook knows how anyone can work out he's shite from about one appearance in the last millennium?

[DANGEROUS TIGER]

Oh! Bugger Wellens. Why can't we get shot of him?

[Spudulike]

_{Sounded to me that Wellens fancies a move to Blackpool.}

[Bluetintedspecs]

Wellens can posess real quality IMO his fitness and age may make him more of a bit part player but potentially valuable when you need that experienced head to take the sting out of situations. Whitbread I'm looking forward to his emergence as a lot of Norwich fans waxed lyrical about his quality. If we've managed his pre season equivalent and fitness build up as well as it appears then it could be happy days!

[dannythefox]

Wellens will be fine if he only player 60min but after how we played against Blackpool I wouldnt change it! He's getting old now and that showed a lot last season.

[deep blue]

Think you've got it without realising too much... Wellens isn't a defensive/holding midfielder... He has always been a better player when driving with the ball, winning fouls and picking out team mates. For example, Burnley away last season when he picked the ball up, drove forward and eventually won a penalty which we scored from. Another example, Hull City away the year before, he picked the ball up, drove forward, picked out a great pass which Vassell scored from.

But, for some reason, Sven saw him in this holding role, which he obviously never adapted.

But his reluctance to shoot lets him down. I can remember one occasion where he drove forward and unleashed a good shot for a goal, but I can't remember any others in all the games he's played.

[Weller in Tights]

_{Wow, how some of you easily forget. Wellens, when we signed him may, I accept, have been ok, but last season?? sorry but he was mediocre at best.}

_{The jokes about blaming Wellens did not come about because he was a consistent shining star, they came about because of some very inept performances. He got slower and slower and slower as the season went on.}

_{Putting him into this team will be a step backwards.}

_{I felt we were starting to show some promising stuff on Saturday. I think Pearson is still not sure who he will settle on up front, but I am happy at the moment to give Pearson a chance with what is essentially quite a young team. Drinkwater and King look the part for me at the moment. If you want two players who can come on and put themselves about if needed then Danns and James are there for back up. Wellens would be way down the pecking order for me.}

_{It is a shame but age and injuries do take their toll on players, especially average ones.}

_{Wellens would struggle to get in my first 16 and I hope he struggles to get into Pearson's}

[oadby_fox723]

But his reluctance to shoot lets him down. I can remember one occasion where he drove forward and unleashed a good shot for a goal, but I can't remember any others in all the games he's played.

I think it was the home game against Doncaster the other season under Sven, we won 5-1 in the end if I remember correctly... I agree he isn't a defensive/holding midfielder, and that he should shoot more often. His finish in the 3-2 home win over Southampton last season was a quality first time strike. He probably bottles it when shooting, might be a confidence thing...

[ramadaone]

Get your tongue out of Whitbread's arsehole, Beaglehole! Good to hear he looked mustard, even at that level. Can't wait to see him alongside either Morgan or Moore soon.

Whitbread was excellent in the air and his distribution was also good - when the ball was on the floor and he had people running at him he looked very average - certainly wouldn't want to see him thrown in yet as I assuming he is not any where near match fit ( if he is then we are in trouble )

[Thracian]

_{Wow, how some of you easily forget. Wellens, when we signed him may, I accept, have been ok, but last season?? sorry but he was mediocre at best.}

_{The jokes about blaming Wellens did not come about because he was a consistent shining star, they came about because of some very inept performances. He got slower and slower and slower as the season went on.}

_{Putting him into this team will be a step backwards.}

_{I felt we were starting to show some promising stuff on Saturday. I think Pearson is still not sure who he will settle on up front, but I am happy at the moment to give Pearson a chance with what is essentially quite a young team. Drinkwater and King look the part for me at the moment. If you want two players who can come on and put themselves about if needed then Danns and James are there for back up. Wellens would be way down the pecking order for me.}

_{It is a shame but age and injuries do take their toll on players, especially average ones.}

_{Wellens would struggle to get in my first 16 and I hope he struggles to get into Pearson's}

I don't wish Wellens anything but the best with his recovery but have no desire to see him back in our first team.

Changes made to our side since his injury have give us an impetus I've doubted we'd ever get.

The team has pace, passing, attitude and poses a genuine threat to any defence - a far more potent threat than previously and one we seem capable of sustaining.

Wellens would drain all that like a faulty battery.

It's not that he has no ability - he as skill in abundance.

But he's a laborious player. He can't consistently sustain the quick passing and moving that is so much a feature of our improvement. Instead, he likes to spread the play in his own time but then rarely even arrives in the box to help with the conclusion of a move.

Defensively he leaves gaps and, just as important as both these things, he presents hardly any goal threat whatsoever and we simply can't afford that - and never could.

Even with today's unquestionably positive and entertaining team we still don't score goals from enough sources but to have a so-called attacking midfielder who doesn't score is folly and i don't see him improving greatly at this stage of his career. He's okay as cover but the sooner he moves on and we get an alternative who fits in with the requirements of our emerging style the better.

[marbelladave]

I don't wish Wellens anything but the best with his recovery but have no desire to see him back in our first team.

Changes made to our side since his injury have give us an impetus I've doubted we'd ever get.

The team has pace, passing, attitude and poses a genuine threat to any defence - a far more potent threat than previously and one we seem capable of sustaining.

Wellens would drain all that like a faulty battery.

It's not that he has no ability - he as skill in abundance.

But he's a laborious player. He can't consistently sustain the quick passing and moving that is so much a feature of our improvement. Instead, he likes to spread the play in his own time but then rarely even arrives in the box to help with the conclusion of a move.

Defensively he leaves gaps and, just as important as both these things, he presents hardly any goal threat whatsoever and we simply can't afford that - and never could.

Even with today's unquestionably positive and entertaining team we still don't score goals from enough sources but to have a so-called attacking midfielder who doesn't score is folly and i don't see him improving greatly at this stage of his career. He's okay as cover but the sooner he moves on and we get an alternative who fits in with the requirements of our emerging style the better.

My thoughts exactly, only rather more politely expressed......

Rather than look back, we need to concentrate on why, despite loads of possession and pressure we are still not scoring enough goals.

And fix it......

[Fox92]

_{Wow, how some of you easily forget. Wellens, when we signed him may, I accept, have been ok, but last season?? sorry but he was mediocre at best.}

And the rest of the team wasn't?

[Captain...]

All I want is for Wellens to not just walk into the team, that would be a mistake and would undermine the team morale, if he earns himself a recall then great, I will be happy with that.