Dicker: Missing out on play-offs would be a failure (From The Argus)

Love the picture, is that the best dive of the season?

Carlas mum wrote:
Love the picture, is that the best dive of the season?

No! I think Gary's been taken out by the same sniper that nicked El-Abd in the first half!! Funny, it's been a few matches since he last targeted Adam - seemed to be every game last season.

It was good to see Ulloa prepared to stand up a bit and take a clattering when receiving with his back to the defender. Once he cuts down the moaning at the ref and gets on with the game he will be a decent asset for the play-offs push. Bridcutt's absence proved his indispensability to the team, the system is built around his link-play, Dicker doesn't have the same refinement (good grafter though he may be).

Yorkieseagull wrote:
It was good to see Ulloa prepared to stand up a bit and take a clattering when receiving with his back to the defender. Once he cuts down the moaning at the ref and gets on with the game he will be a decent asset for the play-offs push. Bridcutt's absence proved his indispensability to the team, the system is built around his link-play, Dicker doesn't have the same refinement (good grafter though he may be).

I think so too, ulloa is being looked at as a finished player, the physical side of the game here is something some players take time to take.. Let the lad settle in, learn the language, and he will score goals.. The two things he needs service and time .. Play offs are the target.. Only thing to concentrate on is the next game.

Awful picture, not capturing the speed of the game and highlighting empty seats at the stadium... Not a good shot at all...

As for the reality a play off spot is the least we should be looking at, an automatic should have been within our sights but for the howling misses which cost us valuable points... We will still do it, simply because we are the best footballing side in the Championship and in the end the truth will out... an old English proverb that may or may not translate in to Spanish... They will get the drift no doubt, fingers crossed.

Anyone that that takes a little jab at Dicker should remember what is stated in this article, 'his first start in five months.'
No he is not a Bridcutt Mk11, but he had enough about him to start a very important match and filling a very important role due to the absense of a vital player.

A lot was required of him and he clearly delivered enough as the result tells us.

VegasSeagull wrote:
Anyone that that takes a little jab at Dicker should remember what is stated in this article, 'his first start in five months.'
No he is not a Bridcutt Mk11, but he had enough about him to start a very important match and filling a very important role due to the absense of a vital player.

A lot was required of him and he clearly delivered enough as the result tells us.

Hammond played more of the Bridcutt role, Dicker was poor, ok his first start in a while but is he a top end Championship player, for me no.

Hang on, Hammond played in Bridcutt's role. And, IMHO, did a pretty good job of it. Dicker then replaced Hammond and is a very different player.

Dicker didn't have his best game ever. Gave the ball away a lot more than he usually does. But, as Vegas reminds us, it was his first start in 5 months so bound to be a little rusty.

I'll be interested to see if Buckley is fit Saturday whether Dicker keeps his place. I might be tempted to move Spanish Dave in there and bring Buckley back. That's assuming Vicente is fit enough to start again. Having said that, I'd expect Dicker to play better having had a game under his belt.

I find some of the adverse comments about Gary Dicker astonishing. Yes he gave the ball away twice to the usual audible groans from the crowd. No such groans whenever the likes of Vicente, Lopez or Bruno (in particular) give it away - wonder why ?
To say he lacks refinement is a total nonsense. He is one of the best passers that we have at the club and apparently nobody appears to have noticed his superb ball that led to the goal. O.K. I grant you that I have seen him play better than on Saturday but as I have mentioned many times before when Gary plays our win percentage in the last 3 seasons has been circa 58% - when he doesn't play it drops to circa 28%. You can say what you like but the figures do not lie and are not coincidental. We have played much better in the last couple of games and given that Gary hasn't started a home match for 5 months you cannot expect instant firing on all cylinders.
IMHO if Gary stays in the team we will reach the play offs - if he is dropped again once Liam returns (in favour of Hammond or Crofts) we will struggle.
Please Gus keep faith will Gary Dicker - he is a class player who links things together.

Vicente, will start again Saturday for sure. Each week his fitness, strength and sharpness improves, he will only start one game a week to protect him from injury. I for one would love to see Vicente stay for another season, but I fear only promotion will convince him to stay.... I say I fear as a turn of phrase only, because I think we will get promoted!

lewis_ms wrote:
I find some of the adverse comments about Gary Dicker astonishing. Yes he gave the ball away twice to the usual audible groans from the crowd. No such groans whenever the likes of Vicente, Lopez or Bruno (in particular) give it away - wonder why ?
To say he lacks refinement is a total nonsense. He is one of the best passers that we have at the club and apparently nobody appears to have noticed his superb ball that led to the goal. O.K. I grant you that I have seen him play better than on Saturday but as I have mentioned many times before when Gary plays our win percentage in the last 3 seasons has been circa 58% - when he doesn't play it drops to circa 28%. You can say what you like but the figures do not lie and are not coincidental. We have played much better in the last couple of games and given that Gary hasn't started a home match for 5 months you cannot expect instant firing on all cylinders.
IMHO if Gary stays in the team we will reach the play offs - if he is dropped again once Liam returns (in favour of Hammond or Crofts) we will struggle.
Please Gus keep faith will Gary Dicker - he is a class player who links things together.

You will be telling us that Barnes is the best striker/winger/midfi
elder ( delete as appropriate depending on where you think he fits best), in the division too,.... amazing.

This thread's taken a strange twist. It contains little or no criticism of Gary Dicker at all despite a couple of contributors seeming to take umbrage at something - maybe it was a subliminal message that went over my head!

heathgate wrote:

lewis_ms wrote:
I find some of the adverse comments about Gary Dicker astonishing. Yes he gave the ball away twice to the usual audible groans from the crowd. No such groans whenever the likes of Vicente, Lopez or Bruno (in particular) give it away - wonder why ?
To say he lacks refinement is a total nonsense. He is one of the best passers that we have at the club and apparently nobody appears to have noticed his superb ball that led to the goal. O.K. I grant you that I have seen him play better than on Saturday but as I have mentioned many times before when Gary plays our win percentage in the last 3 seasons has been circa 58% - when he doesn't play it drops to circa 28%. You can say what you like but the figures do not lie and are not coincidental. We have played much better in the last couple of games and given that Gary hasn't started a home match for 5 months you cannot expect instant firing on all cylinders.
IMHO if Gary stays in the team we will reach the play offs - if he is dropped again once Liam returns (in favour of Hammond or Crofts) we will struggle.
Please Gus keep faith will Gary Dicker - he is a class player who links things together.

You will be telling us that Barnes is the best striker/winger/midfi

elder ( delete as appropriate depending on where you think he fits best), in the division too,.... amazing.

No I will not be saying that but the lad doesn't deserve all the stick that comes his way either. Anyway what has that got to do with my opinion (to which I am entitled) about Gary Dicker ? I repeat the stats do not lie and are not just a one off season either - they are over the last 3 years.

Interesting comments on Dicker. Maybe the fact that he joined us from Stockport County rather than Valencia has something to do with our perception of him?

To be honest, I don't really see him as much more than a bench player, albeit a useful one. He's scored 4 goals in 126 appearances. Compare that to Lopez (5 in 18) and Orlandi (4 in 24).

OK, so that comparison is probably unfair as he's a defensive midfielder (our MVP Bridcutt has only 2 in 111). But, for me at least, Bridcutt and Hammond will always be ahead of him on the team sheet.

What does amaze me about this season so far is that we're in the play-off positions yet still have to find the right combination of players up front. Will CMS and Ulloa ever start together again? I really think they should on Saturday because Huddersfield conceded six in their last away game at Forest and we shouldn't be looking to sneak another
1-0 win.

bruce beckett wrote:
Interesting comments on Dicker. Maybe the fact that he joined us from Stockport County rather than Valencia has something to do with our perception of him?

To be honest, I don't really see him as much more than a bench player, albeit a useful one. He's scored 4 goals in 126 appearances. Compare that to Lopez (5 in 18) and Orlandi (4 in 24).

OK, so that comparison is probably unfair as he's a defensive midfielder (our MVP Bridcutt has only 2 in 111). But, for me at least, Bridcutt and Hammond will always be ahead of him on the team sheet.

What does amaze me about this season so far is that we're in the play-off positions yet still have to find the right combination of players up front. Will CMS and Ulloa ever start together again? I really think they should on Saturday because Huddersfield conceded six in their last away game at Forest and we shouldn't be looking to sneak another
1-0 win.

He has become a defensive m/f player, but he joined us as a standard central defender and played in a forward support role for ages. He s a useful squad player, but he lacks any sort of pace, which makes him peripheral at best in the top end of the Championship.

Dr Baldhead wrote:
This thread's taken a strange twist. It contains little or no criticism of Gary Dicker at all despite a couple of contributors seeming to take umbrage at something - maybe it was a subliminal message that went over my head!

Dr B, thanks for reading the thread with a sense of reason. I thought Dicker did a good job on Saturday, but not in Bridcutt's class was all I was saying. It had nothing to do with misplaced passes or tackles, it was his positional awareness that was not as good as Bridcutt's. Why are people so hormonal about the opinion I stated?

heathgate wrote:

bruce beckett wrote:
Interesting comments on Dicker. Maybe the fact that he joined us from Stockport County rather than Valencia has something to do with our perception of him?

To be honest, I don't really see him as much more than a bench player, albeit a useful one. He's scored 4 goals in 126 appearances. Compare that to Lopez (5 in 18) and Orlandi (4 in 24).

OK, so that comparison is probably unfair as he's a defensive midfielder (our MVP Bridcutt has only 2 in 111). But, for me at least, Bridcutt and Hammond will always be ahead of him on the team sheet.

What does amaze me about this season so far is that we're in the play-off positions yet still have to find the right combination of players up front. Will CMS and Ulloa ever start together again? I really think they should on Saturday because Huddersfield conceded six in their last away game at Forest and we shouldn't be looking to sneak another
1-0 win.

He has become a defensive m/f player, but he joined us as a standard central defender and played in a forward support role for ages. He s a useful squad player, but he lacks any sort of pace, which makes him peripheral at best in the top end of the Championship.

Fair points accepted and I wish he would shoot more too but please don't tell me Hammond is a better player because he is probably the slowest midfielder currently at the club and his arrival at the same time as Crofts put our promising early season form into reverse.
Anyway lets wait and see what happens but I fear that Gary will get dropped to the bench once Liam justifiably returns to his role and Hammond takes over his midfield berth. Hope that you are all happy with that !

bruce beckett wrote:
Interesting comments on Dicker. Maybe the fact that he joined us from Stockport County rather than Valencia has something to do with our perception of him? To be honest, I don't really see him as much more than a bench player, albeit a useful one. He's scored 4 goals in 126 appearances. Compare that to Lopez (5 in 18) and Orlandi (4 in 24). OK, so that comparison is probably unfair as he's a defensive midfielder (our MVP Bridcutt has only 2 in 111). But, for me at least, Bridcutt and Hammond will always be ahead of him on the team sheet. What does amaze me about this season so far is that we're in the play-off positions yet still have to find the right combination of players up front. Will CMS and Ulloa ever start together again? I really think they should on Saturday because Huddersfield conceded six in their last away game at Forest and we shouldn't be looking to sneak another 1-0 win.

Let's be careful Bruce. Brum conceded 5 at home to Barnsley the week before we played them at home and they beat us 1-0 I sure home lightening doesn't strike twice. As I said on a previous thread that I don't envy Wolves to play Cardiff just days after we won 2-0. There will be many more strange twists to this season before it's over. I do feel optomistically confident though that we will at least reach the play-offs. Also I feel that we shall overtake Palace before the end.

I think Dicker's comments are reasonable. Further, I thought he was better than some are saying - decent first half but then faded. No slower than Hammond.

In answer to a previous poster, I would be quite happy if we sneak a 1 - 0 win for the next 15 games or more

wiseman of hove wrote:
I think Dicker's comments are reasonable. Further, I thought he was better than some are saying - decent first half but then faded. No slower than Hammond.

Agree - understandably tired (like many others) in second half - not easy after 5 months on the bench ! Burnley were not a bad side either so a 1-0 win was acceptable on Saturday and some really decent flowing moves in the first half particularly - a joy to watch.

lewis_ms wrote:

heathgate wrote:

bruce beckett wrote:
Interesting comments on Dicker. Maybe the fact that he joined us from Stockport County rather than Valencia has something to do with our perception of him?

To be honest, I don't really see him as much more than a bench player, albeit a useful one. He's scored 4 goals in 126 appearances. Compare that to Lopez (5 in 18) and Orlandi (4 in 24).

OK, so that comparison is probably unfair as he's a defensive midfielder (our MVP Bridcutt has only 2 in 111). But, for me at least, Bridcutt and Hammond will always be ahead of him on the team sheet.

What does amaze me about this season so far is that we're in the play-off positions yet still have to find the right combination of players up front. Will CMS and Ulloa ever start together again? I really think they should on Saturday because Huddersfield conceded six in their last away game at Forest and we shouldn't be looking to sneak another
1-0 win.

He has become a defensive m/f player, but he joined us as a standard central defender and played in a forward support role for ages. He s a useful squad player, but he lacks any sort of pace, which makes him peripheral at best in the top end of the Championship.

Fair points accepted and I wish he would shoot more too but please don't tell me Hammond is a better player because he is probably the slowest midfielder currently at the club and his arrival at the same time as Crofts put our promising early season form into reverse.
Anyway lets wait and see what happens but I fear that Gary will get dropped to the bench once Liam justifiably returns to his role and Hammond takes over his midfield berth. Hope that you are all happy with that !

Just to stir the debate up a bit Lewis;

You say that you wish Dicker would shoot more, but we could probably say the same about Bridders.

He is great at clearing up but when it comes to shooting it's a different matter.

I would like to see Liam improve this side of his game.

Looks like a sell out coming Saturday! Just picked up some extra tickets ... Looks like its going to be a hell of a lot warmer,!

klemaniac wrote:
In answer to a previous poster, I would be quite happy if we sneak a 1 - 0 win for the next 15 games or more

I go with that Klem. We all want entertainment but wins are wins now. We can look forward to being entertained in the PL.

Hovite wrote:

lewis_ms wrote:

heathgate wrote:

bruce beckett wrote:
Interesting comments on Dicker. Maybe the fact that he joined us from Stockport County rather than Valencia has something to do with our perception of him?

To be honest, I don't really see him as much more than a bench player, albeit a useful one. He's scored 4 goals in 126 appearances. Compare that to Lopez (5 in 18) and Orlandi (4 in 24).

OK, so that comparison is probably unfair as he's a defensive midfielder (our MVP Bridcutt has only 2 in 111). But, for me at least, Bridcutt and Hammond will always be ahead of him on the team sheet.

What does amaze me about this season so far is that we're in the play-off positions yet still have to find the right combination of players up front. Will CMS and Ulloa ever start together again? I really think they should on Saturday because Huddersfield conceded six in their last away game at Forest and we shouldn't be looking to sneak another
1-0 win.

He has become a defensive m/f player, but he joined us as a standard central defender and played in a forward support role for ages. He s a useful squad player, but he lacks any sort of pace, which makes him peripheral at best in the top end of the Championship.

Fair points accepted and I wish he would shoot more too but please don't tell me Hammond is a better player because he is probably the slowest midfielder currently at the club and his arrival at the same time as Crofts put our promising early season form into reverse.
Anyway lets wait and see what happens but I fear that Gary will get dropped to the bench once Liam justifiably returns to his role and Hammond takes over his midfield berth. Hope that you are all happy with that !

Just to stir the debate up a bit Lewis;

You say that you wish Dicker would shoot more, but we could probably say the same about Bridders.

He is great at clearing up but when it comes to shooting it's a different matter.

I would like to see Liam improve this side of his game.

Agree entirely - both carry a decent shot but rarely pull the trigger. Liam is a very classy footballer who we were fortunate to pick up on a free - he is one player who I think is up to the Premiership but that doesn't mean he cannot improve still further.

Agree lewis, all the players are capable of improvement and we are just here to enjoy being witness to their development.

Yorkieseagull wrote:

Dr Baldhead wrote:
This thread's taken a strange twist. It contains little or no criticism of Gary Dicker at all despite a couple of contributors seeming to take umbrage at something - maybe it was a subliminal message that went over my head!

Dr B, thanks for reading the thread with a sense of reason. I thought Dicker did a good job on Saturday, but not in Bridcutt's class was all I was saying. It had nothing to do with misplaced passes or tackles, it was his positional awareness that was not as good as Bridcutt's. Why are people so hormonal about the opinion I stated?

Nothing to do with hormones, Yorkie. If you were wondering why Dicker wasn't taking up positions that Bridcutt does, its because he wasn't playing in Bridcutt's position, Hammond was.

lewis_ms wrote:

heathgate wrote:

lewis_ms wrote:
I find some of the adverse comments about Gary Dicker astonishing. Yes he gave the ball away twice to the usual audible groans from the crowd. No such groans whenever the likes of Vicente, Lopez or Bruno (in particular) give it away - wonder why ?
To say he lacks refinement is a total nonsense. He is one of the best passers that we have at the club and apparently nobody appears to have noticed his superb ball that led to the goal. O.K. I grant you that I have seen him play better than on Saturday but as I have mentioned many times before when Gary plays our win percentage in the last 3 seasons has been circa 58% - when he doesn't play it drops to circa 28%. You can say what you like but the figures do not lie and are not coincidental. We have played much better in the last couple of games and given that Gary hasn't started a home match for 5 months you cannot expect instant firing on all cylinders.
IMHO if Gary stays in the team we will reach the play offs - if he is dropped again once Liam returns (in favour of Hammond or Crofts) we will struggle.
Please Gus keep faith will Gary Dicker - he is a class player who links things together.

You will be telling us that Barnes is the best striker/winger/midfi


elder ( delete as appropriate depending on where you think he fits best), in the division too,.... amazing.

No I will not be saying that but the lad doesn't deserve all the stick that comes his way either. Anyway what has that got to do with my opinion (to which I am entitled) about Gary Dicker ? I repeat the stats do not lie and are not just a one off season either - they are over the last 3 years.

Thank you for explaining that stat a bit further and that it was over 3 seasons. I might be wrong but I would think you will find the two figures will be moving closer and closer together as time goes on. What is the percentage for just this season?

When Gus arrived Dicker was one of the only players that could reliably pass the ball so missing him back then was a big miss, hence the win ratio. Now, that isn't the case as the rest of the squad has improved so much, he is not now a huge miss. Still a good, efficient user of the ball but others now have that plus other attributes.

Bridcutt and Vicente (if fit) have to play. Leaving Dicker to battle for the last position in midfield with Hammond. Quite different players so oppo and conditions must come into it. But, with Vicente hardly defending at all, I think Hammond is selected as he offers more physicality and defensive attributes to help Bridcutt. Dicker is a better user of the ball but possibly but not by enough to warrant picking him ahead of Hammond in "normal" conditions.

Why all of the negativity He is an important part of the Squad.We are 6th and in a playoff spot and accruing important points at the right time we have a couple of important 6 pointers as well.A playoff spot is well and truly in our hands.

Apart from some good moments in the first half a win was the most important thing. I was more concerned with CMS's form, again through lack of match time?

WestStander17 wrote:

lewis_ms wrote:

heathgate wrote:

lewis_ms wrote:
I find some of the adverse comments about Gary Dicker astonishing. Yes he gave the ball away twice to the usual audible groans from the crowd. No such groans whenever the likes of Vicente, Lopez or Bruno (in particular) give it away - wonder why ?
To say he lacks refinement is a total nonsense. He is one of the best passers that we have at the club and apparently nobody appears to have noticed his superb ball that led to the goal. O.K. I grant you that I have seen him play better than on Saturday but as I have mentioned many times before when Gary plays our win percentage in the last 3 seasons has been circa 58% - when he doesn't play it drops to circa 28%. You can say what you like but the figures do not lie and are not coincidental. We have played much better in the last couple of games and given that Gary hasn't started a home match for 5 months you cannot expect instant firing on all cylinders.
IMHO if Gary stays in the team we will reach the play offs - if he is dropped again once Liam returns (in favour of Hammond or Crofts) we will struggle.
Please Gus keep faith will Gary Dicker - he is a class player who links things together.

You will be telling us that Barnes is the best striker/winger/midfi



elder ( delete as appropriate depending on where you think he fits best), in the division too,.... amazing.

No I will not be saying that but the lad doesn't deserve all the stick that comes his way either. Anyway what has that got to do with my opinion (to which I am entitled) about Gary Dicker ? I repeat the stats do not lie and are not just a one off season either - they are over the last 3 years.

Thank you for explaining that stat a bit further and that it was over 3 seasons. I might be wrong but I would think you will find the two figures will be moving closer and closer together as time goes on. What is the percentage for just this season?

When Gus arrived Dicker was one of the only players that could reliably pass the ball so missing him back then was a big miss, hence the win ratio. Now, that isn't the case as the rest of the squad has improved so much, he is not now a huge miss. Still a good, efficient user of the ball but others now have that plus other attributes.

Bridcutt and Vicente (if fit) have to play. Leaving Dicker to battle for the last position in midfield with Hammond. Quite different players so oppo and conditions must come into it. But, with Vicente hardly defending at all, I think Hammond is selected as he offers more physicality and defensive attributes to help Bridcutt. Dicker is a better user of the ball but possibly but not by enough to warrant picking him ahead of Hammond in "normal" conditions.

Good post Weststander17.
I think starting with Hammond makes sense but bringing Dicker on with about 20 minutes to go to help exploit the extra space that often appears in the last quarter also makes sense.
The difficulty I have at present is how to accommodate an out of sorts Buckley. I feel we need his pace but wonder in whose place he should play. Lopez, Vicente and Orlandi almost seem certain starters and once Bridcutt returns obviously so will he. With Ulloa up front and a back 4 of Bruno or Calde, GG, Upson or El-Arb and Bridge that only leaves one outfield place available.
So who to choose, Buckley, Hammond, Dicker, Crofts, or even Barnes in his wide role ?
Thoughts anyone ? Barnes might be interesting since I thought he and Ulloa showed some signs of working well together against Arsenal.

That sums it up ballantrrae, it's a dilema, but it still leaves KLL out.

I would like to see Lopez, Orlandi, Vicente, Ulloa and Lua Lua sharing some pitch time, even if for just 20 mins or so.

ballantrrae wrote:

WestStander17 wrote:

lewis_ms wrote:

heathgate wrote:

lewis_ms wrote: I find some of the adverse comments about Gary Dicker astonishing. Yes he gave the ball away twice to the usual audible groans from the crowd. No such groans whenever the likes of Vicente, Lopez or Bruno (in particular) give it away - wonder why ? To say he lacks refinement is a total nonsense. He is one of the best passers that we have at the club and apparently nobody appears to have noticed his superb ball that led to the goal. O.K. I grant you that I have seen him play better than on Saturday but as I have mentioned many times before when Gary plays our win percentage in the last 3 seasons has been circa 58% - when he doesn't play it drops to circa 28%. You can say what you like but the figures do not lie and are not coincidental. We have played much better in the last couple of games and given that Gary hasn't started a home match for 5 months you cannot expect instant firing on all cylinders. IMHO if Gary stays in the team we will reach the play offs - if he is dropped again once Liam returns (in favour of Hammond or Crofts) we will struggle. Please Gus keep faith will Gary Dicker - he is a class player who links things together.

You will be telling us that Barnes is the best striker/winger/midfi elder ( delete as appropriate depending on where you think he fits best), in the division too,.... amazing.

No I will not be saying that but the lad doesn't deserve all the stick that comes his way either. Anyway what has that got to do with my opinion (to which I am entitled) about Gary Dicker ? I repeat the stats do not lie and are not just a one off season either - they are over the last 3 years.

Thank you for explaining that stat a bit further and that it was over 3 seasons. I might be wrong but I would think you will find the two figures will be moving closer and closer together as time goes on. What is the percentage for just this season? When Gus arrived Dicker was one of the only players that could reliably pass the ball so missing him back then was a big miss, hence the win ratio. Now, that isn't the case as the rest of the squad has improved so much, he is not now a huge miss. Still a good, efficient user of the ball but others now have that plus other attributes. Bridcutt and Vicente (if fit) have to play. Leaving Dicker to battle for the last position in midfield with Hammond. Quite different players so oppo and conditions must come into it. But, with Vicente hardly defending at all, I think Hammond is selected as he offers more physicality and defensive attributes to help Bridcutt. Dicker is a better user of the ball but possibly but not by enough to warrant picking him ahead of Hammond in "normal" conditions.

Good post Weststander17. I think starting with Hammond makes sense but bringing Dicker on with about 20 minutes to go to help exploit the extra space that often appears in the last quarter also makes sense. The difficulty I have at present is how to accommodate an out of sorts Buckley. I feel we need his pace but wonder in whose place he should play. Lopez, Vicente and Orlandi almost seem certain starters and once Bridcutt returns obviously so will he. With Ulloa up front and a back 4 of Bruno or Calde, GG, Upson or El-Arb and Bridge that only leaves one outfield place available. So who to choose, Buckley, Hammond, Dicker, Crofts, or even Barnes in his wide role ? Thoughts anyone ? Barnes might be interesting since I thought he and Ulloa showed some signs of working well together against Arsenal.

Personally, I am disappointed that Peterborough's Boyd has gone to Hull on loan, because I think that he would have been the ideal player to bring out the best in CMS and also be a better goalscorer than Hammond. I agree with Ballantrae that Dicker is a far more creative player than Hammond or Crofts, the only trouble is that he is a bit slow and sometimes gets caught in possession. However, Hammond and Crofts are also susceptible to giving the ball away

Ballantrrae

I think you have summed up the dilemna well viz a viz Buckley. Always my favourite - I have the mug to prove it - but I can't put Will currently ahead of the spanish trio.
However, Will can re-capture form with a cameo from the bench perhaps on Saturday. I like Dicker - and his use, as you suggest in the second half, is appropriate I think.
At the risk of upsetting some, Barnes is way down the pecking order for me.

If our target is a minimum of a further twenty points to secure a play off place then I would suggest that we need a minimum of five wins.

The five matches that I feel are best suited to pick up all three points are;

Huddersfield at home.
Bristol City away.
Barnsley away.
Peterborough away.
Blackpool at home.

That would leave seven matches from which to gain a further five points.

Bolton, Palace, Charlton, Leicester, Middlesbrough, Leeds and Wolves. Five points from these seven would look very possible.

If twenty points is enough, and if we can win the five matches I have suggested we can, then the playoffs look very much in our reach.

What say you?

Vegas, no one can predict results – especially in the Championship. Peterborough won 5-1 at Millwall. Millwall then went and won 2-1 at Middlesbrough.

Virtually every team we meet still has something to play for. It's the old adage – win your home games and try and take a point away.

bruce beckett wrote:
Vegas, no one can predict results – especially in the Championship. Peterborough won 5-1 at Millwall. Millwall then went and won 2-1 at Middlesbrough. Virtually every team we meet still has something to play for. It's the old adage – win your home games and try and take a point away.

Agreed Bruce, losing bets pay for casinos.

Do you think that 20 more points would secure a top six spot, or do you think maybe 22 are needed?

Vince wrote:

ballantrrae wrote:

WestStander17 wrote:

lewis_ms wrote:

heathgate wrote:

lewis_ms wrote: I find some of the adverse comments about Gary Dicker astonishing. Yes he gave the ball away twice to the usual audible groans from the crowd. No such groans whenever the likes of Vicente, Lopez or Bruno (in particular) give it away - wonder why ? To say he lacks refinement is a total nonsense. He is one of the best passers that we have at the club and apparently nobody appears to have noticed his superb ball that led to the goal. O.K. I grant you that I have seen him play better than on Saturday but as I have mentioned many times before when Gary plays our win percentage in the last 3 seasons has been circa 58% - when he doesn't play it drops to circa 28%. You can say what you like but the figures do not lie and are not coincidental. We have played much better in the last couple of games and given that Gary hasn't started a home match for 5 months you cannot expect instant firing on all cylinders. IMHO if Gary stays in the team we will reach the play offs - if he is dropped again once Liam returns (in favour of Hammond or Crofts) we will struggle. Please Gus keep faith will Gary Dicker - he is a class player who links things together.

You will be telling us that Barnes is the best striker/winger/midfi elder ( delete as appropriate depending on where you think he fits best), in the division too,.... amazing.

No I will not be saying that but the lad doesn't deserve all the stick that comes his way either. Anyway what has that got to do with my opinion (to which I am entitled) about Gary Dicker ? I repeat the stats do not lie and are not just a one off season either - they are over the last 3 years.

Thank you for explaining that stat a bit further and that it was over 3 seasons. I might be wrong but I would think you will find the two figures will be moving closer and closer together as time goes on. What is the percentage for just this season? When Gus arrived Dicker was one of the only players that could reliably pass the ball so missing him back then was a big miss, hence the win ratio. Now, that isn't the case as the rest of the squad has improved so much, he is not now a huge miss. Still a good, efficient user of the ball but others now have that plus other attributes. Bridcutt and Vicente (if fit) have to play. Leaving Dicker to battle for the last position in midfield with Hammond. Quite different players so oppo and conditions must come into it. But, with Vicente hardly defending at all, I think Hammond is selected as he offers more physicality and defensive attributes to help Bridcutt. Dicker is a better user of the ball but possibly but not by enough to warrant picking him ahead of Hammond in "normal" conditions.

Good post Weststander17. I think starting with Hammond makes sense but bringing Dicker on with about 20 minutes to go to help exploit the extra space that often appears in the last quarter also makes sense. The difficulty I have at present is how to accommodate an out of sorts Buckley. I feel we need his pace but wonder in whose place he should play. Lopez, Vicente and Orlandi almost seem certain starters and once Bridcutt returns obviously so will he. With Ulloa up front and a back 4 of Bruno or Calde, GG, Upson or El-Arb and Bridge that only leaves one outfield place available. So who to choose, Buckley, Hammond, Dicker, Crofts, or even Barnes in his wide role ? Thoughts anyone ? Barnes might be interesting since I thought he and Ulloa showed some signs of working well together against Arsenal.

Personally, I am disappointed that Peterborough's Boyd has gone to Hull on loan, because I think that he would have been the ideal player to bring out the best in CMS and also be a better goalscorer than Hammond. I agree with Ballantrae that Dicker is a far more creative player than Hammond or Crofts, the only trouble is that he is a bit slow and sometimes gets caught in possession. However, Hammond and Crofts are also susceptible to giving the ball away

Ballantrrae, I think this is the beauty of having such a strong squad. Buckley isn't in form at the moment so he takes a bit of a back seat as we have Orlandi and Lopez playing and in better form. When they take a dip, Buckley gets his chance again. I don't think we have to find him a place right now.

However, I think Saturday he has a chance with Bridcutt still out. I think we may see him play on the right (the only position I think he really excels in) with Spanish Dave moving inside to where Dicker played on Saturday. In that case, he has a chance to play himself back into the team before Bridcutt returns. That would also leave us Dicker to come on and look after the ball later on when we have a comfy 2+ goal lead. Oh happy days!

Regarding George Boyd, Vince, he may have a good relationship with CMS and he is a good player but he wouldn't fit Hammond's position in our team. He'd suit one of the 3 more attacking midfield positions we play with but, personally I couldn't pick him ahead of Lopez, Orlandi, Buckley and definitely not Vicente. All of those could play there if we ever played another attacking midfielder with CMS, KLL or Barnes coming in further forward but Gus hasn't ever hinted he would ever do that. Good player but no better than what we have. Will probably do ok for Hull though. Gives them a bit more creativity. As long as he can see straight, of course!

I am hoping we miss the play offs, by being in the top two.

Vegas, I'd be surprised if 72 points weren't enough given the nature of the Championship this season and the fact that the bottom teams are quite capable of beating those near the top. Middlesbrough need to take 21 from their last 12 games to achieve that, which is hard enough.

Baldseagull, while I agree with your sentiment, I think a top-two finish is an unrealistic goal right now. We'd need a phenomenal run-in and Watford to slip up, which they show no signs of doing right now. Mind you, we've only lost one league game this year ourselves.

VegasSeagull wrote:

bruce beckett wrote: Vegas, no one can predict results – especially in the Championship. Peterborough won 5-1 at Millwall. Millwall then went and won 2-1 at Middlesbrough. Virtually every team we meet still has something to play for. It's the old adage – win your home games and try and take a point away.

Agreed Bruce, losing bets pay for casinos. Do you think that 20 more points would secure a top six spot, or do you think maybe 22 are needed?

Hi Vegas. It's very hard to predict results at any time but at the fag end of the season it's almost impossible. However, wherever we pick up wins and draws I think success or failure will hinge on the result at Middlesbrough. That game is a virtual six pointer, so if come away from there undefeated it may well be the time that tells us if we are going to make it. As I posted before the game that gives me the greatest concern is Bristol City coming after what I hope will be 3 points against Huddersfield. We just do not want to go to Bristol too ****-a-hoop and come a cropper. On a more general note to posters, what is the situation for the play-offs? Will we have to pay for the home leg in the semi's or will it be included in our season tickets? Either way I shall be there and for the away leg and of course Wembley. Here's hoping everyone.

saraman wrote:

VegasSeagull wrote:

bruce beckett wrote: Vegas, no one can predict results – especially in the Championship. Peterborough won 5-1 at Millwall. Millwall then went and won 2-1 at Middlesbrough. Virtually every team we meet still has something to play for. It's the old adage – win your home games and try and take a point away.

Agreed Bruce, losing bets pay for casinos. Do you think that 20 more points would secure a top six spot, or do you think maybe 22 are needed?

Hi Vegas. It's very hard to predict results at any time but at the fag end of the season it's almost impossible. However, wherever we pick up wins and draws I think success or failure will hinge on the result at Middlesbrough. That game is a virtual six pointer, so if come away from there undefeated it may well be the time that tells us if we are going to make it. As I posted before the game that gives me the greatest concern is Bristol City coming after what I hope will be 3 points against Huddersfield. We just do not want to go to Bristol too ****-a-hoop and come a cropper. On a more general note to posters, what is the situation for the play-offs? Will we have to pay for the home leg in the semi's or will it be included in our season tickets? Either way I shall be there and for the away leg and of course Wembley. Here's hoping everyone.

There's those flipping asterisks again. Obviously the site is programmed to take out anything that is deemed unsuitable. I can't see anything wrong with *ock-a-hoop. It will be interesting to see what happens if I discuss **** robin!

saraman wrote:

saraman wrote:

VegasSeagull wrote:

bruce beckett wrote: Vegas, no one can predict results – especially in the Championship. Peterborough won 5-1 at Millwall. Millwall then went and won 2-1 at Middlesbrough. Virtually every team we meet still has something to play for. It's the old adage – win your home games and try and take a point away.

Agreed Bruce, losing bets pay for casinos. Do you think that 20 more points would secure a top six spot, or do you think maybe 22 are needed?

Hi Vegas. It's very hard to predict results at any time but at the fag end of the season it's almost impossible. However, wherever we pick up wins and draws I think success or failure will hinge on the result at Middlesbrough. That game is a virtual six pointer, so if come away from there undefeated it may well be the time that tells us if we are going to make it. As I posted before the game that gives me the greatest concern is Bristol City coming after what I hope will be 3 points against Huddersfield. We just do not want to go to Bristol too ****-a-hoop and come a cropper. On a more general note to posters, what is the situation for the play-offs? Will we have to pay for the home leg in the semi's or will it be included in our season tickets? Either way I shall be there and for the away leg and of course Wembley. Here's hoping everyone.

There's those flipping asterisks again. Obviously the site is programmed to take out anything that is deemed unsuitable. I can't see anything wrong with *ock-a-hoop. It will be interesting to see what happens if I discuss **** robin!

Yep, thought so.

Alan G Skinner wrote:
Vicente, will start again Saturday for sure. Each week his fitness, strength and sharpness improves, he will only start one game a week to protect him from injury. I for one would love to see Vicente stay for another season, but I fear only promotion will convince him to stay.... I say I fear as a turn of phrase only, because I think we will get promoted!

I think, Alan that it is too risky to refer to Vicente starting and "for sure" in the same sentence. I too would love him to stay however, if we can somehow manage it.

bruce beckett wrote:
Vegas, no one can predict results – especially in the Championship. Peterborough won 5-1 at Millwall. Millwall then went and won 2-1 at Middlesbrough. Virtually every team we meet still has something to play for. It's the old adage – win your home games and try and take a point away.

Summed up for me by a sequence of results within a month at the start of the season

25/8 Albion 5 - 1 Barsley
22/9 Brum 0 - 5 Barnsley
29/9 Albion 0 - 1 Brum

So we got beaten 1-0 at home by the team that got beaten 5-0 at home by the team we beat 5-1 at home. Mental.