RUMOUR - Church to Swansea

[Ian Royal]

I think he's got bags of potential and if he got the sort of faith and support from the manager that Long has had, he'd have matched Shane in the goals department at least.

Neither defending Long or attacking Church but you have to ask yourself WHY the manager consistently picks one over the other.

Maybe in training Church isn't doing it. There has to be SOMETHING.

Someone in the thread suggested maybe Church hasn't "trained on".

Someone else suggested "bottle".

This one is interesting, as I can't ever remember a "brave" Church goal or attempt, whereas both Long and Hunt have shown bravery in abundance.

I'm NOT saying I agree about either of the above. I thought Church would push on big time this season after a very good first season. But he simply hasn't.

He's started 9 and appeared 9 (12), his 3 goals coming as a sub in a very narrow "purple patch". He's looked "lost" in many games.

I have no idea why. I'm sure he will at least make a decent CCC striker, but something's not right at the moment

I think this season has to be Long's last chance to prove himself here and Dirk may be right that McDermott is taking a gamble that he'll come good. It hasn't been paying off very well, and dropping Long could well have finished him off here, Derby may be the turning point, maybe not. Church probably has more time on his side, and was also less suited to the style we started the season with.

[Snowball]

e that he'll come good. It hasn't been paying off very well, and dropping Long could well have finished him off here, Derby may be the turning point, maybe not.

Church probably has more time on his side, and was also less suited to the style we started the season with.

Didn't you say a few days ago that Church had a brilliant pre-season?

Presume we played the same style then?

[Ian Royal]

e that he'll come good. It hasn't been paying off very well, and dropping Long could well have finished him off here, Derby may be the turning point, maybe not.

Church probably has more time on his side, and was also less suited to the style we started the season with.

Didn't you say a few days ago that Church had a brilliant pre-season?

Presume we played the same style then?

I believe I said he had a better pre-season. In that he scored some goals and Long didn't, not sure what the system was but it tends to be more about fitness and sharpness in friendlies so the system is less important.

[Snowball]

You think McDermott changed the system from pre-season into the first games?

of course not... so if Church had a good pre-season then he must suit the system

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

You think McDermott changed the system from pre-season into the first games?

of course not... so if Church had a good pre-season then he must suit the system

Church is probably the one player that misses Siggy the most, they played a lot together in the academy and after, and used to live in the same house. He is more the type that wants the ball on the floor, past the defender, Long is better with the ball in the air, which seems to be the favoured way of playing now.

I thought that Church looked better around the age of 20 than Long, for what little I saw of him, still time for Church, but a new club might do him the power of good, even a season long loan. Also didnt Church get a bad injury while at Wycombe, cant have helped.

[Ian Royal]

You think McDermott changed the system from pre-season into the first games?

of course not... so if Church had a good pre-season then he must suit the system

That's not actually what I said. We played 4-4-2 in two of the six games. Church scored 4, Long scored 0 - similar amount of picth time each from a rough estimate. Church scored in both 4-4-2 & one upfront.

Church scored goals, that doesn't mean his workrate and team contribution was as good as Long's. It still strikes me as stupid (and counterproductive to Church's form & confidence) to start the season with Long up on his own and then stick with him when he's obviously (and his start to the season proved it) not scoring regularly.

[Snowball]

Church scored goals, that doesn't mean his workrate and team contribution was as good as Long's. It still strikes me as stupid (and counterproductive to Church's form & confidence) to start the season with Long up on his own and then stick with him when he's obviously (and his start to the season proved it) not scoring regularly.

Playing Gylfi. No brainer

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

Umm what is your point there about playing Siggurdsson?

[Snowball]

Umm what is your point there about playing Siggurdsson?

To play Gylfi, Mac played mostly 451 and he eventually settled on Long as the "1"

Possibly because he felt Church couldn't do it well enough

[pea]

Your point is still lost on me, especially in the context of what IR said

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

Umm what is your point there about playing Siggurdsson?

To play Gylfi, Mac played mostly 451 and he eventually settled on Long as the "1"

Possibly because he felt Church couldn't do it well enough

4 games for Gylfi tho, hardly conclusive.

[Snowball]

Jeez, when Mac took over he obviously wanted to build the team around
its rising star talent, Gylfi. Gylfi was a bit wasted as a LW, not strong
enough to play an out and out striker or to play a genuine central MF role

The only real position was in the hole in 451, and that meant one striker

I am presuming Mac felt Long was better at that than Church

[Ian Royal]

Jeez, when Mac took over he obviously wanted to build the team around
its rising star talent, Gylfi. Gylfi was a bit wasted as a LW, not strong
enough to play an out and out striker or to play a genuine central MF role

The only real position was in the hole in 451, and that meant one striker

I am presuming Mac felt Long was better at that than Church

Except we were talking about the start to this season and how Long hadn't scored a goal in pre-season, whilst Church had got four, two in the 4-5-1 formation. And in fact I said that Long will have started for a combination of two reasons in all probability - it's got to be his last chance to prove himself + he's the more "established" in the squad and McDermott obviously decided his non-goalscoring contribution was better than Church's.

But then in hindsight - even including Derby - it doesn't look like it was necessarily a good idea seeing as Long has missed a bucket full of the chances he has managed to get and only has two open play goals.

Now Church may not have done any better, or our possession / defensive side may have been less good with him in the side but it's not unreasonable to question sticking with the non-scoring player over the one who had been scoring and has now perhaps lost form and confidence.

[sandman]

Jeez, when Mac took over he obviously wanted to build the team around
its rising star talent, Gylfi. Gylfi was a bit wasted as a LW, not strong
enough to play an out and out striker or to play a genuine central MF role

The only real position was in the hole in 451, and that meant one striker

I am presuming Mac felt Long was better at that than Church

Surely Brian's biggest single change since becoming manager.

[SHORT AND CURLY]

Brenda interviewed on Talk Sport last night stating that he is looking to bring in a striker in the upcoming transfer window.