by Snowflake Royal »
27 Nov 2018 10:00
Coppells Lost Coat Snowflake Royal Don't agree at all. Aluko has just spent half a dozen games not playing. It's just that the people who were keeping him out of the team are injured/sick or playing as striker.
Managers are always conservative. Aluko clearly must have a good attitude in training. And he's experienced, so Clement prefers him to Sims who is young and inexperienced and a bit up and down performance wise. I don't agree with Clement and would never play Aluko again, but I understand his probable reasoning. And given we didn't lose, kept a clean sheet and Aluko apparently wasn't as awful as he often is, I don't see any reason for Clement to drop him unless Barrow is fit.
Are you mental - good attitude in training does not mean you should start a game. Yes apparently he wasn't awful, we probably should be aiming to achieve a bit more than that. There are more options than Sims available. Even when Sims played, he also wasn't awful.
McNulty could have started with Meite out wide.
I think after half a dozen games not playing, he gets a chance in the starting 11- and he still frustrates. Surely he feels he has something to prove so why doesn't he pick up his performance?
If you don't think managers prize experience and a good attitude in training you're mental.
You did see the bit where I said I disagreed with Clement and wouldn't play Aluko right? I just think it's hardly rocket science to understand Clement's reasoning.
I also don't think you're going to see McNulty lead the line anytime soon. He doesn't strike me as suiting it at all. It would mean bumping our main scorer out wide to accommodate someone unsuited to lead the line who hasn't scored yet. It's not really viable.
I'd much rather Sims than Aluko, or even Yiadom or Loader. But it's not hard to work out why Clement has chosen differently and it's certainly not for contract reasons that miraculously weren't a concern three weeks ago. It's because Aluko's worked hard in training and Clement trusts him to do better more than Sims, incorrectly IMO.