Worry over nothing?

I don’t talk about the good bits of our side on here, Fox aside naturally, but I guess the clue is in the title that that was never the point. But we’ll break form now that someone’s remembered Zak is out of contract in the summer.

He doesn’t have too much to worry about, he’s going nowhere. Do feel free to bring this up if he does leave, but all signs would suggest he’s here for a while yet. The biggest, neons-included sign is how quick Lambert is to turn to him once he’s nearing fitness. It helps that Zak repays his manager’s faith with outstanding performances, too.

He’s our most all-round centre-back, as comfortable with the ball on the floor as he is with it in the air. He can saunter out from the back, he doesn’t do it as purposefully as Ward but he does it comfortably enough. Likewise, he can and will compete in the air with the best of them.

Every centre-back makes mistakes and unfortunately for defenders they’re second only to goalkeepers for suffering the consequences so it’s unfair to pinpoint rare errors. Zak reads the game well- better than our others- so they don’t happen often, he makes vital blocks as regularly as anyone and isn’t averse to putting his head in where it could get hurt. In the long run he will also be good for Bennett.

With Bennett’s arrival, we seem to have secured ourselves some good centre-backs for the foreseeable future at least. Zak and Ward aren’t anywhere near the brow of the hill and Bennett and Ayala have only recently left base camp. It’s all looking rather rosy.

Also, Barnett appears to be unfancied by Lambert and could well be searching for pastures new, especially with Russell Martin seemingly ahead of him in the queue. With departing it’s unlikely there’ll be more.

Fox can hardly do anymore to warrant a new contract, after having his doubters he’s swung them round into alignment. I still haven’t quite fathomed how you could fail to rate the man, but at least the rest have got there in the end.

There must be question marks over the other out-of-contract-ers though. Wilbraham is doing as much as he can, Drury is well, Drury. Elliott Ward appears to be nestled with Zak in Lambert’s good books (he’s in mine too, if you care) and Declan Rudd has been unfortunate with his injury coming at a time when he was due some exposure. It was just as unfortunate that Steer made his mark felt but I’d expect him to stay for another year at least though.

The one thing that is for sure, I wouldn’t like to be the one making these decisions.

Johnson, Fox and Frustration

There was a fair amount of discontent in the aftermath of the Stoke game, a fair bit aimed at Bradley Johnson. But, it was a given that the 50p-footed-one was going to starting against Stoke, after all, he’s a bit of a unit.

The stat of choice at the beginning of the season that he ran a lot appeared to blinker people of the fact that he’s a fairly limited footballer. He’s done a job, and he’s put the effort in but he can’t have been one of those kids kicking the ball against a wall honing his touch for hours on end. Actually, he may have done but was forever chasing the ball after he miscontrolled one of his wayward passes.

Step up, Wilba?

We all love a good bandwagon, the latest is to grumble about Morison’s uninterested demeanour being in absolute contrast to that of Wilbrahamovic. It is be difficult to argue with it.

This Stoke game couldn’t have come at a better time for the ex-MK man either. Without wanting to resort to humping it long up top, letting Holt and Wilba put their weight about competing with Stoke’s aerial presence could create a final 20 minutes primed for Jacko to bring his pace on and run at pounded defenders. It’s as good a chance as any to give him a proper run, and in turn it might be a nudge in the right direction to Morison.

Only the Beginning

We’re still not safe. Despite what you’ll be told by most it’s not mathematically a done deal so we shouldn’t be taking owt for granted. But still, Wolves and Wigan are a blueprint we should do our best to avoid.

They’ve been up a few years now, in fact Wolves have been there or thereabouts for much longer. But as I said, they’ve been in around the dogfight all the while without improving their side enough to pull away. Without wanting to be aligned with them Stoke have done, only this season have their safety looked under threat.

The Potters have bought players of Premier League experience and quality. We may not agree with their style but we all know it’s effective. Wolves on the other hand have not. Or at least they haven’t done so consistently enough, Doyle and Fletcher aside.

Getting back to us, you could well argue we’re going about it slightly differently. Lambert has taken it upon himself to nurture players for the club; our future and theirs. They’ve all been investments. Players that other clubs would have picked up later on in their careers once their trade had been honed.

If Lambert decides as we expect and doesn’t go down the route of signing a Stefanovic or Sibierski he’ll need to maintain this impressive hit rate. He hasn’t got one wrong yet, heck he’s even chiseled Wilbraham a little cult-hero niche. So if he and we are to stride away from the trapdoor, we’ll have to continue picking up players with the drive and ability -and ability to fulfill- as consistently as we have.

It’s the difficult second album. But, thankfully Lambert and complacency don’t go. McNally knows that how tough it is going to get after this first year, hence why the plans for the development of the ground are held off for at three years in the top flight.

Safety this year won’t mean we’re out of the woods, but we ain’t half in a good place right now.

Wembley’s too expensive anyway

Yes, we were dire and priority remains being at worst 17th. We’re told we’re safe, and it’s pretty difficult to disagree, but I won’t truly be comfortable until the maths say so. The added bonus of the cup run was exactly that and Bolton and Stoke have extra games now to pick up injuries and what have you, we don’t. Bright side an’all that.

Leicester used the ball better, we couldn’t string five passes together and everyone appeared to be on their own wavelength. Some could barely be bothered to string together five paces. Morison especially so, he even set the tone early on by firing lazily over the bar when even Barnett would have been annoyed not to at least hit the target.

Could the notable cameo(s) from Wilbraham slip Morison down the pecking order? Unlikely, but if Wilbraham had missed the amount of good chances Morsion has this season we’d never hear the end of it. Wilbraham couldn’t have done any more than he did when he came on. He won nearly every ball with good flick-ons or control, chased defenders down and nearly snatched an equaliser.

This isn’t a knee-jerk overreaction resulting from yesterday. Morison’s first touch is never good, and he’s wasteful both in front of goal and holding the ball up. I never fancy him to slot it home when the ball’s on the floor. In front of goal in the air, yes, he’s a threat. You can make up for your shortcomings by visibly putting in the effort, Jackson and Holt do it but the same could never be said of Morison.

Talking of rubbish first touches, Barnett was equally poor. For me he’s behind Martin as our fifth choice centre-back, and no doubt sixth choice when Bennett properly arrives. Granted, he’s good at getting in the way, but a thinking defender he aint. Maybe we’ve been spoiled by the Zak, Ayala and Ward, but Barnett is truly atrocious with the ball anywhere near his feet. He’s our clumsiest defender too, and we all know we’ve had too many of them the past few years.

But despite all this, we’ll have a changed back four and we’re going to get something against Manyoo.

S-whatever

So it’s back across the border to them there in Wales. Hopefully there’ll be no bricks through any coach windows, but Holt appears to have ignited that again. But anyway.

As pointed out over on Holtamania, a Swansea win puts them above us in the league. And that’s annoying. Mainly, because we will then – however temporarily- lose the ability to counter the sickly love-in for Swansea with a “Yeah but just look at the league table.”

Sitting Pretty?

It’s worth remembering that while the January window “slams” shut, it’s a full month. And ours was a success amid all the boredom.

Somehow Twitter was awash with bemusement over the Bennett deal. We signed him, Swansea didn’t. We have cover at centre-back and another one on the road back from injury. Loaning him back was a deal-maker. Plus, it keeps him playing a high level of football. The sigh of relief from Elliot Ward was heard across the county.

Jonny’s a Good’un

So we’ve finally had it made official, Howson’s finally confirmed. The rumoured £750k plus add ons is a bit of a bargain, but then Leeds weren’t exactly in a position to barter for a higher price. Out of contract at the end of the season, and the little problem going by the name of Ken Bates. Their loss is very much our gain.

Our midfield appears to have most corners covered now, we have the bruiser, the maestro, the snapping runner and the string-puller. And one, soon to be two, young’uns out learning their trade. But of course if Howson’s now ex, much rumoured team-mate was interested I’m sure we could make room for him.

This blog was started with the main aim of sarcastically rambling about the goings-on at Carra but it’s becoming increasingly more difficult to fulfill that. Especially when we’re signing excellent young players to add to our good young squad. We’ll plough on nevertheless.

Presumably the only player who won’t be thrilled with the signing of Howson is the unrecognisable Andrew Crofts. He’s found himself on the periphery, enough time to grow some hair no less. An all-action midfielder coming through the doors is only going to knock him down a notch again.

Johnson appears to be Lambert’s go to guy, despite Crofts and Fox seeming to be a better fit. Fox and Howson sounds even better, mind. Johnson battling and presence seemingly makes up for his deficiencies elsewhere. And no doubt one of hits will go in sooner or later. The law of averages rule this universe, you know.

Talking of players being due one, Coventry away seems a long time ago now. There’s a bouncing ball with Fox’s name on it, surely. Then again, that’s exactly what Howson’s here for.

Priorities Right

So it seems Lambert is at a bit of a loose end in this transfer window. Aside from the stock “the lads need a hand” and “they’ve done brilliant for me” (“How far we’ve come” was the only real notable absentee), the most important thing he said was regarding squad players and not signing them.

Unfortunately this will fall on many-a deaf ear. Come window-closing time people will be in bits bemoaning the lack of activity. I, and I hope many others would agree, would rather we did just as Lambert is planning. More specifically, not straining the wage budget with players that are no better than what we already have.

Dosed up on humble pie

Last week I wrote that I would happily fall at the usual first (third) hurdle in the cup but when we went two goals to the good I have to admit I weakly fell for the drama of a cup run. Fickle, I know. But if we’re going to go for a cup run we may as well do it in that kind of style. (Although it took every bit of my strength not to scream “SEE!! WE DON’T NEED THIS!” when Zak hit the deck in agony.)

Sure, we were afforded acres of space but we certainly made the most of it. Heck, even Wilbraham looked a threat. I’m sure he must have felt the 22,000 fans willing him to score. Don’t lie, you wanted it to happen too.

Time after time we carved our way into promising positions with Patches O’Hoolahan and Foxy orchestrating things along with the majestic Ayala. *Add your own like a new signing line here.*

We’ve been handed a bit of a dull tie with Baggies away, though. And out of the two impending visits I know which I’d rather we came back victorious from, and that’s the first. But, a trip to the fifth round sounds almost appealing, although anything but a replay will be all right with me.

As for the first game at the Hawthorns, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a very similar side that made the most of a sleepy Burnley XI. Obviously Rudd will drop to the bench, Tierney may make it- however harsh on steady-as-ever Adam Drury Hall of Fame that may be- and Jackson-Holt and Fox-Crofts are wining partnerships for me. The latter’s place is never, ever in doubt in my book. Obviously.