Cundle?

[robwahlmann]

Feb 4, 2024 10:31:48 GMT boskampsflaps said:

Feb 4, 2024 10:26:55 GMT lrsfcstokie said:

Thought he looked OK at 0-0 then vanished. Baker offers more

Baker offers nothing.

So far I must say he seems to bring much more to the team than Cundle. I really feel bringing Cundle in was a big mistake. We should have got a specialist left back instead!

[iglugluk]

Feb 4, 2024 10:21:16 GMT robwahlmann said:

Am I the only one thinking we have looked much weaker in midfield after his introduction? I try, but I really struggle to see what he brings to the team. How a manager can pick him and leave Junho on the subs bench is really beyond my understanding. One of the two is a class act and the other is mediocre at best at this level! What's going on!!!

Managers like to play favourites, it's always the same with successive incumbents, it seems to me.
It's a fact of life in most fields of employment but it's something a good manager should be aware of and avoid, I reckon.
He and the transfer team needed to focus on other much more important areas where we were weak and the failure to do so was foolish.
Especially given he is too expensive to buy anyway.

[mcw]

Feb 4, 2024 12:06:15 GMT iglugluk said:

Feb 4, 2024 10:21:16 GMT robwahlmann said:

Am I the only one thinking we have looked much weaker in midfield after his introduction? I try, but I really struggle to see what he brings to the team. How a manager can pick him and leave Junho on the subs bench is really beyond my understanding. One of the two is a class act and the other is mediocre at best at this level! What's going on!!!

Managers like to play favourites, it's always the same with successive incumbents, it seems to me.
It's a fact of life in most fields of employment but it's something a good manager should be aware of and avoid, I reckon.
He and the transfer team needed to focus on other much more important areas where we were weak and the failure to do so was foolish.
Especially given he is too expensive to buy anyway.

By the time his star has fallen by end of this season, he may not be too expensive..

[cvillestokie]

Feb 4, 2024 10:21:16 GMT robwahlmann said:

Am I the only one thinking we have looked much weaker in midfield after his introduction? I try, but I really struggle to see what he brings to the team. How a manager can pick him and leave Junho on the subs bench is really beyond my understanding. One of the two is a class act and the other is mediocre at best at this level! What's going on!!!

The best midfield we’ve had this season has been Bae, Burger and Baker. I’m really not sure why we’ve moved away from it. Baker is simply our most likely goalscorer. It’s madness to leave him out when his replacements aren’t offering much more in other areas of the game.

[Staffsoatcake]

He looks like he should be playing in the under 15s.

[gingerninja]

I would imagine something has gone on off the field, Baker got back into the team and after some decent games has been benched.must be attitude in training?.

[roylandstoke]

He’s not as good as the manager thinks and not as bad as posters on here claim.

I would play Baker ahead of him, particularly as he is our player.

[fca47]

Decent footballer, but was bullied off the ball numerous times.

[davejohnno1]

Feb 4, 2024 11:16:53 GMT ChesterStokie said:

Feb 4, 2024 10:58:45 GMT davejohnno1 said:

He’s worse than Will Smallbone. Let that sink in!

Is that the same Will Smallbone who has been one of the stars of Southampton’s current record breaking unbeaten run?

Yeah the same Will Smallbone who was a complete non entity in a Stoke City shirt

[thornestein]

he might have played well at Plymouth but looks a very poor player so far for us

[CBUFAWKIPWH]

Feb 4, 2024 12:19:18 GMT gingerninja said:

I would imagine something has gone on off the field, Baker got back into the team and after some decent games has been benched.must be attitude in training?.

Different type of player. Baker is more individualistic whose strength is shooting from distance and dead ball delivery. Cundle looks more like a team player, linking the midfield and attack and breaking through the defensive line. Baker can look ok even if the team isn't playing well, Cundle is only going to look good if the team is playing well which means other players being on the same wavelength which isn't happening yet.

If Schumacher wants to take the shackles off Cundle is key to making it happen. If Schumacher wants to put the shackles back on Baker (or Johnson) is the better choice. It isn't just about a choice of player,its a choice of approach.

[greenhoff]

He’s the epitome of beige. Baker scores goals. We don’t score. Not to pick him is madness.

Burger plus Baker and one other is my midfield

[Jimmyg]

Feb 4, 2024 12:13:27 GMT cvillestokie said:

Feb 4, 2024 10:21:16 GMT robwahlmann said:

Am I the only one thinking we have looked much weaker in midfield after his introduction? I try, but I really struggle to see what he brings to the team. How a manager can pick him and leave Junho on the subs bench is really beyond my understanding. One of the two is a class act and the other is mediocre at best at this level! What's going on!!!

The best midfield we’ve had this season has been Bae, Burger and Baker. I’m really not sure why we’ve moved away from it. Baker is simply our most likely goalscorer. It’s madness to leave him out when his replacements aren’t offering much more in other areas of the game.

I agree it's ludicrous that all three don't start every game, they are by far the most competent midfielders we have .

[spirered]

Thank god we didn't sign him permanently, what were the club thinking.

I'd love to understand the logic of bringing another squad player to the club when we've got so many other issues 🤬

[davejohnno1]

Feb 4, 2024 12:19:18 GMT gingerninja said:

I would imagine something has gone on off the field, Baker got back into the team and after some decent games has been benched.must be attitude in training?.

Yet only 2 weeks ago he described baker as “a great pro who does everything right off the pitch”.

[davejohnno1]

Feb 4, 2024 14:01:00 GMT CBUFAWKIPWH said:

Feb 4, 2024 12:19:18 GMT gingerninja said:

I would imagine something has gone on off the field, Baker got back into the team and after some decent games has been benched.must be attitude in training?.

Different type of player. Baker is more individualistic whose strength is shooting from distance and dead ball delivery. Cundle looks more like a team player, linking the midfield and attack and breaking through the defensive line. Baker can look ok even if the team isn't playing well, Cundle is only going to look good if the team is playing well which means other players being on the same wavelength which isn't happening yet.

If Schumacher wants to take the shackles off Cundle is key to making it happen. If Schumacher wants to put the shackles back on Baker (or Johnson) is the better choice. It isn't just about a choice of player,its a choice of approach.

Cundle isn’t as good as Johnson. He actually managers to do even less than Johnson did

[PotterLog]

I happened to be chatting to my Saints mate yesterday, not only is Smallbone ever-present, the other player who he described as their “star”, and one of only three he thinks would cut it in the Prwm, is Taylor Harwood-Bellis

[walrus]

Feb 4, 2024 11:12:12 GMT Scrotnig said:

We need to drop his “preferred style of football”….whatever it actually is….and just try to not lose games all the time.

We can’t score so trying to play attacking football or anything like it is completely pointless. Instead we just concede loads.

That’s nonsense. Trying to play safe and not get battered cost us any chance of getting anything from the game yesterday and ultimately we still got battered.

Neil could never settle decide on a preferred style and constantly tried to adjust to the opposition and it cost him badly. You’re essentially wishing for the same again.

What we need is for Schumacher to have the strength to stick to his guns, establish an identity in our side, and deliver on the things he told us are “non-negotiable”.

[cheadlepotter]

Hopefully something clicks and we look back at this thread smiling, but at the moment he looks like an enthusiastic academy player.

[cvillestokie]

Feb 4, 2024 14:01:00 GMT CBUFAWKIPWH said:

Feb 4, 2024 12:19:18 GMT gingerninja said:

I would imagine something has gone on off the field, Baker got back into the team and after some decent games has been benched.must be attitude in training?.

Different type of player. Baker is more individualistic whose strength is shooting from distance and dead ball delivery. Cundle looks more like a team player, linking the midfield and attack and breaking through the defensive line. Baker can look ok even if the team isn't playing well, Cundle is only going to look good if the team is playing well which means other players being on the same wavelength which isn't happening yet.

If Schumacher wants to take the shackles off Cundle is key to making it happen. If Schumacher wants to put the shackles back on Baker (or Johnson) is the better choice. It isn't just about a choice of player,its a choice of approach.

When has Cundle broke through the opposition’s defensive line?

[Rick Grimes]

Cundle has flattered to deceive for sure but I don’t understand the clamour for Baker really who chases shadows just as much Cundle, but with way worse ball retention ability.

Baker can shoot from distance and that’s about it.

[bunnyscfc]

Feb 4, 2024 12:15:41 GMT Staffsoatcake said:

He looks like he should be playing in the under 15s.

Not in front of my lad

[numpty40]

He's very lightweight but what I did notice yesterday was that his passing was regularly underhit and 'bobbled' through to the recipient rather than fizzed through.
There was an instance second half when there was a rare forward pass to Campbell who had actually curved his run to run in behind the defender but the pass was to his feet causing him to check the run.
Pretty underwhelming from early impressions.

[cvillestokie]

Feb 4, 2024 14:21:28 GMT Rick Grimes said:

Cundle has flattered to deceive for sure but I don’t understand the clamour for Baker really who chases shadows just as much Cundle, but with way worse ball retention ability.

Baker can shoot from distance and that’s about it.

Because scoring goals is important. Cundle plays nice, little 5 yard passes. Baker plays longer passes out to wide players.

Unless Cundle scores and creates, those nice, little 5 yard passes mean nothing. Recycling possession is pointless if it doesn’t lead to anything. Valuing that skill in a team that can’t score goals over a player’s ability to score goals is confusing.

[soulstoke59]

Useless waste of time , why are managers so obsessed in bringing a former player with them . Maybe just to keep them company with a friendly face , twats the lot of them

[numpty40]

Feb 4, 2024 14:25:37 GMT soulstoke59 said:

Useless waste of time , why are managers so obsessed in bringing a former player with them . Maybe just to keep them company with a friendly face , twats the lot of them

Very true, it's like a comfort blanket for them.
Understand it if they are clearly different class to what you've got but at this level they very rarely are.

[headsgoup]

He's the exact same player as Junho, just a bit worse and we don't own his contract.

[CBUFAWKIPWH]

Feb 4, 2024 14:19:41 GMT cvillestokie said:

Feb 4, 2024 14:01:00 GMT CBUFAWKIPWH said:

Different type of player. Baker is more individualistic whose strength is shooting from distance and dead ball delivery. Cundle looks more like a team player, linking the midfield and attack and breaking through the defensive line. Baker can look ok even if the team isn't playing well, Cundle is only going to look good if the team is playing well which means other players being on the same wavelength which isn't happening yet.

If Schumacher wants to take the shackles off Cundle is key to making it happen. If Schumacher wants to put the shackles back on Baker (or Johnson) is the better choice. It isn't just about a choice of player,its a choice of approach.

When has Cundle broke through the opposition’s defensive line?

He hasn't yet but look at the way he plays - head up,quick pass to feet and on the move. In the same position Baker would be looking to shoot - Cundle is looking to play someone in and moving forward to provide an option if needed.

I actually like Baker and don't have a problem if he gets the nod in front of Cundle but it just isn't a matter of swapping players, it's playing a different type of game. I don't think Schumacher is picking Cundle over Baker purely in terms of them as individual players, he's doing it because of the way he wants the team to play. And personally I think Schumacher should be given his head and not have his game plan determined by who is the fans favourite.

[meirman61]

Feb 4, 2024 11:18:01 GMT stokemark said:

Feb 4, 2024 11:16:53 GMT ChesterStokie said:

Is that the same Will Smallbone who has been one of the stars of Southampton’s current record breaking unbeaten run?

Stupid comment - Smallbone was and is a very good player

Nah he's just playing with a lot better players than he was here...

[LGH87]

Feb 4, 2024 10:49:24 GMT CBUFAWKIPWH said:

There's a weird Cundle bashing bandwagon - he's clearly Schumacher's choice and it almost feels like he's become the proxy for bashing the manager without breaking ranks and actually bashing the manager this early in his tenure. Personally I don't think he's looked that bad - lots of energy, a good first touch and in the Birmingham game linked up well with JunHo. Way too early to write him off.

In his first few games in charge Schumacher built on the solidity established by Gallagher - we weren't scoring goals and winning games but we had become hard to beat. It wasn't Schumacher's style - he clearly prefers a more expansive game with the midfield committing to attack more. Cundle was brought in to do just that and it's made us weaker defensively and the link up play between the attack and midfield hasn't gelled yet so we aren't scoring more goals either. Cundle is getting the flak for a change in our playing style that isn't working at the moment. That's on Schumacher - Cundle is the fall guy.

Schumacher either reverts to the Gallagher set up and grinds out results or sticks to his guns and tries to get his preferred style of play to work - which means persisting with the likes of Cundle and trying to get the team to function the way he wants it. Cundle is only going to look a decent player when the team is functioning better as a unit because he's a cog in that wheel and it's the wheel working that matters.

Personally I hope Schumacher commits to his preferred playing style. We will continue to have poor results for some time until/unless what he's trying to do comes off. This is an appointment very much in the Jones mould (although I think Schumacher has more about him than Jones) - if it goes wrong it will go wrong big time but I'd rather he stick to his principles. When Jones ditched his diamond it was all over for him - I think a fundamental change in approach that would mark the end for Schumacher as well.

What a load of horse shit. He picked the most defensive line up I can remember in a long time on Saturday.