Ream Bashers

[Statto]

You say Ream managed to look good with a solid defender (Kalas) next to him, but how do you explain Ream winning Player of the Season that year when we went up? Why didn't Kalas win it if he was the better defender as you say, or another player?

Well first of all Kalas didn't play throughout the whole season. He got injured around January IIRC then replaced by Odoi. But also because Kalas was a good signing from day 1. Whereas Ream was woeful initially then came good. So it was more like a "most improved player" vote that year. 

Why wasn't Mawson starting over Ream this season when he was fit if he's so much better?

I don't believe there was a sustained period this season where Mawson was fit and not starting. 

Ok, fair enough. That's a good point. I guess I'm just saying that Ream has helped us to two promotions back to the premier league, and I wouldn't have a problem with him starting until we find another option at LCB.

In fairness I'm being very harsh/exaggerating about the player of the season award. You made a valid point.

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[General]

I'm on the nice to have had him in the championship, was a solid and reliable defender to have, but simply won't cut it in the premiership brigade - he's much older and slower now and a clear weakness when you're getting the pace masters of the likes of Adama Traore, Zaha, Martial, Sterling etc up against him.

Another point re the Mawson starting, he's a RCB, not the LCB which is what Ream is. Mawson was starting alongside Ream and Hector came in to take his starting spot. Mawson did play over 20 odd games for us starting this season.

[Whitestone]

I'm on the nice to have had him in the championship, was a solid and reliable defender to have, but simply won't cut it in the premiership brigade - he's much older and slower now and a clear weakness when you're getting the pace masters of the likes of Adama Traore, Zaha, Martial, Sterling etc up against him.

Another point re the Mawson starting, he's a RCB, not the LCB which is what Ream is. Mawson was starting alongside Ream and Hector came in to take his starting spot. Mawson did play over 20 odd games for us starting this season.

I believe Mawson is a left centre back.

[The Rational Fan]

Mawson was fit for the 12 critical post Lockdown matches but never got a look in.

He had knee surgery earlier this year.

First 4 matches after the lockdown, he wasn't in the squad, presumably because he was still recovering. So clearly not "fit" at all.

Thereafter, he was on the bench but would clearly have been lacking sharpness. Again, almost certainly not "fit".

If Parker had Virgil Van Dijk on the bench in those circumstances, it would have been mad to bring him in just for the run-in/play-offs when we were playing well and he hadn't started since for over six months.

And on another thread, an ITK poster has said there are other issues in play as well.

The other thread implied Mawson wasn't fit in any of the matches he played this season, although he was fit for the later part of the post lockdown period. May I remind people that both Mawson and MLM have been chosen over Ream our last premier league game, no guarantee that he won't do it again.

[fulhamben]

Mawson was fit for the 12 critical post Lockdown matches but never got a look in.

He had knee surgery earlier this year.

First 4 matches after the lockdown, he wasn't in the squad, presumably because he was still recovering. So clearly not "fit" at all.

Thereafter, he was on the bench but would clearly have been lacking sharpness. Again, almost certainly not "fit".

If Parker had Virgil Van Dijk on the bench in those circumstances, it would have been mad to bring him in just for the run-in/play-offs when we were playing well and he hadn't started since for over six months.

And on another thread, an ITK poster has said there are other issues in play as well.

The other thread implied Mawson wasn't fit in any of the matches he played this season, although he was fit for the later part of the post lockdown period. May I remind people that both Mawson and MLM have been chosen over Ream our last premier league game, no guarantee that he won't do it again.

do I need to remind you of the score in that game? I personally don't want to see any of those 3 starting for us this season

[toshes mate]

I am very sure that when it comes to strengthening squads it isn't just a question of saying replace player A with player B, where player = GK, CB, FB, DM, CM, WM, etc., however precise you want to be.  Players form partnerships in all team sports and it's from the success of these that teams function better or worse both in micro and macro ways.   You can never replace like for like in life and so when something works well with its partnering stock then stick with it for as long as you can.

I try not to have expectations of new signings because I got fed up as a youngster with dashed hopes.  Unexpected delight and pleasure is, for me, so very much better.   And so I just hoped Hector would be an improvement on Mawson's signing, not because Mawson was a poor player, but simply because he always seemed handicapped by his suspect knee(s) and there is not a lot he can do about it except train hard and do the essential physio like young Marlon Fossey.   Of course I have read the suggestions elsewhere that that is not the only reason Mawson doesn't get starts and don't pretend to comprehend them. 

Tim Ream is an exceptional talent and whilst he is getting older it is the team's set up that has generally made life more difficult for him especially in our PL season when everything that could be wrong was wrong at times.   Ream is a very good game reader but he does need, like everyone else, support in terms of pace from those around him, just like Hector does.   Last season, was, at times, a struggle to watch because when things went wrong they tended to go very wrong – echoes of the PL muddle.   That is something that needs to be dealt with as a team issue involving how the team sets up to cope with very attack minded and fast opponents and it has been that way for a long time.  Brentford may not be a top six PL team but we effectively shut them out of that final and they are no easy pushover.  Perhaps one day we will have a formidable pair of central defenders and still have the same issues we see with Hector and Ream but I am hopeful that if central midfield and both flanks are sorted we will give our defenders better cover because the team will be better balanced.  That it turn allows the defensive players to give their best.

And so by all means look to improve upon Tim Ream but please don't think it is simply a matter of replacing A with B, as I am sure Parker is well aware.

[fulhamfever]

He is good at Championship Level don't need him in the Premier League unless we play the likes of Brighton or any other dead team

[Arthur]

Tim Ream is an exceptional talent and whilst he is getting older it is the team's set up that has generally made life more difficult for him especially in our PL season when everything that could be wrong was wrong at times.   Ream is a very good game reader but he does need, like everyone else, support in terms of pace from those around him, just like Hector does.   Last season, was, at times, a struggle to watch because when things went wrong they tended to go very wrong – echoes of the PL muddle.   That is something that needs to be dealt with as a team issue involving how the team sets up to cope with very attack minded and fast opponents and it has been that way for a long time.  Brentford may not be a top six PL team but we effectively shut them out of that final and they are no easy pushover.

This seems an insightful and accurate observation.

I am of the view the approach Parker assumed for the play-off final will be the blueprint for this coming season - whereby, as his starting point, he looked at how to negate the attacking threat Brentford posed and, from there, at what scope this left for us to cause our opponents problems. If it happens, it would, of course, represent something of a departure from the previous ethos: possession of the ball being the means to a victorious end. This is not to say I think we shall no longer try to pass our way through the middle third of the pitch, but as is noted above, the quality and ability of many of our opponents will be such that unless (a la Brentford) we have an organised, well-drilled defensive plan in which every player is acutely aware of his role, bringing in new defensive personnel is, in itself, of limited value.

For Parker and his coaching staff, finding the right tactics, game-by-game, to make it more difficult for the opposition to score against us while also looking at how to exploit opportunities to go on the offensive will doubtless require a good deal of knowledge and measure of ingenuity. For the neutral, it may not make for open, end-to-end, exciting football. Nevertheless, if Parker can find a game-plan to help counter the likes of the Palace's, Newcastle's and West Ham's of our league, as a spectator with a vested interest, I anticipate many of our games will be absorbing to watch.