Thursday Thoughts: Figure-Watching.

I like reader feedback. Mainly because it lets me know how well (or badly) I'm doing. And I particularly like emails that point out errors or gaps in my knowledge or contest my viewpoint-a) because the ones I've got up until now have almost uniformly been the kind that are a pleasure to read even as they're saying "you're stupid-how did you forget this?" and b) because they feed ideas into my mind.

And here is another such email from long-time reader Adam in Manchester (he of the epic analysis of my points system for imports in March) responding to yesterday's Club v Country post. He says...

Hi Paul, When you say 'to a lesser extent' Manchester will be affected by this, did you actually look at our team? We will be without our starting netminder and a first line center and head coach and possibly a good D player if Boothroyd goes too! How is that 'to a lesser extent' affected!?! That means we're going to have to either sort cover out or put 'doesn't even look old enough to shave' Adam Summerfield in net! I know Belfast will have to ice Craze as well, but at least they aren't without a first line center and head coach! And making us even consider what would happen if Beauregard left - ouch Paul, ouch :)


Firstly-my shins are now black and blue for kicking myself-perhaps "to a lesser extent" works for player numbers but not their worth to a team...secondly, yes, maybe the Beauregard dig was a little cheap. :)

3rd, let's look at the GB squad and consider who plays where, numbers-wise, based on the Euro-Challenge team from last season....

As far as goalies go, it's simple. Belfast, Manchester, and Coventry. Two starters gone from the league in Lyle and Murphy, and a backup from Coventry. The Giants, however, can bring in Nathan Craze, who should arguably be a squad member himself...the Phoenix will feel the loss of Stephen Murphy more keenly than any other team or player in the squad-they will, as Adam says, need to draft in a replacement or give Adam Summerfield his big chance. To those saying this is madness, I give you three words...Mark, Lee, and Newcastle. Yes, the Phoenix may suffer, but in a league where very few British goalies get to play beyond the warm-ups night in, night out, Summerfield must be licking his lips-and he's guaranteed to have the whole crowd behind him that night willing him on.

D-men sees Coventry lose three from six, Belfast two from six, and the losses spread among the rest. Fairly evenly, since most Brit d-men in this league are paired with an import-the holes will be there but the real team affected by this will be Coventry-perils of having Jon Weaver...

Forwards are where the losses really get noticeable, with the likes of Tait, Shields, Hand and Phillips really hurting their teams by their absence. However, given that all the teams have lost key players by this point (with the possible exception of Hull) it can be argued that, far from some teams suffering and others getting off scot-free, all the teams are losing key players/contributors. It simply means that the young talent will be even more noticeable if and when they shine. Belfast and Manchester have the most right to complain by a long way, but far from looking at the negatives I'm still genuinely excited by the prospect of seeing how all teams will cope without, perhaps, the players they rely on in British terms-in Manchester and Belfast in particular, and to an extent in Coventry, the emphasis will be on team-play as a whole rather than simply which team has the best Brits or "best" individuals, imports being much of a muchness in this league apart from a few obvious exceptions. Certainly it will make life much more intriguing and throw a certain element of randomness into that weekend. Certainly any team that plays either Coventry or Belfast that weekend, even missing players of their own, will fancy their chances-and unpredictability, even if it's because your best players are away, is a good thing, right?

I know this is fairly short and fairly controversial, but so be it...have to nip out tonight...Round The Rinks will be on tomorrow evening, though...