In fairness, good players very rarely become s*** players overnight although many fail to reproduce previous form after lengthy injury.
Unless stepping up a division and finding it too quick, it's far more likely that a loss of form is down to settling into a new formation or to adapting to tactics that don't suit the individual.
Looking at UR signings to date, by and large I've been impressed at the time when it's been made public at who we've acquired, specifically Douglas, Donaldson, Logan, McGinn(season loan I know) and Eger. All were highly rated by their clubs and fans and raised my excitement and expectation levels. We've yet to see the level of consistency from any that long term favourites and legends delivered but all have shown enough in flashes as to why we signed them.
The point I'm taking far too long to make is that AS signed some decent players but we rarely got to see them play well because he made them fit a system that just didn't suit them - the main case in evidence being Sam Saunders. We signed him after he ripped us to shreds in two games the previous season. A season and a half of virtually no run of games and a bit parts later he got a chance when AS hand was forced as everybody else was out injured or playing abysmally in the middle of a poor run. He came in, had a free rein in midfield and for 3 or 4 games up to and including Southampton was MOM and absolutely outstanding. After another lengthy injury he then came back and became a key player in Nicky Forsters team.
This year after a patchy start largely down to injury, once again he's been allowed to play to his strengths and create and deliver crosses and a threat from set pieces. He isn't always effective but how many out and out wide men or wingers are and if he was he'd been playing at least a level higher. What he has got is a talent and he is capable of being a very important player for us whose pros outweigh the cons more often than not.
I suspect that some of the players signed by Scott are capable of producing much better than we witnessed under him, Dave and Marcus both more consistent than last season and GA looks to have a new found zest again and showing signs of what a good player he was.
If we can get the players we've signed this year fit, playing regularly and in Claytons case with confidence again, with a few tweaks to the inherited squad we will get even better and good players can kick on and become very good players.
