Ahearne-Grant is at Oxford for the whole season, though! Cousins was doing very well at CM before he was replaced by Poyet then used as a utility player. Gomez is being played out of position. All the top players you rate are playing in their natural position.
Ahearne-Grant is at Oxford for the whole season, though! Cousins was doing very well at CM before he was replaced by Poyet then used as a utility player. Gomez is being played out of position. All the top players you rate are playing in their natural position.
Cousins and wiggins are play off level, but we lack depth and need 5 quality signings in my opinion for promotion, we can get those one bosmans if we do some good scouting. A striker for competition and patience for maturity of the youngsters who can become incredible. Cousins, ahearne grant, fox, Lennon, pigott, pope and Harriot can be really good players but need at least one season to be dangerous
My only arguments would be on Cousins and Gomez. they are both playing out of position on the left.
IMO Cousins is in the first category as a Central Midfielder. He's been pushed wide to accommodate Jackson, who to me is a yard behind the pace of championship football. Is BP continuing to play Jacko, because he is perceived to be the fans favourite?
Gomez is a young player who looks very good at right back. He has so much time. Asking such an inexperienced player to operate on the left is out-of-order in my opinion. Playing left back when your strength is as a right footer is very difficult. Opponents will attack you on the outside against your weaker foot and everything is at the wrong angle, especially when you receive the ball from the Centre Backs. An experienced player would have problems, let alone a 17/18 year old starting out.
Ahearne-Grant has the potential to be in the top category, but is more effective coming off the bench at present, as at Fulham. Playing him as a starter against Bolton was a poor decision. He was bullied and that may have put him back a bit. He's also been away with England, which has disrupted his season.
Oneywu is as you say a bit of a guess.
We need 3 players of sufficient quality, badly -
A CF that leads the line and holds it up. A ball-winner / runner in Central Midfield. A genuine left sided midfielder.
BP also needs to make a decision on Fox or get in an experienced left back on loan. Playing right-footed defenders as stand-in left backs is upsetting the whole balance of the B4. Opponents don't need to be geniuses to work out where the weakness is and attack it.
With Igor, he has gone off the boil but I largely put that down to other club realising that if they mark him out of the game, nobody else is likely to get a goal. Overall, I'd have him in the "mid" group but he could be higher with a decent strike partner.
Churchy has hardly been given a chance, that's a bit unfair for him. Moussa has been hurt for a good chunk of the year and I liked what he brought to the table when he was fit so at the least he's mid table quality. As for Jackson.... Seems to depend on the week. Other than those 3, I'd say your just about right
What is your assessment of Ahearne-Grante based on?
He's a promising kid, who isn't ready/quite ready to be a FORCE, in The Championship, as of NOW. He was "nowhere" at the start of the season.
Gomez, could be an outstanding player. But as of NOW, he is an outstanding talent. A big difference. Especially, if your team is half full of prospects, that aren't quite ready. One or two you can accommodate, but not 5 or 6.
We play Pope, Fox, Cousins, Harriot, Gomez and Ahearne-Grant and wonder why we can't beat experienced, bigger, stronger Championship opponents. They are getting swatted aside too often.
Just watch Cardiffs goal & how Gomez was "swatted aside"
Looking forward to the Brighton game and what will only be my second game of the season for reasons of distance and having a new baby. So far nearly all the views I have had had to be based on what I've read here and other media outlets. Interesting that people seem to be suggesting that Vetokele isn't all that and got lucky at the start of the season. He would probably benefit from a rest and a bit of healthy competition but when there's no one else to come in that's not going to happen. I think its a shame that Church hasn't featured much as I've always thought he has a role to play alongside a centre forward - the problem is people have to realise he is not that centre forward. I think his all round play is decent but he proved last year he is not going to score 20 goals as that's not his strength.
I believe that to be pushing for the play-offs, we need possibly 16 players, of play off level ability. I calculate that we have 7.
For mid table respectability, do we need 16 of that level or above ? We have 9.
So for me, we have more than half of a smallish squad, that for one reason or another, aren’t quite up to the job. This may be through inexperience, lack of ability, haven’t settled or whatever.
I reckon we were over performing at the start of the season, through very solid but negative tactics. We were sussed out & are now attacking a bit more, but leaking goals.
Big Bob has lost the plot a bit and is being too defensive against the lower teams and too attacking against the better teams.
As we had such a good start, we should be able to avoid relegation.
If we don’t make any decent signings in January it will be close.
If we do make some good signings, we could still aim for top half, as this division is so very tight. A few decent players could propel a team from 20th to 6th.
As others have said, RD is deluded, if he thinks he can throw in half a dozen U21’s and expect them to regularly outperform the other teams. Yes there is some great potential, but that’s what they are potential.
Only my view. I’m sure many will disagree with my view, but generally, I think I’m not far off.
Play-off level
Henderson Bikey Gudmundson Vetokele Buyens Solly Ben Haim
Mid table level
Wiggins Cousins Onyewu
Low level/Relegation level
Wilson Gomez Jackson Bulot Moussa Harriot Church Fox Tucadean Pope Ahearne-Grant
Good post Covered End.
My thoughts are
Play off/promotion level
JBG (just needs to work on beating that first man from corner;-) a personal pet hate of mine in a footballer)
Wiggins - I think he still has the ability and is an important player. Those injuries haven't helped him, I think he's lost a yard of pace. I also think BP doesn't encourage him to get as forward as Solly for some reason. We need him back.
Henderson
Bikey
TBH
Buyens - but I think he hasn't been able to exert his influence as much as he could because we have an issue re the lack of pace in central midfield. He and JJ both offer good qualities, but I don't think they are good together
Vetokele - he will come good again. He's been injured, not really had a partner since returning and just needs a goal
Mid table level
Cousins - I don't know. Yes he's done a great job toiling out on that left, but we don't get the full benefit of him out there. Shows some decent stuff at times but then he also often losses possession.
Lower level
Jackson - I'm only putting him here because he's not as impacting on the pitch in games anymore. I understand he's a great captain and he does many thinks we might not notice, but is he able to still do stuff with the ball.
Bulot - not been overwhelmed by him and I think he's slightly lightweight
Tuc - I want him to do well and think he has some talent. He scored good goals against Bolton and Derby. But based on the lack of consistency, I guess I have to put him here
Church
Wilson
Fox
Pope - but only because he's young and hasn't proved himself yet. I think he got overly criticised off the back of Blackpool, and he has some talent.
Piggott
Harriott
The players I can't place because I have seen too little of them are Moussa (prob lower level, possibly mid), KAG, Gomez (I think he'll go onto be a great player, so let's put him in mid level for now, based on his performances)
For me part of the problem of how we play stems from the lack of a proper defensive midfielder. We are using buyens in a more holding role but for me he seems to be more of a deeper lying creative playmaker in midfield so I don't think we will see the best of him in this role! Much like with Stephens we didn't see the neat of him until he had cousins playing behind him to free him up. Cousins did this role well for part of last year and the poyet did the same. This would allow buyens to get forward more and the we will be less reliant on Gudmundsson as the only creative spark going forwards. Another point about a defensive midfielder is talkative one will allow the fullbacks to bomb forwards more as they know that there is someone to drop in and cover their man if they lose the ball high up the pitch... This is why for much of the season Bob has kept the fullbacks back this has stopped Solly and Wiggins from being as effective as we know they can be.. more recently it has seemed bob has allowed the full backs to get forward however there is no coincidence that with no one to drop in and cover for them we have been weaker defensively conceded more goals and Bikey and Ben Haim have looked less comfortable. So how to remedy this? For me a proper defensive midfielder is top of my Jan wish list (after Igors strike partner) but until then I would play cousins in that role. I am aware that he is seen as more of a box to box midfielder now but he has occupied that role well alongside Stephens last year so can do it again.
The trouble is how does this work with the rest of the team
Henderson Solly Bikey TBH Wiggins Cousins Gud Buyens Jackson Igor Tucudean
This is assuming we have an injury free squad.. obviously hendo and Wiggins are out at the moment.
This has meant we have had to push Jackson out to the left which I'm not a great fan of. However I think at the moment we need two at the top so it's either that or drop Jackson which as I am a big fan of Jackson I'm not keen on..
For me I'd like to see an out and out holding midfielder ala Poyet come in.
Watt up front
That guy playing in Scotland I think for Dundee as a striker
Coquelin coz he is class
And adjarevic as he can be the creative central midfielder but play higher up the pitch. Will be useful as an impact sub can make things happen.
Tucudean is not suited to Championship football. He lacks the pace and power to compete against Championship standard Centre Backs. He is obviously more suited to the more technical continental style of play. Championship Centre Backs will put a body on you at every opportunity. Bikey is a good example, he bullies opposition Centre Forwards and most teams in this league have a Bikey, sometimes two.
The Belgians should have worked out by now the difference between the Belgian League and the English Championship.
If we don't get a CF to lead the line, the ball won't stick in the front-line and it will keep coming back at the Back Four, who are now showing signs of cracking, because they have been over-loaded during November & December. It's so obvious, it's ridiculous.
Interesting to see that all but one of your "play-off level" players has been brought in by RD/Bob this summer.
I agree with what the op says, but I think there was a fairly large transformation needed to the squad. This was firstly underestimated by the new board (last Jan) and couldnt be rectified in a single transfer window (summer).
Still, if we manage to bring in 6 play off quality players each summer and maybe 1 or 2 in Jan it wont take long to improve.
Tucudean is not suited to Championship football. He lacks the pace and power to compete against Championship standard Centre Backs. He is obviously more suited to the more technical continental style of play. Championship Centre Backs will put a body on you at every opportunity. Bikey is a good example, he bullies opposition Centre Forwards and most teams in this league have a Bikey, sometimes two.
The Belgians should have worked out by now the difference between the Belgian League and the English Championship.
If we don't get a CF to lead the line, the ball won't stick in the front-line and it will keep coming back at the Back Four, who are now showing signs of cracking, because they have been over-loaded during November & December. It's so obvious, it's ridiculous.
This last para is so true that the fact we have not got a CF yet really makes you wonder whether the management team have got what it takes. I think a lot of fans on this site are delusional if they don't accept we are in a relegation fight.Our best 11 has only one half decent striker in it,and he has been over exposed.Our results over the past 14 games have been relegation level. IF we bring in 3 or4 decent players this month (not Standard misfits like last year) and IF BP can mould them into a new team half way through the season(a big ask) THEN we may have a chance of mid table,but I would not hold my breath.
Not saying I agree with all of the OPs assessment of players but out of yesterday's team we started with six of the players in the low level / relegation category (assuming Etheridge and Pope are like for like) and two who came on as subs (Pigott wasn't in any of the 3 categories !). Is it any wonder we were crap.
If we don't bring in some decent quality this month and manage to arrest the current slide, I have a big concern that the better players that we have, such as TBH, JBG and Vetokele, won't want to stick around for next season. The latter two may be on two and five year contracts respectively but I suspect that they could force a move through if they were so minded. Buyens is also only on loan and so he may be off in any event.
The current slump won't, of course, help to attract and retain players and nor, in practical terms, will the underlying doubts about Peeters' position.
As to bringing in players with Championship experience and pedigree, apart from RD's issues with wages, the freezing out of players like Morrison and Wilson (who looked poor and uninterested yesterday) may not help our cause. Any team needs balance, experience and continuity and I don't think any of us want to see a 'revolving door' approach take root.
A big month ahead for all at CAFC, not only in terms of keeping out of trouble this season but as an indicator of where we are going over the next two or three years. RD has some decisions to make.
It's becoming more clear every game. Unless we get in some quality signings this month, we are heading for a relegation battle. I still believe there's only Blackpool, Millwall & Rotherham with weaker/ as weak a squad as us. If we didn't have a 10ish point lead over the bottom 3 I'd be very worried.
Get in 4 good players and we should end up top half. I'm not overly optimistic.
Comments
My only arguments would be on Cousins and Gomez. they are both playing out of position on the left.
IMO Cousins is in the first category as a Central Midfielder. He's been pushed wide to accommodate Jackson, who to me is a yard behind the pace of championship football. Is BP continuing to play Jacko, because he is perceived to be the fans favourite?
Gomez is a young player who looks very good at right back. He has so much time. Asking such an inexperienced player to operate on the left is out-of-order in my opinion. Playing left back when your strength is as a right footer is very difficult. Opponents will attack you on the outside against your weaker foot and everything is at the wrong angle, especially when you receive the ball from the Centre Backs. An experienced player would have problems, let alone a 17/18 year old starting out.
Ahearne-Grant has the potential to be in the top category, but is more effective coming off the bench at present, as at Fulham. Playing him as a starter against Bolton was a poor decision. He was bullied and that may have put him back a bit. He's also been away with England, which has disrupted his season.
Oneywu is as you say a bit of a guess.
We need 3 players of sufficient quality, badly -
A CF that leads the line and holds it up.
A ball-winner / runner in Central Midfield.
A genuine left sided midfielder.
BP also needs to make a decision on Fox or get in an experienced left back on loan. Playing right-footed defenders as stand-in left backs is upsetting the whole balance of the B4. Opponents don't need to be geniuses to work out where the weakness is and attack it.
With Igor, he has gone off the boil but I largely put that down to other club realising that if they mark him out of the game, nobody else is likely to get a goal. Overall, I'd have him in the "mid" group but he could be higher with a decent strike partner.
Berg Gudmundsson-- 6.86 MoM
Ben Haim------------ 6.11
Solly---------------- 5.89
Buyens-------------- 5.84
Bikey---------------- 5.39
Jackson-------------- 5.36
Etheridge------------ 5.30
Vetokele------------- 4.98
Cousins-------------- 4.86
Gomez-------------- 4.80
Tucudean------------ 3.89
Team--5.39
My thoughts are
Play off/promotion level
JBG (just needs to work on beating that first man from corner;-) a personal pet hate of mine in a footballer)
Wiggins - I think he still has the ability and is an important player. Those injuries haven't helped him, I think he's lost a yard of pace. I also think BP doesn't encourage him to get as forward as Solly for some reason. We need him back.
Henderson
Bikey
TBH
Buyens - but I think he hasn't been able to exert his influence as much as he could because we have an issue re the lack of pace in central midfield. He and JJ both offer good qualities, but I don't think they are good together
Vetokele - he will come good again. He's been injured, not really had a partner since returning and just needs a goal
Mid table level
Cousins - I don't know. Yes he's done a great job toiling out on that left, but we don't get the full benefit of him out there. Shows some decent stuff at times but then he also often losses possession.
Lower level
Jackson - I'm only putting him here because he's not as impacting on the pitch in games anymore. I understand he's a great captain and he does many thinks we might not notice, but is he able to still do stuff with the ball.
Bulot - not been overwhelmed by him and I think he's slightly lightweight
Tuc - I want him to do well and think he has some talent. He scored good goals against Bolton and Derby. But based on the lack of consistency, I guess I have to put him here
Church
Wilson
Fox
Pope - but only because he's young and hasn't proved himself yet. I think he got overly criticised off the back of Blackpool, and he has some talent.
Piggott
Harriott
The players I can't place because I have seen too little of them are Moussa (prob lower level, possibly mid), KAG, Gomez (I think he'll go onto be a great player, so let's put him in mid level for now, based on his performances)
Another point about a defensive midfielder is talkative one will allow the fullbacks to bomb forwards more as they know that there is someone to drop in and cover their man if they lose the ball high up the pitch... This is why for much of the season Bob has kept the fullbacks back this has stopped Solly and Wiggins from being as effective as we know they can be.. more recently it has seemed bob has allowed the full backs to get forward however there is no coincidence that with no one to drop in and cover for them we have been weaker defensively conceded more goals and Bikey and Ben Haim have looked less comfortable.
So how to remedy this? For me a proper defensive midfielder is top of my Jan wish list (after Igors strike partner) but until then I would play cousins in that role. I am aware that he is seen as more of a box to box midfielder now but he has occupied that role well alongside Stephens last year so can do it again.
The trouble is how does this work with the rest of the team
Henderson
Solly Bikey TBH Wiggins
Cousins
Gud Buyens Jackson
Igor Tucudean
This is assuming we have an injury free squad.. obviously hendo and Wiggins are out at the moment.
This has meant we have had to push Jackson out to the left which I'm not a great fan of. However I think at the moment we need two at the top so it's either that or drop Jackson which as I am a big fan of Jackson I'm not keen on..
For me I'd like to see an out and out holding midfielder ala Poyet come in.
Watt up front
That guy playing in Scotland I think for Dundee as a striker
Coquelin coz he is class
And adjarevic as he can be the creative central midfielder but play higher up the pitch. Will be useful as an impact sub can make things happen.
From play off form to on the bench for a 2nd division side !
From the sublime to the ridiculous.
I said at the beginning of season, Tuc should be our 4th striker and bring him on slowly, and we would then reap the rewards.
The Belgians should have worked out by now the difference between the Belgian League and the English Championship.
If we don't get a CF to lead the line, the ball won't stick in the front-line and it will keep coming back at the Back Four, who are now showing signs of cracking, because they have been over-loaded during November & December. It's so obvious, it's ridiculous.
I agree with what the op says, but I think there was a fairly large transformation needed to the squad. This was firstly underestimated by the new board (last Jan) and couldnt be rectified in a single transfer window (summer).
Still, if we manage to bring in 6 play off quality players each summer and maybe 1 or 2 in Jan it wont take long to improve.
I think a lot of fans on this site are delusional if they don't accept we are in a relegation fight.Our best 11 has only one half decent striker in it,and he has been over exposed.Our results over the past 14 games have been relegation level.
IF we bring in 3 or4 decent players this month (not Standard misfits like last year) and IF BP can mould them into a new team half way through the season(a big ask) THEN we may have a chance of mid table,but I would not hold my breath.
Without down,simples!
The current slump won't, of course, help to attract and retain players and nor, in practical terms, will the underlying doubts about Peeters' position.
As to bringing in players with Championship experience and pedigree, apart from RD's issues with wages, the freezing out of players like Morrison and Wilson (who looked poor and uninterested yesterday) may not help our cause. Any team needs balance, experience and continuity and I don't think any of us want to see a 'revolving door' approach take root.
A big month ahead for all at CAFC, not only in terms of keeping out of trouble this season but as an indicator of where we are going over the next two or three years. RD has some decisions to make.
Unless we get in some quality signings this month, we are heading for a relegation battle.
I still believe there's only Blackpool, Millwall & Rotherham with weaker/ as weak a squad as us.
If we didn't have a 10ish point lead over the bottom 3 I'd be very worried.
Get in 4 good players and we should end up top half. I'm not overly optimistic.