I thought Foley was recruited mainly as a back up right back, and to be fair I thought he had a pretty decent game there. Dare I say it?, better than Solly has been lately.
I have no problem with a five man midfield and given our weakness in that area is what I would start with home or away.
Where Slade goes wrong IMO is with his choice of players. Play any two defensive ones in front of the back 4 and then Holmes, Botika and Lookman. Lookman in the middle with a free role.
As Solly looks a bit quicker across the ground, maybe play him in a defensive MF role and Folley at RB. I know Solly has not been great in MF in his limited opportunities, but we need to do something to sort it out.
It looked like briefly on Saturday we were playing a 4-2-3-1, with Holmes, Adoje and Lookman behind the lone front-man, then of course Slade took off Holmes and the formation changed again.
I think Slade's player recruitment has been ok up to a point given the issues with the owner and his CEO. I have no problem with Foley at right back, but he is an emergency midfileder at best. That the emergency started at the start of the season is worrying. Tex and Ba have to come back into this squad. Slade has no imagination or flair. I was concerened about this when he started because I have seen evidence of this before he joined us but I was willing to give him a chance. It isn't too late to turn the season around, but we won't do it with him in charge. The Wimbledon game when he didn't even make subs when we went behind near the end said it all.
I'd give it to JJ. I know he wants the job. His legs may have gone but he is deservedly loved and respected and will get some patience from the fans and he can't do a worse job than Slade. He could still play himself off the bench when the situation demands. This needs to happen now.
I hate to say this as we look hopeless under Russell Slade's management....
You don't write a player off after 10 games in a side struggling to gel, so is it fair to write the manager off?
This bit I don't hate to say...
Yes.
He has had time and money to build chemistry among a team that has a captain that wants only success for the club.
He has in my opinion brought in some decent players. (Ajose, Magennis, Pearce, Novak & Holmes all looked good signings but two key ones of those are struggling to recreate their form of last season)
He has also brought in some dross and is shutting out or not trying potentially better players.
He agreed to the sale of some players that would no doubt have battled longer and harder than what we have.
He has increased the average age of the squad to 67.
He is using cheap options to plug gaps that aren't paying off. Jackson is not involved enough in games to play as a LM or CM. Playing him in these positions can only be seen as a combination of cost cutting and trying to get the fans onside which will not work!
It cannot be denied that to be doing this, he MUST be following orders...
As such I can ascertain from these findings that Russell Slade is just another puppet in the Regime's web.
I agree with Billericay Dicky that Peeters has been the best of a miserable crop of managers since Chris Powell was sacked, and I know his results became very poor, but I still don't know why Peeters was not supported by the regime, and indeed appeared to be undermined. Mind you I wouldn't welcome Peeters back.
I know a lot less about the youth team than some on here, but isn't Charles- Cook any closer to a breakthrough. From what I've seen he's a pretty energetic all round midfielder and could inject the enthusiasm and energy we need.
I agree with Billericay Dicky that Peeters has been the best of a miserable crop of managers since Chris Powell was sacked, and I know his results became very poor, but I still don't know why Peeters was not supported by the regime, and indeed appeared to be undermined. Mind you I wouldn't welcome Peeters back.
Weren't the rumours that he made Katrien cry? If so, that may explain his lack of backing from above...
(it may also explain why he's one of my favourites too.)
Although Slade and his team are exasperating me, I'd like to see him given more time to try and turn it around. A revolving door policy never works, despite Katrien's protestations to the contrary; more fundamentally, who are we going to attract, given our shocking reputation in English football ? Probably another of Roland's cheap and not so cheerful network 'head coaches' or someone else working at a low level in Belgium.
Whether Slade can improve matters is open to doubt. On the evidence thus far, I think it's unlikely and I do wonder if the players have also lost faith in him. I really hope I'm wrong but he looks to be floundering. He could start by trying to shed his ultra-cautious mentality and by recognising that he's now managing Charlton Athletic and not (with the greatest of respect) Leyton Orient .
If we slip into the bottom four this month with a couple of further poor performances, I expect that he (and presumably Nugent) be done for. If we show some signs of improvement and the position stabilises, he may manage to see out the season, although this team is not going to seriously challenge for the play-offs.
Crofts and Foley have both had some decent games for us. Isn't it more of a case they shouldn't/can't play every game, especially in such a slow midfield? Andy Hughes did well in our promotion season but I doubt he'd have looked as comfortable had he played nearly every game. Same with Jackson this season.
They are the slow midfield and the reason for our sheer lack of creativity. Neither of them should be anywhere near a side aiming for promotion. Foley is a bloody right back for a start.
Crofts and Foley have both had some decent games for us. Isn't it more of a case they shouldn't/can't play every game, especially in such a slow midfield? Andy Hughes did well in our promotion season but I doubt he'd have looked as comfortable had he played nearly every game. Same with Jackson this season.
They are the slow midfield and the reason for our sheer lack of creativity. Neither of them should be anywhere near a side aiming for promotion. Foley is a bloody right back for a start.
Only when played alongside each other, which makes them look even worse. In a more balanced midfield I don't think either of them would look so poor.
I think Slade genuinely thinks he can do it, maybe not this season given he was in late, no pre-season with the team and not quite the team he is looking to build, but I think he reckons that next season, he can probably get automatic promotion with the resources he has.
I think he may be right.
But he needs to stop being so negative in the initial team set-up to counter what are real weaknesses, and he needs to get someone who he listens to in the game who tells him where it's going wrong so he makes better substitutions.
It's not good when 3/4 of the limited number of supporters can see an obvious change ahead of the manager.
Perhaps his assisstant Kevin Nugent has a big say on tactics, from memory he was a defender at Orient.
Nugent played up front mate.
Probably explains why our strikers have managed 5 goals between them all season.
Scored over 100goals in nearly 500 appearances at 6 clubs albeit not at the highest level.
Started off his coaching career under the auspices of Kenny Jacket and then Martinez at Swansea and has had a few caretaker rolls other than that no idea how good his coaching skills are. One thing is for sure you can only work with the tools you are given and therein lies the problem vis-a-vis midfield.
You lot are getting him mixed up with David nugent - elfs was right
Comments
I have no problem with a five man midfield and given our weakness in that area is what I would start with home or away.
Where Slade goes wrong IMO is with his choice of players. Play any two defensive ones in front of the back 4 and then Holmes, Botika and Lookman. Lookman in the middle with a free role.
As Solly looks a bit quicker across the ground, maybe play him in a defensive MF role and Folley at RB. I know Solly has not been great in MF in his limited opportunities, but we need to do something to sort it out.
He can't continue with the current midfield set up. He has either got to get Ba interested for a couple of months or use a youth player.
Both might not improve us but he must do something.
I'd give it to JJ. I know he wants the job. His legs may have gone but he is deservedly loved and respected and will get some patience from the fans and he can't do a worse job than Slade. He could still play himself off the bench when the situation demands. This needs to happen now.
You don't write a player off after 10 games in a side struggling to gel, so is it fair to write the manager off?
This bit I don't hate to say...
Yes.
He has had time and money to build chemistry among a team that has a captain that wants only success for the club.
He has in my opinion brought in some decent players. (Ajose, Magennis, Pearce, Novak & Holmes all looked good signings but two key ones of those are struggling to recreate their form of last season)
He has also brought in some dross and is shutting out or not trying potentially better players.
He agreed to the sale of some players that would no doubt have battled longer and harder than what we have.
He has increased the average age of the squad to 67.
He is using cheap options to plug gaps that aren't paying off. Jackson is not involved enough in games to play as a LM or CM. Playing him in these positions can only be seen as a combination of cost cutting and trying to get the fans onside which will not work!
It cannot be denied that to be doing this, he MUST be following orders...
As such I can ascertain from these findings that Russell Slade is just another puppet in the Regime's web.
Mind you I wouldn't welcome Peeters back.
(it may also explain why he's one of my favourites too.)
Whether Slade can improve matters is open to doubt. On the evidence thus far, I think it's unlikely and I do wonder if the players have also lost faith in him. I really hope I'm wrong but he looks to be floundering. He could start by trying to shed his ultra-cautious mentality and by recognising that he's now managing Charlton Athletic and not (with the greatest of respect) Leyton Orient .
If we slip into the bottom four this month with a couple of further poor performances, I expect that he (and presumably Nugent) be done for. If we show some signs of improvement and the position stabilises, he may manage to see out the season, although this team is not going to seriously challenge for the play-offs.