Fair enough mate. I think he is probably our best 'general' midfielder and we're a better team with him in it when he's fit. I was quite surprised by those stats.
I just wonder to what extent his injuries are bad luck and not a propensity for injuries. If you've done your ACL 2/3 times, do you not have a weakness there?
If you did it 3 times you would because you would have to do the same one twice. Doing both of them is probably more bad luck than anything else.
Also his championship injury was probably compounded because he had to play 90 minutes Saturday Tuesday Saturday before he was ready because everyone else was injured. He wasn't the only one.
I fully get that JFC has been dreadfully unlucky with the 2 major injuries he has suffered and I totally supported giving him a contract for the season as we had a duty of care to him. But! For the ignorant (me) how susceptible will he now be to a future recurrence of this or any other knee related breakdown? Quite apart from the fact that it will take some time to play his way back to match fitness and form (assuming he does). I'm ambivalent about this because whilst I agree that at his best he is a real asset at the same time I am fed up to the back teeth of this club being the outstanding annual candidate for the "Nursemaid of the year" awards. If I hear the phrases "manage his game time", "can't be risked for 90 minutes" "can't play 2 games in a week" or "has a minor niggle, see you in 3 months" (okay I made that one up. Or did I?) once more I think I might be inclined to go in 2 footed on our physio's. What's worse it always seems to be our best or key players. For heavens sake stop buying, or re-buying, or persisting with crocks.
That's really the root of the problem, for a player to have suffered several such severe injuries in a short period is either incredibly unlucky or they are unfortunately quite fragile (relatively speaking.)
There's a decent chance that once he's fit again that will be it and beyond the odd sprain or twisted ankle that all players sometimes get he'll be back to playing regularly, but it's also possible that he will be forever more nearly but not quite fit due to managing his injuries and fitness and never getting fully recovered.
Not his fault at all and if it was just him he'd probably get the contract because he's good enough to take the chance on. But unfortunately for him (and us) Inniss and Aneke are also in the same boat.
I agree with the sentiments but I think for the quality we know he has he's worth the risk for at least another season or 2 on a contract. Probably 1 season + optional extension.
This season has 8 games left so he's not going to get a lot of game time during this season, so he should get a full pre-season with us to get fully up to speed before playing lots of game time, which should hopefully protect him and give him to build his durability, and enable him to properly sharp for the new season.
I think he scores different types of goals. He can score from a free kick for example, something I don’t think anyone in our current team can do.
He scores one type of goal: inexplicably terrible ones. I don't think I've ever seen a JFC goal that wasn't an absolute travesty of goalkeeping and physics. I love when he scores because you then get to unpick how the hell anyone allowed it to happen each time.
He is even an option as LWB, played there against Fulham and was excellent. One of his best qualities is his delivery, which is wasted a little in central midfield.
As long as we don't target other injury prone dross then a squad carrying him and Aneke would be fine. Need to move on the others like Innis, Matthews and Pearce though.
And those are the better ones! His goals were atrocious last season. The free kick against Wigan that the keeper collapsed over, the goal against Wimbledon that was an assist by the keeper, the one against Rochdale that the defender deflected over the keeper, the weird header against Plymouth that the defender handballed in. All of it awful.
And those are the better ones! His goals were atrocious last season. The free kick against Wigan that the keeper collapsed over, the goal against Wimbledon that was an assist by the keeper, the one against Rochdale that the defender deflected over the keeper, the weird header against Plymouth that the defender handballed in. All of it awful.
They all hit the back of the net though, that's all that matters
And those are the better ones! His goals were atrocious last season. The free kick against Wigan that the keeper collapsed over, the goal against Wimbledon that was an assist by the keeper, the one against Rochdale that the defender deflected over the keeper, the weird header against Plymouth that the defender handballed in. All of it awful.
They all hit the back of the net though, that's all that matters
Atrocious and awful goals!!!!! Beggars can't be choosers tbf...and a fit JFC is streets ahead of our current midfielders in his all round game IMHO. Just hope he can get fit.
I think he scores different types of goals. He can score from a free kick for example, something I don’t think anyone in our current team can do.
He scores one type of goal: inexplicably terrible ones. I don't think I've ever seen a JFC goal that wasn't an absolute travesty of goalkeeping and physics. I love when he scores because you then get to unpick how the hell anyone allowed it to happen each time.
The third one in his hat trick at The Valley was a curler into the top corner IMSC. Great goal.
A lovely composed performance. He got the ball and seemed to have so much time, before threading through a decent pass. Class players always seem to have time.
Perfect game for a come back from a long term injury as it was 10 v 10 and players were tiring; this gave him the space he would need at this stage of his recovery
A lovely composed performance. He got the ball and seemed to have so much time, before threading through a decent pass. Class players always seem to have time.
Agree albeit 10 v 10 was a factor in that.
He was class above and Clare, Dobson, JFC is our best central midfield.
Even after so long out he looked a notch or two above anything else in the team. The thing is, even if he’d been fit in 18/19, he wouldn’t have started many games in Bowyer’s midfield and that is the kind of standard we are trying to reach.
Maybe JFC has improved since then, but it says a lot about the rest of the team and how far we have to go.
Even after so long out he looked a notch or two above anything else in the team. The thing is, even if he’d been fit in 18/19, he wouldn’t have started many games in Bowyer’s midfield and that is the kind of standard we are trying to reach.
Maybe JFC has improved since then, but it says a lot about the rest of the team and how far we have to go.
Bet we wouldnt have brought Cullen or Bielik in had JFC been fit that year
Even after so long out he looked a notch or two above anything else in the team. The thing is, even if he’d been fit in 18/19, he wouldn’t have started many games in Bowyer’s midfield and that is the kind of standard we are trying to reach.
Maybe JFC has improved since then, but it says a lot about the rest of the team and how far we have to go.
Bet we wouldnt have brought Cullen or Bielik in had JFC been fit that year
Big slice of luck that both of them turned out to be better than him.
Agree that there was a noticeable difference after he entered the game. A couple of really lovely passes into dangerous areas.
If he’s up to a start after getting half hour today, I think it would be worthwhile trying him together with Dobson and Lee/Morgan for the Wimbledon game. Fraser needs a rest and Gilbey suspended.
Even after so long out he looked a notch or two above anything else in the team. The thing is, even if he’d been fit in 18/19, he wouldn’t have started many games in Bowyer’s midfield and that is the kind of standard we are trying to reach.
Maybe JFC has improved since then, but it says a lot about the rest of the team and how far we have to go.
Bet we wouldnt have brought Cullen or Bielik in had JFC been fit that year
Big slice of luck that both of them turned out to be better than him.
Agree that there was a noticeable difference after he entered the game. A couple of really lovely passes into dangerous areas.
If he’s up to a start after getting half hour today, I think it would be worthwhile trying him together with Dobson and Lee/Morgan for the Wimbledon game. Fraser needs a rest and Gilbey suspended.
I'd rather keep him on the bench. Not that he isn't good enough to start, but rather I don't him to pick up a muscle injury that would rule him out for the rest of the season
He looked our best player within minutes of being on the pitch. It was nice to have a player on the pitch, playing with his head up and looking to make incisive passes. As good as Dobson has been (wirhout doubt our POTY), he is no JFC. Although without Dobson this season we'd have really been in the deep brown stuff.
Even after so long out he looked a notch or two above anything else in the team. The thing is, even if he’d been fit in 18/19, he wouldn’t have started many games in Bowyer’s midfield and that is the kind of standard we are trying to reach.
Maybe JFC has improved since then, but it says a lot about the rest of the team and how far we have to go.
I think this is a myth, often repeated but that doesn't make it true. We played 4 central midfielders, we didn't have 4 better than him. Reeves, Ward, Marshall, Lapslie, Morgan even Pratley played loads of games in that midfield. JFC is a significantly better player than all of them were then.
We probably wouldn't have signed one of Bielik or Cullen if he was fit but those 2, JFC and Aribo would have been the best midfield in the divison, by a distance.
Maybe he’d have played left side of the diamond with Aribo pushed forward, but he wasn’t going to dislodge Aribo, Cullen, or Bielik. Either way, he was, at best, 4th best midfielder at the club that season, one where we had to take the playoff route (albeit that side was probably good enough to win automatic promotion most seasons).
Anyway, that isn’t the point I was trying to make. JFC is a good player and I’m not seeking to diminish that. My point is that his cameo yesterday only went to further highlight how far off the required standard most of the rest are because, if we are going to get automatic promotion next season (which is the stated aim however far fetched it might seem right now), we are going to need to sign players not only as good as JFC, but probably some who are better than him too.
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Also his championship injury was probably compounded because he had to play 90 minutes Saturday Tuesday Saturday before he was ready because everyone else was injured. He wasn't the only one.
But!
For the ignorant (me) how susceptible will he now be to a future recurrence of this or any other knee related breakdown?
Quite apart from the fact that it will take some time to play his way back to match fitness and form (assuming he does).
I'm ambivalent about this because whilst I agree that at his best he is a real asset at the same time I am fed up to the back teeth of this club being the outstanding annual candidate for the "Nursemaid of the year" awards.
If I hear the phrases "manage his game time", "can't be risked for 90 minutes" "can't play 2 games in a week" or "has a minor niggle, see you in 3 months" (okay I made that one up. Or did I?) once more I think I might be inclined to go in 2 footed on our physio's.
What's worse it always seems to be our best or key players.
For heavens sake stop buying, or re-buying, or persisting with crocks.
There's a decent chance that once he's fit again that will be it and beyond the odd sprain or twisted ankle that all players sometimes get he'll be back to playing regularly, but it's also possible that he will be forever more nearly but not quite fit due to managing his injuries and fitness and never getting fully recovered.
Not his fault at all and if it was just him he'd probably get the contract because he's good enough to take the chance on. But unfortunately for him (and us) Inniss and Aneke are also in the same boat.
This season has 8 games left so he's not going to get a lot of game time during this season, so he should get a full pre-season with us to get fully up to speed before playing lots of game time, which should hopefully protect him and give him to build his durability, and enable him to properly sharp for the new season.
He got the ball and seemed to have so much time, before threading through a decent pass.
Class players always seem to have time.
And he shone
Nice!
He was class above and Clare, Dobson, JFC is our best central midfield.
Maybe JFC has improved since then, but it says a lot about the rest of the team and how far we have to go.
Agree that there was a noticeable difference after he entered the game. A couple of really lovely passes into dangerous areas.
If he’s up to a start after getting half hour today, I think it would be worthwhile trying him together with Dobson and Lee/Morgan for the Wimbledon game. Fraser needs a rest and Gilbey suspended.
It was nice to have a player on the pitch, playing with his head up and looking to make incisive passes.
As good as Dobson has been (wirhout doubt our POTY), he is no JFC. Although without Dobson this season we'd have really been in the deep brown stuff.
We probably wouldn't have signed one of Bielik or Cullen if he was fit but those 2, JFC and Aribo would have been the best midfield in the divison, by a distance.