Agree. 100%. I like Solly & Magennis (both top blokes) but don't think they can deliver the goods to get us promoted.
Also think we need to out Sarr (complete waste of space) and bring in a top keeper as we have done in recent years. Amos won us over 10 points on his own last season.
IMO it doesn't matter whether he's better or worse than Kashi or Kishishev.
The question is will he improve the team? Remember Curbs old maxim: a good team is greater than the sum of its parts.
It's League One, remember. We don't need superstars. We need to build a team capable of winning promotion. If Pratley brings athleticsm, leadership and fight to the team, then he will help build a platform on which our creative players can do their stuff.
Agree. 100%. I like Solly & Magennis (both top blokes) but don't think they can deliver the goods to get us promoted.
Also think we need to out Sarr (complete waste of space) and bring in a top keeper as we have done in recent years. Amos won us over 10 points on his own last season.
Solly will struggle against a decent winger. His legs are not as good as two seasons ago. Sarr makes some errors but some of his long passes last year were brilliant. Still developing. Some of time last year was on the right at the back. He is left footed. Also covered left back.
happy with that, Poyet or someone else that is centre midfield taken care off.
Don't see how you can think signing Poyet would sort out centre midfield. The lad was utter dross when he last played for us and has since failed to impress at some tinpot club in Cyprus.
If he does come back, it'll take a lot of time before he's even back to this level.
He was absolute quality for us! But doubt he'd do a job now, maybe though
If we'd signed him last season, I think Pratley would have been seen as good cover for JFC and Kashi (the kind we needed, actually). He's a run around a lot get tackles in tough man midfielder which you desperately need in a 4-4-2, but I feel the ability in the team has dropped. Maybe some of that is necessary to be more realistic about this division, but we struggled to score goals for long stretches last season and I don't really see us as addressing that. Igor and Taylor are good additions up front but we struggled to create chances more than finish them (though we struggled with the latter as well). And I just don't think what we have now is nearly as good as what we had last season, let alone good enough to challenge.
Although last year we had the handicap of Karl Robinson.
Certainly once things started going bad, yes, Robinson could not arrest a slide. I think he's a decent manager when things are going well and a poor one when they aren't.
But I think Bowyer showed tactical limitations in the run in as well. He's young and very inexperienced, and I think that's to be expected. But I think we do him a massive disservice if we think he alone can make up for the gulf in class in the squad from last year to this.
I know he wants to play a different way, more direct, more physical, more British. But I don't think we have the squad for that. Our attacks in the playoffs basically amounted to lumping it to Magennis to win flick ons for Ajose. And that will be meat and drink to a lot of defenders in this division.
Even if Bowyer can have a positive influence of 10% on the players, and that feels like a high number for a manager once the new manager bounce wears off, I think this squad is 30-40% worse off in terms of quality and depth.
Does Bowyer want to play a more direct more physical game ? I think he realised last season that we didn’t have a ball winner and aggressive player in midfield so when we didn’t have possession we found it hard to win the ball back. Midfield was often where we were outplayed so the likes of our centre backs knocking it long wasn’t a surprise.
Bowyer himself was an aggressive central midfielder but also had a very good footballing brain and good feet. I think he wants a player in Pratley to win us the ball so we can utilise players like Fosu, Taylor, JFC.
If Lee Bowyer is a knock it long direct manager I’ll eat my hat.
I disagree, I thought JFC played that role excellently toward the end of the year. When we were outplayed in midfield, it was often because we had two and the opposition had three, the first leg of the playoffs being the worst example of that. And when you're outnumbered in midfield, then you're often forced to drop deeper to remain compact, end up going long to relieve the pressure, etc.
I think our attacking problems under Bowyer were, by the end, much the same as they were under Robinson, static possession without a killer edge in the final third. The first 3-4 games were excellent, with so much movement and interchange. But after that, it was back to a lot of the same where we had players far apart from each other without much off the ball movement which made us easy to defend against. Wimbledon away felt like the worst example of that. And I don't know that, in terms off personnel, we've done a lot to address that. Taylor is a player who has spent the last couple years playing on the counter, and I think he looks well suited to that--pace to get in behind and capable off playing with his back to goal. I still feel like if you can put two on Fosu and foul him every time he gets up a head of steam, you can basically stop us playing.
I should add while I have my reservations about Bowyer in terms of system and tactics, I think he is desperately hamstrung by the fact that we have no squad depth, seemingly little-to-no budget, and two (I believe) first team coaches both of whom are inexperienced. A well run football club would be looking to address all of these issues. I think Bowyer will be good at getting a lot out of a limited group (whether that's in terms of limited ability or limited numbers). I just don't know if that will be good enough for much more than mid-table.
JFC played the role ok but it's not his role. He's best attributes are passing and popping up with a goal. He can only do alongside someone who is a ball winner. Kashi was excellent for the first half of the season but don't think he was the same player after christmas/his injury.
Happy with the signing, he's just the sort of player we need. Someone to stick his foot in, as we were a soft touch last season. Impressive that's he's only been at 2 clubs the last 12 seasons, so he hasn't been the sort of journeyman who gets moved on after a year or 2,
Agree. 100%. I like Solly & Magennis (both top blokes) but don't think they can deliver the goods to get us promoted.
Also think we need to out Sarr (complete waste of space) and bring in a top keeper as we have done in recent years. Amos won us over 10 points on his own last season.
Even if we wanted to, he's got another 2 years on his contract AND no doubt is on very generous wages. Good luck moving him on unless we're prepared to pay him off
Agree. 100%. I like Solly & Magennis (both top blokes) but don't think they can deliver the goods to get us promoted.
Also think we need to out Sarr (complete waste of space) and bring in a top keeper as we have done in recent years. Amos won us over 10 points on his own last season.
Hasn't KM taken Nabby to the massives yet?! Given that we no longer enjoy a top 6 budget, now's as good a time as any to provide a run of games for Phillips, while spreading our meagre resources on other areas. However, we probably need a better No.2 than Maynard-Brewer.
IMO it doesn't matter whether he's better or worse than Kashi or Kishishev.
The question is will he improve the team? Remember Curbs old maxim: a good team is greater than the sum of its parts.
It's League One, remember. We don't need superstars. We need to build a team capable of winning promotion. If Pratley brings athleticsm, leadership and fight to the team, then he will help build a platform on which our creative players can do their stuff.
So what do all our Bolton supporting mates have to say about him then?
Mine says he's absolutely brilliant, but my mate is also completely imaginary so not really a reliable source.
One of my best mates really is a Bolton supporter. His views: "He'll do a job. On his day is OK but can disappear from games. Has scored a few goals as well. Should be OK in L1."
Great news. Still one more needed for central midfield. Then a keeper and left back as a priority.
I think Pratley, Aribo, JFC and Dijksteel is ok for CM, with some youngsters plus Reeves and Clarke.
Definitely need another full-back, preferably two. Probably need another keeper, CB and winger aswell.
Phillips, another experienced to challenge Solly, New Bauer, New Pearce, Sarr Page, New Dijksteel, Pratley JFC, Aribo Marshall, another Clarke, Fosu, Reeves Magennis, Igor, Grant, Taylor
That's the 23 man squad we would need to get promoted IMO, especially with some of the injuries. Would get rid of Ajose.
Phillips New GK
Solly Bauer Pearce Page Dijksteel Ward Sarr New LB
Marshall Pratley JFC Fosu Dawkins Poyet Aribo Grant
Clarke Reeves
Taylor Vetokele Magennis Ajose
Or that if you see Dijksteel as a RB. Would personally prefer to see him at CM and a new RB rather than Poyet.
Would also prefer to see Grant as a striker. Ajose has had chances and not good enough IMO.
I would love to see Anfernee in midfield in his best position, but Bowyer hasn’t even mentioned him as a midfielder and I think we was impressed with him at right back. I would prefer us to sign a right back to compete with Solly, and allow Dijksteel to play in his natural position, I just am not convinced that is going to happen.
I would keep Ajose, even more so now Vetokele is out for the start of the season. I wouldn’t feel comfortable going into the season with Taylor, Magennis and Grant as our strikers. Taylor is an upgrade but you’re relying on him to stay fit and Grant to perform how he did for Crawley. I’d still keep Ajose, maybe not start, but for sure he is worth keeping throughout the course of a season.
Assuming that his legs aren't going too much, then it will be a good signing. They must be going a bit or surely a Championship team would have signed him ? Anyway, from what I know of him, I'm optimistic.
A Champ club may have tried to sign him. We are good salary payers when freebies come along, also location would have been a factor. I'm guessing he will be one of our top earners, meaning Roland will make sure he plays.
Don’t actually know much about him but on paper a very good signing, especially given our current situation.
We lacked a bit of a combative element last season and Pratley has played the vast amount of the last ten years playing at a higher level. People don’t get made captains without being good around the dressing room, having a good attitude and having the respect of other players.
Don’t actually know much about him but on paper a very good signing, especially given our current situation.
We lacked a bit of a combative element last season and Pratley has played the vast amount of the last ten years playing at a higher level. People don’t get made captains without being good around the dressing room, having a good attitude and having the respect of other players.
Agreed Dan, with Taylor and now Pratley we have also addressed the height issue with the team which will help the rest of the short arses!
In face value , a 2 year contract for a 33 year old midfielder could be considered a stop gap, and high risk, ie a player on the way down wanting a final pay.
However we don’t know his personality, whether he inspires others and is a positive influence on the team a la Andy Hughes. Just hope his legs haven’t gone!
Comments
Oh you mean literally?!
I think it's Oh Sweaty Balmer in his play off final suit
33 and bang average
Welcome Darren.
Also think we need to out Sarr (complete waste of space) and bring in a top keeper as we have done in recent years. Amos won us over 10 points on his own last season.
The question is will he improve the team?
Remember Curbs old maxim: a good team is greater than the sum of its parts.
It's League One, remember. We don't need superstars. We need to build a team capable of winning promotion.
If Pratley brings athleticsm, leadership and fight to the team, then he will help build a platform on which our creative players can do their stuff.
We need a right-back urgently, not convinced either Marshall or Dijksteel are the answer.
I think our attacking problems under Bowyer were, by the end, much the same as they were under Robinson, static possession without a killer edge in the final third. The first 3-4 games were excellent, with so much movement and interchange. But after that, it was back to a lot of the same where we had players far apart from each other without much off the ball movement which made us easy to defend against. Wimbledon away felt like the worst example of that. And I don't know that, in terms off personnel, we've done a lot to address that. Taylor is a player who has spent the last couple years playing on the counter, and I think he looks well suited to that--pace to get in behind and capable off playing with his back to goal. I still feel like if you can put two on Fosu and foul him every time he gets up a head of steam, you can basically stop us playing.
I should add while I have my reservations about Bowyer in terms of system and tactics, I think he is desperately hamstrung by the fact that we have no squad depth, seemingly little-to-no budget, and two (I believe) first team coaches both of whom are inexperienced. A well run football club would be looking to address all of these issues. I think Bowyer will be good at getting a lot out of a limited group (whether that's in terms of limited ability or limited numbers). I just don't know if that will be good enough for much more than mid-table.
We lacked a bit of a combative element last season and Pratley has played the vast amount of the last ten years playing at a higher level. People don’t get made captains without being good around the dressing room, having a good attitude and having the respect of other players.
Shit, shouldn't have mentioned short arses :-)
However we don’t know his personality, whether he inspires others and is a positive influence on the team a la Andy Hughes.
Just hope his legs haven’t gone!