A lot of young players are going to have to play in circumstances that are less than ideal to say the least.
if as a result of that we have poor results I am of the opinion that it will be less because those players aren't good enough, but because the squad as a whole doesn't provide enough cushioning to help ease those players in in a managed way. And we all know whose fault that is.
I have watched a lot of Lapslie, Phillips, Fairchild, Grant, Maloney, Blumberg, as well as Aribo and Djiksteel and others. I would say that those players will try their hardest and give their best in the circumstances, they won't be bertie big bollocksing about, and if it goes wrong they absolutely won't mean it. In fact whether they are good enough or not, they will be the opposite of mercenaries, and we have had a fair few of those recently.
The point I am trying to make is that I fervently hope that fans don't dig straight in to those youngsters. Fox and Lennon did not exactly benefit from a supportive fan culture at Charlton, and whilst Djiksteel and Aribo and a few others have been accepted early, it is easy in the face of failure to scapegoat far too quickly.
I suppose my thoughts are along the lines of would you rather have a Ryan Blumberg than a Roger Johnson if the kind of choices are that stark?
Forgive a bit more readily, love a bit more strongly, and these youngsters might surprise people more than they think, but maybe later than they think.
Absolutely. Whatever team we have to put out I can't see them not giving it their all. If that's not good enough then there can be no blame on them. If nothing else good comes of this season at least we will see some of the academy players step up.
Sooooo fed up!!!! The JFC news has just finished me off. Been going all through Rolands painful tenure but come 31/08 if we have the same lack of players then I just give up. From what could have been a classic away perfomance now reads 4-0 Sunderland. Just hope now for no more injuries.
What a shambles of a club and what a car crash it’s been under RDs reign. Where are the EFL in all this? We have no CEO, no CFO, no permanent manager and now hardly any players. No update for the fans - the people who rescued this club from the brink - on the takeover. When will this nightmare end? Or more worryingly, perhaps it won’t.
My fear is we will be bullied and I know enough about the lower divisions to say teams will be allowed to. Not sure we can stay up with that midfield the more I think about it. An enforcer is required more than anything.
My fear is we will be bullied and I know enough about the lower divisions to say teams will be allowed to. Not sure we can stay up with that midfield the more I think about it. An enforcer is required more than anything.
My fear is we will be bullied and I know enough about the lower divisions to say teams will be allowed to. Not sure we can stay up with that midfield the more I think about it. An enforcer is required more than anything.
Isn’t that Pratley (genuine question)?
Let's hope so - it is always hope isn't it - hope against hope. It is a chore - nothing more, nothing less!
The current position is counter productive at every level. I have little doubt every young professional will, if called upon, give their all. They may even up their game but there is a simple reason Bowyer argues they are not up for regular games.
They are not physically and mentally ready and able to raise their game on a consistent basis.
Thus they will be inconsistent placing greater burden on the more experienced players and team performances will deteriorate over time. You can only carry young players for so long. It is cause and effect. A cause and effect we have seen for far too long. Over time confidence will be lost and young players development will at best stall. The very opposite of what we are trying to achieve.
Where do you propose to go then. You can only cut corners for so long.
The current structure crucially sets the agenda for every opposing side. They can set their stall out at every game.
Every young player will be physically tested as never before. Every player carrying an injury profile be it Solly, Page, Fosu, Clarke or whoever will be tested. That's what professional sides do. They look to exploit every wrinkle/ advantage they can get.
Opposing sides will keep asking questions week in week out. The demands on the squad as structured are farcical.
As it stands Bowyer will have just one leader and game manager on the pitch. Hopefully Pratley will add a second but if Pearce is injured this could all fall apart very quickly.
We could face the Shrewsbury scenario all over again week in week out. No nous, no game management with Pearce a leaders voice likely in the wilderness.
I like Bowyer and Jackson. I like the Bowyer positivity. If he achieves a decent August he will deserve a medal. As it stands it will be built on smoke and mirrors. I sincerely hope he can pull it off.
This. I’ve never known us to be so feeble going into a season. Even under Lennie when we had no home and were skint, a squad blended with enough experience to help the kids was built.
A lot of young players are going to have to play in circumstances that are less than ideal to say the least.
if as a result of that we have poor results I am of the opinion that it will be less because those players aren't good enough, but because the squad as a whole doesn't provide enough cushioning to help ease those players in in a managed way. And we all know whose fault that is.
I have watched a lot of Lapslie, Phillips, Fairchild, Grant, Maloney, Blumberg, as well as Aribo and Djiksteel and others. I would say that those players will try their hardest and give their best in the circumstances, they won't be bertie big bollocksing about, and if it goes wrong they absolutely won't mean it. In fact whether they are good enough or not, they will be the opposite of mercenaries, and we have had a fair few of those recently.
The point I am trying to make is that I fervently hope that fans don't dig straight in to those youngsters. Fox and Lennon did not exactly benefit from a supportive fan culture at Charlton, and whilst Djiksteel and Aribo and a few others have been accepted early, it is easy in the face of failure to scapegoat far too quickly.
I suppose my thoughts are along the lines of would you rather have a Ryan Blumberg than a Roger Johnson if the kind of choices are that stark?
Forgive a bit more readily, love a bit more strongly, and these youngsters might surprise people more than they think, but maybe later than they think.
Spot on, Seth. I am worried that throwing some of these young lads into the League 1 bearpit before they are ready (as Lee Bowyer acknowledges) will seriously knock their confidence and totally undermine their long term development. It’s a diabolical and disgracefully neglectful situation, especially given the care and skill which has been devoted to these lads as they’ve been nurtured through the Academy by Steve Avory and his team.
I can also imagine players like Pratley and Taylor having to play out of necessity when they are not fully fit and knackering themselves as a result. What the hell are we going to do then ? No doubt we’ll pick up a few free agents here and there but Duchatelet’s reluctance to pay wages through the summer means that most (if not all) the better ones have been snapped up. The downward spiral is relentless - the squad is a net 8 players down on last season, with 5 of those who remain out with long term injuries.
At the risk of understatement, it is going to be a very, very difficult season.
As for tomorrow, at least one thing that Lee Bowyer won’t have to worry about is how to try and change things from the bench.
Am all for supporting the boys and Bowyer tomorrow, I am going myself, but I do hope that some form of Roland out chants get aired on national television. Just thought I’d share that on here.
I hope, if needed, to be putting updates on match day thread, but unfortunately, as this game is on Sky, I will stupidly watching it so, probably the best thing, but I will not be covering this match sorry.
Given our predicament, I think I'd play Naby at left back, with Lewis Page left midfield and hope that Pratley can do 45-60mins. That way we would minimise the need to throw in youth players - at the outset, at least.
Given our predicament, I think I'd play Naby at left back, with Lewis Page left midfield and hope that Pratley can do 45-60mins. That way we would minimise the need to throw in youth players - at the outset, at least.
Not exactly the worst idea in the world. If we were to do that I’d like to be a 3/5 at the back but no chance as Bowyer and the team haven’t worked on it at all in pre-season. But for theoretical speaking...
Phillips Solly Bauer Pearce Sarr Page Marshall Pratley Aribo Grant Taylor
Phillips Bauer Pearce Sarr Solly Pratley Aribo Page Marshall Taylor Grant
I too would find a way to get Sarr starting. I think Bowyer is a 4-4-2 man which complicates that. Starting Prately and Taylor if they are unfit sounds like asking for trouble. Problem is it is difficult to see the answers. We have had the Summer to get players fit and raring to go and to be in this much trouble - probably as bad as any of us can recall for any game - is evidence of criminal neglect from an owner who deserves........ I'd better stop there. We all know what we would like to do to the bastard.
Comments
I suspect they'd do the same in reverse to avoid paying out!
Where are the EFL in all this?
We have no CEO, no CFO, no permanent manager and now hardly any players.
No update for the fans - the people who rescued this club from the brink - on the takeover.
When will this nightmare end? Or more worryingly, perhaps it won’t.
I'm convinced the reason no one has been given the number 4 shirt is Bowyer is half expecting to have to pull Jacko out of retirement......
Phillips
Solly Bauer Pearce Page
Fosu Aribo 'x' Marshall
Taylor Grant
X is for JFC, if he has done his ACL then I really don't know.
As for Bench, Ashley Maynard Brewer, Sarr, and a couple crocks only good for 15 minutes plus maybe a couple of U23's.
We're going to get thumped, midfield will be lost.
gonna be a lot of disappointed mackems come 3pm tomorrow
They are not physically and mentally ready and able to raise their game on a consistent basis.
Thus they will be inconsistent placing greater burden on the more experienced players and team performances will deteriorate over time. You can only carry young players for so long. It is cause and effect. A cause and effect we have seen for far too long. Over time confidence will be lost and young players development will at best stall. The very opposite of what we are trying to achieve.
Where do you propose to go then. You can only cut corners for so long.
The current structure crucially sets the agenda for every opposing side. They can set their stall out at every game.
Every young player will be physically tested as never before. Every player carrying an injury profile be it Solly, Page, Fosu, Clarke or whoever will be tested. That's what professional sides do. They look to exploit every wrinkle/ advantage they can get.
Opposing sides will keep asking questions week in week out. The demands on the squad as structured are farcical.
As it stands Bowyer will have just one leader and game manager on the pitch. Hopefully Pratley will add a second but if Pearce is injured this could all fall apart very quickly.
We could face the Shrewsbury scenario all over again week in week out. No nous, no game management with Pearce a leaders voice likely in the wilderness.
I like Bowyer and Jackson. I like the Bowyer positivity. If he achieves a decent August he will deserve a medal. As it stands it will be built on smoke and mirrors. I sincerely hope he can pull it off.
Minto did do a bit on his instagram page mentioning us though
Spot on, Seth. I am worried that throwing some of these young lads into the League 1 bearpit before they are ready (as Lee Bowyer acknowledges) will seriously knock their confidence and totally undermine their long term development. It’s a diabolical and disgracefully neglectful situation, especially given the care and skill which has been devoted to these lads as they’ve been nurtured through the Academy by Steve Avory and his team.
I can also imagine players like Pratley and Taylor having to play out of necessity when they are not fully fit and knackering themselves as a result. What the hell are we going to do then ? No doubt we’ll pick up a few free agents here and there but Duchatelet’s reluctance to pay wages through the summer means that most (if not all) the better ones have been snapped up. The downward spiral is relentless - the squad is a net 8 players down on last season, with 5 of those who remain out with long term injuries.
At the risk of understatement, it is going to be a very, very difficult season.
As for tomorrow, at least one thing that Lee Bowyer won’t have to worry about is how to try and change things from the bench.
Rate we are going Fosu on a zimmerframe might be the best option we have.
Solly Bauer Pearce Sarr Page
Marshall Pratley Aribo Grant
Taylor
Phillips
Bauer Pearce Sarr
Solly Pratley Aribo Page
Marshall Taylor Grant
Not a chance though.