Conceding three goals against Gillingham is piss poor however you dress it up.
We've now lost to Ebbsfleet and Gillingham - signs are not looking good. Wouldn't be quite so bad if we were playing decent opposition.
If we're not good defensively we will sink without trace in the Championship.
Calm down. We will bring in several quality loanees. We will not sink without a trace.
And breath.
I'm not convinced re the loanees and I'm more concerned with us letting in goals than the amount we're scoring. I remain unconvinced as to how our defence will cope in the Championship.
There's not a defence in the world that will be difficult to beat, when they have a thread bare midfield in front of them.
Plus the strikers will struggle to get 15 between them.
It depends who the strikers will be. Bowyer still wants two more. I can't understand anyone judging the team, when we've only got half a team. We still need 2 strikers, 3 midfielders minimum.
We should not be here at this stage of the summer.
Conceding three goals against Gillingham is piss poor however you dress it up.
We've now lost to Ebbsfleet and Gillingham - signs are not looking good. Wouldn't be quite so bad if we were playing decent opposition.
If we're not good defensively we will sink without trace in the Championship.
Calm down. We will bring in several quality loanees. We will not sink without a trace.
And breath.
I'm not convinced re the loanees and I'm more concerned with us letting in goals than the amount we're scoring. I remain unconvinced as to how our defence will cope in the Championship.
There's not a defence in the world that will be difficult to beat, when they have a thread bare midfield in front of them.
Plus the strikers will struggle to get 15 between them.
It depends who the strikers will be. Bowyer still wants two more. I can't understand anyone judging the team, when we've only got half a team. We still need 2 strikers, 3 midfielders minimum.
We should not be here at this stage of the summer.
Bowyer and Gallan know that.
Yes, but we all knew we would be, because loans aren't sorted until the last couple of weeks and often go to the very last minutes of the window. As LB often says, it is what it is.
You’ve got to laugh at the people who were so certain that we were heading to league 2 a year ago are piping up now.
Bowyer has said he wants 5 loan signings. Just chill! Wait and see!! I don’t care that we lost to Gillingham in a friendly today, it was a friendly! Judge once the window is closed! Moan in may 2020, not July 2019. #yawn
You’ve got to laugh at the people who were so certain that we were heading to league 2 a year ago are piping up now.
Bowyer has said he wants 5 loan signings. Just chill! Wait and see!! I don’t care that we lost to Gillingham in a friendly today, it was a friendly! Judge once the window is closed! Moan in may 2020, not July 2019. #yawn
Whether it's justified or not we haven't looked great so far against lower league opposition - it may not be a massive cause for concern but it hasn't exactly inspired confidence.
Frustrating thing is we did have periods where we did play some good stuff and we looked decent. But there were times where we looked off it. It was basically not managing the low periods you always get games as well as we can do. But the good consistantcy in game management will come.
Wasn’t there so can’t comment on the performance, doesn’t sound great, but we’ve pretty much had to rebuild from the beginning compared to the team that took us up. The established centre back partnership on the run in was Sarr and Bauer. They worked well together and had I think we’re going to really miss Bauer. I’m confident Lockyer is a decent replacement, may not be as good, but we have to deal with it. I think Bowyer is still trying to work out the best centre back pairing. Dijksteel got the nod over Solly toward the end of the season due to Solly’s suspension, so we still don’t know who starts at right back. Page has just come back from a long lay off and unfortunately he’s gone off again today, but it will take him time to find his match fitness again. So the whole back 4 needs time to gel and Bowyer needs to work out who is best to run with.
the midfield that we finished the season with last year was for me Championship standard. Only Williams remains from what I believe were our starting 4 of him, Aribo, Cullen and Bielik. We’ve really lost some quality here and this is where I feel we need the most work. Bowyer is light on bodies in there and prob doesn’t know just yet who gets the nod out of the players available and they have to work up partnerships together and understand one another. JFC like Page, only just back from injury and having to get back into playing competitive games.
Up top was a problem last season when we lost Grant and we still need one more imo. There’s a lot of work to be done, a whole new team pretty much from the one that had the momentum from last year. Personally I don’t look at the results in friendlies because of the above. It’s too early for the players to understand each other and I also don’t think the starting XI is ready yet based on Bowyer bringing in the better players on loan before the deadline. For me, the friendlies are all about fitness and the start of players getting used to one another.
I know Bowyer has been working them hard on the fitness front as well and Monday’s session was particularly gruelling so I’ve been told. Add to that 3 more games since then and I think that although the performance hasn’t been too pleasing, the games are there to get that fitness up.
The squad needs work, but I’m not at all worried about what happens with the results.
Fair comment. The downside of promotion is that Morgan and Lapslie would have got the development time they needed and that is going to be harder in the Championship. I wish we could merge their attributes into one as I think that would be some player, but Morgan has to be a bit more dynamic and Lapslie a bit more measured. I'm sure it will come, but if we rely too much on either this season, I think we will struggle.
I think the midfielders we ended last season on were high end Championship and generally when you go up a level, it doesn't do to go backwards. I have complete faith in Bowyer, though we have to accept that he has a hand tied behind his back, but there is time to pull a rabbit or two out of the bag. I wasn't too optimistic at this stage last season, but Bowyer brought some real quality in and he is going to have to do so again.
For me, the season starts with the Villa game. You have to hit the ground running, so this should be treated as your first game so the next game, your first actual league game will be your second truly competitive game. That is how I would view it if I was a manager and whilst Bowyer will want the details to be clicking into place, the priority is still around fitness over results.
Bowyer looked proper pissed off and frustrated in his interview, as if he was holding something in and just wanted to get it off of his chest. The best manager since Curbishley just hope he gets his targets in.
I’m not panicking or anything, and it happens all the time, but it’s never a particularly encouraging sign to lose multiple PSFs v lower league oppo. It’s not something we’ve experienced for a few years
I’m not panicking or anything, and it happens all the time, but it’s never a particularly encouraging sign to lose multiple PSFs v lower league oppo. It’s not something we’ve experienced for a few years
I agree with you, AFKA. Folk are quite wrong when they say pre-season friendlies are unimportant. Even Bowyer said after the game: "We lost the individual battles" and Gillingham "passed the ball with a purpose".
The "purpose" is essential. Under Robinson, we in the Covered End suffered endless dreary games of sideways passing across midfield - it was possession with absolutely no idea of attack. Bowyer will not stand for that nonsense.
Tough and astute midfield players are crucial, seizing possession and sending incisive balls to intelligent strikers. With his verve and nous, Jonny Williams is vital. Witness his game-changing spark as sub at Wembley.
And with his innate sense of fight and bottle - words used advisedly - Bowyer is the man to give us the best possible chance in the Championship.
I’m not panicking or anything, and it happens all the time, but it’s never a particularly encouraging sign to lose multiple PSFs v lower league oppo. It’s not something we’ve experienced for a few years
It’s a useful reality check to lose some of these games. Get any close season lethargy out of the system before the real action starts. Winning a psf game isn’t the object of the exercise, getting match fitness, familiarity with kicking a ball, tackling, passing and mentality is...all those things that 2 months off from competitive matches seem to be completely forgotten by players of every club by the start of every season.
I’m not panicking or anything, and it happens all the time, but it’s never a particularly encouraging sign to lose multiple PSFs v lower league oppo. It’s not something we’ve experienced for a few years
It’s a useful reality check to lose some of these games. Get any close season lethargy out of the system before the real action starts. Winning a psf game isn’t the object of the exercise, getting match fitness, familiarity with kicking a ball, tackling, passing and mentality is...all those things that 2 months off from competitive matches seem to be completely forgotten by players of every club by the start of every season.
I’m not panicking or anything, and it happens all the time, but it’s never a particularly encouraging sign to lose multiple PSFs v lower league oppo. It’s not something we’ve experienced for a few years
It’s a useful reality check to lose some of these games. Get any close season lethargy out of the system before the real action starts. Winning a psf game isn’t the object of the exercise, getting match fitness, familiarity with kicking a ball, tackling, passing and mentality is...all those things that 2 months off from competitive matches seem to be completely forgotten by players of every club by the start of every season.
Even those clubs that are beating us?
Of course. They have the added advantage of it being a big match and their players know we are on the lookout for players to sign. They will be giving 100% to the game. We won’t.
Midfield looked weak before the match. It is such a key part of helping the defence and supporting the attack. You put that right and it will make a massive difference. The question is whether Bowyer can pull it off or not. He will have been setting the deals up, but they are risky by their nature with so many ways to go wrong. But how they go will probably define what sort of season we ultimately have. I think we all wrote off last season a bit too early and that is a lesson to us for this. That doesn't mean it will go well, only if anybody can pull it off, it is probably Bowyer and his team.
Alas I can see most decent Prem loanees going abroad at end of August, rather than to EFL on 7th August.
A lot you have to wait for. Some might be free earlier but I'm sure Bowyer will have identified what we need and is working on it. We have to wish him the best of luck.
To be fair it's hard to get a settled side and rhythm when you're juggling players between matches. Indeed Villa will be the only pre season game where Bowyer will pick a more or less first choice team instead of 2/3 of one with players rested for other matches.
Could you just turn up on the day for this match? Went to Gills vs Millwall yesterday and in the queue waiting to buy tickets (Gills end) we were told that you had to be registered on the Gills system or you wouldnt be able to get in. We (two women under 5 foot 2 without Millwall tattoos) stood in the queue anyway and only got in by luck of remembering the name of a Gills season ticket holder who the woman selling the tickets had heard of.
small clubs will always try hard to beat the big club, especially when the 'Pride of Kent' is at stake ((:>) I suspect our players were not too keen to get into battles with motivated lower league rivals who're keen to make an impression. The two hamstring injuries are worrying. Aneke (hope he's not another got on the cheap because of a poor injury record/reliability) will be important for us in the attacking midfield role. Page ?, let's just say it's a good job that Purrington returned. Lockyer ? .. I am old fashioned and would sooner we'd signed a 6 foot 4 no nonsense 'stopper' .. there is still time.
I'll state the obvious. Let's hope that Bowyer and Co can recruit some shrewd signings, preferably a mix of loans and perms a s a p
Comments
Bowyer and Gallan know that.
Bowyer has said he wants 5 loan signings. Just chill! Wait and see!! I don’t care that we lost to Gillingham in a friendly today, it was a friendly! Judge once the window is closed! Moan in may 2020, not July 2019. #yawn
Hopefully the loan signings will materialise.
Shame on you Charlton.
I think the midfielders we ended last season on were high end Championship and generally when you go up a level, it doesn't do to go backwards. I have complete faith in Bowyer, though we have to accept that he has a hand tied behind his back, but there is time to pull a rabbit or two out of the bag. I wasn't too optimistic at this stage last season, but Bowyer brought some real quality in and he is going to have to do so again.
For me, the season starts with the Villa game. You have to hit the ground running, so this should be treated as your first game so the next game, your first actual league game will be your second truly competitive game. That is how I would view it if I was a manager and whilst Bowyer will want the details to be clicking into place, the priority is still around fitness over results.
The best manager since Curbishley just hope he gets his targets in.
The "purpose" is essential. Under Robinson, we in the Covered End suffered endless dreary games of sideways passing across midfield - it was possession with absolutely no idea of attack. Bowyer will not stand for that nonsense.
Tough and astute midfield players are crucial, seizing possession and sending incisive balls to intelligent strikers. With his verve and nous, Jonny Williams is vital. Witness his game-changing spark as sub at Wembley.
And with his innate sense of fight and bottle - words used advisedly - Bowyer is the man to give us the best possible chance in the Championship.
It’s a useful reality check to lose some of these games. Get any close season lethargy out of the system before the real action starts. Winning a psf game isn’t the object of the exercise, getting match fitness, familiarity with kicking a ball, tackling, passing and mentality is...all those things that 2 months off from competitive matches seem to be completely forgotten by players of every club by the start of every season.
Looks like he’s still without a club.
I suspect our players were not too keen to get into battles with motivated lower league rivals who're keen to make an impression.
The two hamstring injuries are worrying. Aneke (hope he's not another got on the cheap because of a poor injury record/reliability) will be important for us in the attacking midfield role. Page ?, let's just say it's a good job that Purrington returned.
Lockyer ? .. I am old fashioned and would sooner we'd signed a 6 foot 4 no nonsense 'stopper' .. there is still time.
I'll state the obvious. Let's hope that Bowyer and Co can recruit some shrewd signings, preferably a mix of loans and perms a s a p