Will he will be like Harry Arter....drop down the leagues and end up having a good career with a championship/prem team ? Only 23 and not reached his peak yet who knows
It is a mystery to me as to how a player considered good enough to make 32 appearances in a promotion winning season at 21 becomes surplus to requirements just two years later without being given the opportunity to prove himself again. Especially when we are crying out for younger legs in our midfield.
I suspect the reason we a letting him go is because we have midfielders ahead of him and we need to free up space due to the cap. The problem is, we don't seem to want to play the midfielders ahead of him!
This to me looks like an example of a player becoming better when he’s not in the team.
He might be the type of player we need in the middle but scoring a few goals in League 2 doesn’t mean some of the weaknesses in his game have now gone.
In the promotion season he made 11 starts and 16 sub appearances in the league. He was cover who filled in as needed and came on to give us some energy at the end of games. He didn’t feature in the play-off games.
He played even less last season, and when he did the usual doubts came up over his ability.
I’ve got no doubt he’ll continue to improve because he has the commitment to do that.
On the other hand let’s not completely write off Gilbey who last season was MK Dons player of the year. He looked good when he first played. One thing that will help is more pace in the team. If teams push up against us that leaves space for the likes of Gilbey to pick out passes for our pacey players. If opponents sit back to stop that threat then space will open up in the midfield.
On JFC I expect he’ll be released in the summer and is only here because the option to extend his contract was in his favour. With the salary cap he was never going to get the same deal elsewhere.
Gallen talked about adding pace and enthusiasm to the squad, so we know he’s looking at the right type of player. Some may be loans, but it’s more important to get promoted from League 1 than develop Lapslie - the salary cap doesn’t allow us to keep squad players around who otherwise usually would stay as cover.
This to me looks like an example of a player becoming better when he’s not in the team.
He might be the type of player we need in the middle but scoring a few goals in League 2 doesn’t mean some of the weaknesses in his game have now gone.
In the promotion season he made 11 starts and 16 sub appearances in the league. He was cover who filled in as needed and came on to give us some energy at the end of games. He didn’t feature in the play-off games.
He played even less last season, and when he did the usual doubts came up over his ability.
I’ve got no doubt he’ll continue to improve because he has the commitment to do that.
On the other hand let’s not completely write off Gilbey who last season was MK Dons player of the year. He looked good when he first played. One thing that will help is more pace in the team. If teams push up against us that leaves space for the likes of Gilbey to pick out passes for our pacey players. If opponents sit back to stop that threat then space will open up in the midfield.
On JFC I expect he’ll be released in the summer and is only here because the option to extend his contract was in his favour. With the salary cap he was never going to get the same deal elsewhere.
Gallen talked about adding pace and enthusiasm to the squad, so we know he’s looking at the right type of player. Some may be loans, but it’s more important to get promoted from League 1 than develop Lapslie - the salary cap doesn’t allow us to keep squad players around who otherwise usually would stay as cover.
Not totally disagreeing Scoham, especially with the need for pace, but there is an irony in that comment. Gilbey's average mark this season is 5.43 and that makes him our bottom player on Statbank so he can't be any worse sitting on the side lines than when he has been playing can he?
Morgan's is a full average mark better. So, if the argument is that Lapslie isn't good enough and surplus to requirements why is Morgan not starting more games? And I'm not buying LB using Morgan's age against him and the need to rest him. It never stopped Gallagher being played every minute of every game did it? Is it, perhaps, that Morgan is homegrown unlike Gilbey and Gallagher?
Terrible decision imo, he starts every week for us. I don't rate one midfielder we have above him, certainly not enough to let him go. Better than Gilbey, JFC and Pratley.
This makes no sense, probably the hardest working player we have, which is all Bowyer bangs on about and we are willing to let him go when we have a bunch of fridge freezers in midfield. Unless we are signing actual quality midfielders like Ben Whiteman or Scott Fraser then I don't see why it's happening.
The last 4 games I've watched now none of our players bar Maddison can make a quality forward pass so it's not like George's technical ability can be questioned? Got a feeling this one comes back to bite us
Good luck to George, hard working, honest player who will have a decent football career imo
If this one comes back to bite us, it’ll be over the next few years in League One. And if we’re still in League One at that point, our problems will be far bigger than letting go of George Lapslie.
I can see why you would say that cause George does look a bit clumsy at times and he is a bit raw but I think he will be a championship player at some point, if I'm wrong I'll be wrong but I think he has the qualities
Forget long term though even for the short term I would like him starting for us, more potential than some of our midfielders and we could do with his energy alone
George on in place of the injured Watson on Saturday was precisely what Charlton needed. Sadly LB's head is currently jammed so far up his arsehole he can neither see nor hear anything useful. My worry is he mightn't recognise or listen to anything useful, if or when he pulls his head out of his arse to check what's going on in the real world.
As things stand, although it looks too late anyway, I wonder if George Lapslie would make a worse contribution to the side than Gilby, Watson, Shinnie, the latter day Pratley, and Vennings. I suspect the situation with Lapslie is not sinister, but it is more about expediency than a football decision.
Are we really saying Lapslie is our answer in the midfield because he has performed well in a few games for a terrible League 2 side? If that is the case we should worry more about relegation than promotion with our current squad. He has found his current level and certainly his ceiling may be a decent League one performer at some point but to say that he would be an improvement currently is overrating our home grown. He has played 40 times at this level or higher and outside of one match, has not shown any signs of generating scoring chances or bossing the midfield in possession. Also, he is not a holding midfielder because he is too light weight so he is not a replacement for our old men (which do need upgrading given how much their lack of pace has hurt us in our current run of poor form). I appreciate that he will give maximum effort and that is appealing to many but that would not be enough to make any sort of difference for Sandgaard’s promotion ambitions. I hope George has a long successful career in League one but I just don’t think that will be with us.
This to me looks like an example of a player becoming better when he’s not in the team.
He might be the type of player we need in the middle but scoring a few goals in League 2 doesn’t mean some of the weaknesses in his game have now gone.
In the promotion season he made 11 starts and 16 sub appearances in the league. He was cover who filled in as needed and came on to give us some energy at the end of games. He didn’t feature in the play-off games.
He played even less last season, and when he did the usual doubts came up over his ability.
I’ve got no doubt he’ll continue to improve because he has the commitment to do that.
On the other hand let’s not completely write off Gilbey who last season was MK Dons player of the year. He looked good when he first played. One thing that will help is more pace in the team. If teams push up against us that leaves space for the likes of Gilbey to pick out passes for our pacey players. If opponents sit back to stop that threat then space will open up in the midfield.
On JFC I expect he’ll be released in the summer and is only here because the option to extend his contract was in his favour. With the salary cap he was never going to get the same deal elsewhere.
Gallen talked about adding pace and enthusiasm to the squad, so we know he’s looking at the right type of player. Some may be loans, but it’s more important to get promoted from League 1 than develop Lapslie - the salary cap doesn’t allow us to keep squad players around who otherwise usually would stay as cover.
Not totally disagreeing Scoham, especially with the need for pace, but there is an irony in that comment. Gilbey's average mark this season is 5.43 and that makes him our bottom player on Statbank so he can't be any worse sitting on the side lines than when he has been playing can he?
Morgan's is a full average mark better. So, if the argument is that Lapslie isn't good enough and surplus to requirements why is Morgan not starting more games? And I'm not buying LB using Morgan's age against him and the need to rest him. It never stopped Gallagher being played every minute of every game did it? Is it, perhaps, that Morgan is homegrown unlike Gilbey and Gallagher?
I mentioned in the post match thread that I felt Bowyer has an issue trusting Morgan, Williams and Maddison. With Shinnie out Morgan should be getting a run of games rather than rotated (and taken off when he does start). I’m sure we’d be a better side if we always had two m of those three on the pitch while Shinnie and Doughty are out.
We need a settled team. That why we look lost. It’s nonsense about resting players. It’s not as though we stay long in cup rounds or okay European football. You might rest one out of the eleven now and again which will keep the Nucleus together.
He's now working for a very experienced manager who believes in playing good attacking football .. IF we decide to do the right thing and get him back, he will return as a far better, improved footballer
The big shame is that, after starting last season down the pecking order, he was injured when we had that massive injury crisis in midfield. He would have done significantly better than Ledley, Dempsey, Vernon's and others. Even in that crisis a midfield of Pratley, Gallagher Lapslie and Morgan would have been better than we had. A run in the side would have been great for him.
I'm not in away way suggesting he would have been the answer but a run in the side would have done him the world of good and may have persuaded us to use him a lot more in league 1. I'm a fan of JFC but I would have Lappo ahead of him. I want Gilbey to come good but would have Lappo ahead of him.
6 goals and 2 assists for Mansfield. Who, of our midfielders, can match that?
Different level to be fair and Lapslie has never looked like that kind of player in all the years for us. It may be that he has found his level, or he could be having his penny drop moment... Would be farcical if Bowyer stuck by his decision to let an in form player who actually loves the club go.
Lapslie is proving me wrong with my view of him. Never saw him as a regular goal scorer, that's for sure.
6 goals and 2 assists for Mansfield. Who, of our midfielders, can match that?
Different level to be fair and Lapslie has never looked like that kind of player in all the years for us. It may be that he has found his level, or he could be having his penny drop moment... Would be farcical if Bowyer stuck by his decision to let an in form player who actually loves the club go.
Lapslie is proving me wrong with my view of him. Never saw him as a regular goal scorer, that's for sure.
Of course one could argue that Grant didn't either 'til he went to Crawley. LB wasn't Manager when this happened and he is far better qualified than I am to decide whether a player is good enough.
All I would say, though, that I have witnessed at first hand, how a young sportsman can improve, virtually overnight, when they know, not just that they are valued by their coach but also, that one ordinary performance will not automatically mean being dropped.
That confidence can breed success. My concern is not just that Lapslie will prove to be "one that got away" but that we aren't getting the best from Morgan because he cannot get a run in the side. He is not being allowed to make mistakes and learn from them "on the job" but is being punished for them by being dropped. Whereas seasoned pros such as Gunter, Pratley and Watson are fixtures unless injured or suspended.
It is sad to see not one academy player starting a game for us but that is a regular occurrence now which really begs the question as to whether we should have an academy now given all the associated costs. Brentford got rid of theirs in 2016 and they seem to have done very well without it by acquiring players for a net profit in the region of £80m. And will potentially be promoted to the PL this season.
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All I can say is we must have some excellent midfielders incoming if we are letting George go?
Why not have a buyback clause as well as a sell on clause, if he is going to become the player we think he’s going to become.
He might be the type of player we need in the middle but scoring a few goals in League 2 doesn’t mean some of the weaknesses in his game have now gone.
In the promotion season he made 11 starts and 16 sub appearances in the league. He was cover who filled in as needed and came on to give us some energy at the end of games. He didn’t feature in the play-off games.
He played even less last season, and when he did the usual doubts came up over his ability.
On JFC I expect he’ll be released in the summer and is only here because the option to extend his contract was in his favour. With the salary cap he was never going to get the same deal elsewhere.
Gallen talked about adding pace and enthusiasm to the squad, so we know he’s looking at the right type of player. Some may be loans, but it’s more important to get promoted from League 1 than develop Lapslie - the salary cap doesn’t allow us to keep squad players around who otherwise usually would stay as cover.
Having that loan spell now, in his final season, feels too late
Obviously not the finished article but imho a lot better than some of the shirkers we have in the team at the moment.
Morgan's is a full average mark better. So, if the argument is that Lapslie isn't good enough and surplus to requirements why is Morgan not starting more games? And I'm not buying LB using Morgan's age against him and the need to rest him. It never stopped Gallagher being played every minute of every game did it? Is it, perhaps, that Morgan is homegrown unlike Gilbey and Gallagher?
I suspect the situation with Lapslie is not sinister, but it is more about expediency than a football decision.
Just checked as well, Mansfield top scorer in the League has six goals
Lapslie also has six goals himself now, just one of those came in the FA Cup!!
Superb first 25 minutes. Could easily be 3 up.
Lapslie is on another level.
Typical, stream isnt working for me
The big shame is that, after starting last season down the pecking order, he was injured when we had that massive injury crisis in midfield. He would have done significantly better than Ledley, Dempsey, Vernon's and others. Even in that crisis a midfield of Pratley, Gallagher Lapslie and Morgan would have been better than we had. A run in the side would have been great for him.
I'm not in away way suggesting he would have been the answer but a run in the side would have done him the world of good and may have persuaded us to use him a lot more in league 1. I'm a fan of JFC but I would have Lappo ahead of him. I want Gilbey to come good but would have Lappo ahead of him.
Different level to be fair and Lapslie has never looked like that kind of player in all the years for us. It may be that he has found his level, or he could be having his penny drop moment... Would be farcical if Bowyer stuck by his decision to let an in form player who actually loves the club go.
Lapslie is proving me wrong with my view of him. Never saw him as a regular goal scorer, that's for sure.
All I would say, though, that I have witnessed at first hand, how a young sportsman can improve, virtually overnight, when they know, not just that they are valued by their coach but also, that one ordinary performance will not automatically mean being dropped.
That confidence can breed success. My concern is not just that Lapslie will prove to be "one that got away" but that we aren't getting the best from Morgan because he cannot get a run in the side. He is not being allowed to make mistakes and learn from them "on the job" but is being punished for them by being dropped. Whereas seasoned pros such as Gunter, Pratley and Watson are fixtures unless injured or suspended.
It is sad to see not one academy player starting a game for us but that is a regular occurrence now which really begs the question as to whether we should have an academy now given all the associated costs. Brentford got rid of theirs in 2016 and they seem to have done very well without it by acquiring players for a net profit in the region of £80m. And will potentially be promoted to the PL this season.