With 9 on the bench and 5 subs per game looking like it’s about to be reintroduced, we might get to see a few of the players who have been injured on the bench sooner than we might’ve though.
If we’re winning, bringing them on for 10 minutes at the end would be a good option. It will also create more options for rotation, for resting players, for others to gain more minutes, like Maddison.
The size of the squad, the strength we have, we could really be one of the clubs who benefits most from this change in a period where we have so many games.
It’s great to have Gilbey back, because he seems naturally a fit lad anyway, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him pretty soon if he gets through a good full week or so of training.
Gilby added to our midfield shouldn't be allowed ! I literally cant wait to see a full strength midfield. There are going to be some games this season when we really seriously hammer teams
But that is then extremely harsh on Morgan, who has been fantastic recently. You could probably take out a defender and put in Morgan if you wanted, you could argue you wouldn’t need 7 plus Pratley, and F-Caskey who could do a job at wing back.
Ultimately, we got some great options, and that doesn’t even include Oshilaja who I think once played at centre back, will surprise many, he’s a decent League One centre back.
So excited for the midfield though. Gilbey, Shinnie, and Maddison doing wonders, should create loads of chances. Even more if we get Williams in form too.
It is Bowyers dream line up..... A team of midfielders..
Bowyer had a dream To build a football team Whether every player was a midfielder Pratley at the back, Smyth in attack We're Charlton Athletic, and we're going to sign your midfielder
Will we actually play Gilbey and Shinnie together much?
We have so many midfield options that I can see plenty of rotation going on
I hope so. Gilbey, Shinnie and Pratley/Watson would be the classic holder, box to box and creative midfielder combo in a midfield 3. I think Bowyer views 4-3-3 as our ideal line-up so that would possibly be our first choice selection. We'll definitely rotate though, I think we're really going to start to suffer with all these international postponements we've had seeing as we're already on two games a week as it is.
Really disappointed with how this one is working out so far. There’s clearly a decent player in there but he can’t seem to find a red shirt with any of his passes.
Still plenty of games and hopefully he can turn it around.
He doesn’t seem to have come back after his injury the same player.
Whether it’s just that he needs game time to get match fit and get back to the level he was at, or whether he can’t get back to the level he was at, time will tell.
Maybe he could do with a spell on the subs bench for a bit, bring him on after 60 minutes, and then take him off 20 minutes later, job done!
He doesn’t seem to have come back after his injury the same player.
Whether it’s just that he needs game time to get match fit and get back to the level he was at, or whether he can’t get back to the level he was at, time will tell.
Maybe he could do with a spell on the subs bench for a bit, bring him on after 60 minutes, and then take him off 20 minutes later, job done!
Agree with this. He’s got a huge amount of talent and style, which we saw in the early games before the injury.
He’s clearly struggling to keep up with play, hence the run of bookings he’s received since coming back in to the side.
As you say, a spell on the bench and playing last 20 minutes is likely a better option at the moment than starting him.
I’m hopeful Gilbey is like a new signing in January.
He’s clearly a talented player and hasn’t had a bad injury in a number of years prior to this - I’d assume he’s just got to adjust to regaining match fitness and it’s difficult to get coaching time with 2 games per week. give him time and he’ll prove himself I’m sure of that
Gilbey has a decent pedigree. Gallen and Bowyer wanted him. He’s injury hasn’t helped his Charlton career fire so far but he hasn’t become a bad league one player overnight. He’ll be up to speed by Christmas and I’m confident he’ll play an important role getting us into the top six.
Indeed, but sadly without the talent on the evidence so far.
Living up to the user name there I think. He looked much better before the injury, the talent is clearly in there. He's definitely not playing very well right now but he's better than this and we've already seen proof of that.
Fortunate that we have a couple of injuries as otherwise he wouldn’t be getting near the first team. Would happily see Vennings ahead of him in the starting line up.
He’s really struggling and is not pulling his weight. Hope he has big shoulders as he’s playing very badly
Vennings? An unproven youth player who has just been average in the few times he has made the squad. The goal is to be promoted not to develop our under 23s. I think you are overrating our home grown. Gilbey has been poor since coming back from injury but he has a history of being a good player and certainly if he were to be replaced it wouldn’t be vennings but rather Williams, Pratley, maatsen, Morgan(when out of quarantine) etc
Fortunate that we have a couple of injuries as otherwise he wouldn’t be getting near the first team. Would happily see Vennings ahead of him in the starting line up.
He’s really struggling and is not pulling his weight. Hope he has big shoulders as he’s playing very badly
Agree. I’ve been quite critical of him, but he clearly had something about him when he was playing for MK Dons. You don’t just become a bad player - the injury has totally hampered his start at the club. We just a better team when he isn’t in it. It hasn’t helped him being on the left when he has played.
He is well below Maddison, Shinnie, JFC, Morgan, Watson, Pratley and Williams in the pecking order. I’d quite like to see him totally left out of the frame for the next few weeks - It’ll give him something to think about and enable him to be fully fit (because he looks well off the pace to me). I also don’t think he has benefited from Bowyers policy of rotating the team - it can be quite unsettling, particularly at a new club when you are trying to find your feet.
All that said, he still has a big part to play for sure - it’s a long old season.
With Albie isolating, Shinnie injured and Pratley playing CB, our midfield resources are slightly thinner at the moment. Gilbey isn't playing well, but will get game time. If Levitt doesn't feature at all in the next 2 games, you have to assume Bowyer's given up on him!
With Albie isolating, Shinnie injured and Pratley playing CB, our midfield resources are slightly thinner at the moment. Gilbey isn't playing well, but will get game time. If Levitt doesn't feature at all in the next 2 games, you have to assume Bowyer's given up on him!
Levitt - Christ, I’d forgotten all about him. Surely he will be in his way back up north soon.
I don't see him as a bowyer Midfielder, despite his height he seems to be less about industry and more about dictating games from what I've seen. Very much proven at this level so I have hopes for him.
Shows it’s not always about players being good enough or not, what’s going on in their lives and head can make a big difference. It’s one reason I’ve said for a while it’s too early to write him off. He was a player of the year in this league, not a free agent desperate for a club like Bogle was. Got to be something there, hope we’re the club to get it out of him.
Was watching this a few weeks back and wondering why we'd seen none of this player. He is clearly good at this level, so let's hope we start to see some of it.
Sounds like Gilbey second chance begins again today. Won’t hide my disappointment behind how poor I think he’s been this season, but we’ve got almost twenty matches this season, due to his contract length I expect to see him at the club next season. Surely he is would be worth playing towards the end of the season in the dead rubbers matches, instead of numerous players who won’t be here next year.
Was watching this a few weeks back and wondering why we'd seen none of this player. He is clearly good at this level, so let's hope we start to see some of it.
Confidence and a tricky achilles injury, also this is a highlights video afterall.
This is his chance to step up now. Otherwise it'll be the Pratson Partnership.
Gilbey's poor form was always frustrating and a little perplexing because we'd seen him doing much better at this exact level with his previous team. In fact he was looking much better before the first absence for us, so we knew he COULD do better.
In all fairness I think it's commendable of Bowyer to acknowledge that form on the pitch doesn't just mean physical condition, and the change from the digging out of players to this is a point in the manager's favour too, for however much it's worth.
Comments
If we’re winning, bringing them on for 10 minutes at the end would be a good option. It will also create more options for rotation, for resting players, for others to gain more minutes, like Maddison.
The size of the squad, the strength we have, we could really be one of the clubs who benefits most from this change in a period where we have so many games.
It’s great to have Gilbey back, because he seems naturally a fit lad anyway, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him pretty soon if he gets through a good full week or so of training.
I’d probably go for:
Amos, Maynard-Brewer
Matthews, Gunter, Inniss, Famewo, Pearce, Maatsen, Purrington
Watson, Pratley, F-Caskey, Gilbey, Shinnie, Williams, Maddison
Aneke, Bogle, Washington, Smyth
But that is then extremely harsh on Morgan, who has been fantastic recently. You could probably take out a defender and put in Morgan if you wanted, you could argue you wouldn’t need 7 plus Pratley, and F-Caskey who could do a job at wing back.
Ultimately, we got some great options, and that doesn’t even include Oshilaja who I think once played at centre back, will surprise many, he’s a decent League One centre back.
So excited for the midfield though. Gilbey, Shinnie, and Maddison doing wonders, should create loads of chances. Even more if we get Williams in form too.
A team of midfielders! (And Amos).
Lol.
To build a football team
Whether every player was a midfielder
Pratley at the back, Smyth in attack
We're Charlton Athletic, and we're going to sign your midfielder
Still plenty of games and hopefully he can turn it around.
Whether it’s just that he needs game time to get match fit and get back to the level he was at, or whether he can’t get back to the level he was at, time will tell.
Maybe he could do with a spell on the subs bench for a bit, bring him on after 60 minutes, and then take him off 20 minutes later, job done!
give him time and he’ll prove himself I’m sure of that
All that said, he still has a big part to play for sure - it’s a long old season.
So dont expect to see him before the Plymouth game on Boxing Day now
https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/former-mk-man-set-for-charlton-game-time-today-with-boss-claiming-couple-of-issues-have-been-resolved/
This is his chance to step up now. Otherwise it'll be the Pratson Partnership.
In all fairness I think it's commendable of Bowyer to acknowledge that form on the pitch doesn't just mean physical condition, and the change from the digging out of players to this is a point in the manager's favour too, for however much it's worth.