I've always quite liked Stockley, but i'm shocked at how poor he's been this season. He looks like a 45 year old bloke who once was quite good. Long term injury problem, confidence gone or just defenders know how to play against him i'm not sure but i wouldn't be surprised if he's playing non league in a few years.
I wouldn't be surprised if he isn't retired in a couple of years time.
Poor to a man Kirk, Rak, Fraser, morgan, thomas. I don't get how he is the major part of it when you could pick any of them out.
We scored because with the introduction of CBT and CA provided pace to get beyond them. When played in a front two I believe JS would be effective trouble is we are trying to find a makeshift partner for him.
The same Morgan that was heavily involved in 3 of the goals?
We need to find a team in January whom, instead of having only true football people in their recruitment team, have a stats based black box, created by someone with really good excel skills. A system where they are looking for players whom have been excellent in the last but are maybe now a little forgotten so available for the bargain price of £500K. They can then polish them up and sell at a profit. I wonder what clubs could fit the mould.
Stockley isn't cut out for a team that wants to keep the ball on the ground.
Not is only Aneke able to use his feet, he's also equally as importantly trusted to receive the ball with a player up against him whereas JS isn't.
He'd be a decent option for a team playing to his strengths, but there's not many teams doing it even in L1 these days because playing that way isn't the best way to get results (or that's what most teams have decided)
At 29 his best seasons are more likely behind him than in front of him. I'd give all his minutes to Leaburn as soon as he's back.
I owe @Chunes a bit of an apology. Last week we were talking about how much better the team would be without Stockley, I said better, he said much, much better (or something to that effect).
After seeing how we lined up from the start on Saturday, the lengths we have to go to to play two up front with Stockley is ridiculous. It's clear Garner doesn't trust him up from on his own, which, you have to say after the way we started the season, is fair enough. I just thought that Garner might try Stockley up front in a 3-4-3 for 60 minutes until he could bring on Chuks. But having to stick to 4-4-2/4-4-1-1 to accommodate for Stockley is harming the team as a whole, and I suspect keeping Garner from lining up the way he wants to from the start.
It just begs the question why we didn't try to move him on in the summer (to be fair, maybe we tried and failed). We all knew this was going to be an issue. We all knew Chuks can't consistently play 60 minutes, let alone 90. So why did we start the season with Stockley, Aneke, and Miles as our three forwards? As I've said many times, it's not necessarily that I blame us for not having more forwards, it's that I blame us for the forwards that we do have. Stockley cost a fee and is rumored to be on decent wages (which, again might be why he wasn't moved on). We all know the issues with Chuks (and we all know that when fit, he's mustard for 30 minutes). So why did 1) make those investments, and 2) continue with them, namely Stockley, when we knew there would be issues with the way we want to play?
A lot of people bemoaned us not signing a striker, myself included. But a lot also seemed to feel like Thomas was cheap/skint because we were one light up front. And that's not the issue, the issue is the expensive players we have. We have one of the few mobile, technically gifted, goalscoring center forwards in the league, he just can't start games.
I don't really know where we go from here apart from trying to move Stockley on in January (presumably at a decent loss) and trying to sign another mobile striker, Bonne again perhaps? Hope that Miles is able to come back strong and that maybe we can get Chuks to a point where he can play 60 minutes (that should not be counted on) once per week?
To be fair to Stockley, when he's played up front with another center forward, and even with Kirk, he looks very decent. Like, this isn't his fault, he can't magically be faster, run in behind, or even have Chuks' touch (he can work on his touch, which isn't the best but also isn't as awful as some make it out to be).
Our squad has both too many, and too few, center forwards.
Poor to a man Kirk, Rak, Fraser, morgan, thomas. I don't get how he is the major part of it when you could pick any of them out.
We scored because with the introduction of CBT and CA provided pace to get beyond them. When played in a front two I believe JS would be effective trouble is we are trying to find a makeshift partner for him.
Exactly CA & CBT provided pace & movement to get beyond them. Stockley is barely more mobile than Nelson's Colunm. Stockley has my sympathy, he obviously has a big fitness problem and it's probably his hip/back.
Poor to a man Kirk, Rak, Fraser, morgan, thomas. I don't get how he is the major part of it when you could pick any of them out.
We scored because with the introduction of CBT and CA provided pace to get beyond them. When played in a front two I believe JS would be effective trouble is we are trying to find a makeshift partner for him.
Exactly CA & CBT provided pace & movement to get beyond them. Stockley is barely more mobile than Nelson's Colunm. Stockley has my sympathy, he obviously has a big fitness problem and it's probably his hip/back.
I've long wondered about this: from my understanding (and having sciatica myself), a pinched nerve doesn't usually go away without serious intervention, it just tends to get better and worse. I don't know how much it's affecting him, and he's not particularly mobile to begin with, but it's an interesting question.
If he is carrying something, playing nigh on every game is not going to help him. He is not to blame for that, nor his work ethic, but while trying to play a tune he is delivering something more Les Dawson than Mendelssohn like…
Rather than carrying something, I'd say he's playing with huge concern that something could happen out the blue like last season.
I can understand it as it's human nature, but once again, crap planning and understanding of the physio/welfare side of things from our Club.
He had a full pre-season of prep work to be fit and confident is his body though - I understand what you mean but I just don't think that's it. I think something's either still bothering him or he's been physically weakened/constrained by last years innjury
I think there must be an element of all the reasons stated for his form this season. Whatever it is the fact remains that when he runs he might as well be in a barrel of treacle! Players are trying to play him through but he wants it to feet all the time as I suspect he knows that an average 5cyear old would beat him in a foot race. It's a shame because I really like him as a bloke and I'm sure he must be totally frustrated
Rather than carrying something, I'd say he's playing with huge concern that something could happen out the blue like last season.
I can understand it as it's human nature, but once again, crap planning and understanding of the physio/welfare side of things from our Club.
He had a full pre-season of prep work to be fit and confident is his body though - I understand what you mean but I just don't think that's it. I think something's either still bothering him or he's been physically weakened/constrained by last years innjury
Guess we will find out when/if he has a medical at a Club.
Honestly, I wonder if there's more to this - I just feel that any form he did have has completely fallen off a cliff. Either he's not there physically or mentally, but it hurts us so much. We probably have to keep picking him, because we don't have any other option not to, really. Such a mess. BG might end up throwing more kids in out of desperation.
I like the lad when he speaks, but f*** me, he's not adding much more than a body on the pitch. He just ends up in the pocket of every defender of this league and losing every battle. Real shame.
Honestly, I wonder if there's more to this - I just feel that any form he did have has completely fallen off a cliff. Either he's not there physically or mentally, but it hurts us so much. We probably have to keep picking him, because we don't have any other option not to, really. Such a mess. BG might end up throwing more kids in out of desperation.
I like the lad when he speaks, but f*** me, he's not adding much more than a body on the pitch. He just ends up in the pocket of every defender of this league and losing every battle. Real shame.
I think he has a chronic back injury that he is playing through. Let’s face it we haven’t got any other options that can play 70 plus mins at the moment.
Didn’t he have an epidural last year to manage his back ?
Exactly what you want from your captain, although ironically despite all our injury problems we are a better team without him. We must take the hit and sell him in January imo
Not the first time he's got himself sent off for something ridiculous is it?
Can't wait til he leaves.
Its his fourth red card of his career... Are you confusing him with Inniss?
I was talking about last season when he got sent off for... Something stupid like wrestling with Oshilaja? I will always recall him being in the studio for the next match and JJ bollocking him on live TV during his post-match interview, he was obviously fuming with him.
Exactly what you want from your captain, although ironically despite all our injury problems we are a better team without him. We must take the hit and sell him in January imo
Bloke is an absolute div. Christ knows why he got the armband.
Though having said that I will enjoy not having to watch him play.
Exactly what you want from your captain, although ironically despite all our injury problems we are a better team without him. We must take the hit and sell him in January imo
Bloke is an absolute div. Christ knows why he got the armband.
Though having said that I will enjoy not having to watch him play.
I will enjoy watching him play if we played to his strengths and he had a decent partner up top to help him. He was a threat when this happened but doesn't suit our current style. On that basis, I would look to move him on.
He scored 25 (approx) goals in 1.5 seasons when we used him correctly. 3 (1 pen and one against a park team) when we play him in a system that doesn't suit him. I think the problem is square pegs and round holes rather than the player being complete s**t
Not the first time he's got himself sent off for something ridiculous is it?
Can't wait til he leaves.
Its his fourth red card of his career... Are you confusing him with Inniss?
I was talking about last season when he got sent off for... Something stupid like wrestling with Oshilaja? I will always recall him being in the studio for the next match and JJ bollocking him on live TV during his post-match interview, he was obviously fuming with him.
Yeah but that wasnt helped by Kettle being the referee
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Not is only Aneke able to use his feet, he's also equally as importantly trusted to receive the ball with a player up against him whereas JS isn't.
He'd be a decent option for a team playing to his strengths, but there's not many teams doing it even in L1 these days because playing that way isn't the best way to get results (or that's what most teams have decided)
At 29 his best seasons are more likely behind him than in front of him. I'd give all his minutes to Leaburn as soon as he's back.
After seeing how we lined up from the start on Saturday, the lengths we have to go to to play two up front with Stockley is ridiculous. It's clear Garner doesn't trust him up from on his own, which, you have to say after the way we started the season, is fair enough. I just thought that Garner might try Stockley up front in a 3-4-3 for 60 minutes until he could bring on Chuks. But having to stick to 4-4-2/4-4-1-1 to accommodate for Stockley is harming the team as a whole, and I suspect keeping Garner from lining up the way he wants to from the start.
It just begs the question why we didn't try to move him on in the summer (to be fair, maybe we tried and failed). We all knew this was going to be an issue. We all knew Chuks can't consistently play 60 minutes, let alone 90. So why did we start the season with Stockley, Aneke, and Miles as our three forwards? As I've said many times, it's not necessarily that I blame us for not having more forwards, it's that I blame us for the forwards that we do have. Stockley cost a fee and is rumored to be on decent wages (which, again might be why he wasn't moved on). We all know the issues with Chuks (and we all know that when fit, he's mustard for 30 minutes). So why did 1) make those investments, and 2) continue with them, namely Stockley, when we knew there would be issues with the way we want to play?
A lot of people bemoaned us not signing a striker, myself included. But a lot also seemed to feel like Thomas was cheap/skint because we were one light up front. And that's not the issue, the issue is the expensive players we have. We have one of the few mobile, technically gifted, goalscoring center forwards in the league, he just can't start games.
I don't really know where we go from here apart from trying to move Stockley on in January (presumably at a decent loss) and trying to sign another mobile striker, Bonne again perhaps? Hope that Miles is able to come back strong and that maybe we can get Chuks to a point where he can play 60 minutes (that should not be counted on) once per week?
To be fair to Stockley, when he's played up front with another center forward, and even with Kirk, he looks very decent. Like, this isn't his fault, he can't magically be faster, run in behind, or even have Chuks' touch (he can work on his touch, which isn't the best but also isn't as awful as some make it out to be).
Our squad has both too many, and too few, center forwards.
Stockley is barely more mobile than Nelson's Colunm.
Stockley has my sympathy, he obviously has a big fitness problem and it's probably his hip/back.
I can understand it as it's human nature, but once again, crap planning and understanding of the physio/welfare side of things from our Club.
I like the lad when he speaks, but f*** me, he's not adding much more than a body on the pitch. He just ends up in the pocket of every defender of this league and losing every battle. Real shame.
Can't wait til he leaves.
Though having said that I will enjoy not having to watch him play.