Chris or CEL or anyone. To save me checking; info on Dion Charles ?
One we deffo enquired about in the summer but price tag was silly.
The concern for me on him is at 26 years old he has had one good season at this level.
Doesn't really mean anything though. Firstly if he'd had (for example) 3-4 good seasons he would already be playing at a higher level and secondly 26 is hardly old.
Someone like Vardy signed for Leicester at 25 after one good season in the conference for Fleetwood. It wasn't until he was 28 that he really had a breakout season.
"Vardy's first season at the club was marred by his loss of form, prompting criticism from some City supporters on social media".
Rickie Lambert's career didn't take off until he joined Southampton at 27, after one good season (29 goals) at Bristol Rovers. The 2 years before that he scored 8 and 13.
It's all pretty irrelevant though, as Charles will go to the championship.
Chris or CEL or anyone. To save me checking; info on Dion Charles ?
One we deffo enquired about in the summer but price tag was silly.
The concern for me on him is at 26 years old he has had one good season at this level.
Doesn't really mean anything though. Firstly if he'd had (for example) 3-4 good seasons he would already be playing at a higher level and secondly 26 is hardly old.
Someone like Vardy signed for Leicester at 25 after one good season in the conference for Fleetwood. It wasn't until he was 28 that he really had a breakout season.
"Vardy's first season at the club was marred by his loss of form, prompting criticism from some City supporters on social media".
Rickie Lambert's career didn't take off until he joined Southampton at 27, after one good season (29 goals) at Bristol Rovers. The 2 years before that he scored 8 and 13.
It's all pretty irrelevant though, as Charles will go to the championship.
I agree Charles may well continue to develop and improve, I just highlighted the risk. We all know what happened with Ajose and countless other punts taken by teams signing a striker after effectively one golden season.
Would Famewo sign before the end of the season because it's still unlikely we will be playing Championship next season ?
By the time the window opens Lavelle will be just a few weeks from playing if the rehab goes to plan. Again do we wait to the summer to replace Watson, Gunter, Inniss and Pearce when their playing wages are off the book.
I hope Pearce stays in a coaching capacity.
At the end of season if Inniss has only played a handful of matches surely we need to find a pay off which is fair to both parties if big Ryan is still under contract ?
Would Famewo sign before the end of the season because it's still unlikely we will be playing Championship next season ?
By the time the window opens Lavelle will be just a few weeks from playing if the rehab goes to plan. Again do we wait to the summer to replace Watson, Gunter, Inniss and Pearce when their playing wages are off the book.
I hope Pearce stays in a coaching capacity.
At the end of season if Inniss has only played a handful of matches surely we need to find a pay off which is fair to both parties if big Ryan is still under contract ?
Inniss' contract expires in the summer. We have an option for a further year however seems unlikely we will take it up. Big shame as when he is fit he is excellent but we can't have a player only available for 10 games a season taking up a space in the squad.
Who if anyone should we be looking at from Burton ?
I think a lot rate Joe Powell (I and a few others also mentioned him over the summer) but I'm not sure we'll be signing any CM's in Jan. I've been a fan of Kane Hemmings for a while personally, not prolific but always chipped in and feel he'd be a decent addition.
Would Famewo sign before the end of the season because it's still unlikely we will be playing Championship next season ?
By the time the window opens Lavelle will be just a few weeks from playing if the rehab goes to plan. Again do we wait to the summer to replace Watson, Gunter, Inniss and Pearce when their playing wages are off the book.
I hope Pearce stays in a coaching capacity.
At the end of season if Inniss has only played a handful of matches surely we need to find a pay off which is fair to both parties if big Ryan is still under contract ?
If three at the back is the way we're going I'd keep Pearce as a player coach. Ideally we'd sign a new RB/CB to go with Lavelle and Famewo but then having basically another Famewo to cover the CB and LCB roles with Pearce as a further option would be decent enough.
Don't think we'll need a centre-back any more come the transfer window. We could do with one right now. Blooding Deji properly might be the move.
Famewo and Lee on permanent would be almost enough for me. Leko is a striker - let's give him a go?
Definitely send Arter back. Maybe sign cover for Dobson
Have to disagree there. Inniss is never far from the injury list. Elewere and Pearce are both good for short term cover but I'd question if they are long term answers right now. It puts a lot of pressure on Lavelle to come back quickly with no set backs and straight back to a high standard which isn't ideal.
By my reckoning we need a CB and cover for Stockley. With JFC hopefully returning and taking Schwartz's place in the squad I believe that means two out.
As it stands, I would cancel Arter's loan (assuming we have the option) and send Kirk out on loan. In addition, whilst he doesn't count towards the limit, I think a L2 loan for Albie might do him the world of good too.
In an ideal world, we would probably be looking to move Matthews on too in order to bring in a wing back. Gunter goes ahead of him at the moment as can cover a CB slot in an emergency.
Matthews was actually exceptional in the back 3 last time he played there. Gunter gives me nightmares any time he plays at CB. It would be CG I would expect to be moved on out of the two.
Gunter was also fine as the right CB of the 3 - he played there against Doncaster and Rotherham.
Clare only came in to play there because Gunter was away with Wales
That's why JJ gets the Job by the latest mid December so the couple of players who come in can fit into Jackson's favoured formation with two up top, a young left wing back to keep Ben Purrington on his toes as cover and even a CB who can play in a 3 at the back or a versatile type similar to Dan Burns at Brighton. (We can't afford Dan Burns)
We got caught out only in the sence that Ipswich and Wigan went early with high wages for League 1 which was above our wage structure so not Gallen or Roddy's fault.
What may of happened which many of us have now realized if we didn't before was by playing the 4-3-3 and two of the 3 up front are playing wide ( bad idea) you don't need 4 out and out strikers. Now JJ( like me) loves two up top, so we then need 4 strikers plus young Burstow who like Deji we play on occasions.
Roddy and Gallen have to listen to JJ, Nads had a say but wasn't the leader in picking the incoming players after listening to him on CAST, as well as Ged and Steve.
If JJ doesn't get the full time gig then I will be so discombobulated I'm out of here for ever and a day !
Don't think we'll need a centre-back any more come the transfer window. We could do with one right now. Blooding Deji properly might be the move.
Famewo and Lee on permanent would be almost enough for me. Leko is a striker - let's give him a go?
Definitely send Arter back. Maybe sign cover for Dobson
Have to disagree there. Inniss is never far from the injury list. Elewere and Pearce are both good for short term cover but I'd question if they are long term answers right now. It puts a lot of pressure on Lavelle to come back quickly with no set backs and straight back to a high standard which isn't ideal.
Agreed, I'd get a left footed one, someone who can play either in the middle or LCB. We have Gunter, Matthews and Clare who can play RCB, Lavelle and Pearce (plus Inniss) in the middle but nobody to cover Famewo at LCB.
Ideally - arter / watson out, davison out on loan, striker in, centre half in - reckon there might be 1 less person in the recruitment committee so hopefully this will mainly be Jacko and Gallen picking what we need and TS agreeing to it.
Ideally - arter / watson out, davison out on loan, striker in, centre half in - reckon there might be 1 less person in the recruitment committee so hopefully this will mainly be Jacko and Gallen picking what we need and TS agreeing to it.
I know Gallen said that there weren't any decent youngsters available at the London PL clubs in the summer, but I still find that hard to understand when you consider the size of their academies. Or maybe we were too late
And we do have the option of poaching young players who've done well on loan at smaller L1 clubs. It didn't work out, but that's what we did last January when we got Matt Smith (the Arsenal one) who had been at Swindon. Or get a player on loan at a higher club who isn't playing enough
That's why JJ gets the Job by the latest mid December so the couple of players who come in can fit into Jackson's favoured formation with two up top, a young left wing back to keep Ben Purrington on his toes as cover and even a CB who can play in a 3 at the back or a versatile type similar to Dan Burns at Brighton. (We can't afford Dan Burns)
We got caught out only in the sence that Ipswich and Wigan went early with high wages for League 1 which was above our wage structure so not Gallen or Roddy's fault.
What may of happened which many of us have now realized if we didn't before was by playing the 4-3-3 and two of the 3 up front are playing wide ( bad idea) you don't need 4 out and out strikers. Now JJ( like me) loves two up top, so we then need 4 strikers plus young Burstow who like Deji we play on occasions.
Roddy and Gallen have to listen to JJ, Nads had a say but wasn't the leader in picking the incoming players after listening to him on CAST, as well as Ged and Steve.
If JJ doesn't get the full time gig then I will be so discombobulated I'm out of here for ever and a day !
You keep saying this like its gospel but Hull and Peterborough both did alright playing 1 up front last season didn't they? Wigan who are top on PPG this season play 4231/433.
Now whether it suited the players we have is a different issue, but it bloody well should have done as 2 3rds of them were signed, or resigned, to play it! If you compare the players that played on Tuesday against the ones that played the preseason game at Palace about 8 of them are the same but only 1 or 2 of them played in the same position.
You are 100% right though that JJ, or who ever the manager is, needs to call the shoots. The "recruitment team" regardless of the personnel involved, can't be the tail wagging the dog.
I know Gallen said that there weren't any decent youngsters available at the London PL clubs in the summer, but I still find that hard to understand when you consider the size of their academies. Or maybe we were too late
And we do have the option of poaching young players who've done well on loan at smaller L1 clubs. It didn't work out, but that's what we did last January when we got Matt Smith (the Arsenal one) who had been at Swindon. Or get a player on loan at a higher club who isn't playing enough
Yeah i find that hard to believe as well. Chelsea are overflowing with talent, Arsenal and Spurs must have some good kids and West ham's U21 side beat Ipswich and Gillingham in the pizza cup, so there must be talent around.
Perhaps it's more a case of who those clubs actually wanted to loan out, as obviously if there are kids still at those clubs then they didn't get loaned anywhere else either.
That's why JJ gets the Job by the latest mid December so the couple of players who come in can fit into Jackson's favoured formation with two up top, a young left wing back to keep Ben Purrington on his toes as cover and even a CB who can play in a 3 at the back or a versatile type similar to Dan Burns at Brighton. (We can't afford Dan Burns)
We got caught out only in the sence that Ipswich and Wigan went early with high wages for League 1 which was above our wage structure so not Gallen or Roddy's fault.
What may of happened which many of us have now realized if we didn't before was by playing the 4-3-3 and two of the 3 up front are playing wide ( bad idea) you don't need 4 out and out strikers. Now JJ( like me) loves two up top, so we then need 4 strikers plus young Burstow who like Deji we play on occasions.
Roddy and Gallen have to listen to JJ, Nads had a say but wasn't the leader in picking the incoming players after listening to him on CAST, as well as Ged and Steve.
If JJ doesn't get the full time gig then I will be so discombobulated I'm out of here for ever and a day !
You keep saying this like its gospel but Hull and Peterborough both did alright playing 1 up front last season didn't they? Wigan who are top on PPG this season play 4231/433.
Now whether it suited the players we have is a different issue, but it bloody well should have done as 2 3rds of them were signed, or resigned, to play it! If you compare the players that played on Tuesday against the ones that played the preseason game at Palace about 8 of them are the same but only 1 or 2 of them played in the same position.
You are 100% right though that JJ, or who ever the manager is, needs to call the shoots. The "recruitment team" regardless of the personnel involved, can't be the tail wagging the dog.
I agree its never set in stone and you have to out think the guy in the other dugout.
They is nothing wrong playing 3 up top as long as two are not primarily wingers and your main striker is Stockley who needs a partner and is isolated. DJ has admitted that he wants to emulate Purrington in getting into better positions in the box ! Which may tell you how he performs in a 3.
The 6-0 at Plymouth was a freak result so forget that day. Ryan Lowe admitted he screwed up that day. Cafc are their nemesis at present.
You must agree Washington is so much better in a two up top with Stockley where he still has licence to roam but at least can run from just right of centre and finished with aplomb instead of cutting in from the left and being blocked by the time he gets his shot off. He was the main man and Davison did the donkey work which was interesting.
JJ has read my manifesto so I'm pleased. Any formation for Charlton that's means we attack in numbers and defend in numbers is good. 3-5-2 at the moment but you change if need be. We were poor with 4-3-3 but if Taylor and Grant were either side of Stockley then different story. DJ, CBT, Kirk aren't winger/strikers; Leko may turn into one but the jury is still out how JJ will play him now DJ is doing well in the RWB role. Perm any two from Stockley, Leko, and Washington to keep them fresh with the 3 games a week ?
Adkins said this on a Zoom call with Bromley Addicks that he wanted numbers in both boxes but was clueless how to achieve this. He looked and sounded confused.
That's why JJ gets the Job by the latest mid December so the couple of players who come in can fit into Jackson's favoured formation with two up top, a young left wing back to keep Ben Purrington on his toes as cover and even a CB who can play in a 3 at the back or a versatile type similar to Dan Burns at Brighton. (We can't afford Dan Burns)
We got caught out only in the sence that Ipswich and Wigan went early with high wages for League 1 which was above our wage structure so not Gallen or Roddy's fault.
What may of happened which many of us have now realized if we didn't before was by playing the 4-3-3 and two of the 3 up front are playing wide ( bad idea) you don't need 4 out and out strikers. Now JJ( like me) loves two up top, so we then need 4 strikers plus young Burstow who like Deji we play on occasions.
Roddy and Gallen have to listen to JJ, Nads had a say but wasn't the leader in picking the incoming players after listening to him on CAST, as well as Ged and Steve.
If JJ doesn't get the full time gig then I will be so discombobulated I'm out of here for ever and a day !
You keep saying this like its gospel but Hull and Peterborough both did alright playing 1 up front last season didn't they? Wigan who are top on PPG this season play 4231/433.
Now whether it suited the players we have is a different issue, but it bloody well should have done as 2 3rds of them were signed, or resigned, to play it! If you compare the players that played on Tuesday against the ones that played the preseason game at Palace about 8 of them are the same but only 1 or 2 of them played in the same position.
You are 100% right though that JJ, or who ever the manager is, needs to call the shoots. The "recruitment team" regardless of the personnel involved, can't be the tail wagging the dog.
I agree its never set in stone and you have to out think the guy in the other dugout.
They is nothing wrong playing 3 up top as long as two are not primarily wingers and your main striker is Stockley who needs a partner and is isolated. DJ has admitted that he wants to emulate Purrington in getting into better positions in the box ! Which may tell you how he performs in a 3.
The 6-0 at Plymouth was a freak result so forget that day. Ryan Lowe admitted he screwed up that day. Cafc are their nemesis at present.
You must agree Washington is so much better in a two up top with Stockley where he still has licence to roam but at least can run from just right of centre and finished with aplomb instead of cutting in from the left and being blocked by the time he gets his shot off. He was the main man and Davison did the donkey work which was interesting.
JJ has read my manifesto so I'm pleased. Any formation for Charlton that's means we attack in numbers and defend in numbers is good. 3-5-2 at the moment but you change if need be. We were poor with 4-3-3 but if Taylor and Grant were either side of Stockley then different story. DJ, CBT, Kirk aren't winger/strikers; Leko may turn into one but the jury is still out how JJ will play him now DJ is doing well in the RWB role. Perm any two from Stockley, Leko, and Washington to keep them fresh with the 3 games a week ?
Adkins said this on a Zoom call with Bromley Addicks that he wanted numbers in both boxes but was clueless how to achieve this. He looked and sounded confused.
I digress buy Lee
“It was a good header. Everybody was banging on at me to get to the back post when the crosses come in. I got there and I headed it. I need to get in those positions to score goals, that’s what I need to add to my game."
DJ saying exactly the same thing after the Crewe game.....in a 3, under Adkins.
I don't think anyone, including old Nige, would say that Washingtons best position is on the left of a 3 but we played all preseason with 1 winger at the club, now we have 4!
Stockley will only ever work if you have players running off and past him. Apart from Plymouth we scored goals at Sunderland and Doncaster as well as Hull and Crewe at home doing exactly that last season.
Implemented awfully, by everyone, but there is nothing fundamentally wrong with it. If there was no one would play it. I am not advocating we go back to it but we haven’t just improved purely due to change of formation.
That's why JJ gets the Job by the latest mid December so the couple of players who come in can fit into Jackson's favoured formation with two up top, a young left wing back to keep Ben Purrington on his toes as cover and even a CB who can play in a 3 at the back or a versatile type similar to Dan Burns at Brighton. (We can't afford Dan Burns)
We got caught out only in the sence that Ipswich and Wigan went early with high wages for League 1 which was above our wage structure so not Gallen or Roddy's fault.
What may of happened which many of us have now realized if we didn't before was by playing the 4-3-3 and two of the 3 up front are playing wide ( bad idea) you don't need 4 out and out strikers. Now JJ( like me) loves two up top, so we then need 4 strikers plus young Burstow who like Deji we play on occasions.
Roddy and Gallen have to listen to JJ, Nads had a say but wasn't the leader in picking the incoming players after listening to him on CAST, as well as Ged and Steve.
If JJ doesn't get the full time gig then I will be so discombobulated I'm out of here for ever and a day !
You keep saying this like its gospel but Hull and Peterborough both did alright playing 1 up front last season didn't they? Wigan who are top on PPG this season play 4231/433.
Now whether it suited the players we have is a different issue, but it bloody well should have done as 2 3rds of them were signed, or resigned, to play it! If you compare the players that played on Tuesday against the ones that played the preseason game at Palace about 8 of them are the same but only 1 or 2 of them played in the same position.
You are 100% right though that JJ, or who ever the manager is, needs to call the shoots. The "recruitment team" regardless of the personnel involved, can't be the tail wagging the dog.
I agree its never set in stone and you have to out think the guy in the other dugout.
They is nothing wrong playing 3 up top as long as two are not primarily wingers and your main striker is Stockley who needs a partner and is isolated. DJ has admitted that he wants to emulate Purrington in getting into better positions in the box ! Which may tell you how he performs in a 3.
The 6-0 at Plymouth was a freak result so forget that day. Ryan Lowe admitted he screwed up that day. Cafc are their nemesis at present.
You must agree Washington is so much better in a two up top with Stockley where he still has licence to roam but at least can run from just right of centre and finished with aplomb instead of cutting in from the left and being blocked by the time he gets his shot off. He was the main man and Davison did the donkey work which was interesting.
JJ has read my manifesto so I'm pleased. Any formation for Charlton that's means we attack in numbers and defend in numbers is good. 3-5-2 at the moment but you change if need be. We were poor with 4-3-3 but if Taylor and Grant were either side of Stockley then different story. DJ, CBT, Kirk aren't winger/strikers; Leko may turn into one but the jury is still out how JJ will play him now DJ is doing well in the RWB role. Perm any two from Stockley, Leko, and Washington to keep them fresh with the 3 games a week ?
Adkins said this on a Zoom call with Bromley Addicks that he wanted numbers in both boxes but was clueless how to achieve this. He looked and sounded confused.
I digress buy Lee
Is Lee Playing too well? That is to say maybe they won’t want to sell him?
Soare is officially pony , all depends if Jacko gets the job , but if he does we need a specialist left wing back as cover for Purrington. We also need to sign a big centre half exactly in the mould of Ryan Innis only one that isn’t constantly injured
The absolute priority has to be centre backs Inniss ain't up to it physically - 2 seasons now same story Lavelle looked like a slimmer younger Jason Pearce (2021 version) then broke down with serious injury Pearce is older, slower and now injured Gunter - last night was just one example Famewo has improved dramatically in recent weeks but could be recalled Elerewe and Barker are talented teenagers with little experience
If we are to sustain a promotion push we need to keep the back shorne up and to do that we'll need 2 more capable experienced campaigners at CH, even if we don't carry on playing 3 at the back
We're continuing to score despite all the pant wetting B/S on here about lacking strikers. We're probably overladen in midfield and one or two might need to get loaned out or sold to make room in the permitted squad, candidates? Morgan, Watson, Kirk are all off the list of starters, harsh on a couple but needs must.
This is how I see it... I get the approach that we need more Strikers and need to just out score the opposition.
But we've scored eleven goals under Jackson and conceded just three.
Two of which were when we started with just one recognised Centre-Back
Scoring goals isn't the issue
It was last night.
Erm... We were 2-0 up
If we had proper defensive cover we would have won
If we had scored 3 we would have won. We had enough pressure in the final 3rd to have scored more than 2.
Meaningless quote. If you attack & score more goals than your opponent then you win the game. If you win all your games then you win the title.
Ergo - Scoring more goals than your opponents will win you the title. Keeping clean sheets is only good if you can score as well. If you cant score then the best you'll do is 0-0. 46 0-0 draws won't win you the title.
Scoring goals is therefore more important than keeping clean sheets.
The absolute priority has to be centre backs Inniss ain't up to it physically - 2 seasons now same story Lavelle looked like a slimmer younger Jason Pearce (2021 version) then broke down with serious injury Pearce is older, slower and now injured Gunter - last night was just one example Famewo has improved dramatically in recent weeks but could be recalled Elerewe and Barker are talented teenagers with little experience
If we are to sustain a promotion push we need to keep the back shorne up and to do that we'll need 2 more capable experienced campaigners at CH, even if we don't carry on playing 3 at the back
We're continuing to score despite all the pant wetting B/S on here about lacking strikers. We're probably overladen in midfield and one or two might need to get loaned out or sold to make room in the permitted squad, candidates? Morgan, Watson, Kirk are all off the list of starters, harsh on a couple but needs must.
This is how I see it... I get the approach that we need more Strikers and need to just out score the opposition.
But we've scored eleven goals under Jackson and conceded just three.
Two of which were when we started with just one recognised Centre-Back
Scoring goals isn't the issue
It was last night.
Erm... We were 2-0 up
If we had proper defensive cover we would have won
If we had scored 3 we would have won. We had enough pressure in the final 3rd to have scored more than 2.
Meaningless quote. If you attack & score more goals than your opponent then you win the game. If you win all your games then you win the title.
Ergo - Scoring more goals than your opponents will win you the title. Keeping clean sheets is only good if you can score as well. If you cant score then the best you'll do is 0-0. 46 0-0 draws won't win you the title.
Scoring goals is therefore more important than keeping clean sheets.
...and don’t get him started on, “It only takes a second to score a goal “
The absolute priority has to be centre backs Inniss ain't up to it physically - 2 seasons now same story Lavelle looked like a slimmer younger Jason Pearce (2021 version) then broke down with serious injury Pearce is older, slower and now injured Gunter - last night was just one example Famewo has improved dramatically in recent weeks but could be recalled Elerewe and Barker are talented teenagers with little experience
If we are to sustain a promotion push we need to keep the back shorne up and to do that we'll need 2 more capable experienced campaigners at CH, even if we don't carry on playing 3 at the back
We're continuing to score despite all the pant wetting B/S on here about lacking strikers. We're probably overladen in midfield and one or two might need to get loaned out or sold to make room in the permitted squad, candidates? Morgan, Watson, Kirk are all off the list of starters, harsh on a couple but needs must.
This is how I see it... I get the approach that we need more Strikers and need to just out score the opposition.
But we've scored eleven goals under Jackson and conceded just three.
Two of which were when we started with just one recognised Centre-Back
Scoring goals isn't the issue
It was last night.
Erm... We were 2-0 up
If we had proper defensive cover we would have won
If we had scored 3 we would have won. We had enough pressure in the final 3rd to have scored more than 2.
Meaningless quote. If you attack & score more goals than your opponent then you win the game. If you win all your games then you win the title.
Ergo - Scoring more goals than your opponents will win you the title. Keeping clean sheets is only good if you can score as well. If you cant score then the best you'll do is 0-0. 46 0-0 draws won't win you the title.
Scoring goals is therefore more important than keeping clean sheets.
It’s never one or the other, the best sides usually have a balance. Keep a clean sheet and you only need to score one to win. Being too focussed on attacking or defending leaves you with a team who can only win one way. All our promotion sides under Curbs, Powell and Bowyer were strong defensively as well as able to score goals.
Defending was our main problem last season, far too often we needed to score 3/4/5 goals to win a game. Must be very rare for a team in modern football to win promotion consistently having to score so many to get results. Posh were usually a free scoring side in the 6 years Maddison was there but they never won promotion.
Over the last 6 games we’re 6th in the form table having scored 10 and conceded 4. Portsmouth are top having scored 9 but only conceded 2. Fleetwood have also scored 10 but due to conceding 15 they’re bottom.
I’d rather we played attacking and entertaining football but not at all costs. I want to see at least one striker sign in January, but I also don’t want us to return to the defending of last season. We shouldn’t need to score 5 at home to Rochdale or 5 away to Burton to beat them. Winning 6-0 away was a highlight but much of it was down to Plymouth’s poor performance, a team who could regularly win like that would never be in L1 to begin with.
The absolute priority has to be centre backs Inniss ain't up to it physically - 2 seasons now same story Lavelle looked like a slimmer younger Jason Pearce (2021 version) then broke down with serious injury Pearce is older, slower and now injured Gunter - last night was just one example Famewo has improved dramatically in recent weeks but could be recalled Elerewe and Barker are talented teenagers with little experience
If we are to sustain a promotion push we need to keep the back shorne up and to do that we'll need 2 more capable experienced campaigners at CH, even if we don't carry on playing 3 at the back
We're continuing to score despite all the pant wetting B/S on here about lacking strikers. We're probably overladen in midfield and one or two might need to get loaned out or sold to make room in the permitted squad, candidates? Morgan, Watson, Kirk are all off the list of starters, harsh on a couple but needs must.
This is how I see it... I get the approach that we need more Strikers and need to just out score the opposition.
But we've scored eleven goals under Jackson and conceded just three.
Two of which were when we started with just one recognised Centre-Back
Scoring goals isn't the issue
It was last night.
Erm... We were 2-0 up
If we had proper defensive cover we would have won
If we had scored 3 we would have won. We had enough pressure in the final 3rd to have scored more than 2.
Meaningless quote. If you attack & score more goals than your opponent then you win the game. If you win all your games then you win the title.
Ergo - Scoring more goals than your opponents will win you the title. Keeping clean sheets is only good if you can score as well. If you cant score then the best you'll do is 0-0. 46 0-0 draws won't win you the title.
Scoring goals is therefore more important than keeping clean sheets.
It’s never one or the other, the best sides usually have a balance. Keep a clean sheet and you only need to score one to win. Being too focussed on attacking or defending leaves you with a team who can only win one way. All our promotion sides under Curbs, Powell and Bowyer were strong defensively as well as able to score goals.
Defending was our main problem last season, far too often we needed to score 3/4/5 goals to win a game. Must be very rare for a team in modern football to win promotion consistently having to score so many to get results. Posh were usually a free scoring side in the 6 years Maddison was there but they never won promotion.
Over the last 6 games we’re 6th in the form table having scored 10 and conceded 4. Portsmouth are top having scored 9 but only conceded 2. Fleetwood have also scored 10 but due to conceding 15 they’re bottom.
I’d rather we played attacking and entertaining football but not at all costs. I want to see at least one striker sign in January, but I also don’t want us to return to the defending of last season. We shouldn’t need to score 5 at home to Rochdale or 5 away to Burton to beat them. Winning 6-0 away was a highlight but much of it was down to Plymouth’s poor performance, a team who could regularly win like that would never be in L1 to begin with.
This might surprise you but I totally agree. The problem is, and has been for a number of years, is that we don't have a decent striker (or midfielders) to score the goals. Currently we have 3 recognised strikers, of which only Washington is regularly scoring. Stockley might be tall but he is not Andy Gray (the Everton one, not the one we signed) and doesn't seem to be able to get in front of his marker when a cross comes in.
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Someone like Vardy signed for Leicester at 25 after one good season in the conference for Fleetwood. It wasn't until he was 28 that he really had a breakout season.
"Vardy's first season at the club was marred by his loss of form, prompting criticism from some City supporters on social media".
Rickie Lambert's career didn't take off until he joined Southampton at 27, after one good season (29 goals) at Bristol Rovers. The 2 years before that he scored 8 and 13.
It's all pretty irrelevant though, as Charles will go to the championship.
Famewo and Lee on permanent would be almost enough for me. Leko is a striker - let's give him a go?
Definitely send Arter back. Maybe sign cover for Dobson
Would Famewo sign before the end of the season because it's still unlikely we will be playing Championship next season ?
By the time the window opens Lavelle will be just a few weeks from playing if the rehab goes to plan. Again do we wait to the summer to replace Watson, Gunter, Inniss and Pearce when their playing wages are off the book.
I hope Pearce stays in a coaching capacity.
At the end of season if Inniss has only played a handful of matches surely we need to find a pay off which is fair to both parties if big Ryan is still under contract ?
Clare only came in to play there because Gunter was away with Wales
We got caught out only in the sence that Ipswich and Wigan went early with high wages for League 1 which was above our wage structure so not Gallen or Roddy's fault.
What may of happened which many of us have now realized if we didn't before was by playing the 4-3-3 and two of the 3 up front are playing wide ( bad idea) you don't need 4 out and out strikers. Now JJ( like me) loves two up top, so we then need 4 strikers plus young Burstow who like Deji we play on occasions.
Roddy and Gallen have to listen to JJ, Nads had a say but wasn't the leader in picking the incoming players after listening to him on CAST, as well as Ged and Steve.
If JJ doesn't get the full time gig then I will be so discombobulated I'm out of here for ever and a day !
And we do have the option of poaching young players who've done well on loan at smaller L1 clubs. It didn't work out, but that's what we did last January when we got Matt Smith (the Arsenal one) who had been at Swindon. Or get a player on loan at a higher club who isn't playing enough
Now whether it suited the players we have is a different issue, but it bloody well should have done as 2 3rds of them were signed, or resigned, to play it! If you compare the players that played on Tuesday against the ones that played the preseason game at Palace about 8 of them are the same but only 1 or 2 of them played in the same position.
You are 100% right though that JJ, or who ever the manager is, needs to call the shoots. The "recruitment team" regardless of the personnel involved, can't be the tail wagging the dog.
Perhaps it's more a case of who those clubs actually wanted to loan out, as obviously if there are kids still at those clubs then they didn't get loaned anywhere else either.
I agree its never set in stone and you have to out think the guy in the other dugout.
They is nothing wrong playing 3 up top as long as two are not primarily wingers and your main striker is Stockley who needs a partner and is isolated. DJ has admitted that he wants to emulate Purrington in getting into better positions in the box !
Which may tell you how he performs in a 3.
The 6-0 at Plymouth was a freak result so forget that day. Ryan Lowe admitted he screwed up that day. Cafc are their nemesis at present.
You must agree Washington is so much better in a two up top with Stockley where he still has licence to roam but at least can run from just right of centre and finished with aplomb instead of cutting in from the left and being blocked by the time he gets his shot off. He was the main man and Davison did the donkey work which was interesting.
JJ has read my manifesto so I'm pleased.
Any formation for Charlton that's means we attack in numbers and defend in numbers is good.
3-5-2 at the moment but you change if need be. We were poor with 4-3-3 but if Taylor and Grant were either side of Stockley then different story. DJ, CBT, Kirk aren't winger/strikers; Leko may turn into one but the jury is still out how JJ will play him now DJ is doing well in the RWB role. Perm any two from Stockley, Leko, and Washington to keep them fresh with the 3 games a week ?
Adkins said this on a Zoom call with Bromley Addicks that he wanted numbers in both boxes but was clueless how to achieve this. He looked and sounded confused.
I digress buy Lee
DJ saying exactly the same thing after the Crewe game.....in a 3, under Adkins.
I don't think anyone, including old Nige, would say that Washingtons best position is on the left of a 3 but we played all preseason with 1 winger at the club, now we have 4!
Stockley will only ever work if you have players running off and past him. Apart from Plymouth we scored goals at Sunderland and Doncaster as well as Hull and Crewe at home doing exactly that last season.
Implemented awfully, by everyone, but there is nothing fundamentally wrong with it. If there was no one would play it. I am not advocating we go back to it but we haven’t just improved purely due to change of formation.
Ergo - Scoring more goals than your opponents will win you the title. Keeping clean sheets is only good if you can score as well. If you cant score then the best you'll do is 0-0. 46 0-0 draws won't win you the title.
Scoring goals is therefore more important than keeping clean sheets.
Over the last 6 games we’re 6th in the form table having scored 10 and conceded 4. Portsmouth are top having scored 9 but only conceded 2. Fleetwood have also scored 10 but due to conceding 15 they’re bottom.
https://www.soccerstats.com/formtable.asp?league=england3
I’d rather we played attacking and entertaining football but not at all costs. I want to see at least one striker sign in January, but I also don’t want us to return to the defending of last season. We shouldn’t need to score 5 at home to Rochdale or 5 away to Burton to beat them. Winning 6-0 away was a highlight but much of it was down to Plymouth’s poor performance, a team who could regularly win like that would never be in L1 to begin with.