Currently reading Pat Nevin”s memoir and he has a lot to say about squad cohesion / spirit and how it makes all the difference.
Just what Rhys Wiggins said about Powell's promotion squad in 2011/12. He said they all bonded on the pre - season tour......
And there's the rub. You don't get that cohesion & camaraderie if players are joining mid-late August. The season kicks off on the 30th July so it would be good to have 95% of the squad in & together during pre-season. What's the betting that we'll still being told a week from transfer deadline day we are still trying to get signings "over the line".
It could be because agents have become more powerful over the last ten years?
Possibly. But some clubs seem to get most of their deals done in time for pre season. I think it's important we do the same.
Didn't Chris Powell say when we got promoted 12 or so years ago that the recruitment campaign started in March, and they highlighted who they wanted, did their homework and well we all know what happened after that.
It is a positive we are a lot better than Doncaster but that is a low bar. What is a negative is we couldn't drive that superiority home and indeed could have come away with a draw at the end. This highlights that we are probably not as bad as some say when we have most of our players fit but we do need major surgery if we are going to do anything next season.
Of course, not long ago Doncaster were a decent side, and I feel for them that they are where they are now.
What annoyed me a little was the number of wrong choices made when under little or no pressure. We seemed lacking in confidence but had won our last two.
It looks as if we have escaped relegation. In that context I would introduce as many of our promising youngsters as possible, and not play any loan players any more. Also don’t play those due to be out of contract at the end of the season if possible. One principle being if we’re going to be chite I would rather it was our own good honest chite. It is a shame so many are out on loan to affect such a plan, and you don’t play them all at once, but can anybody think of a better moment to try them out, can anybody be worse than Arter was? For example one pick could be (in an old fashioned 442)
Yes I know it might not be successful, but substitutes can be deployed, and it would freshen up and add interest to the end of a really drab and dreary season.
Too much change, likely they'd get stuffed and lose confidence, but the sentiment is good. Would definitely like to see Elerewe and Ness more, Harness being given a few games seems sensible. Would like to see the front 5 relatively unchanged to build the partnerships and understanding, albeit with JFC featuring. Also would like to see someone at RWB...
Not a lot to add given most of the first half was missed.
A better performance than late, keeping the ball down for a change, but given how we've been playing over the last couple of months and the fact that Doncaster have now stolen Gillingham's title as worse fucking team in this division that's hardly high praise. BUT it all helps for building to next season and confidence.
Saying that, we still had our usual "collapse" and tried our best to ruin the afternoon. A better team than Donny would have equalised. McG proved his worth and showed why he was player of the year at Pompey, great at the end and solid game.
Still nowhere near convinced about this squad and coaching/ general set up, really hard to judge as there's been some proper victim of circumstance throughout this season.
That finishing is atrocious. Stockley open goal is embarrassing.
I’ve just the highlights on twitter. You have to be burying those.
This is my concern re: the next level of quality we need to go up. I think Washington and Stockley have both got okay returns for us in the time they have been here, but there’s something about our front three that just doesn’t get me excited.
Granted, we managed to push on with mainly Lyle Taylor 3 years ago after Grant was sold, but both of those were so dangerous, Taylor in particular a real talisman.
Go back to 11/12 BWP and Kermorgant. Such a decent partnership.
It’s not that I don’t think individually all 3 of our forwards aren’t decent, I just don’t get a wow factor from any of them
Possibly OK for a pre-season friendly, but madness for the end of this season. Don't think the teams in the bottom 4 who we still have to play would appreciate it and could entail a fine for a weakened team from the EFL. Pie in the Sky logic!
I don't even enjoy watching Stockley play, to be honest. It's quite ugly.
BWP, Kermorgant and Taylor were all quality footballers. Stockley and Washington aren't. They're "decent at this level." Cloggers with some big strengths in certain areas of their game but no all-round quality.
It looks as if we have escaped relegation. In that context I would introduce as many of our promising youngsters as possible, and not play any loan players any more. Also don’t play those due to be out of contract at the end of the season if possible. One principle being if we’re going to be chite I would rather it was our own good honest chite. It is a shame so many are out on loan to affect such a plan, and you don’t play them all at once, but can anybody think of a better moment to try them out, can anybody be worse than Arter was? For example one pick could be (in an old fashioned 442)
Yes I know it might not be successful, but substitutes can be deployed, and it would freshen up and add interest to the end of a really drab and dreary season.
Think of all those top half bets going down the tubes.
Most people had the sense to cash out before the end of January.
Three points and a clean Sheet and safe from relegation. proper strikers should not miss penalties 👎 we do not score enough goals and miss to many chances. the interview with Thomas Sandguard and his premiere league ambitions shows how little he knows about football, as today’s team are good for league one but not championship quality.
…..lots of work to do and money to invest for next season 👍👍🥂🥂
Harry Kane, who I think we can all agree is a proper striker, has scored 49 and missed 8 penalties in his career so far.
Wins a win but the likes of Sean Clare lauding it up on Instagram like he’s some sort of baller - the team as a whole have massively underachieved. Nothing to shout about
Stockley admits as much in that decent podcast. Said he's usually brought in as the lump.
We need to get more crosses and headed goals from him. Think Sunderland may have been the last!
In his first season with us he scored some ridiculous headed goals from all sorts of angles. Had a feeling it couldn’t last. We’re a much better side with him in it though, without him necessarily being particularly gifted.
why are people making excuses like we’d be right up there if we hadn’t had injuries? Just because we’ve had a few wins under no pressure, We are down where we are because we’ve been shite, some real delusion in this place.🙄
Perhaps because its their opinion, which they are entitled to? You certainly like to express yours. Two- way street on a forum.
Yes i do, that’s what a forum is for. You can skip my comments if you choose. 👍
Comments
Of course, not long ago Doncaster were a decent side, and I feel for them that they are where they are now.
A better performance than late, keeping the ball down for a change, but given how we've been playing over the last couple of months and the fact that Doncaster have now stolen Gillingham's title as worse fucking team in this division that's hardly high praise. BUT it all helps for building to next season and confidence.
Saying that, we still had our usual "collapse" and tried our best to ruin the afternoon. A better team than Donny would have equalised. McG proved his worth and showed why he was player of the year at Pompey, great at the end and solid game.
Still nowhere near convinced about this squad and coaching/ general set up, really hard to judge as there's been some proper victim of circumstance throughout this season.
Go back to 11/12 BWP and Kermorgant. Such a decent partnership.
It’s not that I don’t think individually all 3 of our forwards aren’t decent, I just don’t get a wow factor from any of them
Chinn Lavelle Elewere Bower
DJ Adigun Dobson CBT
Stockley Kanu''
Possibly OK for a pre-season friendly, but madness for the end of this season.
Don't think the teams in the bottom 4 who we still have to play would
appreciate it and could entail a fine for a weakened team from the EFL.
Pie in the Sky logic!
BWP, Kermorgant and Taylor were all quality footballers. Stockley and Washington aren't. They're "decent at this level." Cloggers with some big strengths in certain areas of their game but no all-round quality.
We need to get more crosses and headed goals from him. Think Sunderland may have been the last!
https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/four-takeaways-from-charltons-1-0-triumph-at-doncaster-rovers-that-could-have-been-a-lot-more-comfortable/
Should be taken with a small amount of context though
Seven of those goals (all this season) came in the FA Cup and EFL Trophy.