- In the 13 games they've both started this season, we have picked up 26 points. That's exactly two points per game.
- In the 26 games that one or neither have started, we have picked up 23 points for 0.88 points per game.
I posted
these numbers the match thread earlier today without much context so
wanted to look at the league positions of our opponents from these
games. The assumption seemed to be that the reason for getting more points when Jayden and Conor are playing is more to do with the quality of opponent, rather than their contributions on the pitch. I investigated that in the second post of this thread, below.
But before that, the easiest way to gauge strength of opponents is league position. And league positions are often false during the first month or so. I have discounted
the first six games so we're able to get a better picture. It is an arbitrary cut off but it has to be
somewhere. The removed games are:
Sheff Wed (H) - both played
Oxford (A) - both played
MK Dons (A) - both played
Wigan (H) - only Stockley
Crewe (H) - both played
Cheltenham (H) - only Stockley
(New ppg figures without these matches are 2.44ppg with both playing and 0.96ppg with at least one missing.)
Comments
I’d be happy to have Stockley and Washington (if he resigns) as my first choice pairing next year - I think together they are good enough to get us out this league. But at the very least we need to be buying one more quality striker to be pushing them, so Chuks can stay as 4th choice/impact sub.
We know their limitations and they have both arguably failed at the level above but they are more than.capable at this level in a team of aspiring promotion chasers.
The issue is that you need more than two strikers in the squad and our season has been hampered by having to play others, like the staggeringly inadequate Leko/Burstow combo.
Aneke is another jewel at this level but his fitness issues are a major headache.
I would target one more striker, preferably of good pedigree with a good goalscoring and fitness record. Easy
I don't think anyone would suggest we aren't a better team with them both in it. The fact that we have a manager that will play two up front, come rain or shine, even if he has no strikers, makes it near criminal that Washington is entering the final few months of his contract.
In that case and when you consider Aneke's "issues" we probably need 5 strikers. Which means we need two more. I don't think it's unrealistic to want at least one that's better than what we have. That's very different to underrating or not rating them or their partnership.
One other stat, that actually I think says more about the rest of the team is we have won one game all season that neither Stockley nor Aneke has started.
Ideally at the moment think our team for next season should be along the lines of
X
X - Lavelle - X
X - Dobson - X - Blackett-Taylor
Fraser
Washington - Stockley
Subs: X - Clare - X - X - Gilbey - Aneke - X
I've left the Goalkeepers blanks as dont think MacGillivray should be a starter for us next term - Also have my doubts as to whether Maynard-Brewer will get given the No.1 shirt.
Would potentially keep Jaiyesimi around as a squad player, but a bit like Kirk I dont think he fully suits the system like Blackett-Taylor does. Ironically he's a better defender than he is going forward as slows the game down too much. Equally then leaves us with about 5-6 players that need to be brought in on perm, and then the five loans - As per Sandgaard's quotes
Playing Lavelle in the centre allows him to stay back as a sweeper almost. Whether we can find the upgrade on Clare, and a left-footed version at this level though, remains to be seem
Davison will probably be released or go on loan somewhere.
So whatever happens we need to bring in another striker.
I would try and get Stockton if I had a choice.
They had an off day in front of goal yesterday and both should've scored more. But their overall play was good yesterday.
We want to be storming out of this division with a top class pairing. Stockley + someone with the X Factor would be brilliant. If we can't find better then fair enough, but we should be trying.
We have Chuks for the backup role, so it’s a good group all who can comfortably score double figures if they get the service and game time.
Jackson plays two up front so we need at least once more striker in the summer. The aim should be to bring in someone better than any of them, a player who could step up to the Championship if we get promoted.
I’d like to think one of the likes of Kanu and Gavin could be 5th choice but Burstow has shown it’s a big step up, especially physically, so we might need another striker too. I’d focus on one top striker and the other being cover rather than two more solid players like Washington and Stockley - what we don’t want is another squad of squad players like last season.
At their age they’re both likely at their peak, loads of experience and not yet physically declining. I wouldn’t write off either getting 20 or close to it in the right circumstances, but it needs a lot to come together - a promotion quality team and squad, the player to stay fit, plenty of creativity and good reliable service etc. This team would be a lot stronger if we had CBTs threat on both wings, a goalscoring CM, a Clare style ball playing defender on either side and a few dangerous attacking players on the bench.
Washington isn't a good finisher, never has been.
If we had a clinical striker next to Stockley we would be winning games like yesterday with a much better margin than by 1 goal.