Maybe the delay has been Palace seeking financial security that he receives more first team minutes than Nile John?
We have not been a great advert for youthful PL loans of very late.
His new Palace contract was mentioned a while which makes sense. They wouldn’t want him to have a great season only to leave next summer for minimal compensation.
Henry and JRS would know about each other due to development football.
Not counting Ness (harshly criticised anyway) but Leaburn, Morgan, Henry and Clayden all played a part last night. Steve Avory was there and must’ve been pleased.
I predict there are other decent players who will emerge pretty soon.
What they will lack is experience of grown men playing professional football, but are already very experienced in football as a sport if that makes sense.
Albie Morgan was an eye catching player coming through and playing with and against his peers, he is still very young but his professional experience has added value.
We have others who can grow into the professional game similarly.
I don't think the criticism of Ness was harsh. He was torn to pieces at right back and also decided to try and become Madjid bougherra with an ill advised dribble out of defence. I am not writing him off by any means and hope to see a lot more of him at CB, but it is completely fair to say he wasn't good yesterday even if you can also lay the blame at Garner for throwing him to the wolves out of position.
With Egbo injured I think seeing if Ness is ready/able to provide cover at RB is actually fairly reasonable by the manager.
Sadly it seems the answer is "probably not" but at least we know and if necessary can potentially act in the window.
I thought it was a mistake at the time. Chin was on the bench but then Ness chosen above him? Weird one for me
Not really, based on the pre seasons and the U23s last season. He’s normally a very reliable defender, but the odds were stacked against him yesterday, coming on against a Prem quality player at a time when QPR were really going for it.
We seem almost eager to write off our young players sometimes.
Speaking of which, I’m slightly less concerned about the left back slot after watching Clayden on Tuesday.
Laughable - would you be going on like this if Lucas wasn’t mates with your son?
Fair point, and on reflection we give our youth players as much chance as any other club I guess, perhaps more so. Happy to hold my hand up when I get something wrong (obviously a very rare occurrence ;-) )
He's not even a mate of Ness's, just knew him vaguely at school. But it's got him coming to matches again, which is something I very much hoped for 👍
If anything we seem slightly over stocked with RBs when compared to our LB options
In hindsight, signing an out and out LB over Sessegnon would have made more sense. Depends on whether Garner thinks Egbo can do a job at LB, if he does we'll probably stick with the 3 we've got and have Clayden as 4th choice. If not, he's got a decision to make, would he be content if Sessegnon gets injured and we have to use Clayden for 10-15 games.
The left-footed defender able to play LCB or LB makes sense on paper, but I don't really think that sort of player exists. You might get a LB capable of playing CB in a 3, or a CB capable of being a defensive LB, but how do you get a O'Connell and Sessegnon as one player?
It seems a bit odd if we end up with 3 options at LB in Sessegnon, Clayden and Egbo, all being of the "can do a job" variety.
And it looks a bit inconsistent to have a right footed LB cutting inside, but not have the same on the right seeing that all our RB options are right footers, Egbo, Clare and Sessegnon plus Ness who's been tried there.
A formation doesn’t need to be symmetrical. Probably harder to find a left footer comfortable at right back too.
I prefer having left footed players on their ‘natural’ side. I think that we will be better off if / when JRS signs because having two right footers on the left makes us too predictable. Kirk thrived when he had a left footed left back at Crewe.
Maybe after the other night Clayden could make a claim. Whilst I wouldn’t want to put too much pressure on him along with his impressive 30 second cameo against Mendez Lang I think we have something to work with.
It doesn't make a team predictable as long as the players are being asked to do different jobs. City won a league title playing Grealish and Cancelo on the left and they're both right footed. They were far from predictable though; Cancelo moved into central midfield in periods of control and also arrived in the final third to provide a crossing platform for built-up moves. Grealish would push down the wing but also cut in, but he'd vary it which is important for a player in that spot. We've seen that Kirk is clever enough to know when to push down the line or cut inside and he keeps the width well. CBT is also very capable of providing width and then cutting in when he's built up some momentum. I know that we're not Man City but the instructions we will be giving the players aren't complicated. As long as the players are sufficiently comfortable on their assigned flank, which all three of our current options in those areas currently are, being able provide both line and inside play actually makes the team less predictable, not more.
I'm pretty sure that Rak-SAkyi is being signed to play on the right as a left-footer as well.
Gets the endless: "If he wasn't an Academy product, he'd have been long gone" treatment on here, whilst there are only a handful of posters who'll defend his performances - I mean, that one is literally one mistake away from every screaming: "Told you you", "We'll never get promoted with Albie"... Whilst any other mistakes from others in a game get pointed out as they happen, yet quickly get forgotten.
Mason Burstow too was fucking hilarious, the way opinion suddenly changed like a light switch at the end of the transfer window.
We'll support the kids, but only if we think they're good enough
If it's felt a player isn't good enough then fans will give their opinion. Doesn't matter if that player is from the academy like Morgan, or someone we signed like Gilbey.
This is true. Unfortunately. If an academy player is chucked in too soon/too much because needs must, many fans are unremitting in their criticism, not stopping to make alllowances for the fact that its a kid learning his trade and needing a bit of extra support. This can be quite damaging to the kid’s development
Leaburn is a classic example. Carl Leaburn, that is.
Also sounds like another player is not a million miles away from happening, probably next week though.
Any idea on the position?
Left-sided defender.
I also do think we will bring in another attacking player but maybe closer to deadline day.
Exactly what we have all been calling for if intel accurate. This is starting to feel pretty encouraging and if Garner ball catches fire, we could be in for a very competitive campaign. Can’t wait for the live games next week upon return from hols.
If anything we seem slightly over stocked with RBs when compared to our LB options
In hindsight, signing an out and out LB over Sessegnon would have made more sense. Depends on whether Garner thinks Egbo can do a job at LB, if he does we'll probably stick with the 3 we've got and have Clayden as 4th choice. If not, he's got a decision to make, would he be content if Sessegnon gets injured and we have to use Clayden for 10-15 games.
The left-footed defender able to play LCB or LB makes sense on paper, but I don't really think that sort of player exists. You might get a LB capable of playing CB in a 3, or a CB capable of being a defensive LB, but how do you get a O'Connell and Sessegnon as one player?
It seems a bit odd if we end up with 3 options at LB in Sessegnon, Clayden and Egbo, all being of the "can do a job" variety.
And it looks a bit inconsistent to have a right footed LB cutting inside, but not have the same on the right seeing that all our RB options are right footers, Egbo, Clare and Sessegnon plus Ness who's been tried there.
A formation doesn’t need to be symmetrical. Probably harder to find a left footer comfortable at right back too.
I prefer having left footed players on their ‘natural’ side. I think that we will be better off if / when JRS signs because having two right footers on the left makes us too predictable. Kirk thrived when he had a left footed left back at Crewe.
Maybe after the other night Clayden could make a claim. Whilst I wouldn’t want to put too much pressure on him along with his impressive 30 second cameo against Mendez Lang I think we have something to work with.
It doesn't make a team predictable as long as the players are being asked to do different jobs. City won a league title playing Grealish and Cancelo on the left and they're both right footed. They were far from predictable though; Cancelo moved into central midfield in periods of control and also arrived in the final third to provide a crossing platform for built-up moves. Grealish would push down the wing but also cut in, but he'd vary it which is important for a player in that spot. We've seen that Kirk is clever enough to know when to push down the line or cut inside and he keeps the width well. CBT is also very capable of providing width and then cutting in when he's built up some momentum. I know that we're not Man City but the instructions we will be giving the players aren't complicated. As long as the players are sufficiently comfortable on their assigned flank, which all three of our current options in those areas currently are, being able provide both line and inside play actually makes the team less predictable, not more.
I'm pretty sure that Rak-SAkyi is being signed to play on the right as a left-footer as well.
Last season they regularly used Zinchenko at LB, giving the left foot attacking threat down that side
Comments
"oh Ben Watson runs down the wing for me"
He's not even a mate of Ness's, just knew him vaguely at school. But it's got him coming to matches again, which is something I very much hoped for 👍
Left-sided defender.
I also do think we will bring in another attacking player but maybe closer to deadline day.
Leaburn is a classic example. Carl Leaburn, that is.
He's coming home,
He's coming,
Naby's coming home
You earn your place by being part of a winning team.