I know of a left back we have been monitoring - a proper left back.
I've always said a decent Left Back is so hard to find. Firstly there are relatively few left footed players and secondly it's hard to find a player who loves to defend as a priority. Finding a good one is really difficult. Powell, Minto, Wiggins to name a few but they were proper left-backs. Throw in the fact nowadays they need to be able to attack as well and it's become a difficult role to fill. That's why I loved Wiggins. He was quick, had a trick or two up his sleeve and he seemed to refuse to let a cross into the box. Such a shame he got so many niggles
We have been looking for a left back since summer but don't appear to have found the right one just yet - but the club have been looking. It doesn't help that you look for a player to fulfil a role and then the club changes manager and therefore what they are looking for. I hope we get one over the lin e soon though as I firmly believe we are still in the playoff race if we can put a bit more of a run together
It's why I was in favor of keeping Purrington as back up. You can do better, and we have with Sess, but you can also do worse. Clare and Richard Chin starting there are worse than Purrington. As a second choice LB in League One, he's perfectly fine. And he can play on the left of a three as well. It's exactly the kind of player I was hoping we'd sign in the summer.
I know there were contract negotiations, so it might just be that they couldn't come to an agreement. But trying to sign two LBs, and three FBs total, in the summer was always going to be a gamble, and we lost.
I Purrington was no frills and also popped up with the odd goal.
I know of a left back we have been monitoring - a proper left back.
I've always said a decent Left Back is so hard to find. Firstly there are relatively few left footed players and secondly it's hard to find a player who loves to defend as a priority. Finding a good one is really difficult. Powell, Minto, Wiggins to name a few but they were proper left-backs. Throw in the fact nowadays they need to be able to attack as well and it's become a difficult role to fill. That's why I loved Wiggins. He was quick, had a trick or two up his sleeve and he seemed to refuse to let a cross into the box. Such a shame he got so many niggles
We have been looking for a left back since summer but don't appear to have found the right one just yet - but the club have been looking. It doesn't help that you look for a player to fulfil a role and then the club changes manager and therefore what they are looking for. I hope we get one over the lin e soon though as I firmly believe we are still in the playoff race if we can put a bit more of a run together
It's why I was in favor of keeping Purrington as back up. You can do better, and we have with Sess, but you can also do worse. Clare and Richard Chin starting there are worse than Purrington. As a second choice LB in League One, he's perfectly fine. And he can play on the left of a three as well. It's exactly the kind of player I was hoping we'd sign in the summer.
I know there were contract negotiations, so it might just be that they couldn't come to an agreement. But trying to sign two LBs, and three FBs total, in the summer was always going to be a gamble, and we lost.
We managed to get almost all our gambles wrong this season. I think we knew we wouldn't be able to get in two LBs so letting Purrington go was always a mistake. Washington I wasn't too upset about but failing to replace him was truly insane. On the flip side with the players we decided to keep, extending JFC in the hopes of getting a fee was a failed effort, though it was an effective one in selling Davison. It was also a very good choice with Inniss. I think we can safely say he's not suited to playing out from the back but given that O'Connell has had a long injury and Lavelle has gone completely to pieces we would have been a lot worse off without him, and we're paying him basically nothing. Inniss only has to play three more games before the end to have had the most appearances in a season in his career (I'm so sorry if I've jinxed him). I wonder how different our season might have been if we'd kept Purrington and Washington instead of JFC.
I'm not unhappy Purrington isn't still with us. He offered little going forward (except when he decided to literally play striker) and defensively I felt he stood off his man a bit too much. He, Washington and Gilbey also gave me a certain self-pitying vibe which I can't quite fully explain. He'd have been preferable to Clayden, Clare or Chin in the position, for sure, but then we should never have had to play any of those at left-back
I'm not unhappy Purrington isn't still with us. He offered little going forward (except when he decided to literally play striker) and defensively I felt he stood off his man a bit too much. He, Washington and Gilbey also gave me a certain self-pitying vibe which I can't quite fully explain. He'd have been preferable to Clayden, Clare or Chin in the position, for sure, but then we should never have had to play any of those at left-back
I agree. Letting Plain Jane Purrington go wasn't a mistake. Not signing another LB was.
I wouldn't be surprised if some of the plonkers in the SMT convinced themselves Clayden/Chin had it covered. That gamble worked out upfront with Leaburn but certainly not at LB.
I'm not unhappy Purrington isn't still with us. He offered little going forward (except when he decided to literally play striker) and defensively I felt he stood off his man a bit too much. He, Washington and Gilbey also gave me a certain self-pitying vibe which I can't quite fully explain. He'd have been preferable to Clayden, Clare or Chin in the position, for sure, but then we should never have had to play any of those at left-back
I agree. Letting Plain Jane Purrington go wasn't a mistake. Not signing another LB was.
I wouldn't be surprised if some of the plonkers in the SMT convinced themselves Clayden/Chin had it covered. That gamble worked out upfront with Leaburn but certainly not at LB.
The same plonker that though Clayden was good enough as a winger the year before, no doubt.
I'm not unhappy Purrington isn't still with us. He offered little going forward (except when he decided to literally play striker) and defensively I felt he stood off his man a bit too much. He, Washington and Gilbey also gave me a certain self-pitying vibe which I can't quite fully explain. He'd have been preferable to Clayden, Clare or Chin in the position, for sure, but then we should never have had to play any of those at left-back
I agree. Letting Plain Jane Purrington go wasn't a mistake. Not signing another LB was.
I wouldn't be surprised if some of the plonkers in the SMT convinced themselves Clayden/Chin had it covered. That gamble worked out upfront with Leaburn but certainly not at LB.
I don't think anyone thought that of Chin, he was played out of necessity. No doubt that Clayden was the back up LB though. Garner clearly felt otherwise, spoke of wanting another full-back in August and it's really come back to haunt us.
I'm not unhappy Purrington isn't still with us. He offered little going forward (except when he decided to literally play striker) and defensively I felt he stood off his man a bit too much. He, Washington and Gilbey also gave me a certain self-pitying vibe which I can't quite fully explain. He'd have been preferable to Clayden, Clare or Chin in the position, for sure, but then we should never have had to play any of those at left-back
Purrington showed that he's not really a wingback, which was often expected of him when the formation demanded it.
But he was generally decent and a dependable fullback at this level, could tackle and kept the defensive shape well enough. Bowyer called him his 'Steady Eddie'. He's a 4-4-2 fullback though, with a wide midfielder covering in front of him, and in recent times we didn't often play that formation.
Garner probably took a look at him and realised he was never going to suit Garnerball, so he was let go. At the time, I'm sure I read somewhere that Purrington was told he was going to have his contract renewed, and was disappointed that it wasn't. By then Jacko his manager had also been shown the door.
One thing to remember though ...... Ben Purrington is a Charlton legend: he scored at Wembley.
It would seem a left back is still a priority. At this moment, the other positions are ok.
Is that your (correct) opinion or are you ITK on this ?
It is from observation. It was clear where we were exposed and and just as clear where we are potentially exposed now. It isn't rocket science so I expect the ownership to deal with it. The fact Ness has slotted in nicely means we are ok at CB and Inniss managing to stay fit helps too. A young player only slots in when he slots in, despite his potential, and it is a mistake that people like Sandgaard make assuming it will happen before it does happen.
I'm not unhappy Purrington isn't still with us. He offered little going forward (except when he decided to literally play striker) and defensively I felt he stood off his man a bit too much. He, Washington and Gilbey also gave me a certain self-pitying vibe which I can't quite fully explain. He'd have been preferable to Clayden, Clare or Chin in the position, for sure, but then we should never have had to play any of those at left-back
It would seem a left back is still a priority. At this moment, the other positions are ok.
Is that your (correct) opinion or are you ITK on this ?
We know that we were very close to signing Edun at one point and I can't imagine that they plan would be him or nothing at all. It could be we go back for him later (or in the summer) or maybe we move on to other options but a left back is definitely something that we are looking for.
(Not to say we will end up getting one that's any good, if at all, but we are certainly looking for one.)
I'm not unhappy Purrington isn't still with us. He offered little going forward (except when he decided to literally play striker) and defensively I felt he stood off his man a bit too much. He, Washington and Gilbey also gave me a certain self-pitying vibe which I can't quite fully explain. He'd have been preferable to Clayden, Clare or Chin in the position, for sure, but then we should never have had to play any of those at left-back
Purrington was league 2 at best!
Bit harsh. Scored in the League 1 playoff final...
Burstow may have improved, he had potential, but based on last season, I hope not. He was far too easy to defend against. It actually looked to me like he was marking the defenders at times. Leaburn battles with them which makes a massive difference.
I think we pulled Chelsea's pant down with that one. My biggest disapointent, and I said it at the time, was that we loaned him back and didn't try to get an oven ready striker back.
If there is any substance to this it can only men Leaburn leaving.
Sadly I think you are right.
I don't think there is substance simply because I can see the logic around what we are doing. That was not evident in the summer and whilst it can all go pear shaped, that is what I am seeing at the moment so will apply that to what is happening now. Why it seems to have changed, I don't know but it is all I expect. We can't demand or expect big money signings. If it starts getting silly again, I will call it but it hasn't yet IMO.
I'm not unhappy Purrington isn't still with us. He offered little going forward (except when he decided to literally play striker) and defensively I felt he stood off his man a bit too much. He, Washington and Gilbey also gave me a certain self-pitying vibe which I can't quite fully explain. He'd have been preferable to Clayden, Clare or Chin in the position, for sure, but then we should never have had to play any of those at left-back
Purrington was league 2 at best!
Easily L1 level. Maybe not top draw L1, but would fit into most sides in this division
Purrington is easily good enough to be a reserve L1 left back. In fact, he is ok in most situations apart from when he faces pace. What we can have a tendency to do is exect the whole squad to be at a certain level when adequately covering a position is more of a reasonable expectation. Having said that, replacing Washington and Purrington would have been better, but failing the opportunity to do that, letting them go was a massive error.
Terrell Thomas wanted by MK Dons and Burton according to FLW.
That would be a sensible move for both us and him, as he's well down the pecking order for us now. I imagine we're not paying him that much either, whereas Lavelle was more of a "big' signing, so he won't be dropping salary.
Comments
I wouldn't be surprised if some of the plonkers in the SMT convinced themselves Clayden/Chin had it covered. That gamble worked out upfront with Leaburn but certainly not at LB.
He made his debut on Tuesday - subbed on in the second half.
But he was generally decent and a dependable fullback at this level, could tackle and kept the defensive shape well enough. Bowyer called him his 'Steady Eddie'. He's a 4-4-2 fullback though, with a wide midfielder covering in front of him, and in recent times we didn't often play that formation.
Garner probably took a look at him and realised he was never going to suit Garnerball, so he was let go.
At the time, I'm sure I read somewhere that Purrington was told he was going to have his contract renewed, and was disappointed that it wasn't. By then Jacko his manager had also been shown the door.
One thing to remember though ...... Ben Purrington is a Charlton legend: he scored at Wembley.
The Joke
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You ⬅️
(Not to say we will end up getting one that's any good, if at all, but we are certainly looking for one.)
WE NEED TO SIGN A LEFT BACK !!!
I thank you.
Acworth saying that we are in for Danny Rose. Well at least he is an out of contact left back.