I could well see Pigott turning up, released by Ipswich...thing is, could he do a job for us on a 6/12 month deal, what with Miles being out for an unknown time...🤷♂️
Aaron Collins would be my choice out of the ones suggested (almost certainly dreamland). Signing the league one player of the year, who was outstanding last year and a perfect partner in style to May, would be exactly the right message. I wonder if them signing Brown from Exeter was as a replacement to Collins as they expect him to go. I definitely can't see that happening before the takeover though.
Godden supports Charlton I believe, him and May would give a proper 'our people' type feel to the place
Does he? I'm mates with his Sister and this was never mentioned. The only thing is that we were in for him when we were in the season we first went down under Roland. But we did not want to pay the money he was available for.
Wouldn’t be keen on Leahy. Wrong side of 30, plays central midfield now and his stats are massively boosted by set pieces. Apart from being a good penalty taker I’m not sure he improves us much and I’d hope we are aiming for better.
Can’t see any top L1 team bidding for him so I’d guess it was a L2 big spender like Wrexham, Bradford or someone like that
If we are playing 352, I wouldn’t mind DJ as an option on the right , if he can stay fit . He’s good defensively and not dire going forwards. I’d equally be happy to see him sold to raise funds
With strikers I think in the end fitness is more important than depth. If you find the right striker for your team and you can keep him fit then that can define your season more than having the ability to rotate in alternatives. Our two most successful seasons in recent history - 11/12 and 18/19 we were really short of depth in that area. In 11/12 we started the season with BWP and Hayes, with Benson and Euell as backup. The main two were fit and firing, and then we got hold of Yann. Hayes was unfortunate to lose his place but Yann deserved it, and the rest of the team was good and consistent enough that BWP - our main goalscorer - managed to go 12 games without scoring (or doing much at all) and we still set a points record for that season. Yann was fit and influential, BWP was still there and we trundled on, adding Leon Clarke who scored 0 goals and annoyed everyone. N'Guessan and Haynes added 6 goals between them but they were always just there for the odd occasion the Yann/BWP partnership couldn't be there.
In 18/19 we had the incredible Taylor/Grant partnership but then we lost Grant and replaced him with Parker, who scored 0 goals. Zero. We replaced a 14 goal striker with one who couldn't score and squeezed out what was left of Igor to the tune of 3 goals. Taylor kept scoring and playing though, and we actually did better in the second half of the season where we replaced our pacy goalscorer with a brick. The team improved as the season went on and we didn't need a prolific alternative because the system was bedded-in, consistent and effective.
That's what we need this season. We need May to repeat his Cheltenham form for us and we need a consistent partner alongside him. I'd love that to be Nombe and Leaburn competing for the role, but if Miles comes back from his ankle injury before too long and we actually keep the team we want to use mostly fit then that would be far more important than us being able to turn to a rotating list of top goalscorers. I really think we need to solve the mystery of our inability to keep anyone fit more than anything else if we're ever going to be successful again, it's beyond a joke now.
How I see it: We should bring in Sessegnon, Edun, a right winger, another central midfielder and 2 strikers to come in, Kirk/DJ out, Kanu and Elewere to get league 2 loans til Jan.
Isted, AMB Egbo, Sessegnon (Asiimwe) Ness, Hector, Lloyd, Thomas, Mitchell (Elewere) Edun, Chin (Roddy) Dobson, Fraser, McGrandles, Henry, New (Anderson) New, Campbell, CBT, Payne, Kirk/DJ May, Leaburn, New, New (Kanu)
Bracketed players are youth to be used in the future/in emergencies. That's 24 players, with multiple players being able to cover different positions, like Thomas at left back, CBT at wing back, Payne playing in the middle or wide, Sess on either wing, Mitchell stepping into midfield etc. Etc.
I think that's achievable, and reasonable, it's not a squad that will Piss The League™ but it should be a solid grounding, as long as the new players in question are of a quality that improves us
I'd expect 4 of those players to be loans
Not a million miles off but I think it’s looking like we’re going to play 352 so no need at all to have a new winger on top of Campbell, CBT, Payne and one of Kirk or DJ. Prefer another CB and CM as that midfield doesn't look particularly strong.
Yeah seeing that midfield written down it is majorly lacking. Not sure Henry is ready to play a massive part in the league.
Roddy should also be nowhere near the first team under any circumstances.
Problem with this new striker signing is, how do you convince someone with any real quality to come in - knowing that chances are they will play second fiddle to Miles once he’s fit again?
Comments
Wasn't worried until Ronnie denied it
Would be an excellent signing.
Leahy, Edun, Sessegnon and Egbo as full-backs/wing-backs would be extremely strong.
Agree he’s a decent player but not sure he’d be the answer at left back.
Back when he was with Leicester, but the rumour was sunk
Marvelous Nakamba???
https://the72.co.uk/2023/07/10/recent-charlton-athletic-trialist-training-with-pl-club-sheffield-wednesday-and-blackpool-keen/