Makes sense really, he's not even properly met/trained with any of the other players and no disrespect to Dartford but we're not going to learn much from a game there, certainly not this early in preseason.
Give him time, get him up to speed and then he can and will be featuring in games. I'm sure he'll play next week.
On a train down from Hartlepool to London so with nothing better to do, I've watched all of May's goals for Cheltenham.
First impression: this is a man who has a relentless pursuit of a goal. Poacher, long range, edge of area, cut in and shoot - when he gets the ball he seems to make this INSTANT decision to go for goal. Because he is The Striker (capitalised as I reckon Cheltenham basically built around him as their attacking focal point).
To go for goal that much you need to be confident. To score that many you need to be competent, and ruthless in latching on to mistakes. And he really is ruthless - a lapse from the defence and he goes straight for the jugular. Lovely.
I'd like to see more of his build up play - how he interacts with the team around him. But I know he works incredibly hard, has a good turn of foot (the amount of goals he scores looking like he's offside is testament to that), and doesn't hide.
Scores with both feet in that video, which to me is a hugely positive sign. Not loads of dustbin goals either. But I rate his movement into channels; into the box; creating space outside it; and finding space when within tight marking situations in the area.
I reckon we have made about as good a striker signing as is possible. Welcome Alfie, and here's hoping he can pick up where he left off. I think we may need to model around him to get the best we can out of him, but in any case... can't have any complaints about the signing. If it doesn't pan out then... well, you can't exactly blame the decision to SIGN him based on his record of late.
I first became conscious of May when the brilliantly managed Cheltenham under Michael Duff won at the Valley on the 11th September 2021. Leko scored for us, but Blair and Perry had scored earlier for Cheltenham. May didn’t score. Alfie May assisted the Blair goal after six minutes. On paper we were far the better team, but once in front Cheltenham packed the last third leaving May up top on his own with more or less half the Valley pitch to cover. Cheltenham consistently played balls out wide to virtually the very touch line, and 95% of the time it would be to a very willing Alfie May. This was in seeing out the game built on the lead they established. May was waspish, gave everything, and wanted his team to get those points more than he wanted personal glory. Since then I have followed his football with admiration, and am delighted we’ve signed him.
I was at that game and we were 2-0 down at HT and if it wasn't for Craig Macgillivray we would've been 4-0 down we were so bad. We were set up so rigid, Cheltenham just passed between the lines. Nigel Adkins did change it up at HT for the 1-2 defeat but a brave manager would've made the switch earlier as we were shocking and lucky to only be 2 down. Didn't Lavelle play in that game and look off the pace ? I remember Leko scoring and May's movement. I believe Duff set up more defensive in 2nd half and there wasn't the space for Cafc to utilize.
I first became conscious of May when the brilliantly managed Cheltenham under Michael Duff won at the Valley on the 11th September 2021. Leko scored for us, but Blair and Perry had scored earlier for Cheltenham. May didn’t score. Alfie May assisted the Blair goal after six minutes. On paper we were far the better team, but once in front Cheltenham packed the last third leaving May up top on his own with more or less half the Valley pitch to cover. Cheltenham consistently played balls out wide to virtually the very touch line, and 95% of the time it would be to a very willing Alfie May. This was in seeing out the game built on the lead they established. May was waspish, gave everything, and wanted his team to get those points more than he wanted personal glory. Since then I have followed his football with admiration, and am delighted we’ve signed him.
I was at that game and we were 2-0 down at HT and if it wasn't for Craig Macgillivray we would've been 4-0 down we were so bad. We were set up so rigid, Cheltenham just passed between the lines. Nigel Adkins did change it up at HT for the 1-2 defeat but a brave manager would've made the switch earlier as we were shocking and lucky to only be 2 down. Didn't Lavelle play in that game and look off the pace ? I remember Leko scoring and May's movement. I believe Duff set up more defensive in 2nd half and there wasn't the space for Cafc to utilize.
Lavelle off the pace. That was every game he played wasn’t it.
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These first couple of pre-season matches are just squad training games, with the focus on fitness.
Give him time, get him up to speed and then he can and will be featuring in games. I'm sure he'll play next week.
Great post Paddy, my work here is done.
I was at that game and we were 2-0 down at HT and if it wasn't for Craig Macgillivray we would've been 4-0 down we were so bad.
We were set up so rigid, Cheltenham just passed between the lines. Nigel Adkins did change it up at HT for the 1-2 defeat but a brave manager would've made the switch earlier as we were shocking and lucky to only be 2 down.
Didn't Lavelle play in that game and look off the pace ?
I remember Leko scoring and May's movement.
I believe Duff set up more defensive in 2nd half and there wasn't the space for Cafc to utilize.
Momentarily it took me back to my childhood.
Is that George Martin in the background on the mixer?
.........and Gillingham
Should I be concerned?