So the team playing out this season could look like:
Isted
Jones Ness MG
Watson Dobson Coventry Bakinson Tayo
May Goodwin
Be good to get another striker in who could cover for May, then let Kanu go back to Southend.
Be worried if this was our team next season, absolutely no creativity in that midfield 3 and 2 wing backs who so far haven't looked very creative either.
Agreed - it looks rubbish . May and CBT are our only attacking threats so I’m nervous about losing half of that
Assuming CBT and Dubbo are on their way and we get the mooted CB and CF, I am imagining something like this:
-----------Isted
----NEW Jones Gillesphey
Tennai Coventry Bakinson Tayo
---------May Fiorini
-----------NEW
Alternative GK: AMB,
Alternative CBs: Ness, Thomas, Hector when back from injury
Alternative WB: Asiimwe, Tyreece
Alternative DM: Taylor, McGrandles
Alternative AM: Camara, Louie Watson
Alternative CF: Leaburn, Chuks
Think you are right there, but I would suspect we will move away from the 3-4-2-1 and to more of a 3-1-4-2 that we saw second half.
Appleton commented on Bakinson being better second half when he was further forward so I think we will have 1 holding mid and two 8s from now on hopefully, and then 2 strikers
Those 2 incomings (plus an extra striker hopefully) will put us in a decent place ahead of the summer. Where I hope we would then focus on upgrading the wing backs and adding goals from midfield (Fiorini could be the answer if he does well but probably need another attacking mid option anyway with no L.Watson and hopefully no Fraser)
Playing in a 10 behind the front 2 is exactly where Fraser wants to play, where he had his best stint of his career (MK Dons) and hasn’t played since joining us.
I wouldn’t be worried if he left, but his ideal position could now become a reality at Charlton…
He played there for us last season & scored 9 goals.
Definitely better as an attacking midfielder than in the deep role he has played this season (that has delivered 0 goals).
9 goals and 5 assists under Holden Fuck all under Appleshit.
A decent manager knows how to get the best out of his players
I don’t think playing Fraser as one of two holding midfielders as helped, but it’s also not entirely down to the manager. It’s no coincidence both managers got better results when we had more players fit, including having decent options up front.
Fraser’s an experienced player at this level and it’s up to him to perform even if he’s not in his ideal role. Even if he’s not able to get in goalscoring positions or play the final pass for assists he should add creativity through his ability on the ball and passing but we haven’t really seen that from him this season.
To me he looks like his fitness has dropped slightly and with him not being the fittest, most mobile or energetic to begin with that’s a problem.
I agree with most of what you're saying especially the squad fitness, but re Fraser if a role doesn't your attributes then you're not likely to shine. Comments about his fitness mobility , tackling, closing down etc are important in this league where the balance of effort counts more and skill less. For all his shortcomings which I accept, I did think we passed the ball out of defence and towards the half way line better when Fraser was in there in the deep midfield. Unfortunately the passing broke down as we moved into the attacking half.
Who also said we are after Ladapo too…despite what Cawley has said..,🤡
Cannot believe I'm defending Reams twice in a week but Cawley has said it's a non-starter, not that we aren't after him. We clearly want him, but it's one of Ipswich won't sell, we won't pay what they want or he doesn't want to come to us. Ladapo isn't an option for us, sounds like we've been rebuffed.
This is slightly off subject here, but I do genuinely believe Terry Taylor will be like a new signing (Not this is not another one of the jokes) I just have a sneaking feeling he will be a good player for us, hopefully, he kicks on now after being unlucky with injuries. I liked him at Burton and think he was starting to find his feet with us. I'd rather us focus now on the players we have and not the loans like Camara (Not his fault), and Fiorini and let players like Mcgradles and Fraser go.. unless we focus on Fraser playing solely in the 10 for us which is his best position but I am leaning on letting him go if he wants out.
Apples described Fiorini as the best or one of the best players he has ever worked with I think. He also said Fiorini won't play for Man City so could be available in the summer iirc. I am hoping he gets himself fully match fit and does well until the end of the season. Maybe we get him in the summer and he is one of the "elite 8".
Fraser I am hoping moves on in Jan, slightly unfairly I hope the same with McGrandles too. Unfairly as I haven't really seen enough but we need to be ruthless with the injury prone. For that reason I would not touch Camara in the summer even though he will be out of contract.
Agree Taylor has all the potential to be a good one and certainly part of the solid L1 8. He again needs to prove his fitness.
When the FA finally pull their finger out and investigate Man City's 115 outstanding charges, City will find Fiorini a useful player for them in the Conference league.
Jones is struggling with being a regular CB at the moment.
He's been our only reliable CB most of the time this season tbf
I agree, but his current form is a bit worrying. Most of the time he looks ok, as he’s ’no nonsense’, but when mistakes creep in he looks very fallible. Over the last ten games Hector has been the better option, but he’s out now.
I'm hoping Gillesphey will help whoever plays alongside him to perform better. It’ll be Jones that gets the nod over Ness and Thomas in a back four I suspect, and Ness will probably get the nod over Thomas in a back three. Another injury or two and we’ll struggle. I doubt they’ll bring in another CB now, but I think they should. Zak and Deji aren’t ready imho, although if we get into a position where we’re safe they might consider playing one of them to gain some experience? Deji is back from his Bromley loan I think.
Academy players from Charlton are never ready. However we bring in worse players from other academies and try to justify why they are playing badly.
Who also said we are after Ladapo too…despite what Cawley has said..,🤡
Cannot believe I'm defending Reams twice in a week but Cawley has said it's a non-starter, not that we aren't after him. We clearly want him, but it's one of Ipswich won't sell, we won't pay what they want or he doesn't want to come to us. Ladapo isn't an option for us, sounds like we've been rebuffed.
I don’t think any rebuff is on Ladapos part. I just don’t think Ipswich are prepared to part with him at present.
Jones is struggling with being a regular CB at the moment.
He's been our only reliable CB most of the time this season tbf
I agree, but his current form is a bit worrying. Most of the time he looks ok, as he’s ’no nonsense’, but when mistakes creep in he looks very fallible. Over the last ten games Hector has been the better option, but he’s out now.
I'm hoping Gillesphey will help whoever plays alongside him to perform better. It’ll be Jones that gets the nod over Ness and Thomas in a back four I suspect, and Ness will probably get the nod over Thomas in a back three. Another injury or two and we’ll struggle. I doubt they’ll bring in another CB now, but I think they should. Zak and Deji aren’t ready imho, although if we get into a position where we’re safe they might consider playing one of them to gain some experience? Deji is back from his Bromley loan I think.
I think the mistakes he's made will be less when he plays with better defenders. Hector is too slow/casual IMHO
And yet he was in a back four that won the Championship title a couple of years back. He might have slowed down a bit since then, but he’s only 31. I agree that he has sometimes looked casual, but he’s improved that aspect of his game as the season has progressed, possibly because he’s realised L1 isn’t the cakewalk he might have been expecting. The Harris goal for Oxford was a reminder perhaps.
Obviously I hope Jones improves playing with Gillesphey, we’ll have see how it plays out.
Who also said we are after Ladapo too…despite what Cawley has said..,🤡
Cannot believe I'm defending Reams twice in a week but Cawley has said it's a non-starter, not that we aren't after him. We clearly want him, but it's one of Ipswich won't sell, we won't pay what they want or he doesn't want to come to us. Ladapo isn't an option for us, sounds like we've been rebuffed.
As far as i'm aware, Ipswich havent signed a striker and have a fair amount of injuries in that role? They arent going to leave themselves even worse off!
As much as this made me chuckle, I feel for the geezer. We'd be the same if the shoe was on the other foot. I'll never knock a bloke who supports a club that's not in the prem.
Jones is struggling with being a regular CB at the moment.
He's been our only reliable CB most of the time this season tbf
I agree, but his current form is a bit worrying. Most of the time he looks ok, as he’s ’no nonsense’, but when mistakes creep in he looks very fallible. Over the last ten games Hector has been the better option, but he’s out now.
I'm hoping Gillesphey will help whoever plays alongside him to perform better. It’ll be Jones that gets the nod over Ness and Thomas in a back four I suspect, and Ness will probably get the nod over Thomas in a back three. Another injury or two and we’ll struggle. I doubt they’ll bring in another CB now, but I think they should. Zak and Deji aren’t ready imho, although if we get into a position where we’re safe they might consider playing one of them to gain some experience? Deji is back from his Bromley loan I think.
I think the mistakes he's made will be less when he plays with better defenders. Hector is too slow/casual IMHO
And yet he was in a back four that won the Championship title a couple of years back.
He made four appearances that season.
And what did they say about him at Fulham... "He's been one of the team's most error-prone defenders." Link.
As much as this made me chuckle, I feel for the geezer. We'd be the same if the shoe was on the other foot. I'll never knock a bloke who supports a club that's not in the prem.
As much as this made me chuckle, I feel for the geezer. We'd be the same if the shoe was on the other foot. I'll never knock a bloke who supports a club that's not in the prem.
The fella is an Oxford fan, I'm not sure why he is upset.
As much as this made me chuckle, I feel for the geezer. We'd be the same if the shoe was on the other foot. I'll never knock a bloke who supports a club that's not in the prem.
The fella is an Oxford fan, I'm not sure why he is upset.
I think it’s funny as we hold Oxford up in this light of great recruitment and he thinks we’re always going for the same players they are.
Comments
That'll leave Oxford bloomin' conflicted then
And what did they say about him at Fulham... "He's been one of the team's most error-prone defenders." Link.
Picked a bad month to give up sniffing glue