Zach Mitchell played the full ninety yesterday against Bradford City at home in a 1-1 draw. It was new manager Danny Cowley's first game. I have seen Danny Cowley at our development games occasionally which suggests to me he is one for knowing what's about and running the rule over players. Zach turned nineteen on the 9th of January this year. Much as I like to see our players playing for us (and despite the lad having scored some own goals for Colchester!) I think Zach Mitchell is in the right place at the right time with probably the right manager coaching and playing him. I suggest we leave him be.
It’s always very easy to be wise after the event, but anyone who has seen us over the last two months and knows the most minuscule about football would know starting Alfie May up front alone, with floaty Campbells nowhere near him would be an absolute disaster. We’ve seen it just doesn’t work in multiple games.
We have a poor defence that ships goals every game. With no outlet ball available to a physical presence they never get the ball up the pitch long enough to regroup and reshape. With no physical presence, nothing ever falls in the pocket for Alfie May to engage with. With no outlet we then have to persist with this stupid approach of playing to feet from AMB to defenders, which allow the opposition to push men on and press high. We then have defenders uncomfortable with the ball at feet being pressed. This creates mistakes, this stops the ball getting out the final third, this creates tension, this gives the opposition confidence, the ability to smother us and allows their defence a break.
It’s so bleeding obvious. How can a so called manager not see that? Kanu is by no means fully ready for L1 but we saw within 30 seconds what difference it makes to THE OPPOSITION having two strikers pressing them into being loose, making mistakes, shifting the momentum play further up the pitch.
I’m sure he’ll be around for a while and I’ve no doubt it will improve, but Appleton is by far the worst manager so far I can remember us having for a long time.
Give that man a promote!
Ha, I saw this post had forty odd likes and oddly, one lol. Turned out it was me! Fat fingers. 😂
Quite mad how quickly a lot of people think Bakinson is the answer. Bloke’s played one game and people are talking him up. We’re a starved fanbase
Very true, we clutch at any passing straws.
But you can tell a fair amount about a player in 76 minutes of football, especially a player who stands out like he does, being 6’3”.
Could form less of an opinion about Coventry, because half the time I couldn’t tell which one he was, my eyesight being less than 100%. (That explains a lot lol).
But yes, from what I saw yesterday, and from what I’ve read about him, I have high hopes for Backo/Baks/Backsy/Bakinson.
I said this earlier but who here went OTT this time last year in saying Kilkenny was the new Kinsella based solely on his debut for us? Let’s give it a few matches eh, before we decide we’ve found some new superstars?
And talking of Dobbo, anyone remember Derby at home first game of last season? Garner benched him and we were abysmal until he came on - then somehow grabbed the win.
Says to give him time because he's a good manager, but then describes in detail how easily they outplayed us. The old manager's union looking out for their own.
and six points for Posh next season if we are both in the same League
Quite mad how quickly a lot of people think Bakinson is the answer. Bloke’s played one game and people are talking him up. We’re a starved fanbase
It’s not that difficult to spot a player marshalling his teammates particularly when we haven’t had somebody doing that for a couple of seasons. We’ve been crying out for somebody that can and does do that so for a loanee to join, start a game straight away without the benefit of a pre season get together and then take or simply assume charge from the get go it tends to indicate we may have a winner for the job
I noticed on Saturday that when AMB got the ball, he slowed the game down before getting rid of it. On one occasion Campbell was on his own, by the AC stand, the nearest opponent was probably 20 yards away. AMB chose to not play the ball to him.
The winning goal came from their keeper having the ball and passing quickly, which resulted in the goal.
I noticed on Saturday that when AMB got the ball, he slowed the game down before getting rid of it. On one occasion Campbell was on his own, by the AC stand, the nearest opponent was probably 20 yards away. AMB chose to not play the ball to him.
The winning goal came from their keeper having the ball and passing quickly, which resulted in the goal.
Not sure if AMB is told to do this.
Might not have been the case in your example, but find a lot of the teams we face will get a player to focus on delaying the Goalkeeper from playing a quick ball after a set piece and so stopping us from launching a counter attack... Quite rightly too given that we've had CBT, and Tyreece isnt slow either.
Us on the other hand, we seem to give their Goalkeeper and back line too much time to pass it round without much pressure, as its only Alfie May willing to do that hard running.
There was even one point on Saturday where Edwards (?) had the ball just outside the centre circle in their half, and just stood there with the ball for a good few moments - No one put him under pressure.
Tactics were all wrong in the first half, paid for to much respect to them, and their wingers destroyed us, second half was better, when we went two up front.
I noticed on Saturday that when AMB got the ball, he slowed the game down before getting rid of it. On one occasion Campbell was on his own, by the AC stand, the nearest opponent was probably 20 yards away. AMB chose to not play the ball to him.
The winning goal came from their keeper having the ball and passing quickly, which resulted in the goal.
Not sure if AMB is told to do this.
Might not have been the case in your example, but find a lot of the teams we face will get a player to focus on delaying the Goalkeeper from playing a quick ball after a set piece and so stopping us from launching a counter attack... Quite rightly too given that we've had CBT, and Tyreece isnt slow either.
Us on the other hand, we seem to give their Goalkeeper and back line too much time to pass it round without much pressure, as its only Alfie May willing to do that hard running.
There was even one point on Saturday where Edwards (?) had the ball just outside the centre circle in their half, and just stood there with the ball for a good few moments - No one put him under pressure.
What a difference it made in the second half when we played the high press very successfully for fifteen minutes. I think Charlton fans are less likely to boo when they can see our players busting a gut to stop the other team playing.
It was a game of cat and mouse in the first half, with us watching them passing the ball around, presumably with the intention of hitting them on the break. It was pretty inevitable that that wasn’t going to work.
I'm holding onto hope that we've got a potentially decent spine for next season in Jones, Coventry & May. We need a new keeper.
IMO Jones has been very poor recently, and is yet another player who gets an easy ride based on promising early performances. I’m praying that that Gillesphey turns out to be the number one CB that we desperately need. I’m not ruling Jones out, but he needs to improve to be considered our defensive rock. Hope Coventry fits the bill, and May certainly does at the moment.
I'm holding onto hope that we've got a potentially decent spine for next season in Jones, Coventry & May. We need a new keeper.
IMO Jones has been very poor recently, and is yet another player who gets an easy ride based on promising early performances. I’m praying that that Gillesphey turns out to be the number one CB that we desperately need. I’m not ruling Jones out, but he needs to improve to be considered our defensive rock. Hope Coventry fits the bill, and May certainly does at the moment.
I think Jones would be better off in the middle of the back 3, rather than on the sides. If we sign another centre back to cover Hector’s injury I hope it is one that is more comfortable defending out wide which we need for a back 3.
Ness did pretty well in the middle on Saturday but I’d probably go with Thomas on the right, Gillesphey on the left and then Jones in the middle next week if it were up to me
Ness did pretty well in the middle on Saturday but I’d probably go with Thomas on the right, Gillesphey on the left and then Jones in the middle next week if it were up to me
Can't bring myself to 'like' this cos it is indicative of how bad our squad still is - but your analysis of the bodies available to us is spot on Our appraisal and appreciation of the available defenders is just so much wear on our keyboards, it is Apples take that will determine how heavy are our defeats 😢 His track record so far at Charlton is baffling and on an inexorable downward trend until half time on Saturday when must have had some sort of moment of clarity and sent the team back out in familiar shape giving players tasks with which most of them were familiar and equipped.
It’s interesting to look at the backgrounds of some of Peterboro’s players, eg Mason-Clark, Poku, Randall etc. Doesn’t look like they would have paid high fees for them. I guess that’s what happens when you have had stable ownership and good scouting in place for a period of time.
Interesting that Edun gets his highest score of the season when he's not playing behind CBT. I wouldn't call any of the criticism of him harsh so far, but playing behind Calvin is a thankless task!
Going forwards, he hasn't had much opportunity to show what he's about when he feeds CBT, goes to make the overlap, only for Calvin to turn on the afterburners and leave Edun and everyone else eating his dust.
And going the other way he's been exposed, because CBT ranks as the league's lowest winger in terms of defensive contribution.
Now we're switching to a 352, I think we might see more of what he can bring to the table.
Interesting that Edun gets his highest score of the season when he's not playing behind CBT. I wouldn't call any of the criticism of him harsh so far, but playing behind Calvin is a thankless task!
Going forwards, he hasn't had much opportunity to show what he's about when he feeds CBT, goes to make the overlap, only for Calvin to turn on the afterburners and leave Edun and everyone else eating his dust.
And going the other way he's been exposed, because CBT ranks as the league's lowest winger in terms of defensive contribution.
Now we're switching to a 352, I think we might see more of what he can bring to the table.
He isn't particularly fast and is pretty weak. Yes he had a half decent 2nd half but one swallow doesn't make a sping.
I don't know if Edun can blame his dodgy defensive positioning on CBT, but I am interested to see him get a run of games at wing back. I do see potential in him and he definitely benefitted from being able to get forward a bit more freely knowing have a left sided centre back behind him who was a) switched on and b) conformable stepping into the full back area to cover the space behind Edun. He isn't the best on the defensive side, but he is pretty decent on the ball and has a bit of vison and creativity about him. While he probably not going to be a star performer, I do think he is one who might look a lot better with better players around him (which we are hopefully now, finally, getting). I have more trust in him than Watson on the other side.
Quite mad how quickly a lot of people think Bakinson is the answer. Bloke’s played one game and people are talking him up. We’re a starved fanbase
Very true, we clutch at any passing straws.
But you can tell a fair amount about a player in 76 minutes of football, especially a player who stands out like he does, being 6’3”.
Could form less of an opinion about Coventry, because half the time I couldn’t tell which one he was, my eyesight being less than 100%. (That explains a lot lol).
But yes, from what I saw yesterday, and from what I’ve read about him, I have high hopes for Backo/Baks/Backsy/Bakinson.
It’s interesting to look at the backgrounds of some of Peterboro’s players, eg Mason-Clark, Poku, Randall etc. Doesn’t look like they would have paid high fees for them. I guess that’s what happens when you have had stable ownership and good scouting in place for a period of time.
We had identified Randall at the same time as Peterborough but he didn’t want to come here because we were/are a basket case.
We have to get that reputation sorted as quickly as we possibly can.
Comments
It was new manager Danny Cowley's first game.
I have seen Danny Cowley at our development games occasionally which suggests to me he is one for knowing what's about and running the rule over players.
Zach turned nineteen on the 9th of January this year.
Much as I like to see our players playing for us (and despite the lad having scored some own goals for Colchester!) I think Zach Mitchell is in the right place at the right time with probably the right manager coaching and playing him.
I suggest we leave him be.
And talking of Dobbo, anyone remember Derby at home first game of last season? Garner benched him and we were abysmal until he came on - then somehow grabbed the win.
I could not give a s*** whether you are employed for a professional football club and I'm a mere fan, but that is b*******.
The winning goal came from their keeper having the ball and passing quickly, which resulted in the goal.
Not sure if AMB is told to do this.
Us on the other hand, we seem to give their Goalkeeper and back line too much time to pass it round without much pressure, as its only Alfie May willing to do that hard running.
There was even one point on Saturday where Edwards (?) had the ball just outside the centre circle in their half, and just stood there with the ball for a good few moments - No one put him under pressure.
I'm holding onto hope that we've got a potentially decent spine for next season in Jones, Coventry & May. We need a new keeper.
Our appraisal and appreciation of the available defenders is just so much wear on our keyboards, it is Apples take that will determine how heavy are our defeats 😢
His track record so far at Charlton is baffling and on an inexorable downward trend until half time on Saturday when must have had some sort of moment of clarity and sent the team back out in familiar shape giving players tasks with which most of them were familiar and equipped.
This clown will get us relegated.
Going forwards, he hasn't had much opportunity to show what he's about when he feeds CBT, goes to make the overlap, only for Calvin to turn on the afterburners and leave Edun and everyone else eating his dust.
And going the other way he's been exposed, because CBT ranks as the league's lowest winger in terms of defensive contribution.
Now we're switching to a 352, I think we might see more of what he can bring to the table.
We have to get that reputation sorted as quickly as we possibly can.