Probably the only January signing you would class as match fit after playing for 30+ games for Harrogate this season. First league start for Charlton and is now injured for a while. Season finishes in 10 weeks so would imagine not minor is probably 3 weeks minimum.
Probably the only January signing you would class as match fit after playing for 30+ games for Harrogate this season. First league start for Charlton and is now injured for a while. Season finishes in 10 weeks so would imagine not minor is probably 3 weeks minimum.
But 8 of those 25 will be youth players if the 8+8+8 is being followed, which isn't the Bolton model. Haven't looked at Derby & Pompey squads.
I do think the squad is too big though. Appreciate the comment on injuries but if you had a more reliable squad it wouldn’t be an issue. There’s been a few players we might aswell have replaced with kids anyway
But 8 of those 25 will be youth players if the 8+8+8 is being followed, which isn't the Bolton model. Haven't looked at Derby & Pompey squads.
Yeah I was purely talking about numbers.
I’d like to hear NJs thoughts on 888 as it surely it should adjust based on the quality of the academy players available that season rather than being a fixed target. Hopefully he’ll have some flexibility as it’s an ambitious number, as good as our academy is I don’t think it can guarantee that quality is there in 8 every season. It’ll be a lot easier though if we hold on to Leaburn, Kanu etc for years to come.
In terms of players who have played more than 1000 minutes, we’re not actually that different compared to Bolton. 11 for us and 14 for them.
It’s the fact that they have 3 players (Taylor, Ogbeta, Ramsay) on the pitch for 200 minutes or less and we have 13 such players (Taylor, McGrandles, Payne, Abankwah, Ramsay, Small, Rylah, Elerewe, Fiorini, Kirk, Jaiyesimi, Mbick and Casey). That’s what has inflated our number to such a degree.
Glad to hear it might only be 3-4 games for Ramsay - he looked promising against Lincoln.
Looking at that list, I'd say we haven't played 40 players because the squad is too big. The number is inflated by the likes of Mbick, Casey, Laqueratabua, Kedwell, Roddy and Rylah, plus Jack Payne who played before moving on, the loanees like Abankwah, Chem, Tedic, who were all rubbish and replaced by other places, plus Fiorini's in and out, plus Charlie Kirk. That's 12 players there and brings us down to a much more normal 28.
The 40 number seems down to the youth playing in the cup + a chaotic and wasteful transfer policy rather than squad size.
Looking at that list, I'd say we haven't played 40 players because the squad is too big. The number is inflated by the likes of Mbick, Casey, Laqueratabua, Kedwell, Roddy and Rylah, plus Jack Payne who played before moving on, the loanees like Abankwah, Chem, Tedic, who were all rubbish and replaced by other places, plus Fiorini's in and out, plus Charlie Kirk. That's 12 players there and brings us down to a much more normal 28.
The 40 number seems down to the youth playing in the cup + a chaotic and wasteful transfer policy rather than squad size.
The 40 number doesn’t include cup minutes AFAIK. Wasteful transfers though definitely no arguments.
Looking at that list, I'd say we haven't played 40 players because the squad is too big. The number is inflated by the likes of Mbick, Casey, Laqueratabua, Kedwell, Roddy and Rylah, plus Jack Payne who played before moving on, the loanees like Abankwah, Chem, Tedic, who were all rubbish and replaced by other places, plus Fiorini's in and out, plus Charlie Kirk. That's 12 players there and brings us down to a much more normal 28.
The 40 number seems down to the youth playing in the cup + a chaotic and wasteful transfer policy rather than squad size.
The 40 number doesn’t include cup minutes AFAIK. Wasteful transfers though definitely no arguments.
Including cups it’s 46 by my count: Chin, Mitchell, Laqueratabua, Roddy, Kedwell and Walker haven’t played minutes in the league this season.
Our squad is clearly too large, when Terry Taylor even if fit is struggling to get on the bench.
Wouldn't disagree that we have too many CMs in the squad. But if Karoy is still starting and Taylor and the likes of Fiorini are left out the squad, that seems like a recruitment issue
Our squad is clearly too large, when Terry Taylor even if fit is struggling to get on the bench.
Wouldn't disagree that we have too many CMs in the squad. But if Karoy is still starting and Taylor and the likes of Fiorini are left out the squad, that seems like a recruitment issue
Part of the recruitment issue is with the managers. Holden liked Anderson for his industry, Appleton didn't rate him at all and Jones needs him for his aggressive press high up the pitch. Holden liked Edun playing narrow in a 352, Appleton used him in a 4231 because he was his only left back and Jones will prefer Small as a more pacy wide wingback. Fiorini is there because Appleton liked him and I doubt we'll see him again. Who knows what Jones will think of Taylor, he was signed by the ownership because he was a highly rated young player, not because he was an essential cog in a system. Recruitment of players needs there to have been consistency in the recruitment of managers or it can easily fall apart.
Our squad is clearly too large, when Terry Taylor even if fit is struggling to get on the bench.
Wouldn't disagree that we have too many CMs in the squad. But if Karoy is still starting and Taylor and the likes of Fiorini are left out the squad, that seems like a recruitment issue
I don't know to what extent it's bad signings, bad planning, or bad luck. What it all really boils down to is we are constantly in crisis mode at the moment. Signing players to cover injuries, or replace the mass exodus each summer, or fit the style of play for the latest manager who will only be given 3 months to make a go of it before being replaced by someone who wants to do it all differently again. I think somewhere in amongst all that it probably falls mostly on the senior management of the club, and, right now, that means, mostly, Andy Scott, but it's been going on longer than his time in SE7 and even then I don't know if that's the whole story - I'm not sure it's Andy Scott's fault that we seem to give out hamstring injuries almost as part of the signing on bonus.
I really hope that we get through this current relegation battle and then in the summer really start to build to a long-term plan and that Jones can lead that and will stick around long enough that it will properly take root. We are just desperate for some competent stability now and, honestly, I'd take another couple of seasons in league one if it comes with building steady progress on strong foundations, rather than an immediate promotion built on sand. Ideally, of course, we can get a quick promotion and the strong foundations but, realistically, we're probably not going to recover from this season over night.
For a few years now we have bought too many players who are either coming back from injury or who have not played for a period of time.
With this current mob the first two managers were not good enough, and now we have one who has a certain amount of success it may well be too little too late to avoid relegation.
Comments
What does this mean:
"Panutche Camara was lucky because he picked up an injury on Thursday.”
That'll end well. See you during next season's injury crisis.
We need to get a lot better at keeping players fit. Bowyer used 28 when we got promoted, we’ve used 40 so far this season.
https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/league-one/eingesetztespieler/wettbewerb/GB3
I’d like to hear NJs thoughts on 888 as it surely it should adjust based on the quality of the academy players available that season rather than being a fixed target. Hopefully he’ll have some flexibility as it’s an ambitious number, as good as our academy is I don’t think it can guarantee that quality is there in 8 every season. It’ll be a lot easier though if we hold on to Leaburn, Kanu etc for years to come.
It’s the fact that they have 3 players (Taylor, Ogbeta, Ramsay) on the pitch for 200 minutes or less and we have 13 such players (Taylor, McGrandles, Payne, Abankwah, Ramsay, Small, Rylah, Elerewe, Fiorini, Kirk, Jaiyesimi, Mbick and Casey). That’s what has inflated our number to such a degree.
Glad to hear it might only be 3-4 games for Ramsay - he looked promising against Lincoln.
The 40 number seems down to the youth playing in the cup + a chaotic and wasteful transfer policy rather than squad size.
Nice one Dim Scott.
I really hope that we get through this current relegation battle and then in the summer really start to build to a long-term plan and that Jones can lead that and will stick around long enough that it will properly take root. We are just desperate for some competent stability now and, honestly, I'd take another couple of seasons in league one if it comes with building steady progress on strong foundations, rather than an immediate promotion built on sand. Ideally, of course, we can get a quick promotion and the strong foundations but, realistically, we're probably not going to recover from this season over night.
With this current mob the first two managers were not good enough, and now we have one who has a certain amount of success it may well be too little too late to avoid relegation.
Small spelling differences aside, does he wear 66 as a nod to Sir Alf?