Alex Gilbey - Re-signed for MK Dons (p37)

Starinnaddick said:

Apparently Garner has been working his way through the videos of every game from last season. Will make his own mind up which players he wants to keep. 

Alternatively, he may have thought he would be better served watching the U23 & U18 games.

Chunes said:

For me, I think the fact he's had 2-3 good games stands against him, not for him. A team needs consistent performers. Just as we need strikers who score consistently, and defenders who don't consistently make mistakes, we need midfielders who consistently turn up and run games. We can't be saying "Well he ran 2-3 games out of the last 2 seasons, must be worth keeping." 

Agree, is Gilbey an average L1 player consistently playing at his level with the occasional great performance, or an inconsistent  top L1 player struggling to reach the level he’s capable of?

The longer he’s been here the more I see him as closer to the former.

Moving to a possession style is another reason to move him on if we can. I can’t see anyone arguing his strengths are his touch, range of passing, composure and decision making. For that reason I think Morgan is more likely to do well under Garner. If we’re serious about promotion I don’t see room for both. The likes of Henry and Anderson may be pushing for a chance too and could fit the style given the academy teams already play a similar way.

Chunes said:

mendonca said:

Anybody think he might have watched highlights rather that full games?

If you sat there and fast-forwarded the parts when the ball is out of play/nothing happening you could probably get through a game in 4.5 mins. 

soapboxsam said:

Sage has the advantage over me as he has spoken to Alex Gilbey. I had no handle on his personality and idiosyncrasies. so far from having a straw brain which he showed with his two crazy pointless Yellow cards against Lincoln in the first half it sounds like he is a deep thinker and is analytical about his own performances. 

This won't be Ben Garner's decision ( if correct ?) because .......

I've been thinking, of course Alex Gilbey is best mates with Conor Washington, they've played together at a few clubs.

Just wondering if there's any connection with Washington's issues behind the scenes and leaving under a cloud ...... and Gilbey apparently told that he can leave?
Best mates tend to stick up for each other, don't they?

Of course, 2 + 2 = whatever. Just my own little conspiracy theory, naturally.

mendonca said:

Anybody think he might have watched highlights rather that full games?

I reckon that watching all the games including cups and extra time etc. would come to about 3 x 24 hour days, say 9 working days .. could be done, but unlikely, and it'd take a brave man to put up with many miserable hours 

Covered End said:

Which clubs did they both play together at?

Newport.

https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/hes-very-different-analysing-what-alex-gilbey-brings-to-this-charlton-team-with-the-help-of-conor-washington/

Is this the same article the @Oggy Red quoted from?

Oggy Red said:

Cafc43v3r said:

Covered End said:

Which clubs did they both play together at?

Newport.

https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/hes-very-different-analysing-what-alex-gilbey-brings-to-this-charlton-team-with-the-help-of-conor-washington/

Is this the same article the @Oggy Red quoted from?

Yep, that's the one.

Cheers.

Sorry I thought it was

addick1956 said:

cafcfan1990 said:

Chunes said:

Richard J said:

I am in two minds about Gilbey. 

For context lets remember that one of his Poty awards for Mkd was in a relegated team and the other in L2 although they were promoted. 

Did not realise one of them was in L2.

Indeed. Although he was also a League 1 player of the year back in 2016 with Colchester. That’s what got his move to the Championship with Wigan. Think that’s the problem, he’s just not progressed, he looked like a player who would go on to be a Championship regular. He’s a low league 1 player, will be fine as 6th choice but we can’t have him and Morgan in the same promotion winning squad. 

Welcome manager.  Why did TS select BG when you are available. 

6th choice....that would be my level 

What the bloody hell you on about now? 

cafcfan1990 said:

Chris_from_Sidcup said:

In 15/16 he was Colchester's POTY, and then as we know in 18/19 and 19/20 he was MK Dons POTY twice. 

So 3 times in 5 seasons, he was POTY for a club playing at our level. He therefore absolutely can't be as bad as we've seen, so for me something is clearly wrong elsewhere.

As above the 2019 season was in League 2. Colchester were also relegated in 2016 and MK only just about avoided relegation in 2020 (19th). Was it a case of he just ran around a lot in poor teams so the fans liked him?

Dear me, mate. Talk about trying your best to belittle a player's actual achievements. 
He won 3 POTY and a young POTY awards, that's 4 in 6 seasons.

The player evidently earned and deserved them. Credit where it's due, eh?

Oggy Red said:

cafcfan1990 said:

Chris_from_Sidcup said:

In 15/16 he was Colchester's POTY, and then as we know in 18/19 and 19/20 he was MK Dons POTY twice. 

So 3 times in 5 seasons, he was POTY for a club playing at our level. He therefore absolutely can't be as bad as we've seen, so for me something is clearly wrong elsewhere.

As above the 2019 season was in League 2. Colchester were also relegated in 2016 and MK only just about avoided relegation in 2020 (19th). Was it a case of he just ran around a lot in poor teams so the fans liked him?

Dear me, mate. Talk about trying your best to belittle a player's actual achievements. 
He won 3 POTY and a young POTY awards, that's 4 in 6 seasons.

The player evidently earned and deserved them. Credit where it's due, eh?

I'm not trying to belittle him. I've backed Gilbey previously and there's plenty on here who think a lot less of him than I do. 

The facts are that Gilbey has been a League 1 POTY on two occasions aned both times they were for struggling sides who finished in the bottom 6. If we're talking League 1 promotion, those achievements don't really mean much IMO. 

As for evidently earning and deserving them, I wouldn't know as I don't regularly watch Colchester or MK Dons. I presume you're the same? Either way, what he done then is completely irrelevant. He's not been good enough in the two years as a Charlton player. 

Football is filled with examples of good players not working out at certain clubs. 

Callumcafc said:

Really had high hopes when he signed but he’s just been a serial disappointment really. If we can get any kind of six figure offer for him, we should take it.

Build next season’s midfield around Dobson, JFC, Fraser, Morgan and two new faces.

Seen others make the Morgan comparison and saying they’d rather keep Gilbey. For me, there are a few reasons that I think Gilbey should be the one offloaded, if possible.

- Both are out of contract next summer I believe. But I would expect we could get a fee for AG, even if it’s nominal. We’ve previously seen that Morgan couldn’t find a loan deal, let alone someone who’ll pay money for him.
- I would imagine that Gilbey is on a higher wage than Morgan but that could be incorrect (unlikely). If one is to be kept as back-up, better to keep the cheaper of the two so more money can be reinvested elsewhere.
- Gilbey’s qualities are in his box-to-box, lung busting runs and I struggle to see how he would be useful in a possession based style of play that I expect Garner to implement. Albie has him beat from a technique / passing perspective which will be important when he is called upon.


Gilbey’s stamina would’ve been a big asset in a high press team of seasons gone by but today’s pressing is a lot more calculated, using triggers and traps for teams to know when to press and when to hold position. It’s not beyond a player with less stamina like Albie to make it. It leaves a bloke who probably wins the bleep test with his eyes closed less valuable than he would’ve been 10-20 years ago.


I was excited when AG signed but it hasn’t panned out in two years. I don’t want us to go into a third hoping he comes good in a system that doesn’t suit.

I don't rate Albie particularly highly either, like Gilbey he has had plenty of chances, but unless we are ripping out the entire squad and getting both off the books is an option, that's where I lean.

The logic is keeping the cheap option might seem twisted if it wasn't also the case that AM's strengths fit better with how I expect Garner to want to play.

If we can bring in two top class midfielders to compete, I don't mind the idea of Albie being sixth choice. We are on the hunt for ball players and that's the one thing he has going for him.

Callumcafc said:

I don't rate Albie particularly highly either, like Gilbey he has had plenty of chances, but unless we are ripping out the entire squad and getting both off the books is an option, that's where I lean.

The logic is keeping the cheap option might seem twisted if it wasn't also the case that AM's strengths fit better with how I expect Garner to want to play.

If we can bring in two top class midfielders to compete, I don't mind the idea of Albie being sixth choice. We are on the hunt for ball players and that's the one thing he has going for him.

I would sell Gilbey and loan Morgan out. Morgan has been 4th/5th/6th choice for years now and he isn’t getting any better by being in and out of the team. Send him to league 2 (he’d definitely get a move at that level) and get him playing 40 games as a starter. JFC, Dobson, Fraser plus 2 new signings and then Henry as 6th choice.  Morgan is old enough to count towards the squad numbers cap now so no point having him here as 6th choice using up a spot 

Leuth said:

995632 said:

Scoham said:

Covered End said:

Which clubs did they both play together at?

Charlton and Newport (where Gilbey was on loan for about a month and a half).

I think it was the Mental Well-balling podcast where they both mentioned being best friends and they both agreed to join us when they knew we were under an embargo etc. because of the ESI idiots... Think it was a "if you do, I will" sort of deal they both had with each other as they wanted to play together again. 

Well that spell is broken. Unless Rotherham lose their fucking minds

The player who kept him out the side has just left.............