Alfie May - signed for Birmingham (p68 - Now Huddersfield )

RedChaser said:

kentaddick said:

Does this feel like a paul benson type signing? Lots of funfair and drawn out signing of lower league goalscorer, who we probably won't play to their strengths, all for 250k...

maybe i'm just being incredibly cynical.

For me it doesn’t and I don’t think Benson was good enough to lace my boots let alone Alfie Mays 😉.

Garrymanilow said:

RedChaser said:

kentaddick said:

Does this feel like a paul benson type signing? Lots of funfair and drawn out signing of lower league goalscorer, who we probably won't play to their strengths, all for 250k...

maybe i'm just being incredibly cynical.

For me it doesn’t and I don’t think Benson was good enough to lace my boots let alone Alfie Mays 😉.

Benson gets a lot of grief but he ended up getting 10 in 32, a goal every three games which really isn't that bad. He wasn't a very good all round footballer but we've had much 'better' strikers with much worse goalscoring records than him. He was our second top scorer in 10/11 behind Jackson. I remember him quite fondly as a player a bit out of his depth who delivered more than a lot of other strikers we tried to drag up to our level because we couldn't afford to get any proper players in

Chris_from_Sidcup said:

Cafc43v3r said:

SDAddick said:

Scoham said:

SDAddick said:

https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/cheltenhams-alfie-may-undergoing-medical-ahead-of-charlton-athletic-move/

It's clearly a sign of intent. He has a proven goalscoring record at this level. He's quick. I don't know how well he would do playing up front on his own, but we'll see. 

I think this would be a more sensible signing than Lavelle, Aneke, or DJ. 

My concern with all of our big signings has been "how does he fit into the team and system?" Given we have one senior striker who can be relied upon (and who is currently hurt), and a lot of talent out wide, I suspect we'll be playing with a lone striker, and I don't know how May would do as that. 

I can see us getting another striker in and moving to 3-5-2. It was arguably that on the second half on Saturday with Kirk up front with Kanu. That would give us May, Leaburn and another as our main strikers with opportunities for Kanu and probably Casey at some point. If we get any minutes from Chuks that's a bonus.

That's kind of what I'm thinking too, and that's what what Holden tried to play when he first came in, and at times last season.

That being said, I don't know what role that would leave for Campbell, CBT, and if we keep DJ or Kirk. I know Campbell and CBT have played wingback, but it's not natural for either of them, and I worry we'd be back to putting squad pegs in round holes as we did under JJ.

Being able to play more than one formation is definitely something every team should be able to do. I just feel once bitten, twice shy about this club's ability to recruit to a system and way of playing. 

I don't think Kirk and DJ have a future here what ever formation we play.

Tupac isn't 20 until after the season starts and was probably over played a bit last season due to complete lack of options, it would be nice this season if we played him because we can, not because we have to.

CBT is well worth keeping around even if you aren't playing wingers/wide forwards because there will be a lot of times over the season where you either want pace off the bench or to bring an extra attacking player on during the game.  He would get plenty of minutes even if he didn't regularly start.  Like Payne did last season.

Even with the signing of May, now confirmed, and Dabo we still need 7 more first team players and we won't be able to second guess what the plan is, assuming there is one, until 4 or 5 of them are through the door.  

Do we?

If you assume that regardless of formation AMB/Isted, Dabo, Jones, Hector, Dobson, Fraser, May and Leaburn will usually start then we need probably 3-4 more 'first team' players.

Anyone else will likely be squad players. We'll almost certainly get a couple of PL loans as well i think.

Garrymanilow said:

RedChaser said:

kentaddick said:

Does this feel like a paul benson type signing? Lots of funfair and drawn out signing of lower league goalscorer, who we probably won't play to their strengths, all for 250k...

maybe i'm just being incredibly cynical.

For me it doesn’t and I don’t think Benson was good enough to lace my boots let alone Alfie Mays 😉.

Benson gets a lot of grief but he ended up getting 10 in 32, a goal every three games which really isn't that bad. He wasn't a very good all round footballer but we've had much 'better' strikers with much worse goalscoring records than him. He was our second top scorer in 10/11 behind Jackson. I remember him quite fondly as a player a bit out of his depth who delivered more than a lot of other strikers we tried to drag up to our level because we couldn't afford to get any proper players in

Elthamaddick said:

I assume they are making some sort of signing video before finally actually announcing it

MuttleyCAFC said:

My observations, albeit limited, last season was he was a player always looking to make things happen and with an eye for goal. He definitely adds goals to the team which is fine by me. I am minded of Superclive who spent his years playing for lowly Grimsby and joined us when he was 29 didn't he? 

MuttleyCAFC said:

Maybe they are waiting on another signing to announce it as a double whammy!