Terell Thomas - June 2024: Signed for Carlisle (p18)

Except Edun has looked even worse in nearly every game he's played for us. 

Croydon said:

Athletico Charlton said:

Gribbo said:

Think he's another one stealing a living

Harsh. He isn't great but doesn't hide. I can't dig out players who try but just aren't at the level they need to be. Don't think he did much wrong yesterday tbf 

He's crap and re signing him was an acceptance of mediocrity 

Generally agree and I wouldn't have re-signed him. But you can't dig out a player giving their best just because it is not good enough. That is on our recruitment team is my view.
Others, who Shirk away and hide... Different story.

Athletico Charlton said:

Gribbo said:

Think he's another one stealing a living

Harsh. He isn't great but doesn't hide. I can't dig out players who try but just aren't at the level they need to be. Don't think he did much wrong yesterday tbf 

I wouldn't hide, but you definitely wouldn't want me in the side. 

Reckon he's another CL phenomenon; I don't know another supporteraway from here who rates him

NabySarr said:

Holden planned to play 3 at the back, which suits Thomas. But now we are playing a back 4 he isn’t good enough at full back or as a centre back in a 2. Abankwah has the same problem 

Right this is spot on. As a LCB in a back three he looked decent, solid on the ball, two footed, mobile for this level, and can defend a lot more on the front foot with two other CBs beside him--which seems to be what he does best.

In a back four he's never looked great. I think he's looked alright at LB, not special but not nearly as bad as some make out.

My feeling when we signed him was "can do a job at LCB in a back three and generally provide CB and LB cover." And that's basically what he's done. But given we're not playing a back three I wouldn't mind if he moved on in January and we brought in a left sided defender who is either a natural LB or left footed and can play in a back two and LB. 

I think Thomas is an example of why we need a head of recruiting who is focused on building a team that can play together and then bringing in managers who can play that way, and not recruiting for each manager we bring in and then needing to undo some of that because players don't fit the style of a new manager.

It's particularly true with our lack of a natural RW and LB cover this season. Holden clearly didn't intend to play with wingers and then abandoned the 3-5-2 almost right away. As a result we've had to play Tedic, Kanu, and Leaburn out of position there, and now we're finally settled on TC/May doing decent jobs in an unnatural role. Holden was planning to play CBT at LWB and have Edun as cover, but as soon as we went to a back four we didn't really have LB cover. I do think it's to Thomas' credit that he's filled in there alright, and now having Edun back and seeing Watson play there I feel much more confident (even if I have serious hesitations about Asiimwe's defending). But as I said in the summer and continue to say, we have a lot of quality in our squad but we also have some glaring holes and generally not all of our best players are designed to play together.

Also, I generally like Thomas, he seems like a nice guy and everyone says he's good to have around the place. It's nice that he's come back and had some time in the first team, I rated him when he was coming through the youth ranks. It hasn't worked out superbly, but I also don't feel he's let the side down. I expect he and Abankwah won't be here on Feb. 1. 

I think Thomas might actually be our best centre back..

You wonder how good or bad a defender is individually , or are their performances a sum of all of the parts in the back 3 or 4 ?  Jones has looked awful since Hector hasnt been playing , whilst TT has seemed to have improved. Or this may that we are now playing 3 at the back rather than a back four with TT playing left back. 

Keep him and play him.
He's the only consistently competent defender we have. 

It was very insane that the centre back who had a decent game against Burton was dropped and the one who had an absolute pig was the only one who kept his place. I guess Appleton didn’t trust him in the middle of a 3 but we’ll just add that to his list of terrible decisions 

cafc4life said:

The best of a bad bunch imo

Charlton played 51 minutes in the 2nd half without conceding when Thomas his two CB partners and the 2 full backs aided by Dobbo and Coventry were looking more secure.
Appleton suddenly decided to go gung ho and after the crazy sending off of Edun hooked both Watson and Coventry.
This was suicide by Appleton and hopefully that point lost won't cost Cafc at the end of Season.

18 games to save this clubs future because we can't survive on 5k crowds in League 2.

I wouldn't mind him staying next season. I'd hope he wouldn't be needed as often, but we probably won't find someone else happy to be back up and on his wages with his level of effort and versatility. 

Improved a lot recently, fairly solid in defence and comfortable on the ball and stepped up in LJ's absence last night.  Now lets see if NJ can get him to improve his passing which is still poor given his ability to bring the ball out of defence - he needs to be linking up play far better.

Wow, reading the last few pages there has been a massive change of opinions by some, with little acknowledgement that they might have got it wrong originally. (What is it about centre backs that draws such underserved opprobrium from Charlton fans?!)

Barnsley away he was great, along with Hector. Next week he was dropped. I'm not his biggest fan, but you know you'll get 100% when he pulls on the shirt. Flemming and Pearce stuck him straight back in the side and Jones has shown faith, particularly making him captain, so let's hope he repays that. Pleased for him as he's very rarely played in his natural position while here