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Nathaniel Chalobah signs a one year deal
Comments
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"When fit" - the Charlton Athletic equivalent of your doctor giving you 3 months to live.
He's got some pedigree and hopefully we see that shine for us. However, I believe he made his senior debut in 2012 and in the 14 years since has amassed less than 300 league appearances. Weirdly, the team for which he has made the 3rd most appearances is the England U21s. That's an average on ~22 domestic games a season. Take out the two season's he's managed over 40 league appearances once (2020/21) it drops to 18 games a season, on average, and only one of those season did he make over 30 appearances.
It does at least seem there have been 3 or 4 years where he was available more than he was unavailable, but we've been here so many times and I can't recall a time where we've signed one of these injury prone players and somehow made them whole again.
So then, if he's good and becomes key for us, what do we do when he's not available and how badly does that affect us? It's another potential Aneke or Bell situation or even worse a Burke situation where he's not quite as good as he once was and he's constantly crocked. Obviously, I hope it works out differently and I understand that realties of our budget, the compromises and risks we have to make to sign quality in our budget etc. etc., but we've just been here so many times before and it makes it a hard one to get too excited about.2 -
Agreed. Coventry definitely has his limitations, and I doubt will ever be a key cog in a promotion chasing team at this level, but the smear campaign against him has got out of hand. He had good games and bad last season (like most players) but was generally fairly solid overall and played his part. He's one of those players that's a bit too good for one level but a hair below the quality for the next level up. However, to read on here you'd think he is totally out of his depth and should probably be playing non-league, which is obviously just a total exaggeration. It's the usual message board trope that players are either world beaters or shite and there's no room for a few solid pros who just get on with their job - no trees pulled up but also no serious let downs.Garrymanilow said:If there's any greater indicator of how progressively more deranged football fans get over the close season it's talking about a midfielder who was part of the squad that survived that season and going from 'we should sign an improvement on that player' to 'we are guaranteed to get relegated if he plays'. I was thinking about some of our best results last season; Blackburn, Coventry, Birmingham and Hull at home, Ipswich, Boro and Leicester away, Conor Coventry started all but two of those and played in all except the Hull game. He's a decent player who we need more competition for and there will be games where he's more or less suited depending on who we play. He's not some bargain bin Matt Smith we picked up in desperation. Football fans are getting so much weirder every year about their own players8 -
Garrymanilow said:If there's any greater indicator of how progressively more deranged football fans get over the close season it's talking about a midfielder who was part of the squad that survived that season and going from 'we should sign an improvement on that player' to 'we are guaranteed to get relegated if he plays'. I was thinking about some of our best results last season; Blackburn, Coventry, Birmingham and Hull at home, Ipswich, Boro and Leicester away, Conor Coventry started all but two of those and played in all except the Hull game. He's a decent player who we need more competition for and there will be games where he's more or less suited depending on who we play. He's not some bargain bin Matt Smith we picked up in desperation. Football fans are getting so much weirder every year about their own players
Good research.
I was trying to work out when Conor Coventry went from Mr Consistency to "get rid"
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Is it? He made 49 apps last season in all comps.fenaddick said:3 -
Coventry is a solid defensive midfielder, let down by his tendency to play it safe / backwards. Actually don't think him or Docherty are the worst options but together they're not good enough.
For me, Chalobah starts over both if fit and hopefully the other player we're after further improves us.
What's been noticeable in the pre season friendlies is that Chalobah tends to receive the ball on the half turn, so he's able to move the ball forward to a team mate. We need that this season to progress as a team.9 -
Fully fit squad - of the new signings Chalobah and Grant make our best XI - would that be about right? I'm losing track of who we've signed and expectation levels.0
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He could move in with NJ at Sparrows laneLoOkOuT said:Welcome Nathaniel! Hope you’ll find a home at the club.7 -
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I'd say Koumetio as well and Mesik has a chance to oust both Bell and Edwards at left backEr_Be_Ab_Pl_Wo_Wo_Ch said:Fully fit squad - of the new signings Chalobah and Grant make our best XI - would that be about right? I'm losing track of who we've signed and expectation levels.3 -
Nearly there, with the bonus of Gough’s loan alongside Tanto’s.Scoham said:Hoping this is one side of a signing sandwich. Next announcement Tanto’s loan to Lincoln, then end the day with an exotic and expensive CM or RW.
Finish the sandwich @CAFCOfficial 🥪2 -
Superb, thanks!crookester said:
I'd say Koumetio as well and Mesik has a chance to oust both Bell and Edwards at left backEr_Be_Ab_Pl_Wo_Wo_Ch said:Fully fit squad - of the new signings Chalobah and Grant make our best XI - would that be about right? I'm losing track of who we've signed and expectation levels.0 -
Very pleased with this. A player I remember first watching play in the same England U-17 side as Jordan Cousins and Jake Forster-Caskey. Chalobah was definitely the stand out in the side, playing at CB. Kept a distant eye on his career since. As we all know, it just comes down to fitness with him. The ability is not in question. But for a free signing who has been training with the team for a few weeks, I think it's a good risk to take because on his day he's a very good Championship player. And we do have Coventry as back up, who I think an be described as "able to do a job" at this level, even if it's not ideal (though I still believe Coventry has another gear to go up).
Just a RW and ball playing CM to go now. I still believe money will be spent on those, just hope it's spent well and we're able to take good players and make them better. That's the name of the game.
Welcome Nathaniel. Go smash it!4 -
Ok signing so long as there’s another midfielder coming in0
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Spot on.Garrymanilow said:If there's any greater indicator of how progressively more deranged football fans get over the close season it's talking about a midfielder who was part of the squad that survived that season and going from 'we should sign an improvement on that player' to 'we are guaranteed to get relegated if he plays'. I was thinking about some of our best results last season; Blackburn, Coventry, Birmingham and Hull at home, Ipswich, Boro and Leicester away, Conor Coventry started all but two of those and played in all except the Hull game. He's a decent player who we need more competition for and there will be games where he's more or less suited depending on who we play. He's not some bargain bin Matt Smith we picked up in desperation. Football fans are getting so much weirder every year about their own players1 -
Is it just me or is anyone else finding all this talk of dry powder leading to strong urges to make a couple of calls and get in an eighth? Could be a bit more restrained and go for a 16th, help complete the squad list2
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A well deserved defense of Coventry. I agree I think he gets slated far too much. He is limited at certain things, but what he does, getting into pressing lanes, breaking up play, retaining possession, he does well. And as I mentioned in my post, I do think he still has another gear to go up.Garrymanilow said:If there's any greater indicator of how progressively more deranged football fans get over the close season it's talking about a midfielder who was part of the squad that survived that season and going from 'we should sign an improvement on that player' to 'we are guaranteed to get relegated if he plays'. I was thinking about some of our best results last season; Blackburn, Coventry, Birmingham and Hull at home, Ipswich, Boro and Leicester away, Conor Coventry started all but two of those and played in all except the Hull game. He's a decent player who we need more competition for and there will be games where he's more or less suited depending on who we play. He's not some bargain bin Matt Smith we picked up in desperation. Football fans are getting so much weirder every year about their own players
It's worth remembering he was hurt from around the turn of the year with a hip injury, which is part of why we got Coady in. I thought in the first half of the season he looked to be at the standard necessary, and I've not seen much since that to make me believe he's anything other than a bottom half Championship midfielder. Which is, coincidentally, what we are.
I think Chalobah could be better than Cov. I also think Cov as a broader range of passing than we've seen from him--which he's shown glimpses of in pre-season. But I think Chalobah and Coventry as competition for a spot, and maybe deployed as a defensive two on ocassion, represents good squad strength and depth for where we are.
Combine this with Mesik/Bell/Edwards at LB, Ramsay/McNamara at RB, a litany of CBs, and Godden, Leaburn, Kelman, Mbick up front and TC/Grant/Alli on the LW and we have some decent ability and depth in certain areas. We obviously know we need another 8 and a RW. But you can see this squad taking shape and I think it's one that, if we stay healthy and if we adapt well to a new system of play and if we continue to see improvements from some key players like Coventry, Leaburn, Kelman, TC (if he stays) Koumentio, and Ramsay, then I think we could push for kind of 12-15th, which to me would be a big success.
There is still a decent amount of upside in this squad, both from younger players/players newer to the level like Leaburn, Mbick, TC, and Kelman, but there's also upside in terms of health for the likes of Burke, Chalobah, and Bell--all of whom are undoubtedly Championship players when fit. But unlike last season, we have cover for those three, just as we have cover for the young players, which to me might be the biggest improvement for this squad.4 -
Cool, so we just signed someone who made 38% as many league appearances as Bell last season (13 according to Wiki). This will end fantastically.fenaddick said:1 -
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Yes but can we keep him fit, his injury record is concerning.
Surprised no one has mentioned this, thus far?3 -
If the rumoured Ramsay injury has any substance, we my have an extra element in the set {Nathan intersected with the complement of Jones}.thenewbie said:0 -
Good signing but we desperately need a creative midfielder.1
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New song maybe to the tune of my Sharona ?
Ooh you are our pretty one our injured one
When you gonna give us playing time
Chalobahhh
On a serious note though welcome and I hope he has fruitful time with us .1
