Thing is, we as supporters just see whatever happens on the pitch on the matchday. None of us see, or are aware, of how they perform in training, what effort they put in, how they mix as a team player etc.
Its all well and good us saying put them in because someone else hasn't delivered, but if they are showing little appetite or ability on a daily basis, then they won't warrant that chance.
I have no idea if anything has gone on with McLeod, but can't believe its just a straight forward issue because, on paper, it appears as if he hasn't been given a decent opportunity.
Bit cheeky of them. We know what he can do at that level. If he's going anywhere it needs to be to a lower half championship side so he can help us by scoring against our rivals and we can see what he's made of. Charlton, and McLeod personally, would gain nothing by him going to Barnet!
As much as I quite like the Sinclair signing its convincing me more and more that Pardew is losing the plot.
How many wingers have we got??
He cant drop Ambrose at the moment so thats one place filled, even though I do think he's better in the hole behind the strikers.
So that leaves either Sinclair, Cook, Thomas or Sam in the other position. If he knew we were signing Sinclair why get Cook, likewise why not ship out Thomas in January when we could and take a hit on the price to get rid of a good earner when we had the chance.
Personally I would go for a midfield 5 - Thomas, Zheng, Ambrose, Holland, Sinclair with one up front Varney. But dont think that is what Pardew will do.
Change the one up front, and one of the midfielders, and i don't think you will be too far from the truth.
If you bracket them together
Sam
Ambrose
Thomas
Cook
Sinclair
Varney
That is six players that in my opinion can only play a maximum 3 positions in a starting 11 (you would need a Gray / Iwelumo / Mcleod for some form of height / physcial presence).
Ambrose is well like by Pards, and has goals of late, so he is. Sinclair will be in because with competition, Chelsea wouldn't of let him here if he wasn't going to start straight in. So that leaves 4 fighting over one spot.
As Southend suggestion, i'm not sure the balance is correct.
But then if Cook and Sinclair are our best players over the next 12 games, then its good business.
We did try to ship Thomas out, but not on loan, Charlton tried to push it till we got the deal we wanted and got burned, sometimes it happens that way, sometimes you get the deal you want.
Im tending to err towards Southends opinion....about Pards losing the plot....Ive really defended the guy, but think he is a bit of a lightweight tactically. I wouldnt bother with Thomas, he is simply a waste of space (albeit a wasted talent). Cant for the life of me understand why we are soooo awful in front of goal (Strikers). Varney looks effective on the left, Ambrose when he turns his mind to it, can be influencial, but doesnt ever seem to put in a full shift. Hope to see better things from Cook...thought he struggled at Blackpool...but who wouldnt when they played like a team of strangers. Want to comment on Gray, but dont want to come across as being negative....Im still as keen as anyone for us to go on a do well. We really need to turn up this week at Sheffield....we went missing at Scunny and Blackpool and the players now owe us one.
"The Addicks have beaten off some fierce competition to land the teenage winger, who has moved across the capital on a three-month deal that encompasses the end-of-season Championship play-offs - if required."
[cite]Posted By: Stu of SE7[/cite]It's hard to give a player a run of games when you have dick fans that boo his everytouch, all that's doing is making his confidence even worse.
I think our most dangerous pairing upfront is McLeod and Varney, pace scares teams, sadly people would rather boo and jeer than cheer the lad on and help him.
Stu I have yet to hear people booing him,i for one don't rate him,I have expressed my opinion on here but I have never booed him.I think you maybe confusing people expressing a opinion on here to what goes on in the stadium.You may here that within the ultra's but maybe anybody in M block will back me up re the booing.
Steve, I think he is pretty cack as well and I certainly wasnt trying to dig anyone out on this board.
I have heard quite a lot of moaning when he gets subbed on, cheers when he goes off, maybe these people don't realise the players probably can hear them. Strikers are all about confidence, idiots doing that sort of stuff are not helping him at all.
i reckon sinclair will be used up front and not as a winger 2 big in gray and iwellumo 2 small sinclair and Varney with both of them happy to pull wider than a normal strikers and come in off the flank to score.
the reason people are more patient with gray is imo cos he looks like a footballer with ability and the reason people don't rate mcleod is cos he just doesn't appear to have any ability , all he has is pace.. i'm with nss in that i haven't heard any booos for mcleod ... still maybe pards sees it the same as me and will realise soon that players can be made to look better than they really are on youtube
Call me old fashioned but I like the sort of striker who both creates chances and finishes them
Im not particularly keen on strikers who make the chances and cant finish them
And not that fussed either about strikers who because they dont create the chances dont get the chance to finish them
I know I should be patient but from what I have seen so far of Iwelumo/Varney/Gray/McLeod and Dickson we havent got one of those. Take the best 20% of each and you have a decent striker.
From the small bit I have seen of him the difference between Sinclair and our other wingers is that he can also be very direct and actually look like he wants to have a go at goal.
I think SInclair will come in and play on the right in place of Sam who has been a bit off the boil in recent times and lacks a real end product despite having obvious talent.
I reckon we will play the following side at Sheffield United.....
Weaver Halford - Sodje - McCarthy - Youga Sinclair - Holland - Zhi - Cook Ambrose Gray or Iwelumo
Harsh on Varney but I think we'll go back to 4-5-1 in the away games from now on, we have been poor away from home playng 4-4-2, though God knows why.....
I hope you a re wrong about Varney Tone...he is the only forward who has looked like he is up for it and able to tuck the ball away...Id play Varney instead of Cook...Sinclair can play on either wing or behind the main striker
He (Sinclair) prefers to play on the left according to his interview on the OS. But as Tel says he can play either side or through the middle so who knows what Pards has in mind…
Yes, I would like to find a place for Varney but he can't play up front on his own and in a 4-5-1 would have to play wide right or maybe left where we have two new and very decent wide players (Cook and Sinclair).
I have to say that if he plays Ambrose off the front man on Saturday and it is successful then we may see a bit more of 4-5-1 for the rest of the season - I bet we are all looking forward to that!
Mind you, if you were playing Gray/Iwelumo up front with Sinclair, Ambrose, Cook and Zhi supporting then that might work quite well.
I like the look of Cook but Im not sure he is right for a start at Bramall Lane.
At least Mr Pardew has some options and he keeps telling us that he has been strong in the latter stages of a season. I just hope we make a fight of it.
Comments
Its all well and good us saying put them in because someone else hasn't delivered, but if they are showing little appetite or ability on a daily basis, then they won't warrant that chance.
I have no idea if anything has gone on with McLeod, but can't believe its just a straight forward issue because, on paper, it appears as if he hasn't been given a decent opportunity.
Bit cheeky of them. We know what he can do at that level. If he's going anywhere it needs to be to a lower half championship side so he can help us by scoring against our rivals and we can see what he's made of. Charlton, and McLeod personally, would gain nothing by him going to Barnet!
How many wingers have we got??
He cant drop Ambrose at the moment so thats one place filled, even though I do think he's better in the hole behind the strikers.
So that leaves either Sinclair, Cook, Thomas or Sam in the other position. If he knew we were signing Sinclair why get Cook, likewise why not ship out Thomas in January when we could and take a hit on the price to get rid of a good earner when we had the chance.
Personally I would go for a midfield 5 - Thomas, Zheng, Ambrose, Holland, Sinclair with one up front Varney. But dont think that is what Pardew will do.
If you bracket them together
Sam
Ambrose
Thomas
Cook
Sinclair
Varney
That is six players that in my opinion can only play a maximum 3 positions in a starting 11 (you would need a Gray / Iwelumo / Mcleod for some form of height / physcial presence).
Ambrose is well like by Pards, and has goals of late, so he is. Sinclair will be in because with competition, Chelsea wouldn't of let him here if he wasn't going to start straight in. So that leaves 4 fighting over one spot.
As Southend suggestion, i'm not sure the balance is correct.
But then if Cook and Sinclair are our best players over the next 12 games, then its good business.
me thinks Pardew doesn't know his best team - like Cook a few games ago he is just throwing in players to see what works.
best we'll get up there is a draw - don't usually come away with much from Sheff Utd. anyone remenber a win ?
We won at Bramall Lane the year we won the League, Hunt scored a couple i think. Great day out!
Has anyone noticed Sinclair's loan deal is till the 4th May? Hope there's an option to get him for the play off's if we're there.
September 1999. 2-1 with goals from Andy Hunt, I believe.
"The Addicks have beaten off some fierce competition to land the teenage winger, who has moved across the capital on a three-month deal that encompasses the end-of-season Championship play-offs - if required."
Stu I have yet to hear people booing him,i for one don't rate him,I have expressed my opinion on here but I have never booed him.I think you maybe confusing people expressing a opinion on here to what goes on in the stadium.You may here that within the ultra's but maybe anybody in M block will back me up re the booing.
I do admit to calling him the clown though.
I have heard quite a lot of moaning when he gets subbed on, cheers when he goes off, maybe these people don't realise the players probably can hear them. Strikers are all about confidence, idiots doing that sort of stuff are not helping him at all.
He seemed more interested in the colour of his boots. . . .
Im not particularly keen on strikers who make the chances and cant finish them
And not that fussed either about strikers who because they dont create the chances dont get the chance to finish them
I know I should be patient but from what I have seen so far of Iwelumo/Varney/Gray/McLeod and Dickson we havent got one of those. Take the best 20% of each and you have a decent striker.
I reckon we will play the following side at Sheffield United.....
Weaver
Halford - Sodje - McCarthy - Youga
Sinclair - Holland - Zhi - Cook
Ambrose
Gray or Iwelumo
Harsh on Varney but I think we'll go back to 4-5-1 in the away games from now on, we have been poor away from home playng 4-4-2, though God knows why.....
I wouldnt disagree with the back five.
Only because ZZ looked knackered at Blackpool and Varney deserves to retain his place I would go for
Sinclair Holland Semedo Varney
with Ambrose playing just behind Gray
That might be a decent balance of flair and tenacity.
My subs would be
Elliott
Gibbs (Fortune if Gibbs isnt 100% yet)
ZZ
Cook
Iwelumo
I have to say that if he plays Ambrose off the front man on Saturday and it is successful then we may see a bit more of 4-5-1 for the rest of the season - I bet we are all looking forward to that!
Mind you, if you were playing Gray/Iwelumo up front with Sinclair, Ambrose, Cook and Zhi supporting then that might work quite well.
At least Mr Pardew has some options and he keeps telling us that he has been strong in the latter stages of a season. I just hope we make a fight of it.