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Our Squad and Riga

With the right coach supporting them would our squad be good enough to stay up? I like Riga, but he might have his work cut out with the current crop and not expecting this run in to be fun at all. He has a lot of work ahead of him building confidence within the team. Is confidence the only problem though? For some of the players I think yes, but others are just not experienced or consistent enough.

Some additions of some creativity in midfield and a solid defence supported by a strong DM would do wonders as it would ease the pressure off of the attackers.


1. Stephen Henderson - A very good keeper lacking a strong confident defence in front of him
2. Ricardo Vaz Te - Have to admit not seen a lot to tell me he is the answer to our lack of goals or creativity.
3. Ahmed Kashi - A solid midfielder who I think we have sadly missed through long term injury. needs to be replaced even on temporary basis.
4. Johnnie Jackson - A good captain and I will support him until he retires, but hasn't got the pace for a CM role. However I'd like to see him play just behind the front 2 in a diamond as he is a goal threat, but then that means he has to have a solid defensive midfielder behind him. Or as AM in a 5 man midfield behind Makienok picking up his knock downs.
5. Patrick Bauer - A good defender but still inexperienced. I see a good career for him, but he needs a stable partner alongside him.
6. Naby Sarr - A defender who gets turned so easily and clumsy in the tackle. Still young so could learn and develop, but a bit of a liability at the moment.
7. Johann Berg Gudmundsson - 6 assists this season, but nowhere near the player he was last year. Lack of confidence maybe or too much pressure?
8. Jordan Cousins - not having his best season in my opinion but you wouldn't drop him for anyone else at the moment. Needs confidence.
9. Simon Makienok - needs confidence and needs people to back off of the abuse. Beginning of the season he looked good and a real work horse. But he had "that" bad game and he hasn't been allowed to move on. get some crosses into him and I think he will get more goals and his confidence will fly.
10. Cristian Ceballos - Not seen enough of him yet to comment.
11. Callum Harriott - I like Harriott and I think with a run and being well managed he could be a key player in the run in.
12. Alou Diarra - Looked so good in the DM role in those 2 games KF won, but he is still the best CB to partner Bauer. Either buy a proper experienced CB (not Johnson) or get a proper DM so he can play back in defence.
14. Igor Vetokele - If only he could find last seasons early form.
16. Reza Ghoochannejhad - That sending off aside he looks more up for it than most of the players recently. Needs to play up top not on the wing.
17. Tareiq Holmes-Dennis - This guy looks good and I'd give him a run ahead of Fox.
18. Karlan Ahearne-Grant - Not in the same league as Lookman. Needs a loan at a League One or Two club to get some games.
19. Zakarya Bergdich - What kind of player is he? Answers on a postcard.
20. Chris Solly - Not the best season from him either but we don't have anyone else who reputation wise can fill that RB role. Although THD did well.
21. Morgan Fox - Not as bad as people make out, but gets caught out a lot. Again I think lacking confidence.
22. El-Hadji Ba - Not for me, sorry.
24. Regan Charles-Cook - A couple of climpses but not ready yet.
25. Rhy Williams - Come to us to get fit and make up numbers in my opinion. Boro fan of mine rated him before injury. Do we have time for him to get fit?
26. Harry Lennon - Not a bad defender at all. Needs to learn off of an experienced CB.
28 Roger Johnson - Ok he is vocal on the pitch, but still a pretty poor defender.
30. Nick Pope - Again a confidence player. Maybe not quite Championship level yet. but has potential I still believe this.
32. Tony Watt - A good solo player, but we need a team player. If he could bring people into the team like he has at Cardiff I doubt we would have let him go. But I think he thought he had to do it all himself. We miss his level of creativity and energy. But his attitude stinks.
37 Ademola Lookman - Awesome introduction to the game. We won't keep him, but hope we do for at least the rest of this season.
39 Diego Poyet - Needs to find his feet and place in the team. I really rated him before he left, but is his heart in it?
44 - Franck Moussa - The forgotten man. Doubt he will be around long.

Bound to get shot down for some of these comments, but everyone has an opinion. Mine is probably wrong to a lot of people :-)
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Comments

  • They're certainly in a situation now where they need a Manager who can put an arm round them and give them the lift they need, I'd be surprised if those that worked with Riga before (Jackson / Solly / Cousins / Harriott / Poyet) need lifting so just got to hope that the likes of Johann come round to his way of thinking.
  • Thanks for your input Karal, I can see why you were Roland turns to you for all his scouting needs ;).

    LOL. If I was Karel I'd say I was still up to the task after successfully managing teams for 19 years.... dammit my cover is blown ;-)
  • sam3110 said:

    1-44Shite the lot of them

    colin1961 said:

    4 - Johnnie Jackson - Legs have gone

    We need to get out of the habit of quoting that number :wink:
  • It's a weird squad really. There's a number of decent players in there but there's a lack of Championship knowledge and experience. The head scratcher is the kind of Championship experience we've brought in to complement it. Bauer and an experienced CH should be a great combo, but Roger Johnson hasn't even looked a shadow of the player he was 12 months ago so when the two eventually do play together there's no indication it'll solve our problems. We're sorely lacking pace at full back, that's for sure. We've also brought in Rhys Williams, who obviously isn't fit, Poyet who is a good signing but isn't going to get goals flowing the other way, and Vaz Te, who is still yet to score and looks more and more uninterested in being on the pitch with every passing minute. We need Igor to show up and be the player he was at the start of last season, but we also need some nous in the team. Binning off two 2-0 leads shows that the team just doesn't know how to manage the phases of a game and Riga absolutely has to start drilling them on this. If we can get Igor or Lookman or Reza to bang in a couple of early goals and then use the experience and talents of Poyet, Johnson and Williams to see out the game then the confidence might start to flow and we could get our team sorted out.

    It's a big ask though. We could really do with a pacy left back, a creative attacking midfielder and a goalscorer. We could do a lot worse than Kemar Roofe, Tom Bradshaw and a Prem LB on loan.
  • The big issue is defensively we are always good for conceding one or two avoidable goals and we don’t create enough chances and consequently put too much pressure on ourselves. With the players we have, we need to play 4-3-3 and have Bauer as one of the centre backs. Ideally we should play, at home at least: Henderson, Solly, Bauer, Johnson, Holmes Dennis, Diara,, Cosuins, Poyet, JBG, Makienok and Lookman. This would need the full backs pushing forwards at every opportunity. We need to bring in quality that will improve any of the above and will ensure we don’t have to play players that aren’t ready or we know cant contribute.
  • edited January 2016
    I thought Bauer was out of the running for the immediate future with a groin injury which he is going back to have examined by a specialist in Germany. So we can forget him ftb. Willams has played CB but then again he's only here for a month initially which leaves Sarr or Lennon. Not wishing to be negative but throwing them in at the deep end isn't the solution at the moment either. More signings required ASAP because we haven't got time to get a fully fit squad playing to their full potential together.
  • If we assume that no one is sold, except Lookman who is then leant back, Williams returns to Midd and none is brought in as the budget is used, what do we realistically have:

    G: Henderson & Pope
    RB Solly, Charles-Cook
    LB Fox, Homes Dennis, Bergdich, Diarra
    CD Johnson,Sarr, Bauer(Injured), Lennon
    CM Cousins, Jackson, Poyet, Ba, Moussa Kashi(injured)
    WM Gudmundsson, Harriott, Ceballos, Lookman, Kennedy
    F Vaz Te, Watt, Vetokele, Ahearne Grant, Umerah, Makienok, Reza, Pigott

    leaving out the injured what is the best squad of 18

    Henderson
    Solly-Johnson-Diarra-HD
    JBG-Cousins-Poyet-Harriott
    Watt-Vetokele

    Pope-CC-Fox-Lennon-Jackson-Moussa-Makienok

    not very inspiring unless Riga can get them to work as a team and play tp the best of their abilities
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  • With three points for a win we could, in theory, finish comfortably placed in the final order. Thing is, we've been dreadful at defending all season. That wouldn't be so bad were we able to score freely, but we can't do that, either. It's not a desperate situation, yet, but if we fail to pick up points, soon, and the teams above us do, we risk losing touch.
    Riga's previous stint saw him focus on the 'Best chance for a draw / win' games. We lost a few, but got the points we needed (and more).
    A lot of this will come down to the mentality of the players. Vaz Te, for one, had better look sharp and get stuck in. Perhaps we can gain some new players before the end of the month. If so, they'll need to be firing on all cylinders.
    We can't faff about now. A couple of wins will do the power of good - but is the teamwork mentality there? If it is, we have a damn good chance of staying up. If it isn't, we'll continue to struggle.
    Bon chance, Mr Riga.
  • Earth to Madz, Roland ain't ever gonna pay a single penny into Charlton, just look at the three dross players he's just recruited
  • After the farce with Watt and Cardiff, unless RD manages to raise £2m with other sales, (for whatever reason best known to him), I cannot see any more players coming in
  • With three points for a win we could, in theory, finish comfortably placed in the final order. Thing is, we've been dreadful at defending all season. That wouldn't be so bad were we able to score freely, but we can't do that, either. It's not a desperate situation, yet, but if we fail to pick up points, soon, and the teams above us do, we risk losing touch.
    Riga's previous stint saw him focus on the 'Best chance for a draw / win' games. We lost a few, but got the points we needed (and more).
    A lot of this will come down to the mentality of the players. Vaz Te, for one, had better look sharp and get stuck in. Perhaps we can gain some new players before the end of the month. If so, they'll need to be firing on all cylinders.
    We can't faff about now. A couple of wins will do the power of good - but is the teamwork mentality there? If it is, we have a damn good chance of staying up. If it isn't, we'll continue to struggle.
    Bon chance, Mr Riga.

    From what I've seen, Vaz Te has been played as a midfielder, winger, but rarely in his best position as striker. Same with Reza. I'm not surprised they have found it difficult to find their form. If Riga can start playing players in their favoured positions, we may have a chance.
  • Earth to Madz, Roland ain't ever gonna pay a single penny into Charlton, just look at the three dross players he's just recruited

    Poyet dross?
  • edited January 2016
    By this reckoning, I assume we will win the league
  • Squad is stronger than 2013-14, so we have a chance but run in is dire
  • The first thing I want to see is us defensively organised... well drilled and committed. Make us hard to beat first and foremost then build from there...
  • Squad is stronger than 2013-14, so we have a chance but run in is dire

    Have you looked at the league table lately?
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  • All this s*** now is a culmination of two years mismanagement. It has all only been a question of time.

    It will only get worse.
  • edited January 2016
    Charlton are said to have bid £380,000 for Standard Leige defender Jorge Teixeira according to Belgium newspaper Le Soir.

    Source ATN Charlton app
  • edited January 2016
    Would be happy with him.

    Edit: wrong teixeira
  • edited January 2016

    Charlton are said to have bid £380,000 for Standard Leige defender Jorge Teixeira according to Belgium newspaper Le Soir.

    Source ATN Charlton app

    Would be surprised if they sell him. He has played in most of their games this season. Might be someone Riga rates from his last spell there, or could just be RD chatting up a mate hoping for a cheapie. £380k isn't that cheap however.
  • Charlton are said to have bid £380,000 for Standard Leige defender Jorge Teixeira according to Belgium newspaper Le Soir.

    Source ATN Charlton app

    Would be surprised if they sell him. He has played in most of their games this season. Might be someone Riga rates from his last spell there, or could just be RD chatting up a mate hoping for a cheapie. £380k isn't that cheap however.
    To me, it didn't look like he's played this season
  • Charlton are said to have bid £380,000 for Standard Leige defender Jorge Teixeira according to Belgium newspaper Le Soir.

    Source ATN Charlton app

    30 years old. Portugese. Not a first team regular at present.....but has played this season (and has scored 4 goals - 1 in the League, 3 in the Cup). Could be spared by Standard Liege and no doubt RD would be ok with the signing. With our crocked and stuttering centre backs he'd be a useful addition.
  • We need quality at the back. The sort of quality you have to pay for. If it strengthens the defence, £380k could be seen as a bargain. But I don't know the player at all.
  • We need quality at the back. The sort of quality you have to pay for. If it strengthens the defence, £380k could be seen as a bargain. But I don't know the player at all.

    Could be a compromise by Riga - easier to get this bloke in and avoid 3 weeks arguing with RD and KM (because he isn't English).

    Looks half decent - top flight football in Israel and Switzerland as well. Won the Cup in Switzerland.
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Roland Out Forever!