Since the inception of our great Club, I would defy anyone to find a League starting Xl to beat today's so far as career appearances for us are concerned.:
Rudd - 25
Konsa - 22
Bauer - 45
Teixeira - 31
Page - 5
Holmes - 22
Foster-Caskey - 6
Aribo - 11
Mavididi - 5
Byrne - 5
Novak - 21
That's less than 200 appearances between the lot of them. Solly has more than but if it wasn't for his "achilles heel" he wouldn't still be with us either. Or JJ who is only on the bench to keep the others warm.
So what these are only stats. But these are stats that sum up all that is wrong at the moment.
Fans need a team that they can relate to - imagine asking a young lad or girl "who's your favourite player?" - he or she probably wouldn't even be able to name three or four of that lot let alone have a favourite. For me, growing up if you asked me, it might have been King Arthur one game, for another it would be Killer or Flash or Paddy or Bob C or Phil W or Pea Wee or Big Ship or Richie B etc etc. Yes I accept that times are different now and players move far more than they did in the 70s. But if you fill the side with Championship cast offs and injury prone journeymen on short or even, in some cases long term contracts and youngsters not ready for the first team in the hope that one might make the sales in the next window, then you will never be successful.
It must also be difficult for the players too as they don't know each other either so to expect any level of an understanding is virtually an impossibility. Four of our six midfielders/forwards probably started their first game together today - no pre-season friendlies to do that either. Robinson will argue that he is re-building. But half of this team probably won't be with us next season - and neither will he in all probability. And that is why we find ourselves where we are. With another Manager happy to "evolve" the team on a shoestring and even more so with the guaranteed pay off for less than six months work.
We now resemble a non League Club not a full time professional outfit. And getting to the National League will be Roland and Katy's greatest ever "achievement" given their definition of "improvement". Don't believe me? Luton, in 2007, when in the Championship, probably never thought that they would be playing in the Conference a little over two years later either. So why should we be any different now?
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Comments
Hamer
Solly
Morrison
Taylor
Wiggins
Stephens
Hollands
Jackson
Wagstaff
BWP
Hayes
The League 1 winning starting X1 not only had enjoyed the benefit of a pre season together but were better players - good enough to play at this level and beyond in most cases. You only have to look at how many appearances that staring line up made that season to confirm this:
Hamer (41)
Solly (44)
Morrison (45)
Taylor (41)
Wiggins (45)
Stephens (30)
Hollands (43)
Jackson (36)
Wagstaff (34)
BWP (42)
Hayes (19)
We also supplemented that side with the wonderful signing of Kermy (36). There simply is no comparison between that squad and our current one.
So, in summary, all I am saying is that we have no chance of any success if we keep changing the manager and buying sub-standard players that every new incumbent accepts simply because he has to if he wants that "pay off" when it all, inevitably, goes belly up.
So the likes of Elliot, JJ, Wagstaff, BWP and Solly were around the previous season and would have surpassed the number of appearances between them - albeit only just. But, as I say, that isn't the major point I am trying to make.