I thought Forster- Caskey was awful as was Williams. Barker looked like a fish out of water. In the first half it looked like Doncaster would score every time they went forward. Gilbey looked like he could do something with better players around him. Washington has scored two goals but this is the worse Charlton squad since Slades.
I believe that's evident to most of us, including Bowyer.
But what's he to do? Half the squad left in the close season including a number of key players, and he's not allowed to replace them. The embargo has put paid to that. The EFL has ruled there can be a 23 man squad but that has to include many raw inexperienced kids, who are counted as 1st team squad players because they've played a few minutes in a cup game or last season, during our severe injury crisis, were thrown in hopelessly out of their depth because there was literally nobody else fit enough to play.
Sure, we've signed the experienced Washington and Gilbey - but that's it. It doesn't replace half a squad. Bowyer has stated he has 3, 4, 5 ready to sign - but of course they can't yet.
It's not only us supporters pinning our hopes on Sandgaard. Bowyer is too.
The Thierry Racon comparison is spot on. JFC was the most Karl Robinson-esque signing of the Karl Robinson era. And we weren’t ever going to get promoted with Gobbo running the show.
He spent most of our promotion season injured. I remember the melt down on here when it happened (I thought we were screwed at the time too) but perhaps in hindsight it was a blessing in disguise because we ended up playing Bielik in midfield most of the year.
He’s the best we’ve got for now but I’m not sure I would be trying to get him to sign a new contract past 2021.
I thought Forster- Caskey was awful as was Williams. Barker looked like a fish out of water. In the first half it looked like Doncaster would score every time they went forward. Gilbey looked like he could do something with better players around him. Washington has scored two goals but this is the worse Charlton squad since Slades.
Despite what I said above I’d take JFC over Slade’s midfield, before Ulvestad came in he saw no issue with playing Foley, Crofts and Jackson together. Awful.
Agree that midfield v Swindon was the absolute worst - though in Slade's defence, I don't think he had much choice at the time. That squad was truly desperate.
The Thierry Racon comparison is spot on. JFC was the most Karl Robinson-esque signing of the Karl Robinson era. And we weren’t ever going to get promoted with Gobbo running the show.
He spent most of our promotion season injured. I remember the melt down on here when it happened (I thought we were screwed at the time too) but perhaps in hindsight it was a blessing in disguise because we ended up playing Bielik in midfield most of the year.
He’s the best we’ve got for now but I’m not sure I would be trying to get him to sign a new contract past 2021.
I wouldn’t call him the best we’ve got. Midfield is where we have numbers and oztumer or the Man U kid should be given game time she’s of him at the moment.
I think a diamond of Pratley, Watson, Gilbey and Williams would be outstanding at this level. Maybe lacks a few goals but has a bit of everything. Levitt, Lapslie, Morgan and JFC give us different options from the bench so it's not an area of massive concern yet. Defence is the obvious one that needs strengthening ASAP. It's actually affecting the midfield too a bit like Man City when they had all their CBs injured. Pratley going to CB was like Fernandinho, he may do ok there but then you are losing a big part of the midfield on top.
I thought Forster- Caskey was awful as was Williams. Barker looked like a fish out of water. In the first half it looked like Doncaster would score every time they went forward. Gilbey looked like he could do something with better players around him. Washington has scored two goals but this is the worse Charlton squad since Slades.
Williams needs to offer more this season. I get he’s been blighted by injuries his whole career, and I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt based on how last season panned our, but he really needs to be adding more assists and more goals at this level. The little 10 yard runs followed by him getting fouled were like a sense of excitement at first, because you always thought he was going to do something more, were he to not be fouled, but now I’m thinking, that’s pretty much all he’s got
As for JFC, I didn’t really rate him massively before his injury. I’m not a fan of his Beckham impressions and trying to spray long balls all over the pitch. You have to have proper talent to do that, and I think he’s limited
I think comparing JFC to Racon pre-ACL is very harsh, JFC 17/18 season one of our best players in a team that finished 6th. Racon was god damn awful.
I wasn't comparing pre-ACL JFC to Racon, I'm comparing him now to Racon. That season he scored a few goals and it looked like Bowyer may have been able to help him improve that further had he not picked up his injury.
Racon played regularly in 09/10 when we finished 4th, I don't think that proves he's a top player at this level. Neither are/were players you'd want playing regularly in a Championship midfield or would expect to see in the League 1 team of the season.
With the way Bowyer can improve players I wouldn't completely write JFC off, but I think he'll need to be on track to scoring 10+ this season to stay in the side.
Looks so off the pace, 17/18 he was steaming in tackles and scoring goals, he looks a shadow of his former self.
Remembering Billy Clarke who I believe had the same or a similar injury? He never recovered back to the player he was, could this be the case here, really hope not, if somehow we manage to get players in I think he’d benefit from a season loan in league two to build up confidence.
Scoring goals? How many has he actually scored for us?
Looks so off the pace, 17/18 he was steaming in tackles and scoring goals, he looks a shadow of his former self.
Remembering Billy Clarke who I believe had the same or a similar injury? He never recovered back to the player he was, could this be the case here, really hope not, if somehow we manage to get players in I think he’d benefit from a season loan in league two to build up confidence.
Scoring goals? How many has he actually scored for us?
Eight goals... His last coming on the 21st November 2017 against Rochdale when he got both in a 2-1 win
Its a shame as remember him scoring in a 4-0 win against Swindon on the last day of the season, made a really late run into the box and reminded me of when Johnnie Jackson used to do it, think he said then that he'd been encouraged to do it more, shame really that he's playing so deep for us at the moment, may well be the issue for him
Looks so off the pace, 17/18 he was steaming in tackles and scoring goals, he looks a shadow of his former self.
Remembering Billy Clarke who I believe had the same or a similar injury? He never recovered back to the player he was, could this be the case here, really hope not, if somehow we manage to get players in I think he’d benefit from a season loan in league two to build up confidence.
Scoring goals? How many has he actually scored for us?
Eight goals... His last coming on the 21st November 2017 against Rochdale when he got both in a 2-1 win
Its a shame as remember him scoring in a 4-0 win against Swindon on the last day of the season, made a really late run into the box and reminded me of when Johnnie Jackson used to do it, think he said then that he'd been encouraged to do it more, shame really that he's playing so deep for us at the moment, may well be the issue for him
Wiki says 7 in 70 but I’ll bow to your greater knowledge.
Looks so off the pace, 17/18 he was steaming in tackles and scoring goals, he looks a shadow of his former self.
Remembering Billy Clarke who I believe had the same or a similar injury? He never recovered back to the player he was, could this be the case here, really hope not, if somehow we manage to get players in I think he’d benefit from a season loan in league two to build up confidence.
Scoring goals? How many has he actually scored for us?
Eight goals... His last coming on the 21st November 2017 against Rochdale when he got both in a 2-1 win
Its a shame as remember him scoring in a 4-0 win against Swindon on the last day of the season, made a really late run into the box and reminded me of when Johnnie Jackson used to do it, think he said then that he'd been encouraged to do it more, shame really that he's playing so deep for us at the moment, may well be the issue for him
Wiki says 7 in 70 but I’ll bow to your greater knowledge.
I used TransferMarkt... Dont trust Wiki for stats
Although SoccerBase also says seven goals so someone is wrong somewhere
Either way it's 7 (or 8) more than Williams has scored for us
I can see Gilbey getting goals for us this season, but others need to contribute too. Williams definitely needs more end product, he's never going to be prolific, but in the THIRD tier he really ought to be scoring 4 or 5 a season
I think comparing JFC to Racon pre-ACL is very harsh, JFC 17/18 season one of our best players in a team that finished 6th. Racon was god damn awful.
Yes, he was quite decent in 17/18, breaking into the box
Exactly.
Said the other day that he’s not a ball winning midfielder and not a deep-lying playmaker. He’s far better further up the pitch. He’s not someone who will dictate a game at the base of midfield. JFC is far, far better in the final third and top end of the middle third than he is picking it up from the centre backs.
Until we sign players who can play in that position, he’s the only one in the squad who is going to give that role a go.
I’d always play Williams if possible, but if we were to sign Watson, I’d give a midfield of Forster-Caskey, Watson, and Gilbey a go. It would mean we could see him further up the pitch. His technical quality could pick a pass in a dangerous area, he isn’t going to do that sitting on the halfway line every game.
Looks so off the pace, 17/18 he was steaming in tackles and scoring goals, he looks a shadow of his former self.
Remembering Billy Clarke who I believe had the same or a similar injury? He never recovered back to the player he was, could this be the case here, really hope not, if somehow we manage to get players in I think he’d benefit from a season loan in league two to build up confidence.
Scoring goals? How many has he actually scored for us?
Okay, scoring the odd goal, now I don’t think he has a sniff. My point being he’s not the same player.
He needs a co disenchanted boost and Saturday would have helped and he needs to build momentum. Shame, because I don’t think he can start two games in quick succession and expect him to be on the bench tonigh
He's definitely playing his way back into his best form. He's probably never going to be one of the best players in the squad/team but very much someone with a job to do - and that's no criticism.
If he can add more regular goals to his game so much the better.
Before JFC did his ACL (I think that was what he was out for so long with) he looked like a decent championship player. Kept the game ticking over, good eye for a pass, defensively solid and decent dead ball delivery.
hw hasn’t looked as good since he came back and has struggled to dictate the game abs his dead ball delivery has been awful at least 59% of the time.
Last couple of games he’s been getting back into his groove and has been playing well. Long May that continue.
Comments
I believe that's evident to most of us, including Bowyer.
But what's he to do? Half the squad left in the close season including a number of key players, and he's not allowed to replace them.
The embargo has put paid to that. The EFL has ruled there can be a 23 man squad but that has to include many raw inexperienced kids, who are counted as 1st team squad players because they've played a few minutes in a cup game or last season, during our severe injury crisis, were thrown in hopelessly out of their depth because there was literally nobody else fit enough to play.
Sure, we've signed the experienced Washington and Gilbey - but that's it. It doesn't replace half a squad.
Bowyer has stated he has 3, 4, 5 ready to sign - but of course they can't yet.
It's not only us supporters pinning our hopes on Sandgaard. Bowyer is too.
He spent most of our promotion season injured. I remember the melt down on here when it happened (I thought we were screwed at the time too) but perhaps in hindsight it was a blessing in disguise because we ended up playing Bielik in midfield most of the year.
He’s the best we’ve got for now but I’m not sure I would be trying to get him to sign a new contract past 2021.
He can ‘do a job’, but never is a difference maker either defensively or in attack.
Hes just....there.
But he has a bit to prove.
As for JFC, I didn’t really rate him massively before his injury. I’m not a fan of his Beckham impressions and trying to spray long balls all over the pitch. You have to have proper talent to do that, and I think he’s limited
Racon played regularly in 09/10 when we finished 4th, I don't think that proves he's a top player at this level. Neither are/were players you'd want playing regularly in a Championship midfield or would expect to see in the League 1 team of the season.
With the way Bowyer can improve players I wouldn't completely write JFC off, but I think he'll need to be on track to scoring 10+ this season to stay in the side.
Its a shame as remember him scoring in a 4-0 win against Swindon on the last day of the season, made a really late run into the box and reminded me of when Johnnie Jackson used to do it, think he said then that he'd been encouraged to do it more, shame really that he's playing so deep for us at the moment, may well be the issue for him
Although SoccerBase also says seven goals so someone is wrong somewhere
I can see Gilbey getting goals for us this season, but others need to contribute too. Williams definitely needs more end product, he's never going to be prolific, but in the THIRD tier he really ought to be scoring 4 or 5 a season
Said the other day that he’s not a ball winning midfielder and not a deep-lying playmaker. He’s far better further up the pitch. He’s not someone who will dictate a game at the base of midfield. JFC is far, far better in the final third and top end of the middle third than he is picking it up from the centre backs.
Until we sign players who can play in that position, he’s the only one in the squad who is going to give that role a go.
I’d always play Williams if possible, but if we were to sign Watson, I’d give a midfield of Forster-Caskey, Watson, and Gilbey a go. It would mean we could see him further up the pitch. His technical quality could pick a pass in a dangerous area, he isn’t going to do that sitting on the halfway line every game.
If he can add more regular goals to his game so much the better.
hw hasn’t looked as good since he came back and has struggled to dictate the game abs his dead ball delivery has been awful at least 59% of the time.
Last couple of games he’s been getting back into his groove and has been playing well. Long May that continue.