He seems to have a habit of going missing in away games against smaller teams.
Does he? And I don’t mean this in a rude way but…
Scored against Forest Green Yet to play Cambridge, Milton Keynes, Morecambe and Cheltenham away from home. Played 86 minutes on the opening day of the season again Accrington Stanley. Came off the bench at half time to assist Leaburn against Oxford. Came off the bench in the 63rd minute in our draw with Burton when we were 3-2 down.
That’s every club below us covered.
Above us in terms of much smaller clubs:
Fleetwood he played 80 minutes and had Clayden behind him at left back. Port Vale he played 77 minutes and every single player was atrocious. Yet to play Bristol Rovers away from home. Came off the bench in the 76th minute against Lincoln. Scored against Exeter in February.
Going further above that and we are talking clubs around 10 points above us. Think there is a good number of games to see how effective he is against smaller opponents away from home.
Be nice to provide context when making a statement.
Really happy he’s staying as he’s a player that no other we have can do what he does. His pace and ability to carry the ball and breeze passed defenders is a huge threat at this level.
As it’s been said, add consistency in the final third and he’ll be a top player in this league.
I'm happy to keep him for next year, but not sure he's good enough to be a starter in a promotion seeking side playing 433. A lot depends on whether we can replace DJ and Kirk with something better, or whether we'll be stuck with them.
Might not be good enough in a promotion chasing team, but seeing as next season we are more likely to be fighting relegation then I think it was a no brainer to sign him up fur another year.
Apart from JRS (who definitely wont be here next season) he is our best attacking player.
If we want to win promotion then we have to improve on players like CBT .. would have been one for the released list in my book .. what has he created ?
If we want to win promotion then we have to improve on players like CBT .. would have been one for the released list in my book .. what has he created ?
Six goals and five assists. And occasional exciting moments. I'd keep him in the squad. Decent sub to bring on.
Considering he initially funded his stay here when training with the team, and then got the contract I'm very happy to see him progress. He is now a regular player, and I enjoy the bursts of energy on the wings.
I hope Dean and the team can continue to help him improve, just a little more consistency with the final ball. I think it is 6 goals this season, not a bad return IMO.
If we can get a better quality of forward player around him, I think will also improve his game.
If we want to win promotion then we have to improve on players like CBT .. would have been one for the released list in my book .. what has he created ?
I'm sure you say stuff like this to get attention. If not you are certified mental
He seems to have a habit of going missing in away games against smaller teams.
Does he? And I don’t mean this in a rude way but…
Scored against Forest Green Yet to play Cambridge, Milton Keynes, Morecambe and Cheltenham away from home. Played 86 minutes on the opening day of the season again Accrington Stanley. Came off the bench at half time to assist Leaburn against Oxford. Came off the bench in the 63rd minute in our draw with Burton when we were 3-2 down.
That’s every club below us covered.
Above us in terms of much smaller clubs:
Fleetwood he played 80 minutes and had Clayden behind him at left back. Port Vale he played 77 minutes and every single player was atrocious. Yet to play Bristol Rovers away from home. Came off the bench in the 76th minute against Lincoln. Scored against Exeter in February.
Going further above that and we are talking clubs around 10 points above us. Think there is a good number of games to see how effective he is against smaller opponents away from home.
Be nice to provide context when making a statement.
Really happy he’s staying as he’s a player that no other we have can do what he does. His pace and ability to carry the ball and breeze passed defenders is a huge threat at this level.
As it’s been said, add consistency in the final third and he’ll be a top player in this league.
I almost stood corrected when I read that list as it sounded impressive, but on closer examination it actually says only he's contributed to a few of those games. That's only going on this season of course.
To me, he always looks very up for our home games, and for away games at teams like Sheff Weds, but he can be completely anonymous in others. I think motivation was something his past club's fans had mentioned. Still, I think it's a habit, I'm not saying he goes missing in every single game.
It might even be that these smaller sides typically have smaller pitches, so he's not got as much space to exploit.
He is still one of our best players and I enjoy watching him play at home, you don't need to defend him to me. It's a little odd that you found my comment particularly triggering when others are slaughtering him on this thread.
For me, it’s a pathetic decision. Looks like we’re repeating the same mistakes of season’s gone by. He’s had the odd moment, but this is a team, similar to last year’s, that is going to finish in abject mediocrity and around 12th at best. Like last season, the quality needed/gulf between where we finished and competing for promotion is going to be quite a chasm. Blackett Taylor simply doesn’t have it. I’m not expecting much because I think TS will still be in charge come the summer, but we’re going down exactly the same route as we have done by renewing his contract. Shambles
He's probably very cheap - we signed him after he was released from Tranmere then took a punt giving him a deal, remember - and I would think that as a third or fourth choice winger, he is a great asset.
The question, of course, is whether he'd be there, or a starter. If the latter it is indeed pathetic. But one year is just one year; we have the option and I think it's prudent to exercise it. He's rapid and on his day can tear a defence apart.
Good decision Has made good progress with us so far... and could certainly push higher next season
It's a really good point. He came in as a cheap gamble, cover for Kirk and DJ. He wasn't even a regular for Tranmere in L2. Since he signed he's got fitter and added more goals to his game.
At 25 he's young enough to improve further.
As well signing good players we should also be developing the players we've got.
For me, it’s a pathetic decision. Looks like we’re repeating the same mistakes of season’s gone by. He’s had the odd moment, but this is a team, similar to last year’s, that is going to finish in abject mediocrity and around 12th at best. Like last season, the quality needed/gulf between where we finished and competing for promotion is going to be quite a chasm. Blackett Taylor simply doesn’t have it. I’m not expecting much because I think TS will still be in charge come the summer, but we’re going down exactly the same route as we have done by renewing his contract. Shambles
It depends how we use him.
Bowyer got us promoted with Marshall, Reeves, Parker, Lapslie, Purrington etc. Powell had Wagstaff, Evina, Green, Euell and so on.
An entire squad of players of that level and you won’t get promoted.
CBT as one of four wingers with at least two being top end L1 players is a good squad option.
Thinking we’ll bring in four quality wingers all significantly better than CBT even with a takeover is fantasy.
Thinking we’ll get promoted repeating the same approach as the last two seasons is fantasy. He won’t move the dial. Personally, for me, this is yet another example of us doing loops in our head to believe he’ll be alright as a ‘squad player’. You may be right about fringe players under Bowyer, but I really feel we’re setting a low bar again here and it’s not a good move. Time will tell
For me, it’s a pathetic decision. Looks like we’re repeating the same mistakes of season’s gone by. He’s had the odd moment, but this is a team, similar to last year’s, that is going to finish in abject mediocrity and around 12th at best. Like last season, the quality needed/gulf between where we finished and competing for promotion is going to be quite a chasm. Blackett Taylor simply doesn’t have it. I’m not expecting much because I think TS will still be in charge come the summer, but we’re going down exactly the same route as we have done by renewing his contract. Shambles
It depends how we use him.
Bowyer got us promoted with Marshall, Reeves, Parker, Lapslie, Purrington etc. Powell had Wagstaff, Evina, Green, Euell and so on.
An entire squad of players of that level and you won’t get promoted.
CBT as one of four wingers with at least two being top end L1 players is a good squad option.
Thinking we’ll bring in four quality wingers all significantly better than CBT even with a takeover is fantasy.
Thinking we’ll get promoted repeating the same approach as the last two seasons is fantasy. He won’t move the dial. Personally, for me, this is yet another example of us doing loops in our head to believe he’ll be alright as a ‘squad player’. You may be right about fringe players under Bowyer, but I really feel we’re setting a low bar again here and it’s not a good move. Time will tell
Short-sighted mentality this. How many times have we let players go thinking we'll do better and then been unable to replace them? You could probably go all the way back to Wagstaff where we thought we could do better and then desperately signed Cameron Stewart until January a month into the season. Most recently we let Washington and Purrington go and replaced them with nothing and nothing. People were upset we kept Inniss on but we would have been completely janked without him this season as he's unusually been the only defender who could stay fit until Ness appeared. The fact is, it's a lot easier to keep a player than it is to find a totally new one, and even harder to find a first choice and a quality backup in one window. We never manage it. We don't know if this takeover is going to happen, and if it does we don't know if it'll be better, worse or more of the same. The sensible thing is to trigger an extension on a player who A. has scored and assisted goals this season, B. doesn't cost that much and C. has had Championship interest as recently as January. At the very least you're ensuring that come the summer if we don't want him because we've signed two much better left wingers we can sell him on to someone. There's always going to be a market for a player with his pace who is involved with the team's goals, even if it's not that many
For me, it’s a pathetic decision. Looks like we’re repeating the same mistakes of season’s gone by. He’s had the odd moment, but this is a team, similar to last year’s, that is going to finish in abject mediocrity and around 12th at best. Like last season, the quality needed/gulf between where we finished and competing for promotion is going to be quite a chasm. Blackett Taylor simply doesn’t have it. I’m not expecting much because I think TS will still be in charge come the summer, but we’re going down exactly the same route as we have done by renewing his contract. Shambles
It depends how we use him.
Bowyer got us promoted with Marshall, Reeves, Parker, Lapslie, Purrington etc. Powell had Wagstaff, Evina, Green, Euell and so on.
An entire squad of players of that level and you won’t get promoted.
CBT as one of four wingers with at least two being top end L1 players is a good squad option.
Thinking we’ll bring in four quality wingers all significantly better than CBT even with a takeover is fantasy.
Thinking we’ll get promoted repeating the same approach as the last two seasons is fantasy. He won’t move the dial. Personally, for me, this is yet another example of us doing loops in our head to believe he’ll be alright as a ‘squad player’. You may be right about fringe players under Bowyer, but I really feel we’re setting a low bar again here and it’s not a good move. Time will tell
Agree we mustn't repeat the same approach but this doesn't prove we will or won't do that.
Those squad players have never been the problem on their own. The issue is having too many players of that level and a lack of top L1 players. It's the stars that make the difference.
We're not going to sign 20 new players in the summer and as bad as we are we don't need to. Like I said Powell and Bowyer had plenty of average players who weren't going to step up to the Championship.
I won't be happy if the majority of DJ, Lavelle, Kirk, McGrandles, Morgan, Clare, Inniss, Penney and Bonne are part of the squad next season, but we don't know that'll be the case. We don't even know who our owner will be.
Our current(Charlton owned) best players I don’t want them to play much next season cos if they do we’ll more than likely be standing still or getting worse , I’m sick of being this shit . if he could do this that the other he wouldn’t be here ,so he is what he is a bundle of pace who on his day can be unplayable but those days are rare and those decisions of when to cross when to shoot are not always the best and the quality of either is hit and miss . if we’re looking for promotion he’s a bit part player unless he becomes a lot more consistent .
For me, it’s a pathetic decision. Looks like we’re repeating the same mistakes of season’s gone by. He’s had the odd moment, but this is a team, similar to last year’s, that is going to finish in abject mediocrity and around 12th at best. Like last season, the quality needed/gulf between where we finished and competing for promotion is going to be quite a chasm. Blackett Taylor simply doesn’t have it. I’m not expecting much because I think TS will still be in charge come the summer, but we’re going down exactly the same route as we have done by renewing his contract. Shambles
It depends how we use him.
Bowyer got us promoted with Marshall, Reeves, Parker, Lapslie, Purrington etc. Powell had Wagstaff, Evina, Green, Euell and so on.
An entire squad of players of that level and you won’t get promoted.
CBT as one of four wingers with at least two being top end L1 players is a good squad option.
Thinking we’ll bring in four quality wingers all significantly better than CBT even with a takeover is fantasy.
Thinking we’ll get promoted repeating the same approach as the last two seasons is fantasy. He won’t move the dial. Personally, for me, this is yet another example of us doing loops in our head to believe he’ll be alright as a ‘squad player’. You may be right about fringe players under Bowyer, but I really feel we’re setting a low bar again here and it’s not a good move. Time will tell
Agree we mustn't repeat the same approach but this doesn't prove we will or won't do that.
Those squad players have never been the problem on their own. The issue is having too many players of that level and a lack of top L1 players. It's the stars that make the difference.
We're not going to sign 20 new players in the summer and as bad as we are we don't need to. Like I said Powell and Bowyer had plenty of average players who weren't going to step up to the Championship.
I won't be happy if the majority of DJ, Lavelle, Kirk, McGrandles, Morgan, Clare, Inniss, Penney and Bonne are part of the squad next season, but we don't know that'll be the case. We don't even know who our owner will be.
For me, it’s a pathetic decision. Looks like we’re repeating the same mistakes of season’s gone by. He’s had the odd moment, but this is a team, similar to last year’s, that is going to finish in abject mediocrity and around 12th at best. Like last season, the quality needed/gulf between where we finished and competing for promotion is going to be quite a chasm. Blackett Taylor simply doesn’t have it. I’m not expecting much because I think TS will still be in charge come the summer, but we’re going down exactly the same route as we have done by renewing his contract. Shambles
It depends how we use him.
Bowyer got us promoted with Marshall, Reeves, Parker, Lapslie, Purrington etc. Powell had Wagstaff, Evina, Green, Euell and so on.
An entire squad of players of that level and you won’t get promoted.
CBT as one of four wingers with at least two being top end L1 players is a good squad option.
Thinking we’ll bring in four quality wingers all significantly better than CBT even with a takeover is fantasy.
Thinking we’ll get promoted repeating the same approach as the last two seasons is fantasy. He won’t move the dial. Personally, for me, this is yet another example of us doing loops in our head to believe he’ll be alright as a ‘squad player’. You may be right about fringe players under Bowyer, but I really feel we’re setting a low bar again here and it’s not a good move. Time will tell
Short-sighted mentality this. How many times have we let players go thinking we'll do better and then been unable to replace them? You could probably go all the way back to Wagstaff where we thought we could do better and then desperately signed Cameron Stewart until January a month into the season. Most recently we let Washington and Purrington go and replaced them with nothing and nothing. People were upset we kept Inniss on but we would have been completely janked without him this season as he's unusually been the only defender who could stay fit until Ness appeared. The fact is, it's a lot easier to keep a player than it is to find a totally new one, and even harder to find a first choice and a quality backup in one window. We never manage it. We don't know if this takeover is going to happen, and if it does we don't know if it'll be better, worse or more of the same. The sensible thing is to trigger an extension on a player who A. has scored and assisted goals this season, B. doesn't cost that much and C. has had Championship interest as recently as January. At the very least you're ensuring that come the summer if we don't want him because we've signed two much better left wingers we can sell him on to someone. There's always going to be a market for a player with his pace who is involved with the team's goals, even if it's not that many
Where does this end though? Today Blackett Taylor, next week Inniss and in a month Morgan. The uncertainty surrounding ownership means it’s perfectly viable to take both viewpoints into consideration, but for me, it’s rewarding mediocrity. I appreciate we’re unlikely to be signing 20 new players in the summer, but I just can’t get on board with this whole decent back up. We’re probably going to finish in our lowest position ever I believe this season. I wasn’t at the game on Sat but according to reports it had about as much atmosphere as the match of the day studio on Saturday. This club is full of dross. This dross then sporadically does something reasonably well and we convince ourselves the dross is worth keeping around on the basis the dross will be okay alongside better.
Purrington and Washington were part of a team that finished a very mediocre 12th or whatever it was last season. I liked Washington, he worked hard. Purrington was a good pro. But let’s not kid ourselves, if we’d have kept both of them, we’re not getting in the playoffs.
I truly believe the only way out of this rut is to rip through the whole playing squad bar Dobson, Leaburn and some of the other youngsters. Extremely unlikely it can happen given the ownership debacle, but doesn’t mean it’s not the correct route to reset this club. Pie in the sky thinking on my part, but even with the club in the tumultuous position it finds itself in, the thought of having the likes of Blackett Taylor in and around that team is not good.
For me, it’s a pathetic decision. Looks like we’re repeating the same mistakes of season’s gone by. He’s had the odd moment, but this is a team, similar to last year’s, that is going to finish in abject mediocrity and around 12th at best. Like last season, the quality needed/gulf between where we finished and competing for promotion is going to be quite a chasm. Blackett Taylor simply doesn’t have it. I’m not expecting much because I think TS will still be in charge come the summer, but we’re going down exactly the same route as we have done by renewing his contract. Shambles
It depends how we use him.
Bowyer got us promoted with Marshall, Reeves, Parker, Lapslie, Purrington etc. Powell had Wagstaff, Evina, Green, Euell and so on.
An entire squad of players of that level and you won’t get promoted.
CBT as one of four wingers with at least two being top end L1 players is a good squad option.
Thinking we’ll bring in four quality wingers all significantly better than CBT even with a takeover is fantasy.
Thinking we’ll get promoted repeating the same approach as the last two seasons is fantasy. He won’t move the dial. Personally, for me, this is yet another example of us doing loops in our head to believe he’ll be alright as a ‘squad player’. You may be right about fringe players under Bowyer, but I really feel we’re setting a low bar again here and it’s not a good move. Time will tell
Agree we mustn't repeat the same approach but this doesn't prove we will or won't do that.
Those squad players have never been the problem on their own. The issue is having too many players of that level and a lack of top L1 players. It's the stars that make the difference.
We're not going to sign 20 new players in the summer and as bad as we are we don't need to. Like I said Powell and Bowyer had plenty of average players who weren't going to step up to the Championship.
I won't be happy if the majority of DJ, Lavelle, Kirk, McGrandles, Morgan, Clare, Inniss, Penney and Bonne are part of the squad next season, but we don't know that'll be the case. We don't even know who our owner will be.
For me, it’s a pathetic decision. Looks like we’re repeating the same mistakes of season’s gone by. He’s had the odd moment, but this is a team, similar to last year’s, that is going to finish in abject mediocrity and around 12th at best. Like last season, the quality needed/gulf between where we finished and competing for promotion is going to be quite a chasm. Blackett Taylor simply doesn’t have it. I’m not expecting much because I think TS will still be in charge come the summer, but we’re going down exactly the same route as we have done by renewing his contract. Shambles
It depends how we use him.
Bowyer got us promoted with Marshall, Reeves, Parker, Lapslie, Purrington etc. Powell had Wagstaff, Evina, Green, Euell and so on.
An entire squad of players of that level and you won’t get promoted.
CBT as one of four wingers with at least two being top end L1 players is a good squad option.
Thinking we’ll bring in four quality wingers all significantly better than CBT even with a takeover is fantasy.
Thinking we’ll get promoted repeating the same approach as the last two seasons is fantasy. He won’t move the dial. Personally, for me, this is yet another example of us doing loops in our head to believe he’ll be alright as a ‘squad player’. You may be right about fringe players under Bowyer, but I really feel we’re setting a low bar again here and it’s not a good move. Time will tell
Short-sighted mentality this. How many times have we let players go thinking we'll do better and then been unable to replace them? You could probably go all the way back to Wagstaff where we thought we could do better and then desperately signed Cameron Stewart until January a month into the season. Most recently we let Washington and Purrington go and replaced them with nothing and nothing. People were upset we kept Inniss on but we would have been completely janked without him this season as he's unusually been the only defender who could stay fit until Ness appeared. The fact is, it's a lot easier to keep a player than it is to find a totally new one, and even harder to find a first choice and a quality backup in one window. We never manage it. We don't know if this takeover is going to happen, and if it does we don't know if it'll be better, worse or more of the same. The sensible thing is to trigger an extension on a player who A. has scored and assisted goals this season, B. doesn't cost that much and C. has had Championship interest as recently as January. At the very least you're ensuring that come the summer if we don't want him because we've signed two much better left wingers we can sell him on to someone. There's always going to be a market for a player with his pace who is involved with the team's goals, even if it's not that many
Where does this end though? Today Blackett Taylor, next week Inniss and in a month Morgan. The uncertainty surrounding ownership means it’s perfectly viable to take both viewpoints into consideration, but for me, it’s rewarding mediocrity. I appreciate we’re unlikely to be signing 20 new players in the summer, but I just can’t get on board with this whole decent back up. We’re probably going to finish in our lowest position ever I believe this season. I wasn’t at the game on Sat but according to reports it had about as much atmosphere as the match of the day studio on Saturday. This club is full of dross. This dross then sporadically does something reasonably well and we convince ourselves the dross is worth keeping around on the basis the dross will be okay alongside better.
Purrington and Washington were part of a team that finished a very mediocre 12th or whatever it was last season. I liked Washington, he worked hard. Purrington was a good pro. But let’s not kid ourselves, if we’d have kept both of them, we’re not getting in the playoffs.
I truly believe the only way out of this rut is to rip through the whole playing squad bar Dobson, Leaburn and some of the other youngsters. Extremely unlikely it can happen given the ownership debacle, but doesn’t mean it’s not the correct route to reset this club. Pie in the sky thinking on my part, but even with the club in the tumultuous position it finds itself in, the thought of having the likes of Blackett Taylor in and around that team is not good.
I get what you’re saying, there does have to be a cut off point but what that is depends on who we bring in.
Whatever happens with the ownership we’ll have a budget and there will be a balance to be found between fewer but higher quality signings or more but lower quality.
Going on statbank CBT has 6 goals and 5 assists all in the league, and that’s with Stockley-Bonne being our main striker much of the time.
Would you rather we released CBT and signed four average wingers or signed two top quality and two back ups? The former doesn’t improve us, so if you’re going to do the latter you may as well keep CBT. He’s settled here, has had a reasonable season (stats above) and has improved since he’s been here (2 goals last season).
With new signings you’ve also got the challenge of offering them enough game time. That was part of the issue with strikers when Garner made Stockley captain.
What we need to do is identify the few worth keeping as it’ll give us more to spend elsewhere. There’s a clear difference between what CBT is offering compared to the likes of Bonne, Morgan and Penney.
He’s cheap. We are skint. He probably has enough about him to persuade someone to pay us a half decent fee in the future. I mean we managed to pull QPR’s pants down with Bonne so we should be able to get a few bob for CBT at the end of the summer window. If the worst comes to the worst and we are still in the merde next season he’s far from the worst jewel in our rusty crown. Very low risk strategy given our situation.
For me, it’s a pathetic decision. Looks like we’re repeating the same mistakes of season’s gone by. He’s had the odd moment, but this is a team, similar to last year’s, that is going to finish in abject mediocrity and around 12th at best. Like last season, the quality needed/gulf between where we finished and competing for promotion is going to be quite a chasm. Blackett Taylor simply doesn’t have it. I’m not expecting much because I think TS will still be in charge come the summer, but we’re going down exactly the same route as we have done by renewing his contract. Shambles
It depends how we use him.
Bowyer got us promoted with Marshall, Reeves, Parker, Lapslie, Purrington etc. Powell had Wagstaff, Evina, Green, Euell and so on.
An entire squad of players of that level and you won’t get promoted.
CBT as one of four wingers with at least two being top end L1 players is a good squad option.
Thinking we’ll bring in four quality wingers all significantly better than CBT even with a takeover is fantasy.
Thinking we’ll get promoted repeating the same approach as the last two seasons is fantasy. He won’t move the dial. Personally, for me, this is yet another example of us doing loops in our head to believe he’ll be alright as a ‘squad player’. You may be right about fringe players under Bowyer, but I really feel we’re setting a low bar again here and it’s not a good move. Time will tell
Agree we mustn't repeat the same approach but this doesn't prove we will or won't do that.
Those squad players have never been the problem on their own. The issue is having too many players of that level and a lack of top L1 players. It's the stars that make the difference.
We're not going to sign 20 new players in the summer and as bad as we are we don't need to. Like I said Powell and Bowyer had plenty of average players who weren't going to step up to the Championship.
I won't be happy if the majority of DJ, Lavelle, Kirk, McGrandles, Morgan, Clare, Inniss, Penney and Bonne are part of the squad next season, but we don't know that'll be the case. We don't even know who our owner will be.
For me, it’s a pathetic decision. Looks like we’re repeating the same mistakes of season’s gone by. He’s had the odd moment, but this is a team, similar to last year’s, that is going to finish in abject mediocrity and around 12th at best. Like last season, the quality needed/gulf between where we finished and competing for promotion is going to be quite a chasm. Blackett Taylor simply doesn’t have it. I’m not expecting much because I think TS will still be in charge come the summer, but we’re going down exactly the same route as we have done by renewing his contract. Shambles
It depends how we use him.
Bowyer got us promoted with Marshall, Reeves, Parker, Lapslie, Purrington etc. Powell had Wagstaff, Evina, Green, Euell and so on.
An entire squad of players of that level and you won’t get promoted.
CBT as one of four wingers with at least two being top end L1 players is a good squad option.
Thinking we’ll bring in four quality wingers all significantly better than CBT even with a takeover is fantasy.
Thinking we’ll get promoted repeating the same approach as the last two seasons is fantasy. He won’t move the dial. Personally, for me, this is yet another example of us doing loops in our head to believe he’ll be alright as a ‘squad player’. You may be right about fringe players under Bowyer, but I really feel we’re setting a low bar again here and it’s not a good move. Time will tell
Short-sighted mentality this. How many times have we let players go thinking we'll do better and then been unable to replace them? You could probably go all the way back to Wagstaff where we thought we could do better and then desperately signed Cameron Stewart until January a month into the season. Most recently we let Washington and Purrington go and replaced them with nothing and nothing. People were upset we kept Inniss on but we would have been completely janked without him this season as he's unusually been the only defender who could stay fit until Ness appeared. The fact is, it's a lot easier to keep a player than it is to find a totally new one, and even harder to find a first choice and a quality backup in one window. We never manage it. We don't know if this takeover is going to happen, and if it does we don't know if it'll be better, worse or more of the same. The sensible thing is to trigger an extension on a player who A. has scored and assisted goals this season, B. doesn't cost that much and C. has had Championship interest as recently as January. At the very least you're ensuring that come the summer if we don't want him because we've signed two much better left wingers we can sell him on to someone. There's always going to be a market for a player with his pace who is involved with the team's goals, even if it's not that many
Where does this end though? Today Blackett Taylor, next week Inniss and in a month Morgan. The uncertainty surrounding ownership means it’s perfectly viable to take both viewpoints into consideration, but for me, it’s rewarding mediocrity. I appreciate we’re unlikely to be signing 20 new players in the summer, but I just can’t get on board with this whole decent back up. We’re probably going to finish in our lowest position ever I believe this season. I wasn’t at the game on Sat but according to reports it had about as much atmosphere as the match of the day studio on Saturday. This club is full of dross. This dross then sporadically does something reasonably well and we convince ourselves the dross is worth keeping around on the basis the dross will be okay alongside better.
Purrington and Washington were part of a team that finished a very mediocre 12th or whatever it was last season. I liked Washington, he worked hard. Purrington was a good pro. But let’s not kid ourselves, if we’d have kept both of them, we’re not getting in the playoffs.
I truly believe the only way out of this rut is to rip through the whole playing squad bar Dobson, Leaburn and some of the other youngsters. Extremely unlikely it can happen given the ownership debacle, but doesn’t mean it’s not the correct route to reset this club. Pie in the sky thinking on my part, but even with the club in the tumultuous position it finds itself in, the thought of having the likes of Blackett Taylor in and around that team is not good.
Well, it ends at a logical point of ability. Morgan isn't good enough to get into our current team sat in 16th. He should go. CBT is contributing enough in a good team to be an impact squad player but isn't consistent enough to be a starter, so he should be a squad player next season.
Purrington is actually a very good example of the point I'm making; he was the missing piece in a L1 team that had pretty much everything else settled and balanced. Good CB pairing, good midfield diamond, 20 goal striker. What we lacked was a proper, consistent left back and a replacement for Karlan Grant. We didn't get the striker replacement but we did get Purrington. We played 18 league games with Purrington and lost one of them. Six of those games we won by the odd goal, five we drew. The one league game he didn't play, we lost. That's how big a difference he made contributing to a team where we had no issues scoring or creating, we just needed to be less vulnerable at the back. The difference between the L1 seasons is Purrington wasn't good enough to uplift a mediocre or poor team, he complemented a good one. That's what players like CBT should be for, decent players who can look even better as part of a well-drilled team with some quality through it. Best case scenario is CBT is that impact sub next season and uses the competition to find some consistent form. Worst case scenario is he's one of our most important players again. Either way there's value in keeping him.
He's not the solution to all our problems, and probably wouldn't be first name on the teamsheet in a promotion side, but if we let him go it would be another position to fill and he has good attributes/qualities that make him useful and effective. #
Plus there might be more offers in the next window and I'd rather we get any money we can for him by triggering an extension than letting him go for free for no reason.
One thing's for sure, if we hadn't triggered the extension we'd all be going mad.
If we want to win promotion then we have to improve on players like CBT .. would have been one for the released list in my book .. what has he created ?
Six goals and five assists. And occasional exciting moments. I'd keep him in the squad. Decent sub to bring on.
55 matches and only 7 assists really .. this is a winger in a 433 /4231 .. this is why our lone strikers have struggled big time
Comments
Scored against Forest Green
Yet to play Cambridge, Milton Keynes, Morecambe and Cheltenham away from home.
Played 86 minutes on the opening day of the season again Accrington Stanley.
Came off the bench at half time to assist Leaburn against Oxford.
Came off the bench in the 63rd minute in our draw with Burton when we were 3-2 down.
That’s every club below us covered.
Above us in terms of much smaller clubs:
Fleetwood he played 80 minutes and had Clayden behind him at left back.
Port Vale he played 77 minutes and every single player was atrocious.
Yet to play Bristol Rovers away from home.
Came off the bench in the 76th minute against Lincoln.
Scored against Exeter in February.
Be nice to provide context when making a statement.
Really happy he’s staying as he’s a player that no other we have can do what he does. His pace and ability to carry the ball and breeze passed defenders is a huge threat at this level.
As it’s been said, add consistency in the final third and he’ll be a top player in this league.
Happy if he becomes a squad player but if the plan is to make him a starter I’m disappointed
Apart from JRS (who definitely wont be here next season) he is our best attacking player.
Triggering CBT's contract could have happened anytime, so I imagine it was a Holden decision.
Has made good progress with us so far... and could certainly push higher next season
To me, he always looks very up for our home games, and for away games at teams like Sheff Weds, but he can be completely anonymous in others. I think motivation was something his past club's fans had mentioned. Still, I think it's a habit, I'm not saying he goes missing in every single game.
It might even be that these smaller sides typically have smaller pitches, so he's not got as much space to exploit.
He is still one of our best players and I enjoy watching him play at home, you don't need to defend him to me. It's a little odd that you found my comment particularly triggering when others are slaughtering him on this thread.
The question, of course, is whether he'd be there, or a starter. If the latter it is indeed pathetic. But one year is just one year; we have the option and I think it's prudent to exercise it. He's rapid and on his day can tear a defence apart.
At 25 he's young enough to improve further.
As well signing good players we should also be developing the players we've got.
Those squad players have never been the problem on their own. The issue is having too many players of that level and a lack of top L1 players. It's the stars that make the difference.
We're not going to sign 20 new players in the summer and as bad as we are we don't need to. Like I said Powell and Bowyer had plenty of average players who weren't going to step up to the Championship.
I won't be happy if the majority of DJ, Lavelle, Kirk, McGrandles, Morgan, Clare, Inniss, Penney and Bonne are part of the squad next season, but we don't know that'll be the case. We don't even know who our owner will be.
if he could do this that the other he wouldn’t be here ,so he is what he is a bundle of pace who on his day can be unplayable but those days are rare and those decisions of when to cross when to shoot are not always the best and the quality of either is hit and miss .
if we’re looking for promotion he’s a bit part player unless he becomes a lot more consistent .
I truly believe the only way out of this rut is to rip through the whole playing squad bar Dobson, Leaburn and some of the other youngsters. Extremely unlikely it can happen given the ownership debacle, but doesn’t mean it’s not the correct route to reset this club. Pie in the sky thinking on my part, but even with the club in the tumultuous position it finds itself in, the thought of having the likes of Blackett Taylor in and around that team is not good.
Whatever happens with the ownership we’ll have a budget and there will be a balance to be found between fewer but higher quality signings or more but lower quality.
Going on statbank CBT has 6 goals and 5 assists all in the league, and that’s with Stockley-Bonne being our main striker much of the time.
Would you rather we released CBT and signed four average wingers or signed two top quality and two back ups? The former doesn’t improve us, so if you’re going to do the latter you may as well keep CBT. He’s settled here, has had a reasonable season (stats above) and has improved since he’s been here (2 goals last season).
With new signings you’ve also got the challenge of offering them enough game time. That was part of the issue with strikers when Garner made Stockley captain.
What we need to do is identify the few worth keeping as it’ll give us more to spend elsewhere. There’s a clear difference between what CBT is offering compared to the likes of Bonne, Morgan and Penney.
Plus there might be more offers in the next window and I'd rather we get any money we can for him by triggering an extension than letting him go for free for no reason.
One thing's for sure, if we hadn't triggered the extension we'd all be going mad.
Come on everybody, you know the drill by now!!