So we've had Jacko saying that the messages from Adkins needed clarity, and Pearce saying that they lacked direction. It seems like Nigel wasn't giving them much at all. A man without a plan.
Backs up what we have been saying - personally i'm starting to think that Adkins had a set formation, didn't have his usual backroom staff, Jacko and Euell maybe didn't believe in it and / or couldn't impliment it and Adkins didn't know the finer coaching points either having relied on his 'staff' - all in all. a bit of a mess - noticed the u18's were playing the 3 up top thing last night - wonder whether that is going to remain the 'Charlton way' ??
Backs up what we have been saying - personally i'm starting to think that Adkins had a set formation, didn't have his usual backroom staff, Jacko and Euell maybe didn't believe in it and / or couldn't impliment it and Adkins didn't know the finer coaching points either having relied on his 'staff' - all in all. a bit of a mess - noticed the u18's were playing the 3 up top thing last night - wonder whether that is going to remain the 'Charlton way' ??
4-3-3 or a 4-4-2 diamond has been the way the academy have played for years. It’s even part of the vision on the OS. I don’t see that changing. It’s different at first team level where results are the priority over development.
Team play to focus on passing in/from all thirds of the pitch in a 4-3-3 or midfield ‘diamond’ with high emphasis placed on possession and quick play. Also, recognising counter-attack opportunities
Sounds to me like the "fitness issues" were never actually a physical matter at all, just players not being entirely sure about what they were actually supposed to be doing and that showing in their performance.
Hence the nigh miraculous improvement in fitness and effort under JJ isn't actually them actually getting fitter at all, just applying themselves to a system they understand.
Backs up what we have been saying - personally i'm starting to think that Adkins had a set formation, didn't have his usual backroom staff, Jacko and Euell maybe didn't believe in it and / or couldn't impliment it and Adkins didn't know the finer coaching points either having relied on his 'staff' - all in all. a bit of a mess - noticed the u18's were playing the 3 up top thing last night - wonder whether that is going to remain the 'Charlton way' ??
Actually I thought the pervading opinion was that it was all Roddy's fault
Backs up what we have been saying - personally i'm starting to think that Adkins had a set formation, didn't have his usual backroom staff, Jacko and Euell maybe didn't believe in it and / or couldn't impliment it and Adkins didn't know the finer coaching points either having relied on his 'staff' - all in all. a bit of a mess - noticed the u18's were playing the 3 up top thing last night - wonder whether that is going to remain the 'Charlton way' ??
Actually I thought the pervading opinion was that it was all Roddy's fault
In my opinion there still needs some clarity into the summer recruitment process which let’s just say left something to be desired. I think Roddy has to be front and centre of any recriminations given his executive role.
Backs up what we have been saying - personally i'm starting to think that Adkins had a set formation, didn't have his usual backroom staff, Jacko and Euell maybe didn't believe in it and / or couldn't impliment it and Adkins didn't know the finer coaching points either having relied on his 'staff' - all in all. a bit of a mess - noticed the u18's were playing the 3 up top thing last night - wonder whether that is going to remain the 'Charlton way' ??
Actually I thought the pervading opinion was that it was all Roddy's fault
In my opinion there still needs some clarity into the summer recruitment process which let’s just say left something to be desired. I think Roddy has to be front and centre of any recriminations given his executive role.
For which part of the recruitment process should he face recriminations?
Backs up what we have been saying - personally i'm starting to think that Adkins had a set formation, didn't have his usual backroom staff, Jacko and Euell maybe didn't believe in it and / or couldn't impliment it and Adkins didn't know the finer coaching points either having relied on his 'staff' - all in all. a bit of a mess - noticed the u18's were playing the 3 up top thing last night - wonder whether that is going to remain the 'Charlton way' ??
Actually I thought the pervading opinion was that it was all Roddy's fault
In my opinion there still needs some clarity into the summer recruitment process which let’s just say left something to be desired. I think Roddy has to be front and centre of any recriminations given his executive role.
For which part of the recruitment process should he face recriminations?
Isn’t Roddy responsible for overseeing all aspects of the football strategy ? Something obviously didn’t work smoothly enough during the summer. You either blame him or Thomas
Backs up what we have been saying - personally i'm starting to think that Adkins had a set formation, didn't have his usual backroom staff, Jacko and Euell maybe didn't believe in it and / or couldn't impliment it and Adkins didn't know the finer coaching points either having relied on his 'staff' - all in all. a bit of a mess - noticed the u18's were playing the 3 up top thing last night - wonder whether that is going to remain the 'Charlton way' ??
Actually I thought the pervading opinion was that it was all Roddy's fault
In my opinion there still needs some clarity into the summer recruitment process which let’s just say left something to be desired. I think Roddy has to be front and centre of any recriminations given his executive role.
For which part of the recruitment process should he face recriminations?
Isn’t Roddy responsible for overseeing all aspects of the football strategy ? Something obviously didn’t work smoothly enough during the summer. You either blame him or Thomas
Backs up what we have been saying - personally i'm starting to think that Adkins had a set formation, didn't have his usual backroom staff, Jacko and Euell maybe didn't believe in it and / or couldn't impliment it and Adkins didn't know the finer coaching points either having relied on his 'staff' - all in all. a bit of a mess - noticed the u18's were playing the 3 up top thing last night - wonder whether that is going to remain the 'Charlton way' ??
Actually I thought the pervading opinion was that it was all Roddy's fault
In my opinion there still needs some clarity into the summer recruitment process which let’s just say left something to be desired. I think Roddy has to be front and centre of any recriminations given his executive role.
For which part of the recruitment process should he face recriminations?
Isn’t Roddy responsible for overseeing all aspects of the football strategy ? Something obviously didn’t work smoothly enough during the summer. You either blame him or Thomas
Not sure that's entirely fair or accurate given Pearce's comments. Look at Dobson and his huge improvement. Look at how the defence has also improved. Leko thrived in a new position, Stockley looks much better for having a partner up front.
It's arguable that the players we got were never as bad as they looked, just made to seem so by poor leadership by Adkins - not the recruitment team at all.
Backs up what we have been saying - personally i'm starting to think that Adkins had a set formation, didn't have his usual backroom staff, Jacko and Euell maybe didn't believe in it and / or couldn't impliment it and Adkins didn't know the finer coaching points either having relied on his 'staff' - all in all. a bit of a mess - noticed the u18's were playing the 3 up top thing last night - wonder whether that is going to remain the 'Charlton way' ??
Actually I thought the pervading opinion was that it was all Roddy's fault
In my opinion there still needs some clarity into the summer recruitment process which let’s just say left something to be desired. I think Roddy has to be front and centre of any recriminations given his executive role.
For which part of the recruitment process should he face recriminations?
Isn’t Roddy responsible for overseeing all aspects of the football strategy ? Something obviously didn’t work smoothly enough during the summer. You either blame him or Thomas
What are we blaming people for?
If it's the standard of player we brought in, Dobson and Clare were held up as the poor examples of Roddy's Black Box (I didn't rate them either), except it turns out Dobson at least is rather good, and Clare still might be. Meanwhile we do seem to have a good team under JJ and every opposition manager seems to think we have a squad of worldies.
If it's bringing players in too slowly, the club have said it's Gallen who negotiates and Sandgaard who pulls the trigger on transfers. We also had noise coming out of the club that Thomas was not willing to deal with agents in the normal way, and he has since confirmed himself that there are some agents he's point-blank refusing to deal with now.
So I'm just not sure why we'd be dragging Roddy in front of the judge.
Backs up what we have been saying - personally i'm starting to think that Adkins had a set formation, didn't have his usual backroom staff, Jacko and Euell maybe didn't believe in it and / or couldn't impliment it and Adkins didn't know the finer coaching points either having relied on his 'staff' - all in all. a bit of a mess - noticed the u18's were playing the 3 up top thing last night - wonder whether that is going to remain the 'Charlton way' ??
Actually I thought the pervading opinion was that it was all Roddy's fault
In my opinion there still needs some clarity into the summer recruitment process which let’s just say left something to be desired. I think Roddy has to be front and centre of any recriminations given his executive role.
For which part of the recruitment process should he face recriminations?
Isn’t Roddy responsible for overseeing all aspects of the football strategy ? Something obviously didn’t work smoothly enough during the summer. You either blame him or Thomas
What are we blaming people for?
If it's the standard of player we brought in, Dobson and Clare were held up as the poor examples of Roddy's Black Box (I didn't rate them either), except it turns out Dobson at least is rather good, and Clare still might be. Meanwhile we do seem to have a good team under JJ and every opposition manager seems to think we have a squad of worldies.
If it's bringing players in too slowly, the club have said it's Gallen who negotiates and Sandgaard who pulls the trigger on transfers. We also had noise coming out of the club that Thomas was not willing to deal with agents in the normal way, and he has since confirmed himself that there are some agents he's point-blank refusing to deal with now.
So I'm just not sure why we'd be dragging Roddy in front of the judge.
Depends on how you want to look at it and who'd you rather blame.
You can blame the recruitment for the signings as they clearly couldn't play/ understand how to play to Adkins.
You can blame Adkins for not getting the best out of the signings as they look completely different now.
Roddy and Adkins fighting it out for pantomime villain of the year.
Backs up what we have been saying - personally i'm starting to think that Adkins had a set formation, didn't have his usual backroom staff, Jacko and Euell maybe didn't believe in it and / or couldn't impliment it and Adkins didn't know the finer coaching points either having relied on his 'staff' - all in all. a bit of a mess - noticed the u18's were playing the 3 up top thing last night - wonder whether that is going to remain the 'Charlton way' ??
Actually I thought the pervading opinion was that it was all Roddy's fault
In my opinion there still needs some clarity into the summer recruitment process which let’s just say left something to be desired. I think Roddy has to be front and centre of any recriminations given his executive role.
For which part of the recruitment process should he face recriminations?
Isn’t Roddy responsible for overseeing all aspects of the football strategy ? Something obviously didn’t work smoothly enough during the summer. You either blame him or Thomas
What are we blaming people for?
If it's the standard of player we brought in, Dobson and Clare were held up as the poor examples of Roddy's Black Box (I didn't rate them either), except it turns out Dobson at least is rather good, and Clare still might be. Meanwhile we do seem to have a good team under JJ and every opposition manager seems to think we have a squad of worldies.
If it's bringing players in too slowly, the club have said it's Gallen who negotiates and Sandgaard who pulls the trigger on transfers. We also had noise coming out of the club that Thomas was not willing to deal with agents in the normal way, and he has since confirmed himself that there are some agents he's point-blank refusing to deal with now.
So I'm just not sure why we'd be dragging Roddy in front of the judge.
Depends on how you want to look at it and who'd you rather blame.
You can blame the recruitment for the signings as they clearly couldn't play/ understand how to play to Adkins.
You can blame Adkins for not getting the best out of the signings as they look completely different now.
Roddy and Adkins fighting it out for pantomime villain of the year.
Jason Pearce wasn't a signing, he's an experienced and model professional and he couldn't figure out how to play for Adkins. It sounds like nobody could because he wasn't giving them any direction in which to play.
I think you're right that it depends on who you'd rather blame, and many just seem desperate to blame Roddy for anything.
Backs up what we have been saying - personally i'm starting to think that Adkins had a set formation, didn't have his usual backroom staff, Jacko and Euell maybe didn't believe in it and / or couldn't impliment it and Adkins didn't know the finer coaching points either having relied on his 'staff' - all in all. a bit of a mess - noticed the u18's were playing the 3 up top thing last night - wonder whether that is going to remain the 'Charlton way' ??
Actually I thought the pervading opinion was that it was all Roddy's fault
both their faults - adkins was roddy's man - roddy was advising TS
Backs up what we have been saying - personally i'm starting to think that Adkins had a set formation, didn't have his usual backroom staff, Jacko and Euell maybe didn't believe in it and / or couldn't impliment it and Adkins didn't know the finer coaching points either having relied on his 'staff' - all in all. a bit of a mess - noticed the u18's were playing the 3 up top thing last night - wonder whether that is going to remain the 'Charlton way' ??
Actually I thought the pervading opinion was that it was all Roddy's fault
In my opinion there still needs some clarity into the summer recruitment process which let’s just say left something to be desired. I think Roddy has to be front and centre of any recriminations given his executive role.
For which part of the recruitment process should he face recriminations?
Isn’t Roddy responsible for overseeing all aspects of the football strategy ? Something obviously didn’t work smoothly enough during the summer. You either blame him or Thomas
What are we blaming people for?
If it's the standard of player we brought in, Dobson and Clare were held up as the poor examples of Roddy's Black Box (I didn't rate them either), except it turns out Dobson at least is rather good, and Clare still might be. Meanwhile we do seem to have a good team under JJ and every opposition manager seems to think we have a squad of worldies.
If it's bringing players in too slowly, the club have said it's Gallen who negotiates and Sandgaard who pulls the trigger on transfers. We also had noise coming out of the club that Thomas was not willing to deal with agents in the normal way, and he has since confirmed himself that there are some agents he's point-blank refusing to deal with now.
So I'm just not sure why we'd be dragging Roddy in front of the judge.
Depends on how you want to look at it and who'd you rather blame.
You can blame the recruitment for the signings as they clearly couldn't play/ understand how to play to Adkins.
You can blame Adkins for not getting the best out of the signings as they look completely different now.
Roddy and Adkins fighting it out for pantomime villain of the year.
Jason Pearce wasn't a signing, he's an experienced and model professional and he couldn't figure out how to play for Adkins. It sounds like nobody could because he wasn't giving them any direction in which to play.
I think you're right that it depends on who you'd rather blame, and many just seem desperate to blame Roddy for anything.
I dunno, quite enjoyed his Ball playing CB appearances. That cruyff turn will live long in the memory.
I like Pearce - about time somebody told it how it is / was - he'll also slot in nicely into Jacko's previous post as defensive coach - and why not !!!
Well all I can say is that something wasn’t right with our recruitment. I’m not going to criticise Gallen because the signings that looked questionable under Adkins now look better. Thomas I understand had the final say so and as he writes the cheques I think that’s fair enough. I doubt TS had any input into player identification. I’m cutting Adkins a bit of slack because I think it’s reasonable to guess that Adkins wanted the business done early and it wasn’t. That leaves the Roddy role ? January is looming and we can’t afford another poor window. I understand it was a four way process but excluding TS as the only non football person of the four I put the biggest questions at the door of the senior member of the other three.
But that raises the question of whether the business really was that poor at all, which is at the heart of it.
Jackson has the exact same players at his disposal that Adkins did (give or take depending on injuries of course) but by settling on a defined style and providing clear direction (as per Pearce) he's got those players playing much better.
It depends on how much credence you give Adkins wanting business done early or whether his problems were actually of his own making.
Personally I can understand if it took Adkins several games to experiment with tactics and formations early on but he didn't seem any closer to figuring it out by the time he left. Jackson stepped up and almost immediately found a shape and style that worked. Whether or not he suggested it to Adkins and what came of that we don't know, but he did it based on the same information and players Adkins had.
We have players playing well in a formation that their manager set on - i.e. a good squad if used well. That doesn't sound to me like questions should be aimed at anyone in the recruitment group, be that Sandgaard, Gallen or Roddy.
Backs up what we have been saying - personally i'm starting to think that Adkins had a set formation, didn't have his usual backroom staff, Jacko and Euell maybe didn't believe in it and / or couldn't impliment it and Adkins didn't know the finer coaching points either having relied on his 'staff' - all in all. a bit of a mess - noticed the u18's were playing the 3 up top thing last night - wonder whether that is going to remain the 'Charlton way' ??
Actually I thought the pervading opinion was that it was all Roddy's fault
In my opinion there still needs some clarity into the summer recruitment process which let’s just say left something to be desired. I think Roddy has to be front and centre of any recriminations given his executive role.
I wonder if we'd been saying this if we'd had a manager getting the team performing from the start. Of the current line-up, the new players in are Mac, Leko, Dobson, Lee, Famewo and Stockley. Mac was brought in at the end of June, Stockley mid-June, Dobson 1st July, Famewo 8th July and Leko and Lee near or on the deadline. Other than that though we've mostly been playing players we already had, with DJ switching with Leko. Lavelle would probably be playing if he wasn't injured, but maybe Inniss would have been ahead of him. The rest of the signings which came late have added depth in most areas but aren't key to the current team. You could say that's a bad thing, that we needed better players, but right now we've taken points off top teams and battered a team near the bottom. We weren't a million miles off last season; we needed a better holder, we needed cover at CB, we needed to either sign or replace Stockley and we needed some creativity and pace. We've added all that and it's working pretty well right now. I always felt the lateness of the signings was a bit of a red herring (I'd rather have Leko who was only available right at the end than a lesser winger, and there can't be many better than him in this league), and it really does seem like the issue was the manager and the direction rather than the signings themselves. There's definitely some issues in there. Of course we should aim to get people in earlier, and deciding to rely on Albie was never a great plan, but I really do wonder how differently we'd be looking at all this if we'd started the season with Jackson and not Adkins. We'll never know, but I suspect we would have been picking up points while adding depth and the ability to change a game from the bench and would only have got stronger, which might have changed the perception of our window
Was the recruitment this summer bad? If we continue to play the way we have under jacko and we finish in the playoffs, you could say it had been a success, hampered by having a poor manager.
it's beginning to look as if Adkins had just lost his mojo, so what, it happens. If every manager got everything right there would only be 92 managers in the PL & EFL and none would ever leave their clubs unless poached by another or retiring. I know we all want someone to blame but maybe there isn't someone to blame just that it didn't work out under Adkins.
Two wins and a draw at home against mighty Rotherham and everything is rosy again. I doubt it is. Hope I’m wrong but I think top six is way beyond us. That’s a wasted season in a shite division yet again. Getting out of league one is a damned site harder than people think.
Well all I can say is that something wasn’t right with our recruitment. I’m not going to criticise Gallen because the signings that looked questionable under Adkins now look better. Thomas I understand had the final say so and as he writes the cheques I think that’s fair enough. I doubt TS had any input into player identification. I’m cutting Adkins a bit of slack because I think it’s reasonable to guess that Adkins wanted the business done early and it wasn’t. That leaves the Roddy role ? January is looming and we can’t afford another poor window. I understand it was a four way process but excluding TS as the only non football person of the four I put the biggest questions at the door of the senior member of the other three.
Why? Every manager in the country wants their business done early, it almost never happens and it shouldn’t be so important that your tactics will completely fall apart if that doesn’t come to fruition.
Well all I can say is that something wasn’t right with our recruitment. I’m not going to criticise Gallen because the signings that looked questionable under Adkins now look better. Thomas I understand had the final say so and as he writes the cheques I think that’s fair enough. I doubt TS had any input into player identification. I’m cutting Adkins a bit of slack because I think it’s reasonable to guess that Adkins wanted the business done early and it wasn’t. That leaves the Roddy role ? January is looming and we can’t afford another poor window. I understand it was a four way process but excluding TS as the only non football person of the four I put the biggest questions at the door of the senior member of the other three.
Why? Every manager in the country wants their business done early, it almost never happens and it shouldn’t be so important that your tactics will completely fall apart if that doesn’t come to fruition.
When you are changing as many players every season as Charlton do I think it’s very important to get your players in early. We’ll be changing ten again next season too.
Backs up what we have been saying - personally i'm starting to think that Adkins had a set formation, didn't have his usual backroom staff, Jacko and Euell maybe didn't believe in it and / or couldn't impliment it and Adkins didn't know the finer coaching points either having relied on his 'staff' - all in all. a bit of a mess - noticed the u18's were playing the 3 up top thing last night - wonder whether that is going to remain the 'Charlton way' ??
4-3-3 or a 4-4-2 diamond has been the way the academy have played for years. It’s even part of the vision on the OS. I don’t see that changing. It’s different at first team level where results are the priority over development.
Team play to focus on passing in/from all thirds of the pitch in a 4-3-3 or midfield ‘diamond’ with high emphasis placed on possession and quick play. Also, recognising counter-attack opportunities
Thanks for posting Scoham about the 4-3-3 and diamond in the Cafc Charter because football continues to evolve and the flexible 3-5-2 has given the first team a boost under JJ who has found the balance between the low intensity of Adkins at the training ground and train like it's a match situation of Bowyer. JJ has gone more for Lee's high intensity but with a bit of kindness to the players in encouragement.
As the U18 score goals for fun recently with hitting 6 goals on several occasions against Spurs, Bristol City, and Millwall its hard to be critical but if Miles Leaburn starts the game as a central striker then Daniel Kanu would be best playing in a 2 up front similar to Clive Mendonca and Carl Leaburn. I haven't seen enough of Kanu but i assumed he was a central striker with his goal tally ?
Will watch with interest how that develops because just like me Jackson likes two up front. Never rigid because you attack with numbers and defend with numbers,
When you see a formation written down it feels like it's set in stone and isn't flexible.
3-5-2 was understood in 1 and a half sessions by the first team squad and straight away we looked like a decent team and not a group of individuals who were out of sync with each other and struggling to have any shape anywhere over the field.
We need to focus on the hear and now and move away from the bottom four. 7 points from 3 games is an excellent start.
Well all I can say is that something wasn’t right with our recruitment. I’m not going to criticise Gallen because the signings that looked questionable under Adkins now look better. Thomas I understand had the final say so and as he writes the cheques I think that’s fair enough. I doubt TS had any input into player identification. I’m cutting Adkins a bit of slack because I think it’s reasonable to guess that Adkins wanted the business done early and it wasn’t. That leaves the Roddy role ? January is looming and we can’t afford another poor window. I understand it was a four way process but excluding TS as the only non football person of the four I put the biggest questions at the door of the senior member of the other three.
Why? Every manager in the country wants their business done early, it almost never happens and it shouldn’t be so important that your tactics will completely fall apart if that doesn’t come to fruition.
Agree with this. I liked NA and was sorry things didn't work out but I did think all the stuff about getting business done early was a bit of a red heron.
You only have to look across the football league to see there probably wasn't a single team who did all their business before the start of the season. Even those clubs who people thought had good transfer windows like Ipswich were still doing business right up until the end of the window, even the biggest clubs across Europe were buying on the last day.
I think Gallen said in the trust Q and A that we acquired many targets who simply weren't available at the start of the window, so do you either compromise on quality in order to bring people in at the start of the season or do you wait until quality comes along a bit later and take the risk that they will need time to settle.
I always thought we had a reasonable transfer window, we did what most clubs did in that we brought some players in early and others we waited for. We have brought a number of players in who hopefully will be here for a few years, got some players in with Charlton connections and spent a decent amount of money.
In an ideal world of course you'd have them all in for pre-season but NA has been in football long enough to know it doesn't work like that.
Comments
So we've had Jacko saying that the messages from Adkins needed clarity, and Pearce saying that they lacked direction. It seems like Nigel wasn't giving them much at all. A man without a plan.
https://www.cafc.co.uk/club/club-overview/the-academy
Hence the nigh miraculous improvement in fitness and effort under JJ isn't actually them actually getting fitter at all, just applying themselves to a system they understand.
It's arguable that the players we got were never as bad as they looked, just made to seem so by poor leadership by Adkins - not the recruitment team at all.
If it's the standard of player we brought in, Dobson and Clare were held up as the poor examples of Roddy's Black Box (I didn't rate them either), except it turns out Dobson at least is rather good, and Clare still might be. Meanwhile we do seem to have a good team under JJ and every opposition manager seems to think we have a squad of worldies.
If it's bringing players in too slowly, the club have said it's Gallen who negotiates and Sandgaard who pulls the trigger on transfers. We also had noise coming out of the club that Thomas was not willing to deal with agents in the normal way, and he has since confirmed himself that there are some agents he's point-blank refusing to deal with now.
So I'm just not sure why we'd be dragging Roddy in front of the judge.
Depends on how you want to look at it and who'd you rather blame.
You can blame the recruitment for the signings as they clearly couldn't play/ understand how to play to Adkins.
You can blame Adkins for not getting the best out of the signings as they look completely different now.
Roddy and Adkins fighting it out for pantomime villain of the year.
I think you're right that it depends on who you'd rather blame, and many just seem desperate to blame Roddy for anything.
I dunno, quite enjoyed his Ball playing CB appearances. That cruyff turn will live long in the memory.
Jackson has the exact same players at his disposal that Adkins did (give or take depending on injuries of course) but by settling on a defined style and providing clear direction (as per Pearce) he's got those players playing much better.
It depends on how much credence you give Adkins wanting business done early or whether his problems were actually of his own making.
Personally I can understand if it took Adkins several games to experiment with tactics and formations early on but he didn't seem any closer to figuring it out by the time he left. Jackson stepped up and almost immediately found a shape and style that worked. Whether or not he suggested it to Adkins and what came of that we don't know, but he did it based on the same information and players Adkins had.
We have players playing well in a formation that their manager set on - i.e. a good squad if used well. That doesn't sound to me like questions should be aimed at anyone in the recruitment group, be that Sandgaard, Gallen or Roddy.
Why? Every manager in the country wants their business done early, it almost never happens and it shouldn’t be so important that your tactics will completely fall apart if that doesn’t come to fruition.
Thanks for posting Scoham about the 4-3-3 and diamond in the Cafc Charter because football continues to evolve and the flexible 3-5-2 has given the first team a boost under JJ who has found the balance between the low intensity of Adkins at the training ground and train like it's a match situation of Bowyer. JJ has gone more for Lee's high intensity but with a bit of kindness to the players in encouragement.
As the U18 score goals for fun recently with hitting 6 goals on several occasions against Spurs, Bristol City, and Millwall its hard to be critical but if Miles Leaburn starts the game as a central striker then Daniel Kanu would be best playing in a 2 up front similar to Clive Mendonca and Carl Leaburn.
I haven't seen enough of Kanu but i assumed he was a central striker with his goal tally ?
Will watch with interest how that develops because just like me Jackson likes two up front. Never rigid because you attack with numbers and defend with numbers,
When you see a formation written down it feels like it's set in stone and isn't flexible.
3-5-2 was understood in 1 and a half sessions by the first team squad and straight away we looked like a decent team and not a group of individuals who were out of sync with each other and struggling to have any shape anywhere over the field.
We need to focus on the hear and now and move away from the bottom four. 7 points from 3 games is an excellent start.
You only have to look across the football league to see there probably wasn't a single team who did all their business before the start of the season. Even those clubs who people thought had good transfer windows like Ipswich were still doing business right up until the end of the window, even the biggest clubs across Europe were buying on the last day.
I think Gallen said in the trust Q and A that we acquired many targets who simply weren't available at the start of the window, so do you either compromise on quality in order to bring people in at the start of the season or do you wait until quality comes along a bit later and take the risk that they will need time to settle.
I always thought we had a reasonable transfer window, we did what most clubs did in that we brought some players in early and others we waited for. We have brought a number of players in who hopefully will be here for a few years, got some players in with Charlton connections and spent a decent amount of money.
In an ideal world of course you'd have them all in for pre-season but NA has been in football long enough to know it doesn't work like that.