He showed good strength and speed to get through and with no one near him took the only option available and shot, as he got there I was right behind him in the West stand thinking no chance as he was going through but he proved if you don’t buy a ticket you can’t win the lottery , as a previous manager once said ‘plenty of shots’ he’s 🥩’d up nicely and is starting to reap some rewards , long may it continue
I remember seeing him working alongside Aneke a lot in pre season and you can’t see it in his strength and hold up play now. He’s receiving it with his back to goal and really holding off much bigger players.
Let’s not ignore the fact that he’s playing alongside Leaburn who he’s known for so long too. There’s a clear connection between them.
Lovely to see. He’s not a natural striker in the way May or Wright Philips were but he brings lots to whole side when he’s playing well.
The thing with pace is even if the player hasn't got the ball, it can open up defences as they have to consider it. Much easier for them if you just play in front of them with no threat of getting behind. Small helps with this too.
The thing with pace is even if the player hasn't got the ball, it can open up defences as they have to consider it. Much easier for them if you just play in front of them with no threat of getting behind. Small helps with this too.
Agreed, been the biggest difference in the last two games, we’ve gone at teams with pace and it’s so much harder as a defensive unit to defend against it.
Works so hard out of possession. His movement is excellent. Willing to go beyond and drop in as shown yesterday. A real asset to the club, still so young. If he continues this development he will have suitors in the summer.
I think he is a top L1 player with the potential to make it in the Championship. Just the sort of player we need right now. Clearly put a shift in to bulk up over the last 12 months and improving.
Works so hard out of possession. His movement is excellent. Willing to go beyond and drop in as shown yesterday. A real asset to the club, still so young. If he continues this development he will have suitors in the summer.
If he keeps on this trajectory, definitely. He is a young lad and this is an important stage in his career in terms of where it goes.
One thing Brownie mentioned during the game yesterday was TCs poor anticipation and concentration levels. I think it’s one area that has held him back, especially playing as a striker where it’s so important to be aware and read the game well, reacting quickly and getting on the end of moves. Hopefully something that improves with experience, some players are more natural with it but it can be developed.
One thing Brownie mentioned during the game yesterday was TCs poor anticipation and concentration levels. I think it’s one area that has held him back, especially playing as a striker where it’s so important to be aware and read the game well, reacting quickly and getting on the end of moves. Hopefully something that improves with experience, some players are more natural with it but it can be developed.
I think it’s practice with him and having had different strike partners. Ahadme and Leaburn are very different players to play with. His anticipation was much better yesterday because he understands Leaburn’s game.
How nice was it to see a completely home grown strike partnership yesterday?
If you think TC is now making the same runs from the same areas of the pitch I respectful disagree. Jones and Co have taken a technically skilled and pacy shrinking violet of a player to the point he only made 12 starts in 2022/23, 13 starts in 2023/24 to one has shown enough improvement to already warrant 13 starts this season.
Lyle Taylor, for example, as a predominately central striker repeatedly started his runs beyond opposing back fours from deep and wide positions, Campbell is beginning to do just that.
Previously consistently unable to use his skills in the tights confines in and around the penalty he has been given the physical confidence to compete in those areas.
It was his physical challenge which created the ball dropping to Docherty for the first against Northampton
it was his physical persistence to hold off the defenders challenge to get on the end of Leaburns pass for the 2nd
To hold off the challenge from the Cambridge defender yesterday.
Playing with pace is one thing. Playing with pace & physical power is a greater threat.
Small margins maybe but crucial contributions. I have no idea whether TC will continue to grow and perform but there is no doubt he was not performing to these levels last season. He is beginning to impact games - long may it continue
not only is he impacting games, he's our biggest attacking threat - that's partly because he has got better but also partly because we no longer have cbt, may, chucks or even rak saki - instead we have ahadme and godden
For all the talk about whether Nathan Jones has improved any players since he came in... Well Tyreece is the biggest answer
He was a shadow of himself, this time last year, what with the damage that Appleton did to his confidence
Backed out of simple 50/50 challenges, and hid in matches - Last couple of games he's well and truly come alive.
Amazing isn't it. Nathan Jones came up with this marvellous idea of playing a winger on the wing and he comes good. Nathan is an absolute genius.
To me it looks like he’s playing up front alongside Leaburn but with freedom to drift wide or drop deep. We defend as a 3-5-2 that becomes 4-2-31/4-3-3 in attack.
It arguably suits him even more as he doesn’t need to defend and track back like a winger.
Was it TC who put in the beautiful cross (First Half) that the last Cambridge defender did so well to cut out? - Or was it Small?
Few inches further ahead of the Defender and Berry (?) was there to make it 2-0 at the time.
That cross was a few inches off being the best pass we've seen at the Valley for seasons. Was such a pity it didn't quite beat the last defender, who was at full stretch to reach it.
Starting to look like the player I hoped he was going to be a year ago and finally looks to be over the crisis of confidence he suffered under Appleton. Still has some things to work on but probably deserves a few more assists by now if some of his teammates were doing a better job of sticking it in the back of the net.
Most improved player this year by far. Combination of improved strength and playing further up the pitch with less defensive responsibility has done wonders. Now if he could just improve his end product
Still think we should sign another winger and play 343, Berry scored today but we don't play with a proper number 10 most of the time to make chances like that. A team of: Mannion Mitchell Jones Gillesphey Ramsay Docherty Coventry Small New WR Leaburn TC
Would work well IMO, with the option to play 2 up top and a third midfielder if needed. TC works best cutting in from from wider than he was playing at the start of the season
Still think we should sign another winger and play 343, Berry scored today but we don't play with a proper number 10 most of the time to make chances like that. A team of: Mannion Mitchell Jones Gillesphey Ramsay Docherty Coventry Small New WR Leaburn TC
Would work well IMO, with the option to play 2 up top and a third midfielder if needed. TC works best cutting in from from wider than he was playing at the start of the season
This would certainly work and I'd back it. But I don't think Jones wants to go into matches without 3 CM's. He doesn't like being outnumbered in that area of the pitch. Ramsay does cut inside so with the right player in front of him he could be the extra body in midfield.
Also you don't necessarily need wingers to play a front 3. Most top sides that do this use at least 1 striker with pace that can start wider and cut inside. Kanu would be good at this role. Leaburn could defo do it as big players like Mane have at the top level in the past (would obviously not get the best from Miles and he is our best option for that focal point central striker role so not actually suggesting we move him inside). Godden wouldn't be as suited to it but could do it and him arriving at the far post with his finishing could help us put away a few chances.
He definitely is more aggressive and more direct He still only has 2 goals and no assists in League 1 this year. Which as we are giving Gas pelters for only 1 goal and 1 assist this year - is a reason why we are not in the top 6 and chasing promotion.
I like his attitude. Will he ever improve his end product in games that mean something. Let's see. One of his goals went through the goalkeepers legs from 20 yards.
If you don't shoot, you don't score, this is true - but end product needs to drastically improve to become a player that is a must starter for a promotion side with solid prospects.
Something I struggle with is why don't we offer players like TC long-term deals when they're clearly showing enough potential to be worth the investment?
It's almost inevitable he's going to get to the last 6 months of his contract before we offer him something else.
Something I struggle with is why don't we offer players like TC long-term deals when they're clearly showing enough potential to be worth the investment?
It's almost inevitable he's going to get to the last 6 months of his contract before we offer him something else.
We’ve been trying to I think - Laqeretabua and Reid have signed new deals, and Zach Mitchell did a few months back. TC himself did off the back of a season in which he lost confidence and didn’t regularly feature.
Maybe you mean players in TCs position where they’re now starting regularly - but from his point of view he only signed a new deal around May, he doesn’t need to be tied down to a 4/5 year contract.
Something I struggle with is why don't we offer players like TC long-term deals when they're clearly showing enough potential to be worth the investment?
It's almost inevitable he's going to get to the last 6 months of his contract before we offer him something else.
You mean like when he signed one in May? Or the one we just gave to Josh Laq? Or the one Zach Mitchell got a few months ago?
Comments
What more do people want, LuaLua on an expensive loan?
How nice was it to see a completely home grown strike partnership yesterday?
Few inches further ahead of the Defender and Berry (?) was there to make it 2-0 at the time.
Nathan Jones came up with this marvellous idea of playing a winger on the wing and he comes good.
Nathan is an absolute genius.
Lyle Taylor, for example, as a predominately central striker repeatedly started his runs beyond opposing back fours from deep and wide positions, Campbell is beginning to do just that.
It was his physical challenge which created the ball dropping to Docherty for the first against Northampton
To hold off the challenge from the Cambridge defender yesterday.
Playing with pace is one thing. Playing with pace & physical power is a greater threat.
Small margins maybe but crucial contributions. I have no idea whether TC will continue to grow and perform but there is no doubt he was not performing to these levels last season. He is beginning to impact games - long may it continue
It arguably suits him even more as he doesn’t need to defend and track back like a winger.
Mannion
Mitchell Jones Gillesphey
Ramsay Docherty Coventry Small
New WR Leaburn TC
Would work well IMO, with the option to play 2 up top and a third midfielder if needed. TC works best cutting in from from wider than he was playing at the start of the season
Also you don't necessarily need wingers to play a front 3. Most top sides that do this use at least 1 striker with pace that can start wider and cut inside. Kanu would be good at this role. Leaburn could defo do it as big players like Mane have at the top level in the past (would obviously not get the best from Miles and he is our best option for that focal point central striker role so not actually suggesting we move him inside). Godden wouldn't be as suited to it but could do it and him arriving at the far post with his finishing could help us put away a few chances.
He still only has 2 goals and no assists in League 1 this year. Which as we are giving Gas pelters for only 1 goal and 1 assist this year - is a reason why we are not in the top 6 and chasing promotion.
I like his attitude. Will he ever improve his end product in games that mean something. Let's see. One of his goals went through the goalkeepers legs from 20 yards.
If you don't shoot, you don't score, this is true - but end product needs to drastically improve to become a player that is a must starter for a promotion side with solid prospects.
It's almost inevitable he's going to get to the last 6 months of his contract before we offer him something else.
Maybe you mean players in TCs position where they’re now starting regularly - but from his point of view he only signed a new deal around May, he doesn’t need to be tied down to a 4/5 year contract.