Being brutally honest I’m more concerned about the defence than the attack. I think the attack will sort itself out but I’m worried that our back three / four are looking all over the place. We got away with it against Orient but we won’t against better teams. Hector and Ness in particular look shadows of last season. Early I know but the warning signs are there.
Been saying for a while that you can’t expect to concede 20-30 less goals this season with largely the same defence that we had last season, the same one that conceded 66 goals.
Take Hector out and in terms of actual quality, we very much lack any. We have young players who have done well in the main, some completely new to men’s first team football, but that’s not enough or good enough to make the difference required.
Last two times we got out of League One, we had Morrison, Taylor, and Cort when we won the league and then Bauer, Pearce, Sarr, and Bielik in defence covering at times through play-offs.
Thats the standard you need to get out this league.
We have recruited well so far and we will bring in more players. It would be all for nothing if we do not sign another quality centre back because it’s the defence that will let us down this season if we don’t achieve what we all want and hope for.
I agree we need a couple more defenders in but also disagree that our defence is THAT bad. This isn’t the defence that finished 10th, we had Lavelle or O’Connell partnering Inniss for the first half of the season (with Chin and Clayden at left back sometimes!). Once Ness and Hector came into it in the second half of the season we were the 8th best team in league 1. Combine that with a weaker league and I don’t think we are very far off a top 6 side already. Leaburn and May are one of the best frontlines in the league (yes we need other options), our midfield is one of the best in the league, defence is the weak point at the moment but I don’t think it’s far off.
A left footed centre back would be great, but these are difficult to find and overpriced because of their value to any team playing 3 at the back. This should have been a priority position this summer but it might be that there isn’t anyone good enough that we can sign that fits the mould. Hopefully there is a PL loan left footed CB that we can bring in, but even then that’s quite risky bringing in a centre back who hasn’t played much senior football
It's interesting how quickly people have turned on Ness. He was a real breakthrough last season playing at LCB alongside Inniss and Hector and we were all really happy with him. Then he got injured and had a couple of slightly ropey pre-season games and he's not really being considered as a good player anymore. He's only 21 and he looked a real prospect last season. I think I'd include him in the list of decent defenders we have going forward rather than piling him in with the worst of last season's dross
The thing is he is exactly what you say he is he is a 21 real prospect. He had a couple of, let's say, not great performances last season. He got away with it against Bolton because Inniss was here to take the flack.
His absence has turned him from a great prospect to the best center half in the league (c). In some people's eyes. As normally happens with our injured players.
If he plays 30+ games for us this season we won't go up. He could well have a long career in the championship.
I don't think that is turning on him.
I don’t think that’s true actually, I think for once his absence has reduced the positivity around him. Inniss definitely ate some of the criticism for the rest of the team but I think Ness has gone from one everyone was very positive about as part of the first team to being considered as a part of last year’s failure which isn’t really fair. I don’t think I agree about the 30 games either, we’ll have to see if he kicks on or not this season but it could go either way
He certainly isn't part of last season's failure. He also only played 15 games, in his first season of first team football. 10 months ago he wasn't a stand out at Torquay.
Let's flip it around, if we signed him to be our first team center half from elsewhere, and you watched all his games from last season, would you be excited?
Harder to say with a defender but I think I would be to be honest. A player thrown in at 20 years old to cover for injuries who then proceeded to keep out other more senior CBs (Lavelle, O'Connell, Thomas at various times) and even managing to get two assists in those games before getting injured. I think he would have kept out Inniss from there if not for the injury. Playing with a three yes, I'd be happy to have a younger CB who already has shown he can hold his own at L1 level and would hopefully continue to improve and progress. alongside more experienced players. Plus he's just coming back off a decent injury, so he'd fit the bill for us as a signing.
Anyone else hearing that Fraser could be out for a few weeks & Campbell 2 months. Probably just Facebook/Twitter rumours but if true we really do need to strengthen our attacking options.
We need someone to compete with Fraser even when he's fit.
Leaving him on the pitch last Saturday when he was clearly crocked was a bizarre decision.
He asked to be subbed as well...
If we had taken him off and conceded with 10 men we would have been saying should have kept him on.
Anyone else hearing that Fraser could be out for a few weeks & Campbell 2 months. Probably just Facebook/Twitter rumours but if true we really do need to strengthen our attacking options.
We need someone to compete with Fraser even when he's fit.
Leaving him on the pitch last Saturday when he was clearly crocked was a bizarre decision.
He asked to be subbed as well...
If we had taken him off and conceded with 10 men we would have been saying should have kept him on.
I do believe the new owners are shopping in a better market then the previous few ownerships but you do wonder how many points they are willing to risk dropping while they negotiate as they will lose way more by failing to get promoted this season then they will haggling over an extra couple of hundred k for the right player.
That being said we have three points from three so far, so despite crashing out of a cup that gave us the majority of joy last season we have not been punished yet for a slower then ideal transfer window, just get the deals done.
You would have thought that one of the many ‘support staff’ or trainers in our dugout would have said - “Boss - you’ve got another sub just getting stripped off - Shall we put them both on at the same time and save a sub berth in case of injury?” Not hindsight - just common sense!
We have 7 first team centre midfield options and we only play 3 at any one time. These are:
Dobson Camara Fraser Anderson Taylor McGrandles Payne
In no way, shape or form are we "down to the bare bones" if Fraser is injured.
There's plenty of real actual issues to complain/worry about, why do people continue to feel the need to manufacture faux drama all the poxy time?
We have decent options but we don’t have anyone that can do what Fraser does so it’s a big hole. Camara and Anderson aren’t as good passers as Fraser and that’s what we will miss and don’t have a replacement for
The problem with Camará at 10 is, he can't hit a cow's arse with a banjo. Great engine and should be a good loan signing but 12 Goals in 185 League games is not great if he's is the number 10 (attacking midfielder) For any games that Fraser misses perhaps we haven't got any better options ?
I gave that moniker to Albie Morgan before he hit the sign above The Jimmy Seed stand. Now Morgan has left for the seaside it needs a new owner.
The problem with Camará at 10 is, he can't hit a cow's arse with a banjo. Great engine and should be a good loan signing but 12 Goals in 185 League games is not great if he's is the number 10 (attacking midfielder) For any games that Fraser misses perhaps we haven't got any better options ?
I gave that moniker to Albie Morgan before he hit the sign above The Jimmy Seed stand. Now Morgan has left for the seaside it needs a new owner.
Anderson could be the answer maybe. Scored in pre-season, looks like he got 8 last season across U18 and U21s. Not great but might be our best option for now
You would have thought that one of the many ‘support staff’ or trainers in our dugout would have said - “Boss - you’ve got another sub just getting stripped off - Shall we put them both on at the same time and save a sub berth in case of injury?” Not hindsight - just common sense!
Excellent post.
I sometines wonder if managers/coaches actually know the rules or have more than 2 brain cells to rub together.
We have 7 first team centre midfield options and we only play 3 at any one time. These are:
Dobson Camara Fraser Anderson Taylor McGrandles Payne
In no way, shape or form are we "down to the bare bones" if Fraser is injured.
There's plenty of real actual issues to complain/worry about, why do people continue to feel the need to manufacture faux drama all the poxy time?
We have decent options but we don’t have anyone that can do what Fraser does so it’s a big hole. Camara and Anderson aren’t as good passers as Fraser and that’s what we will miss and don’t have a replacement for
From the very limited view I've had of both Anderson & Camara I would say they are both very good replacements for Fraser & even a step up.
I think the hints and murmurs are that we basically are done on incomings until the last week of the window when we will hopefully be busy as things start falling into place for other clubs. While this will not please some, and you always want players in earlier, it is worth it if we get the right people in.
Generally, I think the only people you get at this stage of the window are the ones that clubs are particularly looking to offload and I don’t think we really want them.
Comments
Sadly, Fraser may be out longer than them all
Vennings and Dempsey, now that was bare bones.
Can only make subs on 3 separate occasions
That being said we have three points from three so far, so despite crashing out of a cup that gave us the majority of joy last season we have not been punished yet for a slower then ideal transfer window, just get the deals done.
For any games that Fraser misses perhaps we haven't got any better options ?
I gave that moniker to Albie Morgan before he hit the sign above The Jimmy Seed stand. Now Morgan has left for the seaside it needs a new owner.
I sometines wonder if managers/coaches actually know the rules or have more than 2 brain cells to rub together.