Just out of interest, does anyone know how Alfie is doing, goal wise up against Lyle from his time here in league one, with the same amount of games played?
I guess it would be in a programme from that time , think Lyle ended up with 25 league goals, wonder if Alfie will get similar?
I love the energy, enthusiasm, and work rate he brings to the side, as well as goals, obviously.
Just had a brief look, think Taylor had 5 from his first 9 league games, so May is one up on him.
14 in 9 v 13 in 9 now, so May is still ahead.
Considering Taylor got 25 goals, hopefully May is on for more.
Who was the last player, before May, to score 8 goals in 8 League games for us? I'm going for Andy Hunt purely because I recall him scoring two hat-tricks in consecutive matches
Derek Hales 16 league goals in his first 13 league games of the 1976/1977 season before he was then sold to Derby after 3 more league games in December
That being the case, then May must have had the best start any Charlton player has had in the last 46 years. We were looking for a 20 goal a season man but if he stays fit, avoids suspension and retains his form, he could hit 30. He has 9 in 12 and needs 21 in 33 to achieve that. Tall order but if he can get 23 and 20 in the last two seasons for a side that, in total, have scored 4 goals this season, then, perhaps, that isn't out of the question (especially as I don't believe many of his there were penalties there).
May’s less selfish than Taylor was though so I don’t mind if he isn’t.
Taylor was unselfish that season he tee'd up KAG quite a few times in the first half of the season. He tried to put in Parker a good number of times too.
Izale McCleod had fantastic figures for MK dons and was absolute dogshit as was Andy Gray hope I am wrong but I have followed his career from dot and do not rate him.Ajose had good figures from elsewhere and was the same, I hope I am wrong but Alfie May will do diddly for us.
Got to say I was on the fence and worried that at his age with 2 good seasons he may be the next Ajose, but what a player. A natural finisher, a proper trier and a real team player. The way he was with Camara, the way he shouts at players to move up the pitch, the way he celebrates every goal... Captain material? Amazes he has not played at a higher level when you think the likes of Washington and Simon Church did.
Alfie’s brilliant. He scores goals for fun. He never gives up on chasing. In fact, he looks happy to explore every opportunity. And he communicates on the pitch. Dobbo does too in the midfield, with similar energy. We just need a centre back that does that same.
When was the last time we had a player finish top goal scorer for the entire division (long way to go on that for May). Bent, Mendonca and Taylor didn’t. I don’t think BWP did either. Did Andy Hunt?
What I really don't understand is why people suddenly believe that he isn't the striker he was last season? Same division and he scored 22 times for a team that finished six places below us. That included goals as well as against us (2), Plymouth (2), Derby (1), Wednesday (1), Peterborough (3), Ipswich (1) and Wycombe (2) - that's 12 goals against sides in the top 10 of which 4 were against the three promoted sides.
Even Killer used to miss sitters. It's an occupational hazard of a striker. Equally, last season he scored one in his first seven matches. The only thing that will stop him will be a lack of service or a complete loss of confidence due to being Charltonised. He also doesn't score the same goals and I would encourage anyone who has doubts about him to look at these and specifically the ones from last season:
That was posted on 15th August, four days before Alfie scored his first goal for us. He now has 54 goals in 99 League appearances in the last three seasons in League 1. The best start to the season for any Charlton player since, ironically the player I identified above, Killer, some 46 years ago and no other player has bettered 11 goals in 11 games during any part of those subsequent season.
His stats in relation to the 340 players to have played in League 1 are:
Goals - 11 (1st=) Total Shots - 50 (1st=) Shots On Target - 24 (1st)
The more raffle tickets Alfie buys, the more prizes he wins. But as we have seen with our own eyes, especially under Appleton, there is so much more to Alfie's game than knowing where the back of the net is!
I've bemoaned, over the course of the last decade or so, we've had so few players that our youngsters can look up to as role models. We now have someone who doesn't just have a very obvious end product but who does the hard yards on and off the pitch too. Here's hoping he's with us for another three or four years.
Just one final thing. When (and not if) he has a barren spell, the one thing Alfie will need is our support. All strikers do but, because he is so industrious, he has another side to his game. If we focus on that rather than the chances he might have missed than the goals will return.
I reckon it's all down to the spectacular views of the River Medway from his flat we were told he was looking at
He is settled, happy and playing like a leader. He's got family close by now - something he's not had for a while - and he has his wife and kids with him (I believe she stayed in Doncaster still while he was paying in Cheltenham). He's happy and settled and he's certainly feeling the love
It's funny how some questioned why he was a "Cheltenham legend" after only spending a couple of years there....perhaps now we can see why
Right it might be a bit early for this, but if he was happy to, I would extend his contract by 4 years at least.
He doesn't strike me as the type of player to ever get lazy, I don't see his age slowing him down and he seems to love playing here.
The exact kind of player I'd love to see finish his career here, what a role model for the youth.
Best of all he wants to start doing his coaching badges because that's what he wants to do after the game. Ultimately he wants to become a manager. Could he be the next Jason Pearce for us?
I think one thing that helps him stay grounded is that he was a roofer and builder just about 7 years ago so he's almost seeing it as his second chance so he wants to make the most of it - you can see that in the way he plays
Comments
Considering Taylor got 25 goals, hopefully May is on for more.
Cole 11
May 11
Rhodes 9
Bishop 9
Charles 9
Reid 9
Amazes he has not played at a higher level when you think the likes of Washington and Simon Church did.
A proper footballer and goalscorer.
The closest to Super Clive since….Super Clive.
:-)
Erm I think you find 'twas the black box
Jokes aside, seems like he loves playing here and what a player he is. Finally we've got a proper striker and he's brilliant.
Love the guy keep them coming Alfie 👏
His stats in relation to the 340 players to have played in League 1 are:
Goals - 11 (1st=)
Total Shots - 50 (1st=)
Shots On Target - 24 (1st)
The more raffle tickets Alfie buys, the more prizes he wins. But as we have seen with our own eyes, especially under Appleton, there is so much more to Alfie's game than knowing where the back of the net is!
I've bemoaned, over the course of the last decade or so, we've had so few players that our youngsters can look up to as role models. We now have someone who doesn't just have a very obvious end product but who does the hard yards on and off the pitch too. Here's hoping he's with us for another three or four years.
Just one final thing. When (and not if) he has a barren spell, the one thing Alfie will need is our support. All strikers do but, because he is so industrious, he has another side to his game. If we focus on that rather than the chances he might have missed than the goals will return.
He is settled, happy and playing like a leader. He's got family close by now - something he's not had for a while - and he has his wife and kids with him (I believe she stayed in Doncaster still while he was paying in Cheltenham). He's happy and settled and he's certainly feeling the love
It's funny how some questioned why he was a "Cheltenham legend" after only spending a couple of years there....perhaps now we can see why
He doesn't strike me as the type of player to ever get lazy, I don't see his age slowing him down and he seems to love playing here.
The exact kind of player I'd love to see finish his career here, what a role model for the youth.
I think one thing that helps him stay grounded is that he was a roofer and builder just about 7 years ago so he's almost seeing it as his second chance so he wants to make the most of it - you can see that in the way he plays