England U21 playing without a recognised number 9, perhaps they are copying us 🤣
I bet they have more than 1 in their entire 23 man squad though.
Is this going to be your newest whine now that 'we won't sign any players', 'we have too many defenders sign a striker' and 'we won't pay a fee before the takeover goes through' (often in capitals) aren't available anymore?
Yes it could be. Totally justified I would say. No point just bringing in 1 striker when 2 are injured before the season kicks off.
Or do you think startng the season with just May & Kanu is going to reap rewards ??
(And by the way, I would wholly expect that by Aug 5th we have signed at least 1 more striker, but the point was today's game and England U21's match)
I do think starting the season with just May and Kanu would be bad. Good thing the season doesn't kick off for another month and then there's another month of the transfer window to run after that isn't it! If you're complaining that we turned up yesterday with one striker, I'm sorry that injuries exist. Truly I am. But then you know this '1 striker, what if Kanu has to play 46 games' thing an empty line, you just have to say something negative and this allows you to pivot from telling everyone on a daily basis that May wouldn't be signing until Sandgaard left. You don't actually have to complain you know, you can take a day off.
After a nice time at Welling last week, didn’t really enjoy today.
Maybe the football, maybe the crowd, maybe the nice but soulless stadium, maybe the terrible refreshment service.
For a local game it felt like a proper away match.
I will think twice before attending this fixture next year,have to get there 90 minutes pre kick off to get parked ,leave 15 minutes before the end to avoid waiting to get out for an hour.I sat on the half way line,and had a bunch of morons standing behind me who did nothing but abuse players and take the piss out of the linesman.Also I doubt the wisdom of playing these sort of games,we lost Miles last week to a bad tackle,and coulld easily have lost Dobbo today
with a similar effort. Then their guy takes a swing and gets a red.
Just watching the highlights and what it highlights is our absolute abysmal shooting. no one seems to be able to hit the ball cleanly. why is that? surely they are told how to hit the ball. I was as a kid. strike it with your laces.
CBT is an X factor player and his strengths are attacking. Roddy and CBT defending the left side was always problematical. In a traditional 3-5-2 they wouldn't be a pairing. Didn't watch so trying to understand by some of the comments on this thread.
I find it amazing that 'fans/critics' go to an early match and expect cohesion even against lowly opposition in Dartford and Welling. Because of injuries and a few players still to come into the club, out of the players on show yesterday only about 6 regular starters ? Depends if we want to be top six contenders or not.
No May, Leaburn, Jones or Ness. (Any others missing ?)
What position did Asiimwe play yesterday ? Because it looked like he was going to play wing back? Seeing he scored a brace, was he more Trent Alexander-Arnold than Chris Solly ?
CBT is an X factor player and his strengths are attacking. Roddy and CBT defending the left side was always problematical. In a traditional 3-5-2 they wouldn't be a pairing. Didn't watch so trying to understand by some of the comments on this thread.
I find it amazing that 'fans/critics' go to an early match and expect cohesion even against lowly opposition in Dartford and Welling. Because of injuries and a few players still to come into the club, out of the players on show yesterday only about 6 regular starters ? Depends if we want to be top six contenders or not.
No May, Leaburn, Jones or Ness. (Any others missing ?)
What position did Asiimwe play yesterday ? Because it looked like he was going to play wing back? Seeing he scored a brace, was he more Trent Alexander-Arnold than Chris Solly ?
Whilst agreeing with your points, I believe Ness did play in the second half.
Asiimwe has been clearly the stand out performance of the first couple of games and is exciting. But it’s definitely easier for full backs to look good against the lower league friendly opposition as they’re given more time and space to roam forward. I remember Aaron Barnes a few years back looking like a world beater in the same position in these friendlies.
Plenty of time to fill the gaps in the squad. Overall, I think it’s been a very positive first couple of weeks to preseason.
Asiimwe first caught the eye as an older looking young player in the U18’s and U21’s. My first two impressions were about how strong and powerful he seemed to be amongst his peers, and it takes him 15 to find his rhythm in a match, and then he is good, not only in surviving but in making a difference. From memory he has always played as a right sided defender or wing back. Nathan is still a very young footballer. He will have mistakes in him, and needs further experience, please don’t rush to judgement too quickly. When he finishes growing he will be, as Bill Shankly would’ve said ‘grisly strong’.
CBT is an X factor player and his strengths are attacking. Roddy and CBT defending the left side was always problematical. In a traditional 3-5-2 they wouldn't be a pairing. Didn't watch so trying to understand by some of the comments on this thread.
I find it amazing that 'fans/critics' go to an early match and expect cohesion even against lowly opposition in Dartford and Welling. Because of injuries and a few players still to come into the club, out of the players on show yesterday only about 6 regular starters ? Depends if we want to be top six contenders or not.
No May, Leaburn, Jones or Ness. (Any others missing ?)
What position did Asiimwe play yesterday ? Because it looked like he was going to play wing back? Seeing he scored a brace, was he more Trent Alexander-Arnold than Chris Solly ?
Whilst agreeing with your points, I believe Ness did play in the second half.
Asiimwe has been clearly the stand out performance of the first couple of games and is exciting. But it’s definitely easier for full backs to look good against the lower league friendly opposition as they’re given more time and space to roam forward. I remember Aaron Barnes a few years back looking like a world beater in the same position in these friendlies.
Plenty of time to fill the gaps in the squad. Overall, I think it’s been a very positive first couple of weeks to preseason.
Yes it's easy for wingbacks to shine going forward in such matches, but Asiimwe was far more of an attacking threat than Egbo which is the best direct comparison you can make.
Cheers to RC and Seth. Positives that Ness and Egbo are back and building up their fitness and that Asiimwe has hit the ground running ( and scoring) after coming into contention at the end of last season. With utility man Sean Clare leaving the building the position of attacking Right back is up for grabs. Asiimwe and Egbo will be the main contenders.
Feel sorry for Chin if he played on the left yesterday. To get a Left footed, Left back is paramount as no disrespect to Thomas who can fill in there but I do prefer a league 1 version of Luke Shaw.
Richard Chin out of position has had a good pre season so far.
Good to hear but up against some pacey League 1 right sided forwards or attacking right backs or wing back will be difficult if he is on his wrong side.
I wasn't happy with the Dartford approach in a friendly. I thought it was poor.
I thought Dartford played well and gave us a good test. Their players are playing for their places and in some cases, their jobs. Friendly! No such thing IMO.
Rooney throwing a punch (that missed fortunately) was obviously unacceptable, but I would be disappointed if they hadn’t given it their all. I watch an occasional non league game and ‘robust’ tackles are common and not often a yellow. That needs to change.
I'm not sure how we are going to support Chin's development by playing him at left foot, simply due to the fact we've cocked up that position in the transfer market since Maatsen.
I'm not sure how we are going to support Chin's development by playing him at left foot, simply due to the fact we've cocked up that position in the transfer market since Maatsen.
Chin seems to be in a slightly awkward position whereby he's the right age to start staking a claim, he's got a bit of experience and clearly some talent but he's definitely not quite ready to absolutely nail a place down and I'm not quite sure if he's good enough yet for regular spot on the bench.
The fact he's been tried "out of position" suggests Holden hasn't totally ruled him out yet but it will be hard for him to have a breakthrough season.
CBT is an X factor player and his strengths are attacking. Roddy and CBT defending the left side was always problematical. In a traditional 3-5-2 they wouldn't be a pairing. Didn't watch so trying to understand by some of the comments on this thread.
I find it amazing that 'fans/critics' go to an early match and expect cohesion even against lowly opposition in Dartford and Welling. Because of injuries and a few players still to come into the club, out of the players on show yesterday only about 6 regular starters ? Depends if we want to be top six contenders or not.
No May, Leaburn, Jones or Ness. (Any others missing ?)
What position did Asiimwe play yesterday ? Because it looked like he was going to play wing back? Seeing he scored a brace, was he more Trent Alexander-Arnold than Chris Solly ?
I would imagine that, if Holden does opt for a 352, we will play CBT against poorer opposition and a much more defensive lwb vs better teams. And when CBT does play, it will likely be with a left centre back who can also play left back comfortably, and we’ll revert more to a 4 at the back without the ball.
I read often that you can not judge the players on early preseason games. So when we play badly or out out played by a non league team do not worry. But I assume the teams we play are also in preseason, so should should Dartford ignore how we'll they did against us. Or is as I look at it. Which is our professional players should do better in these games than the amateurs who have less support and training thN us.
Only saw the last 25 minutes of the game on tv feed. Dartford’s goal looked like very average defending from us.
Our three defenders were watching the right winger/rwb on the by line, nobody marking the striker on the far post leaving him a free tap in. Right CB had that responsibility ? In mitigation I think it was a makeshift defence, not to be repeated.
I wasn't happy with the Dartford approach in a friendly. I thought it was poor.
I thought Dartford played well and gave us a good test. Their players are playing for their places and in some cases, their jobs. Friendly! No such thing IMO.
Rooney throwing a punch (that missed fortunately) was obviously unacceptable, but I would be disappointed if they hadn’t given it their all. I watch an occasional non league game and ‘robust’ tackles are common and not often a yellow. That needs to change.
I don't expect reckless lunging tackles and a punch being thrown in a friendly where both teams changed teams at half time and which was mainly about fitness. Totally unacceptable as was the challenge on Leaburn from the Welling player a week earlier. Maybe we have an obligation to Dartford using their ground but if I was Holden, I would question these friendlies next pre-season. You can achieve the same playing one of the Charlton sides against the other for 45 minutes.
I also question the value of these “friendlies” when there is such a risk of injuries. Miles going to miss the start of our season due to some idiot trying to show his worth. Far better off playing some championship clubs pre season imo
I also question the value of these “friendlies” when there is such a risk of injuries. Miles going to miss the start of our season due to some idiot trying to show his worth. Far better off playing some championship clubs pre season imo
It's a good point. But we specialise in ducking everything up when it comes to fitness and injuries.
Holden didn't seem upset by the Dartford challenges, judging from his interview with Louis. It's a balancing act, obviously you don't want nasty challenges and injuries, but you also do need a bit of a physical battle as well, to get the players tuned in to the return of competitive football.
I wasn't happy with the Dartford approach in a friendly. I thought it was poor.
I thought Dartford played well and gave us a good test. Their players are playing for their places and in some cases, their jobs. Friendly! No such thing IMO.
Rooney throwing a punch (that missed fortunately) was obviously unacceptable, but I would be disappointed if they hadn’t given it their all. I watch an occasional non league game and ‘robust’ tackles are common and not often a yellow. That needs to change.
I don't expect reckless lunging tackles and a punch being thrown in a friendly where both teams changed teams at half time and which was mainly about fitness. Totally unacceptable as was the challenge on Leaburn from the Welling player a week earlier. Maybe we have an obligation to Dartford using their ground but if I was Holden, I would question these friendlies next pre-season. You can achieve the same playing one of the Charlton sides against the other for 45 minutes.
This ^^^^ back in the the day it used to be Probables v Possibles. David Stocks left back was playing for the Possibles, was an apprentice to my Grandfather at Seimans and Gramps took me me to see one of these pre season games circa 1960.
Holden didn't seem upset by the Dartford challenges, judging from his interview with Louis. It's a balancing act, obviously you don't want nasty challenges and injuries, but you also do need a bit of a physical battle as well, to get the players tuned in to the return of competitive football.
He's also been strangely silent on Miles's injury which I can only presume is so clubs don't ramp up the price of a free transfer!
I'm actually interested in his views on the Miles hack.
Comments
surely they are told how to hit the ball. I was as a kid. strike it with your laces.
Didn't watch so trying to understand by some of the comments on this thread.
I find it amazing that 'fans/critics' go to an early match and expect cohesion even against lowly opposition in Dartford and Welling.
Because of injuries and a few players still to come into the club, out of the players on show yesterday only about 6 regular starters ? Depends if we want to be top six contenders or not.
No May, Leaburn, Jones or Ness. (Any others missing ?)
What position did Asiimwe play yesterday ?
Because it looked like he was going to play wing back?
Seeing he scored a brace, was he more Trent Alexander-Arnold than Chris Solly ?
Asiimwe has been clearly the stand out performance of the first couple of games and is exciting. But it’s definitely easier for full backs to look good against the lower league friendly opposition as they’re given more time and space to roam forward. I remember Aaron Barnes a few years back looking like a world beater in the same position in these friendlies.
Plenty of time to fill the gaps in the squad. Overall, I think it’s been a very positive first couple of weeks to preseason.
My first two impressions were about how strong and powerful he seemed to be amongst his peers, and it takes him 15 to find his rhythm in a match, and then he is good, not only in surviving but in making a difference.
From memory he has always played as a right sided defender or wing back.
Nathan is still a very young footballer. He will have mistakes in him, and needs further experience, please don’t rush to judgement too quickly. When he finishes growing he will be, as Bill Shankly would’ve said ‘grisly strong’.
Positives that Ness and Egbo are back and building up their fitness and that Asiimwe has hit the ground running ( and scoring) after coming into contention at the end of last season.
With utility man Sean Clare leaving the building the position of attacking Right back is up for grabs. Asiimwe and Egbo will be the main contenders.
Feel sorry for Chin if he played on the left yesterday.
To get a Left footed, Left back is paramount as no disrespect to Thomas who can fill in there but I do prefer a league 1 version of Luke Shaw.
Good to hear but up against some pacey League 1 right sided forwards or attacking right backs or wing back will be difficult if he is on his wrong side.
I watch an occasional non league game and ‘robust’ tackles are common and not often a yellow. That needs to change.
The fact he's been tried "out of position" suggests Holden hasn't totally ruled him out yet but it will be hard for him to have a breakthrough season.
Sort of but not the same as Sean Clare.
But I assume the teams we play are also in preseason, so should should Dartford ignore how we'll they did against us.
Or is as I look at it. Which is our professional players should do better in these games than the amateurs who have less support and training thN us.
Dartford’s goal looked like very average defending from us.
Our three defenders were watching the right winger/rwb on the by line, nobody marking the striker on the far post leaving him a free tap in.
Right CB had that responsibility ?
In mitigation I think it was a makeshift defence, not to be repeated.
I'm actually interested in his views on the Miles hack.