As has been my general view this season. Football at this level is not as black and white as people like to make it - where we want simplistic explanations for why we are under performing for a club our size.
We have a fan base complaining about how years of poor ownership and decisions has left us with an unbalanced and short on quality squad, but in the same breath also complain about the manager playing players out of position whilst we are in league position many think is actually this squads level.
Jones has not shown himself to be capable of being a player who can play for a league one team who are pushing for promotion, but I am sure with the right balance of squad and depth around him he could. I’m certain the same could be said for Fraser and a lot of players in our squad at the moment.
I didn’t want Appleton, I don’t really vibe with his aloof personal, and if he went tomorrow I wouldn’t care at all. Though to me the things he says are just a variation of a theme that all our previous managers has said.
However in my opinion if you gave him a strong balanced squad, with the resources we have available, just like most managers at our level with the coaching badges and experience, I imagine he would have us challenging.
As has been my general view this season. Football at this level is not as black and white as people like to make it - where we want simplistic explanations for why we are under performing for a club our size.
Ok, but how many top teams has Alfie May played in...
As has been my general view this season. Football at this level is not as black and white as people like to make it - where we want simplistic explanations for why we are under performing for a club our size.
Ok, but how many top teams has Alfie May played in...
Surely the proof is in watching the player.
I agree and that’s where good recruitment comes in, signing players who can make that step up.
I’d also add that most of our players could contribute to a promotion squad, but for most of them they’d only be squad players or cover.
We don’t have enough top end L1 players like May, plenty of this squad could have played the same role Reeves, Marshall, Parker, Lapslie etc did for Bowyer. Same with Powell’s squad.
As has been my general view this season. Football at this level is not as black and white as people like to make it - where we want simplistic explanations for why we are under performing for a club our size.
How many top teams has Alfie May played in...
Well exactly, which is why I said football is not as black and white as people like to make out. May is very much someone who looks like he could play in a league one promotion winning side - yet he has not.
McGrandles managed by Appleton captained Lincoln to 5th in the table etc. I just think at our level the difference in quality levels is much closer than in the leagues above - and it’s not just down to individual A is shit or the manager is shit - because under different circumstances I expect they could do well.
Maybe I’m getting all Dave Brailsford in my old age.
I am also not convinced Jones is a significant improvement on Innis currently.
Although like May, Jones even if you do rate him is not a signing by Scott if he gets a free pass for last January.
I don't agree. I think he is a big upgrade and consistently our best defender. Innis was never consistent. When he was good he was very good, but when he was bad he was very bad. Jones would be one of the first names on the team sheet for me, probably after Alfie May and George Dobson.
Jones seems quite limited, not particularly great in the air, and his passing is a bit average. But he does exude an air of dependability, and I’d pick him ahead of the more talented, but less reliable Hector, based on what we’ve seen so far.
Hector is probably the player that divides opinion more than any other amongst CLers, Jones possibly the one we can (almost) all agree on.
Aaagh, hope Alfie isn’t going? He might be another Ricky Holmes or Lyle Taylor, better off staying.
As has been my general view this season. Football at this level is not as black and white as people like to make it - where we want simplistic explanations for why we are under performing for a club our size.
Ok, but how many top teams has Alfie May played in...
Surely the proof is in watching the player.
I agree and that’s where good recruitment comes in, signing players who can make that step up.
I’d also add that most of our players could contribute to a promotion squad, but for most of them they’d only be squad players or cover.
We don’t have enough top end L1 players like May, plenty of this squad could have played the same role Reeves, Marshall, Parker, Lapslie etc did for Bowyer. Same with Powell’s squad.
Not just good players, but as you mention a good ‘squad’. A first 11 - 16 who all have the attributes to play the system you want to play, and any variation, whilst also having the personality qualities to fit in with how you want to.
And then additional players who can come in and fit into the system comfortably such as a talented youth player, as well as those senior players who drive quality and consistency at the training ground push standards.
We just have not had that in years, and it’s just been a mish mash of players who clearly can perform well at this level (we love to get someone’s captain, or player of the year for example) - but all together just don’t fit into anything of substance.
It’s why for me currently we will never go down, because individually we have decent players, but on the whole we don’t have a decent well thought out squad.
May I be the first to say wtf have we signed Gillesphy who failed a medical.
1. Have we signed him?
2. Has he failed a medical?
3. a medical isn’t a simple pass/fail, it is an assessment of the risk in signing a player. Once the club get the results they weigh up whether it is worth the fee/contract length/wages and then decide. It isn’t just a simple fitness test
perhaps so on point three, Gary Lewin, the ex Arsenal and England physio explained this almost word for word as you.
However, there is a good chance that it is the fitness side of things in question given his lack of game time this season.
I am also not convinced Jones is a significant improvement on Innis currently.
Although like May, Jones even if you do rate him is not a signing by Scott if he gets a free pass for last January.
Really? Jones much steadier, no Texas chain saw tackles so far , fewer sending off's.Not perfect but better and room for improvement as well. Jones may have benefited from not paying in a system where he had to play Garner ball.
I think Jones is more than capable of playing in a promotion winning league one side. The problem is the rest of the defenders around him.
I wouldn’t write off Watson or Edun improving yet. Getting them proper competition would be a good start. With Asiimwe and Thomas backing them up they know they’ll start the majority of the time. We also need to strengthen the spine of the team so they can spend more time on the ball and going forward and take some pressure off them defensively.
Edun said he was a midfielder persuaded to play at LB by MA at another club (the promo video that the club put out). I think he is a skilful player without the defensive instincts, with more than a hand in our current defensive errors in losing run starting at Gills. Quick-ish but small and slightly lightweight. Maybe better as a wingback at this level .
I think Jones is more than capable of playing in a promotion winning league one side. The problem is the rest of the defenders around him.
I wouldn’t write off Watson or Edun improving yet. Getting them proper competition would be a good start. With Asiimwe and Thomas backing them up they know they’ll start the majority of the time. We also need to strengthen the spine of the team so they can spend more time on the ball and going forward and take some pressure off them defensively.
Edun said he was a midfielder persuaded to play at LB by MA at another club (the promo video that the club put out). I think he is a skilful player without the defensive instincts, with more than a hand in our current defensive errors in losing run starting at Gills. Quick-ish but small and slightly lightweight. Maybe better as a wingback at this level .
He essentially plays as a wingback for us.
I’ve seen nothing from him to suggest he is good going forward, let’s not even start on his defensive qualities which seem non existent.
I think Jones is more than capable of playing in a promotion winning league one side. The problem is the rest of the defenders around him.
I wouldn’t write off Watson or Edun improving yet. Getting them proper competition would be a good start. With Asiimwe and Thomas backing them up they know they’ll start the majority of the time. We also need to strengthen the spine of the team so they can spend more time on the ball and going forward and take some pressure off them defensively.
Edun said he was a midfielder persuaded to play at LB by MA at another club (the promo video that the club put out). I think he is a skilful player without the defensive instincts, with more than a hand in our current defensive errors in losing run starting at Gills. Quick-ish but small and slightly lightweight. Maybe better as a wingback at this level .
Yeah that's right, came through at Fulham as a CM and MA saw him more as a left back at Lincoln. I think he's underperformed Vs what I expected as I thought he'd be a top calibre left back for this league.
I think Jones is more than capable of playing in a promotion winning league one side. The problem is the rest of the defenders around him.
I wouldn’t write off Watson or Edun improving yet. Getting them proper competition would be a good start. With Asiimwe and Thomas backing them up they know they’ll start the majority of the time. We also need to strengthen the spine of the team so they can spend more time on the ball and going forward and take some pressure off them defensively.
Edun said he was a midfielder persuaded to play at LB by MA at another club (the promo video that the club put out). I think he is a skilful player without the defensive instincts, with more than a hand in our current defensive errors in losing run starting at Gills. Quick-ish but small and slightly lightweight. Maybe better as a wingback at this level .
He essentially plays as a wingback for us.
I’ve seen nothing from him to suggest he is good going forward, let’s not even start on his defensive qualities which seem non existent.
Agreed. I thought the whole point of getting in attacking full backs, was that they should be good getting forward, overlapping, getting in crosses etc. Jay Dasilva comes to mind as a genuine attacking threat.
Sessegnon might have been playing on his less favoured side, but he got forward far more effectively.
I think Jones is more than capable of playing in a promotion winning league one side. The problem is the rest of the defenders around him.
I wouldn’t write off Watson or Edun improving yet. Getting them proper competition would be a good start. With Asiimwe and Thomas backing them up they know they’ll start the majority of the time. We also need to strengthen the spine of the team so they can spend more time on the ball and going forward and take some pressure off them defensively.
Edun said he was a midfielder persuaded to play at LB by MA at another club (the promo video that the club put out). I think he is a skilful player without the defensive instincts, with more than a hand in our current defensive errors in losing run starting at Gills. Quick-ish but small and slightly lightweight. Maybe better as a wingback at this level .
He essentially plays as a wingback for us.
I’ve seen nothing from him to suggest he is good going forward, let’s not even start on his defensive qualities which seem non existent.
To be fair to Edun, he is left completely exposed by CBT infront of him who 9 times out of 10 refuses to track back or apply any pressure or tackle/mark anyone coming down that side.. not saying you’re wrong necessarily but there’s certainly been flashes of decent play from Edun, enough to make me believe there is a player in there somewhere.
Obviously CBT is probably too important to drop with the assists and goals he provides but maybe with a more balanced winger or one that will defend a little more we may see a better version of Edun.
I am also not convinced Jones is a significant improvement on Innis currently.
Although like May, Jones even if you do rate him is not a signing by Scott if he gets a free pass for last January.
Jones is absolutely miles better than Inniss. Inniss is better in the air but other than that Jones is better at pretty much everything else
I agree with you, though what I would say is that I haven't seen Jones quite hit the heights that Inniss did at the very start of his time with us. When he arrived, right before his first injury Inniss looked like a Championship defender in waiting if he could just stay fit. There was that 5 game run where we didn't concede and it felt a little bit like we never would again. It was only when the Inniss/Famewo partnership was broken up and we didn't have another centre back to pair him with that we started to look capable of letting one in. Of the 13 games he played that season we only lost 1 and 7 of them were clean sheets. He was pretty poor the next season though along with Famewo when he came back, I think if we'd had the initial pre-injury versions of both those players for the whole 20/21 season we would have got promoted without too much trouble.
Imho Docherty was one of the main reasons Shrewsbury edged us out in the playoffs a few years ago.
I guess he will be tempted if we offered a decent contract for next season.
Likewise Conor Coventry may want regular football to get his career going.
Would like both of them if possible.
Both excellent players at this level. The standard you need throughout the team to get out of the league.
Being linked is easy. Now I hope they match their words with actions and we can really build a top side, early, for next season.
Get in both now, JCH, Gillesphey, and one or two more, that would be amazing for a club struggling like we are, and we can start to look forward to business in the summer.
What type of midfielder is Greg Doherty? Are we after Coventry and Doherty I wonder?
You’d have to think both would mean Dobson is off now, not in the summer.
And if we sell him and CBT then this supposed ‘impressive January window’ from the new owners might not be so awe inspiring. Using that money to fund replacements is just house keeping, not having a go at next season.
Wait and see I guess.
Selling Dobson and /or CBT now, before replacements have been signed, would be like removing your windows (in winter) before the Double-Glazing salesman has even visited to provide your quote = Insanity.
Surely we will need to buy before selling anybody.
Doubt we'd get much of a fee for Dobson so we shouldn't even be considering selling. Still a chance he can sign a new contract with us nearer the end of the year as well unless our January is so good that he can't get in the team.
CBT I can see us selling as reckon we'd at least get a modest fee.
I was thinking more about the players coming in that these two leaving. Would it not appear desperate if we approach another club later in the window, having sold arguably our best players?
Think a top quality winger should be high on the list too , Poveda would be an excellent loan signing but I'd quite like someone on a permanent that if CBT does go this window we can build around the replacement.
Comments
However if we look at the substantial seasons he has played (over 20 games). They were for:
Swindon - Finished 22nd
Northampton - Finished 22nd
Cambridge - Finished 14th and then 20th
And in his appearances for games less than that it was:
Accrington - 20th (league two)
Blackpool - 22nd
Plymouth - 3rd (league two)
We have a fan base complaining about how years of poor ownership and decisions has left us with an unbalanced and short on quality squad, but in the same breath also complain about the manager playing players out of position whilst we are in league position many think is actually this squads level.
Jones has not shown himself to be capable of being a player who can play for a league one team who are pushing for promotion, but I am sure with the right balance of squad and depth around him he could. I’m certain the same could be said for Fraser and a lot of players in our squad at the moment.
I didn’t want Appleton, I don’t really vibe with his aloof personal, and if he went tomorrow I wouldn’t care at all. Though to me the things he says are just a variation of a theme that all our previous managers has said.
Charlton fans when seeing the May wind up!
Surely the proof is in watching the player.
I’d also add that most of our players could contribute to a promotion squad, but for most of them they’d only be squad players or cover.
We don’t have enough top end L1 players like May, plenty of this squad could have played the same role Reeves, Marshall, Parker, Lapslie etc did for Bowyer. Same with Powell’s squad.
McGrandles managed by Appleton captained Lincoln to 5th in the table etc. I just think at our level the difference in quality levels is much closer than in the leagues above - and it’s not just down to individual A is shit or the manager is shit - because under different circumstances I expect they could do well.
Maybe I’m getting all Dave Brailsford in my old age.
And then additional players who can come in and fit into the system comfortably such as a talented youth player, as well as those senior players who drive quality and consistency at the training ground push standards.
We just have not had that in years, and it’s just been a mish mash of players who clearly can perform well at this level (we love to get someone’s captain, or player of the year for example) - but all together just don’t fit into anything of substance.
It’s why for me currently we will never go down, because individually we have decent players, but on the whole we don’t have a decent well thought out squad.
Imho Docherty was outstanding for Shrewsbury a few years ago.
I guess he will be tempted if we offered a decent contract for next season.
Likewise Conor Coventry may want regular football to get his career going.
Would like both of them if possible.
Yeah that's right, came through at Fulham as a CM and MA saw him more as a left back at Lincoln. I think he's underperformed Vs what I expected as I thought he'd be a top calibre left back for this league.
Sessegnon might have been playing on his less favoured side, but he got forward far more effectively.
Being linked is easy. Now I hope they match their words with actions and we can really build a top side, early, for next season.
Get in both now, JCH, Gillesphey, and one or two more, that would be amazing for a club struggling like we are, and we can start to look forward to business in the summer.