We have recently beaten a top flight Turkish side and drew with a decent palace side. Crying about a preseason loss is pathetic. Means nothing. Seem to remember us winning most if not all of our preseason games a couple of years ago and we were shit for the season.
Good news. A really poor signing by us. Seemed a nice chap so good luck to him but there are many, many better L1 keepers around.
Maybe Burton would like to take AMB, Fraser, Edun and Gillesphey too...
I'd add Coventry, Watson, Jones and REG (if deemed a CB). None of these NJ picks but most surely on good money for L1.
But yet to see why he bought Berry and Docherty.
Docherty and Berry are very good players for this level and Iv seen glimpses of both so far to know they’ll turn out good for us, Coventry I’m not sold on yet though I’d try Taylor against Pompey.
Are they capable players? I've seen both comfortable on the ball in tight places. Occasionally. Not today. No end product. Slide rule passes? Only back to defenders. Dribbling? Not in the locker of either. Dobson-like tackling? No way. Even NJ mantra of pressing? Yet to see it. Pace? Dont think so. Heading ability? They are short arses. Pratley like shithousery? No. Dictate a game? Send me a link.
Please although Berry had nearly half a season of a Premiership relegation year, why are they good midfielders?
You’re basing all that on a 70 minute pre season friendly. Iv seen both players play over the last few seasons and they’re better players than Dobson for a start.
I "liked" this initially but removed it as, in the same way we shouldn't judge the new boys on a few minutes in pre season, we can't say that they are better players than Dobson (for us) until we've seen them in competitive action.
We don't have a like for like replacement for Dobson and that is clearly by design, given the way Jones played him as a "number 8" and was obviously talking about his haring about the pitch making tackles as "the parts of his game that the fans like that I'm trying to coach out of him".
Will it work? Who knows but it will need pressing from the front and defenders that step up to help the midfield when needed.
Well if you go by what they’ve all achieved over the past 4/5 seasons then that would suggest they’re better more accomplished players than Dobson who I wasn’t really a fan of.
Surely not the big striker Matt Smith? He was last at Salford. Either of the midfield Matt Smiths would make more sense - think the Man City one is up in Scotland and the Arsenal one is now at Wigan.
Surely not the big striker Matt Smith? He was last at Salford. Either of the midfield Matt Smiths would make more sense - think the Man City one is up in Scotland and the Arsenal one is now at Wigan.
The fact that golfie has a post complaining that we can’t get rid of our lesser players and then another post immediately after it complaining when we get rid of one of our lesser players because it’s ’waste’ and ‘churn’ is such a perfect summary of him as a poster. They should hang it in the museum
But he’s always right. I make him just behind Ronnie Moore in who talks the most bollocks.
I hope double downing on our formation again doesn’t bite us in the arse. 1 or 2 actual wingers (if Dixon is one and can step up quick) doesn’t give us much room to change things up.
I hope double downing on our formation again doesn’t bite us in the arse. 1 or 2 actual wingers (if Dixon is one and can step up quick) doesn’t give us much room to change things up.
So sounds like we’re out of budget until some leave. Probably fair enough but shows the huge challenge of trying to undo 5 years of bad recruitment in just one me or two transfer windows.
And that’s without any confidence or certainty that the signings we’ve made are going to the significant upgrades we need them to be.
We’d have to be seriously cursed if the likes of Berry, Docherty and Godden suddenly turn into turnips the moment they signed for Charlton.
All three of them should be more than capable of being leaders in a promotion chasing side at this level. In fact, all three of them have been leaders for League One title winners in the past (Luton 2019, Coventry 2020 and Hull 2021).
We shall see with the likes of Mitchell, Ahadme and Edwards who all show promise but have something to prove.
We’d have to be seriously cursed if the likes of Berry, Docherty and Godden suddenly turn into turnips the moment they signed for Charlton.
All three of them should be more than capable of being leaders in a promotion chasing side at this level. In fact, all three of them have been leaders for League One title winners in the past (Luton 2019, Coventry 2020 and Hull 2021).
We shall see with the likes of Mitchell, Ahadme and Edwards who all show promise but have something to prove.
Charlton fans have already wrote them off after 60 odd minutes in a pre season friendly though 😂
We’d have to be seriously cursed if the likes of Berry, Docherty and Godden suddenly turn into turnips the moment they signed for Charlton.
All three of them should be more than capable of being leaders in a promotion chasing side at this level. In fact, all three of them have been leaders for League One title winners in the past (Luton 2019, Coventry 2020 and Hull 2021).
We shall see with the likes of Mitchell, Ahadme and Edwards who all show promise but have something to prove.
Charlton fans have already wrote them off after 60 odd minutes in a pre season friendly though 😂
Err..present company excepted if you please...🤦♂️
Edwards was one of few to have a decent game yesterday. Definite better option at LCB than Gilly. If Small wont sign an extended contract, I might favour the Scot despite him not having the same threat going forward. Ahadme is carrying a niggle. Mitchell hampered by lack of CBs ability to bring ball out. Signs of organisation but two goals from a L2 side is poor.
Zach was pumped up yesterday and must start in middle, as the only CB to bring the ball out. Alex out wide can look across the line and organise without having to keep looking right and left. (Jones was struck dumb).
The main thing is with this squad is if NJ is happy with it and the effort they put in. He was not happy yesterday so we need to see an improvement, either with the current players putting in more effort and playing better, or with new, better players coming in
The fact that golfie has a post complaining that we can’t get rid of our lesser players and then another post immediately after it complaining when we get rid of one of our lesser players because it’s ’waste’ and ‘churn’ is such a perfect summary of him as a poster. They should hang it in the museum
I know I shouldn't bite but.........
My 2 posts are not mutually exclusive.
The first one was complaining about not being able to sign anymore players at this time because we need to get rid of previous (bad) signings. Remember, some of these players have only been here a year or two and are either not wanted by the current manager or simply not good enough. Either way it is stopping us moving forward with players we know we need (a creative midfielder & a first choice keeper) and therefore might mean we start the season not at full strength. Also, as is the case in these circumstances, the players we are trying to "ditch" probably wont go until close to deadline day (and then maybe only on loan) which again holds up our plans.
My 2nd point was more to do about who signed these players & the fact we seem to have to "churn" a number of players season after season. Not sure how many other clubs have to sign 10-12 new players every season because those out of contract are not good enough to offer a new one or others under contract are not deemed worthy to keep. Look at some of the players we have got rid of over the last few seasons who were under contract......
MacGillivary Lavelle Kirk Isted Schwartz
Then there are players that I'm told are world beaters & "mustard" (Fraser) who we can't now give away and another (Coventry) who looks no better than average but who came through West Ham's academy.
So, feel free to laugh at my posts or ignore them completely......but until we sign a number of players that are going to be here for 3,4,5 seasons si that we can build a team.around we are just going to continue with the yearly churn, which leads us nowhere.
We’d have to be seriously cursed if the likes of Berry, Docherty and Godden suddenly turn into turnips the moment they signed for Charlton.
All three of them should be more than capable of being leaders in a promotion chasing side at this level. In fact, all three of them have been leaders for League One title winners in the past (Luton 2019, Coventry 2020 and Hull 2021).
We shall see with the likes of Mitchell, Ahadme and Edwards who all show promise but have something to prove.
Charlton fans have already wrote them off after 60 odd minutes in a pre season friendly though 😂
Err..present company excepted if you please...🤦♂️
We have a group of owners who are seemingly happy to spend to get players the manager wants. Unfortunately we have a big squad which currently has too many players that we don’t seem able to give away. That is an inherited problem passed down from the previous ownership and recruitment so we can’t pin it on the owners. It will take time to resolve but given time I think it will be sorted
We have a group of owners who are seemingly happy to spend to get players the manager wants. Unfortunately we have a big squad which currently has too many players that we don’t seem able to give away. That is an inherited problem passed down from the previous ownership and recruitment so we can’t pin it on the owners. It will take time to resolve but given time I think it will be sorted
Outside of Fraser who else in our squad was signed by previous ownerships that we want to get rid of?
The majority were signed last summer that Scott was in the background for.
We have a group of owners who are seemingly happy to spend to get players the manager wants. Unfortunately we have a big squad which currently has too many players that we don’t seem able to give away. That is an inherited problem passed down from the previous ownership and recruitment so we can’t pin it on the owners. It will take time to resolve but given time I think it will be sorted
Outside of Fraser who else in our squad was signed by previous ownerships that we want to get rid of?
The majority were signed last summer that Scott was in the background for.
I hope double downing on our formation again doesn’t bite us in the arse. 1 or 2 actual wingers (if Dixon is one and can step up quick) doesn’t give us much room to change things up.
We have Campbell as well, remember.
That was including Campbell, but they seem adamant to claim he’s more central as well
So let’s look at it, we know Jones wants to trim the squad down as it is, it’s too big. We also are going to bring in at least another 3 players, one of which is Dixson, another is a keeper, and one likely to be Potts. That’s a minimum.
So with at least 3 to come in, we need more than 3 to leave. Who are they going to be?
Ness? Edun? Fraser? AMB? Zach Mitchell on loan? Asiimwe on loan?
Comments
Can’t see us signing another striker, especially with Dixon expected to join.
Feels like an obvious Huddersfield signing.
...Still to be confirmed one way or the other.
I make him just behind Ronnie Moore in who talks the most bollocks.
We have Campbell as well, remember.
some leave. Probably fair enough but shows the huge challenge of trying to undo 5 years of bad recruitment in just one me or two transfer windows.
And that’s without any confidence or certainty that the signings we’ve made are going to the significant upgrades we need them to be.
All three of them should be more than capable of being leaders in a promotion chasing side at this level. In fact, all three of them have been leaders for League One title winners in the past (Luton 2019, Coventry 2020 and Hull 2021).
We shall see with the likes of Mitchell, Ahadme and Edwards who all show promise but have something to prove.
Zach was pumped up yesterday and must start in middle, as the only CB to bring the ball out. Alex out wide can look across the line and organise without having to keep looking right and left. (Jones was struck dumb).
My 2 posts are not mutually exclusive.
The first one was complaining about not being able to sign anymore players at this time because we need to get rid of previous (bad) signings. Remember, some of these players have only been here a year or two and are either not wanted by the current manager or simply not good enough. Either way it is stopping us moving forward with players we know we need (a creative midfielder & a first choice keeper) and therefore might mean we start the season not at full strength. Also, as is the case in these circumstances, the players we are trying to "ditch" probably wont go until close to deadline day (and then maybe only on loan) which again holds up our plans.
My 2nd point was more to do about who signed these players & the fact we seem to have to "churn" a number of players season after season. Not sure how many other clubs have to sign 10-12 new players every season because those out of contract are not good enough to offer a new one or others under contract are not deemed worthy to keep. Look at some of the players we have got rid of over the last few seasons who were under contract......
MacGillivary
Lavelle
Kirk
Isted
Schwartz
Then there are players that I'm told are world beaters & "mustard" (Fraser) who we can't now give away and another (Coventry) who looks no better than average but who came through West Ham's academy.
So, feel free to laugh at my posts or ignore them completely......but until we sign a number of players that are going to be here for 3,4,5 seasons si that we can build a team.around we are just going to continue with the yearly churn, which leads us nowhere.
The majority were signed last summer that Scott was in the background for.
Isted (gone?)
Jones
Gillesphey
REG (if he is seen as a CB)
Watson
Edun
Coventry
Docherty
(Berry undecided)
Fraser
Dont care who signed them, they need moving on. Which means we will struggle to fill a bench.
So with at least 3 to come in, we need more than 3 to leave. Who are they going to be?
Ness? Edun? Fraser? AMB? Zach Mitchell on loan? Asiimwe on loan?
Anyone else?