Sorry, but is that saying we've made 79 crosses in 4 games?
Would imagine it includes set pieces but yes. Will also include any cutbacks from wide areas
But how many are actually chances .. because you can class Campbell cross at Reading as one but it over hit and never a chance but I bet that till counts as a “cross “…….. Godden header and Aneke free header are the only two crosses that created a chance , the Wigan goal was a cross that should have been dealt with by defender so not a chance again stats are mis-leading
If we had someone who could cross the ball properly then I think we might see a different player.
He's also playing to instructions and gameplan, and perhaps that stifles the way he would naturally play?
Combine that with often being isolated and lack of service, I'm not surprised that he's not scoring.
Sorry, but I am trying to reconcile paying a King's ransom for a player and then, 1. Giving him instructions and a game plan that stifles his natural play and, 2. Allowing a situation where he is isolated and lacks service. Just sayin'
Sorry, but is that saying we've made 79 crosses in 4 games?
Would imagine it includes set pieces but yes. Will also include any cutbacks from wide areas
But how many are actually chances .. because you can class Campbell cross at Reading as one but it over hit and never a chance but I bet that till counts as a “cross “…….. Godden header and Aneke free header are the only two crosses that created a chance , the Wigan goal was a cross that should have been dealt with by defender so not a chance again stats are mis-leading
That is exactly the point I am making, we are putting lots of crosses in, but our crossing accuracy is the 6th worst in the league
Sorry, but is that saying we've made 79 crosses in 4 games?
Would imagine it includes set pieces but yes. Will also include any cutbacks from wide areas
But how many are actually chances .. because you can class Campbell cross at Reading as one but it over hit and never a chance but I bet that till counts as a “cross “…….. Godden header and Aneke free header are the only two crosses that created a chance , the Wigan goal was a cross that should have been dealt with by defender so not a chance again stats are mis-leading
That is exactly the point I am making, we are putting lots of crosses in, but our crossing accuracy is the 6th worst in the league
To be fair and a good point that’s been a problem for many years now .. CBT was a good example one in 12 crossed actually caused a problem , Campbell the same … don’t think we had the perfect winger since John Robinson but I think modern day football and systems out and out wingers are a thing of the past
Sorry, but is that saying we've made 79 crosses in 4 games?
Would imagine it includes set pieces but yes. Will also include any cutbacks from wide areas
But how many are actually chances .. because you can class Campbell cross at Reading as one but it over hit and never a chance but I bet that till counts as a “cross “…….. Godden header and Aneke free header are the only two crosses that created a chance , the Wigan goal was a cross that should have been dealt with by defender so not a chance again stats are mis-leading
That is exactly the point I am making, we are putting lots of crosses in, but our crossing accuracy is the 6th worst in the league
How is crossing accuracy determined though? Ie is it based on a cross reaching one of your own players (like passing success accurate?).
If so that is not necessarily fair as, I assume, Campbells superb ball across the perfect area of the 6 yard box would not be considered “accurate” because no Charlton player got on the end of it, even though no striker could ask for any more from the cross, and similarly a cross to Ahadme (or any of our strikers) would be rated as not accurate if the striker loses the header to a nearby defender because he doesn’t attack the ball well enough?
Sorry, but is that saying we've made 79 crosses in 4 games?
Would imagine it includes set pieces but yes. Will also include any cutbacks from wide areas
But how many are actually chances .. because you can class Campbell cross at Reading as one but it over hit and never a chance but I bet that till counts as a “cross “…….. Godden header and Aneke free header are the only two crosses that created a chance , the Wigan goal was a cross that should have been dealt with by defender so not a chance again stats are mis-leading
That is exactly the point I am making, we are putting lots of crosses in, but our crossing accuracy is the 6th worst in the league
Sorry, but is that saying we've made 79 crosses in 4 games?
Would imagine it includes set pieces but yes. Will also include any cutbacks from wide areas
But how many are actually chances .. because you can class Campbell cross at Reading as one but it over hit and never a chance but I bet that till counts as a “cross “…….. Godden header and Aneke free header are the only two crosses that created a chance , the Wigan goal was a cross that should have been dealt with by defender so not a chance again stats are mis-leading
That is exactly the point I am making, we are putting lots of crosses in, but our crossing accuracy is the 6th worst in the league
We are not putting in “loads” of crosses, accurate or inaccurate, those stats are not worth the paper they are written on
Sorry, but is that saying we've made 79 crosses in 4 games?
Would imagine it includes set pieces but yes. Will also include any cutbacks from wide areas
But how many are actually chances .. because you can class Campbell cross at Reading as one but it over hit and never a chance but I bet that till counts as a “cross “…….. Godden header and Aneke free header are the only two crosses that created a chance , the Wigan goal was a cross that should have been dealt with by defender so not a chance again stats are mis-leading
That is exactly the point I am making, we are putting lots of crosses in, but our crossing accuracy is the 6th worst in the league
We are not putting in “loads” of crosses, accurate or inaccurate, those stats are not worth the paper they are written on
I think crosses are a distraction. What was more worrying was his positioning off the ball and the amount of long balls he won (virtually none). People are saying he’s tiring opposition defenders but I’d argue any professional footballer could do that if instructed. I’m hoping for two possible reasons/outcomes. He’s low on confidence, his head is scrambled and he will slowly grow into the side or NJ knows his weaknesses and sees him as a project and with his coaching will make him a success. What is making his lack of form more apparent is when Chuks comes on, he does everything that Ahadme should be doing. He wins long balls, causes panic in the defence with well timed runs and can play a quality ball or flick on. Fingers crossed for Ahadme!
Yeh, I can't really buy into this "tiring out defenders" narrative. They are professional footballers, not Fatboy Foster from down the park. I doubt they are any more tired than he is and if they are completely shot I am sure the oppo manager has options available. I am sure he is doing a valiant job keeping them busy, drawing them out of position where he can etc. But we need more from him and of course he deserves better service
Sorry, but is that saying we've made 79 crosses in 4 games?
Would imagine it includes set pieces but yes. Will also include any cutbacks from wide areas
But how many are actually chances .. because you can class Campbell cross at Reading as one but it over hit and never a chance but I bet that till counts as a “cross “…….. Godden header and Aneke free header are the only two crosses that created a chance , the Wigan goal was a cross that should have been dealt with by defender so not a chance again stats are mis-leading
That is exactly the point I am making, we are putting lots of crosses in, but our crossing accuracy is the 6th worst in the league
We are not putting in “loads” of crosses, accurate or inaccurate, those stats are not worth the paper they are written on
I mean it’s pretty unlikely that Opta are wrong
Well I have watched all of our games so far and I can confirm we are not averaging 10 crosses per game so get Opta to give me a call 👍🏻
Yeh, I can't really buy into this "tiring out defenders" narrative. They are professional footballers, not Fatboy Foster from down the park. I doubt they are any more tired than he is and if they are completely shot I am sure the oppo manager has options available. I am sure he is doing a valiant job keeping them busy, drawing them out of position where he can etc. But we need more from him and of course he deserves better service
You don't have to buy into it but it's a huge part of how Nathan Jones sets his team up. We play high intensity pressing throughout the game and as we've already seen this season benefit from opposition mistakes and gaps as the game goes on because players who are used to having more time and space are harried, challenged and run around the pitch far more than they are used to. Jones specifically brought in very fit players with a lot of stamina knowing they would be able to keep up this intensity better than opposition teams who aren't built for it. So far this season we have scored in the 81st minute off a mistake from a centre back, the 92nd minute where our players swarmed forward into gaps where the opposition couldn't track them anymore after we'd won a flick on and in the 88th minute where a Bolton player got caught on the ball and we countered high up into more space than we should have had. The opposition defenders aren't dead on their feet but they make poor positional choices or drop their tracking momentarily when they become mentally and physically tired and we benefit from it. The style punishes concentration lapses as much as physical exhaustion, which are both what comes from tiredness across a game. We've seen most of our goals so far come from it, it's not in question.
Yeh, I can't really buy into this "tiring out defenders" narrative. They are professional footballers, not Fatboy Foster from down the park. I doubt they are any more tired than he is and if they are completely shot I am sure the oppo manager has options available. I am sure he is doing a valiant job keeping them busy, drawing them out of position where he can etc. But we need more from him and of course he deserves better service
You don't have to buy into it but it's a huge part of how Nathan Jones sets his team up. We play high intensity pressing throughout the game and as we've already seen this season benefit from opposition mistakes and gaps as the game goes on because players who are used to having more time and space are harried, challenged and run around the pitch far more than they are used to. Jones specifically brought in very fit players with a lot of stamina knowing they would be able to keep up this intensity better than opposition teams who aren't built for it. So far this season we have scored in the 81st minute off a mistake from a centre back, the 92nd minute where our players swarmed forward into gaps where the opposition couldn't track them anymore after we'd won a flick on and in the 88th minute where a Bolton player got caught on the ball and we countered high up into more space than we should have had. The opposition defenders aren't dead on their feet but they make poor positional choices or drop their tracking momentarily when they become mentally and physically tired and we benefit from it. The style punishes concentration lapses as much as physical exhaustion, which are both what comes from tiredness across a game. We've seen most of our goals so far come from it, it's not in question.
I didn’t think he was great at the high press either. His reading of the game was always a little slow. Hopefully he’ll grow in confidence and improve!
Yeh, I can't really buy into this "tiring out defenders" narrative. They are professional footballers, not Fatboy Foster from down the park. I doubt they are any more tired than he is and if they are completely shot I am sure the oppo manager has options available. I am sure he is doing a valiant job keeping them busy, drawing them out of position where he can etc. But we need more from him and of course he deserves better service
You don't have to buy into it but it's a huge part of how Nathan Jones sets his team up. We play high intensity pressing throughout the game and as we've already seen this season benefit from opposition mistakes and gaps as the game goes on because players who are used to having more time and space are harried, challenged and run around the pitch far more than they are used to. Jones specifically brought in very fit players with a lot of stamina knowing they would be able to keep up this intensity better than opposition teams who aren't built for it. So far this season we have scored in the 81st minute off a mistake from a centre back, the 92nd minute where our players swarmed forward into gaps where the opposition couldn't track them anymore after we'd won a flick on and in the 88th minute where a Bolton player got caught on the ball and we countered high up into more space than we should have had. The opposition defenders aren't dead on their feet but they make poor positional choices or drop their tracking momentarily when they become mentally and physically tired and we benefit from it. The style punishes concentration lapses as much as physical exhaustion, which are both what comes from tiredness across a game. We've seen most of our goals so far come from it, it's not in question.
You make a very convincing and lucid argument, but yeh I was aware that was the general gameplan and in that sense Ahadme is part of an overall strategy. I accept that would appear to contradict my post but I guess what I was trying to say was that, specifically in relation to Ahadme, that IMO him "tiring out defenders" is rather overstating his contribution and in any case isn't enough. I don't doubt there is more to come, but I am frustrated this isn't being addressed (to my eyes). He was a bit of a marquee signing after all
I think the biggest issue is that he seems incapable of running with the ball at his feet, which is quite important for a footballer.
There’s been a few times where we’ve been on a break and the ball comes to him with space to run into, and every time he gets it caught under his feet.
Hopefully we put loads of crosses in tomorrow and he can show what he’s apparently so good at.
Yeh, I can't really buy into this "tiring out defenders" narrative. They are professional footballers, not Fatboy Foster from down the park. I doubt they are any more tired than he is and if they are completely shot I am sure the oppo manager has options available. I am sure he is doing a valiant job keeping them busy, drawing them out of position where he can etc. But we need more from him and of course he deserves better service
You don't have to buy into it but it's a huge part of how Nathan Jones sets his team up. We play high intensity pressing throughout the game and as we've already seen this season benefit from opposition mistakes and gaps as the game goes on because players who are used to having more time and space are harried, challenged and run around the pitch far more than they are used to. Jones specifically brought in very fit players with a lot of stamina knowing they would be able to keep up this intensity better than opposition teams who aren't built for it. So far this season we have scored in the 81st minute off a mistake from a centre back, the 92nd minute where our players swarmed forward into gaps where the opposition couldn't track them anymore after we'd won a flick on and in the 88th minute where a Bolton player got caught on the ball and we countered high up into more space than we should have had. The opposition defenders aren't dead on their feet but they make poor positional choices or drop their tracking momentarily when they become mentally and physically tired and we benefit from it. The style punishes concentration lapses as much as physical exhaustion, which are both what comes from tiredness across a game. We've seen most of our goals so far come from it, it's not in question.
I totally agree with this from an out-of-possession perspective – and I don't think anyone is taking issue with the effort he puts in on the press - he does also have a role in-possession and that's where he's been lacking thus far. I think this is where him getting praise for "tiring out defenders" falls short. Yes, he presses, but we need him to be better when we've got the ball - better at holding it up, linking play or making runs. He's a big enough signing that he should be able to do both sides of the job. Hopefully we see it soon.
Yeh, I can't really buy into this "tiring out defenders" narrative. They are professional footballers, not Fatboy Foster from down the park. I doubt they are any more tired than he is and if they are completely shot I am sure the oppo manager has options available. I am sure he is doing a valiant job keeping them busy, drawing them out of position where he can etc. But we need more from him and of course he deserves better service
You don't have to buy into it but it's a huge part of how Nathan Jones sets his team up. We play high intensity pressing throughout the game and as we've already seen this season benefit from opposition mistakes and gaps as the game goes on because players who are used to having more time and space are harried, challenged and run around the pitch far more than they are used to. Jones specifically brought in very fit players with a lot of stamina knowing they would be able to keep up this intensity better than opposition teams who aren't built for it. So far this season we have scored in the 81st minute off a mistake from a centre back, the 92nd minute where our players swarmed forward into gaps where the opposition couldn't track them anymore after we'd won a flick on and in the 88th minute where a Bolton player got caught on the ball and we countered high up into more space than we should have had. The opposition defenders aren't dead on their feet but they make poor positional choices or drop their tracking momentarily when they become mentally and physically tired and we benefit from it. The style punishes concentration lapses as much as physical exhaustion, which are both what comes from tiredness across a game. We've seen most of our goals so far come from it, it's not in question.
I totally agree with this from an out-of-possession perspective – and I don't think anyone is taking issue with the effort he puts in on the press - he does also have a role in-possession and that's where he's been lacking thus far. I think this is where him getting praise for "tiring out defenders" falls short. Yes, he presses, but we need him to be better when we've got the ball - better at holding it up, linking play or making runs. He's a big enough signing that he should be able to do both sides of the job. Hopefully we see it soon.
I think what he does do, he does very well. But what he doesn't do is score goals or provide much if anything in the way of direct chances for anyone else, which is a bit of a flaw in a striker.
It's possible that things will "click" or maybe he and Campbell just don't quite work as a pair and that needs to be tweaked but I think that for what we (reportedly) paid its fair to hope for more than JUST pressing well.
I think the biggest issue is that he seems incapable of running with the ball at his feet, which is quite important for a footballer.
There’s been a few times where we’ve been on a break and the ball comes to him with space to run into, and every time he gets it caught under his feet.
Hopefully we put loads of crosses in tomorrow and he can show what he’s apparently so good at.
If you sign a target man at this level it’s rare they’re going to have the pace and quick feet to run through on goal in situations like that. They need support and movement around them. Given our focus on defending it’s an area we need to improve, as well as Ahadme improving his touch, decision making, hold up play etc.
Yeh, I can't really buy into this "tiring out defenders" narrative. They are professional footballers, not Fatboy Foster from down the park. I doubt they are any more tired than he is and if they are completely shot I am sure the oppo manager has options available. I am sure he is doing a valiant job keeping them busy, drawing them out of position where he can etc. But we need more from him and of course he deserves better service
You don't have to buy into it but it's a huge part of how Nathan Jones sets his team up. We play high intensity pressing throughout the game and as we've already seen this season benefit from opposition mistakes and gaps as the game goes on because players who are used to having more time and space are harried, challenged and run around the pitch far more than they are used to. Jones specifically brought in very fit players with a lot of stamina knowing they would be able to keep up this intensity better than opposition teams who aren't built for it. So far this season we have scored in the 81st minute off a mistake from a centre back, the 92nd minute where our players swarmed forward into gaps where the opposition couldn't track them anymore after we'd won a flick on and in the 88th minute where a Bolton player got caught on the ball and we countered high up into more space than we should have had. The opposition defenders aren't dead on their feet but they make poor positional choices or drop their tracking momentarily when they become mentally and physically tired and we benefit from it. The style punishes concentration lapses as much as physical exhaustion, which are both what comes from tiredness across a game. We've seen most of our goals so far come from it, it's not in question.
I totally agree with this from an out-of-possession perspective – and I don't think anyone is taking issue with the effort he puts in on the press - he does also have a role in-possession and that's where he's been lacking thus far. I think this is where him getting praise for "tiring out defenders" falls short. Yes, he presses, but we need him to be better when we've got the ball - better at holding it up, linking play or making runs. He's a big enough signing that he should be able to do both sides of the job. Hopefully we see it soon.
I totally agree that he needs to improve on the ball. I think he will though. There's not a single player in this team bar maybe Coventry who I think has been as good on the ball so far as they're capable of being. There's a settling in period, there's a lot of new players in forward areas and we haven't been fluid at all in our counters. This does tend to happen with Jones teams though and then they have tended to go on some very good runs. We've had plenty of players in the past who haven't shown much ability and haven't tried a leg. I'm happy at least that Ahadme isn't one of those, he just needs to pick up on the ball along with the rest of the team.
Yeh, I can't really buy into this "tiring out defenders" narrative. They are professional footballers, not Fatboy Foster from down the park. I doubt they are any more tired than he is and if they are completely shot I am sure the oppo manager has options available. I am sure he is doing a valiant job keeping them busy, drawing them out of position where he can etc. But we need more from him and of course he deserves better service
You don't have to buy into it but it's a huge part of how Nathan Jones sets his team up. We play high intensity pressing throughout the game and as we've already seen this season benefit from opposition mistakes and gaps as the game goes on because players who are used to having more time and space are harried, challenged and run around the pitch far more than they are used to. Jones specifically brought in very fit players with a lot of stamina knowing they would be able to keep up this intensity better than opposition teams who aren't built for it. So far this season we have scored in the 81st minute off a mistake from a centre back, the 92nd minute where our players swarmed forward into gaps where the opposition couldn't track them anymore after we'd won a flick on and in the 88th minute where a Bolton player got caught on the ball and we countered high up into more space than we should have had. The opposition defenders aren't dead on their feet but they make poor positional choices or drop their tracking momentarily when they become mentally and physically tired and we benefit from it. The style punishes concentration lapses as much as physical exhaustion, which are both what comes from tiredness across a game. We've seen most of our goals so far come from it, it's not in question.
I totally agree with this from an out-of-possession perspective – and I don't think anyone is taking issue with the effort he puts in on the press - he does also have a role in-possession and that's where he's been lacking thus far. I think this is where him getting praise for "tiring out defenders" falls short. Yes, he presses, but we need him to be better when we've got the ball - better at holding it up, linking play or making runs. He's a big enough signing that he should be able to do both sides of the job. Hopefully we see it soon.
I totally agree that he needs to improve on the ball. I think he will though. There's not a single player in this team bar maybe Coventry who I think has been as good on the ball so far as they're capable of being. There's a settling in period, there's a lot of new players in forward areas and we haven't been fluid at all in our counters. This does tend to happen with Jones teams though and then they have tended to go on some very good runs. We've had plenty of players in the past who haven't shown much ability and haven't tried a leg. I'm happy at least that Ahadme isn't one of those, he just needs to pick up on the ball along with the rest of the team.
Oh I agree for sure, I'm still optimistic that once things come together we'll see a lot more fluency and style in the team to go along with the effort and the energy - I'm not comparing directly in terms of quality but something like Klopps version of Liverpool is the general idea I'm hoping for.
I'm certainly not writing anyone off, Ahadme least of all. I think he's got more to offer than he's shown so far for sure.
There’s evidence to suggest that Ahadme is a streaky goalscorer. In fact, he had a very strong purple patch through the middle of last season.
I suspect that once we know how to get him the service he thrives on, he will go on a run of games where he scores some crucial goals.
He started last season at Cambridge scoring only 2 in 15. Then he grabbed 8 in 8 before finishing the season a bit more slowly with 1 in 6.
Get him the right service often enough and if he goes on a 6/6, 7/7 or 8/8 run a couple of times this season, that’s going to be the 15 goals that he desperately needs to complement his out of possession work.
So apart from that 8 in 8 has there been any other decent patches in his career because we’ve signed strikers before who hit a purple patch and do basically naff all else , Nicky Ajose being the one who springs to mind
So apart from that 8 in 8 has there been any other decent patches in his career because we’ve signed strikers before who hit a purple patch and do basically naff all else , Nicky Ajose being the one who springs to mind
No, he scored 3 goals in 6 league games and then Ipswich bought him. Apparently, he gave them a real hard time and they signed him off of the back of that. He was just shy of 22 then so they were probably banking on his potential.
He turns 24 in 3 months and has had that little run, and the one Callum mentioned. We have essentially paid for potential, just like Ipswich did.
I hope he can score today, as the longer it goes on, his confidence will dip, and the fans will get frustrated. I already heard some sarcastic cheering when he scored in the warm ups vs Reading, as the rest of his efforts were so poor.
Rotherham are going to be a physical test as usual, even more so with Evans as manager. This is the kind of game we need him to show up in today, and the kind of game he should relish and has been brought into Charlton for.
Call me mystic meg but I can foresee in 2 seasons time we will be negotiating canceling his contract by subsidizing the remainder of his salary. We've seen this story before.
I do sincerely hope he comes good, but nothing within his performances, statistical record, or previous fans' testimonials gives me any sense of optimism.
I think crosses are a distraction. What was more worrying was his positioning off the ball and the amount of long balls he won (virtually none). People are saying he’s tiring opposition defenders but I’d argue any professional footballer could do that if instructed. I’m hoping for two possible reasons/outcomes. He’s low on confidence, his head is scrambled and he will slowly grow into the side or NJ knows his weaknesses and sees him as a project and with his coaching will make him a success. What is making his lack of form more apparent is when Chuks comes on, he does everything that Ahadme should be doing. He wins long balls, causes panic in the defence with well timed runs and can play a quality ball or flick on. Fingers crossed for Ahadme!
My fingers are crossed for Gass too, we do need him (someone) up front to bang in a goal or two soon. Now I know this isn't the Chuks thread so forgive the cross contamination but is it just me.......... I haven't been as excited this season by Chuks, can't give examples, just an overall feel really......... his presence is a bit 'thinner' than I'm used to. Fingers crossed for him too I guess.
Comments
1. Giving him instructions and a game plan that stifles his natural play and,
2. Allowing a situation where he is isolated and lacks service.
Just sayin'
If so that is not necessarily fair as, I assume, Campbells superb ball across the perfect area of the 6 yard box would not be considered “accurate” because no Charlton player got on the end of it, even though no striker could ask for any more from the cross, and similarly a cross to Ahadme (or any of our strikers) would be rated as not accurate if the striker loses the header to a nearby defender because he doesn’t attack the ball well enough?
They are professional footballers, not Fatboy Foster from down the park.
I doubt they are any more tired than he is and if they are completely shot I am sure the oppo manager has options available.
I am sure he is doing a valiant job keeping them busy, drawing them out of position where he can etc.
But we need more from him and of course he deserves better service
I accept that would appear to contradict my post but I guess what I was trying to say was that, specifically in relation to Ahadme, that IMO him "tiring out defenders" is rather overstating his contribution and in any case isn't enough.
I don't doubt there is more to come, but I am frustrated this isn't being addressed (to my eyes).
He was a bit of a marquee signing after all
Hopefully we put loads of crosses in tomorrow and he can show what he’s apparently so good at.
It's possible that things will "click" or maybe he and Campbell just don't quite work as a pair and that needs to be tweaked but I think that for what we (reportedly) paid its fair to hope for more than JUST pressing well.
I'm certainly not writing anyone off, Ahadme least of all. I think he's got more to offer than he's shown so far for sure.
He started last season at Cambridge scoring only 2 in 15. Then he grabbed 8 in 8 before finishing the season a bit more slowly with 1 in 6.
Get him the right service often enough and if he goes on a 6/6, 7/7 or 8/8 run a couple of times this season, that’s going to be the 15 goals that he desperately needs to complement his out of possession work.
He turns 24 in 3 months and has had that little run, and the one Callum mentioned. We have essentially paid for potential, just like Ipswich did.
I hope he can score today, as the longer it goes on, his confidence will dip, and the fans will get frustrated. I already heard some sarcastic cheering when he scored in the warm ups vs Reading, as the rest of his efforts were so poor.
Rotherham are going to be a physical test as usual, even more so with Evans as manager. This is the kind of game we need him to show up in today, and the kind of game he should relish and has been brought into Charlton for.
I do sincerely hope he comes good, but nothing within his performances, statistical record, or previous fans' testimonials gives me any sense of optimism.
Now I know this isn't the Chuks thread so forgive the cross contamination but is it just me.......... I haven't been as excited this season by Chuks, can't give examples, just an overall feel really......... his presence is a bit 'thinner' than I'm used to. Fingers crossed for him too I guess.