Bowyer would have absolutely loved Ramsay, Docherty and Edwards. I think he would have yelled at Small all the time and Small would have tuned out completely. He might have literally murdered Gillesphey
Jones and Ramsay are comfortably as good as our best players in the 11/12 and 18/19 teams.
Plenty of others could have played big parts in those squads. Green, Wagstaff, Hollands, Matt Taylor, Reeves, Parker, Purrington, Solly (18/19) etc weren't Championship quality but they didn't need to be.
What's missing from this team is one or two real stand out attacking players. 11/12 had Kermorgant, 18/19 had Aribo, Taylor and for half a season Grant.
Big credit to Jones for getting us to this point, it's a real team effort without that attacking player or two who can be relied on to regularly change games.
Just came up in the ongoing playoffs chatter on the other thread.
So how many make it in now?
I still think the 2019 team are the better side overall and would probably beat the 2025 team fairly comfortably. The 2025 team have gone up significantly in my estimation though!
I think that side has room for Ramsey, Edwards, Jones, Coventry, TC, Small and Godden. That's six out of eleven. Gillesphey, Docherty, Mannion and Berry would make the bench.
Depends if we're taking the playoff final 11 or a theoretical best 11 from that season (including Grant). Also depends if we are strictly comparing player for player by position or if we can move roles around. for example is it Cullen vs Cov and Pratley vs Doc in which case Doc makes the best X1 but Cov doesn't! Or Gillesphey gets in over Sarr but Jones doesn't over Bielik?
Phillips > Mannion or AMB Dijksteel < Ramsay or Small - thinking Dijksteel as he was then. He's since gone on to have a very good Championship career and Ramsay and Small have potential but are yet to do what he's done at that level Bauer> Ramsay. Its tight but Bauer was class Sarr<Gillesphey another tight call Purrington<Edwards Bielik>Jones its tight but again Bielik was class Pratley< Cov Cullen>Doc Aribo>Berry Grant>TC (but TC, Godden or Leaburn over Parker or any other striker that season) Taylor> Godden
The 2019 eleven is better in my opinion, Ramsay, Jones, Edwards, Coventry and TC would get in so that’s 6-5 to 18/19, but the quality of Bielik, Cullen, Aribo and Taylor is another level to what we have now
I do think our depth/squad overall is better now though, even if the starting 11 isn’t. And we are in a much better place to cope next season if we don’t go up, which would have been disastrous last time
2019 team was significantly better imo and I think recency bias is affecting some of the judgement. Almost everyone in that 2019 team moved to clubs above L1 level. I would actually argue that the 2019 team once it settled was the best team in L1 that season. The second half of the season, we didn't just grind out solid wins like the class of 25, but really dominated games for 90 minutes, week after week.
Sarr has always seemed wildly underrated by Charlton fans. I understand the slow start but after establishing himself in the team he proved to be a very good footballer at Championship level and became an integral part of the Huddersfield team that was a whisker away from being promoted to the premier league.
Jones might get in the side but he's not comparable to Sarr, he'd be a direct replacement for either Pearce or Bauer. The former being an inspirational figure and top L1 defender. The latter, again established himself as a regular in a Championship play off chasing team. I like Jones but he's no shoo in.
Ramsey gets in over Dijksteel I feel, even though Dijksteel did improve at Boro and again became an established player for a few years in a Championship play off chasing team. I think Ramsey has the ability to progress further in his career though.
Coventry has started to look a better player since Xmas but he's simply not in the same league as Cullen, albeit a slightly different player. No one else is getting into that 2019 midfield. Pratley was a huge physical presence and again a big inspirational player for the side who I would have over Coventry for his overall impact in games.
Up front, Taylor was in a different league to anything we currently have. Grant, only there for half a season did creditably in the Premier League before becoming a solid Championship player. Once Grant was gone, Parker was the weak link in our side (except his work rate). TC gets in that 2019 side comfortably over Parker.
There's a pretty strong case for Small over Purrington as well.
I would say 2 or 3 from the current side would get in the 2019 team and you can argue over 1 or 2 others but generally speaking the 2019 side was far superior and they generally had a far higher ceiling.
Coventry could blossom into a solid Championship player (Jones maybe). Ramsey, Small and TC could go higher still, if things run to plan but outside of those three I'm not convinced any of the others have the ability to establish themselves above L1 (noting Godden is on the downward slope and Leaburn has a lot to prove still).
Ramsey, jones, Campbell would get in for sarr, purrington and Parker - Coventry Edward’s and small on the bench - if kag up top then I’d put Campbell on the wing ahead of probably Williams
To be fair to Parker, he did play well in the playoff final.
Yes he did a good job for the team - I think it’s probably the fort of job ahadme might have been expected to do - run and run and run, closing down and anything else is a bonus - just the fee and his performances that don’t compute atm
Comments
And the 2012 team walks all over both of them.
Plenty of others could have played big parts in those squads. Green, Wagstaff, Hollands, Matt Taylor, Reeves, Parker, Purrington, Solly (18/19) etc weren't Championship quality but they didn't need to be.
What's missing from this team is one or two real stand out attacking players. 11/12 had Kermorgant, 18/19 had Aribo, Taylor and for half a season Grant.
Big credit to Jones for getting us to this point, it's a real team effort without that attacking player or two who can be relied on to regularly change games.
Bauer
Bielik
Ramsay/Small
Coventry
Cullen
Aribo
Edwards
Taylor
Campbell
5 this year, 6 for 2019, though I can see arguments for a couple either way.
So how many make it in now?
I think that side has room for Ramsey, Edwards, Jones, Coventry, TC, Small and Godden. That's six out of eleven. Gillesphey, Docherty, Mannion and Berry would make the bench.
ramsay
Baur
Jones
Edwards
cullen
beliek
aribo
Coventry
Taylor
Godden or TC
Phillips > Mannion or AMB
Dijksteel < Ramsay or Small - thinking Dijksteel as he was then. He's since gone on to have a very good Championship career and Ramsay and Small have potential but are yet to do what he's done at that level
Bauer> Ramsay. Its tight but Bauer was class
Sarr<Gillesphey another tight call
Purrington<Edwards
Bielik>Jones its tight but again Bielik was class
Pratley< Cov
Cullen>Doc
Aribo>Berry
Grant>TC (but TC, Godden or Leaburn over Parker or any other striker that season)
Taylor> Godden
I do think our depth/squad overall is better now though, even if the starting 11 isn’t. And we are in a much better place to cope next season if we don’t go up, which would have been disastrous last time
Sarr has always seemed wildly underrated by Charlton fans. I understand the slow start but after establishing himself in the team he proved to be a very good footballer at Championship level and became an integral part of the Huddersfield team that was a whisker away from being promoted to the premier league.
Jones might get in the side but he's not comparable to Sarr, he'd be a direct replacement for either Pearce or Bauer. The former being an inspirational figure and top L1 defender. The latter, again established himself as a regular in a Championship play off chasing team. I like Jones but he's no shoo in.
Ramsey gets in over Dijksteel I feel, even though Dijksteel did improve at Boro and again became an established player for a few years in a Championship play off chasing team. I think Ramsey has the ability to progress further in his career though.
Coventry has started to look a better player since Xmas but he's simply not in the same league as Cullen, albeit a slightly different player. No one else is getting into that 2019 midfield. Pratley was a huge physical presence and again a big inspirational player for the side who I would have over Coventry for his overall impact in games.
Up front, Taylor was in a different league to anything we currently have. Grant, only there for half a season did creditably in the Premier League before becoming a solid Championship player. Once Grant was gone, Parker was the weak link in our side (except his work rate). TC gets in that 2019 side comfortably over Parker.
There's a pretty strong case for Small over Purrington as well.
I would say 2 or 3 from the current side would get in the 2019 team and you can argue over 1 or 2 others but generally speaking the 2019 side was far superior and they generally had a far higher ceiling.
Coventry could blossom into a solid Championship player (Jones maybe). Ramsey, Small and TC could go higher still, if things run to plan but outside of those three I'm not convinced any of the others have the ability to establish themselves above L1 (noting Godden is on the downward slope and Leaburn has a lot to prove still).
I'd have Ahadme over Parker.
at least he's scored a goal for us.
Parker was robbed of a perfectly good goal against Doncaster in the semi-finals by the ref giving a soft foul against him