Back 5? He clearly doesn’t like Leak and we only have one left back you want to play centre back?
Are there?? We have 1 striker, one natural left winger, one attacking mid plus Osedebe, I’m not seeing the options to be honest. The only one I see coming in and giving us an option is Wilkinson at right wing. Other than that I think we’re really struggling.
Back 5 could happen if Melbourne had returned so as I said that’s on Fullerton/Taylor for not studying the videos and seeing he was the best pick up in last Jan window (not hard competition in fairness) and now plays for team one place higher in the table.
And after Miller signed the plan for the season was obviously:
Holden
Wilkinson,Miller…Shade
Holden one of best number 10s in this division as we know, Wilkinson to chip in with goals and bit of physical strength out wide to help out Miller and while Shade dosen’t been great so far way he took his goal at Newport suggests he does have something so will hopefully get going as the season goes on.
That would mean likes of Phillips, Earing, Kienan etc all go to the bench and learn about league football with regular sub cameos as likes of Gordon and Adebayo did when they first came.
But ultimately that front 4 is miles away from being put out so they’re having to start games before they’re really ready.
I don’t know that. I’ve said before I think he was one of the best players in a poor side, not necessarily the division. His record is about par for an attacking mid. And that’s to say he comes back at the same level. But more to the point on Holden, they knew building this squad he was barely going to play. I don’t include him in this seasons squad and if they were thinking they wouldn’t have either.
You talk about that front four with Phillips, Keanan and Earing (whose having to play centre mid and I think will have to even with everyone fit) not being ready, are Shade and Miller supposed to be dead certs?
At the end of the day that’s a different discussion, like I said the bottom line is, we have 5 players for 4 positions, 6 with Wilkinson. Not enough to carry you through a season and certainly not with our lack of experience.
We all probably thought that, and with hindsight it now looks obvious, but I’m not sure they thought like that at the time.
Since Taylor had come in Holden had as much of a pre-season as everyone else up to when he broke down again in the Palace friendly.
After the ridiculously long time it took to diagnose Holden’s injury they probably just saw Osadebe as his replacement, especially as at Kidderminster he’d had his one good game in 10 and and scored a couple.
I think Holden’s impact said it all in the dismal run under Dutton. Came back and instantly beat two sides who finished top 7 IIRC. And also that good run of form in xmas under Clarke he started all four games.
I think from pre season they assumed he’d be back around now but then had that setback the other week.
Miller is hardly a kid. He’s been playing league football at higher levels since about 2016 so way more experienced than the joke YTS loan forwards from last season. He desperately needs someone like Wilkinson up there in the forward line though as he’s regularly struggled v physical CBs so far.
Shade is raw but I’m hopeful he’ll improve as season goes one.
I’m not saying it will be amazing front 4 but I’d like to see it have a run of 5-10 games. Can’t believe the actual plan was for all of Phillips, Earing, Kiernan to all be regular starters this year otherwise Taylor and Fullerton should be sacked on the spot.
Considering he’s since needed an operation for an injury that’s been around since December that seems quite naive
Millers hardly a kid? He’s 23, with one substantial loan deal to his name and a pretty poor record otherwise. That’s our one striking option.
If that wasn’t the plan I don’t know why they gave themselves so few alternatives.
Fair enough but it’s not that much different to getting Bradshaw in when he was 22/23 and largely unproven. And backup in those days was any of Troy Hewitt, Jordan Cook or Ashley Grimes.
I don’t know the inns and outs of Holden’s rehab but mad if he didn’t have an operation last May considering how disrupted second half of the season was for him.
I just think young players need to be given a chance. Majority on here didn’t think Adebayo was any good at all in his first six months and he’s since done o.k for himself and Wilkinson was having some decent games before his injury.
100% agree though nothing much other than 6th-8th from bottom will be achieved this season if likes of Earing, Kiernan and Phillips are going to be regular starters up to xmas. Nothing against them but it’s simply too soon for them to be week in week out starters.
It’s much different to the player I’m watching. I’d assume we’d watched Miller previously? If he turns out to be anywhere near that level I’ll hold my hands up that it’s not, to be polite, a stupid thing to do (and at least Bradshaw had those players behind him).
Hmm, as I have posted before I thought the Adebayo stick was unfair, and said so at the time.
But like I said, this is a different “quality of player” discussion we are getting into, this is about fitness, and there’s simply no option but to play certain players in certain positions due to lack of options whatever their quality.
I watched him from 20 yards away at Newport. Yes he wasn’t great (like all of them). I think the issue is he was just outmuscled by the two big CBs so he’s not a physical forward and really needs Wilkinson up there with him as he can mix it with the backlines a bit more.
However he did take the two goals v Mansfield very well so has shown he can be a good finisher when he gets a one on one so that’s something to work on.
As did I and agree he got completely bullied and nullified. He will see a lot of that in this division.
Arguably, our recent decline started when we lost Whitney as a great physio …
Promoted to oblivion…
It’s the pattern since Smith left appoint managers then use them as scapegoats 6 in 6 years is appalling.
Yeah but let’s face it the managers have all had their faults. Stupid recruitment with daft tactics. There’s deeper problems but Clarke, Dutton took the biscuit.
I agree with some of the comments above, we have never looked as fit since Whitney left his Physio role.