I hope that the game was useful to Dean Keates. Much has been made that WFC have only been back in training for a couple of weeks. May I respectfully point out that the Rushall team of amateurs and part-time pros had only had THREE evening training sessions so the fitness argument is not really valid.
What conclusions can be drawn? Well, at this stage - absolutely nothing. The later games against stronger opposition will obviously give us a better idea of our chances in League One. What worries me is the number of sub-standard players starting the second years of their Whitney-awarded two-year contracts. Keates doesn’t want them but, while they are still under contract, we are stuck with them and the consequent drain on the club’s finances. Several names (a significant proportion of the club’s playing staff) are on a list, circulated to other clubs, stating that they are available to go out on loan. Having got rid of Gillespie, we can only hope that others will follow.
To be fair I wasn’t making the fitness point about the result it was to do with the performance in general. If you take an average team and a good team and they are both unfit the performance will be a leveller. I’m not sure the result really matters if I’m honest. It’s basically a training session for both teams
Cook seems to be a ‘just like it says on the tin’ type player. Goal kicks went up to him, he won flick ons and generally put himself about. Unsettled centre halves and called for the wide man to get to the by line and get the ball into the box quite a few times. As some have said, I think the fans will warm to him very quickly.
The obvious suspects:- Sangha, Vann, Kouhyar, Cockerill-Mollet, Hayles-Docherty, plus, I understand, a few regular 1st-team regulars from, last season.
Surprised to see CM and HD on that list as well as Kouyhar…the other two plus Peters would be my guesses with one or two first teamers as well. Anyway we will probably find out over the next few weeks.
CM and Docherty would surely just be loan deals to get them experience.
I would keep Maz. Still raw but showed potential in some of his games last season.
Ones for me that needed to be moved out are likes of Devlin, Leahy, Kinsella, Bakayoko and Flanagan.
Don’t think any of them are good enough to be first choices but obviously three are under contract and DK gave new contracts to Kinsella and Baka so feels he can get more from them under his system. Time will tell.
Oh right fair enough. I used to like Liam a lot but can anyone really see him becoming a dominant central midfielder at this level seeing as him making it as a full back seems to be on the back burner now.
Guess he can provide back up until Edwards gets fit.
Think a permanent move at this stage of his career would have been the best for player and club. If he wasn’t in contract I’m not sure Keates would have kept him.
To be fair, some of the players that didn’t perform over the last couple of years under Whitney, were showing a lot of promise beforehand,the likes of kinsella being one of them, I think we should judge them on their performance under Deano before we cut them loose.After all we have already invested in them so why not try to salvage something.