“......please refrain from introducing non-football songs into our stadia.” Crikey, didn’t know they had more than one. Hope the other(s) are more up-to-date and comfortable than Kenilworth Road.
@Uncle_T said: @EwanHoosaami I didn't notice Thompson much in the first half, apart from shortly before the end of it when he tried to chase a Northampton player who was running with the ball, couldn't keep up with him and looked knackered. When Morris started warming up in the break and looking as though he would be starting the second half, I assumed he must be coming on for Thompson. It transpired he was actually replacement for Bloomfield and Thompson stayed on.
Maybe this prompted me subconsciously to look out for Thompson during the second half, but I was certainly more aware of him and felt he seemed to grow into the game as it went on. He made some good challenges towards the end, including a strong aerial one against a large defender that impressed me - not only getting to the ball first but directing it to a Wycombe player on the wing - and looked to have more energy than it had seemed he had in the first half.
My verdict, based on nothing apart from last night's performance: potential to be good for us if given more opportunities to get fully match fit and to develop greater on pitch understanding of his team mates and their abilities.
Absolutely spot on here. Agree with that assesement completely. He looked exhausted approaching half time!
Seems like I was the only one who thought Yves had a genuine problem with his hair in the shootout last night and it wasn't down to time wasting initially. Definately a modern day footballing problem.
Overall I thought CMS had a great game, McCarthy played himself in to the first team at centre back and Thompson looked solid in the centre of midfield. We need to start taking some chances though.
Harriman in midfield or on the bench. He's a great attacker, but his defence is highly suspect at times. He got skinned multiple times by the Blackpool wingers.
It's certainly a conundrum in defence now. Which has to be a good thing.
I wonder if Harriman starting at left back was any sort of sign of Gaz's thinking, with McCarthy trialled at right back, and Sido central.
You'd have probably thought it'd be McCarthy central, Harriman right, and Sido left.
Can't see El Abd being consistently left out any time soon.
Stewart is right-sided, El-Abd left. It was interesting last night to see Harriman at left back/wing back albeit only until Sido was subbed. Wondered if Sido had pulled rank. I know how much he dislikes playing left back !
@Malone, me ole mucker. Not sure Curtis Thompson has that much weight and strength at 5’7” and on the slim side (though, to fair, someone else seemed to be suggesting that, along with Jason McCarthy, he would bring some much needed height into the midfield). Jason certainly would and Richie seemed pretty sure last week that he was destined to play there - shades of Peter Murphy, as it were.
The second half was a cracker but, for me, the highlight was the remarkable sequence of backward somersaults performed by Randell Williams in celebration of his brilliant goal.
Harriman is an absolutely superb full back and one of our best performers. Can’t see him being out of the side.
Having said that, I do think he could do a job as the wide man in a front 3. In games where we are expected to be defending more and will need to revert to a proper 451 without the ball I would be glad to have Harriman in the right. And with him on the wing and Macca at fullback I think we would look very solid down that side of the pitch.
Why is there no chance of McCarthy playing centre midfield? It's the only way we'd be able to utilise his talents in our current system without dropping any of el-Abd, Stewart or Harriman. It would also provide Gape, Saunders and potentially one other midfielder with the extra support they need to get the best out of their game. I'm sure I remember McCarthy playing defensive midfielder for us in his first spell (or am I mistaken??) and think he's got all the attributes to be a great success there - athleticism, great on the ball, a clever tackler, excellent short passer, intelligence. He's also tall and strong, something we're lacking in central midfield, without which we're in grave danger of being overrun. Gareth has form in converting central defenders into defensive midfielders (cf Danny Rowe) and I'd love to see him attempt that again with McCarthy.
Signing someone on a three year deal and then changing his position seems strange to me. Having some great defensive options is a good position to be in but for me McCarthy is the best of them and should be playing every week.
The Danny Rowe conversion didn't work for me. He was always a better defender than midfielder.
@aloysius, it's not the "Only" option at all to play those players, Harriman can play in midfield.
And Rowe isn't the best example of a converted player, as that wasn't exactly a success.
Now McCarthy is in, i'd expect him to stay in. Stewart is the easiest option to leave out this week.
You may be right @Malone but if that's the case I feel desperately sad for Anthony Stewart, one of our most talented players who just can't seem to catch a break. To be honest I'd prefer to see Michael Harriman rested if one of him, Stewart and el-Abd has to drop out. He wasn't looking at his sharpest against Blackpool, even before his second yellow, and right back is the position McCarthy was playing in the Championship.
I confess I have not read this morning’s posts on this thread. I just scrolled through to @aloysius’s post because it popped up just I finished commenting on the thread about team selection for Saturday (starting with the definitive @rmjlondon version).
I’d welcome comments on my post there - sort of in response to the slightly out of the blue, off the cuff remark by @Wendoverman.
@Malone: my actual comment about Curtis Thompson was “on the slim side” and I didn’t say of what ! My main point related to the fact that he is, as the olduns would say, vertically challenged. I haven’t the slightest idea what “all over the lads on tour pic” means (and probably wouldn’t want to!).
I’m not at all sure that Jason McCarthy wouldn’t be played as a box-to-box midfielder.
Typical! Tried to “thumbs up” @aloysius’s post of 10.21am but, on this minuscule iPhone screen, it’s virtually impossible to do without copying down the actual comment. In deleting it I still managed to press the “post comment” button.
The seemingly unrelated comment (to preceding posts on the thread initiated by Richie) about saying someone had been dropped when, in fact, they had simply been given a break and someone of roughly equivalent quality had been given an opportunity to “get a game”.
I have been flogging the same argument more recently on Richie’s Team for Bristol Rovers thread.
Ironic that you should mention Specsavers. I was at the optician’s yesterday and was told the good news that the pressure in my eyes had gone down and the OK news that the time had finally come to have the cataracts removed.
dropped may have been strong but people seemed to be wondering how mccarthy will fit in and who will get 'left out.' Good news about the cataracts though...especially as I did not mention specsavers and as far as I know @mooneyman and I do not resemble each other at all! :-)
Comments
Lovely Luton
https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/football-league/luton-town-tommy-robinson-chants-video-watch-stop-signing-ceo-statement-open-letter-a8492811.html
“......please refrain from introducing non-football songs into our stadia.” Crikey, didn’t know they had more than one. Hope the other(s) are more up-to-date and comfortable than Kenilworth Road.
Clearly couldn’t get ‘Stephen Yaxley-Lennon’ to scan either.
Absolutely spot on here. Agree with that assesement completely. He looked exhausted approaching half time!
Seems like I was the only one who thought Yves had a genuine problem with his hair in the shootout last night and it wasn't down to time wasting initially. Definately a modern day footballing problem.
Overall I thought CMS had a great game, McCarthy played himself in to the first team at centre back and Thompson looked solid in the centre of midfield. We need to start taking some chances though.
@Right_in_the_Middle would Harriman, McCarthy, Stewart, Jacobson be your choice as the back four, assuming everyone is fit?
@Chris yes. I think it would. Although El-Abd and McCarthy would work too. Bottom line is Jason is our best centre back already.
Good to have such high quality competition in defence, especially when Charles is available.
Surely:
Jacobson, El-Abd, Stewart, McCarthy
Harriman in midfield or on the bench. He's a great attacker, but his defence is highly suspect at times. He got skinned multiple times by the Blackpool wingers.
El Abd will always play ahead of Stewart and so he should.
El Abd must play with Stewart, particularly in view of his superb captaincy.
Post match interview with Gaz... plus draw numbers.
https://philcatchpole.com/2018/08/15/chairboys-sneak-through-on-penalties/
It's certainly a conundrum in defence now. Which has to be a good thing.
I wonder if Harriman starting at left back was any sort of sign of Gaz's thinking, with McCarthy trialled at right back, and Sido central.
You'd have probably thought it'd be McCarthy central, Harriman right, and Sido left.
Can't see El Abd being consistently left out any time soon.
Stewart is right-sided, El-Abd left. It was interesting last night to see Harriman at left back/wing back albeit only until Sido was subbed. Wondered if Sido had pulled rank. I know how much he dislikes playing left back !
@Malone, me ole mucker. Not sure Curtis Thompson has that much weight and strength at 5’7” and on the slim side (though, to fair, someone else seemed to be suggesting that, along with Jason McCarthy, he would bring some much needed height into the midfield). Jason certainly would and Richie seemed pretty sure last week that he was destined to play there - shades of Peter Murphy, as it were.
The second half was a cracker but, for me, the highlight was the remarkable sequence of backward somersaults performed by Randell Williams in celebration of his brilliant goal.
@micra , he's not in any way "slim". I'm surprised you weren't all over the "lads on tour" pics. He's what the younguns would call "hench"
There's no chance McCarthy is playing centre mid. I thought that was just a poster writing McCarthy but meaning Morris.
Williams has some incredible athletic power to be able to do those somersaults! On the first few games, he looks by far our most dangerous player.
Harriman is an absolutely superb full back and one of our best performers. Can’t see him being out of the side.
Having said that, I do think he could do a job as the wide man in a front 3. In games where we are expected to be defending more and will need to revert to a proper 451 without the ball I would be glad to have Harriman in the right. And with him on the wing and Macca at fullback I think we would look very solid down that side of the pitch.
Why is there no chance of McCarthy playing centre midfield? It's the only way we'd be able to utilise his talents in our current system without dropping any of el-Abd, Stewart or Harriman. It would also provide Gape, Saunders and potentially one other midfielder with the extra support they need to get the best out of their game. I'm sure I remember McCarthy playing defensive midfielder for us in his first spell (or am I mistaken??) and think he's got all the attributes to be a great success there - athleticism, great on the ball, a clever tackler, excellent short passer, intelligence. He's also tall and strong, something we're lacking in central midfield, without which we're in grave danger of being overrun. Gareth has form in converting central defenders into defensive midfielders (cf Danny Rowe) and I'd love to see him attempt that again with McCarthy.
Signing someone on a three year deal and then changing his position seems strange to me. Having some great defensive options is a good position to be in but for me McCarthy is the best of them and should be playing every week.
The Danny Rowe conversion didn't work for me. He was always a better defender than midfielder.
Mc Carthy will play centre half instead of Stewart.
I reckon Glenactico has made the best point here. Harriman on the right of a front 3 sounds like a very interesting idea.
@aloysius, it's not the "Only" option at all to play those players, Harriman can play in midfield.
And Rowe isn't the best example of a converted player, as that wasn't exactly a success.
Now McCarthy is in, i'd expect him to stay in. Stewart is the easiest option to leave out this week.
You may be right @Malone but if that's the case I feel desperately sad for Anthony Stewart, one of our most talented players who just can't seem to catch a break. To be honest I'd prefer to see Michael Harriman rested if one of him, Stewart and el-Abd has to drop out. He wasn't looking at his sharpest against Blackpool, even before his second yellow, and right back is the position McCarthy was playing in the Championship.
I confess I have not read this morning’s posts on this thread. I just scrolled through to @aloysius’s post because it popped up just I finished commenting on the thread about team selection for Saturday (starting with the definitive @rmjlondon version).
I’d welcome comments on my post there - sort of in response to the slightly out of the blue, off the cuff remark by @Wendoverman.
@Malone: my actual comment about Curtis Thompson was “on the slim side” and I didn’t say of what ! My main point related to the fact that he is, as the olduns would say, vertically challenged. I haven’t the slightest idea what “all over the lads on tour pic” means (and probably wouldn’t want to!).
I’m not at all sure that Jason McCarthy wouldn’t be played as a box-to-box midfielder.
Typical! Tried to “thumbs up” @aloysius’s post of 10.21am but, on this minuscule iPhone screen, it’s virtually impossible to do without copying down the actual comment. In deleting it I still managed to press the “post comment” button.
I blame me old mate, Malone.
@micra - trip to Specsavers due?
@micra which off the cuff remark? I lose track...
The seemingly unrelated comment (to preceding posts on the thread initiated by Richie) about saying someone had been dropped when, in fact, they had simply been given a break and someone of roughly equivalent quality had been given an opportunity to “get a game”.
I have been flogging the same argument more recently on Richie’s Team for Bristol Rovers thread.
Ironic that you should mention Specsavers. I was at the optician’s yesterday and was told the good news that the pressure in my eyes had gone down and the OK news that the time had finally come to have the cataracts removed.
dropped may have been strong but people seemed to be wondering how mccarthy will fit in and who will get 'left out.' Good news about the cataracts though...especially as I did not mention specsavers and as far as I know @mooneyman and I do not resemble each other at all! :-)