Do we have the strength in depth?
I appreciate they are meaningless games but it's slightly worrying to lose two in two against a youth team and the team joint bottom of the division below.
We've all been pretty impressed by the depth of the squad this year but, when tested, do we really have enough strength to compete at the top of League One if injuries pile up?
I've not been to either match but listening to the commentary and watching the highlights it doesn't sound like Jacob Gardiner-Smith, Cameron Yates or Josh Parker particularly excelled - and I'm still not entirely convinced that Nnamdi Ofoborh or Alex Pattison are quite at the level we'll need to continue playing at yet either.
We probably have enough strength in depth among our forwards, especially if we can extend Aarons' loan. But I'd love to see one more central midfielder brought in, with JGS loaned out, and another keeper (the Fulham U21 stopper impressed the commentators last night - perhaps he's ready to step up). We probably don't need any more cover in defence as Ofoborh can drop down there if necessary.
It'll be interesting to see if there's any budget for strengthening the squad in Jan - it'll be a strong indication of how seriously the Couhigs want us to take any push for promotion this season.
Comments
it's fine, don't worry
Parker did some nice link up play at times but his initial touch was awful.
Lost count of the number of times he tried to control a long ball and it ran away from him
Games in that competition are glorified reserve games; I wouldn't read anything into them. Ofoborh looks very promising and wouldn't have spent pre-season with the Bournemouth first team if Eddie Howe didn't see something in him (in any case, he's barely played for us so too early to make a real judgement). Pattison has also shown promise and can run for days. Only area I'd be slightly worried about is in goal - can use the emergency loan system, sure, but if Rocky goes off injured early in a game, you probably want someone more senior to come in even just for that.
Depends on your view on what it means to have "strength in depth".
If it means we have adequate cover in most positions so that we can have a couple of injuries without causing too much disruption, then I think we are absolutely fine.
If it means being able to play every backup player together without causing too much disruption, then I think every team in England (excluding perhaps Man City) would have a problem
And JGS was playing literally his second ever professional game. It goes without saying that he's going to take a while to develop.
Re goalkeepers, it feels unlikely that a premier or championship club will loan a keeper ready for league action only for him to sit on the bench probably for the rest of the season.
If Allsopp were to be injured or suspended, Cameron Yates does not qualify under the rules as a "professional goalkeeper" and hence we would then be able to bring in an emergency keeper. Likely surely that one that is going to get immediate first team experience is likely to be of a higher level than one who is merely expected to benchwarm.
Last night shows what happens when you lump in a team who haven't played together.
Add in the strange atmosphere, and it's really a hiding to nothing.
We've loads of strengh around the pitch. Bayo is the only one we can't replicate, but we can play a different way with Samuel up there instead.
Fred and Smyth to come back is a huge bonus
The JGS tag is too similar to the JKG (Jesse Kewley-Graham) one, and brings back memories of Kewley-Grahams total non impact on a game in a Wanderers shirt.
Yates has played two senior games in the tinpot trophy this season, I can’t remember what the minimum number of games to qualify as a ‘professional keeper’ is but as soon as he does we won’t be able to get emergency loan keepers in providing he’s fit to play.
Its STARTING five games at least and the EFL trophy doesn't count. By my reckoning Yates is currently five short of the five required.
Ah, I thought you could loan someone in if you went down to one 'keeper, regardless of seniority. The EFL doesn't actually define what a Professional Goalkeeper is in the context of that regulation, but I suspect that as he's on a professional contract, Yates has to be considered one.
Adding to the squad before we are able to offer fringe players more than half a dozen or so competitive games per season would increase the number of players frustrated by the very limited opportunities to play. Already the likes of Sido must be getting fidgety and, defensively, I think Mascoll and Phillips are well capable of stepping up to the plate. And, as has been said already, we currently have at least two attacking players due to come back. We’ll be fine.
in the recent excellent Richard Dobson interview on the Ringing the Blues podcast he spoke very highly of the talent of Jesse Kewley-Graham but perhaps indicated that the was lacking in confidence.
Easy to snipe at players but he was a young man trying to make his way in the game. I've heard young Wycombe players receive terrible treatment from Wycombe fans over the years.
Yes.
The second paragraph of @FmG ‘s post of 10.19 is exactly what I had in mind.
You have to go to the definitions page @chairboyscentral. Yates is NOT a professional goalkeeper for this purpose.
‘Professional Goalkeeper’ means a goalkeeper (excluding any Goalkeeper registered as a Non-Contract Player) who has been named in the starting eleven on five or more occasions by:
(a) any Club (or Premier League club) in any matches in the relevant league or first team cup competitions (other than the EFL Trophy); and/or
(b) any other club in a professional league in that club’s home association (by way of example, any division of the Scottish Professional Football League, or Serie A, B or C).
Maybe his commimtent to the cause was the issue ? As we were desperately sliding towards relegation zone in 2013/14, we put in a sustained effort against Pompey, but still lost 1-0 home. You would think a young player trying to make his way in the game, would be absorbing every minute in the stands, and rooting for the Wanderers to maintain his career as a proffesional ? Not JKG, spent the entire second half laughing and joking in the Woodlands suite, with the curtains closed. Showing no interest in what was happening on the pitch.
Hence why at the age of 26 he was last seen playing in the combined Counties league.
Having the curtains closed seems a bit extreme and makes you wonder what he was laughing and joking about. Were you there yourself @ChasHarps ?
Probably just having a beer
this is a great point
Don’t think the lounge curtains are closed during the game, are they?
Should have said “normally”
It's not long since we regularly put out 4 subs including a 48 year old Goalkeeping coach. We are doing fine for cover and have options in January and with Emergency goalie loans like last season.
Yes, I was in there at half time, realised after about 20 minutes i had left my phone down there, i returned and witnessed the scenario, they were not even sat around a table close to the window. When i went to console myself with a post match pint, it was confirmed by someone i knew who worked behind the bar, that the group had spent the entire second half laughing and joking at the same table.
You can see why Gareth was determined to have a major clear out of those that didnt have his work ethic and desire.
His ridicolous Alice band wearing was the only thing of note, that i remember him achieving in a Wanderers shirt, and after battering Pompey in the second half but still unable to score, i was extremely despondant, so to witness the attitude and behaviour of a young proffesional towards his fellow team mates and fans, pretty much made up my mind of what i thought of JKG.
Pretty bloody disgraceful. Thanks @ChasHarps for a very graphic description of events. I feel very angry that such attitudes exist. We were clearly well shot of that guy (who, to be honest, I don’t recall, other than the name which seems entirely appropriate)!
To be fair that could have been said about Bayo for most of the game on Saturday
@ChasHarps for the health of my oldest son @micra, please spell professional correctly.
Just once.
Fancy laughing at a table.
I think the current England cricket display in New Zealand is an example of playing too many second string players in one go. Wycombe's team in the pointless Trophy are the same and no reflection on any of the players.
Good teams evolve by changing a couple of players each season. Bad ones change more than half.
Finally anyone criticising JGS after two reserve games are morons
I've not seen JGS so can't comment on him, but in some cases 2 games has been more than enough to see that players aren't good enough.