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  • Good move. Especially as the "B" team has panned out more as a "bring a few players in to have enough players to have occasional friendlies" job.

  • Hopefully does well and gets a loan move to a L2/L1 club in Jan. Interested to see if Burley goes out on loan or is seen as close to breaking into the matchday squad.

  • Presumably that means Tafazolli and/or Charles are fit to play.

  • Not sure how much more of Charles we'll see, not been in a squad since Reading and no injury reported - looks like he's been training as normal.

  • I couldn't see Tafazolli in any of the pics from the practice game yesterday, but that applies to a few players.

  • Last season Charles got a couple of games unexpectedly, quickly looked solid alongside Stewart, and was then only out of the side for the odd Tuesday game. A similar thing has happened with Knight and it is hard to see that partnership changing anytime soo unless injury strikes.

  • Charles looked fragile against Blackburn and Luton, and the ridiculous schedule probably would have decided things anyway - you can't be rotating your centre-backs every other game. I guess Tafazolli would have taken over had he not been injured, but that paved the way for Knight to come in and establish himself. It's all worked out pretty well in the end.

  • Charles has genuinely earned the legend status in my book. It would break my heart to have his last proper game in a quartered shirt to be one where he was sent off. Would love him to come back. Play like the hero he was last season. Doff his cap and walk away with that beautiful smile and attitude.

  • He's absolutely a legend and last season will define his career - the most unexpected story of the most unexpected season.

  • Spot on as usual @chairboyscentral. The question now is at what point (injury/suspension/end of Knight’s loan in January) does Stewart return to his preferred right central position and, in the event of his loan being extended, Knight move into midfield ? With Thompson, Gape, Adenarin, Wheeler and Mehmeti all competing for places (not to mention McCleary) opportunities will be more limited for that to happen than looked likely earlier in the season. Nice headache to have!

    Meanwhile, it’s good news that Phillips will (I hope) be getting regular game time at Aldershot as they push for the playoffs. In one of the practice game pictures he seemed to be towering over other players (standing in front of the posh new splinter-free racing seats). Has he grown over the last year or so ?

  • He looked someway off league 1 level last season, so getting any sort of look in this year wasn't going to happen barring a real defensive crisis.

    However, Gareth knows his players and if he thinks he's got future capability long term, that's good enough for me.
    Looks a sensible move to get him some action.

  • edited November 2020

    @micra said:
    Spot on as usual @chairboyscentral. The question now is at what point (injury/suspension/end of Knight’s loan in January) does Stewart return to his preferred right central position and, in the event of his loan being extended, Knight move into midfield ? With Thompson, Gape, Adenarin, Wheeler and Mehmeti all competing for places (not to mention McCleary) opportunities will be more limited for that to happen than looked likely earlier in the season. Nice headache to have!

    Meanwhile, it’s good news that Phillips will (I hope) be getting regular game time at Aldershot as they push for the playoffs. In one of the practice game pictures he seemed to be towering over other players (standing in front of the posh new splinter-free racing seats). Has he grown over the last year or so ?

    I think Stewart's settled in very well at LCB now - at his imperious best v Wednesday in particular - and as I think @Username pointed out, Knight gives us a more accurate ball to Bayo from the right of defence. Great that he can play in midfield, but would we move him? Let's just hope we can extend that loan!

  • If it isn’t extended, Tafazolli will finally get a look-in. Is he on a one or two year contract?

  • Nice touch from management to give Giles the captains armband in the intra practice match - confidence booster.

  • @micra said:
    If it isn’t extended, Tafazolli will finally get a look-in. Is he on a one or two year contract?

    Two!

  • I thought we were following the Brentford B team model. Appoint B team manager ( which we have done ) . Bring in players, play regular matches ( which Brentford do ) and develop players for the first team. Makes perfect sense. We seem to have bought in half a dozen and sent them out on loan. Not exactly following their model. What’s the B team manager going to do all day?

  • Brentford currently have 8 players out on loan @davecz.

  • It always seemed optimistic that we were going to have a B team, especially happening almost overnight.

    You'd need about 15 players for starters, for the inevitable niggles and rotations needed.

    I suppose it's a catchier title than "Bring in players with potential, to help them develop, whilst it also allows us to play full 11v11 games...team"

  • @mooneyman - yes , I know they have players out on loan. My point was they are playing regular games ( most weeks) . I thought that’s what we were building.

  • It’s a shame you don’t check the facts before posting.
    Both Anderson and Linton will continue to train with Wycombe whilst getting valuable game time with Walton Casuals and Slough Town respectively. I am not sure about Phillips as I don’t know if Aldershot retained their full time status after their original relegation (later reversed). I’m sure Sam Grace (B team coach) will have plenty to keep him occupied.
    Brentford have a much bigger budget and consequently a much bigger squad and their B team model has been going for many years, ours has just started.

  • B team is a bit of a misnomer, it's just a subsection of the main squad and those players get more focused mentoring from Sam Grace. Brentford's is a completely different entity and they don't train with the first team.

  • @glasshalffull - not sure what facts have I got wrong. I simply said I thought the club stated that we were following the Brentford model, ie manager, player, matches and we appeared to be moving away from it. As normal, you are very quick to jump and it would be very refreshing if you could move away from our lack of budget. We know our constraints.

  • Who says we aren't following the Brentford model @davecz? Rome wasn't built in a day & all that. It will most likely take years to get to their level, meanwhile we manage with the players, coaching staff & funds that we have.

  • You said ‘We seem to have brought in half a dozen and sent them out on loan’ which is incorrect and influenced your question ‘What’s the B team manager going to do all day?’. If you know our financial constraints you will realise that it could take a long time to get anywhere near the Brentford model.

  • @glasshalffull - I don’t expect us to be at Brentford’s level because I do know our financial constraints ( again I don’t need you to remind me ).. I was asking the question if we were moving away from our stated journey .

  • @chairboyscentral said:
    He's absolutely a legend and last season will define his career - the most unexpected story of the most unexpected season.

    I can see him reappearing later in the season with the same effect Michael Forsyth had in our great escape season. The class he has isn't going

  • @davecz but you weren’t. You’re only question was ‘what’s th B team manager going to do all day.’
    The answer to that is continue to train and develop the players brought in for him to train and develop.’

    The inference behind that question is subjective but appears obvious but pointless going there as you question has bees satisfactorily answered

  • The B team project isn't going to happen in a few weeks. It will take a couple of years at least to be fully up and running

  • Not sure how much 'valuable game time' Anderson will be getting with Walton Casuals. Southern League currently suspended due to lockdown and who knows when they'll be up and running again.

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