The first XI was when everyone was fit, certainly. I'd argue the squad was nowhere near that. Half of us on here spent a lot time on here bemoaning the lack of bench options.
Just listened to MB on his post matched interview. Football is better but the penetration by our strikers is not. As has been said before we didn’t improve our squad in January we depleted it.
I’ll defend Hanlan and Tjay in their abilities. I’m just not sure they are playing / are being played to their strengths. They both need space to run in to. They both seem to be playing too tight to the opponent. They both deliver feck all as a result. Whether this is them or the tactics I don’t know.
They are committed, hard working , full of running and that is to be applauded but they offer no goal threat what so ever. They remind me of Samuel who had similar attributes but again totally ineffective in scoring goals.
Agree, both have some really positive attributes but they’re just playing in the wrong positions.
Hanlan just doesn’t have the technique to play as the central striker. TJay does and isn’t suited to the No10 role.
Putting players in the right position to suit their abilities is so important. Look at Ali Al-Hamadi, Wimbledon have played him as a central striker and great things have happened. This time last year he was on loan at Bromley who played him wide in a front three and he barely got a goal.
Tend to agree, we moved on from Samuel and hoping Kashket would discover his form again, and would have no doubts that if Vokes doesn't sign in we'll be in for someone else. Hanlan is better from out wide but his goal record is poor and is often benched if everyone is fit, not sure he offers us as much as a Paris/Joel Grant/CMS/Tyson did from out there. Theres a place for TJ's hassling and he's still young but he's not of regular starting standard at Centre forward yet. As keen as we seem to be to get everyone tied up lots of players are out of contract at other clubs at the end of the season.
There seems to have been this odd sort of moment where TJ has gone from slightly promising development guy, to definite starter everyone reckons is superb.
Seemingly based off almost nothing bar some hustle.
De Barr has done well and will compliment a striker. But we don’t have a striker. The guy up front has no eye for goal and control like a hexagon based on current form and role. I can’t think that his confidence is being improved by playing a role he can’t play. In the absence of Vokes I’d get Wheeler in the centre if we insist on a single focus, he can win headers and control the ball.
Realistically we can't afford a championship wage player who has had a streak of injuries with us that has kept him out for over half a season in 2 out of his 3 seasons with us. A great player but welcome to the new financial order. He will get a good contract with another league 1 club no doubt.
For a man who according to his videos, is very careful with his food, his training and the way he conducts his life, it is an amazing statistic. Perhaps he’s just very unlucky. Not sure too many Championship clubs lining up to sign him with that track record. League 1 clubs and it’s a gamble.
Comments
Yes, my stream froze, so I actually missed who Thompson came on for initially, so was surprised to see it was Campbell.
Thompson looked well off it. Perhaps understandable, but it wasn't the game to try and get minutes into him.
By next weekend it could actually be over, and the time to play Gape-Thompson and the out of contract crew, but not today.
That was awful today, hardly any urgency, creativity, we had nothing and what made it worse was they were hopeless.
Just haven't decided what the worst performance was, on the pitch or in the stands and the 2 drums.
Things really are bad if we're being outperformed by the dreaded drum
Someone always has to make it about the drums 😂
You'd have thought by the stick we all gave Ainsworth early on, and then what panned out over the following 9 years, that we'd all have learned.
Promotion with this squad was always going to be tough. Then, with all the upheaval it was almost an impossibility.
Let's enjoy the last few games and see what Blooms can do with a full summer.
The squad we had from month 2 of the season, until Mehmeti was sold is probably the strongest squad we'll ever have.
Just learnt at 1846 that Derby drew!
It's all on again
The first XI was when everyone was fit, certainly. I'd argue the squad was nowhere near that. Half of us on here spent a lot time on here bemoaning the lack of bench options.
If we take the best 11 at that time as
Max
Grimmer Taf Mawson Obita
Scowen Wing
McCleary Wheeler Mehmeti
Vokes
You still had McCarthy, JJ, Forino for defence, Gape/Thompson centre mid.
Freeman, Kaikai, Horgan, Hanlan in the forward positions.
And that's before the likes of De Barr, Al Hamadi etc are even mentioned
That's a heck of a squad when fit, which obviously was not a given.
‘Making plans for Nigel’ XTC single late 70’s?
or ‘We need to talk about Kevin’ Lional Shriver 2003 novel and subsequent film?
Just listened to MB on his post matched interview. Football is better but the penetration by our strikers is not. As has been said before we didn’t improve our squad in January we depleted it.
Disappointing to say the least. Sorry but Hanlan and De Barr couldn’t score in a brothel. God help us if they are our forwards next year.
"Couldn't score in a barrel full of fannies" James Kelman (not to be confused with Jim Kelman, though he probably said it just before getting sacked)
I’ll defend Hanlan and Tjay in their abilities. I’m just not sure they are playing / are being played to their strengths. They both need space to run in to. They both seem to be playing too tight to the opponent. They both deliver feck all as a result. Whether this is them or the tactics I don’t know.
They are committed, hard working , full of running and that is to be applauded but they offer no goal threat what so ever. They remind me of Samuel who had similar attributes but again totally ineffective in scoring goals.
Agree, both have some really positive attributes but they’re just playing in the wrong positions.
Hanlan just doesn’t have the technique to play as the central striker. TJay does and isn’t suited to the No10 role.
Putting players in the right position to suit their abilities is so important. Look at Ali Al-Hamadi, Wimbledon have played him as a central striker and great things have happened. This time last year he was on loan at Bromley who played him wide in a front three and he barely got a goal.
Tend to agree, we moved on from Samuel and hoping Kashket would discover his form again, and would have no doubts that if Vokes doesn't sign in we'll be in for someone else. Hanlan is better from out wide but his goal record is poor and is often benched if everyone is fit, not sure he offers us as much as a Paris/Joel Grant/CMS/Tyson did from out there. Theres a place for TJ's hassling and he's still young but he's not of regular starting standard at Centre forward yet. As keen as we seem to be to get everyone tied up lots of players are out of contract at other clubs at the end of the season.
There seems to have been this odd sort of moment where TJ has gone from slightly promising development guy, to definite starter everyone reckons is superb.
Seemingly based off almost nothing bar some hustle.
I think he has it all to prove to say the least.
De Barr's played pretty well most games his appeared in, in my opinion. A goal and 5 assists would suggest he's got more to offer than just hustle.
De Barr has done well and will compliment a striker. But we don’t have a striker. The guy up front has no eye for goal and control like a hexagon based on current form and role. I can’t think that his confidence is being improved by playing a role he can’t play. In the absence of Vokes I’d get Wheeler in the centre if we insist on a single focus, he can win headers and control the ball.
Seems like Taffs days could be numbered if he can’t even get on the pitch at the moment.
Dropped since that Ipswich horror show with a supposed knock but you can’t help but think there’s more at play.
Realistically we can't afford a championship wage player who has had a streak of injuries with us that has kept him out for over half a season in 2 out of his 3 seasons with us. A great player but welcome to the new financial order. He will get a good contract with another league 1 club no doubt.
He's missed 50/137 league games (including play-offs) injured since signing. In other words, he's spent more than a season out injured.
Hanlan played really well at Bristol Rovers.
Revs, teeth boys, Bolton. Thought this was BTK - basic Taf knowledge.
For a man who according to his videos, is very careful with his food, his training and the way he conducts his life, it is an amazing statistic. Perhaps he’s just very unlucky. Not sure too many Championship clubs lining up to sign him with that track record. League 1 clubs and it’s a gamble.
You'd have to know what the actual injury is and whether it was an impact injury or something else.
I doubt many of the games were missed through straining his Revs' supping arm.
Show pony with the mobility of a cart horse*
*come on who wants some, been far too calm on here given our terminal performance yesterday😉
He doesn’t strike me as someone who would play through the pain barrier, might be unfair but just the vibe I get.
I love Taffs and will miss him when he is gone (though the injuries give a constant preview of that).