If you know a player is decent is his favoured position, and particularly a striker, let’s see how he reacts if he is asked to play in a position he’s not familiar is and see how he reacts. Will he do the defending if we need him to in a match that actually matters.
If he’s mentioning it now, 12 months later I would be confident in betting a tenner he made if known at the time he wasn’t happy playing there. Ergo, attitude isn’t up to standard.
This is good. Harvie didn't start too well, but has improved as the season has gone on, many tactical wafflers online point out that he's not the best in defence. For me, both full back spots are our weakest in the squad, so it's good to see we're going for more options there.
His first 2 games against opposition that are considered the 2nd and 3rd best in the league was a baptism of fire and he certainly looked wanting in those games. But he has grown immensely in defending and attacking. I'm more than content with our left back now.
Harvie is a superb player at this level. As some of the above comments point out, he didn’t have a great start but he is now so important to our way of playing.
For me our core outfield players are Low, Taylor, Harvie, Scowen, Morley, Fred and Humphreys. With those 7 in the starting line up we can take on any side at our level.
We have strong choices up front and at right back to add to those 7 key players.
The issue isn't Harvie, the issue is who replaces him when he's unavailable. Hartridge (I just had to Google his name, he's featured so little) may work as a stop gap but a squad gunning for promotion needs a specialist in reserve - just look at the situation with GK where we now have three options better than Stryjek. I'm also nervous about Jasper Pattenden as reserve right back. He's good getting forward but gets turned too often when defending. He's a decent league one player but again, we need to be slightly more hard-hearted in a season where we now find ourselves competing against Birmingham for promotion. The best teams will target him or Hartridge when they're on the pitch and we'll find ourselves overloaded. I would love to see specialist additions at left and right back join us in Jan, with McCarthy leaving and Hartridge and Pattenden available for the right loan.
I have to agree that for me Harvie has been an excellent addition after a shaky start and that position is not a worry. It's good that we are presently vying with Birmingham for promotion (which nobody predicted), but there is a possibility we might not be come May, so farming people out and opening checkbooks now to buy The Players that will ensure said promotion might be a bit premature surely?
I love ambition, but the Playoffs would have done pre-season, so to abandon the present L1 squad building to chase a dream that might fade in seven or so games (God forbid!) would be unwise in my opinion.
I think Hartridge has done a reasonable job when called upon, though he's obviously not getting the minutes, but he is experienced cover at the back at least and Pattenden has also done well.
Perhaps we are less Gareth at the back than we have been historically, and perhaps our defensive cover is shaky but given our Squad and our present goal threat I am less worried perhaps than some.
I was surprised when he signed and people said he strengthened the defensive options. A couple of posters telling me it was "obvious".
Playing left wing back in the under the cosh championship season was one thing, but it'd be insane playing such a star winger anywhere but in attack this season.
These decisions don't need to (and indeed cannot) be made now anyway. The transfer market opens on 1st January when the league table will be a little more mature.
Not sure why this has garnered such a negative response. We've got enough quality forwards in the squad to have two genuine starters in each role, rather than a first choice and a back-up. The same is true to a slightly lesser extend in midfield. It also needs to be true in defence. Neither Pattenden or Hartridge are at that level, maybe we need to look for players who are.
Comments
Very interesting.
Jake Tabor is the prolific Amersham Town goalscorer. If he is to be believed, then we have been testing options for left (wing) back. Good.
Based on nothing more than the fact he's a left-back named Cole, I think he's going to be world class.
The Tabor trial was around this time last year I think
Would make sense assuming he's talking about Kone when he refers to Richard
Lomtadze's billions making themselves felt.
This looks like another good bit of business. Very impressive recruitment this season. Well done all involved 👍👍.
Out of interest how have you formed a judgement on a player you presumably had not heard of until today?
Feels like effectively a development player initially. Most don't make it. A small number do. He may (or may not ) be the good one.
He's a non-league hot shot Dev!
Well MB needs someone to talk to on his drive in
Sounds like a bit of a knob to be honest.
Tabor I mean
We are desperate to have left backs be top goal scorer for eternity. JJ would be proud.
I think that Dave Tarpey has quite the left foot on him as well
If only he can turn out to be a JJ with pace.
To me that sounds like a test that he failed.
If you know a player is decent is his favoured position, and particularly a striker, let’s see how he reacts if he is asked to play in a position he’s not familiar is and see how he reacts. Will he do the defending if we need him to in a match that actually matters.
If he’s mentioning it now, 12 months later I would be confident in betting a tenner he made if known at the time he wasn’t happy playing there. Ergo, attitude isn’t up to standard.
This is good. Harvie didn't start too well, but has improved as the season has gone on, many tactical wafflers online point out that he's not the best in defence. For me, both full back spots are our weakest in the squad, so it's good to see we're going for more options there.
Interesting. I think Harvie is one of our players of the season and absolutely crucial to how we play.
For all our strength in depth I'd probably be most worried about him getting injured
His first 2 games against opposition that are considered the 2nd and 3rd best in the league was a baptism of fire and he certainly looked wanting in those games. But he has grown immensely in defending and attacking. I'm more than content with our left back now.
I think he’s fantastic at defending. The best left back since JJ. Aerially superb too, which is fairly rare for full backs nowadays.
There aren’t many other candidates for best left back since JJ
Harvie is a superb player at this level. As some of the above comments point out, he didn’t have a great start but he is now so important to our way of playing.
For me our core outfield players are Low, Taylor, Harvie, Scowen, Morley, Fred and Humphreys. With those 7 in the starting line up we can take on any side at our level.
We have strong choices up front and at right back to add to those 7 key players.
I bet we’d give the bottom half of the championship a good game with those 7 starting.
Wasn't that keen when Fred signed unlike others who seemed thrilled. How wrong was I? Fred 4.0 is the best version of Fred to date.
The issue isn't Harvie, the issue is who replaces him when he's unavailable. Hartridge (I just had to Google his name, he's featured so little) may work as a stop gap but a squad gunning for promotion needs a specialist in reserve - just look at the situation with GK where we now have three options better than Stryjek. I'm also nervous about Jasper Pattenden as reserve right back. He's good getting forward but gets turned too often when defending. He's a decent league one player but again, we need to be slightly more hard-hearted in a season where we now find ourselves competing against Birmingham for promotion. The best teams will target him or Hartridge when they're on the pitch and we'll find ourselves overloaded. I would love to see specialist additions at left and right back join us in Jan, with McCarthy leaving and Hartridge and Pattenden available for the right loan.
Pattenden has been great over the last couple of games and we kept consecutive clean sheets. He dealt with Barry at Stockport very well.
I have to agree that for me Harvie has been an excellent addition after a shaky start and that position is not a worry. It's good that we are presently vying with Birmingham for promotion (which nobody predicted), but there is a possibility we might not be come May, so farming people out and opening checkbooks now to buy The Players that will ensure said promotion might be a bit premature surely?
I love ambition, but the Playoffs would have done pre-season, so to abandon the present L1 squad building to chase a dream that might fade in seven or so games (God forbid!) would be unwise in my opinion.
I think Hartridge has done a reasonable job when called upon, though he's obviously not getting the minutes, but he is experienced cover at the back at least and Pattenden has also done well.
Perhaps we are less Gareth at the back than we have been historically, and perhaps our defensive cover is shaky but given our Squad and our present goal threat I am less worried perhaps than some.
I was surprised when he signed and people said he strengthened the defensive options. A couple of posters telling me it was "obvious".
Playing left wing back in the under the cosh championship season was one thing, but it'd be insane playing such a star winger anywhere but in attack this season.
These decisions don't need to (and indeed cannot) be made now anyway. The transfer market opens on 1st January when the league table will be a little more mature.
might want to check the definition of "options"
Not sure why this has garnered such a negative response. We've got enough quality forwards in the squad to have two genuine starters in each role, rather than a first choice and a back-up. The same is true to a slightly lesser extend in midfield. It also needs to be true in defence. Neither Pattenden or Hartridge are at that level, maybe we need to look for players who are.