Positives? Whatever the reason, Caldwell did at least start Maguire and Rowley. I can't see how a month of Evo-Stick and then being thrown into a failing league team a few tiers up, playing a system he hasn't much experience of would make it easy for Laurence, but we have six more games and he should play all of them. It would have helped if Caldwell had swallowed his pride and played Hird either in front (positionally) of Maguire, or alongside him. (Youth welcomes experience, and an older player is re-invigorated by the enthusiasm of youth.) Rowley, I know nothing about, the clips I've seen he has never shone, but if he is one of our best juniors now is the time to let him play.
I was delighted to read you went to the game Dancing, but when I saw the team I too was asking why. Chelsea play three at the back successfully. Their back three is two natural centre backs and a full back capable of playing in the centre. We've got that. Dan Jones would be a competitor for one of those three places. Chelsea play two wing backs, one of whom is a full back who likes to get forward, the other a winger who has been converted into a part-defender. Now Jones also seems to fit the bill perfectly as the first of those, the second we lack except that Mitchell sounded as though he played the role well at Millwall and now just sits and watches. Chelsea have also got Kante, whereas we have only Hird, Dimaio and Martinez up for the role. My only conclusion from this is the one player we have who would always be in the side if we played three at the back would be Jones ............. Whether we are capable of playing three at the back anywhere outside GC's brain is another matter.
Unless Ricky German has been injured in training I cannot imagine how he does not rate a run in that terrible team. We had four shots in the game - last week he scored four goals. I don't know how much clearer it needs to be. Perhaps we intend to release him or sell him and keep the beloved SEB.
As to the football philosophy - we regularly struggle for even 45% possession, most teams we play have at least triple the number of shots we manage in a game, we concede goals easily and we commit a lot of fouls.
As to our signings:-
We got an old German keeper we don't need, except he saves the penalties one of our loanees habitually concedes.
We found a Libyan defender and immediately disappeared him.
We loaned a Birmingham failure, who sat on the bench nicely and was sent home.
We loaned a promising young Frenchman who is having difficulties both getting on the pitch and staying there.
We loaned a boy from QPR who didn't get beyond half-time yesterday.
And we got a lad from Preston we've now stopped putting on the pitch.
Does this inspire confidence in recruitment?
Portsmouth are apparently in talks with Disney. We on the other hand appear to have recruited Donald Duck as our manager and worst of all he put his nephews in the team!
I was delighted to read you went to the game Dancing, but when I saw the team I too was asking why. Chelsea play three at the back successfully. Their back three is two natural centre backs and a full back capable of playing in the centre. We've got that. Dan Jones would be a competitor for one of those three places. Chelsea play two wing backs, one of whom is a full back who likes to get forward, the other a winger who has been converted into a part-defender. Now Jones also seems to fit the bill perfectly as the first of those, the second we lack except that Mitchell sounded as though he played the role well at Millwall and now just sits and watches. Chelsea have also got Kante, whereas we have only Hird, Dimaio and Martinez up for the role. My only conclusion from this is the one player we have who would always be in the side if we played three at the back would be Jones ............. Whether we are capable of playing three at the back anywhere outside GC's brain is another matter.
Unless Ricky German has been injured in training I cannot imagine how he does not rate a run in that terrible team. We had four shots in the game - last week he scored four goals. I don't know how much clearer it needs to be. Perhaps we intend to release him or sell him and keep the beloved SEB.
As to the football philosophy - we regularly struggle for even 45% possession, most teams we play have at least triple the number of shots we manage in a game, we concede goals easily and we commit a lot of fouls.
As to our signings:-
We got an old German keeper we don't need, except he saves the penalties one of our loanees habitually concedes.
We found a Libyan defender and immediately disappeared him.
We loaned a Birmingham failure, who sat on the bench nicely and was sent home.
We loaned a promising young Frenchman who is having difficulties both getting on the pitch and staying there.
We loaned a boy from QPR who didn't get beyond half-time yesterday.
And we got a lad from Preston we've now stopped putting on the pitch.
Does this inspire confidence in recruitment?
Portsmouth are apparently in talks with Disney. We on the other hand appear to have recruited Donald Duck as our manager and worst of all he put his nephews in the team!