Charlton away

[ivoralljack]

A set-piece goal at long last!

as I opined in another thread a week ago, Charlton is still lower level

Rotherham was League One last season, so perhaps Martin has been training us against like teams to get off to a flier.

 

[Yankee_Jack]

Not seeing

Our most creative player Paterson has to be in the starting XI. We can discuss in which role, but he must play.

Not seeing much creation out of anybody and especially Paterson

 

[CroJack]

Not seeing much creation out of anybody and especially Paterson

When Martin realises Paterson is ATM and not a winger then we'll be ok.

 

[ivoralljack]

TERRIBLE miss by Obafemi!! One on one with the keeper and not a fcuking clue how to put it away. Not a natural goal-scorer for sure.

 

[Yankee_Jack]

Say one thing about Manning going forward he is much more dynamic and enterprising than anybody else that we have to play LWB except Naughton.

 

[Yankee_Jack]

Great save or a squandered opportunity by Grimes?

 

[KVetch]

I'd rather have Manning start than Lati, nice goal and set up from Congreve

 

[Yankee_Jack]

Congreve has to start. What a move to get around the defender. Fair play to Manning, he attacked the perfect spot to receive the pass.

 

[The Blobster]

Subs combine , Congreve to Manning and we take the lead .

 

[ivoralljack]

Great play by Congreve and nice poaching by Manning. Prior to that we nearly gave another goal away by losing possession in a dangerous area after faffing about with the ball instead of getting forward. Fisher did well to save us. We're still playing useless possession whilst the other team just wait to pounce on an inevitable mistake. We HAVE to stop doing this!!

 

[CroJack]

Subs combine , Congreve to Manning and we take the lead .

Great switch of play by Ntcham prior to that. Great team goal.

 

[KVetch]

Pulled out an ugly win, hopefully we'll have a lot of them.

 

[Yankee_Jack]

A lot to ponder for next week’s selection. Allen and Cabango are going to be big upgrades but probably not ready and unlikely to be ready before mid/end of August.

we are profoundly weak defensively with a traditional back 4. The only proper full back is Naughton. So 3+2 covers that deficiency. Until Cabango returns, Naughton as CCB with Fulton in front is the way to go.

I like Wood over Darling … not much impressed with the latter.
Sorri is much more comfortable on the left side. Congreve really needs to start. Manning gives us an offensive punch on the left side … he’s a bit of a crazy bastard on the quiet going forward. Lati is ok as a RWB but second best to Naughton. Manning is ok as a LWB but second best to Naughton … we need a few more Naughton’s.

obafemi, Piroe, grimes are automatic starters, as is Congreve for me. How you shuffle the remainder of the deck . There are a number of combinations each look as good on paper.

Benda (wishful thinking)

Wood Naughton Darling

Xxxxx - Fulton - Manning
Congreve - Grimes - Piroe

obafemi

xxxxx = Lati or Sorrinola … I guess …. Probably Lati

when Allen returns it’s going to move around. I don’t see Fulton being dropped.

 

[ivoralljack]

when Allen returns it’s going to move around. I don’t see Fulton being dropped.

Again, it's not what we'd like, it's what Martin likes and he's not over fond of Fulton. Why is anyones' guess but we all know he's got his blind spots.

 

[Yankee_Jack]

Again, it's not what we'd like, it's what Martin likes and he's not over fond of Fulton. Why is anyones' guess but we all know he's got his blind spots.

We seem overly used to seeing Grimes being the deep midfield player. He’s shown, especially under Potter against City, just how flexible and effective he can be in a variety of roles. He played four or five in that match alone with great effect.

We could play Fulton and Allen at the core of midfield. Use Grimes as LWB, or as CCB (freeing Naughton to be WB), or as #10 alongside Piroe as #8 behind Obafemi, or ….

Martin has a number of options if he’d just be open minded. This is the problem.

 

[CroJack]

Martin has a number of options if he’d just be open minded. This is the problem.

And there is no place for Paterson in any of those option you mentioned? He was our most creative player last season and one of the best rated. 9 goals and 9 assists, and involved in more goals for sure.

It's not his fault that Martin pushes him wide on the flank instead of play him more centrally.

Congreve should be getting minutes next season, but so should Cullen. The trouble is Martin is too conservative and won't use more than three attacking players in the starting XI.

 

[CroJack]

 

[Yankee_Jack]

Paterson is not an all around player and goes awol when the chips are down. I think we have better. And as the saying goes … past performance is no guarantee of future …

today against L1 in the first half he showed very little. I would have expected him to have had more of an impact or at least worked to be more involved. There are now a number of midfield players with a claim to start and limited places. He didn’t scream pick me. In comparison … Congreve did and also in the last match. It’s all about here and now.

 

[CroJack]

Paterson is not an all around player and goes awol when the chips are down.

I don't know what you mean by all around player, but I don't expect an ATM to be a defender. I don't expect defenders to be strikers either.

And Paterson definitely didn't go awol against Charlton. He was one of our best players, if not the best, as long as he was on that pitch.

Here is one funny stat from the Charlton game. The only Charlton cross we blocked was blocked by Paterson. Not by Latibeaudiere, Wood, Fulton, Grimes, Darling, Manning etc. Paterson obviously got so angry with our defending that he run from the left to the right flank to help Lati and block that cross.

Today against L1 in the first half he showed very little.

The whole team showed very little, so it's pointless to single out one player. Also, he set up Grimes for our best chance in the first half. I repeat, for our best chance in the first half. Also, he was the only one who tried to put some crosses in.

I would have expected him to have had more of an impact or at least worked to be more involved. He didn’t scream pick me.

He did, but he was on numerous occassions overseen by Naughton, Grimes etc.

I think we have better. And as the saying goes … past performance is no guarantee of future …

I don't think we have better attacking midfielders, if we don't count Piroe as an attacking midfielder, and these here are SofaScore ratings for last season.

And these are Whoscored ratings.

​

Without doubt he was one of our best players last season, and since Mitchu we haven't had a so productive ATM. A player who can produce 9 goals and 9 assists has to be in the starting XI. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying Congreve can't score and assists more.

 

[Yankee_Jack]

But he’s not playing ATM. He has a different role. He needs to play the role. Even so … We attack as a team. We defend as a team. We need to muscle it up and fight as a team. Paterson has a tendency to disappear, make poor decisions, loves turning up his own arse with the ball, etc.

data is history. You don’t get picked on history. You are picked on now. Congreve. for example, is making something happen when he’s on the field - goals and the move to get to the bye line and assist yesterday was superb This says, pick me now. Paterson needs to start “speaking” on the field. I’d be delighted to see him get picked because it would mean he’s producing today better than others. To date, this preseason, he’s not been close to the best or better players on the field. He’s been back in the pack.