Who would you keep from this rabble?? | Page 3 | Vital Football

Who would you keep from this rabble??

Solent Knight said:
So gullible American ownership impressed by bullshit then.
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Not really. That approach probably works more often than not in the Corporate and Commercial world. Maybe even in the Premier League.

Just questioning whether League Two Football, and getting out of it, works quite the same.

'Orses for courses?
 
GeorgeJ said:
We are two points from the play-off places with a home game on Saturday, COYG.
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In poor form, lacking goals, with a hopeless goal difference, our top scorer and probably best defender suspended, other teams around us with games in hand and we now need around 2 points on average from our remaining games.

By all means, COYG, but if we somehow make the playoffs it'll be close to a miracle.
 
I think it is better for my mental health that we don’t make it to the playoffs. Not sure I can tolerate any more boring football than I need to.
 
I really hope we dont become a club that changes manager regulaly because I would give Clemence next season for sure. I thought the timing of Harris sacking was daft and sacking Clemence now after one window would be too. They have to back him.

As for the squad I never understand this connection to the squad thing or the not trying. If professionals dont even try then number one the other teams will humiliate them, have we ever had a team so good that they can not bother and still not be relegated or near the relegation zone? No we have not we would get mullered every week.

And the connection thing, yeh you will find the fans connect when they win......just like when people said they connected in 2018 to this England squad.......yeh they were winning thats the difference.

Our squad doesnt need a huge overhaul. Defense is pretty good but maybe a new left wing back if Malone goes and Clark imo is a squad player. A new centre back for competition would be useful as well.

Centre mid we struggle a fair bit and with S Williams likely to leave and I would suspect Lapslie as he doesnt fit in with our style then maybe 2 centre mids and one needs to be creative as we struggle to unlock low blocks. We never replaced Alex Mcdonalds assists.

Up front we will have Andrews and Hawkins who I would keep for sure. Meaning we need two pacey strikers on loan or bought. So I think we need 6 players depending on who leaves. 6 players can make a hell of a difference. I would get rid of Nadeson and Jayden Clarke too.

We didnt clear the decks for Martin Allen who inherited a team that had come 8th two years in a row.

Leaving: S Williams, Lapslie, Nadeson, Malone, J Clarke, M Clark, Bonne
 
Trashbat said:
I think it is better for my mental health that we don’t make it to the playoffs. Not sure I can tolerate any more boring football than I need to.
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Weirdly, I was chatting on the phone to a friend of mine who is a Millwall st holder.
He was bemoaning Harris’s style of attrition football despite that they looked nailed on for relegation before he returned.
Harris return record is three wins out of four and one draw and still they are moaning.
He said he’d like Harris to stay to keep them up then get someone else in.
They changed manager about the same time as us, and like us, took on an unproven first team coach.
 
Sorry but given we are still in with a shout I don't believe this is constructive.
We don't know who is out of contract.
We don't know what plans Clemence or anyone else has.
For me we have some really good players.But as a few others have said we have no leader on the pitch and no goalscorers (Masterson apart)
This was a problem that Clemence inherited so given that January funds were clearly limited and in many fans judgment most of our attacking players we started the season with wasn't good enough.With leadership a problem on the pitch and too many well paid senior professionals. I can see why a younger less well paid player might get pissed off .
I do feel that Clemence needs to be braver with selections we are too predictable.All in all I believe it is time for patience.Give Brad and Shannon time .
Strangely I think we will end the season strongly but only after we have dropped out of the running for the play offs .The recruitment was wrong.

The question is was the senior recruitment down to Harris or Kenny and Hessy?

It is the senior recruitment that was wrong these are more likely in my view to be signed on reputation not by recommendation of Kenny and Hessy.
 
markinkent said:
I am interested in why you would describe him as super. Runs around and falls over but has contributed zero league goals or assists this year ?

Super at swindon I agree. Should be our key creative outlet I agree but he has done little to show he has delivered much this season.
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Surprised that you`d make the effort to make that post, Mark.

He was superb at Barrow, Salford and plenty more games. Perhaps some don`t watch him as closely as some others. I watch him closely (as, along with Scott Malone, he`s my favourite player. He`s so good on the ball and putting himself in a position to receive a pass in a crowded environment. He makes himself available and plays neat short passes in tricky situations. He pivots on a sixpence and has the movement and guile to find a productive way out of a type of pressured situation that would see most others at L2 lose the ball.

Crikey, the man`s an accomplished international. At our level i`ve no reservation at all about referring to him as a "super player" - his football brain and execution would sit comfortably in a higher division. I`m very happy to pay my money to see guys like Jonny playing in our team.
 
shotshy said:
Weirdly, I was chatting on the phone to a friend of mine who is a Millwall st holder.
He was bemoaning Harris’s style of attrition football despite that they looked nailed on for relegation before he returned.
Harris return record is three wins out of four and one draw and still they are moaning.
He said he’d like Harris to stay to keep them up then get someone else in.
They changed manager about the same time as us, and like us, took on an unproven first team coach.
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I suspect that may well be the case but despite being dubbed NIL Harris they have scored in each of his games - 5 in 4 in total

Despite that, over the season they have scored 36 in 37 so he has increased their scoring rate despite signing none of their players. None are his mates and they were not exactly free scoring previously.

Neither approach (NH or not) seems to work for goals at either Gillingham or Millwall.
 
LancsGordoRoad said:
Surprised that you`d make the effort to make that post, Mark.

He was superb at Barrow, Salford and plenty more games. Perhaps some don`t watch him as closely as some others. I watch him closely (as, along with Scott Malone, he`s my favourite player. He`s so good on the ball and putting himself in a position to receive a pass in a crowded environment. He makes himself available and plays neat short passes in tricky situations. He pivots on a sixpence and has the movement and guile to find a productive way out of a type of pressured situation that would see most others at L2 lose the ball.

Crikey, the man`s an accomplished international. At our level i`ve no reservation at all about referring to him as a "super player" - his football brain and execution would sit comfortably in a higher division. I`m very happy to pay my money to see guys like Jonny playing in our team.
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Given all those things he does you would think he'd have scored a league goal or created more than one assist then. His end product is disappointing given he should be a class above most in league 2. That applies to Lapslie and Dieng as well.


I'd be more forgiving if he was teeing up chance after chance and our strikers were missing them but it doesn't feel that way to me.

Everyone is entitled to see it differently though.

I'd be happy to see him go in the summer but I think he signed a 3 year deal or something like that so he'll be here next season. Probably better suited to playing in a ball playing team in league 1 rather than league 2.

I'd like to see him run and take players on rather than tippy tappy before going backwards. Ogie showed more attacking intent at AFC W than our midfielders - he actually made a run towards the box.
 
Billy_Bleach said:
Clemence deserves a full summer both in terms of pre season training and a transfer window before his job is on the line imo.
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I think the key question is he improving us and are we moving in the right direction to deliver goals, exciting football and wins.

I can't say that he is. If he were, if there were signs then we should be patient and give him the opportunity but if not we might be better cutting our losses and getting an experienced league 2 manager to get us out of league 2.
 
Retain as starters - where they are younger, I'd also offer longer term contracts with clauses:

Coleman
Ogie
Hutton
Masterson
J. Williams
Andrews
Turner
(Hawkins - maybe not starting, but definitely in the squad to rotate and support Andrews development)

I would make Connor Masterson club captain.
There's a nucleus there of a good L2 team, there.
I also would be very hasty to move away from Hawkins just yet - he offers versatility and about our only moderate offensive threat until proven otherwise.

Anything else, I'm indifferent at this stage. If Malone is committed to being here, he's a no brainer to keep too but I have my doubts.

Lapslie? He has teased and hinted, but there's just not been enough product. I would allow him to leave on a free as I believe his contract is up.

In my opinion, we need two major/key additions next year. A powerful, pacey striker (still!) and we really need a good No.8 to play alongside Coleman and support Williams properly. A leader with a voice, ideally - someone like Joe Pritchard from Accrington who is out of contract and has southern roots. Dieng isn't consistent enough for me,

On management, Clemence hasn't had enough time for me, not nearly. I do believe he can turn it around with some new faces. However, I'm not nearly as sold on Jackett / Hess, simply because not enough of the signings have hit. Ogie, Coleman, Hutton - all A grades, so that's in their favour. The lack finding a solution up top in 2 transfer windows means the seat should be feeling a bit warmer. They have to nail it this summer.
 
markinkent said:
I am interested in why you would describe him as super. Runs around and falls over but has contributed zero league goals or assists this year ?

Super at swindon I agree. Should be our key creative outlet I agree but he has done little to show he has delivered much this season.
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He's a difference maker every time I watch the Gills. Just because he hasn't hit the stat sheet as much as we, or indeed I am sure he, would like, he does the little things that create chances, retain possession, disrupt play etc. I also love that he plays with passion. Absolutely the sort of player we should have been building around all season as a No.10, rather than flinging him on the wing and hoping he'll work.
 
NWBluesFan said:
He's a difference maker every time I watch the Gills. Just because he hasn't hit the stat sheet as much as we, or indeed I am sure he, would like, he does the little things that create chances, retain possession, disrupt play etc. I also love that he plays with passion. Absolutely the sort of player we should have been building around all season as a No.10, rather than flinging him on the wing and hoping he'll work.
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Fully accept it may be the system that's stopping him delivering at the level his should be capable of and was capable of last season at Swindon.
 
The absence of a real leader on the pitch cannot be underestimated. Dave Martin was not the most gifted but got everyone else to play to their potential. Mike Brearley was a cricketing example. Maybe not in the team on playing merit but able to manage and inspire those around him like Botham, Gower and Willis.
 
We need a striker who'll score 15-odd goals a season, someone else who'll chip in 10-12, a player who can cause problems by running (forwards) with the ball, some pace and a couple of leaders.

I'm happy for us to offload whoever is necessary to fill those gaps. There are a few I'd prefer to keep, but those might also attract offers from elsewhere - and after the disappointing season we've had, no one is untouchable. I hope a few judicious signings will bring the rest to life. They clearly have/had ability, based on past achievements in this division and higher.

As for Clemence, I think his hand has been forced somewhat by poor recruitment. He clearly wanted us to dominate possession, create chances and score goals. For a while we did the first and sometimes the second of those, but couldn't finish and often succumbed to sucker punches. Then, improbably, we emerged from January with even less firepower than we started with - albeit we can claim bad luck with Hurtado's injury and perhaps Andrews's. It looks to me like he's adapted, realising we're better to be more cautious and try to pick teams off.

Provide him with some goalscoring threats and maybe SC will get us playing the attacking football everyone wants to see. It's a big maybe. So is the premise that after three windows of signing glacially-paced wallflowers and strikers who've contributed a total of about 20 goals in 60-odd games, our recruitment team might suddenly get it right.
 
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