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Squad size

I thought Cameron was a very decent player prior to the injuries and maybe he'll come good again but in his couple of games for us he wasn't able to really show much to make me think he'll be a big miss. Given the time he maybe could've got back to his old self but my first impression was the injuries really took their toll.

Under the circumstances I know it wont be a popular opinion but i don't think Merrie and Perry pairing are currently the answer in centre mid, so i think we need a def mid a lot more than we need a back up centre back so i think it's worked out for the better.

I am not sure that your thoughts about Merrie and Perry will be unpopular.

I personally like them as a pairing, but they are young and inexperienced. They will be the future for us but need time to develop, time we haven't got at present. We need to use our experienced players for the moment to stabilise our position, but given that the way they started to perform in the Pompey and Doncaster games I wouldn't completely write them off to come back in a few games time.

I am hopeful that we utilise our youth players more this season and I think given a decent run in the side a number of them could establish their positions. I think that Merrie and Perry come into that bracket, but the performance against Crewe exposed their weaknesses and I think a change is needed to give them chance to regain their confidence. I would give one of them a run out alongside Evans today with Palmer on the bench as backup.

What I don't want to see is them condemned to be bench warmers for the rest of the season whilst we bring in loan players to fill the squad.

They have shown that there is talent there and we should use this season, whilst expectations are low, to give them, and others, the experience of league football required to bring them on instead of doing what we usually do and sending them out on loan. Play them alongside the experienced players we have and let them school and protect them whilst giving them the chance to improve whilst we as fans need to temper our expectations and look to just surviving the season and not pressuring players by over criticising performances.

It could be said that this season was a write off from the moment we went into administration, yet we are sitting mid table with new owners to come in and looking more likely to survive than many other clubs. We need to accept our predicament and get behind Sheridan and the players win or lose and give the younger players a chance to prove they are worthy to wear the Wigan shirt.
 
Jones Needs replacing

Pearce OK
Tilt ONLY LOAN
Johnson JURY OUT
James OK

Palmer MAYBE SIGN FULL TIME IN JAN
Evans OK

Naismith OK
Ostebor OK
Massey OK

Garner OK

Bench
Owen Evans NEEDS A CHANCE
Cameron GONE
Merrie U23
Perry U23
Crankshaw U23
Gardener CRAP NEEDS REPLACING IN JAN
Keane NEEDS REPLACING IN JAN
 
From yesterday's team in my opinion Jones Gardner and Keane need replacing in January, Tilt James and Palmer all short loans so could need replacing Ostebor is only contracted till Jan So the new owners will have a pretty big job on their hands
 
I must admit that it bemuses me that all the criticism of Jamie Jones is exactly the same statements that were being made about Marshall at this time last year.

Give the guy a chance, he is playing behind a defence that has been thrown together and still learning each others traits. He has faults and we are all aware of them but throwing a young keeper in at the deep end never ends well, just look at what happened previously with Lee Nichols.

Owen Evans will get his chance but to throw him in behind a makeshift defence would be dangerous. We need experience in between the sticks at present to help guide the new defensive formation and regrettably Owen does not have that experience. It will be better to introduce him when all the shenanigans off the pitch have been settled and we have a regular pairing in front of him. He played in the Carabao cup and shipped a few, lets not ruin him by throwing him to the wolves and ruining his confidence.
 
I must admit that it bemuses me that all the criticism of Jamie Jones is exactly the same statements that were being made about Marshall at this time last year.

Give the guy a chance, he is playing behind a defence that has been thrown together and still learning each others traits. He has faults and we are all aware of them but throwing a young keeper in at the deep end never ends well, just look at what happened previously with Lee Nichols.

Owen Evans will get his chance but to throw him in behind a makeshift defence would be dangerous. We need experience in between the sticks at present to help guide the new defensive formation and regrettably Owen does not have that experience. It will be better to introduce him when all the shenanigans off the pitch have been settled and we have a regular pairing in front of him. He played in the Carabao cup and shipped a few, lets not ruin him by throwing him to the wolves and ruining his confidence.

:clap:
 
I must admit that it bemuses me that all the criticism of Jamie Jones is exactly the same statements that were being made about Marshall at this time last year.

Give the guy a chance, he is playing behind a defence that has been thrown together and still learning each others traits. He has faults and we are all aware of them but throwing a young keeper in at the deep end never ends well, just look at what happened previously with Lee Nichols.

Owen Evans will get his chance but to throw him in behind a makeshift defence would be dangerous. We need experience in between the sticks at present to help guide the new defensive formation and regrettably Owen does not have that experience. It will be better to introduce him when all the shenanigans off the pitch have been settled and we have a regular pairing in front of him. He played in the Carabao cup and shipped a few, lets not ruin him by throwing him to the wolves and ruining his confidence.

You may not choose to agree with most of what I say but at least I do try and open up the forum with different topics of conversation
 
Jones as most of his career been a number 2. Makes some good saves. But there is always a howler in his game. But it’s league one And dont think any team as a class keeper ....... let’s just hope we can stay in this league.
 
Jones Needs replacing

Pearce OK
Tilt ONLY LOAN
Johnson JURY OUT
James OK

Palmer MAYBE SIGN FULL TIME IN JAN
Evans OK

Naismith OK
Ostebor OK
Massey OK

Garner OK

Bench
Owen Evans NEEDS A CHANCE
Cameron GONE
Merrie U23
Perry U23
Crankshaw U23
Gardener CRAP NEEDS REPLACING IN JAN
Keane NEEDS REPLACING IN JAN

Massey - OK ? - I don’t think so !

Palmer - why do you say meybe sign in Jan when we haven’t seen him play ?. I for one would like to see what he brings before making any judgement!
 
Massey - OK ? - I don’t think so !

Palmer - why do you say meybe sign in Jan when we haven’t seen him play ?. I for one would like to see what he brings before making any judgement!

I'm just going off what others think about Palmer that's why maybe.
Massey has enough to be a good player at this level when fully fit but it's now time for him to start proving it
 
Jones has had enough chances, he has a howler in him every game that costs us vital points. Evans is one of the only players left in our squad young enough to have any sort of resale value and he's out of contract in the summer. Time to give him a proper chance, or lose him down the line.
 
You may not choose to agree with most of what I say but at least I do try and open up the forum with different topics of conversation

I meant nothing personal in my post Zakky. I just think it is too early to be changing keepers, and that is only my opinion, everyone else is entitled to theirs and I appreciate that.

Evans has had league experience, in the lower divisions behind settled defences, and still conceded. I think at the moment we need all the experience we can get on the pitch, hence my post about Merrie and Perry. I think all three players (Merry, Perrie and Evans) will make the grade this season but if we bring them into an unsettled team we could put their development back. All I am asking is that we as fans give the team time to settle before pressuring the manager to ring the changes.
 
Jones is a liability - all keepers make the odd mistake but he has absolute howlers every few games. No point saving the harder ones if you let in goals when they should be no theat - if your centre halves know what a keeper is weak at they can try to protect them. But with Jones his mistakes are so often completely unforced and in situations that werent threatening as a coach or defender you can't legislate for that.

Evans was no1 all last season at both a relegation threatened and promotion challenging side at senior level and did very well at both. Done far more than all our other youngsters put together to earn a chance while out on loan yet he is the one who hasnt had it. At this point I say why not.
 
Jones is a liability - all keepers make the odd mistake but he has absolute howlers every few games. No point saving the harder ones if you let in goals when they should be no theat - if your centre halves know what a keeper is weak at they can try to protect them. But with Jones his mistakes are so often completely unforced and in situations that werent threatening as a coach or defender you can't legislate for that.

Evans was no1 all last season at both a relegation threatened and promotion challenging side at senior level and did very well at both. Done far more than all our other youngsters put together to earn a chance while out on loan yet he is the one who hasnt had it. At this point I say why not.
I would agree. I would rather have Owens getting the game time to help him gain that vital experience at this level. Sure he will make the odd mistake, which young keeper doesn’t, but he has huge potential compared to Jones. Give him a chance like we have with young keepers in the past such as Carroll and Walton
 
Bill Shankly:

After signing Ron Yeats - 'With him in defence,
we could play Arthur Askey in goal.

We have had our fair share of comic Goal Keepers.