With all hopes of progress gone for this season (and with a few wins hopefully we will not drop further down the leagues) the time is approaching when plans for next season need to be made. Some may think it's a little early to go on this tack, but here goes nevertheless. Hopefully, it's already well under way within the club.
Certain players are on longer term contracts (e.g. Francis, Doherty and McCormack). They could sit time out unless the club and they feel sufficiently strongly that they should move on. Of these, Francis and McCormack are the most currently vilified by the fans.
Doherty has his critics but at this level has not done badly. Francis has had a terrible run but did not make a bad start at the club so maybe he is capable of returning to form, though some have lost their patience. I have lost my patience with McCormack and hope he moves on.
Summarising my, on the spur of the moment, frustrated thoughts; RED (keep), BLUE (best to move on); GREEN Undecided
Keeper:
Elliot: injury prone and has had an inconsistent season with his handling and crosses. His poor form has had a chain reaction in a lack of confidence in the back four. He’s a 100% CAFC lad and has not cost us any major fee so he can perform a task for us, but probably as a squad / reserve keep for the immediate future.
Worner: really trying hard and was not bad at all in the last home game but does not seem to have the stature to hold down a place
Back Four:
Jenkinson: It’s early days, but he seems great prospect. But Arsenal's interest rumour are true then they or someone else “may do a Shelvey” on us: I would like to think we can hold on to him for a couple of seasons before cashing in if that becomes unavoidable;
Solly: I worry about his lack of height but he has yet to let us down. Home grown and a prospect for the future; either to fight it out for a right back spot, or perhaps to switch to left back where he has not performed badly w
Dailly: unlike others, I feel he has another season in him, if he wants it; he may do better elsewhere;
Mambo: one for the future; I hope he gets a chance;
Fortune: great respect for his past endeavours in the shirt, but he just seems to have lost his fitness and I cannot see him recovering;
Fry: has served us well but surely he will return to West Ham (especially if they drop) or command a fee elsewhere;
Doherty: Not sure whether we need him for cover when the going gets tough. undecided, but may depend on contractual situation;
Francis: Undecided;
Liera: currently our in form back four man and eager to stay. Great in the air but frail on the ground. On balance, he deserves to stay providing he has a side kick with some speed (Mambo?);
Youga: the best of the bunch if he is fit, and a key loss this season. Would like to think he can return but for most of the season I have assumed he will not. If he's fit, no doubt that he should stay;Midfield:
Jackson: Has done well, on occasions our only attacking option;
Racon: an enigma; has the skill but seems to have lost the art of applying it. When his contract ends he may have unrealistically high demands;
Samedo: Has his detractors (Keith!) and has no creative capability or firepower. But if only we could find the elusive creative midfielder could perform a a needed ‘holding’ role;
Wagstaff: an athlete with limited football capabilities; young and has very prospect of a career, but probably not at CAFC as he does not have the capability to beat a man or provide the required creativity;
Reid: Has played some great games (especially when away) coming on late as a sub. But his crossing is poor and when he has played a full game has disappointed;
Stavinrue: too small, if the club can afford to wait for him to develop fine, if not he would be best to move on;
Forwards:
BWP: Assumed to be on a good contract and therefore will command a place, assuming his leg holds out. Largely ineffective with little contribution if we cannot provide ‘poacher’ opportunities near the goal, which depends on sorting out the wingers and midfield. (I would have spent the money on a good midfielder and kept Sodje if we could had not been able to finance two significant signings). Must contribute more when the chances are not forthcoming;
Benson: Disappointing; I had hopes but it has not worked out; not sure about contract situation;
Anyinsah: providing he can steer clear of injury has been an asset who I think could improve further with a big man alongside him;
Ecclestone and Nouble are loanees and may not be available. Leaving them aside, that sums up to:
Retain: 10
Move on: 6
Not sure: 5
If 50% , say 3, of the "Not sures" were to move we would retain 12, and move out 9.
Not sure how realistic that is in terms of being able to find adequate replacements and mould a cohesive unit close season to make a realistic challenge?
Perhaps Nouble might be available and if he were I think like Anyisah he could improve and maybe become a Leaburn type figure. But if West Ham drop then they may decide he could perform a role there.
I am discounting the young hopefuls coming through as I have not seen enough of them. However, Tumar does not seem physically ready and I’m not certain he will make it, though it would be good if he does.
There are grounds to regret moving on Randolph, Spring and Akpo Sodje, and Grant Basey seems to have got fit and is doing well with Peterborough who may be promoted (last laugh for him).
I wonder whether Lisbie could do us a turn next season???!!!!.
A vital additional factor to take into account is the need for some continuity. If we have a major exodus close season then we will start the season with a team which will probably take 2 months to gel and find ourselves on the back foot straight away.
Lennie Lawrence had the ideal solution when he made five magnificent buys that took us back to the top division: Shirtliff, Reid, Pearson, Pender and Shipley. All were players not carrying a big reputation and fee. That’s a credit to Lennie; it’s a pity he went over to the Palace as I’m sure he could perform a Peacock type role for us (“Been there and done it!”).
Given that promotion has been missed and no doubt our finances will be struggling again next year, there is a need for messrs Slater and co to be prepared to dig into their pockets as Richard Murray and colleagues did to keep us afloat. I hope we can be confident of that.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
what about the legend.
if Powell never played for us would he be red, blue or green ?
Reasonable point. Given his contract, and the current situation we are in; i.e. no promotion, prob. no relegation fight (?) then we have the opportunity to let him try to turn it around over the next month and then review.
If things do not improve, or get worse, then I believe the club will attempt to move him on, or CP would prob. want to call it a day anyway. However, he deserves the chance to turn it around, and that may yet be possible.
If (?) he can turn it around with the present squad then he deserves the chance to give it a go with the prospect of getting new blood in the close season.
We are all entitled to our opinion , but I get a bit frustrated when I read this . The BIG PROBLEM with our team is in the middle of the pitch. To say that you are undecided about Racon and want to keep Semedo is a bit like wanting to sign up to 4th division football now . Semedo, Racon and Mccormack all have to go . There is no heartbeat or creativity to the team and until they solve that our fall will continue
Frustration understood. But until around December the results and league position were more than acceptable. Indeed, many pundits and supporters were saying that were were underperforming with the squad we had (but not me).
The midfield in total was not performaing well even during that period but some individuals were not playing badly. One has to ask what has gone wrong since then to drastically change the situation and their form.
Samedo is never going to be a creative player, but he can perform a role (a destructive one) when playing well, which he isn't at the moment; probably confidence is a major factor.
Certainly McCormack cannot do it, and I thought that's why we bought him.
Racon though underperforming is at least able to beat a man (an almost unique attribute in the current side apart from Reid who cannot release a decent final ball). However, his wages are likely to rule him out anyway.
Apart from the ineffectiveness of the midfield, we have lacked the capability of one forward to take the ball, control it and lay it off to bring other forwards, and the midfield back into play.
I found this skill a particularly boring attribute of Leaburn, it seemed it was about the main thing he could do. However, the value that he brought to the side to keep the ball and bring others into play was much underrated. Not one of our forwards seem capable of doing this (and that probably includes BWP). I was not a fan of Abbot but in his last game for us he actually did it and what a difference it made.
I would keep Samedo, I think ha can performa a role but needs good creative players around him. Whether we can find two in the close season is a matter of conjecture.
Certainly if we go down you can throw in the towell for attracting anybody decent and it will not be easy to get back. Who knows what skills we may need to do that?: may be a totally different ball game to Division 1.
Until I looked at the fixture list the other night I was confident that at least we can safely wrap up a mid table position; however I am far from sure of that now as I cannot see where the next win is coming from (hope they prove me wrong tonight).
Post a Comment