Leeeeeaburnnnn
Wouldn’t we just love to have that echoing around The Valley. We’d all like nothing more than seeing Miles Leaburn make it big (no pun intended), but although physically he is strong, there have been too many examples over the years of young players being thrown in too early, despite what both Thomas Sandgaard and Ben Garner says.
Ben Garner will know what is needed and has inherited a physical aerial striker in Jayden Stockley, who does not suit Garner’s system, and in Garner’s words “a deconditioned” striker in Chuks Aneke, who already has injury concerns a week before the real business starts.
Then we have youngsters Miles and Daniel Kanu, who is less developed but does catch the eye when I’ve watched him.
Goals will get you out of this division, not passing out from the back, and despite an encouraging performance today, the lack of goal threat was the glaring shortcoming. A wide man who can get goals would also be nice.
We won’t be playing a side of Swansea’s quality every week, and this team is a work in progress, but more reinforcements are needed if we are to challenge for promotion in my mind.
Albie Morgan played well today, and I wonder if he will be chosen over George Dobson. I personally think that would be stupid, but Morgan is in the last chance saloon, and I hope he takes it.
I really enjoyed watching McGrandles, and the pace of CBT with support from Sessegnon down the left side was very promising. Jack Payne made a nice cameo and Wollacott also had a good game in goal. He will clearly be Garner’s no. 1.
More players needed, which I am sure will arrive. Today whet the appetite nicely.
We are T minus 7.
Chicago Addick 
Stockley had a shocker and Garners playing to the feet just doesn’t suit him as he can’t hold the ball up and it normally bounces of him like a hot potatoe, when he tries. Leaburn, considering this was really his first ever game against a quality mens team had a decent game, especially considering he was playing on the right wing, plus he showed he can trap and hold the ball and move quickley forward with it! Lets just hope he continues to shine as Aneke is a complete waste of space and still can’t believe that idiot Gallen for being involved in paying £300,000 for him(Birmingham must have been laughing their heads off), for a player who hardly plays, is made of glass and totally injury prone, plus also giving him a three year contract!!!
Even Garner is not happy about Aneke’s continual injury problems and he’s only been here a few weeks, so would love to know why Sangaard sanctioned his move back to Charlton as he has previously said, he and MS also go over every player before we sign them?
So currently we have just one first team striker in Stockley, the other who will continually be injured at various times and an under 23 player, who currently looks the best of a poor bunch, but has shown some promise. That’s our total strike force who are going to score the majority of the goals and get us out of this division plus a defence who already have made two complete balls ups in this friendly before, which should have really cost us, not much different from last year there.
Also yet another left back who can’t use his left foot, even though he says he can use both feet. Chin one of our under 23’s, a player who I had never seen before, outshone him when he came on and could cross with his left foot, even though he is right footed. Plus he came on at Welling at halftime the night before and had a great game.
The only thing going for us at the moment is the midfield, as we have enough midfielders to make up a whole team. Which incidentially the two best performances, were last years players, Dobson at Welling and Morgan today, both on their showing should be the first two names on the team sheet for next week. But I doubt if Garner will play both, as he will want to install most of his own newbies into the team.
Currently unless we shore up the defence and get another couple of decent strikers in who have some history of scoring, we will be ending up similar to last year, mid table.
Accrington are a physical and hard team to beat, but at present, can’t see us getting even a point, but you never know, Aneke may have somehow recovered and come on as our super sub and nick the only goal of the game, just before he gets injured again! 🙂
Mike you hit the nail on the head. And remember we got nothing for Aneke when he left for Birmingham. I would love to trouser his (not inconsiderate} wage for 3 years with the odd appearance off the bench.
So we will need 80 odd (yes) goals to challenge. Last year we scored 55 and Washington got 12 of those. Look a bit bleak methinks.
Accrington – only hope a 0-0, and that looks optimistic.
If Garner thinks that was a decent performance, I dread to think what is a bad one in his mind.
Apart from Blackett-Taylor and Morgan the rest were to say the least unimpressive. Our attacking threat was ‘powder puff ‘ and we obviously still have defensive issues given the mistakes made at the back.
Lets not kid ourselves that we look anything like promotion material at the moment. Until yesterday our opposition in the majority of friendlies has been against teams of a considerably lower standard. Investment in a couple of proven goalscorers at this level is still needed to get anywhere near the total of goals needed for a promotion push.
Let’s discuss simple maths : As things stand 16 players have departed during the summer and just 6 have come in, and one of those (Egbo) is injured. We are therefore effectively 11 players short. As much as I would love to be proved wrong, things do not look good. One positive was Wollacotts performance in goal. He looks nailed on for the number one jersey and can look forward to getting plenty of shots to deal with. In front of him Inniss looks unsuited to Garner’s style of play and we still have no genuine left back. I wrote 3 weeks ago that we have not replaced Washington and a forward (or 2) of his type is desperately needed. I fear the worst but still hope for the best…a draw at Accrington is, I fear, the very best we can hope for.
The only players who came out of this game with credit were Albie Morgan, Sean Clare and Miles Leaburn !!!
It’s my opinion that no doubt will be challenged but
I am surprised to hear the post-match Garner comments……was I watching the same game ?
Lots and lots of work to do a d you can’t make a silk purse out if a pigs ear….
And today it is rumoured that we are looking at a young midfield player from Palace to come in on loan…..Do we need another midfielder ?….I think not…..we need to start looking for 2 frontmen !!
Agree Greg. Only reason to bring in a young loan player is to move on two ourselves to free up wages.
We really do need to sign a striker who can work with Stockley….we will need goals,goals,and more goals otherwise its going to be a long frustrating season avoiding a relegation battle
Maybe a call to the England woman’s team striker ?
It will be difficult and expensive to allow her to feature but worth the call !!
I jest big time and ot intending to upset any female players but I’m.impressed with some of the Euro 22 games I’ve watched.
BTW…..
The pitch looked fantastic and came through the gamewith little or now damage I could see from.my seat.
Well done to the groundsmen who deserve praise !!!
One of those beautiful moments when you see The Valley surface for the first time in a new season.
Credit to Thomas for seeing the importance in that. Roland remember didn’t want to spend a penny on infrastructure and he owned the place.
Midfielder from Palace story been denied.
It is early days for Leaburn but he is not a wide man, he is a footballing striker who when he matures will score and make goals. He should be playing centrally where he can assist Stockley with deft flick ons and layoffs, playing wide uses his on the ground skills but not his aerial skills.
I thought Wollacott played well although I think he will need more strength to deal with set plays. O’Connell looked good in the previous games but when it came to do more defending against a stronger side his lack of pace and his inability to jump well were obvious.
Albie played well but the defensive side of his game is not good enough compared to Dobson.
Albie and JFC are the best passers in the club. Gilbey and Fraser are what I term linking players
in that they are most comfortable making easy short 10-20 yard passes and seldom spot the 30 yard plus incisive pass. McCrandles and Payne are unknown quantities are they were not fit enough to do themselves justice and are unlkely starters next week.
Why on earth did we let Davison go before the striking force had been reinforced with at least two new recruits.
Because of lack of strength in the full back positions Clayden and Chin have been pressed into
service. Clayden is a left winger, In my opinion better than CBT. He is nearly as fast and his control and delivery is significantly better than CBT who would be best used as an impact sub in the second half of games. Chin is a left side midfield player who has not been allowed to develop in his correct position. Why has Charlie Barker not appeared in preseason first team squad games and been limited to the U23s
I lack any optimism regarding this next season and fear mid table or worse.
Is this the doom and gloom thread?
Some serious pessimism on here
We are indeed in need of a striker, no, two.
Attack, we are led to believe, is the name of the game under Garner but, unfortunately, shots on goal will not earn points unless they go in. Getting a proven striker over the line is a massive priority.
We only have Stockley and Aneke up front and yet four goalkeepers! This does not make any sense to me. I know Leaburn is coming through as is Kanu, both are very useful players and could drop in for the odd game. We must not put too much pressure on those young shoulders, slowly slowly (Nice to see a bit of healthy competition between them though).
We have now failed to score against, Kilmarnock, Sutton and Swansea, it must be obvious to everyone where the help is needed.
Martin, tell me where we score the 80 goals needed and I would be optimistic!!