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Silencer

Director
Joined
Jan 12, 2009
Messages
2,349
Location
Southchurch Village
I will probably get shot down for this, but hey it's a football forum for debates after all.

So back to the topic of my thread, as a famous football pundit infamously once said "You don't win anything with kids" and to a certain extent, this is sadly very true.

In fairness, Paul Sturrock is very limited with his options at the moment due to a combination of some terrible luck with injuries, partly due to having a fair few injury prone journeymen on his books and partly due to his stubborness around some players.

My point of this thread is mainly based on the latter of these problems. We don't know what goes on behind closed doors (Despite what posters hear from friends, golf partners etc) but for me, maybe now it is time for Mr Sturrock to swallow his pride or whatever else is preventing him and making him reluctant to involve the like of Freddy Eastwood, Neil Harris and John Spicer. A few people will post the usual "Because there cr@p" and other airheaed comments like that, but I raise you almost 1000 football league appearances.

At a time when we have one of the youngest outfield sides that I remember in a long time, I just feel we need to include these experienced players out on the pitch and in and around the changing room.

Despite peoples opinions, Freddy Eastwood is experienced....a natural goalscorer and if playing regularly, he would raise the crowd - even if it is now just 3900 of us. Neil Harris is respected, a leader and a very intelligent footballer and is also a goalscorer. John Spicer must be better than we have seen, he is experienced and personally couldn't do much worse than poor Alex Woodyard who is miles out of his depth.

With Sturrock also seemingley adament on signing other teams youth players in on loan (Admitedley Reeves is exceptional) I just think we need some older and experienced heads to save our season before it's too late.

Our team this evening included, Spillane 23, Reeves 21. Leonard 20, Mayor 22, Woodyard 20, Assombolonga 19, Lavery 19...
 
Agreed. In hindsight playing Coughlan at the back next to Prosser would have added experience which would gave allowed Spillane to partner Laird in midfield, once Laird went off injured Spicer should have come on. Mayor should not have started. He turned up at 6.00 pm. Tactics etc to play against Cheltenham were discussed yesterday and Mayor wasn't a part of them. Your title is right you can't win anything with kids and any smart comments about Man United did it, Neville brothers, Butt, Scholes and Beckham were exceptional kids that within a year were full regular England Internationals. Look at Aston Villa, so much youth and they are struggling. It's alright playing a couple of kids because the experienced players next to them help them get through but to many seriously weekend the team.
 
Freddy was injured today. Agree that Harris and Spicer should be given a try. If they're not injured.
 
Completely forgot that Coughlan was an option for tonight. If he's fit to play 60mins then I would have given him a run, he's always looked a safe option when I've seen him play.
 
Think both young and old players tonight were poor. Corr, Hurst and Spillane all experienced pro's and none of them were good enough on the day. Reeves has say 20 games experience and I thought was our best player.
 
Personally thought lavery chances the game a bit when he came on. It was already over though. Thought Reeves was very good. Experienced players were poor in my view
 
Thought Reeves and Mayor stood out. The trouble for Corr was that he was being outgunned being the only tall player up front. He really should have had a shot when bearing down on goal.
 
100% agree with your comments Silencer. I have liked Woodyard before but yesterday he was awful. Spicer should start the next game IMO, or maybe even Leonard in the middle (would it work?). Reeves is a class apart from some of our players, and I thought Mayor had a decent first half, but completely faded in the second. Coughlan I feel may need to play next game if Laird is out, with Spillane and Spicer in the middle (but then would you want Coughlan up against Akinfenwa?). I also thought Hurst had a poor game yesterday (doesn't seem to like midweek night games). If I was Sturrock, on Saturday I would play:

Smith
Clohessy - Spillane - Prosser - Barker
Reeves - Spicer - Laird - Mayor
Corr - Assombalonga
Subs: Bentley - Coughlan - Leonard - Woodyard - Hurst - Harris - Lavery​
 
100% agree with your comments Silencer. I have liked Woodyard before but yesterday he was awful. Spicer should start the next game IMO, or maybe even Leonard in the middle (would it work?). Reeves is a class apart from some of our players, and I thought Mayor had a decent first half, but completely faded in the second. Coughlan I feel may need to play next game if Laird is out, with Spillane and Spicer in the middle (but then would you want Coughlan up against Akinfenwa?). I also thought Hurst had a poor game yesterday (doesn't seem to like midweek night games). If I was Sturrock, on Saturday I would play:

Smith
Clohessy - Spillane - Prosser - Barker
Reeves - Spicer - Laird - Mayor
Corr - Assombalonga
Subs: Bentley - Coughlan - Leonard - Woodyard - Hurst - Harris - Lavery​

Have a bad feeling that Laird may well be out for a few weeks with a hamstring injury, will he play Spicer knowing the Borient game is just around the corner.
 
Coughlan? Really? He was a decent player for us for the first year or so but when was the last time he played guys? We need Phillips and Barker back ASAP but I'm not sure sticking Coughlan in there on Saturday is the answer.

Agree on Woodyard, we need experience in there especially with Laird now out and Spillane not performing up to standard. Spicer would have been one of my less favoured choices but I'd take him right now over Woodyard (or stick Hurst in the middle with Leonard wide). Why Harris isn't in the squad is beyond me......
 
Just putting out there i sit right next to the directors box and was having a chat with Barker. His hoping to be back for the weekend!
 
Just putting out there i sit right next to the directors box and was having a chat with Barker. His hoping to be back for the weekend!

I'd be inclined to save him for the JPT, rather than risk him aggravating his injury on Satdi
 
Worried how we will deal with Akinfatboy on Sat ,nobody in last nights game would be able to deal with him!!
 
Can't believe people are saying Coughlan should play, he's semi retired, the only reason he's making the bench is because we literally have no other fit defenders to fill the bench (Bilel doesn't count,) I doubt he's anywhere near to match fit.
 
Just putting out there i sit right next to the directors box and was having a chat with Barker. His hoping to be back for the weekend!

According to CP on Twitter, only Eastwood and Phillips of our injured players stand a chance of being fit for Saturday. Also, apparently Lavery has a hamstring injury too? :stunned: Must have missed that.
 
I will probably get shot down for this, but hey it's a football forum for debates after all.

So back to the topic of my thread, as a famous football pundit infamously once said "You don't win anything with kids" and to a certain extent, this is sadly very true.

In fairness, Paul Sturrock is very limited with his options at the moment due to a combination of some terrible luck with injuries, partly due to having a fair few injury prone journeymen on his books and partly due to his stubborness around some players.

My point of this thread is mainly based on the latter of these problems. We don't know what goes on behind closed doors (Despite what posters hear from friends, golf partners etc) but for me, maybe now it is time for Mr Sturrock to swallow his pride or whatever else is preventing him and making him reluctant to involve the like of Freddy Eastwood, Neil Harris and John Spicer. A few people will post the usual "Because there cr@p" and other airheaed comments like that, but I raise you almost 1000 football league appearances.

At a time when we have one of the youngest outfield sides that I remember in a long time, I just feel we need to include these experienced players out on the pitch and in and around the changing room.

Despite peoples opinions, Freddy Eastwood is experienced....a natural goalscorer and if playing regularly, he would raise the crowd - even if it is now just 3900 of us. Neil Harris is respected, a leader and a very intelligent footballer and is also a goalscorer. John Spicer must be better than we have seen, he is experienced and personally couldn't do much worse than poor Alex Woodyard who is miles out of his depth.

With Sturrock also seemingley adament on signing other teams youth players in on loan (Admitedley Reeves is exceptional) I just think we need some older and experienced heads to save our season before it's too late.

Our team this evening included, Spillane 23, Reeves 21. Leonard 20, Mayor 22, Woodyard 20, Assombolonga 19, Lavery 19...
Eastwood and Harris have been/are injured so I don't buy all the hidden agenda stuff at all. If they were fit Luggy would have them in the squad and involve them; he's not stupid and knows we badly need experience on the pitch. Their performances in last week's Essex Cup tie were pretty awful by all accounts and it was probably too early for Freddy anyway given that he was taken off and given an ice pack.
 
I will probably get shot down for this, but hey it's a football forum for debates after all.

So back to the topic of my thread, as a famous football pundit infamously once said "You don't win anything with kids" and to a certain extent, this is sadly very true.

In fairness, Paul Sturrock is very limited with his options at the moment due to a combination of some terrible luck with injuries, partly due to having a fair few injury prone journeymen on his books and partly due to his stubborness around some players.

My point of this thread is mainly based on the latter of these problems. We don't know what goes on behind closed doors (Despite what posters hear from friends, golf partners etc) but for me, maybe now it is time for Mr Sturrock to swallow his pride or whatever else is preventing him and making him reluctant to involve the like of Freddy Eastwood, Neil Harris and John Spicer. A few people will post the usual "Because there cr@p" and other airheaed comments like that, but I raise you almost 1000 football league appearances.

At a time when we have one of the youngest outfield sides that I remember in a long time, I just feel we need to include these experienced players out on the pitch and in and around the changing room.

Despite peoples opinions, Freddy Eastwood is experienced....a natural goalscorer and if playing regularly, he would raise the crowd - even if it is now just 3900 of us. Neil Harris is respected, a leader and a very intelligent footballer and is also a goalscorer. John Spicer must be better than we have seen, he is experienced and personally couldn't do much worse than poor Alex Woodyard who is miles out of his depth.

With Sturrock also seemingley adament on signing other teams youth players in on loan (Admitedley Reeves is exceptional) I just think we need some older and experienced heads to save our season before it's too late.

Our team this evening included, Spillane 23, Reeves 21. Leonard 20, Mayor 22, Woodyard 20, Assombolonga 19, Lavery 19...

I think the famous quote is sometimes a bit of a cop out. A more realistic quote would be "You don't win anything with players that aren't good enough"
 
For me Coughlan has to play Saturday. Akinfenwa and Platt aren't blessed with pace , we just need to try and match the muscle somehow.
 
For me Coughlan has to play Saturday. Akinfenwa and Platt aren't blessed with pace , we just need to try and match the muscle somehow.

Risky given his lack of game time , but probably worth the risk looking at the size of those two.
If Phillips isn't fit , I can see them completely battering Spillane and Prosser
 
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