Chris Powell's mate
First XI⭐
- Joined
- Aug 14, 2010
- Messages
- 5,647
When I saw last night's team sheet, I was hopeful.The trouble is that last year we started the season with a young, athletic side that got gubbed 4-0 on the opening day by the team that had just come up from this league and who had never played in the football league before.
We need a blend of youth and experience, not a plethora of either all at once.
I'm not mourning the loss of ANY of the departees from last year; further, we have made 3 very good additions to the squad - Arnold, Dalby and Murphy (although with no transfer window who rates the chances of them still being here at Christmas?).
Ralph is clearly too good for this level but let's also not forget that every team he has played for has been relegated and he has only appeared in one competitive victory for us.
No-one can doubt the character of John White but this is - in all honesty - a season too far for him.
Will Atkinson was a decent player for us 4 years ago. Last night he looked way out of his depth as Aldershot simply passed the ball around our veteran midfield.
Demitriou has the character PB wants but is again a crock with half his knee missing.
We haven't really seen Ogogo yet but what I HAVE seen doesn't make me think he is the missing link and the solution to the problems.
Coulson I was really excited about but 4-4-2 is not his system. He cannot be exposed to pace and when I say pace, I mean any other professional footballer. I'm 60, overweight and with a dodgy knee but I could probably give him a run for his money (OK, I couldn't, but you get the point).
Phillips and Ferguson seem to be no longer part of the plan and I don't necessarily disagree. However, I can't see how either could have made last nights debacle any worse. Similarly, Akinola and ANG couldn't make this team worse either, but Brown will absolutely not play them. It's an interesting line in the sand.
So where do we go from here? **** knows. Down, probably.
After all, Arnold was back, and there al those braying for 4-4-2 got their wish.
And whilst I agree with most you write, had he played Ferguson again he would have got it in the neck, and deservedly so.
Therefore, both those mentioned could have made it worse - hard as that might be to imagine.