Strength in Depth

[CAVALIER]

Disagree. The 11 who started v Donny along with Oaksy , Streete and Neal are good enough. What isn't is the bench

[Tenement Funster]

I think most of us understand why Page gave these fringe players a contract but I still reckon Birchall was a mistake and he doesn't offer the ability to be anything more than last ditch backup. Yates was probably necessary as we knew what he brought to the table and as backup I don't think he's too bad short term. Kelly looks like (at the moment) a poor signing but you can't win them all, he's a young lad who looks like he's going to need time to develop but when we don't have other options that seem good enough it's a bitter pill to swallow.

 

Ideally it would be great to shift out pretty much anybody that's not in the current first eleven excluding Streete, Neal, O'Connor, Hooper and Ajay...also perhaps McGivern and Daniel because of their versatility. If we could have any chance of doing that and bringing in a winger or an experienced striker we may become a top 7 side. Other than that we do struggle with lack of depth to the squad and for a squad so big that is a little concerning as to what went wrong.

[old sage]

The problem in regards to a goal scorer is very obvious that the owner was misguided if he thought that he could get anything other than a chancer in on the cheap. Many seem to like Uche but the lad can't jump and I doubt if he will ever be prolific. Natural goal scorers are born not manufactured

You only have to look at the Premiership to see the prices and the wage that goal scorers command. I'm not trying to compare our budget with theirs but the general rule applies GOALS COST MONEY

[Michael]

Since when has our aim been to stay up ? No wonder fans are staying away

 

Since we lost our top goalscorer and the bookies have us odds on for the drop...... that's when.

[Bucknall Rob]

Since we lost our top goalscorer and the bookies have us odds on for the drop...... that's when.

 

Bookies are not always right, this year the league is wide open and I honestly believe that we are a decent striker away from having a team that can compete for a top 6 place.

 

Apart from Sheffield United and maybe Wigan, I don't see anything to worry about.

[Howjy04]

Since we lost our top goalscorer and the bookies have us odds on for the drop...... that's when.

 

2/1 or 9/4 AGAINST everywhere.

[smithie]

The problem in regards to a goal scorer is very obvious that the owner was misguided if he thought that he could get anything other than a chancer in on the cheap. Many seem to like Uche but the lad can't jump and I doubt if he will ever be prolific. Natural goal scorers are born not manufactured

You only have to look at the Premiership to see the prices and the wage that goal scorers command. I'm not trying to compare our budget with theirs but the general rule applies GOALS COST MONEY

 

I think we're trying to like him as he's our main man and our only sizeable presence up front!

[Howjy04]

The problem in regards to a goal scorer is very obvious that the owner was misguided if he thought that he could get anything other than a chancer in on the cheap. Many seem to like Uche but the lad can't jump and I doubt if he will ever be prolific. Natural goal scorers are born not manufactured

You only have to look at the Premiership to see the prices and the wage that goal scorers command. I'm not trying to compare our budget with theirs but the general rule applies GOALS COST MONEY

 

Goals do cost money OS but how many prolific goal scorers have we had in the last 15 years?

[Howjy04]

I think we're trying to like him as he's our main man and our only sizeable presence up front!

 

Uche is sound.He's doing a good job at the moment.He must frighten the life out of centre halves.

[Shropshire_Valiant]

As mentioned by others in more the depth the bench and perhaps squad depth is the big issue and for me the fact Page persists in using the same 4 or 5 players as substitutes as a general rule.

 

I mentioned in the post match thread on Saturday,you can pretty much guarantee that with current availability(so O'Connor and Neal injured) that Daniel, Leitch-Smith, Birchall, Kelly will be the subs used(3 of them anyway). I think Brown may have got on once(but at 38 he is now going to be a bit part player with cameo roles with his experience being used in other areas) and Ryan Lloyd got on at Swindon(which was down to the fact that Andoh was injured and Kelly started so he was the winger in reserve).

The rest of the bench is Streete and Johnson(fair enough there our defence is OK and a reserve keeper).

I just don't get why the rest is so set in stone and who comes on(especially considering our lack of (goalscoring)strikers! OK we don't have a massive squad but(Hooper, Campion and even some of the yts lads should be in contention too imo). Also is Ryan Lloyd that much worse than Kelly on current form? I don't know just putting it out there.

 

I think it was Page who came out with the 'horses for courses' comment. So why this belief that the same subs in every situation are going to make a difference? It's naive in the extreme. I'm not saying the starting line up is wrong(with what is available) but you can near enough set your watch that AJ will replace Uche for the last 20 mins or so(thus giving us probably the most toothless attack in league football). I saw enough of Dodds and AJ upfront at Altrincham in 45 mins to know they won't score many(if any) playing together. Daniel has been a useful sub for us last season but he's clearly no more than a squad player at league one level. Kelly is either out of form, not ready or not good enough and Birchall well the less said the better certainly as a sub he makes no impact whatsoever on a game of football at League One level!!

 

I just think Page needs to think 'outside the box' a little more on this and stop going for the same old favourites!

[Conrad]

Uche is sound.He's doing a good job at the moment.He must frighten the life out of centre halves.

 

I like uche and am knocking him, but frightening the life out of centre halves doesn't win football games.

Instead of signing 15 midfielders maybe we should of had a prolific striker.

[Howjy04]

I like uche and am knocking him, but frightening the life out of centre halves doesn't win football games.

Instead of signing 15 midfielders maybe we should of had a prolific striker.

 

Uche has scored 2 league goals in 5 games.Not too bad.

[Conrad]

Uche has scored 2 league goals in 5 games.Not too bad.

 

If he replicates that over a season =18 goals which I agree is not bad at all, just with the chances we're creating we could have had many more goals, and once uche goes off after 60 mins we have no one else.

Basically if we hav'nt got a decent lead by the time uche goes off, we ain't going to win the game.

[Howjy04]

If he replicates that over a season =18 goals which I agree is not bad at all, just with the chances we're creating we could have had many more goals, and once uche goes off after 60 mins we have no one else.

Basically if we hav'nt got a decent lead by the time uche goes off, we ain't going to win the game.

 

Maybe a change of system is required?Get AJ on with Uche from the start upfront?

[Aussie Rules]

2/1 or 9/4 AGAINST everywhere.

 

Bookies giving away money! Behave theesen HowJ