5 things we learned from yesterday

[Nesty]

1. we only had 6 substitutes, the squad is wafer thin
2. we only have ONE (and that's Cranston) recognised full back in the squad
3. Apart from Sellars (currently injured) we have no recognised winger now that Page has gone on loan
4. the squad is top heavy with CB's and CM's
5. We cannot expect this level of players to compete in a square pegs / round holes system

never mind GJ saying we only need 2 more, we need at least :- 2 more full backs, one winger and another striker with pace - oh and a goalkeeper listening to the guys on the radio.

[Artemis]

Numbers are largely irrelevant. It's quality that really matters.

[CTFC03]

We'll struggle to stay up unless we get 4/5 quality players and one of them needs to be a new goalkeeper.

[Nesty]

we are not going to get 4 or 5 quality players, I doubt if we were going to even if Pell had gone .

[Robin]

We won't go down or up this season, the bigger question to me is why we are playing 4-4-2 when 5-3-2 suits our players much better.

[Nesty]

We won't go down or up this season, the bigger question to me is why we are playing 4-4-2 when 5-3-2 suits our players much better.

you have to doubt Johnson's tactics, its back to the notion that do managers chose a system and sign the players to suit that system or do they sign the players and then spend 3 months trying to find a system to suit them? having only 1 full back at this stage of the system is ludicrous. I agree Robin that 5-3-2 or 3-5-2 would be more logical

[theidlerich]

I'm not sure 'logic' has a place in GJ's sphere of thought processes!

Nesty earlier alluded to ............."never mind GJ saying we only need 2 more, we need at least :- 2 more full backs, one winger and another striker with pace - oh and a goalkeeper listening to the guys on the radio.[/quote]" ........I would add a genuine centre forward to that - one who has 'touch skill'!

[little mo]

We'll struggle to stay up unless we get 4/5 quality players and one of them needs to be a new goalkeeper.

What did Flatt do wrong yesterday then?

[CTFCfan99]

We'll struggle to stay up unless we get 4/5 quality players and one of them needs to be a new goalkeeper.

What did Flatt do wrong yesterday then?

Nothing. He's just not called Dillon Phillips.

[little mo]

I sat there watching yesterday, and thinking as an ex GK myself, if i was in Flatts boots right now i would be bricking it playing behind that back line, they are nowhere near good enough. Where is Manny?

[Rulistening]

I sat there watching yesterday, and thinking as an ex GK myself, if i was in Flatts boots right now i would be bricking it playing behind that back line, they are nowhere near good enough. Where is Manny?

Manny is disgustingly over-rated by our fans. He was an oaf, bumbled around on the ball and I never felt comfortable with him in the squad. Not sure why everyone loved him like he was Vidic

[art vandalay]

Cracking player. Quick, strong, dominant in the air and always seemed capable of sticking a leg out & reaching the ball. His style was a bit ungainly but he was a defender and he defended.

[art vandalay]

I think you need to go and lie in one of your darkened rooms and quietly criticise some of the other talented players to pull on a Chelt shirt.

[CTFC03]

Flatt has been dreadful so far, so unconvincing, Manny was quality and we miss his pace at the back, the problem we've got is the transfer window shuts soon and we need too much.

[Benctfc]

GJ seems to have gone away from what made us so successful when we won the national league. What we had that season was every player playing in their primary positions and everyone knowing and feeling confident in their role. Players at this level aren't good enough to multi task the least we should expect is a team with some structure.

Some of GJ decisions are mind boggling like the signing of Graham. He's a player who needs crosses to attack yet we don't play with wingers....

As for the GK situation Flatt has been dodgy and parries away too much if Dillion was available we would be crazy to let him get away we saw with Brown last year how much a confident keeper makes.

[confused.com]

Manny did a decent job for us last year and added a bit of pace to the back line. To run him down is laughable. Dillon worship is somewhat similar to the death of an artist, his work always looks better once he has gone. The last 'good' keeper we had was JB. All others had flaws as you would expect at this standard

[vickeryc]

Manny got off to a terrible start at WR and looked embarrassingly bad at times in his first few games; however, he improved a lot during his time with us. He looked ungainly, but was very mobile and I think he became a highly effective defender as the season wore on. He snuffed out a lot of oppenents' goal scoring chances with last-ditch defending and was a key player in our survival. We owe a lot to him.
As for Dillon, he was undoubtedly one of our better keepers although, obviously, we haven't seen him perform at FL level. He commanded the box far better than than the likes of Scottie and was a good shot stopper who inspired confidence in his defenders. They always knew when he was coming for the ball. The worst part of his game was distribution, but that improved during the course of the season. If he were to became available, I think we'd be mad not to try and sign him.

[horlickfanclub]

Manny/Plavo and Boyle was a much better combo than Boyle/Grimes. Grimes and Cranston are the weakest links.Replace them and maybe the keeper will feel less under siege. We are retreating in to the box far too much .HOLD THE LINE should be the call.
When Downes is fit I would play him with Boyle.
Confused.com gets my "Comment of the Month" award. Brilliant.

[Nesty]

GJ seems to have gone away from what made us so successful when we won the national league. What we had that season was every player playing in their primary positions and everyone knowing and feeling confident in their role. Players at this level aren't good enough to multi task the least we should expect is a team with some structure.

Some of GJ decisions are mind boggling like the signing of Graham. He's a player who needs crosses to attack yet we don't play with wingers....

As for the GK situation Flatt has been dodgy and parries away too much if Dillion was available we would be crazy to let him get away we saw with Brown last year how much a confident keeper makes.

agree 100% -

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

We'll struggle to stay up unless we get 4/5 quality players and one of them needs to be a new goalkeeper.

What did Flatt do wrong yesterday then?

He was not called Dillon Phillips.

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

4-4-2 or 5-3-2, either way we need full backs and wingers.

[confused.com]

4-4-2 or 5-3-2, either way we need full backs and wingers.

Still loads of time to get them in, we wont make the same mistakes as last summer

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

Flatt has been dreadful so far, so unconvincing, Manny was quality and we miss his pace at the back, the problem we've got is the transfer window shuts soon and we need too much.

"Dreadful"... what exactly has been dreadful?

[art vandalay]

Nurse! Ben2 has escaped again.