What's it all about ?

Nesty · 21 Oct 2020, 07:46

Alfie....

Why is Alfie May not being played ?

Si Robin · 21 Oct 2020, 08:39

I don't know why he wasn't brought on last night but, as per previous threads, it was because George Lloyd didn't deserve to be dropped.

everyman · 21 Oct 2020, 08:47

Nesty wrote:Alfie....

Why is Alfie May not being played ?

Maybe it`s first child syndrome !

Hubert Parry · 21 Oct 2020, 08:56

Our system only allows for two strikers. Williams has held the line well and is a different type of player. George Lloyd has done nothing to warrant being dropped. I really think it is that simple.

Fuller · 21 Oct 2020, 09:01

When Alfie came here last season I couldn't understand why Donny Rovers let me go.
Not looked up to that level so far this season, hope he will be back to his best soon, plenty of games to take his chance.

bigdavejambo · 21 Oct 2020, 09:02

the commentators did say last night that Lloyd is keeping May out of the squad on merit

Shade · 21 Oct 2020, 10:31

Alfie's isn't at the same level as he was. We can only hope he gets back there because he was sensational - his touch and movement was first class. Alex came on and made more of an impact than Alfie has in any of his cameo's from the bench so far.

RegencyCheltenhamSpa · 21 Oct 2020, 10:47

Squad game. He will have an important role to play.

21 Oct 2020, 12:07

Fuller wrote:When Alfie came here last season I couldn't understand why Donny Rovers let me go.
Not looked up to that level so far this season, hope he will be back to his best soon, plenty of games to take his chance.

I thought he was outstanding at Milwall in the league cup, didn't feature the next game due to a minor injury and then been left out. George Lloyd has done ok but can anyone genuinely say he's been fantastic to keep our main striker out

Si Robin · 21 Oct 2020, 13:03

He's been involved in a lot of our goals in some way or other since, so, yes.

Tranmere (a) - helps set up Williams' goal
Orient (a) - Forces the own goal to put us 1 up (tried to claim it as well)
Grimsby (h) - has the shot saved by the Grimsby defender's hand, then makes the challenge on the defender to win the ball which leads to our equaliser.
Southend (a) - is fouled for the penalty and then scores a great header.

Shade · 22 Oct 2020, 11:05

I could be wrong but I wonder whether Alfie just has a little bit of a subconscious motivation problem. He was up for it when he first arrived, you saw him tearing around after everything and he was sharp as a tack. Then lockdown happened and I think MD insinuated that Alfie was about the only player who hadn't kept himself as close to peak condition as possible. Scored a really good goal at Cardiff in pre-season. Robin says he thought he was outstanding at Millwall, in what was a "big game" (I didn't see that game).

I could be out of order but that's the feeling I'm getting. I like Alfie - I'm not saying he's a bad/negative influence or anything because I don't think we have any of those or that it would be tolerated for a minute. It would also explain why Donnie let him go.

RichardMoss · 22 Oct 2020, 12:18

He has started 1 league game this season and scored, started 2 cup games against teams in higher divisions and done well and played 90 mins at left wing in the tin pot cup. You can’t expect him to come on and light the game up from the bench, especially considering he’s often come on when we’re already looking to see games out. How can people be saying he isn’t the same player he was last season?!? Don’t get me wrong, Lloydy has done well but we’re talking about a player who completely transformed us when he came in last season

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RegencyCheltenhamSpa · 22 Oct 2020, 12:30

Duff brings an elite level approach to ‘numbers’ (sprints, jumps, heart rates, weight, speed, etc). If he feels Lloyd is hitting the numbers we need to play the way we need to and May isn’t then it is as simple as that. It doesn’t mean Duff and the coaching team won’t be working with May in training to get him back to that level.

Calvert-Lewin is a great example. His sprinting speed is faster than ever, and the heights of his jumps are higher than ever. They obviously analysed these were two areas where his numbers weren’t at the level needed for a top Premier League striker and he has focussed on improving them.

Si Robin · 22 Oct 2020, 12:48

RichardMoss wrote:He has started 1 league game this season and scored, started 2 cup games against teams in higher divisions and done well and played 90 mins at left wing in the tin pot cup. You can’t expect him to come on and light the game up from the bench, especially considering he’s often come on when we’re already looking to see games out. How can people be saying he isn’t the same player he was last season?!? Don’t get me wrong, Lloydy has done well but we’re talking about a player who completely transformed us when he came in last season

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I think you're going a bit OTT in fairness. We were hardly a rubbish team before he came in. Yes, his form was brilliant when he came in and he became undroppable,but he didn't transform the team in any way, shape or form.

Lloyd has done the same thing as when Alfie came in. As per my comment above, he was directly involved in 6 goals in 4 of the last 5 games. As Duff says, what does it say to a player, who has done very well, when you drop him the minute another player becomes available. Alfie will get his chance again (more than likely on Saturday), and it'll be on him to take it when it comes.

RichardMoss · 22 Oct 2020, 12:52

Si Robin wrote:
RichardMoss wrote:He has started 1 league game this season and scored, started 2 cup games against teams in higher divisions and done well and played 90 mins at left wing in the tin pot cup. You can’t expect him to come on and light the game up from the bench, especially considering he’s often come on when we’re already looking to see games out. How can people be saying he isn’t the same player he was last season?!? Don’t get me wrong, Lloydy has done well but we’re talking about a player who completely transformed us when he came in last season

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I think you're going a bit OTT in fairness. We were hardly a rubbish team before he came in. Yes, his form was brilliant when he came in and he became undroppable,but he didn't transform the team in any way, shape or form.

Lloyd has done the same thing as when Alfie came in. As per my comment above, he was directly involved in 6 goals in 4 of the last 5 games. As Duff says, what does it say to a player, who has done very well, when you drop him the minute another player becomes available. Alfie will get his chance again (more than likely on Saturday), and it'll be on him to take it when it comes.

We weren’t a bad side when he came in by any means but we were stale up front. I remember a few draws just before he came in where we didn’t have enough up front to win games, we were too reliant on our defence, we had Varney and Reid both out injured but when Alfie came in we looked dangerous up front again. Maybe ‘transformed’ is a little OTT but without him we certainly wouldn’t have been looking like challenging for automatics by the time the lockdown happened

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22 Oct 2020, 14:13

May is our best striker, would anyone disagree with that? Reid/Williams are next and in my mind the foil for Alfie.

22 Oct 2020, 14:24

Robin wrote:May is our best striker, would anyone disagree with that?

Umm... Mike Duff and probably the rest of the coaching team?

Si Robin · 22 Oct 2020, 14:29

Robin wrote:May is our best striker, would anyone disagree with that? Reid/Williams are next and in my mind the foil for Alfie.

I wouldn't, but the most talented doesn't necessarily mean in best form.

Again, what does it say to George Lloyd if he's dropped after playing well? He may as well have gone to Dover and then looked for another permanent club because he was never going to be put in ahead of Alfie May.

I don't believe that everything Duff does is above reproach, but I think he's done the right thing here. Alfie is likely to play on Saturday, because I doubt very much George will be fit for it, so now that will be his opportunity to earn his place back.

Shade · 22 Oct 2020, 14:41

Robin wrote:May is our best striker, would anyone disagree with that? Reid/Williams are next and in my mind the foil for Alfie.

It depends on what you're looking for. Reuben has the potential to be our best striker and has the record to prove it, but age and injury means he isn't at the level he was at a few years back, and Alfie hasn't, in my and several others opinions, shown the same levels that he has done. You need to break it down really to decide who is the best striker.

When on top form:
Best finisher - Reid
Best chase around/pressuriser of defenders - May and Lloyd
Best with back to goal - Reid
Best in the air for a cross - Reid then Lloyd? He's scored two great headers.
Fastest - Addai, then May
Best on the ball - tough to call, possibly Williams from what I've seen so far, he's taken a couple on and beaten them. Nobody really beats the last defender and then scores apart from Addai, but that's all about his pace taking him past a player rather than his trickery.

Meanwhile, Williams is probably the best all rounder?

RichardMoss · 22 Oct 2020, 14:53

Si Robin wrote:
Robin wrote:May is our best striker, would anyone disagree with that? Reid/Williams are next and in my mind the foil for Alfie.
I wouldn't, but the most talented doesn't necessarily mean in best form.

Again, what does it say to George Lloyd if he's dropped after playing well? He may as well have gone to Dover and then looked for another permanent club because he was never going to be put in ahead of Alfie May.

I don't believe that everything Duff does is above reproach, but I think he's done the right thing here. Alfie is likely to play on Saturday, because I doubt very much George will be fit for it, so now that will be his opportunity to earn his place back.

I’m struggling to see where this idea of may being out of form has come from though, he’s scored in his only league start this season

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Si Robin · 22 Oct 2020, 15:02

You missed my point - it's not that May isn't in form, but that George Lloyd is in form.

Lloyd wouldn't have got his place in the starting lineup had May been fit for the Tranmere game, however, May was injured and Lloyd took his chance. It wasn't right for May to simply waltz back into the team when Lloyd had not only had a couple of decent games, but actually contributed to the wins as well.

RegencyCheltenhamSpa · 22 Oct 2020, 15:15

End of the day, the only reason we are not top is because of defensive mistakes.

It is an intense season and all strikers will play a key part

Horteng · 22 Oct 2020, 17:47

RegencyCheltenhamSpa wrote:End of the day, the only reason we are not top is because of defensive mistakes.

It is an intense season and all strikers will play a key part

Or missed goal scoring chances

Depends which way you look at it

Shade · 23 Oct 2020, 11:13

RichardMoss wrote:I’m struggling to see where this idea of may being out of form has come from though, he’s scored in his only league start this season

He couldn't have missed, to be fair, the ball dropped to him about 4 yards out. The stats don't always tell the whole story and any player, including a donkey centre back, should be scoring that. Anyway, maybe not on form is too strong. Just not as in form as others.

23 Oct 2020, 11:20

I see goals scored in the Premiership that "I could score." Getting into that position to score said goal...now that I might find a little more problematic...

Shade · 23 Oct 2020, 11:38

I didn't say that you could score it - you would need to at least be good enough to get onto the pitch. And a donkey of a centre back is still good enough for that. Centre backs are in the right place at the right time to tap in quite often.