MATCH THREAD: Slough Town Vs Farnborough
Dec 18, 2023 10:17:46 GMT
Post by boromike on Dec 18, 2023 10:17:46 GMT
It's possible Spencer has given up on the season as folk say, personally I very much doubt it.
Controlling costs isn't only about minimising spend, it's also about value for the money. If Folivi is our highest earner, has he delivered enough on that investment ? Arguable I suppose but, for me, not really.
I like him as a player but the stats are fairly clear - he hasn't torn up any trees. Sure he was injured early season but form since then has been in and out. And the truth is he doesn't always put enough work in, Spencer isn't wrong about that. Has he got the class to come good with a very strong run is the imponderable here....yesterday's display suggests that's possible. It certainly keeps him in the shop window, if a move does remain in the offing.
In the end, judging the here and now, I think Spencer's justified in feeling we aren't getting full value for the highest wage in the squad. It might feel harsh on one level - as I say, I do like Michael - but managers have to make those tough calls.
Question then becomes whether he can get better value reinvesting all or some of that money elsewhere. That's no certainty but possible.
If Spencer's view is that we're not on a trajectory for the play-offs at the moment - and that seems the opinion of most posters on here too - then the only logical option is to change things. Maybe that works, maybe not.
But we're four points off Braintree in the last play-off spot, play them on Saturday and are plainly well placed if we can put a good run together from there. I really can't believe Spencer or anyone else is ready to give up on that possibility yet. I think he's trying to change things around to give us a better chance of getting there. But there's a combination of factors at play there too. Harder to go into the market when income stream's running dry so you need to maximise value from the playing budget. Loans are generally more affordable......I think Spencer's words just reflect those basic realities the club has to live within.
Whether it works is another question again though - the revolving door approach is also a risk.....
Saturday should be interesting !
We are always waiting to see how things play out! We get the cryptic message, then we are told what's been going on, then we wait to see how the cards fall! Its the Spencer/Boro way.
The frustration for me lies in the fact that in the last 12 months we have had Kasimu, Bloomfield, Pavey and Folivi, and have let the first three go all within 6 months and it looks likely Folivi will be next. Not being able to hang on to anyone who knows where the back of the net is for a solitary season is really frustrating. I understand players will come and go, but when a player is working out well we need to be in a position to keep them for at least a season. Players take time to gel and the revolving door policy cant be helpful to achieving consistent results on the pitch.
I agree Folivi hasn't torn up any tree's yet, but he has been far from horrific. He has 5 league goals to date, being honest 10 goals at this stage of the season would have been a good return and what I had hoped/expected. However, in fairness he has been blighted with injury and I also point out that he has won (I think) at least 3 or 4 penalties (and should have had a couple more), which for most teams equals a goal 9 out of 10 times (I know this does not apply to us). I have seen some real moments of class from him and after his confidence inducing brace on Saturday I believe he can go on to have a really good second half of the season and help push us up the league. As SD says though he is a confidence player, he needs an arm around the shoulder and the managers faith in him. Agreeing to sell him to Hemel in all likelihood has the opposite effect.
In summary do I think he has delivered value for money, not quite. Do I think he is a quality player, yes. Do I think with a injury free run in the team and the managers backing he can deliver value for money in the second half of the season , yes. If Folivi is sold and the money is re-invested in a player of similar quality, or better, I'll eat my words that his sale was not an indication of the season being written off, and instead it was Spencer doing what he felt was needed to push on in the second half of the season. My prediction though is that Folivi will shortly go and a forward of lesser quality will be brought in on loan and we wont finish any higher up the table than where we currently find ourselves. As always, we have no choice but to wait and see how it all plays out.
