Post by jumaiton on Jan 3, 2024 16:40:53 GMT
I think Pavey will end up back here, even if it’s only on loan. He’s not wanted at Woking and he has unfinished business with us. For me it’s not a question of if, but when. I don’t see the finances being an impossible hurdle as Woking will want to get him off the wage bill and I think they will just accept the previous manager blew the 30k.
The real problem we have is even if we added Pavey and Hish to the squad, signed Ghandour and Connor Hall permanently, and kept hold of Folivi and Cullen, that would obviously be an embarrassment of riches in the forward department, but even then I don’t believe we’d make the play offs this season as the league is so strong, but more importantly, you can have all the quality in the World up front, but if there’s no creativity and cohesion in the team you won’t make enough chances to convert in to goals to be able to push up the league. I think the last 3 matches have really highlighted the lack of creativity in our midfield (as well as the defensive issues). I don’t think our forwards are the problem. They can’t score if they’re not getting chances (see Connor Hall).
I think what I’m really trying to say is we are never going to finish in the top seven whilst our attacking arsenal consists of the below -
1. Drop kick from JT - hope something happens.
2. Goal kick from JT - hope something happens.
3. Long throw from Robbo (or whoever’s deputising) - hope something happens.
4. Corner from Kuhl, Penders, Maloney (our set piece delivery has been atrocious this season) - hope something happens.
The above is literally all we appear to have in our attacking weaponry. It may be good enough to stay up, with a bit of luck it may even be good enough for a mid table finish, but it will never, ever, be good enough to get promoted, regardless of who we have up front.
For me the style of football has to change, we have to bring in a culture of playing on the deck, even if it costs us results in the short term.
I recall in pre-season Spencer saying the club had been supported (I think by Fulham & Crystal Palace) with some training content and documentation relating to effective patterns of play etc. for which he was very grateful. I can’t imagine that two established Premier League clubs provided documents on how to pump the ball up field, take awful set pieces and constantly attempt Rory Delap throw ins! From what I’ve witnessed so far this season, it would be far more imaginable that in fact Tony Pulis had sent the documents based on his Stoke team of yesteryear!
We have so much to be grateful for and positive about, but the season so far has consistently felt like one step forward, two steps back, and to me it has constantly felt as though we are at a crossroads and big decisions are needed to decide the direction we go. I have great faith in the club and faith in Spencer to get us there eventually, but I do feel like we are trying the same things over and over again and expecting different results, which is what they say is the definition of insanity!
For me, the ongoing success of the club on the pitch now hinges on whether Spencer can change the playing philosophy as I don’t believe you can be truly successful in modern football playing like 1980’s Wimbledon, those days are long since gone.
Can Spencer change the style, will he change the style? I believe he can and will. Unfortunately, I think it may take another couple of seasons for the necessity in doing so at this level to sink in.
If its a loan deal and Woking want him off the wage bill theres no way we can afford it. If it's split there might be half a chance. My issue is, like many said when he left, that we had to play differently as we couldn't rely on anyone winning headers, or scoring the set piece goals Alfie did. If he returns we need to play both ways. Although having said that, the current form is such that scoring a few from freekicks and corners would be fine