Time to take stock

[redboy]

Seems like a good time to assess where we're at. The past few performances, even the victories against Burton and Wycombe have been quite poor. There's no tempo, we can't hold onto the ball and we look very weak at set pieces.

Fundamentally I'm happy with the back four, Doey was superb yesterday, but we're just not physically big or strong enough. That goes throughout the team and is an area that needs addressing. The midfield misses the likes of Bingham or Saunders who can put their foot on the ball and deliver a pass and whilst Elito and Zav can be dangerous, I'm not sure whether we can play both in the same side, especially away from home. Also seems that Zav has licence to do what he wants, ie dribble past 3 players in his own defensive third. From a goal scoring point of view, can't fault Rhys, but again he's not physical enough, never wins a header and can be lazy. Unfortunately the sum of Josh and Dickson doesn't even make a Sunday League player. We need a big strapping old fashioned striker to do the donkey work up front and then support the defence at set pieces.

I'm surprised that Shields and Edgar haven't been given more of a chance and what has happened to Dennis (injured?).

At the start of the season, most fans would have accepted a top half finish. I feel we've lost too many games by the odd goal, which is more frustrating than being hammered. We've done well so far but I can see us going into free fall if we don't stop the silly mistakes. At the beginning of the season, Wayne was quick to drop players or take ones off who weren't performing. Now seems that he's in a bit of a comfort zone and has softened up. How Dickson lasted as long as he did yesterday is a mystery, it's very rare that our fans cheer a substitution like that.

[Dagdale]

Its seems we've dropped our tempo badly since Billy Bingham's left the side and I've never quite understood how Saunders hasn't been brought in since we've lost Billy, when he did come on as a sub a couple of his crosses were superb and who knows what could develop around the corner , also why cant we give Sean Shields a run, impressed with commitment on the field pre-season. I think it'll take me along time to work out exactly where Dickson and Edgar fit into our team. Very strange how we just do not have the hunger for pushing the opposition out of the game any more. Were still overall not in a bad position and on a good day a pretty decent side so it isn't time to panic too much but last 3 games has copies of late last season and its frightening as to what could be around the corner. Expect on this level of League football to have some right bad match days but feel so frustrated we've been completely humillated by two very low teams and one at our 'home fortress' who have had pre-hand even more troubles this season than us.

[ARNU]

We need Bingham back and Saunders starting in his absence.Shields must get a go soon.Edgar I feel a bit sorry for as he clearly tries but isn't getting a start.Dickson is a dud and although one of our best players generally I think Howell is below par lately.I still believe though and top half is more than do-able.

[Daggers No 2 Fan]

Every team has bad spells, and it looks like this is probably ours.

The things that worry me are that there have been problems all season and don't seem to have been worked on. The stand outs are our throw ins on our right side, defending from crosses and set pieces and attacking from corners.
In the past we'd always be good defensively from set pieces and get a reasonable haul of goals from them. This season we have hardly any goals from corners, but have conceded a lot from set pieces.

I got the impression that some people thought we were a lot better than we really were when we were getting results. There were quite a few home games where we ended up hanging on and away games where we got late equalisers.

When looking at individual players, I think Bingham is a massive loss. He wins a lot defensively and also passes well. He also frees up Howell and Ogogo to play further forward where they're more effective. Saunders would be the obvious replacement from a passing perspective, but I don't think he's anywhere near as good in terms of winning the ball. It also doesn't help that he can't stay fit.
Hines keeps showing why he is playing for us. He can be very, very good, but he also tends to over complicate things and on a few occasions has tried to let himself get wound up by opposition players.
Elito is a slightly improved version of his previous self, but recently seems to be more like his older self than he was earlier in the season.

I don't understand why some who are quick to bemoan Dickson want Edgar to get more of a go. From what I've seen of Edgar, he's a complete waste of a wage. I don't think he's done anything when he's come on. He doesn't add anything we didn't already have we Elito/Hines/Obafemi/Shields/Dennis, so I can't see why we signed him at all.

[leewilson]

If we're going to play 4-4-2, I'd love someone like Bas Savage to come in and play alongside Murphy. For all of Bas' faults, the ball would stick to him and we could really do with that, especially in away games.

[matt_drfc]

I don't understand why some who are quick to bemoan Dickson want Edgar to get more of a go. From what I've seen of Edgar, he's a complete waste of a wage. I don't think he's done anything when he's come on. He doesn't add anything we didn't already have we Elito/Hines/Obafemi/Shields/Dennis, so I can't see why we signed him at all.

He's not on any wages at all......

[TheLion]

We have a goalkeeper who rarely leaves his line, we do not have a centre back who dominates our box at set pieces and we lack a tall forward who could help out the defence at corners etc.

If the coaching staff allow all three issues to continue, we are only going in one direction.

Everyone seems to prefer Saah to Wilko but Wilko is more dominant at both ends of the pitch when he is on song. However, he has not grasped the few opportunities he has been given this season.

I am even boring myself calling for Lewy to come for more crosses/corners.

The lack of a tall forward is more of a challenge.

Sadly, the past few weeks since BillyB got injured have been a carbon copy of last season.

Ever hopeful that we will burst out the traps against Chesterfield.

[Daggers No 2 Fan]

I don't understand why some who are quick to bemoan Dickson want Edgar to get more of a go. From what I've seen of Edgar, he's a complete waste of a wage. I don't think he's done anything when he's come on. He doesn't add anything we didn't already have we Elito/Hines/Obafemi/Shields/Dennis, so I can't see why we signed him at all.

He's not on any wages at all......

He's training and playing for absolutely nothing?
Seems unlikely.

He'll be costing us something, which is money wasted from what I've seen.

[matt_drfc]

Absolutely nothing. If he was on anything we wouldn't have signed him, we're just giving him a chance.

[ARNU]

Edgar is completely free.If anything Id say he trys a bit too hard from what Ive seen which is understandable,he's playing for nothing and wants to get in the side afterall.Id rather have someone try too hard than others who don't give a fack.He may well be no good but we haven't really given him a chance to prove it yet have we ? Just a few last minutes of a game here and there yet we pay and play Dickson despite him being evidently quite shit pretty much everytime he plays.Its interesting (Well to me anyway)that I was forecasting his crapness in the Romford game weeks ago and all games ever since,then the one time our supporters boo him off Im not there ffs !
Apart from the 2 esc games hes played in where he was lazy in both against far lower grade opposition what has been his standout moment ? Scoring against the understrengthed Southend in the "nobody cares" trophy.Still if you are old mates with the manager maybe WB might put him out of our misery now.

[Daggers No 2 Fan]

Absolutely nothing. If he was on anything we wouldn't have signed him, we're just giving him a chance.

If he's covering every bit of expenditure related to him being with us then that's amazing.

Even so, he's taking the place of a player that is costing us money - so there a wage is beig wasted.
I'd rather we gave the players were actually paying a go rather than providing someone with a shop window just because they're playing for nothing.

I completely fail to see the point of signing a player that offers nothing different to what we already have.
At least in the case of Dickson, he's a different type of player to Murphy, so while he may not be setting the world alight there was some sense to signing him.

[ARNU]

You'd rather play a consistently crap player cos hes being paid rather than possibly a good player whos playing for free ? Really ?
Im not saying Edgar is a like for like swap here in terms of position but what ive seen he does give the impression hes trying.Something Dickson dosent.


http://www.daggers.co.uk/news/article/a ... 75142.aspx


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[matt_drfc]

Absolutely nothing. If he was on anything we wouldn't have signed him, we're just giving him a chance.

If he's covering every bit of expenditure related to him being with us then that's amazing.

Even so, he's taking the place of a player that is costing us money - so there a wage is beig wasted.
I'd rather we gave the players were actually paying a go rather than providing someone with a shop window just because they're playing for nothing.

I completely fail to see the point of signing a player that offers nothing different to what we already have.
At least in the case of Dickson, he's a different type of player to Murphy, so while he may not be setting the world alight there was some sense to signing him.

Well to be honest if someone's trying to get back into football and is willing to play for nothing, that says to me he's got the right mentality to be in the game and those players deserve a chance. It's another option at the end of the day, I would rather have him than not have him. He's hardly taking the place of someone else considering we didn't even fill the bench at Oxford. Burnett has a brain, that's why he's the manager, so he clearly see's Edgar to have enough ability for the squad.

[Chigwellian]

If the coaching staff allow all three issues to continue, we are only going in one direction.

I told this to Wayne Burnett and the coaching staff after the fiasco at Mansfield in no uncertain terms. Steve Thomson was also told, but apparently, because he was cheaper than Phil Brown, this is why WB got the job, even though we free fell last season....

We are in free fall again, and only by luck, have we accumulated 30points, I can't see us getting many more ... Like I said then, it's just a job to WB.... Where is the passion?

[steeevooo]

If Phil Brown was the alternative then I'm pretty glad we have stuck with Burnett!