We have 6 first team players good enough for promotion...

[sashnash]

........................... ? ..........................

McNulty ...... Tunicliffe ..... ..........

Davies* ....... Dicker ........ ....... Bennett

................ Murray ........ ...................

Subs: Smith, Forster, Whing, Cox, Dickinson, Crofts, Virgo

*if signed permenantly

I honestly can't see us getting out of this division until we have a decent and professional starting 11. We need to fill the other positions with high calibre players, not hoof hoofs and headless chickens.

I think Kuipers is caught out of position too often, despite being a good shot stopper. He's also pretty old so reckon Smith should be given a chance to develop. Neither are good enough for a promotion winning team (at the moment) though...

Regarding the leg end that is Sir Nicky, I think he's an absolutely fantastic player but with his age I'm not sure he could last a full season playing week in week out and still deliver his top drawer performances.

To be fair to Slade he's brought in Dicker, Davies, Tunicliffe and Bennett, which are all quality players and great professionals. If he can pick out another 4-5 gems in January, and get Murray firing we will be looking good for the run in.

Anyone else agree?

 

[HG201]

Forster?

 

[Gritt23]

Boo, I thought this was going to be a quiz. Maybe a massive picture of everyone who has worn the stripes in the last 18 months and we had to find the 6. It would be like a footballing "Where's Wally".

*disappointed*

 

[sashnash]

Forster?

Did you actually read what I wrote?

 

[algie]

I really like Crofts myself.

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

that's not a bad assesment actually. Although I think Crofts will turn out to be an absolutely quality signing, Virgs would be able to hack the Championship and we haven't seen enough of Smith to write him off.

It's really not a bad team that we've got. We're building something good here!

 

[essbee]

SashNash

I tend to agree with that assessment........

 

[Mendoza]

I agree too, McNulty is still the dubious one. No doubt he has the class, he showed that before his injury. He has been out for 8 months now. Will he ever get back to full fitness, and will he play without fear like before his injury.

I dont want to pin high hopes on him just yet, and I just hope that if he does come back, and does play badly whilst he gets fit, the fans dont slag him off and give him the harsh internet volley of abuse.

The jury is still out on Aaron Davies for me too, I dont think he is a bad player at all, just hasnt lived up to the hype of the youtube videos and fan hysteria

 

[drew]

what's a jusy?

 

[Mendoza]

what's a jusy?

all changed just for you, fat fingers innit

 

[saafend_seagull]

mcnulty plays LB? think whing is good enough too, just on a bit of poor form, like most of our players

 

[The Ringleader]

........................... ..........................

McNulty ...... Tunicliffe ..... ..........

Davies* ....... Dicker ........Crofts ....... Bennett

................ Dickinson ........ ...................

 

[Napper]

Absolute tosh

 

[clippedgull]

........................... ? ..........................

McNulty ...... Tunicliffe ..... ..........

Davies* ....... Dicker ........ ....... Bennett

................ Murray ........ ...................

Subs: Smith, Forster, Whing, Cox, Dickinson, Crofts, Virgo

*if signed permenantly

I honestly can't see us getting out of this division until we have a decent and professional starting 11. We need to fill the other positions with high calibre players, not hoof hoofs and headless chickens.

I think Kuipers is caught out of position too often, despite being a good shot stopper. He's also pretty old so reckon Smith should be given a chance to develop. Neither are good enough for a promotion winning team (at the moment) though...

Regarding the leg end that is Sir Nicky, I think he's an absolutely fantastic player but with his age I'm not sure he could last a full season playing week in week out and still deliver his top drawer performances.

To be fair to Slade he's brought in Dicker, Davies, Tunicliffe and Bennett, which are all quality players and great professionals. If he can pick out another 4-5 gems in January, and get Murray firing we will be looking good for the run in.

Anyone else agree?

Pretty much agree, we need further investment to get out of this division and stay out of it. Still dead wood to clear from our current squad.

 

[bellsize seagull]

need to get players to come off the bench and impact the game as well !

 

[sashnash]

need to get players to come off the bench and impact the game as well !

Nicky Forster, Liam Dickinson and Dean Cox would all make ideal impact players.

Forster - pure class
Cox - good creativity, can spot a pass
Dickinson - with his height would add a different dimension to our attack (yes I know he doesnt win many headers

 

[Del Boy]

Ermm Forster is our BEST player, I think he can do alot more than make an 'ideal impact payer'

 

[Husty]

Regarding the leg end that is Sir Nicky, I think he's an absolutely fantastic player but with his age I'm not sure he could last a full season playing week in week out and still deliver his top drawer performances.

People have been saying that for the last 2 years but he is stil going, i do actually agree with most of what you say, it' is very obvious to me that the team is still a good long way off winning promotion needs a really solid leader type figure in the back line and an attacking creative midfielder (but they are like gold dust at this level), and perhaps a right wing back, bennett did do well on saturday but probably doesnt have the tackinling or presence to make it permanent, although cox could replace him on the wing, but Smith is definately a promotion worthy keeper, if you ask me going from aberdeen to brighton was a step down for him, and he SHOULD be our first choice

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Other teams want it more and work better as a unit. We look shit in pre-season, most seasons recently, and never really kick on from there. Those pre-seasons have a lot to answer for, and should make warning bells ring. When you consistently look clueless against non-league opposition then you're in for a hard season. I know it's an extended training session, but we were puerile against Crawley this pre-season. If all was well, we should have eased past them. Then half a dozen 'gelling' excuses. Truth is we're nowhere near good enough at the moment and will need another complete overhaul pre-Falmer to get to where we want to be.

IMHO, like.

 

[Pavilionaire]

I think it's harsh on the bench named to be considered "hoof hoofs" and "headless chickens".

Injuries and suspensions, plus the fact half the team is brand new, means that our strongest XI has yet to have a chance to play together consistently. If you plug the gaps with Smith, Whing, Virgo, Crofts and Forster then I think you'll have half an XI of good pros and the other half Championship quality.

That may well be good enough to gain promotion were we at Falmer, to get promotion whilst at Withdean looks beyond the current squad this season, and you can't see the chairman splashing the cash just yet.

One way and another it's unlikely we'll go up this year. Leeds and Charlton look solid and other teams like Huddersfield, MK Dons, Norwich look better equipped than us. I think we should give it a go though, but aim to get a settled side by Christmas.

Everton have shown by finishing 5th last season that a settled side with few changes can finish higher than more glamorous sides like Man City and Spurs. Spurs themselves have made few offseason changes, so I expect them to finish 5th or 6th and finish a lot closer to the Top 4 than in the past couple of seasons.