Pre-season 2023-24

[truewhite15]

I see on Twitter the three strikers are described as ‘gash’ and honestly you’d have to be blind to suggest these three look remotely close to being good players.

Hyperbole alert.

[BWFC_Insane]

You can see why we want Gomes if we are planning to set up like this with a striker type behind the other two. He’s infinitely better than anything we have in that role.

[Worthy4England]

Great goal Thomo lad!

Saved Evatt's career, that

Not half. I think the commentator is pretty much with it in his pronunciation of "Atta boy yo yo"

[truewhite15]

Thomason has looked alright to me. Strong, decent when recycling possession, anticipating the play well...

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

WE
ARE
GOIN'
UP
SAY
WE
ARE
GOIN'
UP

[sonicthewhite]

Morley puts us in front but still the strikers aren't doing the business. Booooo, Evatt out

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

No but seriously though - since the first team came on we've looked a lot better (notable that Thomo - the only outfielder to stay on, bar Rico - is probably now part of that conversation)

BUT the non-Dion forwards is indeed still a worry.

Oh, one other thing - wonder if that's the last time we see Sadlier and/or John start a game for us.

[truewhite15]

No but seriously though - since the first team came on we've looked a lot better (notable that Thomo - the only outfielder to stay on, bar Rico - is probably now part of that conversation)

BUT the non-Dion forwards is indeed still a worry.

Oh, one other thing - wonder if that's the last time we see Sadlier and/or John start a game for us.

Noticed Tommo having a right go at Sadlier for being out of position (again) just before Salford's goal. Tommo had had to come across to make a challenge, and was telling Sadlier in no uncertain terms that Sads should have been the one to make it.

Not convinced that either Sads or John have the tactical nouse or defensive workrate to play at wing back in an Evatt side.

[Worthy4England]

No but seriously though - since the first team came on we've looked a lot better (notable that Thomo - the only outfielder to stay on, bar Rico - is probably now part of that conversation)

BUT the non-Dion forwards is indeed still a worry.

Oh, one other thing - wonder if that's the last time we see Sadlier and/or John start a game for us.

Yeah. In a none hyperbole sense, our front line is a worry. Everyone's assuming Dion will continue to bag, If he doesn't it looks pretty sparse...

It was poor in the final third.

[Mar]

Morley puts us in front but still the strikers aren't doing the business. Booooo, Evatt out

But, but but but but.... they scored when no-one was watching....

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

wonder if that's the last time we see Sadlier and/or John start a game for us.

Noticed Tommo having a right go at Sadlier for being out of position (again) just before Salford's goal. Tommo had had to come across to make a challenge, and was telling Sadlier in no uncertain terms that Sads should have been the one to make it.

Not convinced that either Sads or John have the tactical nouse or defensive workrate to play at wing back in an Evatt side.

Ghost noticed similar bollockings in previous friendlies.

In the end, it doesn't really matter whether players won't (workrate) or just can't (nous) play the position. We need folks who can.

Dec got away with being an attacking full-back in Div 4, but not in a Div 3 back four. He came back into fashion in the latter part of Evatt's second season when we switched to a back three to cover for him on one side and Fossey on the other. But WB requires work as well as creativity, and since then either his rate has dropped off further or he's just been exposed as a weak link.

Sads I feel sorrier for because we changed the system he suited. But that was for the greater good, and he does seem to enrage his colleagues (and some fans who watch for tactical system play).

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

No but seriously though - since the first team came on we've looked a lot better (notable that Thomo - the only outfielder to stay on, bar Rico - is probably now part of that conversation)

BUT the non-Dion forwards is indeed still a worry.

Oh, one other thing - wonder if that's the last time we see Sadlier and/or John start a game for us.

Yeah. In a none hyperbole sense, our front line is a worry. Everyone's assuming Dion will continue to bag, If he doesn't it looks pretty sparse...

It was poor in the final third.

I'm not – I'm more hoping than expecting, because he had some sparse spells last season which seemed to get to him. And as you say, if he's off the boil (Sonic pun intended) it looks bleak.

[Harry Genshaw]

Not long back. Its only pre season but a couple of issues from last year were still apparent. Not breaking quickly enough and not having a bloody shot when we've worked ourselves into a good position. Victor still seems like he needs an extra touch, shocking miss from JDB in the 1st minute and a great through ball to Jerome on the edge of the box in the 2nd half, resulted in no shot but us winning a throw in.

George Thomasson was excellent throughout. Coleman was steady but seemed at fault for their goal. I liked the look of Forrester and Ashworth seemed pretty solid too. Randall looked the business when he came on, Dacre Cogley not so much.

All early days though. We'll be reet.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

George Thomasson was excellent throughout. Coleman was steady but seemed at fault for their goal. I liked the look of Forrester and Ashworth seemed pretty solid too. Randall looked the business when he came on, Dacre Cogley not so much.

Give us more on the new lads, Harry – particularly Ashworth & Forrester. Did they remind you of anyone?

[Harry Genshaw]

George Thomasson was excellent throughout. Coleman was steady but seemed at fault for their goal. I liked the look of Forrester and Ashworth seemed pretty solid too. Randall looked the business when he came on, Dacre Cogley not so much.

Give us more on the new lads, Harry – particularly Ashworth & Forrester. Did they remind you of anyone?

They both started either side of Santos. Forrester used the ball well and both looked comfortable. Not much else to say though.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

∆ Thanks, Harry.

Evatt on Bod: “It looks like a bit of a hamstring strain. It doesn’t look too serious but obviously at this late stage of pre-season, it is not ideal.”

[GhostoftheBok]

The front line is fine.

Nlundulu was asked to fill in in midfield, because we don't have any mids and Evatt clearly wants to put out his best side vs Everton. Dad Bod is coming back from injury and looks iffy, but we know he's decent.

Once we got the "first 11" on the pitch we were dominant in all areas. You could easily see how Vic and Charles are intended to work together and Salford suffocated in the press. Vic got an assist and arguably should have had two. He also could have scored two with a bit more match sharpness.

Nobody is going to feel okay about it until it comes together in the season, I do get that, but it's going to work out. We had shooting chances and got in down the flanks. The cross-field passes tore Salford to bits and once things are more fluid those will be taken down and put into the box for the strikers who were consistently in front of their markers when that pass went wide.

It's coming along.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

How were the two new young defenders, Ghost?

[GhostoftheBok]

George Thomasson was excellent throughout. Coleman was steady but seemed at fault for their goal. I liked the look of Forrester and Ashworth seemed pretty solid too. Randall looked the business when he came on, Dacre Cogley not so much.

Give us more on the new lads, Harry – particularly Ashworth & Forrester. Did they remind you of anyone?

I agree with Harry's view of Forrester and Ashworth. Both are front-foot, proactive defenders who aren't massive units but use their bodies well. They're technically sound, aggressive and look like they enjoy a scrap. Ashworth messed up one pass very badly (a simple ball down the left that went out for a throw), but for the most part he was progressive when afforded the chance and always looked for a forward pass before making a decision. Forrester is more developed (as you'd expect) and managed to dominate in the air against taller players. Ashworth looked to be trying a bit too hard to impress, which is understandable. Forrester looked like he'd be playing in that back three for ages.

Both have loads to learn and plenty they can improve on, but look like they are capable of that improvement. Forrester tends to get caught too tight when going for headers, instead of using his arm to give himself space to jump. He does win it, but it's messy. If he can work that little push in the back into his game, to stop bigger lads backing into him, he'll be a lot more comfortable under bombardment. Ashworth allowed his man wrong side a couple of times and had to wrestle his way back in to make a challenge. Thommo covered him when he wasn't able to recover, but against better sides we'd probably have been in bother.

It's the kind of stuff you expect from young lads. They're both quick and very comfortable on the ball, so Evatt will be pleased.

Cogley had his first iffy appearance, with his touch unsound and his runs mistimed. We're obviously working on the diagonal in behind the fullback to make the most of our pace out wide and he was caught offside too often. When he stayed onside he had a couple of decent moments, but wasn't as dynamic and decisive as we've seen him thus far. He was still a threat, though, and Salford worried about him enough to start leaving a player at home to cope with his pace.

Nlundulu was asked to play an odd role for him, so he was generally ineffective; but when he got into his usual kind of area he did some good work. He's still dogged and difficult to dispossess once he has it at feet, so he dribbled well a couple of times. His biggest issue is making the right decision about when to release the ball after doing the hard work. Not a game I'd want to judge him on, but he showed his usually willingness. He really needs to use his physicality more. He obviously wants to be a technical player, but when you're built like that there's no reason to avoid smashing people to the floor when it's an option. There were a couple of times when he turned away from a much smaller opponent he could have run over like a freight train.

Coleman was good and bad. He's a funny 'keeper. Looks commanding at times, then rash at others. Not great with his feet at range, but alright playing the short game. He makes weird choices when the ball is hit low around him and it may have cost him a clean sheet today (was hard to tell from where I was sat and not seen a replay). He seemed to try and make a one-handed rigid block down to his left, rather than try to actively palm the ball away. He's done a similar thing a few times in warm-up and Gilks has had a bit of a go about it, so it may be something he's picked up and nobody has coached out of him. I think today Gilks said, "What have we said?" when he did it in warm-up...then he took it into the match anyway. I may have seen it wrong, though, as I say. I was looking for it, so may be confirmation bias.

He made some good decisions to come out when they countered and his positioning puts him way above someone like Dixon, so we've at least improved our back-up options. He's only 27, so he's not finished as a keeper in terms of his education and there's a player there for sure. Gilks has a job on in some areas, but he's good at his job and I could see Coleman becoming a proper keeper at this level, though I suspect this will turn out to be his level.

[Worthy4England]

On N'lundulu, I think it's probably fair to say he's difficult to dispossess. At the same time (don't have any stats to validate) it seems like he often loses possession - just might be on the third person he's tried to beat rather than the first. I think his ability to go from back to goal to playing a progressive pass feels pretty weak too. So I'm not sure what would constitue a good ball into him aside from one to run onto...