I've been away for a bit, on the treatment table and unavailable for selection. I'm on my way back now though, in light training (can only down about six pints in a sitting) but it won't be long before I'm fit and firing again. So anyway, here's some of my thoughts from the last couple of weeks.
The managers new contract.
It's excellent news in my book. I've long advocated it (after admitting that I wouldn't have kept him on last season in a month of Sundays that is). This time around, he is quite simply a better manager. Forget all that "It's all down to Craig Cope/better players" stuff, that is a cop out for all of us Jackson critics. I don't do cop outs, I tell it like it is. The simple fact of the matter is he is now a much better manager than he was, and oiks like me were wrong to think/say he'd never make a manager while he had a hole in his arse. He's doing a fine job, we're lucky to have him. Skivvers, Rob & Bayzo too. My guess is Omar & Armani will sign with us next season, and it's because the manager is staying.
Losing Ali was a huge blow, but we had no choice.
If someone comes in the Alex and offers to increase my salary by 1500%, I'd be pretty interested. I reckon under those circumstances anyone's head would turn, I've no doubt Ali's was spinning like a barn owl once Ipswich started talking turkey. Fair play to the lad I love him, but my guess is that once he'd done the Cuba Gooding Jnr line from "Jerry McGuire", it was all over. We had no choice.
Josh Kelly isn't Ali. Then again, who is? (I know, Ali. Nobody likes a smart arse).
My hunch is that we are a long way as of yet from seeing what Josh Kelly is all about. I've only seen him LIVE the once, and didn't study him at all while he was at Solihull Moors. My impression from the one viewing is that he's obviously a talented footballer, has a good touch and that his movement is much better than Ali. That said our star man's main thing was not the intelligence of the movement, it was how quickly he got from A to Zee and how difficult it was to stop him getting there. Clearly our new man is nowhere near so fast and nowhere near so strong, he's a completely different type of operator.
My feeling is that Josh would thrive with little one-twos around the box, would gobble up being slid through little gaps in the defence with ten yard nudges. He looks like a clever striker in a kind of Dennis Berkampish kind of way to me. He isn't going to smash the doors off their hinges Ali style, he's more of a sneak through the gap just as they're about to close kind of guy. I don't think the Omar flick ones are really his cup of Yorkshire, he needs a little more subtlety to really shine. He ain't no Ali, but there's no shame in that.
The road to the playoffs can't be negotiated with SatNav.
Folks who say "If we don't beat Crawley tonight we're done" are miles off in my opinion. The total lack of "on the beach" teams in L2 right now (mid table fodder who have bugger all to play for) means that everyone will beat everyone. The road will be rocky, we'll lose some games but we'll still go very close. My gut feeling is that if we're brave enough to go for the wins in games when it's 1-1 down the stretch, we'll get home with a point or two to spare. And there's no prizes for finishing 4th rather than 7th either. Anywhere in the top seven will do.
John Kymani-Gordon is a far better player than he himself realises.
While the jury may be deliberating about some of our new signings, I'm not in any doubt about this lad at all. He played a half of football right in front of me down the left side against Mansfield, he is an excellent footballer and I was very impressed. The other team obviously agreed, a fella kicked him over the corner flag in the second half. He came off after that, and hasn't really been the same since.
An observation on the kid. He is easily good enough to be a proper weapon at this level. He could cut inside to recieve possession, take it more on the half turn, hit it, dart in on goal. At this level he could be a Mo Salah type, he looks to me like the only thing holding him back is a slight lack of belief. It's hard to MAKE someone believe, but I'm pretty sure I'm right in saying that he is a proper footballer. Go get em son.
Crawley WILL NOT be a pushover. Neither will Doncaster.
I've read people on Twitter saying Crawley at home is a penalty kick. If it is, Ali is taking it. Look at the league table and you'd be forgiven for thinking they are miles behind us. They aren't. Four points behind us with a game in hand is nothing. They'll be coming to WIN the game, if they do they are well and truly in the playoff picture. In Dani Orso they have a slippery little bugger of a striker.
Donny are in my opinion THE biggest underperforming team in the league relative to their squad strength. They have some excellent players and should be much higher. They are just starting to show signs of clicking though (they smashed Grimsby 5-1 away on Saturday).
Neither team will be a pushover. Four points would be an excellent return.
Anyway, enjoy the game tonight and at Donny. I'll be at both, see you there and COYD.
No comments:
Post a Comment