Reserves Away V Walsall Tuesday 26th @14:00

[Thracian]

My role for King would be purely to come on and attack. I would bring him off the bench if we needed a goal. If Ollie used him purely to be a like for like change for either Oakley or Clemence, then it's a waste. Some of these reserve players are really beginning to stake a claim for a start. Will Ollie have the balls to drop the Captain though.

I've just made the point in another thread that Clemence has missed six League games this season, four of them away, and we've not lost one.

[Manwell Pablo]

I've just made the point in another thread that Clemence has missed six League games this season, four of them away, and we've not lost one.

I tell you what, if Joseph Goebbels had as much talent as you Thracian I reckon we'd all be speaking German now.

[danny.]

Fryatt had his first sight on goal on 16 minutes, but his drive failed to trouble Saddlers stopper Bertrand Bossu.

Fryatt rattled the post a minute before the break before Hayles bundled in the rebound only to see it chalked off for an alleged handball.

Fryatt came close again from range on 58 minutes, but his well struck effort was palmed away by Bossu.

Fryatt weaved his way through on 70 minutes before seeing his shot acrobatically cleared off the line, and moments later Hayles forced another good save from Bossu.

Fryatt almost doubled City's advantage in added time, but his header drifted just wide of the target.

hitman!

[Thracian]

I tell you what, if Joseph Goebbels had as much talent as you Thracian I reckon we'd all be speaking German now.

Könnten Sie das bitte wiederholen.

[Calum McDermott]

When andy king played in the first team he seemed to be playing in a more withdrawn, holding role. Whereas, in the reserves it seems that he is better going forward and can score some crucial goals. Maybe, he was holding back in the 1st team because, he was more worried about not doing things wrong, rather than taking risks and making an impact.

[Trumpet]

Good old Kingy. Third goals in three matches if memory serves. Better send him out on loan if he's going to do that, otherwise he'll become an embarrassment.

Good old Kingy, doing the reserves proud!

[dandannieldanok]

When andy king played in the first team he seemed to be playing in a more withdrawn, holding role. Whereas, in the reserves it seems that he is better going forward and can score some crucial goals. Maybe, he was holding back in the 1st team because, he was more worried about not doing things wrong, rather than taking risks and making an impact.

Maybe , but I personally think it is due to the negative management at first-team of our players.

[breadandcheese]

When andy king played in the first team he seemed to be playing in a more withdrawn, holding role. Whereas, in the reserves it seems that he is better going forward and can score some crucial goals. Maybe, he was holding back in the 1st team because, he was more worried about not doing things wrong, rather than taking risks and making an impact.

When he first came into the team, wasn't it under Megson. In which case, no wonder he was playing a mroe withdrawn role. So were our strikers.

Out of interest, where was King playing today for the reserves. I'm assuming Weso and Kishishev were the two central midfielders so was King on the right. In which case, can he do this for the first team?

[Thracian]

When he first came into the team, wasn't it under Megson. In which case, no wonder he was playing a mroe withdrawn role. So were our strikers.

Out of interest, where was King playing today for the reserves. I'm assuming Weso and Kishishev were the two central midfielders so was King on the right. In which case, can he do this for the first team?

Sounds like wide right midfield in a flexible 4-4-2/4-3-3.

It looked quite a malleable side because Beswick was at left back and he's a specialist winger anyway.

King could have played wide right or central and Bori could have switched to either side.

You can see some patterns emerging for a shadow squad.

Nice to see the young back line featuring in a clean sheet.

[Flynny]

Good old Kingy. Third goals in three matches if memory serves. Better send him out on loan if he's going to do that, otherwise he'll become an embarrassment.

You're not fighting a battle with King because everyone's aware of his strengths and he's not crap at doing the basic stuff his position entails. We all want Kingy to come good and more and more people are sick of Clemence, though I'd be happy to see Wesolowski in there too. Hell I'd play both, they'd compliment each other nicely.

Is King much faster that Clemence? Does he actually win second balls and deflected balls in space instead of lumbering agonisingly towards them, backing off them, or picking them up, dallying on the ball and losing them? I've seen him play but I don't remember much about this part of his game.

[Father Ted]

He is a genius! Do you know who it is? Or are you on about the sig?

Did that avatar actually happen and if so, was she alright?

[Thracian]

You're not fighting a battle with King because everyone's aware of his strengths and he's not crap at doing the basic stuff his position entails. We all want Kingy to come good and more and more people are sick of Clemence, though I'd be happy to see Wesolowski in there too. Hell I'd play both, they'd compliment each other nicely.

Is King much faster that Clemence? Does he actually win second balls and deflected balls in space instead of lumbering agonisingly towards them, backing off them, or picking them up, dallying on the ball and losing them? I've seen him play but I don't remember much about this part of his game.

I wouldn't think he's faster. Speed isn't one of his strengths. He's a bit one paced to be honest which isn't unusual in a bloke of six-foot odd. But he does win second balls, particularly at the edge of the box and makes himself available for others who win them too, scoring an absolute screamer of a goal from one such situation recently.

He needed to work on his stamina cos he tended to fade in the last 20 minutes of games but that's seems to have improved of late.

He's not the fiercest tackler but he doesn't shirk responsibility, he's composed, works hard, covers well, doesn't ball watch and sees the game well enough to spot a good run and deliver the best pass.

His added qualities are:

a) His ability and willingness to shoot - given the freedom he really does take a lot of pops for a midfielder. They don't all go in of course but he's quite accurate usually.

b) His ability to arrive late in the penalty area and get a few headers in.

This last ability also makes him useful defending set-pieces and he also wins a fair number of headers in midfield where his main strength is his one or two-touch passing.

He doesn't get caught in possession much because he's never inclined to over elaborate and, with Beswick, is one of the fastest in the club to get his passes away.

Indeed much of his outfield game is so simple as to barely be noticed. But around the box when the ball hits the net, Kingy's often either scored it, made it, or been involved in some way. But he needs to have licence to make those sorties.

[Flynny]

Sounds basically like an attacking Clemence that doesn't dally on the ball and isn't a useless captain then.

[Thracian]

Sounds basically like an attacking Clemence that doesn't dally on the ball and isn't a useless captain then.

I imagine Clemence did some of these things at one time - he always looks skillful to me in the pre-match workout.

But I just feel he's pacing himself now and his edge has gone.

When that happens a player still does occasionally have a blinder and convinces himself he's not really lost anything and that he'd just been in an indifferent spell. But the good days get further apart.

And when I consider Clem's season that seems to be the case because there just haven't been enough highlights for me. I honestly expected more. Not miracles but more inspiration.

We all saw it against Norwich but when else? It's not laziness or indifference I'm sure. It happens to all sportsmen. Quite suddenly sometimes, you just become one of the crowd.

[Joe.]

And when I consider Clem's season that seems to be the case because there just haven't been enough highlights for me. I honestly expected more. Not miracles but more inspiration.

We all saw it against Norwich but when else? It's not laziness or indifference I'm sure. It happens to all sportsmen. Quite suddenly sometimes, you just become one of the crowd.

I think that's how most of us feel at the moment Thracian.

Like you say, we all expected more from him. And it's not just him, we expected more from everyone. But when the chips are down you expect somebody like Stephen Clemence to take things by the scruff of the neck and show that bit of inspiration like you say.

I don't know whether he'll improve, I hope so. I honestly feel with better players around him he'd be a much better player. I'm stressing at wingers in particular here.

[danny.]

His added qualities are:

a) His ability and willingness to shoot - given the freedom he really does take a lot of pops for a midfielder. They don't all go in of course but he's quite accurate usually.

b) His ability to arrive late in the penalty area and get a few headers in.

I reckon I could do that. Seriously.

[Thracian]

I reckon I could do that. Seriously.

I didn't mean THAT late!

[Bert]

I wouldn't think he's faster. Speed isn't one of his strengths. He's a bit one paced to be honest which isn't unusual in a bloke of six-foot odd. But he does win second balls, particularly at the edge of the box and makes himself available for others who win them too, scoring an absolute screamer of a goal from one such situation recently.

He needed to work on his stamina cos he tended to fade in the last 20 minutes of games but that's seems to have improved of late.

He's not the fiercest tackler but he doesn't shirk responsibility, he's composed, works hard, covers well, doesn't ball watch and sees the game well enough to spot a good run and deliver the best pass.

His added qualities are:

a) His ability and willingness to shoot - given the freedom he really does take a lot of pops for a midfielder. They don't all go in of course but he's quite accurate usually.

b) His ability to arrive late in the penalty area and get a few headers in.

This last ability also makes him useful defending set-pieces and he also wins a fair number of headers in midfield where his main strength is his one or two-touch passing.

He doesn't get caught in possession much because he's never inclined to over elaborate and, with Beswick, is one of the fastest in the club to get his passes away.

Indeed much of his outfield game is so simple as to barely be noticed. But around the box when the ball hits the net, Kingy's often either scored it, made it, or been involved in some way. But he needs to have licence to make those sorties.

December the 29th, 2007.