Colchester pre-match chit chat

[Thracian]

To be fair so does Lloyd and Nicky as well. None of them can cross at all. At least Gradel has a few assists this season from crosses. All 3 of them need a lot of work done on their delivery. But that's why they are playing at a League One club and not higher up.

I agree, Gradel should be on the bench for a few games though and bought on to step up his performances again. Won't do him any harm.

I hope he's fit tonight, Colchester have never played agaimst him. That's when he's at his most dangerous.

Gradel, despite his faltering start, is still top of the official assists list but what concerns me is that his shooting has been so uncharacteristically eratic.

He and Dyer have had roughly the same proportion of shots per appearance, Dyer having had 15 shots in seven starts and Gradel 12 shots in five. That's infinitely more than we've been used to from either flank last season of course.

But Dyer has had nine on target and three off (scoring three goals as well) whereas Gradel's had nine shots off target and only three on.

Whether he's trying too hard, is not fully confident, has other things to worry about or it has something to do with his change of flank compared with last season at Bournemouth I don't know - especially as I've seen him score plenty in the past starting on the right flank. But he's almost seemed deadly accurate even from distance and right now his sights seem to be failing him.

Like others I don't know that it would harm him starting on the bench because he's having to do far more defending now than he ever did in lower-grade football and that is another thing that he might still be getting used to. Being so young, it may just be sapping a bit of his sharpness and costing him a bit of time on the ball.

Gradel's never struck me as defensive minded at all and it has been a revelation how enthusiastically he's perfomed in that respect.

But, as always, there's a price to pay and it's perhaps a little higher in Gradel's case than Dyer's. And that could simply be down to needing the time and experience to acquire the durability which will come the more first team matches he plays.

It's a nice problem for City to have, three genuinely high-quality wingers or four if you count Porter.

I just hope that Gradel will understand that starting on the bench may well be for his own good in time, if it happens. He's marvellously talented but he is still learning his trade and he needs to emerge stronger from any little setbacks he experiences along the way.

[Tabou]

Live chat is going to be absolutely rocking tonight.

Will Phube be in there?

Phubeybabes? Will you be in attendance?

I enjoyed Saturday's live chat.

Tonight promises to be spectacular.

And, what's this?! Nussul will be there too?

This is like Christmas.

I might get really pissed tonight and venture in.

[JakeShingler]

Live chat is going to be absolutely rocking tonight.

What is live chat?

[James.]

What is live chat?

Nothing.

[Tabou]

Nothing.

Just wet myself at that.

Jake hasn't spoken to me since I told him that I chose to do unsightly things with hamsters of a weekend.

[JakeShingler]

Just wet myself at that.

Jake hasn't spoken to me since I told him that I chose to do unsightly things with hamsters of a weekend.

That is a bit weird.

[Ric Flair]

Gradel, despite his faltering start, is still top of the official assists list but what concerns me is that his shooting has been so uncharacteristically eratic.

He and Dyer have had roughly the same proportion of shots per appearance, Dyer having had 15 shots in seven starts and Gradel 12 shots in five. That's infinitely more than we've been used to from either flank last season of course.

But Dyer has had nine on target and three off (scoring three goals as well) whereas Gradel's had nine shots off target and only three on.

Whether he's trying too hard, is not fully confident, has other things to worry about or it has something to do with his change of flank compared with last season at Bournemouth I don't know - especially as I've seen him score plenty in the past starting on the right flank. But he's almost seemed deadly accurate even from distance and right now his sights seem to be failing him.

Like others I don't know that it would harm him starting on the bench because he's having to do far more defending now than he ever did in lower-grade football and that is another thing that he might still be getting used to. Being so young, it may just be sapping a bit of his sharpness and costing him a bit of time on the ball.

Gradel's never struck me as defensive minded at all and it has been a revelation how enthusiastically he's perfomed in that respect.

But, as always, there's a price to pay and it's perhaps a little higher in Gradel's case than Dyer's. And that could simply be down to needing the time and experience to acquire the durability which will come the more first team matches he plays.

It's a nice problem for City to have, three genuinely high-quality wingers or four if you count Porter.

I just hope that Gradel will understand that starting on the bench may well be for his own good in time, if it happens. He's marvellously talented but he is still learning his trade and he needs to emerge stronger from any little setbacks he experiences along the way.

I must admit, I think Gradel might be more effective cutting in from the left when shooting, but as you say, he's scored a lot of goals at first team, reserve and youth level from the right wing, so that's not necessarily the reason for his lack of goals yet.

Although he strikes me as a confident and fearless player, I still think he might be trying too hard at Leicester and if he relaxes a bit when he's on the ball, it might lead to a more effective cross or shot. We all know the lad is as good as anything we've seen at Leicester for several years.

[Tabou]

That is a bit weird.

Don't knock it til you've tried it Jakeyboy!

[DonFox]

Don't knock it til you've tried it Jakeyboy!

[JakeShingler]

Don't knock it til you've tried it Jakeyboy!

Ill keep that in mind

[Tabou]

Ill keep that in mind

No your supposed to keep in in your ars...