Championship quality in our squad

I didn’t say that , just said that’s what folks used to say in the ‘good old days’ 60’s / early 70’s alongside the same comments the OP put

 

I agree with the above summary - we’re nowhere near as strong as the previous two promotion squads. Good League 1 team as it stands.

Collins, Andersen, Williams and Connell are ready.

Benson, Kane, Kitching and Cundy could be good in the Championship with quality around them.

Cole, Wolfe, Phillips and Thomas could be useful but have to improve.

Cadden is good in L1 but too slow and doesn’t get back. Could improve that side of his game though.

I can’t see Norwood or Aitchison cutting it.

 

The same amount of games as Collins when we played under Val. I still maintain Walton is the better of the 2.
Just an opinion of course.

 

Compared to the stendal squad this team is light years behind . We are still without a competent striker, a decent ball winning midfielder and someone who can create . Thomas was looking like the later though.

 

I very much doubt cole would get in any championship side . He’s playing at his level now

 

There's no room for sentiment and if we got promoted this season then we'd need a huge clear out and possibly 9 + new additions for the championship. Without that then we'd likely finish bottom of the table.
Only Collins, Mads and Williams championship quality at present in my opinion.

 

It doesn’t add up that a team that wins promotion then needs a huge clear out. Maybe some are better than they are being given credit for? Plus, we can’t afford to bring in 9+ championship ready players.

If we do go up, the most important thing will be to keep the coaching staff and key players. Then we’d need to have the setup and tactics to make sure the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

 

It adds up when you see the huge gulf in class between Championship and League One sides.

 

Our issues on our last two promotions weren’t with the quality of the promotion team, it was the quality of replacements we brought in when key players were sold.

The last two seasons show us that there’s more to it than x player is ‘championship standard’. Look at the difference between the two Callums under Val and then Schopp/Asbaghi. Far more important that we keep hold of Duff and get the best out of what we have.

We have January to get through first, and if we are to go up, probably need another forward a centre back and a defensive midfielder bringing in.

 

I think they’re all world beaters..

 

Your definition of great is different to mine.

I think he’s been ok. No more no less. He’s hardly blasting his way to the top of the scoring Charts. This is his level I reckon.

 

Anderson & Collins are the two stand outs who are clearly championship standard. I think Williams is too but his value to us is lessened by his injury record.

All of Connell, Kane, Benson, Phillips, Cadden & Kitching I think could step up.

Big problems remain in forward areas. We’re only where we are because we’re very well organised & have a brilliant keeper & centre back for this level. We don’t have a top end league one attack never mind a championship one.

Big positives are if we go up we only need to significantly strengthen the forward area initially. Even if we went up with players who are borderline good enough they’d probably be ok due to been part of a settled defence & midfield.

 

I think you're on your own with that one. Each time he's come in for Collins, he's been sadly disappointing. Lincoln at home in particular.

 

We currently have 37 points from 21 games.

We had 36 from 21 the last time at this level.

In game 21 yesterday, the XI was (goals in brackets):

Collins (0), Williams (2), Cundy (1), Andersen (0), Kitching (1), Cadden (0), Connell (1), Kane (1), Phillips (5), Cole (8), Norwood (4).

In game 21 of the 2018/19 season, the XI was (goals in brackets):

Davies (0), Cavaré (1), Jackson (0), Pinnock (1), Pinillos (0), Potts (6), Mowatt (2), McGeehan (1), Moncur (5), Moore (12), Woodrow (6).

This season, we've got 9 clean sheets from 21 games, compared to 8 from 21 four years ago. We've conceded 17 goals so far, compared to 21 in 2018/19.

To end the comparison, the Stendel side from 18/19 went from game 22 to game 46 losing just two more games (Burton and Bristol Rovers away). They went 20 games unbeaten. And that was despite losing Moore to injury in February (for 11 games), and Pottsy going to PNE. We only signed Jordan Green, Elliot Simoes and George Miller that January. Only Green featured, and not often.
Never forget just how impressive that campaign was. We finished 2nd with 26 wins and 91 points. A season to remember.

The fact that the current Reds are on a par with them should be enormously pleasing. It's highly unlikely that they'll now go on a 25-game run that Stendel's squad went on, let's be honest. I'm as optimistic as they come, but even I can't envisage that kind of success. Because the division is much stronger now in my opinion, and the 'spend' on the 18/19 squad in terms of fees and salaries paid was much greater. But there was no huge expectation on that squad, when Daniel came in. I still remember the 'who's he?' comments when he got the job. Doubts over many of the players, especially Mowatt. But that season shaped how it's now viewed, as will this one when it's finished!

I know for sure that the majority of the BBS didn't tip us to be 4th, on 37 points after 21 games this season. There were plenty suggesting we'd drop straight through to L2. Some, even just a month or so ago were questioning the coach.

We've picked up 16 of the last 18 points available.

I think everyone (whether that's me, the BBS, the coach, the club) knows where we are weakest this season. We need more options going forward. Although yesterday, whilst Devante did waste a couple of chances, it was Cadden and even more so, Phillips who had the better chances. The latter doesn't miss usually. And amidst those passed up opportunities, we were a couple of refereeing decisions away from making it 18 points from 18. Clear foul on Cole in the box, even clearer one on Kitching before that. And whilst the ball did strike Kitching's hand, it did so as he brought his arms into his chest trying to block a shot. So the ball was hitting his chest. He didn't move his hands unnaturally. It's a shocking call. The referee's apparently watch their games back and assess what they got right, what they got wrong, and I'm pretty sure Rebecca knows she got a lot wrong yesterday.
She won't be the last referee to cost us points. We've had a few already just this season. People knock Norwood for his goal output, but he's actually had three perfectly timed runs - and then goals - judged as offside. Fine margins and all that. But that takes us back to the area we need to address - taking our chances. Yes, we'll add more bodies, and we'll have Thomas/Tedic back in a few weeks hopefully. But it's all about being ruthless. We should have blown Accy away yesterday in that first half-hour. It was like watching men against boys. At one stage, we had just Mads in his own half as we kept up wave after wave of attack. But as I said to Doug from the Chronicle at least twice - "we'll rue these missed chances" and indeed we did.

It's been an enjoyable first half of the season in my eyes. Especially from where we've come from over the last six to seven months. Let's hope the team can keep up the momentum and if we reach the play-offs, who knows?

 

Great read Thankyou.

 

Maybe. But I disagree with everyone one else if that's the case.
Each time he's come in he's been disappointing. I beg to differ.
I can also remember the other games he played in the fa cup where he pulled out worldies.
Collins has more c0ck ups in general play imo than Walton.
Its the most difficult position to dislodge 1st choice. If they are playing ok. And I would only put Collins in the ok bracket.

 

I was actually thinking along similar lines when out for my afternoon stroll (to the craft beer shop and back). We only lost Dike and Mowatt from the playing staff in the summer of '21, yet Big Val's departure singlehandedly turned us from one of the best sides in the division to one of the worst sides in the division EVER.