Not this week. He has bought himself some time by being a bit more innovative in his selection and team play today. I think Cousins will feel hard done by being dropped, especially when the pin up boy / crowd favourite water carrier Pritchard gets another go. The team spirit and effort were excellent today. I will reserve judgement on CP until we see whether Jekyll or Hyde turns up in the really.big one v Millwall.
In terms of our season Millwall is no bigger than any other game, why don't you reserve judgement until we've played enough games to make your judgement based on some evidence? Christmas maybe? How can you have a pop at Pritch and then go on to praise team spirit and effort which he epitomised today? Cousins will get his chance. I know you don't rate Powell but his greatest strength is man-management and he'll rightly take his time like he did with Cally last season.
I don't get it either. As I said earlier, some people like to sneer at him, but he was an important part of the team's performance today. H e was always there to receive the ball and help his team-mates out right across the midfield. And he hardly gave the ball away either. When you think of some of the passionless players we've had in recent years it is a pleasure to watch Pritchard.
I would not be too disappointed with a point. Local derbies are often draws regardless of the relative stature of the clubs or their current form. I would certainly rather draw against Millwall and win against A.N.Other Utd than win against Millwall and lose the other match, and I am sure the Good Doctor would too. Four points beat three any day. As for Cousins, it looks as if the club are bringing him on at the exactly the right pace. CP played the Harriotts for more consecutive games than he said he would, and I think that may have contributed to a little of the gloss wearing off. Luckily with Wiggins getting his form back and Evina performing well there is no need to pressure the lad. What chance of a premature departure for Sordell? We would all like to see a bit more of Pigott, but I think that will happen by default with our limited selection of strikers as they are they are bound to pick up knocks.
Pritchard is Keith Jones MK II. I absolutely adored Keith Jones and I quite like Pritchard when he's allowed to get on with what he's good at. Which as we all know is breaking up play and making a general all round nuicence of himself in the middle of the park. When paired with a more expansive CM like Jackson, Cousins and Stephens he is mustard. However, when paired with Hughes, Gower, or Hollands we are simply pathetic and carry no attacking threat or creativity whatsoever. Long may Pritchard continue in his role as midfield enforcer/pain in the arse.
I don't rate him technically, poor ability, but gives his all and most of the time giving your all makes up for any lack of technical ability.
If we are playing 3-5-2, how about a central midfield of Cousins, JJ and Stephens ? Cousins has the same physical attributes as Pritchard, but without his technical deficiences. You would be surprised at how many of our passing moves break down because of BP
Stoked with the solid win, cant wait for 21sept as I will be able to view the match on cable here, first time I would have seen a full Charlton match for god knows how long, once or twice last year maybe. Good to see yann on the scoresheet
I've always liked 3-5-2 as a formation. However, it deffo calls for a deep lying, disciplined and positionally aware midfielder. From what I've seen of Cousins he could perform this role in his sleep. I really like the look of: Cousins Stephens Jackson With Solly RDM and Wiggins LDM. For my money the balance between offence and defence would be absolutely perfect. My only question mark would be over the players ability to adapt to an alien formation.
He hardly gave the ball away at all yesterday. He kept a lot of our attacking moves going by making himself available to the man in possession, when there was no other option. Without his presence you would have sees more long-ball.
I think you are forgetting the creativity that Hughes bought to our midfield in the games at the end of last season. His turn and pass was a pleasure to behold in midfield and the fact that he is still with us to pass some of those skills on pleases me no end and I still believe he would enhance the team by bringing the stability that JJ showed yesterday. A sub maybe but not one to be written out. Gower I think the jury is still out but yesterday as sub he performed well enough, Hollands is a Gillingham player for the foreseeable but hadn't been performing at this level I agree. Pritchard does break up play really well and it is usually after doing this that his distribution can go awry . However, he breaks up play in midfield rather than allowing the opposition to get into our box and cause panic so I would still keep him in the side. Personally, although Stephens had a better game yesterday than in recent appearances I felt he was still not firing on all cylinders and could have been subbed for Cousins 10 minutes earlier.
Just don't get it. I remember Keith Jones with affection, he was a far better footballer than Pritchard. Surely a key skill for a midfielder has got to be the ability to pass to a team mate on a regular basis. I can think of three instances yesterday when BP made a fool of himself with the balll at his feet. Once in the first half he broke with the ball with Yann and Church making runs in front of him. He tried a defence splitting 30 yard pass...the ball wasn't within 20 feet of Yann by the end of it. This is a professional football team, not a 42 game audition for Billy Elliott.
I know I've said this before, and at the risk of sounding like a stuck record, anyone who witnessed Bradley Pritchard's performance the season before last at The Massive Club would be left in no doubt about his abilities and his dedication to the club. I think he has an absolutely clear realisation that he's come into professional football by an unconventional, and some may say, fortuitous route and he's determined to pay back the faith shown in him by the club. We often talk about wanting players on the field who will wear the shirt with pride or who will 'run through walls for the club' - well, this is one.
