Cheltenham Town v West Ham United U-21s

[Jon Palmer]

Team news, live updates and reaction all here this evening: https://bit.ly/WestHamUnitedH

[little mo]

Wow,youngest ever player makes first team debut.Good luck young man.

[Nesty]

Indeed - good luck lad

[Shade]

Brown scores. Anyone able to work out his goals per minute ratio this season? It must be 3 goals in something like 120 minutes, or probably less, played. I'd go for about a goal every 35 minutes.

[Mike1953]

It’s a rare chance for Brown to impress. Another goal to his name. WE gave him a few minutes at Hillsborough and he had an unconverted chance. It’s a mystery why he’s excluded.

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

It’s a rare chance for Brown to impress. Another goal to his name. WE gave him a few minutes at Hillsborough and he had an unconverted chance. It’s a mystery why he’s excluded.

Physicality and numbers based on previous comments from Wade.

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

1-2 down. Squeaky bum time but top of the group as it stands. Could do with Walsall getting a goal vs MK just to settle the nerves.

[Shade]

Does it matter if we top the group? I mean, is there more prize money, or do 1st place teams only place 2nd place teams in the next round?

[Nesty]

POOR -

If anyone wants to know why some of our players aren't in the first XI then we saw the reasons tonight

[HamTown]

It’s a rare chance for Brown to impress. Another goal to his name. WE gave him a few minutes at Hillsborough and he had an unconverted chance. It’s a mystery why he’s excluded.

Physicality and numbers based on previous comments from Wade.

Well the numbers that matter for a forward are considerably better than Norton and Lloyds this season

[Sprout Picker]

Very mediocre performance. Young lads Walters and Sambu did well. Keeper looked competent.

Play slow and ponderous, Brown in the right place for his goal. Bradbury out of position a couple of times but also a couple of good blocks.

Hoping we're a bit livelier at Burton on Saturday...

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

Does it matter if we top the group? I mean, is there more prize money, or do 1st place teams only place 2nd place teams in the next round?

No, but at time of writing I wasn’t sure how the permutations worked out. Ie if we conceded again would WHU over take us?

According to the Match Centre on ctfc.com we ended up second.

As you allude, my assumption is we play a group topper. But that doesn’t matter. If we want to get to Wembley we have to beat good teams at some stage.

[Anteros]

.Bonds is in bad form.
.Chapman hasn't been up to it since promotion to league 1
.Adshead looked 'OK'
.Raglan and Bradbury are triers but not good enough to start.
.Lloyd, local lad but not good enough for league 1
.Norton, shows glimpses but not scoring.
.Williams, looks frustrated and not showing the same quality as he did when he came to us last season.

[Sprout Picker]

Does it matter if we top the group? I mean, is there more prize money, or do 1st place teams only place 2nd place teams in the next round?

MH on Radio Glos. said topping the group gets you a home draw in the next round.

[paperboy]

Does it matter if we top the group? I mean, is there more prize money, or do 1st place teams only place 2nd place teams in the next round?

MH on Radio Glos. said topping the group gets you a home draw in the next round.

So an away tie and all involve longish trips apart from FGR which would probably be the preference.

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

Do we make money on home games or is it a blessing to be away?

[Benctfc]

Very poor performance. Tonight just emphasised what we already know that the quality in the squad is so poor. Lloyd and Norton are not up to it. The Norton signing is so strange when we needed a physical striker but we signed him. He looks exactly the same player to me as his loan spell which he proved he isnt at this level.

On a positive note the youngsters played well and thought Adshead looked better than he has previously.

[andgarod]

Freestone looked as if he was trying to get a red card
Several off the ball incidents
Was he just trying to slow the forward down or bully him or was he just pissed off he had to play last night

[Warwickshire Robin]

Anyone have any idea why no sighting of James Olayinka last night? Was expecting him to get some decent minutes towards getting him up to full fitness?

[Alf]

Brown scores. Anyone able to work out his goals per minute ratio this season? It must be 3 goals in something like 120 minutes, or probably less, played. I'd go for about a goal every 35 minutes.

Can’t understand why he doesn’t get more playing time. He arrives in the box at the right time and sticks the ball in the net…….what else do you want from a striker?
You certainly don’t want them wandering all over the pitch and not being in the right place, ie. the box, when decent passes and crosses are coming in.

[Warwickshire Robin]

Brown scores. Anyone able to work out his goals per minute ratio this season? It must be 3 goals in something like 120 minutes, or probably less, played. I'd go for about a goal every 35 minutes.

Can’t understand why he doesn’t get more playing time. He arrives in the box at the right time and sticks the ball in the net…….what else do you want from a striker?
You certainly don’t want them wandering all over the pitch and not being in the right place, ie. the box, when decent passes and crosses are coming in.

What I thought was strange last night was as soon as our goal went in Wade called Charlie over to the side and had a long chat about something. Then, whether coincidence or not, Charlie seemed to drop much deeper and never really got close to goal again. Norton stayed wide left, Lloyd stayed wide right and with Charlie so deep we basically played with no centre forward. On the few occasions we got crosses in there was no one in the box to get on the end of them????

[paperboy]

Anyone have any idea why no sighting of James Olayinka last night? Was expecting him to get some decent minutes towards getting him up to full fitness?

Think he had played for Arsenal u 21s in the competition so maybe ineligible.

[Alf]

Brown scores. Anyone able to work out his goals per minute ratio this season? It must be 3 goals in something like 120 minutes, or probably less, played. I'd go for about a goal every 35 minutes.

Can’t understand why he doesn’t get more playing time. He arrives in the box at the right time and sticks the ball in the net…….what else do you want from a striker?
You certainly don’t want them wandering all over the pitch and not being in the right place, ie. the box, when decent passes and crosses are coming in.

What I thought was strange last night was as soon as our goal went in Wade called Charlie over to the side and had a long chat about something. Then, whether coincidence or not, Charlie seemed to drop much deeper and never really got close to goal again. Norton stayed wide left, Lloyd stayed wide right and with Charlie so deep we basically played with no centre forward. On the few occasions we got crosses in there was no one in the box to get on the end of them????

Exactly my feelings. When Dan and Alfie play how many times do you see them in the opponents half wandering about, looking for the ball when they should be pushing forward? A good striker shouldn’t need to be part of a game plan, arriving at the right time is instinct and you either have it or you don’t.

[Warwickshire Robin]

Anyone have any idea why no sighting of James Olayinka last night? Was expecting him to get some decent minutes towards getting him up to full fitness?

Think he had played for Arsenal u 21s in the competition so maybe ineligible.

Ah that would explain that then. I thought I read in JP's pre-match blurb on Gloucester Live that he was expected to play so was looking forward to seeing more of him after Saturday's promising looking cameo performance.

[Nesty]

.Bonds is in bad form.
.Chapman hasn't been up to it since promotion to league 1
.Adshead looked 'OK'
.Raglan and Bradbury are triers but not good enough to start.
.Lloyd, local lad but not good enough for league 1
.Norton, shows glimpses but not scoring.
.Williams, looks frustrated and not showing the same quality as he did when he came to us last season.

agree on all points - positives - MacDonald - looked assured had no chance with either goal , made a couple of decent saves. the youngsters did well - particularly impressed by Walters and Sambu - also a nice cameo appearance by Simpson.

Basically a very worrying display by a bunch of players who either not good enough and/or cant be arsed.

[Warwickshire Robin]

.Bonds is in bad form.
.Chapman hasn't been up to it since promotion to league 1
.Adshead looked 'OK'
.Raglan and Bradbury are triers but not good enough to start.
.Lloyd, local lad but not good enough for league 1
.Norton, shows glimpses but not scoring.
.Williams, looks frustrated and not showing the same quality as he did when he came to us last season.

agree on all points - positives - MacDonald - looked assured had no chance with either goal , made a couple of decent saves. the youngsters did well - particularly impressed by Walters and Sambu - also a nice cameo appearance by Simpson.

Basically a very worrying display by a bunch of players who either not good enough and/or cant be arsed.

It was always going to be difficult for a totally new team who had never played a competitive match together to put in a slick, coherent performance but what worried me the most was how regularly we were outmuscled by an U21 Academy team.

I know we were pretty young ourselves but most have a decent amount of League 1/2 experience and whilst you may expect them to be not as good technically as a Premier League Academy team you would expect them to be stronger and more physical. I didn't see that last night other than maybe Sambu.

[Shade]

Anyone have any idea why no sighting of James Olayinka last night? Was expecting him to get some decent minutes towards getting him up to full fitness?

Think he had played for Arsenal u 21s in the competition so maybe ineligible.

Ah that would explain that then. I thought I read in JP's pre-match blurb on Gloucester Live that he was expected to play so was looking forward to seeing more of him after Saturday's promising looking cameo performance.

Yes, JP asked him after the game why Olayinka didn’t play and Wade said “he’s cup tied, Jon. You should have known that!”

[Shade]

Brown scores. Anyone able to work out his goals per minute ratio this season? It must be 3 goals in something like 120 minutes, or probably less, played. I'd go for about a goal every 35 minutes.

Can’t understand why he doesn’t get more playing time. He arrives in the box at the right time and sticks the ball in the net…….what else do you want from a striker?
You certainly don’t want them wandering all over the pitch and not being in the right place, ie. the box, when decent passes and crosses are coming in.

From what Wade said after the game, it would appear he thinks Brown is good in and around the box but doesn’t do enough outside the box…I assume he means he doesn’t run, press or track back enough. So a bit like Dan!

[longmover]

Think he had played for Arsenal u 21s in the competition so maybe ineligible.

Ah that would explain that then. I thought I read in JP's pre-match blurb on Gloucester Live that he was expected to play so was looking forward to seeing more of him after Saturday's promising looking cameo performance.

Yes, JP asked him after the game why Olayinka didn’t play and Wade said “he’s cup tied, Jon. You should have known that!”

a glimpse of personality.

[QED]

Olayinka played for Arsenal U21s against Cambridge in August so is ineligible for us in the JPT this season.

[shevates]

The WHU game showed that we lack quality in the squad, it was evident for all to see in that game

[Si Robin]

And who was responsible for signing the vast majority of said squad? Someone who's just been given a payrise!!

[Fuller]

The WHU game showed that we lack quality in the squad, it was evident for all to see in that game

Think we’ve known that since the end of the summer transfer window, although we all probably expected some of the signings both permanent and loan to have had a greater contribution to the squad strength eg Southwood, Bradbury and Adshead. Also expected Lloyd, Williams and Chapman to have pushed on this season but they seem to have gone backwards.
It’s not a complete mess, and injuries to May, Raglan and now Ferry haven’t helped, but will need some serious surgery in the January window if we’re going to stay up.