Ajose

[The Proper Chap]

Seymour still plays like a 16 year old. He hasn't developed.

No doubt he will score at some point and people will be saying he's proved everybody wrong.

The disappointing part of all this is that he is classified as our second choice front man. That isn't a good reflection on our management and coaching team.

 

[Snoop Fog]

I've said this before, but when I have seen Ajose play he seems way ahead of some of the other players and they simply do not pick up on what he is doing and chances go begging. I'm not surprised he is frustrated.

Is this a joke? Ajose is so far ahead of the other players that they can't read him and therefore he appears $h!t?

He's not Ronaldo and we've had far better strikers at the club than Ajose in the past that our other players haven't struggled to connect with.

 

[Spoonz Red E]

I think of Ajose at City in much the same way as Cureton at Leyton Orient in the middle of his two spells with us.
For whatever reason it doesn't work but it's not because Ajose hasn't got the skills to make an impact at this level.

 

[Grecianpasty]

How long is left on his contract?

 

[Red Devon]

I think of Ajose at City in much the same way as Cureton at Leyton Orient in the middle of his two spells with us.
For whatever reason it doesn't work but it's not because Ajose hasn't got the skills to make an impact at this level.

Only difference being he was getting games at Leyton Orient before being loaned back to us.

 

[Rosencrantz]

Some players click at certain clubs for various. Curo was staring non league in the face when he turned up here but had success before. Stockley clicked here on loan where he hadn't before at the same level and below. Rowbotham never really clicked in front of goal anywhere but City.

Ajose has been a bit unfortunate that when he came in we were playing two up front but he didn't settle in the side quickly and then missed out through injury. Since he has been back we have generally played one up front which does not suit him and he hasn't persuaded the coaching team that anything should change in that regard. If Matt goes back to a 3-5-2 as he intimated in his last interview then maybe a chance will open up.

 

[Red Bill]

I think of Ajose at City in much the same way as Cureton at Leyton Orient in the middle of his two spells with us.
For whatever reason it doesn't work but it's not because Ajose hasn't got the skills to make an impact at this level.

In all fairness Mike, Cureton did naff all for us either when he came back on loan. Didn't he only get one goal (and I think a lot of people thought that was Woodman's). He then got another 20 for us next season though so as you say nothing to do with lack of talent.

Back to Ajose though, he's never really had a chance with us to show his worth. Not only does he rarely make it off the bench, he's often not on it in the first place. Why anyone would expect a player who plays so sporadically to come on the pitch and set the game alight I don't know. From what i've seen of him he's looked good, his movement is way above most of our other players and he gets in good positions, sadly his team mates often fail to find him when he is.
I don't know why MT doesn't play him, but if it's because he doesn't fit in, then that's bad work on the manager's part, he would have been well aware of Ajose's game beforehand, so why sign him? I do wonder if MT doesn't like to be challenged. It was a mystery with Aaron Martin when he wasn't playing him, and I always wondered if it was due to what MT considered a challenge to his authority. Complete speculation of course and may be utter nonsense, but I thought Martin was the best CB we'd had for ages and worked well with Parkes, but yet he was frozen out for 2/3 of the season. Feels similar with Ajose to me.

If it's because him and Bowman didn't gel, then we should be looking at Bowman because he hasn't gelled with anyone else either. So the choice appears to be stick with Bowman on his own and forget about a goal scorer, or rethink the whole striker strategy, because if Bowman can't do partnerships that doesn't leave much room to manoeuvre

 

[Grecianpasty]

In all fairness Mike, Cureton did naff all for us either when he came back on loan. Didn't he only get one goal (and I think a lot of people thought that was Woodman's). He then got another 20 for us next season though so as you say nothing to do with lack of talent.

Back to Ajose though, he's never really had a chance with us to show his worth. Not only does he rarely make it off the bench, he's often not on it in the first place. Why anyone would expect a player who plays so sporadically to come on the pitch and set the game alight I don't know. From what i've seen of him he's looked good, his movement is way above most of our other players and he gets in good positions, sadly his team mates often fail to find him when he is.
I don't know why MT doesn't play him, but if it's because he doesn't fit in, then that's bad work on the manager's part, he would have been well aware of Ajose's game beforehand, so why sign him? I do wonder if MT doesn't like to be challenged. It was a mystery with Aaron Martin when he wasn't playing him, and I always wondered if it was due to what MT considered a challenge to his authority. Complete speculation of course and may be utter nonsense, but I thought Martin was the best CB we'd had for ages and worked well with Parkes, but yet he was frozen out for 2/3 of the season. Feels similar with Ajose to me.

If it's because him and Bowman didn't gel, then we should be looking at Bowman because he hasn't gelled with anyone else either. So the choice appears to be stick with Bowman on his own and forget about a goal scorer, or rethink the whole striker strategy, because if Bowman can't do partnerships that doesn't leave much room to manoeuvre

Bowmans partnership with MJ is working well. Yes both players are having a lean spell, but they fit together in the team well and combined have scored 18 league goals. Two completely different types of players, both compliment each others strengths and weaknesses.

The issue lies in that we don't have another striker to force their hand when either of them arent playing well (Bowman more so than Jay). Jay forced his way into the team and is probably playing more consistently because of the threat to his place from Law, whereas when Bowman has a bad game he is more likely to keep his place, despite MT's apparant empty threat of dropping him.

 

[tonykellowfan]

pasty, all that is true but it still doesn't explain why Ajose is not even on the bench and MT is playing Seymour who quite clearly is not up to it. Ajose when he has played (to me at least) looks a far better bet than Seymour

 

[Rosencrantz]

In all fairness Mike, Cureton did naff all for us either when he came back on loan. Didn't he only get one goal (and I think a lot of people thought that was Woodman's). He then got another 20 for us next season though so as you say nothing to do with lack of talent.

Back to Ajose though, he's never really had a chance with us to show his worth. Not only does he rarely make it off the bench, he's often not on it in the first place. Why anyone would expect a player who plays so sporadically to come on the pitch and set the game alight I don't know. From what i've seen of him he's looked good, his movement is way above most of our other players and he gets in good positions, sadly his team mates often fail to find him when he is.
I don't know why MT doesn't play him, but if it's because he doesn't fit in, then that's bad work on the manager's part, he would have been well aware of Ajose's game beforehand, so why sign him? I do wonder if MT doesn't like to be challenged. It was a mystery with Aaron Martin when he wasn't playing him, and I always wondered if it was due to what MT considered a challenge to his authority. Complete speculation of course and may be utter nonsense, but I thought Martin was the best CB we'd had for ages and worked well with Parkes, but yet he was frozen out for 2/3 of the season. Feels similar with Ajose to me.

If it's because him and Bowman didn't gel, then we should be looking at Bowman because he hasn't gelled with anyone else either. So the choice appears to be stick with Bowman on his own and forget about a goal scorer, or rethink the whole striker strategy, because if Bowman can't do partnerships that doesn't leave much room to manoeuvre

I think your timelines are a bit out Bill. Aaron Martin got left out for 2/3 of the season because Dara O'Shea was a better player and combined well with Moxey at centre back in a back four. Tom Parkes joined last season where Aaron was consistently picked in the middle of a three, Sweeney, Parkes or Moxey alongside.

Matt's probably learning a lot and learning quickly about forming a squad. It comes down to putting the best team on the pitch in a structure that works. Ajose's chance bypassed him last season when he was missing injured and we started to play one up front and Lee Martin. If it changes back to two up front then he has a chance (if selected). Matt strikes me as too pragmatic to let personal things get in the way of the team.