Ajose

[Moomin Grecian]

16 starts ffs, bloke was never given the chance

This.

The amount of people that still maintain Ajose is sh1t is baffling. Ok so it’s not like he’s been a world beater but that record isn’t bad considering the number of starts. Plus out of the sub appearances, I bet a few of those have been 5-10 minute stints.

And, people still bring up his injury record. Other than the one main injury he’s been fully fit, particularly this season.

 

[Banksy]

This.

The amount of people that still maintain Ajose is sh1t is baffling. Ok so it’s not like he’s been a world beater but that record isn’t bad considering the number of starts. Plus out of the sub appearances, I bet a few of those have been 5-10 minute stints.

And, people still bring up his injury record. Other than the one main injury he’s been fully fit, particularly this season.

So Something must be wrong between Taylor and Ajose then , perhaps Taylor thinks there’s an attitude problem?

 

[Bittners a Legend]

If Ajose had been given the number of starts Bowman has had he would have scored a lot more than Bowman (in my opinion), the question is whether we would have been better or worse as an overall team.

Obviously nobody knows.

Your question is of course the prescient point. Like others I was excited by the arrival of Ajose but anybody at the games could see what was basically a 4-4-2 formation with him and Bowman upfront together didn't really seem to work. Then he lost his place and got injured and in the meantime Taylor found a different way of playing. Obviously none of us know how he trains or what his attitude is like but to me he is just a vicitm of circumstance. With 40 goals in 19 games I don't think you can reasonably argue that what we do going forward doesn't work but that isn't to say he might not make us even better. It would be interesting to know how Matt Taylor intended to use him when signing him because that to me is the strange thing about his lack of starts - did he himself know how he wanted to play? Could 4-4-2 work now with someone like Hartridge at the back who has decent distribution? Often the problem, from memory, seemed to be that we got out battled and outnumbered in midfield and resorted to long aimless balls from the back that meant little supply to Ajose anyway.

 

[John William]

It's difficult. I have sympathy for Matt Taylor here.

Choosing players you would like to sign, persuading them to do so at wages you can afford, and all the rest of it is still pretty hit-and-miss even at the top when clubs have huge resources to scout, evaluate and sign players. Then after you've signed them, finding they don't fit into the way you want to play, or have injury or motivation problems, must be very frustrating.

Still and all, though, the buck stops somewhere.

 

[The Proper Chap]

Your question is of course the prescient point. Like others I was excited by the arrival of Ajose but anybody at the games could see what was basically a 4-4-2 formation with him and Bowman upfront together didn't really seem to work. Then he lost his place and got injured and in the meantime Taylor found a different way of playing. Obviously none of us know how he trains or what his attitude is like but to me he is just a vicitm of circumstance. With 40 goals in 19 games I don't think you can reasonably argue that what we do going forward doesn't work but that isn't to say he might not make us even better. It would be interesting to know how Matt Taylor intended to use him when signing him because that to me is the strange thing about his lack of starts - did he himself know how he wanted to play? Could 4-4-2 work now with someone like Hartridge at the back who has decent distribution? Often the problem, from memory, seemed to be that we got out battled and outnumbered in midfield and resorted to long aimless balls from the back that meant little supply to Ajose anyway.

As you indicate at the back end of your post 4 4 2 often seems to leave us very short in the middle of midfield hence why Taylor picks Jay or Law in the more advanced attacking midfield role, i.e. so they can help out in midfield.

5 3 2 or 3 5 2 with wing backs bolsters us up and means you can play with two strikers, it would also benefit Sparkes or Page and Key as wing backs however where does Randall fit into that system, he needs to play and I think he is one of the main reasons Taylor plays with the current set up.

The team set up is one of the main reasons Ajose hasn't worked out, also he never clicked with Bowman (as you said).

 

[Pete Martin (CTID)]

If Ajose had been given the number of starts Bowman has had he would have scored a lot more than Bowman (in my opinion), the question is whether we would have been better or worse as an overall team.

Obviously nobody knows.

The reality is that the career goal ratio of our current forward players (league games only) is;

Ajose - 0.29
Bowman - 0.28
Randall - 0.28
Jay - 0.25
Fisher - 0.22
Williams - 0.12

As a matter of interest, Jayden Stockley's career ratio is 0.29 (same as Ajose) but, with us, he was on 0.5 (45 goals in 90 games - loan and contract)

 

[Bittners a Legend]

Agree completely. Wing backs probably would be the best way to fit in Ajose but leaves us only picking 2 from about 5 very good wide players (whether full backs or wingers). I think I remember that Taylor actually tried Randall at wing back in an EFL Trophy game at some point but that clearly isn't the right position for him.

 

[Moomin Grecian]

So Something must be wrong between Taylor and Ajose then , perhaps Taylor thinks there’s an attitude problem?

Most likely. Something obviously went off between them. Ajose was playing regularly in January and most of February and then he was left out from there on, pretty much. Other than an ankle knock which kept him out of the first leg of the play offs, Ajose has been available for selection since.

 

[Mr Jinx]

Why ??

That doesn't normally happen.

Agree. Not every signing is going to become a superstar. Even Alex Ferguson signed some real duffers (Djemba Djemba anyone?). Sir Alex usually knew early doors however and was always quick to usher them towards the exit. No explanation was ever necessary there, it was all fairly self evident.

 

[The Proper Chap]

Agree. Not every signing is going to become a superstar. Even Alex Ferguson signed some real duffers (Djemba Djemba anyone?). Sir Alex usually knew early doors however and was always quick to usher them towards the exit. No explanation was ever necessary there, it was all fairly self evident.

Not doing a lot at Man Utd generally still leaves a lot of doors open, not doing a lot at ECFC in league 2 on a decent contract probably doesn't.