[Cheshunt Spireite]

I'm guessing i'm the only one on these boards whos seen this guy play. I steward at colchester and when he played there he was a very good player, trying to make runs and get forward, works hard. I think he came off because of a knock.

[Blueprint]

Once again a player we've been missing for some time - an attacking midifleld with height - perhaps he will be the Phil Robinson in our play off push (although he's come in 2 months later than phil did).

He is young (20 not 18 as mentioned earlier) and has little first team action but that doesn't mean he'll be rubbish, neither does it mean he'll be good. If he didn't do too well in certain games at Cheltenham he will have gone back to Wigan and worked on the weak parts of his game and therefore could have benefited from his first loan spell of his career and be better for it now.

I also think he will be better playing in our team than playing in a cheltenham side who are (now) rock bottom of their division having won just 5 games all season, it'd be a monumental task for one unproven player to transform their results. Where as here he is another piece of the jigsaw.

Some people wrote Drew Talbot off before he'd even played one game so i think it's wise to wait and see what Lewis is like before making opinions of him.

[Blueprint]

Listening to the interview on SW it wouldn't expect Lewis to start on saturday, sounds like rico has brought him in to play when Winter isn't being involved enough, and we all know that Winter isn't consistant enough, he shows glimpses and has good games but doesn't seem capable to carry his good play into the next game. Doesn't sound like Rico will change the winning side from the last game, but Lewis will be a useful player in the next couple of months when we have two games a week most weeks and will need fresh legs.


He also played at right back for wigan's reserves recently so he isn't just a central midfielder if such a situation arises.

[moondog]

An interview with Montrose on his return to Cheltenham in January can be found here

http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/spo...il/article.html

[spirette]

Surely we shouldn't be basing judgement on whether or not we've seen him play. How good is he on Football Manager??, now THAT'S the question

[Aspire_webby]

spyright, on Feb 26 2009, 04:42 PM, said:

That's what it said in my paper 'Sammy'.

Let's hope this is the missing piece we've been looking for in central midfield. Right, I'm off to read all the posts congratulating Rico on (hopefully) sorting out this area and setting us up for a real go at securing that play-off place. Oh ... there don't seem to be any. Still, I've no doubt that if Lewis has a poor debut the board will be full of posts explaining how Rico has made another balls up!

Central midfield has been a shambles since Richardson took over (Picken in central midfield at Northampton was the curtain raiser) and certainly since Allott's departure. If Montrose turns out to be the missing piece then I'll join you in congratulating the manager on taking a mere 2 years to sort out the most important area of the squad (on a temporary basis : terms and conditions apply)

[Aspire_webby]

If Carlsberg Made Chairmen, on Feb 26 2009, 07:46 PM, said:

Amazing signing from uncle Barrie who keeps pulling rabbits out of the hat. Several league 1 n 2 clubs were chasing after this Wigan superstars signature but Mr Hubbard pulled out all the stops as usual to assist our play off push. Kudos to the chairman and management yet again

Wonder how "Uncle" Barry feels about his amazing rabbit signings of the summer when he signs the payroll off each month? Will he sign the cheques with a glow of pride or wish some of the more expensive rabbits would hop it?

[Father Ted]

Here is what my Wigan season ticket holder mate says about him:

"he's certainly got some talent - he just needs to play a bit now. He's played at right back when he's made the team and had a good touch but maybe lacked a bit of pace for the top flight. He gets rave reviews for his performances at centre mid in the reserves league."

Cheers

[CFC_blue]

Father Ted, on Feb 27 2009, 09:43 AM, said:

Here is what my Wigan season ticket holder mate says about him:

"he's certainly got some talent - he just needs to play a bit now. He's played at right back when he's made the team and had a good touch but maybe lacked a bit of pace for the top flight. He gets rave reviews for his performances at centre mid in the reserves league."

Cheers

Well if hes got a pretty good report playing for Wigan,I think hell be a great signing then!

[DIFH]

spireiteblue, on Feb 26 2009, 05:56 PM, said:

We should find out what he is like on saturday i suppose.....

I would guess same midfield as last game, Winter off after 60 minutes replaced by Montrose (Depending on the score at that time)

[CFC_blue]

Dave In Footie Heaven, on Feb 27 2009, 11:52 AM, said:

I would guess same midfield as last game, Winter off after 60 minutes replaced by Montrose (Depending on the score at that time)

No. Id start Montrose in place of Winter and put Niven on the bench,Bringing him on after 60.

[DIFH]

bonnyman, on Feb 26 2009, 06:28 PM, said:

at the end of the day his profile ticks all the right boxes,he is 6ft2 and an attacking midfielder,which we havent got,i could wring richardsons neck,how long have we been saying we need a player like this ,it will totally change the way we play and will be a huge weight off kerrys back

A tad unfair to blame RICO for not sorting midfield out before now, all these signings have happened after WARDS future was sorted. Not everyone wants to come to town and I'd like to bet there wern't the right calibre of personnel available. He has had to bide his time and hopefully this is a good addition. Anyone know who the 2nd trialist was in midweek or what position he played.

[moondog]

Dave In Footie Heaven, on Feb 27 2009, 12:04 PM, said:

A tad unfair to blame RICO for not sorting midfield out before now, all these signings have happened after WARDS future was sorted. Not everyone wants to come to town and I'd like to bet there wern't the right calibre of personnel available. He has had to bide his time and hopefully this is a good addition. Anyone know who the 2nd trialist was in midweek or what position he played.

I'd guess at a stiker given Rico was after Dowson, the 2nd trialist was the last name on the team sheet and given no
mention that it was Montrose, that he scored (waltzed through five minutes from the end)

[dtp]

moondog, on Feb 27 2009, 12:44 PM, said:

I'd guess at a stiker given Rico was after Dowson, the 2nd trialist was the last name on the team sheet and given no
mention that it was Montrose, that he scored (waltzed through five minutes from the end)

Not sure I understand you - was it Montrose or the second trialist who scored?

Thanks

[The Earl of Chesterfield]

Dave In Footie Heaven, on Feb 27 2009, 12:04 PM, said:

A tad unfair to blame RICO for not sorting midfield out before now, all these signings have happened after WARDS future was sorted. Not everyone wants to come to town and I'd like to bet there wern't the right calibre of personnel available. He has had to bide his time and hopefully this is a good addition. Anyone know who the 2nd trialist was in midweek or what position he played.

Yeah, twenty two months is a mere blink of the eye.

As for all these signings happening post Ward; could that've been because falling attendances had left a Black Hole in our finances?

[The Earl of Chesterfield]

Aspire_webby, on Feb 27 2009, 05:36 AM, said:

Central midfield has been a shambles since Richardson took over (Picken in central midfield at Northampton was the curtain raiser) and certainly since Allott's departure. If Montrose turns out to be the missing piece then I'll join you in congratulating the manager on taking a mere 2 years to sort out the most important area of the squad (on a temporary basis : terms and conditions apply)

Absolutely spot-on.

This is, by my reckoning, Richardson's forty first signing in less than two seasons.

So far he's fashioned those signings into a mid-table side: why should things suddenly change now?

[dtp]

MDCCCLXVI, on Feb 27 2009, 01:50 PM, said:

Absolutely spot-on.

This is, by my reckoning, Richardson's forty first signing in less than two seasons.

So far he's fashioned those signings into a mid-table side: why should things suddenly change now?

ok 41 in less than 2 seasons - sounds impressive/unimpressive.

But how many signings at our level have other "new" managers had over a similar period?

And how many signings did MacF have in his reign?

I'm not siding one way or the other but a statistic is only useful if used as a comparison against others.

[moondog]

dtp, on Feb 27 2009, 12:55 PM, said:

Not sure I understand you - was it Montrose or the second trialist who scored?

Thanks

we don't know, but I'm sure had it been Montrose it would have been mentioned when Rico referred to him playing in the reserves

[moondog]

MDCCCLXVI, on Feb 27 2009, 01:50 PM, said:

Absolutely spot-on.

This is, by my reckoning, Richardson's forty first signing in less than two seasons.

So far he's fashioned those signings into a mid-table side: why should things suddenly change now?

ignoring the point we've hit promotion form since the latest batch of recruits joined us and in respect of our current mid table position have games in hand

[Webster]

moondog, on Feb 27 2009, 03:40 PM, said:

ignoring the point we've hit promotion form since the latest batch of recruits joined us and in respect of our current mid table position have games in hand

Mark not sure its promotion form but 12 points out of 18 this year is more points gained than we have been used to this season.

But we still look far from promotion contenders on the pitch to me at least for long periods against Chester we were second best then there was Morecombe at home, backs to the wall at Notts County, still not sure we turned up at Shrewsbury and another backs to the wall job but well done eventually against Bournemouth last week.

Lets see how we deal with Barnet, Bury and then Wycombe in the next week.