Has CJ lost his pace?

V

Victorsponge

Well-known member
The fit CJ of last Season would knock the ball 20 yards past a defender and leave them for dead, the two games I've seen this season he seems the shadow of himself.
 
No, defenders at higher levels can defend against it and are quicker themselves. His touch has never been great, more of an impact player for me this season or a deputy for bowler.
 
Steb said:
He looks like he has lost his confidence. Maybe start bowler and bring CJ on see how that goes for the next few games
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I think you're right. His first touch is not the best and needs to be worked on.
 
Maybe it’s a fitness issue, but he looks a completely different player. Agree with Bowler starting, he’s looking very good. CJ on as sub.
 
Our passing was poor and we didn't have a midfield in the first half. For CJ to work, both wings need to be performing. That splits the opposition's concentration. Today we played into Cardiff's hands.
 
Ping Pong said:
CJ a shadow of himself, lost pace, skill & more importantly his confidence, I'm amazed he started over Bowler & why he wasn't subbed earlier. Bench at best for the time being, surely?
Lavery for TJJ too?
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Pace is useless when a player receives the ball with his back to the goal and that's the way we play. If CJ was running onto through balls he would be effective. Either the manager plays to his assets or plays Bowler, who is a completely different type of winger.
 
The simple way to explain it is he’s a league 2 player that’s rapid. In realty when he’s in the championship he’s absolutely garbage. No way near good enough.
 
CJ is struggling at the moment with confidence, pace of the game, fitness and getting to grips with the step up to the Championship, he needs resting before he gets attacked by the boo boys!
 
I remember Bright Osayi Samuel was easily the quickest player in league 2 under Bowyer, but when we played against Blackburn in a cup, he was very ineffective.
 
CJ without the ball is, or at least was, the fastest player we have. He looks to be a yard of the pace still though after the injury.

CJ with the ball, having to touch it and beat a man is slower than 90% of the fans in the stand.

He has attributes that work in certain situations. Getting the ball with his back to goal and a defender a yard away from him, he isn't ever going to offer anything. His first touch was really poor again today, as it was last week at Bristol.

Even last year, CJ was only ever really dangerous against a high line, running onto the ball, or knocking the ball 20 yards into space and chasing it, where he could be almost anyone for pace.

Bowler appears to be as fast with the ball as without it, and he appears to be able to change direction and take the ball with him. It's a no brainer of a decision on current form. CJ needs a couple of games off the bench against tired legs when a game is stretched to try to get some confidence back, it's not helping him or the team, keeping giving him 60-70 minutes and getting the same below par performances.
 
TwelveAngryMen said:
Should never have started today ahead of Bowler
Ditto JJ over Lavery
We never held the ball upfront until they were introduced
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I genuinely believe that Critch chose his teams for the first four games of the season with them alternating as Team A and Team B and therefore expect to see Team B on Tuesday again. He has to look at these players and assess them so he can work out his best XI going forward. Unlike some on here, he appreciates the most important thing this season is not to go up but to stay up.
 
He suffered a serious hamstring injury, which for a sprinter is a disastrous injury.

When he got injured last season we looked a better team, our main attacking tactic was no longer 'give it to CJ', we became a much more balanced team.

When he came back towards the end of last season you could see he's scared to run, he never got up to full speed, psychologically he's obviously worried about getting injured again. Unfortunately for Hamilton his game is all about his pace, he's not the most technically gifted, I'm sure used correctly he could be a useful outlet to hit teams on the counter attack later in games but I personally don't think he's good enough to start at this level.
 
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