I don't know how this urban myth that KHM is quick came about. He's not - if he is he hides it well. Maybe it's just an assumption because he's small and agile and plays on the wing, but someone like Roscoe would kill him over 40 yards, and probably over 10.
Besides, the last time I saw him take a player on and try to use this "pace" was midway through last season.
-- Edited by Ashford Wing on Sunday 17th of November 2013 01:43:28 PM
What has happened to KHM, his confidence is shot and yesterday he seemed to be afraid of the ball and the physical opponent. I think that when he plays we are essentially playing as 10 vs 11. He looks like a Kent League Player at the moment and should be sent out somewhere for a couple of months to get some games under his belt.
Bringing back one of the youngsters would be a better choice and hopefully Luis Cumbers can get fit. I think that Jamie got the tactics wrong yesterday and should have packed the midfield with JG and himself instead of playing JG at left back.
Yesterdays game was one where someone like Scott Kinch would have been handy as he wouldn't have been afraid of a physical encounter and maybe we need to find another midfield destroyer to supplement JG and switch to a 5 man midfield for the winter slog. This will mean we could rotate Kurtis and Ross and try and snatch games with an odd goal playing tight at the back even bring in Barney to play right back and switch LF to right midfield with JG and HB holding along LC and JH on the left.
I don't want to be too critical as the season has gone well so far but we need to get on track again soon or else the second half of the season may be hard.
I think that KHM has been apart from (yesterdays game from the sounds of it as I wasnt there) superb this season in most games.
I think the only game he has started has been Brislington (and I don't want to dwell on that performance). Yes some will make the case that he hasn't been given the game time, but you have to ask why that is.
Mistakes happen, everyone's human - even fan favourites like Faz make mistakes occasionally but we forgive him for that because he's done so much to earn our respect. KHM still hasn't done that in my opinion. He needs to start grabbing the game by the scruff of the neck and putting in some hard graft, then people will cut him some slack.
Last season I criticised Theo Fairweather-Johnson on several occasions for shying away from the game and not showing for the ball, and I don't remember too many people shedding tears when he went back to Thamesmead. Kiernan is in danger of going the same way, despite being younger and with a lot more ability. Let's stop with the hopeless slide tackles to win the ball back, and the token effort when jumping against a defender. Instead, lets see him battling for the ball and showing for it at every opportunity, and making runs with genuine attacking intent, as he did in flashes last season.
-- Edited by Ashford Wing on Sunday 17th of November 2013 08:43:41 PM
KHM will be ok - if he gets a run in the side. I thought he injected some pace yesterday and was unlucky not to score. A lot of the players yesterday were not at their best - two hard matches against Luton and Barnet may have been a factor in that - they looked tired and jaded, but they still gave 100 per cent effort. They will lift themselves for another run of games.
Didn't have enough pace to get to the ball before the keeper yesterday, who incidentally was outside the box so any touch would of done but it didn't look like he even went for it.. I've always backed him, but its getting pretty hard to this season..and i'll wait to have it thrown in my face when he has a decent game.
All we could ever have hoped for was to survive in this league and I think we will. It may be that the season has already peaked? Yesterday's result was on the cards and no-one deserves to be blamed individually.
Please, let us not drag ourselves down to the levels of some other clubs in this league by having a go at individual players. KHM is a good player, he will deliver. Back our TEAM, or criticise our TEAM. Once we start singling out particular players, we will have lost the plot and we will have divided our TEAM. Don't do it.
Have to agree to single Kiernan out is not warranted. It was a bad day at the office - we didn't / weren't allowed to play, it was the ball that had wings spending more time in the air than on the deck, Nuneaton took advantage the chances we gave them and in my opinion deservedly took the 3 points.
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YOUTH are the future
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"The worst thing you can do is make a committment and not meet it and I understand that." Barrie Hobbins 14 August 2010
Yes its a team game, but all the same, the team is made up of 11 individuals and you need all of them working together to have the best team. I run a sales based business and if someone isn't performing what do you think happens? Yes, you train, coach, manage people, but if they consistently don't perform, can't perform, etc etc then there has to come a point where a difficult decision is made.
I don't think anyone is blaming KHM for yesterdays result, far from it, we were poor overall. I think the point is that whereas most seem to have a lot of good games and the odd poor one, KHM is the other way around. It's merely frustration from my point of view, as he must have something about him to have played for Grimsby and others, but it just isnt there anymore .. its not like he is having a poor run, its been the case now from the middle of last season.
People have commented about "he'll be ok when he gets a run of games". No he won't. There is a reason he hasn't had a run of games, he isn't good enough, or as good, as the others. He was injured/unfit earlier in the season, but he failed a fitness test, so must have been close enough to fitness to justify a test, about 5-6 weeks ago. What's been the excuse since then? He hasn't been picked as he hasn't warranted a place.
We have a very small squad, and small budget, compared to most in the division. We can't have passengers. Who would you realistically leave out to give Kiernan a game? The only position he can fit in with is on the right, and I would have Guthrie a million times over KHM.
As for the comment above about Kiernan being superb? Blimey. If so, what words would be used to describe Faz, Franks, Ross, Gallagher, Butcher, etc ??
Anyone picking KHM in their first XI, please tell me who you would be leaving out to accommodate him? and once you have done so, speak with Trigger and have Matron take you in.
We're not punching above our weight, we are where we deserve to be. The whole team, players and management, have done wonders, but the moment we stop looking to improve will be the moment we start looking at the gap from us to the bottom four, and not the gap to the play-off places. Onwards and upwards.
I'd also point out that the massive improvement and turn around last season that led us to winning the title was after a massive bollocking following the away game at Maidenhead. A few home truths were said, and it worked. Let's hope we get the same from Kiernan, otherwise sadly, if Jamie is looking to strengthen in January as he has said in interviews, where else are we looking to improve? I'd say keeper, back four, centre-mid are all over-stocked and filled with quality, doesn't leave many options does it? Fairly obvious to me.
I still do not think it is constructive to criticise a particular player on this forum. If there is an issue, Jamie will have raised it and will deal with it in his own way but not in public.
Agreed, too much pressure on Ross, but when you play with one up front its difficult to pick just a goalscorer. Main was past his best, but couldn't fit in with the formation we play.
I do not think that I was that critical of KHM, he just seems a shadow of what he showed in patches last season, he hasn't moved forward like the rest of the squad but has taken a massive step backwards, a spell somewhere else should give him confidence.
It is not fair on Ross and Kurtis that they have to shoulder the load up front week in, week out, Pires and KHM do not offer a lot in my opinion and are lucky to be playing at this level. What is the problem in criticism of individual players, if you are playing at this level you need to be able to produce the goods otherwise you'll be found out.
I remember lots of people complaining about Lee Clarke not being good enough for this level, I defended him and he has shown that he worked really hard in pre season to get fit and has not looked out of place at this level, he has led from the front and is an example to the rest of the team. Ross does the work of 3 players but you never see him complaining or ducking out of a challenge, same with Kurtis.
If you pay your money at the gate then you are entitled to voice an opinion, most players have stepped up to the plate and work really hard, we cannot afford to carry passengers who seem to be along for the ride. If a player at this level can't accept some criticism then they should change careers.
Kiernan clearly has something about him to have played for Grimsby, and to have been retained by Jamie in the summer, but he isn't at his best at the moment, and comments like he has been superb and has pace are a little hard to believe. Even Kiernan himself would struggle to admit he has been superb.
However, I am sure everyone wants him to return to his best asap, as a good, committed, player is one I want in a Wings shirt.
I remember lots of people complaining about Lee Clarke not being good enough for this level, I defended him and he has shown that he worked really hard in pre season to get fit and has not looked out of place at this level, he has led from the front and is an example to the rest of the team.
Correct, Clarkie has been a different animal this season. Looks far fitter than in previous years and its reflected by his goals tally and overall performance. Maybe the criticism given to him on here provided a source of extra motivation? Lets hope we get the same reaction from Kiernan.
