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Farewell Luke
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SUSSEX DAGGER
- Posts: 2619
- Joined: Sun Oct 20, 2013 2:47 am
So Wilko is off to join Luton. This time last year i would have been devastated. Now I think it is a good deal. If ever a Player lost his way last seson then Luke was it.
If ever a player had a season totally disrupted but would have come back from that it is/was Luke
I see this as a huge loss and though it is stating the obvious to say it is early days I am quite worried as to how the team may shape up
We seem to be very short of quality in several areas
Happy to be convinced otherwise in fact in need of some optimism
I see this as a huge loss and though it is stating the obvious to say it is early days I am quite worried as to how the team may shape up
We seem to be very short of quality in several areas
Happy to be convinced otherwise in fact in need of some optimism
Comfortably the least surprising news of the summer since he was transfer listed... upset by this only because he will no doubt return to his 2012 form, get them promoted and leave for a decent fee.
In terms of the decision to let him go, brave but necessary if the Doe/ Saah partnership was to continue and Gayle had any chance of progressing.
At least we don't have to see Wilkinson and Saah together at back for the club again! !
In terms of the decision to let him go, brave but necessary if the Doe/ Saah partnership was to continue and Gayle had any chance of progressing.
At least we don't have to see Wilkinson and Saah together at back for the club again! !
Wilky was mostly shite last season for whatever reason.I don't think he was comfortable with the passing game.Johny Hoof will look after him although I don't think they hoof it so much at Luton.Good luck to him though he was immense the previous year.Hope we got a few quid for him at least.
Bollix to Shampoo, it's real poo we want !
'Whole back line' hmmmm, true, but only Lewington & Hoyte played consistently last season. Hoyte obviously had a word in his ear after becoming an international & Lewy was good, but not amazing. It's not as bad as you make it out to be. Love the optimism though lol
But anyway, I'm not really disappointed to see him go, I would have been gutted if he went after the 2012/13 season though. Don't think he's as good on the ball as I first thought, he didn't really suit the style Burnett wants. I was impressed by Gayle towards the end of the season and I'd certainly like to see him more in the coming season.
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mickeyblue
- Posts: 707
- Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2014 6:29 pm
sad to see him go but hope gayle pushes on this season as i thought he was very good in the few games i seen him play.
he prob got pay increase aswell
he prob got pay increase aswell
but we finished 9th!
I'll probably eat some humble pie with this but happy to stick my neck out here.
I really don't rate him and am glad he's gone. I'll always support a Dagenham player (unless they're Exodus) and I would back him when he was in the team because he was our player. However, there was a time last season, I think in October/November when Doe and Saah were doing well together and I was thinking about how we weren't missing Wilkinson. And then I was wondering whether he was actually anything special the season before. I don't particularly think he was. It's hard to look back and gain a proper perception now as we all just have fragments of moments that we remember. But I do think he was overrated, possibly due to the fact he scored a few goals as well and had a belting shot on him. Defensively, Scott Doe is by far the superior and I think Wilkinson reveled playing with him as his pace was good compensation for any mistakes. Wilkinson and Saah this year was a disaster.
I've heard on the grapevine that many within the club during Still's time didn't think he'd turn out to be good enough for us. And then he had a fruitful loan spell at Dartford that gave him the opportunity with us.
For me, there's that Mickey Spillane element here. When Spillane came in, we thought we'd found an absolute gem that season. The following season, we started to see his limitations and the fact he's been released by Southend and Cambridge since suggests we (myself fully included) overrated him. Perhaps I'm doing a slight disservice to Wilkinson as they are different people, let alone players, but I see a lot of limitations considering he was linked to Premier League clubs this time last year and given our Player of the Year.
Last season was difficult for him, but I think a better player would have forced his way back into the team. You never felt like Wilkinson had enough attributes to warrant breaking up the Doe/Saah partnership which was quite sturdy as a pairing. Most of our goals conceded were set plays which I don't (solely) put down to them two players.
It's all a bit of a ramble and I know people will have different opinions, but mine is that I'm not unhappy to see him go. Ian Gayle, two years younger than Wilkinson, has shown a fair bit of promise and whilst I've not seen enough of Gayle to give a proper view of him as a league two defender, he's bound to be far cheaper to hold onto than Wilkinson with more room to develop perhaps in my eyes.
I really don't rate him and am glad he's gone. I'll always support a Dagenham player (unless they're Exodus) and I would back him when he was in the team because he was our player. However, there was a time last season, I think in October/November when Doe and Saah were doing well together and I was thinking about how we weren't missing Wilkinson. And then I was wondering whether he was actually anything special the season before. I don't particularly think he was. It's hard to look back and gain a proper perception now as we all just have fragments of moments that we remember. But I do think he was overrated, possibly due to the fact he scored a few goals as well and had a belting shot on him. Defensively, Scott Doe is by far the superior and I think Wilkinson reveled playing with him as his pace was good compensation for any mistakes. Wilkinson and Saah this year was a disaster.
I've heard on the grapevine that many within the club during Still's time didn't think he'd turn out to be good enough for us. And then he had a fruitful loan spell at Dartford that gave him the opportunity with us.
For me, there's that Mickey Spillane element here. When Spillane came in, we thought we'd found an absolute gem that season. The following season, we started to see his limitations and the fact he's been released by Southend and Cambridge since suggests we (myself fully included) overrated him. Perhaps I'm doing a slight disservice to Wilkinson as they are different people, let alone players, but I see a lot of limitations considering he was linked to Premier League clubs this time last year and given our Player of the Year.
Last season was difficult for him, but I think a better player would have forced his way back into the team. You never felt like Wilkinson had enough attributes to warrant breaking up the Doe/Saah partnership which was quite sturdy as a pairing. Most of our goals conceded were set plays which I don't (solely) put down to them two players.
It's all a bit of a ramble and I know people will have different opinions, but mine is that I'm not unhappy to see him go. Ian Gayle, two years younger than Wilkinson, has shown a fair bit of promise and whilst I've not seen enough of Gayle to give a proper view of him as a league two defender, he's bound to be far cheaper to hold onto than Wilkinson with more room to develop perhaps in my eyes.
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Diggerthedog
- Posts: 3896
- Joined: Tue Dec 31, 2013 6:08 pm
He was like a rabbit in the headlights when he had the ball at his feet, far more suited to hoofball. Was gone in spells but far to inconsistent in my eyes. Saah and Doe are a great pairing, with Gayle as back up not a bad three moving into the season.
He had he chance to get back in the team when doe was suspended and Gayle was preferred, says it all really. Wish him all the best.
He had he chance to get back in the team when doe was suspended and Gayle was preferred, says it all really. Wish him all the best.
I'd rather have him than Saah. I don't think it's entirely coincidental that we were so poor from set pieces - both defensively and attacking without him.
How many games did he play with Doe as a partner last season? There weren't many. It's easy to say he was poor with Saah, but Saah was just as poor alongside him. Quite often with centre backs you need the two to cover a bit of everything, and Wilkinson and Saah were too similar to play together.
If a player isn't comfortable passing the ball around, then they shouldn't be forced to do it. He was capable of some very good balls forward.
How many games did he play with Doe as a partner last season? There weren't many. It's easy to say he was poor with Saah, but Saah was just as poor alongside him. Quite often with centre backs you need the two to cover a bit of everything, and Wilkinson and Saah were too similar to play together.
If a player isn't comfortable passing the ball around, then they shouldn't be forced to do it. He was capable of some very good balls forward.
I have to say that I don't see why so many seem to rate Saah. He's the epitome of average. The manager had a partnership he thought was working and didn't want to put Wilkinson back after his injury which I can partly understand. For me though, Wilkinson would've been straight back in and allowed a run of games.
I can remember clearly some excellent defensive displays by Wilkinson. Yes he liked playing with a pacey partner but who wouldn't. They complimented each other well.
I'm not saying he's a world beater but he was one of our better players.
I can remember clearly some excellent defensive displays by Wilkinson. Yes he liked playing with a pacey partner but who wouldn't. They complimented each other well.
I'm not saying he's a world beater but he was one of our better players.