What's happened to Ashton?

[Tumbleweed 106]

Deano just hasn''t got started this season. From the very first kick to that penalty miss today he looks a pale shadow of the player who was so sharp and dangerous at the tail end of last season. I presume he''s fit as Nigel doesn''t play anyone who isn''t, but he looks slow, dispirited and some of his general passing was very poor. I feel sorry for him, he looks so forlorn at times up there (and its not working out with Lisbie either).

[Syteanric 1]

he''s waiting for January where he can bid us all a fond farewell

 

[AJ 1,218]

to be honest, if you look at all the players they seem the same

something isnt right, something is definatly not right in the dressing room

and in my opinion...... i think its mr worthington

[JP 0]

[quote]he''s waiting for January where he can bid us all a fond farewell[/quote]

Ashton''s not like that, if the club that he is playing 4 are struggling he wont hand in a transfer request and demand he leaves, i believe he would stay and fight it out! (with crewe in the past), at the moment he still owes us, the supporters and the rest of the club, 4 taking a chance on him in the 1st place!

On the other hand we might have 2 sell him in january, just 2 keep the club in a good finanical state , is that what u were getting at?

[FinnCanary 0]

For my opinion let''s sell him for good 7 or 8 million quids and get Davenport in and some striker. It''s all not about Deano, we won the promotion ''cause we didn''t concede goals and won narrowly. LEt''s get Callum  in and bring some cheaper striker in. It''s teamwork what counts, just look at Reading, they have no greats but they r flyin'' r they ?

[ZLF 271]

Deanos body language for the penalty was v lacking of confidence but it was hard to judge how he played yesterday when the service too him was so poor and Lisbie plays his own game.

Worthy has to learn how to get the best from Deano, which this season was when partnered with Zipper - someone who plays close to him and who he can boune the ball off.

And we have to stop this hoicking of the ball to his head, get the ball to his feet and at worst chest so we can keep hold of possession - hughes safri and brennan were all guilty today of laying the ball back to the back 4 (who had no option but to hoick it high) rather than have the wit or intelligence try a pass to feet for the strikers.  The few occassions they it was woeful.

 

OTBC

[silver fox 0]

[quote]For my opinion let''s sell him for good 7 or 8 million quids and get Davenport in and some striker. It''s all not about Deano, we won the promotion ''cause we didn''t concede goals and won narrowly. LEt''s...[/quote]

Reading didn''t need to have any star players because they have a manager who knows how to get the best out of his players.  They looked like a well organised team whose manager, like several before him, have done their homework on how we play.

Ashton looks unhappy because he is being played out of position wide left, and instead of playing to his stregths which is ball to feet, we are continually hitting balls in the air, and he is not having any success against tall centre backs.

[ronbol ronbol 0]

He is carrying an injury, apparently.

[Rasputin was a C... 0]

I doubt he''ll leave in January unless of course the current manager and form are still present. He has too much respect for the fans and club to ditch us so early and will probably feel it''s his duty to get us back up as he''s had a difficult start. Then of course he could end up like Jonson last season. Not doing as well as expected and wanting to proove himself to the fans yet being forced out of the club by some bloke with a massive ego. I''m in charge!

[gazzathegreat 0]

[quote]Deano just hasn''t got started this season. From the very first kick to that penalty miss today he looks a pale shadow of the player who was so sharp and dangerous at the tail end of last season. I pre...[/quote]

tumbleweed

rumours only mate, so don''t presume this is gospel, but from several sources, deano has an achilles heel problem that needs an operation, so if this is true it goes a long way to explaining why he is out of sorts

to add to that IMO, he is feeling the effects of

A) coming from a  settled side like Crewe who play proper passing football, ie he is best when the ball is played to his feet

B) he doesn''t have a consistent partner upfront, this is not his fault, but due to injuries and management choices

i think we have a superb striker on our books, my concern is that if we carry on as we are he will become disillusioned and want to leave - and if the achilles thing is correct, it might damage him beyond repair

[Brum Uni Canary 0]

I don''t think he should have been on the pitch after that head injury. Any other sport, and the referee would have ordered him to be substituted. It was obvious after that that he wasn''t all there. The moment he tried to get up and collapsed should have been the moment when the ref doesn''t allow him to play on.

His under-par performances this season are surely because he doesn''t have the service. At Crewe they could give him the ball and then he would do his stuff. Here, he rarely gets the ball until it is crossed in from near the corner flag. The midfielders should be looking to give him the ball about 25/30 yards out and then support him instead of hoping he can get his head to the ball before the keeper gets his hands on it.

[Cheeky Monkey 0]

People keep saying that he needs it played to his feet. Trouble is he can''t turn for toffee. We should have bought Bent, I said it then, I''ll say it now - Ashton will never be the class striker that Darren Bent is.

Why didn''t we get Marlon Harewood ? Look at the Hammers right now.

I think the year will bring a new manager and a new striker. There is little chance that Ashton or Worthy will be here by then. I for one, won''t be that bothered.

[Tumbleweed 106]

I think your being a bit harsh Cheeky Monkey, Ashton looked superb last season but has had mere glimpses this time round (of which only that cracking volley against Palace stand out).

gazza- if you are right we should get him that op asap, otherwise he will get fed up and definitely leave when someone else comes in. The way its going for him though, others are surging ahead in the race for the next big club with a striking vacancy so he might not provoke much interest.

I worry that he is just not going to get the service he needs and our frequent aimless hoofing just doesn''t suit him. How can Worthy spend three times the club record and play a system which isolates your main asset? Too often Deano was picking the ball up in no mans land with nowhere to go. Achilles problem or not its pretty soul destroying watching him at the moment.