Phillips wants Clough and Davies to provide spark against Charlton

Jimmy Phillips wants Zach Clough and Mark Davies to step up and give Wanderers’ long-suffering fans something to cheer against Charlton tonight.

The interim boss hopes his side shows a sharper cutting edge than they did against Middlesbrough at the weekend and has challenged Clough and Davies to take the lead.

“I think it has been a difficult first full season for Zach but we all know he has the talent and I think we saw it in flashes on Saturday,” he said. “We gave Mark the freedom in the system to get on the ball wherever you can and they have got to get us playing as a team. That was their instructions.

“Both did get on the ball for us but we’d hope to get them involved even more tonight. They can be the real springboard to us taking a foothold in the game.”

Wanderers have won just four times all season and need at least one more to avoid setting an all-time low for the club.

But Phillips is confident the performance in defeat against Middlesbrough can provide a platform for three points.

“Overall I think it was an improvement and we go into the Charlton game looking for more,” he said.

“We know they are struggling at the wrong end of the table but they still have a small chance to survive. They will want to pinch something.

“But if we play well we can get that elusive three points.”

Source

Good luck with that Jimmy.

I suppose it's part of his remit to be optimistic.

Predictably misguided. They are two players that the club and media have branded as exciting and creative but yesterday they were dull as dishwater and not for the first time. Probably the two most expensive positions to find quality replacements for so it's no wonder that Jimmy was desperate for them to do well. I'm not convinced they ever will be a force to be reckoned with.
Worrying that it was rumoured we were offered £2 million for Clough - and turned it down.

I think Clough has something to offer, it's too early to write him off but he does need to be played properly. In my eyes he's a no10 and should be playing behind a front 2 or lone striker.

He does need to bulk up but he does have talent

Norpig wrote:I think Clough has something to offer, it's too early to write him off but he does need to be played properly. In my eyes he's a no10 and should be playing behind a front 2 or lone striker.

He does need to bulk up but he does have talent

Does he have the talent though?

Or is he just slightly better than the average level of utter dross we call our first team?

Are we not all guilty of subconsciously artificially elevating his level of ability because we are desperate to see someone (anyone) provide us with something to enthuse about?

What I'm trying to say is, simply because he isn't quite as utterly shit in front of goal as the likes of Madine, Beckford, Ngog and all the other alleged strikers we've had recently, are we not guilty of seeing potential that simply isn't there?

in my opinion yes he does Breaders, it will be interesting to see how he handles league 1 but i do think he is a talented player and will only get better

He certainly needs to bulk up,and become a bully,but there's potential in the lad.

Fair enough, hope you're both right.

His techniques more than good enough, which is the main thing at that age. What he needs is to improve his acceleration over ten yards and bulk up a bit. So long as he bulks up he'll smash league 1.

We have been waiting for Mavies to reach the so-called potential that he always had.  At 29 ?   I think the ship has sailed IMO.

Clough needs another strike partner at this point or his development will go nowhere.

Both have some talent ....probably good enough for League 1