Just Back  (merged)

Yes, but Townsend was playing a division lower than Andrew during his two spells with us. Their subsequent careers would tend to indicate that Townsend was a better player, but I don't think he was better than Andrew during his time with us.

It's odd, because I'd have said that Townsend was better going forward than Andrew, who was useful in attack with plenty of attacking play and good crosses, but didn't score for us. However, Andrew has scored loads more goals than Townsend during his career. Wikipedia seems to think he is a free-kick specialist, so that's perhaps the difference.

Scored a screamer at the Osmond end for Macclesfield.

Quoted from Maringer

Yes, but Townsend was playing a division lower than Andrew during his two spells with us. Their subsequent careers would tend to indicate that Townsend was a better player, but I don't think he was better than Andrew during his time with us.

It's odd, because I'd have said that Townsend was better going forward than Andrew, who was useful in attack with plenty of attacking play and good crosses, but didn't score for us. However, Andrew has scored loads more goals than Townsend during his career. Wikipedia seems to think he is a free-kick specialist, so that's perhaps the difference.

Fair enough, always about opinions.  I wouldn't have grumbled at any point in the last 10 years if either had turned up back here at some point.

Townsend was incredible going forward, second loan spell especially, but I don't ever remember him looking a direct goal threat with it though.  Was a lot of pushing the ball past his man (at ease), then again and either laying it off or whipping a cross in.  Also harder to score goals from defence, or anywhere for that matter, at the higher levels.  Andrew's not stepped above League One yet Townsend has spent half of his career at Championship and even a season in the Prem.  Last few times I've seen him on TV he's played left sided centre-back too.  Conor did get one goal for us, was his first loan spell.  Last minute free-kick that was from a ridiculous angle.  I want to say it was against FGR.

Sad really that both of us are listing them so highly yet one had two separate loan spells in the Conference and the other a single season in League One.  You probably have to go back 20+ years to find another consistently good left-back in a Town shirt.

Quoted from diehardmariner

Conor did get one goal for us, was his first loan spell.  Last minute free-kick that was from a ridiculous angle.  I want to say it was against FGR.

Three it turns out.  



First one in that clip is St Albans in the FA Cup Qualifier.  Second is the one I was thinking about but that was against Welling.  I'll see if I can find the FGR one.

It’s here (skip the first 40 seconds of irrelevant bòllocks). I was still celebrating that goal when I got pulled over for speeding on the M180 on my way home. 81mph ffs.

He also got this one. “Nothing on? Fúck it then lads, I’ll do it myself”…

Quoted from Mappers

My assumption as I said before is  that Hurst had a ready made senior upgrade fixed up as a replacement for Crocombe , so I  didn't see it as a major problem him leaving - it turned out he had some kid with high potential and somebody who had a terrible season for a relegated Rochdale previously fixed up .

Cartwright has turned out to be more than adequate a replacement , especially in recent weeks but the original recruitment in the goalkeeping department has to be put down as poor .

It will be interesting to see if we look at taking Cartwright back next season (or if Hull will let him out again to league 2 ) if not you would hope a high quality lower league standard keeper is the aim .

I agree with a lot you have written, but not that in BOLD. Yes, he's starting to become a useful GK now but only in patches. He's in the last few games plucking the highballs from crosses/corners and killing the threat, but not always. He is still hesitant to come out gathering loose balls, but not always, which also shows up with backs kicking the ball out because there is little trust in him. The goal by Gillingham was a soft one as our back didn't track Lapslie, but Cartwright watched it all, no movement, no attempt. An older keeper would have moved with the ball, he might have given a penno away or smacked our back, who knows, but there would have been some attempt. As I've said, Cartwright watched it happen.
He has got better and in the next 9 games time he would be up to the point of expertise we should have had right at the start of the season. I don't hold a grudge, as its not his fault we started the season with two apprentice GK's.

Surely this was the best of the Townsend goals for Town.

A piece in Football League World.
https://footballleagueworld.co.....-artell-speculation/

Think all this debate on the squad needs a new thread. Once we are safe then perhaps we can have a retained list thread. My view remains that several managers have failed to build a squad good enough to kick on from this level - bottom half league 2, and the task at hand is very challenging with our budget and somewhat unattractive location. PH tried to reduce the squad size but improve overall quality and failed. We saw what happened last season with injuries to McAtee and Taylor, we had some amazing cup wins but had zilch chance of kicking on with a surge towards the play-offs. Are we going to recruit 3 top of league 2 midfielders to make up the squad depth we need with Thompson plus Khouri or a loanee in. Little chance I’d say.