The absence of Will Atkinson

[manor15]

An interesting topic which came up today.

There's virtually no doubt that had he stayed he would have played almost every game this season, whereas he's only made 2 starts since October for League 2 Mansfield. I wouldn't mind betting he would be cheaper than Josh Wright too.

Primarily though, in games like today and Shrewsbury, he would have made a huge difference. With him on the right, it allowed Wordsworth the freedom to get forward without us being overrun in the middle, and that's something that has happened time and one again with Wright not really suited to the role and Yearwood lost there today.

His work rate is really missing in the middle and with him on the pitch it's hard to see so many of the others giving up as they do now on a regular basis.

Add in the fact that he was a real PB man and a close friend of Lenny, it looks like really poor management to allow him to depart as he did.

He may not have been a top quality player to push us for promotion but he was certainly a key cog in the machine last season and perhaps we are only seeing his importance now he's gone.

Was losing him in the summer crucial to what looks like Brown's inevitable downfall? Perhaps even more so than the loss of the likes of Payne, Bentley, Leonard which were inevitable, the poor planning in not tying down contracts for the likes of Atkinson could be costly.

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

An interesting topic which came up today.

There's virtually no doubt that had he stayed he would have played almost every game this season, whereas he's only made 2 starts since October for League 2 Mansfield. I wouldn't mind betting he would be cheaper than Josh Wright too.

Primarily though, in games like today and Shrewsbury, he would have made a huge difference. With him on the right, it allowed Wordsworth the freedom to get forward without us being overrun in the middle, and that's something that has happened time and one again with Wright not really suited to the role and Yearwood lost there today.

His work rate is really missing in the middle and with him on the pitch it's hard to see so many of the others giving up as they do now on a regular basis.

Add in the fact that he was a real PB man and a close friend of Lenny, it looks like really poor management to allow him to depart as he did.

He may not have been a top quality player to push us for promotion but he was certainly a key cog in the machine last season and perhaps we are only seeing his importance now he's gone.

Was losing him in the summer crucial to what looks like Brown's inevitable downfall? Perhaps even more so than the loss of the likes of Payne, Bentley, Leonard which were inevitable, the poor planning in not tying down contracts for the likes of Atkinson could be costly.

I don't know about that.

 

[OldBlueLady]

He was excellent tracking back as well, and imho, we are really missing him this season.

 

[Pak Power]

Yes, we really could do with him at the moment, or a couple in his mould. A Deegan type perhaps would help galvanise the midfield when lenny departs

 

[Tommy2holes]

Bang on. I said this on Saturday.

Players of his mould go unnoticed , but it's no coincidence that we have conceded more goals.

If you look at our league 1 title winning squad we had players ready to run through brick walls for the club.

Bradbury, pettifer, barrett, hunt etc

True grafters. We haven't got that in this side.

 

[Medway Blue]

I don't know about that.

Seconded.

If he was a real Brown man, he’d still be here.

 

[Silencer]

NONE of them are Brown Men, even the Reading Mafia are pi55ed off with him

 

[mfurok]

Bang on. I said this on Saturday.

Players of his mould go unnoticed , but it's no coincidence that we have conceded more goals.

If you look at our league 1 title winning squad we had players ready to run through brick walls for the club.

Bradbury, pettifer, barrett, hunt etc

True grafters. We haven't got that in this side.

Brick walls- Hunt?!?

 

[Harry Bullocks]

Yes, we really could do with him at the moment, or a couple in his mould. A Deegan type perhaps would help galvanise the midfield when lenny departs

Totally agree, every decent team needs a "biter", Deegan wasn't everyone's favourite, but, give him a man to mark out of the game , and he'd do it....granted he would almost certainly get "carded" - yellow or red - but he'd take one for the team....and in light of Lennie potentially (certainly), going....this is what we need

 

[Blues 'n twos]

Shame that some on here didn’t realise what a difference he made to the team :nope:

Apparently, to many, he ran around a lot and contributed very little.

 

[meerkat54]

If Atkinson cant get playing time at Mansfield, cant we get him back this month as the transfer market is open ? But I don't suppose Atkinson was too impressed at PB`s efforts to keep him here in the summer.

 

[southendkid]

If PB can somehow tempt Atkinson back it could save his job, right now PB is trying to play the system from last year when we don't have any wingers that can play the Atkinson-type role, and it's just causing us to be overrun in the middle, once Leonard goes we'll have even less in midfield that will do the ugly stuff. Failing to get Atkinson we badly need to identify someone like him, I think Wright is a good player but he's clearly more like Wordsworth than Atkinson, he's a square peg out on the wing.

 

[RHB]

If PB can somehow tempt Atkinson back it could save his job, right now PB is trying to play the system from last year when we don't have any wingers that can play the Atkinson-type role, and it's just causing us to be overrun in the middle, once Leonard goes we'll have even less in midfield that will do the ugly stuff. Failing to get Atkinson we badly need to identify someone like him, I think Wright is a good player but he's clearly more like Wordsworth than Atkinson, he's a square peg out on the wing.

Once a player has gone, then that should be it. For whatever reason it is never the same second time round. I agree that we need a new player with Atkinson style attributes, but if we do that then lets get a new one. Also remember that Atko left because he didn't feel valued (financially as it turned out) by PB, not a good way to go.

 

[LBBlue]

Totally agree, every decent team needs a "biter", Deegan wasn't everyone's favourite, but, give him a man to mark out of the game , and he'd do it....granted he would almost certainly get "carded" - yellow or red - but he'd take one for the team....and in light of Lennie potentially (certainly), going....this is what we need

Apparently Deegan was playing with a broken foot for three games in November - he's got attitude.

 

[RHB]

Apparently Deegan was playing with a broken foot for three games in November - he's got attitude.

Or he's got a very stupid gene.

 

[LBBlue]

I thought he was one of the players we needed to upgrade on to improve, as did a few others, however we have not upgraded. We have lost all his strengths and not really improved on any of his weaknesses. There no one now to do what he did.

 

[FarmdogSUFC]

Whilst we are missing him, a massive problem is trying to shoehorn a CM on the right to accommodate our failed winger who plays RB.

 

[rigsby]

Atkinson left because he was offered a last minute better deal by Mansfield. Southend had offered him very good terms and he had agreed to sign. He had told PB personally that he would.

We wont ever know the truth because this may be a surprise to a few of you but players and agents do play one club off against another. For all we know he may well have been planning to sign for Mansfield for months. Or he may have just have wanted to go back North.

Anyway apart from that he was an excellent pro and covered ground better than most. Unfortunately those sort of players are rarely noticed at RH by many. He knew himself that he was on fans 'upgrade' list.

Even in the past few seasons some of the people on that list have included White, Timlin, Thompson, Deegan, Oxley, Smith, Bolger etc.

The problem is when your a bottom half income club who are in big debt you have to be very careful what you wish for.

 

[OldBlueLady]

Totally agree, every decent team needs a "biter", Deegan wasn't everyone's favourite, but, give him a man to mark out of the game , and he'd do it....granted he would almost certainly get "carded" - yellow or red - but he'd take one for the team....and in light of Lennie potentially (certainly), going....this is what we need

I've always thought this was Timlin's best role in the team.

 

[Ricky Otto]

I was a big Will Atkinson fan, am shocked he's not getting games at Mansfield and would love him back here. I don't rate Josh Wright at all.