A comparison regarding what to expect from Ched Evans next season

[Sean Thornton]

He's 28 and never had serious injuries, only time will tell I suppose

Pulls and strains. Gets one, it affects something else. Not talking about anything "serious".

 

[Blade56]

Karma, irony and fate have yet to raise heads fully in this saga.

I wrongly predicted early in the charge up the table that we would need at least a point from the chezzy game and Evans would score the only goal condemning us to the play offs.

Ok, so what happened to fate, irony and Karma?

Maybe, just maybe we are only part way through the saga. Picture this, pigs miss out on play offs this year, we are int Championship next season and maybe we make a late run and Ched scores the winning goal to overtake the pigs for promotion ont last day............. I'll leave you to think about that

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

Karma, irony and fate have yet to raise heads fully in this saga.

I wrongly predicted early in the charge up the table that we would need at least a point from the chezzy game and Evans would score the only goal condemning us to the play offs.

Ok, so what happened to fate, irony and Karma?

Maybe, just maybe we are only part way through the saga. Picture this, pigs miss out on play offs this year, we are int Championship next season and maybe we make a late run and Ched scores the winning goal to overtake the pigs for promotion ont last day............. I'll leave you to think about that

Back on the gear, Jelly?

 

[Sean Thornton]

Back on the gear, Jelly?

Looks like its good shit!

 

[Ldn_Rd_Blades]

Pulls and strains. Gets one, it affects something else. Not talking about anything "serious".

No but that is what can happen after a long time out with injury, the body overcompensating, Evans wasn't injured and seems to have kept in shape.

The only real comparison Is Hughes and his second season was ok and he's older

 

[Sean Thornton]

No but that is what can happen after a long time out with injury, the body overcompensating, Evans wasn't injured and seems to have kept in shape.

The only real comparison Is Hughes and his second season was ok and he's older

That's my exact point. He has to get over that. Let's hope he does. He was getting niggles earlier. Not saying he has for the past couple of months because of certain comments but it certainly affected him at times.

Think the comparison is dangerous. Everyone's bodies are different. We'll have to see.

 

[ShockingBadBuy]

Forget whether we should take him back. Personally, after everything that's happened, I'm just gobsmacked that he wants to come back to us. If I was him (shudder) I'd want to put serious distance between myself and anything to do with that period of my life.

 

[Ldn_Rd_Blades]

That's my exact point. He has to get over that. Let's hope he does. He was getting niggles earlier. Not saying he has for the past couple of months because of certain comments but it certainly affected him at times.

Think the comparison is dangerous. Everyone's bodies are different. We'll have to see.

My point is he's not had a long term injury, which can cause niggles.

There's not many players to compare so it's an unknown.

Looking at how wilder transformed some of our squad last preseason I'm confident chefs fitness won't be an issue

 

[Dnblade]

I agree that we can't judge him on this season,as I don't think he had a proper pre season along with not playing for such a long time...I think for the money we are reported to be outlaying it's worth the gamble,and with a full preseason I think he'll score goals in a footballing side.
Under Blackwell I don't think it suited him,and then again in the relegation season under 4 different Managers.
He did have a good spell or two at Norwich if I remember right in the Championship...again in a decent footballing side who create chances..that's why he flourished in Wilson's first season for me...CW and the way we play will suit him down to the ground.

 

[DiggerBlade]

Forget whether we should take him back. Personally, after everything that's happened, I'm just gobsmacked that he wants to come back to us. If I was him (shudder) I'd want to put serious distance between myself and anything to do with that period of my life.

But some say facing one's Demons head on is one positive step forward and hopefully beneficial to both Ched AND the club.

Both party's wishing to exorcise the ghost of season's past.

 

[JonnyRed(WCFC)]

Hughesy was still sought after by a few league 1 and 2 clubs within the past season or two, I know Vale were keen to have him but he didnt wanna give up his job and he's not that keen on errr driving either!

Still had bags of finishing quality even till he left us, legs were starting to go a bit but he still ran around tirelessly chasing balls down, it was his turning ability that was slowing more than anything else. We wouldnt be going down if he had stayed, our manager who left was paying some of his wages out of his own pocket rather than the club paying them, thats why we're in the shite.

 

[Cerberus Blade]

I think we need to get a perspective on this.

I'm more concerned about the overall recruitment policy than the signing of Ched. If that's right then we'll do well whatever Ched turns out to be.

As for Ched - his physical injuries are less important than his mental ones. A player can get over an ankle injury (usually) and that's not a reason for him to fail. But how the lad is set up mentally to come back from the self-induced hell he's been through is another story.

He needs total support from the fans to overcome this. Put aside your prejudices about morals and all that other shite and back the manager who is backing the player.


That's the best way forward for the club.

 

[sheffielder]

I think many are using that game to weigh up how good he could be for us.

He can still strike a ball with power:

That doesn't look like a split dressing room from that video

 

[Revolution]

Judging by their comeback seasons they are not too different.

but what I think we can learn from the above is that we should not use last season's meagre goal tally as proof that he can't do well again. It may be that it just takes time to get going again after such a long time out.

Interesting post, but I don't think you can draw the above conclusions.

Hughes and Evans (and you acknowledge some of this, granted):

- were out of the game for different time periods
- were playing at different levels when they were incarcerated
- had very different career records when they were incarcerated
- were not very similar as players - Hughes' game was all about using pace to beat the offside trap
- were not the same age
- joined different teams when they came out
- suffered from different injuries in their comeback seasons
- had quite different scoring records in league games in their comeback seasons (18 games, 7 goals against 25 games, 5 goals, so less than 1 in 3 vs 1 in 5) though this is small sample size.

There are far too many variables to say that they are not too different, or that this shows that Evans can do well again.

I agree that Evans might do well again. Any player who (a) has had good seasons before and (b) has had a poor season or time out due to injury might come back and do well - Steve Kabba is an example of that. But you can't draw that conclusion from looking at what Hughes has done.

 

[Revolution]

As for Ched - his physical injuries are less important than his mental ones. A player can get over an ankle injury (usually) and that's not a reason for him to fail. But how the lad is set up mentally to come back from the self-induced hell he's been through is another story.

That's not been the case this year. Evans has shown no signs of mental strain. He's missed almost half a season with physical injuries. And he was often injured in his first 2 seasons for us, and was injured at the start of his one good season.

After the James Wallace fiasco, I am surprised we are so keen to sign someone who has not been fit to play a game for a couple of months.

 

[Pollingtonblade]

That's not been the case this year. Evans has shown no signs of mental strain. He's missed almost half a season with physical injuries. And he was often injured in his first 2 seasons for us, and was injured at the start of his one good season.

After the James Wallace fiasco, I am surprised we are so keen to sign someone who has not been fit to play a game for a couple of months.

There is some school of thought that this has been on the cards for a while and that's possibly why he hasn't been playing.

I assume a medical will have to be passed in this regime after previous fiascos, I also assume we won't be paying an over inflated salary to Ched.

 

[Revolution]

There is some school of thought that this has been on the cards for a while and that's possibly why he hasn't been playing.

I assume a medical will have to be passed in this regime after previous fiascos, I also assume we won't be paying an over inflated salary to Ched.

I must confess these events have made me wonder whether he was really injured.

If we chuck a lot of money at Evans or sign him after failing a medical that would be very disappointing (and suggest that McCabe learned nothing from the Clough era).

 

[fuerstenberger]

Ched Evans has the technique of a Premier League player. As someone on this forum pointed out, when I first said this year's ago, he is just not very intelligent. Wilson got the best out of him, probably telling him what to do. Alan Knill is better than Wilson and will, IMO, get the best out of him. He looks to have added some timber in that video, if he loses that he could well produce. Personally though, I don't want him back at the club. My reasons are complex and numerous so I won't go into them now.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

I think many are using that game to weigh up how good he could be for us.

He can still strike a ball with power:

It also demonstrates how disruptive he will be in the changing room if you observe how his team mates don't mob him after he scores.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

Karma, irony and fate have yet to raise heads fully in this saga.

I wrongly predicted early in the charge up the table that we would need at least a point from the chezzy game and Evans would score the only goal condemning us to the play offs.

Ok, so what happened to fate, irony and Karma?

Maybe, just maybe we are only part way through the saga. Picture this, pigs miss out on play offs this year, we are int Championship next season and maybe we make a late run and Ched scores the winning goal to overtake the pigs for promotion ont last day............. I'll leave you to think about that

Pigs won't be close to promotion next season, going down.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

That doesn't look like a split dressing room from that video

Beat me to it.

 

[Bergen Blade]

Interesting post, but I don't think you can draw the above conclusions.

Hughes and Evans (and you acknowledge some of this, granted):

- were out of the game for different time periods
- were playing at different levels when they were incarcerated
- had very different career records when they were incarcerated
- were not very similar as players - Hughes' game was all about using pace to beat the offside trap
- were not the same age
- joined different teams when they came out
- suffered from different injuries in their comeback seasons
- had quite different scoring records in league games in their comeback seasons (18 games, 7 goals against 25 games, 5 goals, so less than 1 in 3 vs 1 in 5) though this is small sample size.

There are far too many variables to say that they are not too different, or that this shows that Evans can do well again.

I agree that Evans might do well again. Any player who (a) has had good seasons before and (b) has had a poor season or time out due to injury might come back and do well - Steve Kabba is an example of that. But you can't draw that conclusion from looking at what Hughes has done.

I said that their comeback seasons weren't too different, meaning not hugely successful. Both played between 20-30 games, with one scoring 7 and the other 8, both had injuries, both had dry spells. Of course there are numerous other variables I didn't mention, Evans' playing for relegated Chesterfield, Hughes for 8th placed Oldham for example.


My conclusion was not that Hughes' story shows that Evans will do well. My conclusion was that we should not judge Evans just on his comeback season and conclude he is now a 7 goal a season third tier striker - i.e. let's not write him off. Such long periods out will affect players' form, fitness and injury problems, but Hughes showed that it's possible to improve from that.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

I said that their comeback seasons weren't too different, meaning not hugely successful. Both played between 20-30 games, with one scoring 7 and the other 8, both had injuries, both had dry spells. Of course there are numerous other variables I didn't mention, Evans' playing for relegated Chesterfield, Hughes for 8th placed Oldham for example.


My conclusion was not that Hughes' story shows that Evans will do well. My conclusion was that we should not judge Evans just on his comeback season and conclude he is now a 7 goal a season third tier striker - i.e. let's not write him off. Such long periods out will affect players' form, fitness and injury problems, but Hughes showed that it's possible to improve from that.

We'll be reight then?

 

[Revolution]

My conclusion was not that Hughes' story shows that Evans will do well. My conclusion was that we should not judge Evans just on his comeback season and conclude he is now a 7 goal a season third tier striker - i.e. let's not write him off. Such long periods out will affect players' form, fitness and injury problems, but Hughes showed that it's possible to improve from that.

Yes, but we knew that anyway.

FWIW the big unknowns in all of this from my perspective are:

1. Whether Evans can stay fit; and

2. Whether Evans' true talent level is what we saw in 2011-12 or in the 2 seasons preceding it.

 

[Cerberus Blade]

That's not been the case this year. Evans has shown no signs of mental strain. He's missed almost half a season with physical injuries. And he was often injured in his first 2 seasons for us, and was injured at the start of his one good season.

After the James Wallace fiasco, I am surprised we are so keen to sign someone who has not been fit to play a game for a couple of months.

I don't think you've quite grasped the point I was making, but let me agree with you on some things...

You are saying is that it's the physical injuries that have kept him out of the team - and I agree with that 100%. You're also raising doubts about his fitness levels and whether he can stay fit enough to make a positive impact on the team - and I think that's something none of us, not even Ched himself, know the answer to - and that for me is "the risk" in this signing. However...

You're then suggesting he's got a track record of being injury prone. In the three seasons he played for us before going down, the least number of games he played was 35. I don't think that's bad or unusual tbh. In fact he played 35, 36 and 42 games for us in those three seasons. We're not talking Laurent D' Jaffo or Jon Ebrell here. We're talking about a player who will play the majority of games of in a season, so I think you are being a bit unfair painting him as some kind of crock who has always been injury prone and using that to support your argument. And the comparison to James Wallace just shows that you've got a very negative view about Evans, not based on any facts.

I think it's not surprising that after a long time out of the game he hasn't managed so many games this season. I think it's a small miracle he's kept himself fit enough to even be under consideration for a career in football ever again.

When you say, "Evans has shown no signs of mental strain" - I wonder what you are basing that on and how you are qualified to know such information? I believe that he has been through some serious mental trauma because of what has happened to him and has doubted whether he will ever be able to play football again.

He needs to be physically fit - of course. And he needs to be mentally fit too - and have support from our fans.

 

[Revolution]

I don't think you've quite grasped the point I was making, but let me agree with you on some things...

You are saying is that it's the physical injuries that have kept him out of the team - and I agree with that 100%. You're also raising doubts about his fitness levels and whether he can stay fit enough to make a positive impact on the team - and I think that's something none of us, not even Ched himself, know the answer to - and that for me is "the risk" in this signing. However...

You're then suggesting he's got a track record of being injury prone. In the three seasons he played for us before going down, the least number of games he played was 35. I don't think that's bad or unusual tbh. In fact he played 35, 36 and 42 games for us in those three seasons. We're not talking Laurent D' Jaffo or Jon Ebrell here. We're talking about a player who will play the majority of games of in a season, so I think you are being a bit unfair painting him as some kind of crock who has always been injury prone and using that to support your argument. And the comparison to James Wallace just shows that you've got a very negative view about Evans, not based on any facts.

I think it's not surprising that after a long time out of the game he hasn't managed so many games this season. I think it's a small miracle he's kept himself fit enough to even be under consideration for a career in football ever again.

When you say, "Evans has shown no signs of mental strain" - I wonder what you are basing that on and how you are qualified to know such information? I believe that he has been through some serious mental trauma because of what has happened to him and has doubted whether he will ever be able to play football again.

He needs to be physically fit - of course. And he needs to be mentally fit too - and have support from our fans.

Well, in 2009-10 Evans had an 8 game spell out injured.

He had a similar spell in 2010-11.

He missed the first 6 league games in 2011-12

He hasn't played this season since early March.

No, he's not an Ebbrell. But in every season except one in which he's been a regular, he's broken down and missed significant time in March/April. That's interesting. Also, more importantly, he's injured now. We have a terrible record when it comes to signing injured players. They tend to keep getting injured...

You might be right about mental trauma. I don't know (I hear, anecdotally, that Evans is not very bright, but I have never met him myself). That has not been reported as being a reason why he's missed games this season.

 

[Balham]

Well, in 2009-10 Evans had an 8 game spell out injured.

He had a similar spell in 2010-11.

He missed the first 6 league games in 2011-12

He hasn't played this season since early March.

No, he's not an Ebbrell. But in every season except one in which he's been a regular, he's broken down and missed significant time in March/April. That's interesting. Also, more importantly, he's injured now. We have a terrible record when it comes to signing injured players. They tend to keep getting injured...

You might be right about mental trauma. I don't know (I hear, anecdotally, that Evans is not very bright, but I have never met him myself). That has not been reported as being a reason why he's missed games this season.

Funnily enough, Evans has made 29 appearances for cash-strapped Chesterfield whose main benefactor has decided to stop funding the club. Could it be that his incentive-based contract - it's public knowledge that his basic salary is £2k/week - has a payment structure whereby he is due a fee for making 30 appearances? He's been out with an unspecified injury for 7 weeks which is pretty unusual.

 

[Ldn_Rd_Blades]

Ched Evans faces yet another spell on the sidelines after a flare up of his ankle problem.
The issue, also previously described as a heel injury, has already kept the striker out of action on two separate occasions this season.



Evans, signed last summer and contracted until the end of next season, has played in just 29 of Town’s 44 fixtures.


Boss Gary Caldwell delivered the bad news to fans after Tuesday’s 1-0 defeat at Walsall.

“He felt his ankle again after the game on Saturday,” he said.

“He’s had more injections and he’ll probably be out for the next few games.”

Chesterfield have had good news on two other injury victims however.

Paul McGinn returned to the pitch for 45 minutes with the reserve team on Tuesday and Jon Nolan is due back in training today.

 

[Ldn_Rd_Blades]

It's either a really bad ankle injury that's kept him out for 2 months or he's been wrapped in cotton wool

He set up the winner in the last minute then said he 'felt his ankle'

Doesn't seem like a long term issue to me, if so he'd need a operation surely?

 

[1danewhitehouse]

It's either a really bad ankle injury that's kept him out for 2 months or he's been wrapped in cotton wool

He set up the winner in the last minute then said he 'felt his ankle'

Doesn't seem like a long term issue to me, if so he'd need a operation surely?

Injections in the ankle. Could be similar to the issues Leon Clarke has had this season where he needed a good rehab period to get it right. By all accounts Chesterfield have rushed Ched back at every opportunity so perhaps it's just never had the chance to settle down.