It's a really tough one for me.
I don't think Ciftci is quite as bad as people are saying myself. He's not made a good start but he's certainly had flashes- the first quarter of an hour of the second half against Milton Keynes for example, he was sublime. He's shown some very good close control of the ball that's gone unnoticed and the odd nice flick-on. It's all hampered by one problem however- he simply isn't remotely close to fit. He rarely leaves a ten yard radius of where he's standing and when he does, he visibly tires himself out by doing so. He certainly has the ability to play at this level but he seems to have the body of a retiree. I'm not one of those people who claims that anyone who doesn't charge around like a bull is useless- far from it. I was always a big fan of Reid who was hardly a perennial presser- but Ciftci seems to be the most immobile and unfit centre-forward that I've seen play for us. And I've seen Rhys Griffiths.
Blissett is the opposite. He bounds about like a terrier, too much so if anything. Yet his close control of the ball is very poor, he can trap it further than he can kick it at times. Also, for all his movement is persistent and enthusiastic, I'm not sure it's particularly clever. You don't often see him make a blinding run into space in the manner of great poachers, do you?
Fletcher isn't yet ready to start. He's weak (as you'd expect from a youngster) and he drifts in and out of games (as you'd also expect from a youngster). It sounded like we did worse when he came on at Bury. However, he was absolutely superb when he came on against Milton Keynes, doing pretty much everything right. Against Blackpool he wasn't so good but he still had two fantastic moments that I'm not sure how many of our players would be capable of. He played a superb ball in right onto the head of Songo'o after the indirect free-kick was blocked. He also under pressure showed a fantastic first touch, deft turn and good pass right to the feet of Jervis who was in a good position to score yet blazed the ball over the bar. There are dangers in burning him out, certainly but he absolutely has something to offer. He isn't 'the messiah' but he's a good option for us at the moment, certainly from the bench.
Ciftci can control the ball, but can't run. Blissett can run, but can't control the ball. Fletcher can possibly do both, but he's also weak and inexperienced. Ryan Taylor can't get fit soon enough- we were more dependent on him than we liked to realise.
I think at the moment, Fletcher may be the least worst option to start regularly. Is he ready for division one, as the thread title asks? I think not. But I think he might just be more ready than Ciftci, or Blissett.
I'd start him against Doncaster.
