Am i missing something ????

[Matt (GNFC)]

Guys.girls, perhaps im missing something and dont know what im talking abt but Nick Burton is leading MOM with 11 votes......????

Last Saturday:

 

1) The goal....The ball was played out to their striker from a diagonal ball. Nick had the oppurtunity to close him down but didnt get into a sprint until the striker was abt to hit the penalty area, at which point he turned him, shot, goal. If Nick had "got on his bike" from the moment the ball was played into the striker he would'nt have scored as he would've been closed down sooner.

2) Headers...I keep banging on abt this but u really need to look at him closely. When drop kicks or crosses are punted in, its very rare that he wins the ball cleanly. If both players are 50/50 for the header the ball invariably drops close to the area where the header was made, hence if the opposition picks up the ball, we encourage a second wave of pressure. This does not happen with Duku or Wilkins where they win the majority of their headers. U keep encouraging pressure and eventually the opposition are going to score....

As ive said before he'd make a great sweeper as he's our best tackling defender but there's no point in having a Lew Watts who can pass the ball well but is always liable to cost us a goal in a flat back four.....Any thoughts ?

 

[Richard C]

IMHO he had a blinder on saturday. Won tackle after tackle and I could not believe it when Tostao was strangely given MOM, I think the Reporter must really like him to have given him MOM. Nick was great saturday and whether at fault for the goal or not i think he more than made up for it! i dont agree with the point about headers? I will check out your theory though because I havent looked that closely! I just think Nick commanded the defence and looked good.

[Hempstead Gaz]

You are right to a point, Matt, but the Wilkins/Burton pairing seem to have a good understanding, with Wilko winning the arial stuff and Nick getting the tackles in. I know we have let in a lot of goals this year, but we have had lots of upheavals this year at the back.

I disagree that Pennock is a better centre half than Burton. He IS a better sweeper and header of the ball than Burton, but in general, and I suspect Ado would be the first to admit it, he does look a little short of the pace required by a centre half at this level.

[Slartibartfast]

I think we had a warning two minutes before the goal when they attacked down the same right wing channel and should have scored from the cross, on both occasions Justin Skinner was missing and Burton got pulled out of the centre.

I can't remember one time on Saturday when any of Chesters back four got caught upfield when We attacked, maybe thats how you keep clean sheets, not very entertaining but effective.

As for Nicks heading ability when he goes up for corners he looks as dangerous as anyone apart from maybe Chris Giles.

I don't think Nick Burton is the best player in the league but I do think he gives 100% and as someone said in a different thread, if any of our players where perfect they wouldn't be playing in the Conference.

 

 

[Stu M]

I voted for Nick and I'm with Richard C on this one. He was outstanding in the tackle and made some very important challenges throughout the game. Steve McKimm and Craig Wilkins also played very well, but I thought - goal aside - Nick was always there when it mattered.

 

Arguably, if one mistake costs you a goal, there's no justification for giving someone man of the match, but as Slarti says, Skinner's cover was lacking at that time.