v St Ives

[3spirit]

I really haven't seen much of Pat Cox to pass a comment on his abilities but I don't think he really made an impression at Staines and he does seem to be a player who tries to make it at other clubs and always seems to end up back at Fleet.   

 

You are wrong there,RR. Johnson Hippolyte wanted to keep Pat Cox but the player wanted to move on.

 

I think fans underestimate the likes of Simon Martin and the Pat Cox's of the non-league world because they are not the showy frontmen like some, and because they do not possess great skills on the ball.

 

It really depends on the type of game you're looking to play. For me, a big number 10 is useful to a squad. He doesn't have to be the world's best player but what I would be looking from him is someone who is strong, willing to mix it with the opposition's defenders[ especially big centre halves] and rough them up a bit. and hopefully he would be good in the air.

If you have a player who is awkward and a pain in the ar*e to mark, gaps appear and then other goalgetters have chances to score, off of what the number 10 does.

 

As a case in point, the game against St Ives, their two centre halves dominated our strikers. That wouldn't be so easy, if we had a player that I'm suggesting.

On Saturday we had to go long and direct because of the state of the pitch but never had anyone to get on the end of our crosses/long balls.

 

To be honest, I think we miss a trick not having a player in our squad like this. We carry five substitutes after all.

 

I know of a man mountain who we could get [relatively cheap I would imagine] and would be happy to be amongst our subs. No one would relish marking him and that is Melford Simpson, who played for Hayes and Yeading against us and before that played for Harefield.He's built like a brick outhouse !

We would use him sparingly on 3g at Arbour Park but on heavy winter pitches against cloggers like St Ives. I think he would be a right nuisance to them, thus bringing goal scoring opportunities to the classier footballers we have. Even if it was just for the last 10-15 minutes of a game.

 

It's all very well playing sublime passing football on great surfaces but we don't play on great surfaces all the time and so we need options to vary our football tactics.

 

I hate the long ball game but I recognise that at times,there's a need to play it.

[3spirit]

3spirit, you yourself said a target man should be able to compete physically with big rugged centre backs and provide an aerial threat so we can play direct balls into them. Simon Martin was very weak and bottled most headers he ever went for, losing the ball often and missing some very easy headers. Plus add to that the number of times he bottled it whenever through one on one with the goal keeper.

 

His goal scoring record with us was 1 in 4 which is average at best (playing at the league below competing for playoffs and promotion)

Compare to;

Sean Sonner - approx 1 in 3

Lee Barney - 1 in 2

Charlie Moone - 1 in 2

Danny Burnell - better than 1 in 2

Ed Smith - better than 1 in 2 (2 in 3)

 

I don't compare goal ratio's because it depends on what you are asking your forwards to do.

I refer you to my above post to Reading Rebel.

[3spirit]

3spirit, you yourself said a target man should be able to compete physically with big rugged centre backs and provide an aerial threat so we can play direct balls into them. Simon Martin was very weak and bottled most headers he ever went for, losing the ball often and missing some very easy headers. Plus add to that the number of times he bottled it whenever through one on one with the goal keeper.

 

His goal scoring record with us was 1 in 4 which is average at best (playing at the league below competing for playoffs and promotion)

Compare to;

Sean Sonner - approx 1 in 3

Lee Barney - 1 in 2

Charlie Moone - 1 in 2

Danny Burnell - better than 1 in 2

Ed Smith - better than 1 in 2 (2 in 3)

 

One other thing, SRJ, Charlie Moone, Danny Burnell and Lee Barney to me are goal poachers and I class as number 9's.

Ed Smith and Sean Sonner[ to a lesser extent] I view, as being  a forward suited better to play alongside a goal poacher, as they offer more to the game than just their goalscoring ie Ed's link up play and Sean's unceasing work rate.

Charlie Moone can offer more in his game than just goals but he's not one to make it happen often.

 

Horses for courses, as they say.

[3spirit]

Anyone remember Colin Copperthwaite,who played for Barrow in the Conference, back when Slough was in it ?

 

He was built like a barn door, hands like shovels and a head like a bucket but he scored goals for fun and if I had been a defender against him, I think I would have limped off feigning injury ! lol ! 

[epicrebel]

You are wrong there,RR. Johnson Hippolyte wanted to keep Pat Cox but the player wanted to move on.

 

I think fans underestimate the likes of Simon Martin and the Pat Cox's of the non-league world because they are not the showy frontmen like some, and because they do not possess great skills on the ball.

 

It really depends on the type of game you're looking to play. For me, a big number 10 is useful to a squad. He doesn't have to be the world's best player but what I would be looking from him is someone who is strong, willing to mix it with the opposition's defenders[ especially big centre halves] and rough them up a bit. and hopefully he would be good in the air.

If you have a player who is awkward and a pain in the ar*e to mark, gaps appear and then other goalgetters have chances to score, off of what the number 10 does.

 

As a case in point, the game against St Ives, their two centre halves dominated our strikers. That wouldn't be so easy, if we had a player that I'm suggesting.

On Saturday we had to go long and direct because of the state of the pitch but never had anyone to get on the end of our crosses/long balls.

 

To be honest, I think we miss a trick not having a player in our squad like this. We carry five substitutes after all.

 

I know of a man mountain who we could get [relatively cheap I would imagine] and would be happy to be amongst our subs. No one would relish marking him and that is Melford Simpson, who played for Hayes and Yeading against us and before that played for Harefield.He's built like a brick outhouse !

We would use him sparingly on 3g at Arbour Park but on heavy winter pitches against cloggers like St Ives. I think he would be a right nuisance to them, thus bringing goal scoring opportunities to the classier footballers we have. Even if it was just for the last 10-15 minutes of a game.

 

It's all very well playing sublime passing football on great surfaces but we don't play on great surfaces all the time and so we need options to vary our football tactics.

 

I hate the long ball game but I recognise that at times,there's a need to play it.

The trouble with this type of player is take the St Ives no5 would and did scream and fall to the floor and get a free kick. 

[Reading Rebel]

The trouble with this type of player is take the St Ives no5 would and did scream and fall to the floor and get a free kick. 

 

 

Unfortunately not a lot you can do about these cheating scumbags (harsh but true). It's down to Ref's to sort these cheats out but as we know with the standard of a lot of refs and lino's they are too easily conned. 

Edited January 9, 2017 by Reading Rebel

[3spirit]

The trouble with this type of player is take the St Ives no5 would and did scream and fall to the floor and get a free kick. 

 

Some players are the worst actors ever. Pathetic actually, it ruins games.   

[HEAVY TRUCKER]

rr so busy and tired i just havn't got the inclination or energy to attend at the moment, also family matters are keeping me away.