Ian Hodges

[Guest]

Hows he getting on has he scored yet , do you guys like him .

[GarySTFC]

Hasn't scored yet, and hasn't had too many chances. Had a good chance on Saturday where his lack of pace showed as the defender caught him up and was able to make a tackle.

 

Is good in the air though and holds the ball up superbly showing great strength. The goals will come. Unfortunately, players who don't shine instantly at Slough do tend to get excessive amounts of stick from the off, and I think this is affecting him. Seems a bit low on confidence at the moment.

 

How did you guys rate him? What did you think his strengths and weaknesses are?

[Guest]

A fair assessment Gary, Though I do wonder why when we sign a striker/midfielder they get straight into the first team---can't help but think a few games on the bench seeing the way we play would help. We have injuries at present, so sometimes its necessary though. Boot is a good example--straight into the team, and didn't score---a couple of games in the reserves to build up confidence and he hasn't stopped scoring since.

[Chris]

I think Ian Hodges is a good player. Trouble is he's not Sammy Winston and runs after everything like him at 100 mph and he has not scored 27 like Boot yet.

 

Really p8ssed me off some of the comments on Saturday although when he did set up Booty that shut a few people up and it was suddenly well done Hodgy!

[Martin]

I criticise Hodge because sometimes he lacks the enthusiasm of Boot and Winston. He lacks the quality touches and the goalscoring, at the moment. I think he has potential but we can't wait on potential at the business end of the season. Yet when he does something well I will praise him and encourage him. That is the way I support the team. I will not just blindly encourage them because he is wearing amber particularly when I believe we have better options sitting on the bench.

[GarySTFC]

I agree in principal to your final comments Martin, Winston and Boot should be the starting partnership for each game. They're a proven partnership and know one another's game.

 

I think Hodge was thrown in just for Browne to have a little bite at Sammy. Hodgy will certainly come good for us though, but we could do with encouraging the lad that bit more to try and boost his confidence whilst he settles in.

[Paul Stephens]

I think Hodges has shown some good touches, especially in his first game, but it takes time for a striking partnership to build. It seems at the moment we don't know whether to play the ball over the defence for Tony/Sammy to run onto, or the ball for Hodges to hold up. On Saturday there were again several occasions when Tony was screaming for the ball but it was held up in midfield. This should not be happening but our midfield is too slow to see the chance. (Because their ball control is weak and that vital look goes missing).

 

Hodges need playing time to fit into the team. We can't just play Tony and Sammy all the time or else injury and bookings will mount up. However Whilst he is a good defensive player at corners, (a tribute to his awareness) I still feel he is playing too deep, sharing the general concern for the defence shown all season, which causes our midfield to play too close to the defence as well.

 

We are missing the Barras/Gilkes combination which got the ball behind the defence.

 

I still feel Tony and Sammy are the best attacking combination, but agaist Hemels small defence a big striker will be a an asset.

 

PS that was why there were so many bookings on Saturday. Hemmels defence is small and overcompensates by leaning over the attacker. A lot of the time the so called "backing in" of forwards was the defenders jostling for the ball when badly positioned.

 

PPS Credit to the ref for the first goal when he made a good decision to allow the advantage,

 

 

[Martin]

Fair point Gary, I think I get frustrated with Hodges simply as he represents our brainless manager who decides to break a 40 goal strike partnership at every opportunity. He needs time to bed in but we do not have time. But last night I would have welcomed Hodges with open arms.