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+----- Thread: Has Bob's got it right? Is their future behind them? (/showthread.php?tid=5892)
Has Bob's got it right? Is their future behind them? - Devongone - 01-11-2017
Reading Bob's (probably a bad idea in itself) two things in particular caught my attention.
First considering fans have been watching Joe Anyon, I was shocked by the vehemence of one or two calls for us to sign a new keeper in Tommy's place. Well obviously we can't until January anyway. And more important we have two months of games to play before then. I wonder if those assessing Tommy as being finished have any experience of playing in goal, or proven expertise in judging keepers. I spent years keeping goal and a lot of time since then studying keepers AND I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO TELL (yet). Tommy spent over a year out injured. His comeback has been gradual and it has again been interrupted by further injury. When playing he has made some worrying errors, but he has also at times looked his old self. What I can say for certain is that it is not time on the training pitch, or the building of fitness that will be Tommy Lee's measure - it will be playing games, as many as possible. There's no substitute for match time and game situations for a keeper. Only then will he be able to draw his game together physically and mentally (OR NOT!). Of course I'm worried for him, because he is such an important part of our team, but those trying to assess him on the basis of his Carlisle form might as well be rolling a dice, or looking in the bottom of a tea-cup. If we were signing a keeper I'd be looking for a young one and trying to find a way of unloading Joe Anyon, or reducing his impact on our wage bill. Truro City's keeper Tom McHale would be my ideal signing with next season and our future in mind. But games, games, games would be my recipe for Tommy Lee and all these ridiculous hyperactive warm-ups and exercises - leave 'em out, they're ****ocks. Give him games, keep him fit and let time heal his game, or perhaps kill it.
Second, the public training session ...... obviously we have some extraordinarily expert fans on Bob's who are capable of judging the fittest players on one viewing. Really? I couldn't do that could you? And if I could what would I be learning? Whenever I trained, a young player of Joe Rowley's build would always lead things out, have a good recovery rate and stamina and look pretty damn quick ....... whilst bigger lads with more bulk and muscles to feed would look ponderous in comparison. BUT one comment in particular interested me, that Ricky German looked one of the least fit. Now I like him, think he has talent and might still have a good future, but that comment chimes with something I said months ago. Ricky looks as though his body needs to harden up, he's strong, but his muscles seem, to my uneducated eye, lacking in definition. Look at young, top-notch rugby players and in their skin-tight shirts muscles clearly clearly define themselves. Ricky may not be a keen trainer, (was Jack Lester?) that may well be why he never gets a first-team chance, but surely we could get him on a weight-training programme that will quickly harden and define that body. And it should improve his pace too. Okay no one can turn you into Usain Bolt if you lack that talent, but if you can become a foot faster in a twenty-yard foot-race that's the difference between getting a shot in and being robbed ......... I'm also guessing that at Sheffield FC's level Ricky is well-fit enough to look good and keep scoring, but surely the point of development and loans is to stretch the player? Southport would be better, but a division higher would be better still. There are good centre forwards down the bottom of the Vanarama National. Afolayan at Solihull ........ Stevenage have sent big Rowan Liburd to Guiseley ..... it's a tough league with some good players, now if Ricky could go somewhere like that and have to fight to show what he's capable of, we'd either have a player, or a reject, by the end of the season.
RE: Has Bob's got it right? Is their future behind them? - Dancingwilldoit - 02-11-2017
In answer to the post title - No.
All keepers make mistakes am sure you did Dev. Last week Lee seemed to make an error of judgement which cost us a goal. It was his first match back from an injury that just needed time. He is the same keeper he always was, solid, reliable and a great shot stopper. He is by far the best keeper in Lge 2. Anyon is capable but his positioning is woeful, he also wants to punch away high balls even when under no pressure. If he hasn't got that right by now then he probably never will have.
Also think you watch too much Rugby Dev.
RE: Has Bob's got it right? Is their future behind them? - Devongone - 03-11-2017
I agree on Lee's ability. Coming back will be a matter of getting his mind and body right together. If he is sure of his body and does not think about it during matches he'll be on the way to being Tommy Lee - one of the best in the lower divisions.
A few years ago I'd have said rugby was miles behind football. Now ....... well in terms of creative thinking I can hardly think seven managers worldwide in football. From a much smaller pool of players and managers rugby is far more mentally productive.
RE: Has Bob's got it right? Is their future behind them? - Devongone - 04-11-2017
I just thought I'd add why I'm saying this about Ricky. I don't want to turn him into a poor man's Maro Itoje, BUT we've seen Chris O'Grady at centre forward. He knows the game, he works, is reasonably strong, has a bit of skill and fights a decent battle with centre backs. The trouble is he doesn't have any really deadly weapons. He can win headers but isn't unbeatable in the air. He's decent on the ground, but has no devastating skills. He isn't the slowest around, but his pace won't scare anyone. He'll score a few goals but he isn't super sharp. No centre back is going to be terrified of playing against him.
If Ricky trots out you see a biggish, strong lad. If his muscles looked a bit more ripped, if his skin glowed, if his body language said I'm 19 and I'm IT - the opposition would immediately be thinking who is THIS guy. If he then showed he could play, which he can, that he's got a bit more pace than expected, knows what to do and can score a goal you've got a real handful. There's lot in sport that happens inside players' heads isn't there? If you can look and act the part, you'll play the part (if you've got a decent level of ability behind you - if you're just pretending to be George Weah's cousin you'll need more than muscles) ........ And Ricky's task to make the breakthrough is to convince people he's the real deal, so he can become the real deal.