[Archived] The Rise And Fall Of Mgp

[RovertheHill]

He wasn't exactly setting the Premiership alight earlier in the season but he was scoring goals, which made up for his poor performances. Once the goals dried up he's been exposed as just an average player who can't beat a man, has no pace but does posses a good left foot.

If Spurs or anyone else offer anything remotely like 5million we should cash in and laugh all the way to the bank.

401194[/snapback]

Fine - and who you going to replace him with that is better to give some semblance of balance to the team? (And please don't say Peter because he's not ready yet).

[Bing]

Get Andy Reid in a deal with Spurs. If there's anything he loves more than pies, its running at defenders and banging in 25 yarders.

[BrianPotter]

For me the only difference in the MGP of a few months back and the current is that the goals have dried up.

His influence on the game in general, at least for a sustained period was always questionable I thought.

[Ozz]

The boy scores goals, that in itself is worth a lot of money-who else other than Bellers have we got that can finish? I cant think of any!

This thread should be titled the rise, fall, rise and fall of MGP BTW.

[asianRover]

The boy scores goals, that in itself is worth a lot of money-who else other than Bellers have we got that can finish? I cant think of any!

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kuqi

joking aside, if im not wrong, in terms of scoring midfielders, only lampard, giannakopoulos, and nolan has scored more goals than mgp. for all i care, he can play like crap the entire game, as long as he's scoring goals. at the end of the day, its only the goals that matter. sure he has not been scoring lately, but neither has reid, bently, savage (aside from the birmingham match). so lets just get off his back.

Edited April 22, 2006 by asianRover

[Hasta]

I had a bit of a rant at him after the Brum game but to be fair he also looks knackered. Also teams may be finding him out more by analysing his game, picking up his runs into the box etc... It's like when strikers (kevin phillips and Marcus Stewart sprint got mind) get second season-itis in the Prem.

I large bid £5mill upwards would be tempting but anything less would be silly.

However I don't know what joey_big_nose has been taking if he thinkgs MGP tackles better than Reid.

[RovertheHill]

The people on here who reckon we should flog him because he doesn't contribute won't let simple things like facts get in the way of their opinions. MGP has scored 10 goals this season and is credited with 7 assists, which is the highest number by any Rovers player. Contrast that with Tugay (1g and 0a), Reid (2 and 1), Bentley (3 and 1), Savage (1 and 2) and Emerton (1 and 2) and you will see how important he is to our midfield creativity. Bellamy has 13 goals and 2 assists, albeit from fewer games, and yet nobody is suggesting he doesn't contribute.

So, if we do cash in, then we need somebody equivalent to contribute towards 17 goals, just over a third of our total...

Edited April 22, 2006 by RovertheHill

[tchocky]

Thank you for illustrating reason with facts.

[sleepyjack]

Um, maybe its just me but i have thought that MGP is an extremely good "tracker backer" to be honest. Points of comparison: Emerton, Reid, De Pedro (ha!), Thompson, Bentley, Mahon, Duff, Peter, Gillespie.

Out of all of those he has been the best IMHO.

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Of that list I'd severely doubt Emerton and Mahon. I'd also suggest that you momentarily lost your mind when you included Reid, who has become fantastic at winning back the ball in midfield.

MGP will sometimes cover Gray when he disappears upfield on his suicide missions. In those situations he'll cover the left back position well enough, but then he never challenges anyone who subsequently attacks down that flank. Not even in the air, where he's very strong. I can't think of him ever winning a 50-50 through strength or determination.

Still there's no way I'd accept any offers for him, unless they were in the 7+ million region, and then I'd worry about who'd replace him. On form he's our best attacking midfielder, he has a great shot and free kick, plus his crosses are very good. To be honest, only his silly shots from corners annoyed me before he stopped scoring goals.

Edited April 22, 2006 by sleepyjack

[bluebruce]

Of that list I'd severely doubt Emerton and Mahon. I'd also suggest that you momentarily lost your mind when you included Reid, who has become fantastic at winning back the ball in midfield.

MGP will sometimes cover Gray when he disappears upfield on his suicide missions. In those situations he'll cover the left back position well enough, but then he never challenges anyone who subsequently attacks down that flank. Not even in the air, where he's very strong. I can't think of him ever winning a 50-50 through strength or determination.

Still there's no way I'd accept any offers for him, unless they were in the 7+ million region, and then I'd worry about who'd replace him. On form he's our best attacking midfielder, he has a great shot and free kick, plus his crosses are very good. To be honest, only his silly shots from corners annoyed me before he stopped scoring goals.

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You know why he takes those 'silly shots from corners'? He once scored (I can't remember the exact number) 4 or 5 goals DIRECT FROM CORNERS in one youth game. You won't be annoyed if he puts one in, and realistically how often do we score from corners? I'd say he's come close to bagging goals from them on a number of occasions.

In fact, I'd say throwing Kuqi right up near the goalie for those corners would probably be distracting enough to enhance Gamst's chances of scoring. Or Shefki might even nudge it in himself. Of course, the problem is that requires us to play Kuqi!

Edited April 22, 2006 by bluebruce

[krislu]

There aint just MGP who has been a diesapointment of late. So has Bellamy, Dickov, Emerton, Bentley and Gray. Perhaps we should just sell them as well?

Next season Peter will give Morten a hard fight for that left wing spot, this might sharpen him a bit..

[bellamy11]

You know why he takes those 'silly shots from corners'? He once scored (I can't remember the exact number) 4 or 5 goals DIRECT FROM CORNERS in one youth game. You won't be annoyed if he puts one in, and realistically how often do we score from corners? I'd say he's come close to bagging goals from them on a number of occasions.

In fact, I'd say throwing Kuqi right up near the goalie for those corners would probably be distracting enough to enhance Gamst's chances of scoring. Or Shefki might even nudge it in himself. Of course, the problem is that requires us to play Kuqi!

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What you're suggesting is that he used to score goals direct from corners against kids, so he should try it in the Premier League? Against, y'know, good keepers? Keepers who can reach the crossbar? In over a season of trying, all he does is occasionally achieve one where the goalkeeper has to tip it over again. He hits the first man far more often than he does this.

Whipping set pieces on target at pace is extremely useful from free kicks at an angle - see Man united away, Boro at home. In my opinion, we should be scoring more goals from corners with the kind of delivary he is capable of, if he'd just put it in the box. I can only think of one goal (Norwich at home) where the corner-shot has worked, and that involved Dickov flicking on a ball at a very strange angle to stop the ball going out of play at the near side.

[92er]

The people on here who reckon we should flog him because he doesn't contribute won't let simple things like facts get in the way of their opinions.  MGP has scored 10 goals this season and is credited with 7 assists, which is the highest number by any Rovers player.  Contrast that with Tugay (1g and 0a), Reid (2 and 1), Bentley (3 and 1), Savage (1 and 2) and Emerton (1 and 2) and you will see how important he is to our midfield creativity.  Bellamy has 13 goals and 2 assists, albeit from fewer games, and yet nobody is suggesting he doesn't contribute.

So, if we do cash in, then we need somebody equivalent to contribute towards 17 goals, just over a third of our total...

401249[/snapback]

I think that overall Pedersen had had a reasonably good 1st full season for us. Yes, he is underperforming at the moment and at times he has looked "tired" which might offer some explanation for his current performances.

One of the problems Hughes has is there is very little competition for places. This is one of the few places where there is real competition and maybe that will eventually tease better performances from MGP.

[RevidgeBlue]

Lot of over reaction on this thread.

Great player, currently completely out of sorts and may benefit from starting the rest of the season on the bench.

Show me another left sided winger/ midfielder of the same age who'll guarantee you 10-12 goals a season who would be available for 5m, and only then should we consider selling.

An offer of ten million upwards might at least give us something to think about - before turning it down.

[Exiled_Rover]

There aint just MGP who has been a diesapointment of late. So has Bellamy, Dickov, Emerton, Bentley and Gray. Perhaps we should just sell them as well?

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Go on then

[joey_big_nose]

However I don't know what joey_big_nose has been taking if he thinkgs MGP tackles better than Reid. 

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Woops! Didn't mean to include Reid at all. But the rest still stands, MGP is defensively sound.

[FourLaneBlue]

Fine - and who you going to replace him with that is better to give some semblance of balance to the team?  (And please don't say Peter because he's not ready yet).

401214[/snapback]

The obvious solution may be to use Peter a bit more, allowing MGP a bit of rest-time as well. How many games has MGP missed this season? I'd be surprised if wasn't tired.

Time to blood in young Peter while not burning out MGP.

[FourLaneBlue]

You know why he takes those 'silly shots from corners'? He once scored (I can't remember the exact number) 4 or 5 goals DIRECT FROM CORNERS in one youth game. You won't be annoyed if he puts one in, and realistically how often do we score from corners? I'd say he's come close to bagging goals from them on a number of occasions.

401273[/snapback]

Of course we don't score much from corners...MGP is crap at taking them!

MGP could try the approach of forgetting his goals for Tromso under-13s (or whoever) direct from free kicks and instead knocking in corners for them big buggers who have come up from defence to creat havoc!

Of course I won't be annoyed if he puts one in but it'd hardly make up for a season and a half-worth of trying!

[joey_big_nose]

Thats why I rate Peter's set pieces so much, he picks out that area of the six yard box where the big men can attack, and with pace as well. To be honest MGP isn't exactly bad, he is certainly better than Savage, Reid and Emerton, but (albeit in the short period we have seen him) Peter looks genuinely gifted.

[RovertheHill]

There is no doubt that Peter is talented but it took MGP the best part of a season to find his feet in the premiership (and he was/is an international) and it will take Peter that long too. During which time we would be missing MGP's goals and assists. I think you're right that Peter should get more game time and MGP rested and I'm sure that is what Sparky will be thinking too. We shouldn't sell MGP thinking we have a ready-made replacement because we haven't. Yet.

Only one thing in the premiership is sure - clubs that regularly cash in on their best players (selling clubs) do not progress and frequently go backwards. We of all fans should be well aware of that.

[roverich]

I wouldn't want to sell MGP and the 1.5mil figure that has been thrown around a lot here is an insult to the lad. He was the difference between us and the bottom three at the start of the season. He is a very gifted player though he is without doubt absolutely bloody knackered! How many games has he missed all season? It does take it's toll! He'll be magic after the summer break and all you unforgiving Scrooge's out there will have completely forgotten the way you're slagging him off at the moment!

[tcj_jones]

What you're suggesting is that he used to score goals direct from corners against kids, so he should try it in the Premier League? Against, y'know, good keepers? Keepers who can reach the crossbar? In over a season of trying, all he does is occasionally achieve one where the goalkeeper has to tip it over again. He hits the first man far more often than he does this.

Whipping set pieces on target at pace is extremely useful from free kicks at an angle - see Man united away, Boro at home. In my opinion, we should be scoring more goals from corners with the kind of delivary he is capable of, if he'd just put it in the box. I can only think of one goal (Norwich at home) where the corner-shot has worked, and that involved Dickov flicking on a ball at a very strange angle to stop the ball going out of play at the near side.

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Agreed. From free kicks we look extremely dangerous, from corners we pose no threat whatsoever. Unless Savage is taking them, of course.

[blinddevotion]

The 1.5m figure was me just getting carried away be bit! SORRY. I cant understand how players get worn out as the season ends. Was the squad not just in Qutar recently during a break period? The players only train a couple of hours a day, earn bags of money and have life styles of kings! Easy life. Lampard does not have this problem and his work rate is twice that of MGP. This is making excuses!

Worn-out don't make me laugh!!!

[Ricky]

If we get good money for him I wouldn't be too dissapointed if he moved on. Yes his goals have been important but we need a bit more from him. I'd play Peter for the next game against Charlton. Maybe Spurs will believe the hype and come in with £6-7m (they might even fancy throwing in Andy Reid while their at it)

[tcj_jones]

I've got to say I'd probably prefer playing Peter next season over accepting a part deal involving Reid.

If we fail to qualify for Europe, I think that selling MGP could be a good move in that it would give us anice bit of cash to put towards new players.