[Archived] Keith Andrews - Rovers Newest Signing

[Tim Southampton Rover]

To be fair, he wasn't the only guy who had a poor game but the important thing is that he didn't give up and as Diouf said in the post-match interview, the entire team had the desire to win that game.

Well done Keith. This season you've proved a lot of doubters wrong and hopefully continue to prove them wrong.

[Blue blood]

Wasn't his best game, his passing was woeful for most of the the game.

However he is miles better than Simpson - both going forward and defensively - and given that Ooijer may well be needed at centre half over the next few weeks thanks to roberts injury, I don't see who else we could play there.

[bazza]

Firstly he is being played out of position. We must all remember that.

Secondly I thought he did very well today. His passing in the first half was good; measured balls into the right places.

In the second half he gave several consecutive bad passes which had me whingeing bitterly. But he recovered to finish well.

To those who say he was awful all game, you must be biased.

He's steady, OK and who would you replace him with?

[meerkat]

We need to get rid of Simpson ASAP.

He may not be the best in the world, but at least Andrews tries.

I'll give my backing to a tryer over an overpaid, can't give a toss prima donna anyday.

Ironic that at the end of the day his goals may be the reason we stay up this year.

Good squad palyer, does the job that it asked of him, if only we had 6 more that did that

[JAL]

Andrews is a far better player than Simpson, OK a few poor passes the crowd seemed to get on his back briefly, but he came through it all the better for it.

For me the other players could have made it a little easier for him at times by making themselves available sometimes the understanding wasnt there, but I dont put that down just to Keith Andrews.

[LDRover]

Although it's not saying much, I thought he was one of our better performers today.

Well done Keith, your effort and commitment cannot be faulted.

[Bobby G]

His effort and commitment has gotten far better as the season has gone on especially under Big Sam. However, his distribution, and passing range has a lot to be desired.

Today, his second half passing was abysmal.

[broadsword]

Firstly he is being played out of position. We must all remember that.

Secondly I thought he did very well today. His passing in the first half was good; measured balls into the right places.

In the second half he gave several consecutive bad passes which had me whingeing bitterly. But he recovered to finish well.

To those who say he was awful all game, you must be biased.

He's steady, OK and who would you replace him with?

Agreed.

Certainly not Simpson, at least he is Man Utd's problem, not our's.

[Jonnolad]

His effort and commitment has gotten far better as the season has gone on especially under Big Sam. However, his distribution, and passing range has a lot to be desired.

Today, his second half passing was abysmal.

It was Andrews pass that set up Warnock for that great shot, and he also found Samba with a couple of excellent passes - all in the second half.

It definitely had some wayward passes mind but so did everyone else at one point or another.

Overall I think he put in a competant performance - certainly better than other "established" right backs we have!

[47er]

I thought he was ok today, had a vital clearance in the second half. His distribution let him down but he did a job in an unfamiliar position.

Agree-------overall his defending was pretty good but his passing, often under no pressure at all, was unbelievably bad. As bad as Mokoena in fact.

[67splitscreen]

KA is giving is all for our club, I for one am grateful for his efforts to keep us in the Prem.

For as long as he wears the blue and white he'll get my support as any other player does. It is no use bleating on about is ability, he knows, Sam knows and we all know what his limitations are, the lad is committed to the cause, what more can you ask of him.

COYB.

[Darwen Rover]

we all love a scapegoat dont we...

you're no Messi, but you wear the blue and halves of our beloved club and you give 100% every time you get 'picked by the manager'...

Well done and keep up the good work!!

[jim mk2]

From my vantage point in the JW upper eyrie I watched Andrews closely yesterday and the reason he misplaces passes so often is that his delivery is too slow and the receiving player has often moved before he has passed the ball, which points to slow thinking / reactions.

He also fails to strike through the ball with his laces down and often scoops the ball, which is poor technique.

[thenodrog]

From Andrew's recent performances at RB (second half of west ham and today), he appears to be a much better choice than Simpson. His lack of skill is less shown up at RB, his tenacity means he tries hard to defend, and he has generally impressed me very much there. Andrews looked far more comfortable at RB than he has looked in midfield all season. He is also much more effective for us there.

Be grand if he could ever master the art of passing the ball to blokes in the same strip as him.

[thenodrog]

No, numerically you aren't as Andrews wasn't the only signing. Simpson was signed to allow Emerton to move forward, whilst Grella, Andrews, Villanueva and Fowler were all new signings who got games. Andrews didn't exactly have a regular role under Ince, he was simply a squad man. He in no way replaced the role that Bentley had in the side, either in the squad or when he got games.

Simpson is loan signing... and one only provided in bleak compensation by MU for blatantly nicking our new goalkeeping coach. btw anybody think Van de Saars record breaking stint this season could be connected with our coach?

We need to get rid of Simpson ASAP.

He may not be the best in the world, but at least Andrews tries.

I'll give my backing to a tryer over an overpaid, can't give a toss prima donna anyday.

Ironic that at the end of the day his goals may be the reason we stay up this year.

Good squad palyer, does the job that it asked of him, if only we had 6 more that did that

Yeah nad if we had 10 more we would be in the 2nd Div!

From my vantage point in the JW upper eyrie I watched Andrews closely yesterday and the reason he misplaces passes so often is that his delivery is too slow and the receiving player has often moved before he has passed the ball, which points to slow thinking / reactions.

He also fails to strike through the ball with his laces down and often scoops the ball, which is poor technique.

And as Bill Shankly once famously said to Tommy Docherty after Tom had asked his advice on a player....... "His pace is deceptive........... he's slower than you think"!

Take note Keith Andrews is the same. In horse racing parlance, he can canter all day but he can't gallop. And that is not good for any full back.

[Eddie]

Simpson is loan signing... and one only provided in bleak compensation by MU for blatantly nicking our new goalkeeping coach. btw anybody think Van de Saars record breaking stint this season could be connected with our coach?

So now why and how a player joined effects your theory. This is all getting very complicated.

[thenodrog]

So now why and how a player joined effects your theory. This is all getting very complicated.

No it isn't it's still exactly the same. You are wrong and I am right.

[Montfort]

we all love a scapegoat dont we...

you're no Messi, but you wear the blue and halves of our beloved club and you give 100% every time you get 'picked by the manager'...

Well done and keep up the good work!!

I agree. If you judge a player by actual contribition divided by inate ability or potential contribution then Andrews could be the player of the season.

[grizfoot]

Quite a few mis-placed passes from Andrews yesterday. But he does play some good long balls into space for the strikers to run onto, wasn't it Andrews ball that set up Samba to roll it across for Benni was the equalizer yesterday?

He's certainly a better bet than Simpson at RB that is for sure. Doesn't have the natural pace to be a fullback in the long term in my opinion. Didn't see Spurs creating anything down their left-side yesterday so he must have dome something right.

[Rovermatt]

I thought Andrews looked dreadful yesterday when we were at our lowest ebb. His passing was all over the place. That said, he was hardly the only one.

[dingles staying down 4ever]

Andrews passing is hardly the greatest, but that said up until yesterday his pass completion rate is quite high. He is hardly the worse when it comes to passing.

Rovers fans always look for someone to call. They've been doing it for years. Yesterday the people round me did not mention Andrews because they were too busy slagging Mokena off. Once the Axe went off, they then started on Andrews.

You see, the Axe playing does have one good point. It deflects criticism off Keith Andrews. If our so called superstars played with the same passion we would not be in this mess.

[1864roverite]

Quite a few mis-placed passes from Andrews yesterday. Try almost 80% of his passes

But he does play some good long balls into space for the strikers to run onto

These were miss hits, dont be mistakened by a thought they were quality passes.

He's certainly a better bet than Simpson at RB that is for sure.

Anyone is better than Simpson.

Doesn't have the natural pace to be a fullback in the long term in my opinion.

He is one paced only, CANTERESQUE

[RevidgeBlue]

To be fair 1864 Andrews had a shocker yesterday in the completely unnatural position of RB but was outstanding there in the game before.

And he was hardly alone in having a bit of a mare yesterday.

[1864roverite]

Oh Rev, I couldnt agree any more wih you. The performance was as shocking as the red tie you wore !!!

It was a tongue in cheek look at KA at RB, he was NOT the first playeer to be played out of position nor willhe be the last I suspect, but in truth, he was not at the races or maybe he was !

[JAL]

To be fair 1864 Andrews had a shocker yesterday in the completely unnatural position of RB but was outstanding there in the game before.

And he was hardly alone in having a bit of a mare yesterday.

I thought there was a lack of understanding at times between Diouf and Andrews, as KA played the ball down the line once or twice to El Hadj and it failed to make its destination for me it wasnt so much as Keith Andrews but more down to two players new to each others style of play with neither being on the same wavelength as the other.

Second half there was what could have been a break away when KA close to the dug out played a poor pass along the half way line and conceded possesion, the crowd went mad, but I sympathise with KA here because, for me of the rest of his team, no other player had got themselves into a decent position to receive an easier pass, not one player, which made it extremely difficult for Keith. At this moment there should have been someone breaking through the centre, running like an express train breaking at the heart of the Tottenham defence looking for Keith to play them in, sadly there was no putting in that kind of energy.

Andrews is still learning and developing an understanding with some of his fellow team mates these things take time especially playing behind Diouf so I cant stick all the blame on him.