[Archived] Keith Andrews - Rovers Newest Signing

[Steve Moss]

It's a poor state of affairs if we have to keep inferior players just because they are not injured.

By the way there is no way that Andrews is better than Grella. Just had a few injuries.

A superstar who is constantly injured and sitting on the bench is worthless. Give me a decently skilled player who stays fit and plays hard any day of the week. Andrews fits that bill. It would be a mistake to let him go until our supposed stars actually demonstrate that they have what is takes to play week in, week out.

[Uddersfelt Blue]

But answering the question posed, they'd still be chosen every week ahead of Grella and Andrews.

Agreed

[Al]

A superstar who is constantly injured and sitting on the bench is worthless. Give me a decently skilled player who stays fit and plays hard any day of the week. Andrews fits that bill. It would be a mistake to let him go until our supposed stars actually demonstrate that they have what is takes to play week in, week out.

Unfortunately you need to remove 'decently skilled' and insert 'inferior' to make Andrews fit that bill. SELL.

[Montfort]

Andrews did a job last year despite the critics, many of whom criticised him because of the Ince connections. On what we saw last year he's a better midfielder than Grella or The Axe.

We cannot count on Dunn or Reid being fit and I have serious doubts about whether a player snapped up from the French 3rd division is going to be the solution.

Fortunately two of our fullbacks are our best reliable midfielders who we can rely on to be fit. However unless we get a midfielder who can guarantee us 30+ league games a season we can't let Andrews go.

This Hasta bloke must be bright or a mind reader as this is exactly what I was going to say word for word.

I am not suprised that the debate about Andrews is going on and on. He is an enigma. When I saw him play at Ewood against Arsenal I thought it was probably the most inept performance I have ever seen by a player in a Blackburn shirt - although Simpson tried to rival him a couple of times for this acoldade. I was delighted when Andrews fouled Bullen the following week - I did not think he would have been able to get close enough to an opposing midfielder to do that. but I have to say I really like the guy and he has won me round. He has improved. I was delighted when he scored some important goals for us. And he did play 30 odds games in a season when we needed him As a right back I preferred him as a centre mid. Watching him play right back is like is like driving at speed down the wrong way of a one way street. you think something terrible is about to happen any minute.

But we never should have thrown him in the deep end like we did. It wasn't fair and it was always going to end in tears. I think we have done the difficult part and will be interested to see what he can do this season.

And certain other people like Alladyce must see more in him than I do. Why? What is it? Are we missing something?

[philipl]

You probably didn't watch Metcalfe and Parkes....

[Amo]

You probably didn't watch Metcalfe and Parkes....

What channel is it on?

[Exiled in Toronto]

How many years did Grella play in Serie A? And Metcalfe and Parkes could have also done that?

Right....

[trs]

What channel is it on?

Eurosport

[1864roverite]

I used to live and was born a few doors away from Mr Metcalfe in Mill Hill, a Rovers legend he is.

[philipl]

How many years did Grella play in Serie A? And Metcalfe and Parkes could have also done that?

Right....

Very good point. Metcalfe probably would have been an absolute star in Serie A the way it was played in those days. He would have had the time and space to hide his left foot and shone. The guy was certainly the best totally one footed player I have ever seen in matches I have been to.

And I'd certainly put Metcalfe and Parkes in a time machine and pick them without a moment's thought ahead of Grella and Andrews.

[Hasta]

This Hasta bloke must be bright or a mind reader as this is exactly what I was going to say word for word.

The former.

[Fife Rover]

Don't follow that at all Fife. Was Stuart Metcalfe a better player than Keith Andrews - and was Tony Parkes a better player than Vince Grella? They didn't play in the same divisions, but I would say that Bryan Douglas was a better player than Stuart Metcalfe, - wouldn't you?

That's a damned silly comparison Den. Bryan Douglas was a first division player and also one of the best wingers ever to play for England. I can only name two other England wingers that were undeniably better than Duggie and my memory goes back to WW2. They were of course Mathews and Finney, and some might justifiably argue that if you take into account versatility and ability to play for England in more than one forward position then there was only one better than Duggie. Finney played for England in all 5 forward positions.

Now back to your attempted comparison: Stuart Metcalfe was a very good and useful player for Rovers in the 3rd and 2nd divs. But at no time did anybody to my knowledge ever even contemplate him playing for England. As you very well know, and you for whatever reason just seem hell bent on starting an argument. I'm sorry but I have much better things to do with my time.

[thenodrog]

Mekky had quality but TP was one paced and decidedly ordinary.

[jim mk2]

As a matter of interest, which partnership would people think, could do the best job in the Prem - Andrews and Grella, or Metcalfe and Parkes [at their best obviously]?

Are Andrews and Grella a partnership ? How many times have they played together - fewer than 10 times I'd say at guess.

Metcalfe and Parkes meanwhile clocked up hundreds and hundreds of games for Rovers but in lower divisions.

Daft comparison really.

[TimmyJimmy]

Totally agree with Hasta and Montfort on Andrews. He's improved with every game he's played and you can't do better than that. Not his fault he was thrown in too early. One for hanging on to IMO.

On Metcalfe and Parkes, do me a favour they were good club pros but anything better than that forget it. Parkes was solid and workman like but wouldn't be an international if he played until doomsday. Metcalfe spent more time doing 360's in the middle of the pitch and passing square balls than he did scaring defences. I don't want to come across as disrespectful to the guys as I always enjoyed watching them play and people like them are the heart and soul of a club like ours, but really come on and get a grip, not quite in the same league as Grella are they. If you're talking midfielders with no caps from that era I'd probably say Hird was more entertaining than Stuart and that's saying something.

[CrazyIvan]

Totally agree with Hasta and Montfort on Andrews. He's improved with every game he's played and you can't do better than that. Not his fault he was thrown in too early. One for hanging on to IMO.

I agree. I can somewhat understand people wating every trace of Ince (including signings) removed from the club but that really is throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Andrews is versatile and improved last season. He won't be the most dynamic and creative player but you still need players like him in the squad, those that can do the job you ask them. Brick-layers and hod carriers...

[den]

Now back to your attempted comparison: Stuart Metcalfe was a very good and useful player for Rovers in the 3rd and 2nd divs. But at no time did anybody to my knowledge ever even contemplate him playing for England. As you very well know, and you for whatever reason just seem hell bent on starting an argument. I'm sorry but I have much better things to do with my time.

What's that got to do with anything? You can have an opinion on who's a better player simply by watching them. They don't have to have played for their countries, nor do they have to have played in the same league.

Stuart Metcalfe was, in my opinion, a far more accomplished footballer than Keith Andrews [from what I've seen of him at Ewood]. Tony Parkes was, at his best and in his later years, a far better passer of the ball than Vince Grella [ from what I've seen of him at Ewood].

How hard was that? No doubt some will disagree, but why shy away from a simple question? I'm not trying to cause an argument Fife, just a discussion. An interesting one at that

[Hughesy]

Fulham should just offer us £3m and then we can close this thread.

[roversmum]

I don't care what Keith's so-called failings are. He is a member of Rovers Squad and he gives his best every time he pulls on the shirt, wherever the Manager asks him to play. It's not his fault he may or may not be better or worse than this one or that one, you can't ask any more of the lad. I'm getting fed up with all this nonsense.

[Jonnolad]

That report is utter garbage, written by somebody who knows nothing about Rovers or Keith Andrews.

The messageboard is a good place to talk to fellow Rovers fans about issues relating to the club that you wouldn't be able to otherwise away from the internet. You are far sadder, and frankly weird, for your incesant repetition about lover boy Keith Andrews than those who enjoy posting on a range of topics about the club that they love.

Stop repeating the same things over and over, you absolute tool.

It's odd that personal insults only seem to go one way in this debate. Absolute tool eh? For what exactly? For stating the obvious? For defending a Rovers player?

From the off here some people have said they weren't happy with Andrews (and some have stated they never will be). They say he is a dire player and has absolutely no place in the Premier League - according to them any fool who knows about football can see that. The problem though is, over the course of the season absolutely everything that has happened with Andrews has contradicted this dire assessment of the player.

Almost 12 months down the line in fact, the Andrews detractors have categorically nothing more to back up their opinion than "he's crap because I say he is". Nothing. If you think there's anything more then please tell me because you've been oddly keeping it to yourselves till now. You have so little to add to the debate in fact that your point now is I'm posting too much about Andrews!?!

"Andrews must be pretty decent because Fulham are after him, and rovers say they won't consider selling him"

"yeah, well.............you only post about Keith Andrews"

It's the kind of response you'd only expect to see in a playground. It's bizarro world in fact. Why are you arsed if I post a lot about Andrews? What's it actually got to do with the debate? It seems to me that you have so little to genuinely add to back up your opinion that you have to resort to tosh like this - that and personal insults of course. Why not just stick to the subject?

I've nothing against messageboards incidentally, and I certainly couldn't give a sh1te if someone wanted to spend their entire life on one. My point there was it seems daft calling someone sad for occasionally posting but mostly on the same subject, if you spend a large part of your life on a specialist messageboard in the first place yourself.

As it happens I wish I'd actually never got involved in this debate - it's took up far too much of my time. But at the same time I can't believe I get grief for sticking up for one of own players, especially when those giving grief seem to have nothing more to add to the debate than childish nonsense and personal insults.

As for the personal insults, I've a little rule when it comes to the internet - don't say something to someone that you wouldn't be prepared to say to their face. I'll guarantee you wouldn't call me a tool to my face so don't do it on the net - simple.

[tcj_jones]

As for the personal insults, I've a little rule when it comes to the internet - don't say something to someone that you wouldn't be prepared to say to their face.

I'll guarantee you wouldn't call me a tool to my face so don't do it on the net - simple.

It's funny, you're the second person that's said that to me recently, but neither of you know anything about me... If you went about in the manner that you do on here in person, I'd say the same exact thing.

As for the rest...

It's odd that personal insults only seem to go one way in this debate. Absolute tool eh? For what exactly? For stating the obvious? For defending a Rovers player?

Andrews is ######.

From the off here some people have said they weren't happy with Andrews (and some have stated they never will be). They say he is a dire player and has absolutely no place in the Premier League - according to them any fool who knows about football can see that. The problem though is, over the course of the season absolutely everything that has happened with Andrews has contradicted this dire assessment of the player.

Andrews is ######.

Almost 12 months down the line in fact, the Andrews detractors have categorically nothing more to back up their opinion than "he's crap because I say he is". Nothing. If you think there's anything more then please tell me because you've been oddly keeping it to yourselves till now. You have so little to add to the debate in fact that your point now is I'm posting too much about Andrews!?!

"Andrews must be pretty decent because Fulham are after him, and rovers say they won't consider selling him"

"yeah, well.............you only post about Keith Andrews"

It's the kind of response you'd only expect to see in a playground. It's bizarro world in fact. Why are you arsed if I post a lot about Andrews? What's it actually got to do with the debate? It seems to me that you have so little to genuinely add to back up your opinion that you have to resort to tosh like this - that and personal insults of course. Why not just stick to the subject?

Andrews is ######.

I've nothing against messageboards incidentally, and I certainly couldn't give a sh1te if someone wanted to spend their entire life on one. My point there was it seems daft calling someone sad for occasionally posting but mostly on the same subject, if you spend a large part of your life on a specialist messageboard in the first place yourself.

Andrews is ######.

As it happens I wish I'd actually never got involved in this debate - it's took up far too much of my time. But at the same time I can't believe I get grief for sticking up for one of own players, especially when those giving grief seem to have nothing more to add to the debate than childish nonsense and personal insults.

Andrews is ######.

[Hughesy]

Andrews is a decent squad man - he stays fit and tries hard. He has limited ability and therefore £3m or more and he should be sold and replaced.

[deryck guyler's spoon]

I'm not setting myself up as the arbitor of what constitutes good and bad on here but I doubt that I will be alone in believing that to be such a poor post.

Not you Hughesy.

[tcj_jones]

I'm not setting myself up as the arbitor of what constitutes good and bad on here but I doubt that I will be alone in believing that to be such a poor post.

Not you Hughesy.

I've debated on Andrews well and at enormous length. I've done everything I can to put my point across.

JonnoLad has repeated his same point about 40,000 times, phrased in the same way and in a sarcastic manner whilst ignoring any point that anybody else makes.

I'm now responding in kind.

[Anti-Dingle-Brigade]

I've debated on Andrews well and at enormous length. I've done everything I can to put my point across.

Then there is no need to post, is there?