[Archived] Should Rhodes be dropped?

[gardener]

I don't normally post, but having seen the last few games, it's becoming apparent to me that the 8 million pound man - as the spearhead of this crapola team - is just not cutting it. It's not his fault. He's the best finisher in the club but with aimless lofted balls to him which he just cannot win, he's a frustrated passenger.

For El Crapico, I would seriously consider putting him on the bench to bring on if we need to chase the game. Only when Appleton or whoever is in charge, decides to use crosses from the wings or gets a midfield player who can play between the lines and can ping balls to his feet, should he play.

Right now for this game, Best is the better player to use as he can create something from nothing, Rhodes cannot. Comments?.

[LeChuck]

He'll be excellent in a confident team that is scoring goals and creating chances.

He's a passenger in a team that is already struggling.

I think he needs to be used as an impact substitute until we've sorted ourselves out. It's just not happening. It's not all his own fault as the service has been non-existant, but he still needs to work on contributing to the team away from the penalty area.

[Torgeir]

Too many injuries at the moment, and as if we weren't struggling before those injuries hit us. Appleton obviously prefers pacy wingers with end product - we currently don't have that. They're either slow with decent crossing ability (Gamst & Bentley) or quick and can't cross (the Olsson twins & King). Our central midfield has been atrocious and our back four don't have the confidence or finesse to bring the ball out of the first third and into play, and at the same time Kean's right foot doesn't come close to that of Robinson.

I think Best needs to be matched carefully with the thought of next season instead of putting him in the deep end right now. He's had a long lay-off because of a serious injury and needs time to get back into things. I thought he had a relatively good game in the replay despite the lack of service, but in the first leg he was shocking. He was also the man marking Shittu for their goal I think Appleton should concentrate on what he wants to see from the lads long term, and work on patterns and style of play now with the aim of next season in mind instead of focusing solely on results. Find out who is interested in the task ahead. Those who aren't: get rid.

[bob fleming]

Yes, drop him and play, er, erm, er....

Drop him?! Drop the clubs top goalscorer by a country mile for a game against burnley? Has this messageboard gome mad? Who in their right mind as a manager would do that?

Play to his strenghs for God sake. Get the ball down and play. Stop launching it up front at a million miles an hour. Get King and Olsson to look for the ball - take people on - get some bloody crosses in. Play through midfield a bit more.

Fact of the matter is we don't have a target man at the club. That's when we would see the best from Rhodes instead of his measly 20 goal contribution this term. I mean he's only equalled the club record for scoring in consecutive games recently.

So for me, no, I wouldn't drop him.

[Tom]

At the moment we lack the options to drop him however its not something that should be out of the question, the ball doesn't stick with him and ends up coming back at us more often than not

Hindsight is a wonderful thing but I think we would have been a lot better off investing that money in the midfield and a cheaper forward

Possibly a naive and over excited signing but its not my money so I'm happy for the goals he's scored

[Ryan]

Rather than dropping the best striker at the club,we should be looking at getting more service to him so that he can do what he does best.

[roversfan99]

For me, we need to look at a longer term formation.

I think we could get plenty of joy from a system with wing backs, allowing us an extra centre back and a crucial 3rd central midfielder, whilst we can still play 2 up top.

Martin Olsson has the tools to be our left wing back. He has pace, energy and at least used to be able to do some good crosses under Big Sam.

Kane should be our short term right wing back. This system would allow us to play 2 up front, you can then look to control the play with a 3rd central midfielder, and you have the 2 energetic full backs as a wider alternative, either way, you don't have to hoof it up front every time.

[gardener]

We all agree he is the best striker at the club. But under the current tactics, which do not play to his strengths, for this game - a must-not-lose-at-any costs game for me - I would put him on the bench. When the team start playing through midfield, rather than over will he get the service he needs. For Sunday, I would have Gomes playing as the No. 10 behind Best. This team simply cannot change the way this team plays within the course of 3 days. Appleton's not that good.

[tomphil]

No. He will score 2 on Sunday, i feel it !!!

[Tom]

Gomes was appalling on Wednesday he lost the ball nearly every time it came to him

[USABlue]

Well there is a very well thought out way to get around our inability to create chances for him, just drop him problem solved. So in the off chance we do create a chance who else has the ability to stick it away. Dropping Rhodes will not change the way this team is playing. We need to do that first then Rhodes will score. Personally I think it's a conspiracy, lower his goals tally so when we sell him no one will be disappointed. It's already working. Van Persie couldn't score in this team with the way we are playing, probably only Messi could regularly

No. He will score 2 on Sunday, i feel it !!!

That's just gas, we will end the game with another duck a big fat 0 in the goals for column.

[rossyrover]

Drop our 20+goal striker are you mad or has your brains been affected by the dross we've been watching Bests average is 1goal in 4 games tell the manager to stop the big boot football and to play to the strength of the best finisher at the club by passing the ball into the box to feet.

[gardener]

The two games against Millwall showed how tactically poor Appleton is. He played 2 up front in both games - adding Best to support Rhodes. Is it any wonder our midfield four were overrun by Millwall's midfield five? The defenders could see what was happening so did what was the safest thing to do, lump it high and long. Our "spare man" was Dann (Hanley was supposedly marking their lone striker Hulse) and that's why he was the main culprit with the long aimless ball. Millwall's spare man was Taylor, which is why he had more shots than anyone on either side.

The question remains, if Bumley play five in midfield, do we match them? And if we do, we can only afford one striker. Who is the better lone striker, who can forage on his own and create chances from nothing? Best, Gomes or Rhodes? For this game only, I would choose Best even if he's still only 80% fit..

[AndyNeil]

confirmation, if it was needed, that some posters on this board have really lost the plot. Rhodes has scored 20 league goals this season, the rest of the squad have mustered a grand total of 18 between them..... drop him, yeah right!

Just to spin the question on its head, who of the fit strikers would you partner with Best (presuming he is pencilled in) Gomes or Goodwillie?

[Josh]

It was only a few games ago that he had scored in what, 7 straight league games?

[Beta Ray Bill]

We've hardly had a sniff at goal in the last god-knows-how-many matches, and there's talk of dropping the one person who might actually get chance of a goal?! We really are getting to the point of utter lunancy in the ownership, performance, and supporter comments.

[Tom]

I don't think anyone is disputing he is our best goalscorer by a long way simply that if we are to insist on sticking with the current 'approach' then other strikers may be more suited to that role

[bob fleming]

I don't think anyone is disputing he is our best goalscorer by a long way simply that if we are to insist on sticking with the current 'approach' then other strikers may be more suited to that role

Like who Tom? "High Tower" Gomes? "Tiny" Goodwillie? It's the approach play that needs to change, not dropping a lad who is normally lethal given a chance or two.

[Gav]

Drop Rhodes? if I could post a smiley face laughing his keans off I would.

Get a grip man.

[MrT]

Rhodes is quality (thanks shebby shame about the portugeezers)

He does all his best work iside the box, he's wasted playing with his back to goal outide it, all he needs is the right service, pretty simple really, and in our current predicament we need our top scorer out on the pitch

[Tom]

Like who Tom? "High Tower" Gomes? "Tiny" Goodwillie? It's the approach play that needs to change, not dropping a lad who is normally lethal given a chance or two.

I agree the approach needs to change but that isn't going to happen it seems

For me our two best strikers are clearly Rhodes and Best, I think they could strike up a really good partnership but playing it at head height to them is going to yield little returns

[den]

Rhodes goals keep him in the team and that can't be overstated, but a lot of fans underestimate how he also limits the teams overall effectiveness.

[darrenrover]

I agree the approach needs to change but that isn't going to happen it seems

For me our two best strikers are clearly Rhodes and Best, I think they could strike up a really good partnership but playing it at head height to them is going to yield little returns

Are we not losing the plot?

Suggesting Rhodes be dropped is akin to suggesting dropping the goalkeeper because he hasn't had a shot to save.

Rhodes is the best finisher in this league bar none. Admittedly he doesn't bring much else to the party.

Sort the middle of the park out and/or enable full backs to get forward with pace and feed him with chances and he will flourish.

His ratio of goals to chances is 2 to 1 apparently!

[Stuart]

This is why the quality of posts is dropping. Someone has an idea for a debate a is seen as stupid, or lost the plot. At least debate the issue people.

There's nothing wrong with offering Rhodes a rest - as a suggestion. He hasn't been firing lately and we are struggling to find the net. He hasn't looked himself either. Would Fergie balk at dropping/resting Rooney or Van Persie? Fair enough he has strength in depth we can only dream of but he still benches his best players from time to time, and when they are out of form.

I don't think anyone has said drop him for Sunday (we need a goal from anywhere this weekend) but maybe he would benefit from a sub appearance for the following game - particularly if we aren't going to use tactics that try to make the most of his abilities.

[Happyforeverclapper]

If tugay was in midfield he would of scored more but we don't have tugay so step up dunny etc and pass and probe till you find space to thread the ball through to his FEET!.However I think Rhodes is tired due to the amount of chasing etc so a rest is long over due but not Sunday !. All top strikers need a rest unless your the messiah... Messi