[Archived] Should Rhodes be dropped?

[Gav]

You simply do not drop your top striker under any circumstances, if it wasn't for Rhodes goals we'd already be down.

Having watched the first half today Bowyer should have dropped the defence, marking is non existant.

I fully expect Bowyer to tell us Rhodes is carrying an injury, if not its a terrible decision to bench him.

[philipl]

Those who wanted the League's third highest scorer dropping have had their wish fulfilled.

That said the ball hasn't yet gone within 40 yards of where Rhodes would be any use if he had been picked....

[Devon Rover]

I can't support the decision to drop our top goalscorer and, in Dunn, the most passionate of our current squad. In favour of Danny bloody Murphy!!!! Bowyer = massive fail for me. I do not see how he is any way qualified to have been put in charge instead of Appleton. I get Bowyer is 'liked' by some but I really couldn't care less about that. Today's selection has told me the club is still getting worse. Shocking decisions.

[Athlete]

I can't support the decision to drop our top goalscorer and, in Dunn, the most passionate of our current squad. In favour of Danny bloody Murphy!!!! Bowyer = massive fail for me. I do not see how he is any way qualified to have been put in charge instead of Appleton. I get Bowyer is 'liked' by some but I really couldn't care less about that. Today's selection has told me the club is still getting worse. Shocking decisions.

a certain bloke with glasses may have had some input......

[Devon Rover]

a certain bloke with glasses may have had some input......

Then Bowyer should resign or not have taken the role. No manager with self-respect should work under those conditions. Clean sweep of all of them needed. If Venky's ever leave (which I now can't imagine) I don't think I could trust any of the coaches or 'execs' sticking around.

[Clitherover]

Probably keeping him away from injuries before we sell him at the end of the season.

[RevidgeBlue]

Hope today marks the end of this particular debate.

Ricky made the point on the match thread about Man Ure resting Wayne Rooney today. Aside from the fact it didn't work today I don't feel it's a valid comparison anyway.

If United rest 12 goal Rooney they can call on 19 goal Van Persie. And vice versa.

If we rest 23 goal Rhodes we can only rely on Best/CKR/Goodwillie who have scored a grand total of 3(?) League goals between them.

[den]

Hope today marks the end of this particular debate.

Today's result is the culmination of the decisions to sack Sam, allow Williams and Finn to leave and give Kean and JA so much influence. Today's result had nothing to do with who played centre forward.

Having said that, if I was manager and was offered our money back on Jordan, I'd accept it.

[Athlete]

Without JR's goals this season we'd of been dead and buried

[jim mk2]

Poor footballer but knows how to score at this level - he has to play every game if we are to have any chance of staying up.

If we somehow survive I would accept any decent offer for him and invest in new midfield players.

[den]

Without JR's goals this season we'd of been dead and buried

We are dead and buried with him. That's the point isn't't it?

I agree with Jim's post above.

[RevidgeBlue]

Today's result had nothing to do with who played centre forward.

Well we'll have to agree to disagree as usual but I'd say today's result had everything to do with not playing Rhodes and possibly even more to do with fielding Pedersen Murphy and Bentley in the same midfield.

As for our overall position, we've appointed a succession of terrible managers in Kean, Berg and Appleton. That's the main reason we've dropped so far so quickly and in my view with those managers in charge we'd be in a roughly similar position even if we still had the likes of Williams and Finn behind the scenes.

You would however trust and assume they wouldn't make such poor appointments in the first place.

[USABlue]

I'd keep him and set up the side to play to his strengths cos the lad is a natural finisher and they are few and far between. If you don't get the ball to him into the box he's not going to score. Hell I think only Messi could make goals in this side with the way we play.

[Stuart]

I'm going to be the odd one out then because I don't think we'd have got a point today even with Rhodes playing.

Today's Monday, not Sunday and we need him for Wednesday on Saturday.

[RevidgeBlue]

I'd keep him and set up the side to play to his strengths cos the lad is a natural finisher and they are few and far between. If you don't get the ball to him into the box he's not going to score. Hell I think only Messi could make goals in this side with the way we play.

Or Shearer. Unfortunately he's not Messi or Shearer and cost 8m not 80m like the other two would cost now in their prime.

Agree completely USA. Competent Championship players are ten a penny. Prolific and natural goalscorers are rare as hen's teeth.

Get rid of most of the rest of them and build a team around Rhodes to play to his strengths. Thought Appleton was going to do that when he bought in a load of players who theoretically could cross the ball. Unfortunately thereafter we never tried to get the ball wide.

Whether he'll want to stay after this season will be a different matter entirely. I would have thought he'll have a lot of better offers.

[thenodrog]

Get rid of most of the rest of them and build a team around Rhodes to play to his strengths.

The best advice I could give to Jordan Rhodes or anybody who is managing him is to concentrate on getting him to improve his weaknesses. If he ever wants to play in the Prem he needs to improve those big time. He has one big positive but way too many negatives to his game.

[Stuart]

The best advice I could give to Jordan Rhodes or anybody who is managing him is to concentrate on getting him to improve his weaknesses. If he ever wants to play in the Prem he needs to improve those big time. He has one big positive but way too many negatives to his game.

Tiger Woods' dad told him to concentrate on his strengths, not his weaknesses. By being brilliant at driving he didn't need to be any better at putting.

Also I was listening to someone on the radio this morning talking about Arsenal not having someone with that 'ability' to put the ball in the back of the net.

We have that yet we want HIM to do more to compensate for the inadequacies in the rest of the squad! We don't deserve a player like Rhodes, and next season I suspect we won't have one.

[thenodrog]

Tiger Woods' dad told him to concentrate on his strengths, not his weaknesses. By being brilliant at driving he didn't need to be any better at putting.

Putting? Tiger's weaknesses were blondes with big tits!

Can't say I don't have a little empathy with him there.

However most top strikers are strong in other areas. Shearer had a strong all round game as does Rooney and Torres but the best example to Rhodes should be Ian Rush. Rush was a very top drawer striker whose only weakness was his heading ability (sound familiar?) but it was often said that Rushie was Liverpools best defender for his work harrying, chasing and pressurising opposing defenders off the ball! That doesn't take a special talent it just takes determination and a big heart.

[Stuart]

Please don't try to compare Rhodes with Shearer, Rooney or Torres. Or even Rush. These are all the class of player that have played Champions League football (or European Cup on Rush's case).

Rhodes is simply a prolific Championship striker who knows where the net is. We should be using him like a sausage machine. Work the ball into position for Rhodes, give him, run over for a hug. Not punt it up field for him to collect or chase after.

[Athlete]

We are dead and buried with him. That's the point isn't't it?

I agree with Jim's post above.

but we shouldnt be if he was fed the ball proper and not by a long punt upfield for him playing on his own..how many would he get ? hes a natural born goal scorer

[RevidgeBlue]

but we shouldnt be if he was fed the ball proper and not by a long punt upfield for him playing on his own..how many would he get ? hes a natural born goal scorer

I agree with that. He's not much use admittedly if you simply punt a long high ball aimlessly up front but I think we saw in the first half against Blackpool if you play a reasonably intelligent ball to him or if you play it to feet he can lay it off as well as the next man.

Tiger Woods' dad told him to concentrate on his strengths, not his weaknesses. By being brilliant at driving he didn't need to be any better at putting.

Also I was listening to someone on the radio this morning talking about Arsenal not having someone with that 'ability' to put the ball in the back of the net.

We have that yet we want HIM to do more to compensate for the inadequacies in the rest of the squad! We don't deserve a player like Rhodes, and next season I suspect we won't have one.

My thoughts at the moment as well Stuart.

[Tom]

Hope today marks the end of this particular debate.

Ricky made the point on the match thread about Man Ure resting Wayne Rooney today. Aside from the fact it didn't work today I don't feel it's a valid comparison anyway.

If United rest 12 goal Rooney they can call on 19 goal Van Persie. And vice versa.

If we rest 23 goal Rhodes we can only rely on Best/CKR/Goodwillie who have scored a grand total of 3(?) League goals between them.

Why would today end the debate?

Does every game he has played in and lost prove he should be dropped?

Does today for you prove that Bowyer should be sacked or does it only work when its in your favour like your injury theory

We could have played with Messi and ronaldo or parkin and Beattie today and the result would have been similar most likely due to the inept tactics.

Personally I'd play Rhodes best and Kazim as the wingers are offering very little anyway

[RevidgeBlue]

Why would today end the debate?

Personally I'd play Rhodes best and Kazim as the wingers are offering very little anyway

Agreed, and I think you've answered your own question there.

[Torgeir]

Tiger Woods' dad told him to concentrate on his strengths, not his weaknesses. By being brilliant at driving he didn't need to be any better at putting.

Also I was listening to someone on the radio this morning talking about Arsenal not having someone with that 'ability' to put the ball in the back of the net.

We have that yet we want HIM to do more to compensate for the inadequacies in the rest of the squad! We don't deserve a player like Rhodes, and next season I suspect we won't have one.

Tiger's dad taught Tiger to learn the game from green to tee, not the other way around - and putting has always been his strength

Next step for Rhodes is to improve his hold-up play and becoming more useful other than "just" finishing. His goal tally this season this season is nothing short of superb though, considering the dire support he has been receiving from his teammates. I hope he's here next season but I expect he'll be sold for around the same fee that we paid for him.

[Tom]

Agreed, and I think you've answered your own question there.

Maybe

Maybe none of us know for sure what would work best, discuss and even disagree as we may, fact is we don't get paid a lot of money to make those decisons, sadly the various people who have been paid well to set up the team this season continually get it wrong