[Archived] Jordan Rhodes

[Proudtobeblue&white]

He'd sell JR and buy 4 wingers surely?

[patrickvalery]

Thank you.

Indeed a case can be made for both sides and examples presented for both, it could go either way so the debate is circular. When looking at spurs I think the main issue was too many new players at once. Like you say we could get 3-4 decent players, they signed 7 1st team players. I also believe spurs have a coach and DoF set-up? I guess really it comes down to one thing really do you think we would sign 3-4 players who would make us a better team. How has GB done so far in the market in relation to our aim, promotion. The other side is can he or will he be able to build a team to play to his strengths and get the best out of him? It's a gamble either way for me if being honest.

I think its also important to consider that although promotion was the aim this season (as it should be), but it was only one of the aims. He was also tasked with reducing the wage bill and that needs to be considered when you analyse his signings. If finances allowed i doubt he would have signed the same players. I happen to think on a personal level, that he has ticked as many boxes as he could with most of the incomings. Consider Gestede and Conway in isolation. What £300k outlay? Both previously promoted in a good Cardiff side. One to replace our biggest signing (Marshall) and the other to give us another dimension up top. I will accept that some of the performances, especially since the turn of the year, have been abject. But on the whole Bowyer has done quite well when you consider he has been juggling the tasks of building a side whilst dismantling another.

I know its very fashionable to adhere to this Rodgers style of play at the moment. But we do need to take parts of that style to get the best out of Rhodes imo. I'm not advocating our back four fanny about with it between themselves because they aren't good enough or used to that. But we need to get the ball to our better players more often. Talk of Lowe getting forward more often, adding goals to his game etc.. is bobbins imo. Let him do what he is supposed to be good at. Protect the back four and let others do the clever stuff. Our wide players are key to getting the best out of Rhodes. Not just whipping crosses in for 90 mins, but getting up in support of Rhodes. Some of the best football we played this season was in the opening match against Derby. I forget the exact line up now, but i do recall Judge and Rochina popping up all over the place behind Rhodes. We looked dangerous. I'm not entirely sure why we moved away from this tbh.

[Majiball]

I think its also important to consider that although promotion was the aim this season (as it should be), but it was only one of the aims. He was also tasked with reducing the wage bill and that needs to be considered when you analyse his signings. If finances allowed i doubt he would have signed the same players. I happen to think on a personal level, that he has ticked as many boxes as he could with most of the incomings. Consider Gestede and Conway in isolation. What £300k outlay? Both previously promoted in a good Cardiff side. One to replace our biggest signing (Marshall) and the other to give us another dimension up top. I will accept that some of the performances, especially since the turn of the year, have been abject. But on the whole Bowyer has done quite well when you consider he has been juggling the tasks of building a side whilst dismantling another.

I know its very fashionable to adhere to this Rodgers style of play at the moment. But we do need to take parts of that style to get the best out of Rhodes imo. I'm not advocating our back four fanny about with it between themselves because they aren't good enough or used to that. But we need to get the ball to our better players more often. Talk of Lowe getting forward more often, adding goals to his game etc.. is bobbins imo. Let him do what he is supposed to be good at. Protect the back four and let others do the clever stuff. Our wide players are key to getting the best out of Rhodes. Not just whipping crosses in for 90 mins, but getting up in support of Rhodes. Some of the best football we played this season was in the opening match against Derby. I forget the exact line up now, but i do recall Judge and Rochina popping up all over the place behind Rhodes. We looked dangerous. I'm not entirely sure why we moved away from this tbh.

For me promotion had to be the aim as our income really takes another huge hit with the parapayment drop to 8M. I dread to imagine what our income will be next season 15M? More cut backs will surely be needed just making the aim promotion all the more difficult. For me it just boils down to how different people approach the same problem/task. We won't all approach it in the same manner. Transfer wise Conway looks alright as does Cairney and Evans, Gestede though for me is a bit of a weird one as he appears to play in the hole on the pitch? I'm not really convinced by that idea as a Dunn type for me would appear best to play rhodes with. Is it coincidence that Gestede stops playing and Rhodes starts scoring, he only played 30 against Huddersfield and has scored 3 with him of the pitch? but whilst they are good, given our wage bill must have be way up in the 30M odd bracket I cannot advocate the number of signings made. Pennies make pounds. I understand the issues that he's had to face and do sympathize but for me it's like aiming to win the race and then being happy finishing in the chasing pack. Majiball would be angry at himself if that happened! I don't disagree with the mode of play one bit as it's how I like to see the game played high intensity. trouble is the fitness levels required are high, much higher than sitting deep, much higher, I'm not sure most teams could do this for a season. But it is possible and I've seen it done but it goes against the current mode of training in the game. I'm sure we'd get more out of Rhodes if we did play like this higher up the pitch, as rhodes is great at finding pockets of space in the box and finishing. To me it makes more sense to have 3 players behind him who can all play a quality pass to exploit it better than our CB's knocking it long every time like they're Beckenbauer. But the whole team needs to react quicker and move better of the ball so we can actually play a more varied game.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

He'd sell JR and buy 4 wingers surely?

He would sell JR and fill an £8m gap in our finances next season.

[onlyonejackwalker]

As much as your views on the other players are pretty much right, your assessment of Marshall, Taylor and Conway is incredibly harsh!

ha ha. Sorry pal but I rarely criticise the players. I was just joking about all of them to demonstrate everyone is fair game for criticism apart from Rhodes.

[Jimmy612]

ha ha. Sorry pal but I rarely criticise the players. I was just joking about all of them to demonstrate everyone is fair game for criticism apart from Rhodes.

apart from Rhodes? Why's that then?

[onlyonejackwalker]

apart from Rhodes? Why's that then?

No idea. That's the point.

[RevidgeBlue]

Rhodes is a very good player who generally does the job he's paid for, but who has however been in a run of poor form of late prior to last Saturday.

None of our other players with the possible exception of Grant Hanley are anywhere near as good in their respective positions as Rhodes is in his, and have not done the business for us anything like as often for us as Rhodes has over the last two seasons.

Is that not a fair summation of the situation and why the unrelenting criticism of him from certain quarters is so unfair?

[jim mk2]

The criticism of Rhodes is no less than fair than the vitriol directed at Lowe and before him Morten Gamst Pedersen. Each to his own.

[Jimmy612]

Rhodes is a very good player who generally does the job he's paid for, but who has however been in a run of poor form of late prior to last Saturday.

None of our other players with the possible exception of Grant Hanley are anywhere near as good in their respective positions as Rhodes is in his, and have not done the business for us anything like as often for us as Rhodes has over the last two seasons.

Is that not a fair summation of the situation and why the unrelenting criticism of him from certain quarters is so unfair?

Possibly why they cost next to nothing to bring in and don't get paid £50,000 per week Simon?

Maybe I'm just bitter about the farcical amount of money spent on him when our finances are (and were at the time) in such an embarrassing state. I cringe every time I think about the thought process of Shebby et al at that time. 'It's simple guys... if we buy this striker he is sure to get us promotion'. @#/? half wits.

[DE.]

Possibly why they cost next to nothing to bring in and don't get paid £50,000 per week Simon?

Maybe I'm just bitter about the farcical amount of money spent on him when our finances are (and were at the time) in such an embarrassing state. I cringe every time I think about the thought process of Shebby et al at that time. 'It's simple guys... if we buy this striker he is sure to get us promotion'. @#/? half wits.

I'd be more bitter about the likes of Dickson Etuhu getting £35K a week and doing literally nothing, personally.

[Jimmy612]

I'd be more bitter about the likes of Dickson Etuhu getting £35K a week and doing literally nothing, personally.

Trust me I am

[darrenrover]

Me too and Best, Orr etc.......

After all it's none of their faults and if it's offered, who can blame them?

Similarly Rhodes' transfer fee and ongoing salary shouldn't be our issue either.

If only somebody could put us right regarding our actual financial situation and that all bases were covered regarding the club's future viability, we could all rest so much more easily.

[mode_m]

Me too and Best, Orr etc.......

After all it's none of their faults and if it's offered, who can blame them?

Similarly Rhodes' transfer fee and ongoing salary shouldn't be our issue either.

If only somebody could put us right regarding our actual financial situation and that all bases were covered regarding the club's future viability, we could all rest so much more easily.

At least with Orr he has left Rovers. I saw him here in Toronto playing with Jermaine Defoe yesterday.

[Stuart]

At least with Orr he has left Rovers. I saw him here in Toronto playing with Jermaine Defoe yesterday.

Hopefully you were at a football match.

[yoda]

Hopefully you were at a football match.

stop that, its silly

[DE.]

Isn't Orr only on loan?

[ABBEY]

Rhodes scores again and the haters let this thread drop to page 3.

[Tom]

The art of debate lives on with you I see Abbs?

He wasn't at his best today but scored an absolute cracker and won a free kick for the second but needs to cut out the theatrics, he has great games and awful ones and rarely ones in between (which sounds hypocritical given my last sentence) such is why this thread is bipolar at times.

[K-Hod]

He was good in parts today, good finish for his goal, but he does need to be more physical and give it back more when he gets challenged.

It counts against him when he genuinely is fouled as well.

[Majiball]

He's a poacher, we have to accept he won't add much to anything else other than goals. But he's so good at that he will always occupy one maybe two players one the opposition as everyone knows he only needs one chance. We can longer hope for RSC's or Bellamys, we have to make the best of what we have and JR is awesome at scoring. We must must find a way to get more of that out of him and prevent 9=10 game barren spells.

[yoda]

He's a poacher, we have to accept he won't add much to anything else other than goals. But he's so good at that he will always occupy one maybe two players one the opposition as everyone knows he only needs one chance. We can longer hope for RSC's or Bellamys, we have to make the best of what we have and JR is awesome at scoring. We must must find a way to get more of that out of him and prevent 9=10 game barren spells.

Just need a bruiser up front to support him

[Majiball]

Just need a bruiser up front to support him

I prefer Dunn behind him, with JR on his own, Dunn runs at them, they have to make a choice who goes to close him down and who marks JR, the potential for mistakes is greater this way IMO. Gestede for me would be a sub.

[Tom]

Its a tough one, Dunn is capable of opening teams up but Rudy is fantastic at winning it and holding it up and instead of lumping it forward and Rudy winning it when he isn't on we lump it and hope Rhodes can do the same which isn't fair to expect of him

[K-Hod]

Rudy and Rhodes don't link up THAT well though for me, (he certainly doesn't react that well to Rudy's flick-ons) Rhodes seem to thrive with a player 'in the hole' behind him.