[Archived] Blackpool vs. Blackburn Rovers- Saturday 26/10/13 3pm.

[FGS5635]

This season is a write off as far as I'm concerned, we should already be looking to next. I doubt very much that Rhodes will be with us come the start of 2014/15 so 'for all his faults' people will be wishing we'd never let him leave, mark my words.

Bit early to say write off when we are 7 pts adrift of playoffs with a few of our better players injured and yet to return.

Nobody wants him to leave, its just he can improve. Cant understand why that seems to be so controversial

I can't believe this debate about Rhodes still rumbles on - his goals singled handed kept us in the Championship last year, he is the top scorer in the Championship this season and people still aren't happy - Christ!

Anybody who thinks the problem is Rhodes needs to have a look in the mirror. Most of the time he is playing up front on his own, a difficult enough job as it is and when he does get a partner (usually Leon Best) that partner contributes absolutely zilch, nada, nothing - awful first touch, no pace and can't seem to find a decent goal scoring position for toffee. The team is set-up to create chances for Rhodes, and so if the players either can't create chances for him, or heaven forbid the lad has an off day there doesn't seem to be a plan B - hardly the fault of Rhodes.

Yet another thread of moaning for the bloody sake of it - and all because somebody who has scored 37 league goals in 55 league matches isn't contributing enough to the team

F**k me... and people wonder why posters are leaving this site at a rate of knots.

Or you could argue @#/? me another thread ruined by someone refusing sensible discussion and chucking in the old no wonder people are leaving this board to validate their point

Why is saying JR can improve having a go at him and blaming him. Why does it have to be black and white that he is either god or @#/?. He's a top player that CAN get better

[AndyNeil]

Bit early to say write off when we are 7 pts adrift of playoffs with a few of our better players injured and yet to return.

Nobody wants him to leave, its just he can improve. Cant understand why that seems to be so controversial

Or you could argue Kean me another thread ruined by someone refusing sensible discussion and chucking in the old no wonder people are leaving this board to validate their point

Why is saying JR can improve having a go at him and blaming him. Why does it have to be black and white that he is either god or kean. He's a top player that CAN get better

if people want to discuss the relative merits (or otherwise) of a player in terms of improving, the last player people should be pointing the finger at is the guy who probably prevented the club from imploding during the summer...

I'd like to think I can hold a sensible discussion with anybody about any subject (that I know enough about to have a sensible discussion - if that makes sense) and I think its is better to back a point up with reason and opinion than just ranting, and no I'm not accusing you of that.

[jim mk2]

Garner played in an age when everyone played 442. If JR played in that era he'd be golden.

Everyone keeps saying play to his strengths, but what exactly is that other than create chances for him?

If we use the charlton game which started alot of the discussion he had 3 chances, but had an off day in that regard, so what exactly should GB etc do differently

Play two fast direct wingers who are good at crossing - Ripley and Wilcox would be fine - and let Rhodes get on the end of the crosses. It's what he's good at.

[FGS5635]

if people want to discuss the relative merits (or otherwise) of a player in terms of improving, the last player people should be pointing the finger at is the guy who probably prevented the club from imploding during the summer...

I'd like to think I can hold a sensible discussion with anybody about any subject (that I know enough about to have a sensible discussion - if that makes sense) and I think its is better to back a point up with reason and opinion than just ranting, and no I'm not accusing you of that.

Fair enough, though I do like an occasional rant.

For me nobody is immune from improving, the whole team can improve. I dont think anobody is saying JR is the reason for our failings, but he is the 1st name on the sheet and plays every game so he has to shoulder some of it.

I dont agree its finger pointing either I just think as the lone striker up top he has a big role to play in how the team plays and for me its to easy to look at his goals and say he gets a pass. Personally if I didnt think he could improve and get better then I wouldnt be fussed, but I feel he can improve and get better. This then benefits JR and rovers

Play two fast direct wingers who are good at crossing - Ripley and Wilcox would be fine - and let Rhodes get on the end of the crosses. It's what he's good at.

Again easy to say, but they arent in the squad and dont come cheap in todays market.

[Majiball]

even in the prem these days pacey wingers don't appear to be able to cross. it's a dying art.

[Gav]

I can't believe this debate about Rhodes still rumbles on - his goals singled handed kept us in the Championship last year, he is the top scorer in the Championship this season and people still aren't happy - Christ!

Anybody who thinks the problem is Rhodes needs to have a look in the mirror. Most of the time he is playing up front on his own, a difficult enough job as it is and when he does get a partner (usually Leon Best) that partner contributes absolutely zilch, nada, nothing - awful first touch, no pace and can't seem to find a decent goal scoring position for toffee. The team is set-up to create chances for Rhodes, and so if the players either can't create chances for him, or heaven forbid the lad has an off day there doesn't seem to be a plan B - hardly the fault of Rhodes.

Yet another thread of moaning for the bloody sake of it - and all because somebody who has scored 37 league goals in 55 league matches isn't contributing enough to the team

F**k me... and people wonder why posters are leaving this site at a rate of knots.

Absolutely, can't believe I've been sucked in!

[FGS5635]

even in the prem these days pacey wingers don't appear to be able to cross. it's a dying art.

Tru dat

Trouble is we have king who is pacey but cant cross and we have marshall who has no pace but can cross.

Hopefully king can improve in this area as JR and the team would benefit alot from it no doubt

[Gav]

Rhodes is a superb goal poacher at our level with the potential to go onto greater things but there has to be a question mark over this continued inability to integrate him into a meaningful and threatening system of play consistently

What are we saying, because he might score, for sake of argument, 30 league goals, we are necessarily betteroff than two lads scoring 18 piece?

Burnley are giving the lie to the "nobody plays two strikers anymore" argument and yes, Ive heard all the tedious 'they'll struggle when injuries/suspensions hit" (like we aren't doing with our fantastic big squad eh) theories

if the likes of holt and Lambert can improve their all-round game sufficiently to raise their standard from playing in the Fourth Division with rochdale to the heights they"ve achieved there's no reason Rhodes can't aspire to and work on it

it's not just a few grumpy fans who've spotted yawning deficiencies in his contribution to the team, Strachan's treatmentand mild public criticism of him tells you he's not the finished article

As much as i admire him, I don't think he's exempt from constructive appraisal

Rhodes scoring 25 and providing a partner with a dozen goals may be of more overall benefit than him scoring 29 and us lot saying "he can't play with X , Y and Z" ad nauseam

2 players that can score 15+ goals each don't grow on trees, likewise players that score 30 don't either.

For that reason alone we go with what we've got, we're very fortunate to have him.

[Majiball]

Tru dat

Trouble is we have king who is pacey but cant cross and we have marshall who has no pace but can cross.

Hopefully king can improve in this area as JR and the team would benefit alot from it no doubt

Can't see that happening either if honest. Play the wide men as more like old fashioned inside forwards and get them running at/attacking the space between the full-back and the CB from wide positions. The full backs can offer the cross option and we'd force the CB's to think and hopefully give JR more space.

[FGS5635]

Can't see that happening either if honest. Play the wide men as more like old fashioned inside forwards and get them running at/attacking the space between the full-back and the CB from wide positions. The full backs can offer the cross option and we'd force the CB's to think and hopefully give JR more space.

Yeah I agree. No reason to play a flat back 4 when most teams also play 1 up top

Not sure spurr can bomb forward much but Kane is pretty good when going forward

[Majiball]

Yeah I agree. No reason to play a flat back 4 when most teams also play 1 up top

Not sure spurr can bomb forward much but Kane is pretty good when going forward

They wouldn't need to get in advance of them often but be a ball back. Having them (the widemen) attack that particular space would also mean when the beat the full back the CB must come across and JR is 1 v 1, happy days.

[Blue n White Rover]

I can't believe we're even having the debate.

Here we have a lad that scores goals for fun, the manager should be good enough to build a side around him and play to his strengths, it's as simple as that.

Just off the top of my head I cannot think of another team that's sold their top striker because his all round game isn't helping the team, all he does is score 30 goals a season so were selling him......

Simon Garner didn't have a terrific work ethic, but he scored goals and lots of em!

Nobody is suggesting we sell him so try reading before you spout off complete rubbish.

We are all glad that Rhodes is here and we are over the moon that he's scoring 30 goals a season. No complaints with that.

However, unfortunately Rhodes is human and he cannot score in every single game he plays. Therefore all I am saying is that he needs to improve his all round game play because it is simply not good enough. Take the Charlton and Blackpool game for example. He did nothing for the team besides score a penalty.

Being the most expensive striker in the Championship he is expected to score goals. However, when he isn't scoring goals he is a liability to the team because he offers nothing. As I said earlier though, he MUST improve his all round gameplay otherwise he'll just be a standard Championship player. Scoring goals isn't enough these days if you're playing for a mid-table side.

[Al]

Let's turn this debate on it's head. If we had a player who made chances for others every game but never scored himself would we say that his game was flawed and he must improve? Just a thought.

[FGS5635]

Let's turn this debate on it's head. If we had a player who made chances for others every game but never scored himself would we say that his game was flawed and he must improve? Just a thought.

We have no superstars, so all our players have flawed games. All of them can get better, some more than others.

This isnt a JR which hunt, its just the current discussion on a quiet forum.

[Mike E]

Can't see that happening either if honest. Play the wide men as more like old fashioned inside forwards and get them running at/attacking the space between the full-back and the CB from wide positions. The full backs can offer the cross option and we'd force the CB's to think and hopefully give JR more space.

This and FG's post about a flat back 4 got me thinking. What would people think of a formation thus (it assumes everyone is fit for the sake of ease):

-----------Robbo

----Dann--Hanley--Kilgallon

Kane---------------------Spurr

--------Evans--Cairney

-----Dunn----------Rochina

------------Rhodes

Just 'spit-ballin' as our Yankee mates might say.

[Gav]

Nobody is suggesting we sell him so try reading before you spout off complete rubbish.

I think you'll find a couple of people have been advocating the sale of Rhodes over the past few months, so engage your brain before opening gob would be my advice.

[Al]

We have no superstars, so all our players have flawed games. All of them can get better, some more than others.

This isnt a JR which hunt, its just the current discussion on a quiet forum.

I'd prefer a proper answer to my proper question rather than a posting questioning my right to ask the question.

[FGS5635]

I'd prefer a proper answer to my proper question rather than a posting questioning my right to ask the question.

Wasnt trying to be funny, I thought I did answer it saying all our players have flawed games. To be more specific in your scenario if the player never scored then I'd say his game is flawed and can be improved imo

[Amo]

I agree.

Wow.

Felt good, didn't it?

[roversfan99]

This and FG's post about a flat back 4 got me thinking. What would people think of a formation thus (it assumes everyone is fit for the sake of ease):

-----------Robbo

----Dann--Hanley--Kilgallon

Kane---------------------Spurr

--------Evans--Cairney

-----Dunn----------Rochina

------------Rhodes

Just 'spit-ballin' as our Yankee mates might say.

King has been our main attacking player this year.

[Majiball]

Let's turn this debate on it's head. If we had a player who made chances for others every game but never scored himself would we say that his game was flawed and he must improve? Just a thought.

Off course we would we're rovers and moaning is all we have left!!

Wasnt trying to be funny, I thought I did answer it saying all our players have flawed games. To be more specific in your scenario if the player never scored then I'd say his game is flawed and can be improved imo

Was Batty's game flawed???

[FGS5635]

Off course we would we're rovers and moaning is all we have left!!

Was Batty's game flawed???

Depends on your definition of flawed I guess. He certainly had areas he could have improved. Didn't mean he wasn't a top player or mighty effective

[Rover_Shaun]

Was Batty's game flawed???

Yes, he was a crab. We were far more imbalanced with him in the side rather than Super Atko

[Al]

Depends on your definition of flawed I guess. He certainly had areas he could have improved. Didn't mean he wasn't a top player or mighty effective

Same applies to Jordan Rhodes would you say?

[Gav]

Depends on your definition of flawed I guess. He certainly had areas he could have improved. Didn't mean he wasn't a top player or mighty effective

Are you on the wind-up Fg? Or am I missing your point by a country mile?