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

[thenodrog]

1. Lineker never won a title medal. In his one season with Everton he scored 40 but they blew the double to Liverpool.

2. You would hope not. Grant Holt and Rickie Lambert have shown it's never too late to improve and develop

Empty arguments.

1. After moving from Leicester Linekar played for top Div 1 teams, collected almost a century of England caps and half a century of goals for England. Any comparison at this stage is ludicrous.

2. Counter argument to that is that plenty of strikers peak early for any number of reasons. Shearer, Owen, Fowler, Collymore, Rooney and Jeffers spring to mind.... not forgetting probably the Best of them all.

[jim mk2]

Unfair on Shearer. Injuries slowed him down but he was a top player right to the end of his career. Owen and Fowler had bad injuries too. Rooney is probably a better all round player than he was 5 years ago. In the case of Jeffers i think he just flattered to deceive.

He can always learn, but at 23, 24 in three months time he's not going to improve much, if at all.

I don't think this is true at all. Many players get better as they get older - either because they work hard on their game to improve or their skills take longer to mature. Rhodes is either being badly coached at Ewood or he's not thinking about his game and working hard enough to get better.

[thenodrog]

Unfair on Shearer. Injuries slowed him down but he was a top player right to the end of his career. Owen and Fowler had bad injuries too. Rooney is probably a better all round player than he was 5 years ago. In the case of Jeffers i think he just flattered to deceive.

Unfair or not it is an accurate comment. Shearer was unbelievable until he did his cruciate against Leeds. Who is to say that Rhodes won't end up a crock?

[FGS5635]

Unfair or not it is an accurate comment. Shearer was unbelievable until he did his cruciate against Leeds. Who is to say that Rhodes won't end up a crock?

We can only work in the here and now tho and right now he hasnt had injuries like that (touches wood). So unless he does he should be improving at his age.

That said, I remember when Souness was here and we had Martin Taylor. He said he had the attributes to be a very good defender, but his big let down was he was to nice and he needed a bit of nastiness and agression. He used to stand on the sidelines in training hurling abuse at taylor trying to wind him up and make him mad, but he said he never could.

To me some of JR's problems are the same. When centre halfs are clattering you from behind etc you need to be tough and agressive at times to lead the line and hold it up a bit, but he seems to be really laid back and a damm nice chap.

Anyone got Sounesses number, we can invite him to training this wk to have a word with JR

[Stuart]

The tendency of some Rovers fans to ignore Rhodes` weaknesses and overstate his positives is another side effect of what`s happened to us. Having the leagues leading goalscorer is all we have left to take pride in, and to crow about to all the other clubs that have zoomed past us over the last few years.

The tendency of some Rovers fans to want to cancel out even that small pleasure is another side effect of the misery that has been foisted upon us by Venkys.

I'm amazed we haven't yet had a photoshop of them wearing Burnley shirts.

[FGS5635]

The tendency of some Rovers fans to want to cancel out even that small pleasure is another side effect of the misery that has been foisted upon us by Venkys.

I'm amazed we haven't yet had a photoshop of them wearing Burnley shirts.

Balaji doesnt wear anything that doesnt have buttons up the front

[Gav]

There's a big danger of losing perspective in all this Gav. I'll try to break down the different viewpoints on this, correct me if I'm wrong.

I don't think anyone is suggesting that Rhodes shouldn't be first choice starter. That would be crazy.

I don't think many fans consider his abilities as a link man to be anything but "ordinary" or " pretty poor".

Some fans think the link up skills for a lone front man are very important.

Some fans think that link up skills aren't important and as long as he scores goals, that's pretty much all that matters.

How's that?

My viewpoint is that if a lone front player has nothing else to his game other than score goals, then the team will suffer. That isn't just my view, it's the view of any manager with ambitions for his team. Strachan said exactly that. The fact he isn't in the PL now is because his lack of ability as a link man would mean he wouldn't cut the cloth and the team would suffer because of it.

The view that players like Lineker, Fowler and Cole were nothing but poachers can't possibly be right can it? Because if it were right, then Rhodes could play at the top level and win English footballs top prize, just as those three did. What's stopping that happening - I know and virtually everyone else knows what's stopping him. For some reason though, it mustn't be said that Rovers could have spent that £8m better, and might have been a better "team". For some, as long as he scores a goal, 90 minutes of chasing games, losing possession and the defence being under continual pressure is everyone else's fault. Well it matters to good managers. Their focus is aimed at having eleven players "all" contributing to the system. Anything less isn't acceptable. That's the only way to win trophies.

We all know that though. So why the disparity among us on here?

I said I wasn't going to get involved in this silly debate about 6 pages back!!

When we have the likes of Marcus Ollsen in the squad I can't believe people are trying to pull Rhodes game to bits and crtitisze the lad. Yes he can improve and probably will as he's only young, but lets not look a 30 goal gift horse in the mouth, he'll not be her much longer I'd wager, so enjoy his goals whilst he is.

[FGS5635]

I said I wasn't going to get involved in this silly debate about 6 pages back!!

Addictive isnt it? I've tried to quit discussing it twice

To be fair ollsen doesnt play, so he has no bearing on the team this year really. Though if he worked on his game and tried to get better maybe he would play.

As for Rhodes whats wrong with thinking with a bit of work we could be looking at a 40 goal gift horse?

[Gav]

Addictive isnt it? I've tried to quit discussing it twice

To be fair ollsen doesnt play, so he has no bearing on the team this year really. Though if he worked on his game and tried to get better maybe he would play.

As for Rhodes whats wrong with thinking with a bit of work we could be looking at a 40 goal gift horse?

40 goals or 50 goals doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things because sadly we're not good enough to go up, the players around him just aren't up to it in my opinion.

[FGS5635]

40 goals or 50 goals doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things because sadly we're not good enough to go up, the players around him just aren't up to it in my opinion.

TBH I'd say the 30 goal gift horse has now been beaten to death. We have discussed it for 3million pages and all thats changed it a few of us have a few more grey hairs. Nobody has changed their opinion.

Lets hope he scores 5 on sat so all you defending him can say see I told ya so and we can all spend next week debating it again

ps I think Im gunna have 20 on him for 1st goal sat. COYB COJR

[Amo]

Why is it that whenever we lose a game, it's always the 'Rhodes Debate' which takes centre stage? I don't deny that Rhodes could stand to add more to his overall game, but it's not like anyone else covered themselves in glory against Charlton. You can't afford to drop a 20+ goal a season striker, particularly when your other options are Leon Best & DJ Campbell. That's why you either find players to fit your system, or you fit your system around your players. With the right player 'in the hole' to link up with Rhodes, we generally look a much better side than when we play a flat 4-4-2. With someone like Dunn/Rochina or to a lesser extent Marshall/Judge in that role, it gives Rhodes the freedom and space to get into those goalscoring positions of which he is so prolific. What do his critics suggest we do? Bench him and play someone else up-top? Because it isn't constructive to criticize the guy when you offer no viable alternative.

[thenodrog]

The tendency of some Rovers fans to want to cancel out even that small pleasure is another side effect of the misery that has been foisted upon us by Venkys.

I'm amazed we haven't yet had a photoshop of them wearing Burnley shirts.

Very droll Stuart.

However have you stopped to think what would happen if Rhodes gets a long injury? Instead of a team that has developed properly into playing for each other, bringing surrounding players into the game, running into forward positions and generally sharing goals around we have a headless chicken.

This daft argument that Rhodes's goals kept us up last season cos hardly anyone else scored needs to be viewed the other way around. Consider if Rhodes had got injured or sold in January then we'd have been relegated. You cannot have one without the other. That is the risk we are running when Bowyer constantly sets the team up to make the best use of JR's ability.

40 goals or 50 goals doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things because sadly we're not good enough to go up, the players around him just aren't up to it in my opinion.

In other words........ maybe we shoukld have spent that 8m more wisely?

[Proudtobeblue&white]

Club has just announced they've been charged, together with Blackpool, by the FA, due to the mass punch up! More cash for the Loons to stump up?....

[tomphil]

You think it's bad now ? Just wait for Sat eve if Rhodes doesn't have a stormer or score the winner Wonder if anyone will bother having a debate about the fact we still get out muscled regularly in midfield and lose the ball or we still go to sleep at the back and continue to let in poor goals. Or will it be because JR lost a header or didnt chase a hopeless ball down a channel the sole reason the team didn't prosper ?

[den]

I said I wasn't going to get involved in this silly debate about 6 pages back!!

When we have the likes of Marcus Ollsen in the squad I can't believe people are trying to pull Rhodes game to bits and crtitisze the lad. Yes he can improve and probably will as he's only young, but lets not look a 30 goal gift horse in the mouth, he'll not be her much longer I'd wager, so enjoy his goals whilst he is.

So basically you don't want to know?

That's fine Gav.

You think it's bad now ? Just wait for Sat eve if Rhodes doesn't have a stormer or score the winner Wonder if anyone will bother having a debate about the fact we still get out muscled regularly in midfield and lose the ball or we still go to sleep at the back and continue to let in poor goals. Or will it be because JR lost a header or didnt chase a hopeless ball down a channel the sole reason the team didn't prosper ?

Jesus.

[FGS5635]

I just cant believe we are all here discussing a rovers player on a rovers message board.

Its madness

[den]

Why is it that whenever we lose a game, it's always the 'Rhodes Debate' which takes centre stage? I don't deny that Rhodes could stand to add more to his overall game, but it's not like anyone else covered themselves in glory against Charlton. You can't afford to drop a 20+ goal a season striker, particularly when your other options are Leon Best & DJ Campbell. That's why you either find players to fit your system, or you fit your system around your players. With the right player 'in the hole' to link up with Rhodes, we generally look a much better side than when we play a flat 4-4-2. With someone like Dunn/Rochina or to a lesser extent Marshall/Judge in that role, it gives Rhodes the freedom and space to get into those goalscoring positions of which he is so prolific. What do his critics suggest we do? Bench him and play someone else up-top? Because it isn't constructive to criticize the guy when you offer no viable alternative.

Do you actually read anything Amo?

[FGS5635]

Why is it that whenever we lose a game, it's always the 'Rhodes Debate' which takes centre stage? I don't deny that Rhodes could stand to add more to his overall game,

See if you'd ended it like that everyone would have been happy. Becasue thats basically all anyone is saying, yet somehow by saying that, you hate JR, want him to die and blame him for all that is wrong with the world and will be very sorry when he signs for barca in jan and is gone forever

[FGS5635]

Basically there are 2 sides to this

1 side saying JR can improve

The other agreeing he can improve but saying the other side are out of order for saying it

Its bonkers

[Gav]

So basically you don't want to know?

That's fine Gav.

Jesus.

Don't want to know what den?

[thenodrog]

Club has just announced they've been charged, together with Blackpool, by the FA, due to the mass punch up! More cash for the Loons to stump up?....

Difficult to blame them for that I'd suggest.

You think it's bad now ? Just wait for Sat eve if Rhodes doesn't have a stormer or score the winner Wonder if anyone will bother having a debate about the fact we still get out muscled regularly in midfield and lose the ball or we still go to sleep at the back and continue to let in poor goals. Or will it be because JR lost a header or didnt chase a hopeless ball down a channel the sole reason the team didn't prosper ?

I think Kean and the centre halves have had plenty of criticism tbh.... as has the manager for letting Jones end up at Burnley.

[majorstyre]

Bored..............

[Amo]

Do you actually read anything Amo?

I like turtles.

See if you'd ended it like that everyone would have been happy. Becasue thats basically all anyone is saying, yet somehow by saying that, you hate JR, want him to die and blame him for all that is wrong with the world and will be very sorry when he signs for barca in jan and is gone forever

A lot of fans will willingly accept Rhodes isn't the complete striker. He wouldn't be playing second tier football with us, for starters. However, it seems that every time we lose a game and Rhodes doesn't score, his ability comes into questioning and we have the same tired debate that goes around in circles. It would be useful if his detractors could offer a solution to this so-called problem otherwise it's a pointless exercise. Do they want us to play someone else up-top? Cash in on Rhodes in January and buy a proper target-man? What?

[darrenrover]

I like turtles.A lot of fans will willingly accept Rhodes isn't the complete striker. He wouldn't be playing second tier football with us, for starters. However, it seems that every time we lose a game and Rhodes doesn't score, his ability comes into questioning and we have the same tired debate that goes around in circles. It would be useful if his detractors could offer a solution to this so-called problem otherwise it's a pointless exercise. Do they want us to play someone else up-top? Cash in on Rhodes in January and buy a proper target-man? What?

To throw my view into the ring:

Rhodes as we all know is a fantastic finisher but offers little else to the team. IMO, that's unlikely to change; he won't suddenly acquire a turn of pace nor will he suddenly become a forward that throws his weight around. He is what he is.

On that basis, to quote The City analogy of feed the goat and he will score, i see JR in the same category.

Recoup £8 million? I very much doubt it, that was lunacy, a Malaysian penis extension but shouldn't be a monkey on Jordan's back.

Rhodes is an extremely honest and hardworking professional, hopefully with the return of Rochina and Dunny, we'll be able to feed Rhodes with the chances he craves.

[FGS5635]

I like turtles.

A lot of fans will willingly accept Rhodes isn't the complete striker. He wouldn't be playing second tier football with us, for starters. However, it seems that every time we lose a game and Rhodes doesn't score, his ability comes into questioning and we have the same tired debate that goes around in circles. It would be useful if his detractors could offer a solution to this so-called problem otherwise it's a pointless exercise. Do they want us to play someone else up-top? Cash in on Rhodes in January and buy a proper target-man? What?

My soloution is he improves his weaknesses. I feel he can do it and if he doesn't then imo that's on him and the coaching staff