[Archived] David Thompson?

[92er]

I think his last first team match was Leicester away nearly 12 months ago.

This season he has played for the Reserves but has more recently said he can't come back till he's 100%.

[bellamy11]

His last first team match was Man Utd at home this season.

[frosty]

Or does 92er mean the last first team match that he played 90 minutes and survived, without picking up an injury?

[blue phil]

This is getting confusing , Frosty . Sort it out !

Either way , he'll only last about 5 minutes the next/first/last time he gets on the pitch

[herbergeehh]

Mr  "sicknote" can`t even get fit for the reserves,not in the squad for tonights game  v Man united.I can not even remember the last time he played for Rovers before the  Man united game when the guy lasted 16 minutes or so.

These so called  footballers must love these kind of injuries where they pick up massive wages for just going into brockhall and just getting massages from the physio and then going home in the afternoon!!

That's the worst load of bull I've read since.. hm.. well, it was another post a few weeks ago..

Thommo is just doing EXACTLY what he should've done last year. He got a serious knee injury, came back a bit too soon and played quite a few matches followed by swelling and needed injections to make it through matches. This is bound to go to hell in the end, and when he finally came back after his op this season - he was unlucky and picked up a solid knock after a silly challenge from Kleberson. Let the man get 100 percent fit before sending him on again, or else we'll have another Thommo-free season.

Edited October 27, 2004 by herbergeehh

[92er]

What we're saying again is that here we have a player who might,or might not be, a good player for us. But he's missed a heck of a lot of matches.

[Ozz]

When he does come back ,I say stick him up front. Got an eye for goal he has, if not a knee for it.

Edited October 28, 2004 by ozziejones

[Tony Diamond Inc]

What we're saying again is that here we have a player who might,or might not be, a good player for us. But he's missed a heck of a lot of matches.

And that's who's fault?

[92er]

More important than whose fault is it is to question whether he will ever get fit again and what level of quality will he be able to produce.Hughes is being quoted as saying it's good to have Thompson around the dressing room.I'm not sure he will be able to again produce the quality of play we saw when he first arrived, when I think he over-produced.

[broadsword]

What does "over-produce" mean?

[BRFC4EVA]

Do y'all think he should be starting at the weekend and is he fit enough. Personally ive seen enough of him in the last coupla weeks and hes played enough reserve games to merit a starting place with bazza in the centre mid.

[Hughesy]

In todays LET thommo states that he would rather play in centre midfield than out on the wing. I think this is good news as he shows he is willing to play in this position and i think he could be the final piece of our midfield

[rover6]

Didn't he play central midfield for Liverpool?

[herbergeehh]

I remember him as a right midfielder for Liverpool, but I might be wrong..

Looked impressing against Birmingham, a midfield of Emerton, Ferguson, Thompson and Reid (Gamst when Reid gets his suspension??) is very interesting....

[WaffleWag]

Didn't he play central midfield for Liverpool?

yes. before a certain Gerard Houllier came

[John]

Think Thompson would be excellent in centre midfield. However he is naturally an attacking player so we need to decide who would be the defensive player in front of the back four- someone who is discplined to intercepting play and winning the ball. Most Prem teams have these types of players in their team when you think about it. Players who come to mind-

Makelele, Holland, Keane, Faye (when fit for Pompey) plus most of the other clubs. Hughes seems to want Fergie more attacking so does Thompson have this role in him.......?

[bellamy11]

Looking at our options, I say we sod roles.

If we have the ball-winning destroyer then fine, play him. We don't (now that Flitty seems to have lost it). What we have are two energetic midfielders who can both attack very well and both can put in a tackle or two.

If they play alongside each other and work for each other then we'll be fine. Designating somebody to sit and tackle will inhibit them. We're best off letting them play their own games and giving the opposition more to worry about.

[skip24]

Dave Thomo played superbly in the middle with bazza, he was in the right position at the right time and set up 2 goals in 15 mins. He was alert and even before he received the pass he already knew what he was going to do with it! I can't say anything more about him, I think he might be our missing link in midfield with tugay on bad form at the moment.

[92er]

The questions for me are how long will he last and how focused will he be to keep his position without straying too far away.

[John]

Its silly to think throw them all together and let other teams worry about us. I used to think that in the days when we had a world beater in Duff but we dont have that sort of quality anymore.

We need a proper midfield enforcer someone who will help the defence to a degree, Flitcroft used to do an ok job getting stuck in but his days are past I fear. Ferguson and Thompson may work and I suppose we will find out until Janaury because we have no real other option. Again like our strikers, there are too many ifs, buts and maybes.

It makes you wonder what the hell were our club upto before Hughes came. I understand he is trying to change the style of play slightly compared to Souness. However conceding goals is currently our cancer and if we do not find a cure we are going down.

Edited November 24, 2004 by John

[Brownie]

One thing Tommo will give us that Tugay won't is goals from midfield.

And with our current striker problems we could certainly do with them.

[Drakefyre]

I don't think that we really need a holding midfielder, per se. We have two box-to-box midfielders in Bazza and Thommo, and I think that they can do a job together. By putting people in roles we're just limiting our strength. We should let them play like they know how, and I think that both of them can provide that tackle to disrupt the opposition's midfielder, and they can both capitalize on it by passing forward and delivering the defense-splitting final pass.

[The Producer]

The questions for me are how long will he last and how focused will he be to keep his position without straying too far away.

He should be ok - he seemed to hate being at right midfield as he was always drifting into the centre, so can't see him drifting out to the touchline when he's supposed to be in the centre!

[joey_big_nose]

The questions for me are how long will he last and how focused will he be to keep his position without straying too far away.

He should be ok - he seemed to hate being at right midfield as he was always drifting into the centre, so can't see him drifting out to the touchline when he's supposed to be in the centre!

I would say it was more of an issue about whether he will drift forward too much behind the strikers and leave Ferguson exposed.

However there is no question that he will be an improvement over Tugay.

[den]

I can't see Tommo being up to the CM spot in a 4-4-2. Top Midfielders must be excellent passers and must be able to read a game.

Tommo's forte is running with the ball, having a great shot and plenty of enthusiasm.

Defensively and tactically, I don't reckon he's up to it.