Said at the VSC AGM...

[DMnumber4]

by none other than John Ryan himself:

\"Gareth Roberts got a great deal at Derby and we couldn't compete, fair play to him. However, we've got George Friend in, who I believe, is a better left back as he's bigger and younger...\"

Mr Ryan, I am bigger and younger than Gareth Roberts, and I could have put in a more competent performance than what I saw from our 'Friend' yesterday.

Slow in his head and on the floor. How many of the passes sprayed out to him on the touchline did he either miss or just let fly out of play? Mustapha looked miles better when he came on!  :dry:

Also there is no way Robbo would have let Burke past him for Cardiff's second, G.R. did a fantastic job on the lad last season.

Boy, does George have it all to do to convince me and many others I presume.

[Chris]

f**k me, give him a chance. We're three games in and he's had one bad performance.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Agreed. He doesn't seem to have a top gear. As a full back you have to be quick over 5 yards from a standing start and he aint.

It's all well and good looking great going forward but if you allow players to get past you too easily, then you might as well pick another profession.

[DMnumber4]

Chris wrote:

fcuk me, give him a chance. We're three games in and he's had one bad performance.

It's not that Chris, as a defender you can see straight away whether they're good enough. Just by their pace and positioning etc.

I have no doubts SO'D could teach him about positioning and awareness, but how are you going to teach the lad to run faster?

Against the likes of Burke, Lloyd Sam, Nathan Dyer running at him, he's got no chance. The first top 6 team we've played and he was out of his depth.

[CusworthRovers]

Pace we cannot change, agreed.

Positioning, decision making, timing is something that can be moulded. Without naming names, there have been an abundance of world class defenders with little pace, but they more than made up for this with a high degree of accuracy on the other factors.


From what I have seen he seems to have decent pace in making the forward runs over the straight mile. As for defensive duties, it's always stacked in favour of nippy forwards to run at any defender and ghost past him, if he's square on. The only thing that seems to be the trouble is the first 5 yards for any defender, and in the main that is more down to reading the game and tracking player movement IMO. Once he sorts this, (and bear in mind he's a few games in and playing in a low on confidence defence) he'll be fine and a good asset.

That first 5 yards or decision making is something the whole defence seem unsure of at this moment (added to that is they seem unsure of what their colleagues are doing or not going to do), yet it was something that Mills/Shack/Robbo/JOC usually got right

[DMnumber4]

CusworthRovers wrote:

Pace we cannot change, agreed.

Positioning, decision making, timing is something that can be moulded. Without naming names, there have been an abundance of world class defenders with little pace, but they more than made up for this with a high degree of accuracy on the other factors.


From what I have seen he seems to have decent pace in making the forward runs over the straight mile. As for defensive duties, it's always stacked in favour of nippy forwards to run at any defender and ghost past him, if he's square on. The only thing that seems to be the trouble is the first 5 yards for any defender, and in the main that is more down to reading the game and tracking player movement IMO. Once he sorts this, (and bear in mind he's a few games in and playing in a low on confidence defence) he'll be fine and a good asset.

That first 5 yards or decision making is something the whole defence seem unsure of at this moment (added to that is they seem unsure of what their colleagues are doing or not going to do), yet it was something that Mills/Shack/Robbo/JOC usually got right

It wasn't before Saturday's drubbing! He showed players on to their stronger foot...WHY?!  

Rigo, you sound like a Wednesdayite on Radio Deedah Grumble time...\"I didn't go, so I can't comment, and I know we won, but Irvine should go etc!\"  

I did go, he was poor, no more than a 5/10 and their 2nd goal for which those who didn't go, summed up his game.

[I-was-there1976]

or you could say


\"JR, keep ya trap shut\"

He's done it before with players. Builds them up. Puts heaps of pressure on them to perform. Turns them into superstars before they ve walked on the pitch. Got the crowds hopes up and

BOOOOOM

[Al4475]

Rigo

\"From a Cardiff fan I've spoken to, he reckons we mullered them for the first 40 minutes and only when Chopra went off did they start to play like a team. He also thought Stocky was class, Sharp was rubbish and the baldy (O'Connor) was half decent.\"

That's pretty much spot on with how I saw it mate - your Cardiff fan (as with the few I spoke to on the way back to the car and in the City Centre in the evening) seemed to agree with this assessment of us! Burke changed the game for them when he replaced Chopra!

After their second goal our heads dropped completely, end of game!

[wilts rover]

DMnumber4 wrote:

by none other than John Ryan himself:

\"Gareth Roberts got a great deal at Derby and we couldn't compete, fair play to him. However, we've got George Friend in, who I believe, is a better left back as he's bigger and younger...\"

Mr Ryan, I am bigger and younger than Gareth Roberts, and I could have put in a more competent performance than what I saw from our 'Friend' yesterday.

Slow in his head and on the floor. How many of the passes sprayed out to him on the touchline did he either miss or just let fly out of play? Mustapha looked miles better when he came on!  :dry:

Also there is no way Robbo would have let Burke past him for Cardiff's second, G.R. did a fantastic job on the lad last season.

Boy, does George have it all to do to convince me and many others I presume.

If you go back a couple of years people were saying exactly the same about Gareth Roberts. If we go back 10 months you were saying that Sean O'Driscoll should be sacked. You are entitled to your view but that previous experience of your opinion leads me to conclude that you dont have a clue what you are talking about. Give him three months - not three games.

[wing commander]

I am in the VERY concerned camp as well with this lad,i dont really see how well he played in pre-season is relevent,against players playing at 50%
   This is not a reaction to getting thumped 4-0 as i started a thread last week that i thought he was not a patch on Roberts
   When it comes down to the crunch the lad is poor,like what has been said, form is one thing but the lack of basic ability in regards positioning is quite another.We have conceeded 7 goals in competitive games this season and i put at least 3 down to his poor play.I heard JR's comments at the meeting and nearly choked on my ale..
   SOD has signed some cracking players for little money since he came here but the fact that both Martis and Friend are on long lucrative contracts is a big concern and reduces our ability to strengthen..We need Chambers back shapish... :S
   People have there favourites and my mate will argue to death that Friend is better than Roberts but for me its not even close....

[BLIR]

Rigoglioso wrote:

Is anyone running a book on which defender gets it in the neck next weekend? Last week is was Martis, this week it's the boy George. Who's next? Locky, Jim, or Mustapha????

I reckon he's more likely to get it in the arse  

[NorthNorfolkRover]

A bit harsh. As harsh as the Derby fans blaming Gareth Roberts for gifting Cardiff the game last week. To be fair to JR he pointed out Gareth was 32 and George Friend 24 (?) and about 5 inches taller which everyone would agree we need.
I went into Canton Rugby club before the game and they had Coventry Derby on. Would much sooner stick with what weve got even after 4 o.

[jucyberry]

I just hope the poor kid  isn't going to get the short straw and inherit Lewis guy's adoring fan club.

Seems like some aren't happy without some one to blame the loss of a game on..

Let him bed in before trying to weed him out for goodness sake.

And from the way JR said it, he is looking to the future, there are a lot more playing years left in George than there are in Gareth after all..

[wing commander]

A nice moral ground to take Berry but sometimes footballs not so easy as that,but like i said this was no reaction to saturdays game but on his general play in our competitive games so far. As for his age its irrelevent to me,quality players can play to 33 easily in this league and the future in football is a very short period of time .There are a lot of playing years left on my local under 15's but you would want them playing for Rovers.
  The reports on friend when he signed were mixed some like Exeter saying he was good yet Scunny fans didnt think he was good enough for the championship and Milwall fans saying he was the worse player they had ever signed on loan,Even a wolves fan i know text me to say that we had signed a defender who couldnt erm defend.I have seen nothing so far that makes me believe this lad is going to be of Championship standard
im afraid and i fear that on Chambers return he will play right back and Jimmy will return into the centre when i would rather he took friends place but we will see..
   On a final note,i used to like old Lewis Guy and i miss him if not for his antics running up and down the subs line...

[Dagenham Rover]

wing commander wrote:

I am in the VERY concerned camp as well with this lad,

Could have nearly guaranteed that one  

[jucyberry]

Well I guess time will tell.. if any one can get the best out of the boy it will be SOD after all... All I'm saying is don't write him off too soon, at least give him a chance..

Although saying that, I'm not sentimental enough to think he should be played no matter what.. If he doesn't show he can after a few games we can't afford to sit back and hope I guess.  

[VikingJames]

NorthNorfolkRover wrote:

A bit harsh. As harsh as the Derby fans blaming Gareth Roberts for gifting Cardiff the game last week. To be fair to JR he pointed out Gareth was 32 and George Friend 24 (?) and about 5 inches taller which everyone would agree we need.
I went into Canton Rugby club before the game and they had Coventry Derby on. Would much sooner stick with what weve got even after 4 o.

Friend is 22.

Time on his side.

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

VikingJames wrote:

NorthNorfolkRover wrote:

A bit harsh. As harsh as the Derby fans blaming Gareth Roberts for gifting Cardiff the game last week. To be fair to JR he pointed out Gareth was 32 and George Friend 24 (?) and about 5 inches taller which everyone would agree we need.
I went into Canton Rugby club before the game and they had Coventry Derby on. Would much sooner stick with what weve got even after 4 o.

Friend is 22.

Time on his side.

Indeed, as Rigo pointed out to me yesterday, George Friend was born on the exact same day as me.

[stockyboy]

Deary me, give him time, remember this is his first time at championship level, he needs time to settle in and get used to how it's played. I thought at Preston he did very well, he just needs time to settle in.

[wing commander]

Hark at \"how do you think Blackpool will do\"...

[wing commander]

Then neither of you are old enough to know what a proper left back is.

[DMnumber4]

give him time, let him bed in etc etc.

Sorry, I didn't hear Chris Burke saying \"I know your not used to this standard of football son, but I'm just going to give you a lesson!\"

We as fans might have to give him time, but guarenteed other players and managers will have seen our game and know our weakness already!

2nd tier of English football at the end of the day, no walk in the park!