Plymouth

[roverstillidie91]

Manager on Sky just said ALL players out of contract there.

Any players take our fancy?

[DonnyOsmond]

Graham Carey
Reuben Reid

[bedale rover]

Graham Carey
Reuben Reid

Definitely Carey sweet left foot

[Rovers91]

Would only take Carey from that team.

[Akinfenwa]

Carey isn't out of contract. He signed a new deal a few weeks ago.

[DonnyNoel]

Based on the first 45 (not a fair sample I know) there's very few players on either side I'd take. Truly awful football where players were manoevering to get a throw in around the half way line just so they might make something happen from a set piece. Lots of useful athletes on show, not a great deal of football brains until the game opened up after the first goal.

[Chris Black come back]

Get used to it. That is next season for you.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Go back and look at some of the videos from 03/04.

I thought we were silky smooth football technicians at the time. But f**k me, looking back, it was thud and blunder. We succeeded because we were ferociously hard working and competitive. We got in the opponents' faces and we harried them into mistakes. And with Green and McIndoe and Blundell, we never took iur foot off the pedal.

The one real bit of quality we had was Chris Brown. I've still not seen a striker with quicker feet and brain play for us in the 13 years since.

P

[eastender]

Go back and look at some of the videos from 03/04.

I thought we were silky smooth football technicians at the time. But f**k me, looking back, it was thud and blunder. We succeeded because we were ferociously hard working and competitive. We got in the opponents' faces and we harried them into mistakes. And with Green and McIndoe and Blundell, we never took iur foot off the pedal.
The one real bit of quality we had was Chris Brown. I've still not seen a striker with quicker feet and brain play for us in the 13 years since.

That is the reason why we got relegated and was obvious from the first game of the season . Complacency....lack of urgency and out worked on our own patch every game.

[Sammy Chung was King]

Carey we might be able to get, but now it would cost a fee, and i think he is worth paying one for, exactly what we need in the midfield.

[1879Rovers]

Released three today and offered new contracts to 13. Three players have had options taken up to extend their stay - Graham Carey, Jake Jervis and Gary Sawyer.

Those released are Dean Smalley, Josh Simpson and Callum Hall.

[Jonathan]

I know things have moved on since 03/04, but I still think there was some real quality in that team. Brown has been mentioned above, but as well as that McIndoe had a cracking left foot and an ability to make the right decision in the right area (on the field if not, subsequently, off it). John Doolan could also pick a pass quite brilliantly. I don't think his influence on that team can be underestimated. Also felt JJ Melligan had a bit of class as a player. In fact I could go on and on! I take the point that a lot of it was won on tempo and work rate, but I do think there was some class too.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Jonathan

Have a look at this. Remind yourself how poor the quality was. Count the number of manic 70 yard, head-down hoofs. The number of mis-controlled balls. Mis-placed passes.

Yes, McIndoe's pass for the first goal was a decent one, but we've got used to seeing passes of that quality many times every week. Even last year.

But look at the ferocity of the work rate from the Rovers players. Absolutely relentless.

[GazLaz]

The top of L1 and the top of L2 are poles apart in terms of quality. You could see that watching the playoffs this season but it's always been the same. Yes teams go up through the L1 at the first attempt but it doesn't happen too often.

I just hope we don't have a bad start due to formation tinkering. I'd prefer for at the back but if he wants to play with a 3 I hope he knows for a fact he has the personnel to do so and that he's certain it will be more beneficial than play on a 4.

Got a feeling he might start the campaign with a 3 then revert back to a 4 after a bad start.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Err. Kind of works better with the link.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ult5YaQJofQ

Jonathan

Have a look at this. Remind yourself how poor the quality was. Count the number of manic 70 yard, head-down hoofs. The number of mis-controlled balls. Mis-placed passes.

Yes, McIndoe's pass for the first goal was a decent one, but we've got used to seeing passes of that quality many times every week. Even last year.

But look at the ferocity of the work rate from the Rovers players. Absolutely relentless.

[Jonathan]

Err. Kind of works better with the link.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ult5YaQJofQ

Jonathan

Have a look at this. Remind yourself how poor the quality was. Count the number of manic 70 yard, head-down hoofs. The number of mis-controlled balls. Mis-placed passes.

Yes, McIndoe's pass for the first goal was a decent one, but we've got used to seeing passes of that quality many times every week. Even last year.

But look at the ferocity of the work rate from the Rovers players. Absolutely relentless.

Ah I was wondering if my phone wasn't showing something.

I'm not going to argue that it's a clip for the purists, it's clearly not and there's some hoofing and chasing on both sides there. Maybe there are some rose tinted memories for me where that team is concerned, but I'd still say there was some real quality in there (notably I don't think we had Brown or Doolan in that game, and Doolan could put his foot on the ball and slow things down). As it happens, for all its flaws, I'd never tire of watching that 9 minute clip. I remember the scenes like it was yesterday. Exactly where we were in the stand behind the goal up to the left. They were great times. There's only one Blundell.

[Lesonthewest]

Ah the Mansfield moment, bloody loved that team, as has been said not a great deal of quality but they had grit & determination in spades. I do remember one bit of quality though, that cushioned header from Leo for Gregg to score was worth the entrance fee alone, great touch from such a big guy.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Jonathan

Brown was in a different league to the rest of that side in terms of football intelligence.

And yes, I agree about watching that clip. I loved that style at its best, just as I learned to love O'Driscoll's style at its best. If we could have merged the two, by God, we'd have had a side.

[les@donr]

I was there! Happy Days!!!

[DonnyOsmond]

That determination and work rate is a thing of beauty. The skill isn't amazing though, a lot of the passes and crosses are just hit and hope. The tempo, directness, determination and desire to be first to loose balls is what made that work.

[darren61]

 My brother bought me the video and i played it non stop for days, it still leaves me feeling knackered  just watching it, happy days 

[BillyStubbsTears]

That determination and work rate is a thing of beauty. The skill isn't amazing though, a lot of the passes and crosses are just hit and hope. The tempo, directness, determination and desire to be first to loose balls is what made that work.

That was exactly it Donny. There was a match earlier in the season, might have been Mansfield or Bristol Rovers at home, where, in the first few minutes, Green, McIndoe and Blundell terrorised the opponents' centre back. It was like seeing hyenas bringing down a big lumbering buffalo. Every time the poor bloke turned away from one player, the next one was in his face, until he stumbled, lost the ball and led to a goal.

The spirit in that side was glorious to watch.

[Alan Southstand]

It was the demolition of Bristol, BST. McIndoe was an absolute handful in that game, but there were others. He was our 'get out of jail' player when we under the cosh on many an occasion.

[DonnyOsmond]

The directness we had didn't allow defenders and midfielders the chance to get between our players and the goal, under SOD and Dickov it was slow and we'd end up trying and usually failing to break down a tough defensive unit. The tenacity plus better quality passing would be perfection and a joy to watch.

[Chris Black come back]

This five at the back. Let's just say the jury is out.