Coppinger

[GazLaz]

Butler was immense.

[drfchound]

Agreed, not bad for a player that some fans want us to get rid of.

[GazLaz]

Haha plenty of posters on here love the club but don't have a clue about football.

[IDM]

As bad as we were as a team and as individual players on Saturday, last night was better all round - everyone contributed..

Copps did fine, but Butler was my motm..

[Mike_F]

I was thinking Lund or Butler for MOM but decided against a defender as Cambridge offered so little. We should've been out of sight had Marquis taken half of his chances.

I gave Copps MOM as a lot of the attacking impetus went through him. His first touch when under pressure in the middle of the park was excellent and several times he played us out of overcrowded areas into attacking phases. His intelligent runs looking for the overlap created space for Blair down that side too.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

The clearance of the line sealed it for Butler but, Blair and Copps were close.

Copps is doing a valuable job, now tell me, for a winger, who would you rather have right now, Blair or Copps?

For me Blair's no nonsense approach and quality of cross wins it for me. Copps' control, link up play, experience and composure means he's also playing in the right position for now.

[GazLaz]

Blair looks like he's got a good football brain to me. He was organising people and there were a couple of pieces of play which made me think he was a bit smarter than your ordinary winger. The cross for the goal was superb technique.

[Mike_F]

Yeah, that cross was superb in technique, pace and placement.

[wing commander]

   I would agree that Butler was mom,Blair had a good game too and I like the look of him...Copps had a much better game in a much better all round performance..The only real criticism from last night was how narrow we played.We have a problem that when we are attacking we get caught out with the quick ball down the wings which left us 2 against 1,the space we left was gaping and a better team would have taken advantage..That said last night was much much better and should give them some confidence..We needed that...

[steve@dcfd]

   I would agree that Butler was mom,Blair had a good game too and I like the look of him...Copps had a much better game in a much better all round performance..The only real criticism from last night was how narrow we played.We have a problem that when we are attacking we get caught out with the quick ball down the wings which left us 2 against 1,the space we left was gaping and a better team would have taken advantage..That said last night was much much better and should give them some confidence..We needed that...

For me Tommy Rowe is better behind the front two than playing left of the diamond. Blair did well on the right, Copps was ok but certainly was not mom. Going forward we still need to tinker with those postions  to get the best out of the team.

[BillyStubbsTears]

TRB

Agreed. I'm far from Butler's biggest fan but I thought he was excellent last night.

[donny dave]

I have been disappointed with copps upto now.

[djoftherovers1]

Coppinger is lucky to be in the team, once mcsheffrey is back then that's it for him, out of all the corners he's taken this season 99% haven't cleared the 1st man, he's given the ball away in every game loads of times and how many times has he made the wrong choice of pass... fergie did right to haul him off at accrington..
As for these happy clappers who keep giving him motm I think it's about time they got their heads out his arse and give it someone who deserves it.

[Mike_F]

Really, DJ?

I was critical of his performance at Accrington but you must've been watching a different player against Crawley (2nd half; he was poor in the first half) and Cambridge.

I gave him MOM last night which I know is subjective and others ran him close in my opinion but to suggest that the decision makes me a "happy clapper" with my head stuck up my arse is ludicrous.

[IDM]

Coppinger is lucky to be in the team, once mcsheffrey is back then that's it for him, out of all the corners he's taken this season 99% haven't cleared the 1st man, he's given the ball away in every game loads of times and how many times has he made the wrong choice of pass... fergie did right to haul him off at accrington..
As for these happy clappers who keep giving him motm I think it's about time they got their heads out his arse and give it someone who deserves it.

That's a bit harsh - especially for his performance last night.  He did OK, not my motm (Butler) but did enough to justify his place.

[GazLaz]

Coppinger is lucky to be in the team, once mcsheffrey is back then that's it for him, out of all the corners he's taken this season 99% haven't cleared the 1st man, he's given the ball away in every game loads of times and how many times has he made the wrong choice of pass... fergie did right to haul him off at accrington..
As for these happy clappers who keep giving him motm I think it's about time they got their heads out his arse and give it someone who deserves it.

That's a bit harsh - especially for his performance last night.  He did OK, not my motm (Butler) but did enough to justify his place.

It's not harsh it's just wrong. Most of our corners are t great but a lot of them end up in the vacinity of Butler at the back post.

[drfchound]

Coppinger is lucky to be in the team, once mcsheffrey is back then that's it for him, out of all the corners he's taken this season 99% haven't cleared the 1st man, he's given the ball away in every game loads of times and how many times has he made the wrong choice of pass... fergie did right to haul him off at accrington..
As for these happy clappers who keep giving him motm I think it's about time they got their heads out his arse and give it someone who deserves it.

That is the biggest load of tosh i have read on here for quite some time.
Obviously written by someone with a personal beef against Copps for some reason.
As for that comment about the corners, you have got to laugh.
Every single of of his corners beat the first man last night.
What a blinkered opinion.
I bet you are great to sit next to.

[StocktonRover]

He showed great intelligence in stoppage time in the corners winning a series of throw ins and corners to "manage the game".

[Retdon1]

I though Lund had his best game for a long time last night. The defence looked solid and butler/Wright looked a good partnership. With baudry and Alcock still to come back we could be very strong defensively as the season progresses. Just need ethridge to get his act together

[Sammy Chung was King]

I have criticised butler before, but couldn't on tuesday's game, he was fantastic, did everything you want a centre half, to do.

[ravenrover]

He was up against an old fashioned centre forward, one who wanted a battle for every ball,.  Butler won thebattle. The problems start when he is up against a quick footballing centre forward

[wing commander]

Coppinger is lucky to be in the team, once mcsheffrey is back then that's it for him, out of all the corners he's taken this season 99% haven't cleared the 1st man, he's given the ball away in every game loads of times and how many times has he made the wrong choice of pass... fergie did right to haul him off at accrington..
As for these happy clappers who keep giving him motm I think it's about time they got their heads out his arse and give it someone who deserves it.

That's a bit harsh - especially for his performance last night.  He did OK, not my motm (Butler) but did enough to justify his place.

It's not harsh it's just wrong. Most of our corners are t great but a lot of them end up in the vacinity of Butler at the back post.

    It's no secret I don't think Coppingers the player everybody else thinks he is,if we had never heard of him and signed him 18 months ago nobody would be paticulary impressed.He had a decent game on Tuesday though but he's not a game changer anymore,if he can maintain that level of performance consistently he is still worth a place in a league 2 team.As for the corners,whoever takes them we need to be a bit less predictable..They are mainly just floaters to the back post as Gaz says,and don't look like they are going to cause anybody problems,a bit more variety is needed..

[IDM]

Changed the game vs Crawley, and was involved with much of our attacking vs Cambridge...

No, he's not at his peak but he is still good enough IMHO.

[Mike_F]

I'm prepared to have another look but I've been impressed with the variation from corners so far.

There was the training ground move that led to the goal (scored by Copps) against Crawley and a mixture of deliveries against Cambridge. At least one went towards the head of Marquis at the near post.

[drfchound]

Also, dont forget that not all corners "that dont beat the first man" are bad ones.
They are probably as a result of trying to get someone in at the near post in a rehearsed move.
However to say that our corners are poor is wrong.
Towards the end of last season and so far this one there has been much variation, the delivery has been decent and the movement by our players has been really good.

[RoversAlias]

I agree with you Hound, haven't we scored three goals from corners already as well? How often do we manage that in 6 months nevermind a handful of games?

[ravenrover]

The type of corner I like are the ones that the left full back from Reading, whose name escapes me, took. Pinged inswingers, caused chaos when they played us 3 or 4 seasons back of seasons back.
But back to the original post, I had to ask if it was Copps who went down the left in the 2nd half and left a couple of their defenders  for dead, but his class showed when he started coming wide right 2nd half he haf that full back tied up in knots and we would still be talking about it if his swiveled shot or the one where he dribbled in from the right and fired just over, had gone in.
Yes I am a Copps fan.

[Mike_F]

That was Ian Harte. One of the best dead-ball merchants I've ever seen live.

[idler]

It was Ian Harte, Raven. That was the best display of corners and free kicks over a 90 minute period that I have ever seen. Every one was on the money, absolutely brilliant.

[ravenrover]

Thst's the one, thanks chaps