Liam Mandeville

[selby]

 Ran West Brom ragged, sheer class going past players as if they were stood still. Thanks Fergie great management skills I don't think you could recognise young potential if it got up and smacked you in the face.
 Along with young Watters with Moore the two worst decisions on young players in the last ten years.

[ravenrover]

And no mention of Alfie?

[sedwardsdrfc]

I thought he was worth keeping too but didn’t happen. What I’d say in defence of Fergie is that he’s played below whatever level we have been every year since he left.

General point on the youth team is that we do seem to have more come through to a level to play pro even if not for DRFC. Which is a big step up from where we were.

Amos, Hasni, Mandeville, Greaves are all playing pro mostly in National League. Then in our squad you’d expect Faulkner to make it and everyone speaks highly of Ravenhill but he doesn’t seem to get a chance so he may make it pro after leaving like the others. 

[Rovers91]

Mandeville went a while ago and it's not like he has gone on to greater things since he has left. That one is not a decision I disagree with in letting him go.

[mushRTID]

He might not have gone onto greater things but I’m sure he’s be a better option for us than the likes of a Barlow, Woltman etc. Maybe even Agard.

[selby]

  Raven we are talking class as a footballer, that bit of natural ability that can change a game, take a team to pieces, there are lot's of athletes who have had good even international careers in football, but not many who can make a difference in a moment.
  It's like McIndoe when he played for is, completely below the level he should be playing at.

[TheDonnyPop]

There has alwaya been a player in Liam. I thibk there is a valid point that under a different tutor he could have developed mentally into a key asset

[Rovers91]

He might not have gone onto greater things but I’m sure he’s be a better option for us than the likes of a Barlow, Woltman etc. Maybe even Agard.

Maybe so now but previous years if he stayed with us he wouldn't have kicked a ball. He wouldnt have got in a squad under McCann or Moore.

[steve@dcfd]

He might not have gone onto greater things but I’m sure he’s be a better option for us than the likes of a Barlow, Woltman etc. Maybe even Agard.

I’m sure there are numerous players in Notts County, Wrexham and Chesterfield that are better than numerous players in our squad.
Mandeville was an excellent youth player he didn’t kick on whether that’s the manager’s fault at the time we won’t really know. He was given chances.
As for Watters he was released when the club decided not to maintain an U23 side. At that time he wasn’t a prolific goal scorer in that group. He was picked up by Crawley and with confidence he showed he could score goals. But if he had been kept we don’t know if he would have progressed.
Alfie May was better than both players above. He again moved on and proved he can score goals double figures at levels the same and above us. Should we have kept him.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Mandeville had to leave if he wanted to develop as a player and character. He isn’t the same player now. He's developed and it's good to see he's making a decent career out of football usung his talent. He could have easily dropped out of fully pro football as many before him have.

[NickDRFC]

I thought he was worth keeping too but didn’t happen. What I’d say in defence of Fergie is that he’s played below whatever level we have been every year since he left.

General point on the youth team is that we do seem to have more come through to a level to play pro even if not for DRFC. Which is a big step up from where we were.

Amos, Hasni, Mandeville, Greaves are all playing pro mostly in National League. Then in our squad you’d expect Faulkner to make it and everyone speaks highly of Ravenhill but he doesn’t seem to get a chance so he may make it pro after leaving like the others. 

This is the key point for me. He’s only 26 next month so still time for him to get back into the Football League (who knows, may even be with Chesterfield next year) but it’s a stretch to say it was a big mistake given where he’s been playing since he left us.

Ran West Brom ragged, sheer class going past players as if they were stood still. Thanks Fergie great management skills I don't think you could recognise young potential if it got up and smacked you in the face.
 Along with young Watters with Moore the two worst decisions on young players in the last ten years.

I saw the 5 or so minutes of highlights on the BBC website and he put a good cross in for their 2nd goal but I didn’t see him go past any players, guessing that must be in the extended highlights somewhere?

[ravenrover]

  Raven we are talking class as a footballer, that bit of natural ability that can change a game, take a team to pieces, there are lot's of athletes who have had good even international careers in football, but not many who can make a difference in a moment.
  It's like McIndoe when he played for is, completely below the level he should be playing at.

Do you know, all these years I've been under the illusion that the ability to score goals was an ability to change games. Some classy, some tap ins, some worldies.
Come on Selby you loved Mandeville whist he was with us and never gave Alfie any credit, looks like nothing has changed

[Lesonthewest]

Very good technically, & I seem to remember him playing really well one game & Fergy leaving him out the following one, maybe if he had got a run in the side things could have been different. Saying that he was also bone idle at times.

[Monkcaster_Rover]

Think he's a bit too keen on the bevvys.

[Canadian Rover]

I thought he was technically excellent but exceptionally lazy at times. Should and could have been managed better in my opinion. Lost opportunities for both the player and the club.

[Copps is Magic]

There are scenarios where a player staying at the club does not improve their development, but going to another club does. For various reasons.

[Northants Nomad]

Mandeville went a while ago and it's not like he has gone on to greater things since he has left. That one is not a decision I disagree with in letting him go.

Whereas we, Rovers, have?? League Two, struggling to reach playoffs, nowhere near promotion material.

[since-1969]

And no mention of Alfie?

Does play for Chesterfield?

[Pliskin]

Mandeville spent the season out on loan at Morecambe and was then released by McCann after we finished 6th in League 1.

He was nowhere near the level of the club at the time he was released.

[steve@dcfd]

At that time MCCann will have been looking to build on our finish. Therefore he would have needed Mandevilles wages to assist in getting better players.

[selby]

  As a matter of fact RR I would have both back in a heartbeat at the moment, I even think both would be a fit for the tactical game our new coach wants to play.
  But both will be on a lot more money than we would want to pay out at the moment probably as much as our top earners. Certaily they will be on more cup and win bonus's.

[drfchound]

Mandeville was a good finisher and had plenty of ability when he decided he wanted to play.
He had a bad attitude though and a bit of a drink problem.
A pal of mine who worked at DRFC when DF was in charge told me that when he was told he (LM)was being left out of the side he smirked and turned is back on the manager.
It was the final straw apparently for DF.

[selby]

  Hound, Fergies handling of Mandeville, Middleton, and Lund was the equivalent of  a mill owner in Victorian times.

[Campsall rover]

  Hound, Fergies handling of Mandeville, Middleton, and Lund was the equivalent of  a mill owner in Victorian times.

I like your analogy Brian. Possibly a slight over exaggeration in that. But I did have a chuckle reading it.

[ravenrover]

And no mention of Alfie?

Does play for Chesterfield?

What?!!
Does Watters play for Chesterfield?

[sedwardsdrfc]

Mandeville went a while ago and it's not like he has gone on to greater things since he has left. That one is not a decision I disagree with in letting him go.

Whereas we, Rovers, have?? League Two, struggling to reach playoffs, nowhere near promotion material.

Well we’ve always been higher than Chesterfield in that time. Might not have improved but the point is we haven’t got that bad yet either.

The clamour would make some sense if he had gone on to play in the championship or L1 while we drop. Like May did. Then you can say it was a missed opportunity because clearly we let a good player leave.

[Red wizard]

Different characters suit different manager's. It's why some manager's always take a certain player with them or soon after the start a new job. No doubt Liam had potential and at times played well for us he did very well. Just wrong player wrong manager at that time. Slot of luck needed to be spotted and having a manager that makes you tick so to speak.

[Bentley Bullet]

No one can correctly claim that Mandeville's achievements since leaving Rovers provide any evidence that it was a mistake to release him.

[Alickismyhero]

From my research on Mandy his problem is maturity, lack of.

In answer to the comments "He hasn't gone on to do great things" thats true. It takes a good coach to know what buttons to press to get the best out of him. Fergy's autocratic approach failed this kid.
An example I will quote is, as a youth player a friend of mine, Barry, played in the same youth team as John Scales. Barry thought of him as average in the team. That was until Scales got a good coach who pressed the right buttons and the rest is history. Barry is still a roofer.

[selby]

 Well in the FLP he acheived an 8 out of ten rating v West Bromwich Albion while Anderson was our best rated against Orient on a seven, at the moment I don't think any of our players are capable of giving a performance like that against a higher standard team as simple as that for me.
 They have struggled against Hartlepool, Kings Lynn, and Colchester, not to mention Barnsley's second team and Newcastles u21s themselves pretty poor teams, which just about identifies the standard of player we currently have and the level we are starting at.
  Most top half National League sides would fancy taking us down, and very few of our first team would get in the Notts County, Wrexham and Chesterfield sides, and at least half our squad would not be considered as signings for those sides, in fact very few would get into our side we had when we were under Dave Penney in the then Conference, certainly none of our mid field players at present, and very few if any.