Crawford

[GazLaz]

I can’t understand why he doesn’t start, I think he’s looked quality at times when he’s played.

[Chris Black come back]

Not a natural fit with a high and hard pressing game.

[steve@dcfd]

For me Gaz Crawford can only play in place of Copps as a provider and he may score more but centre midfield player he is not as Chris says he is not a high press performer

[Barmby Rover]

For me Gaz Crawford can only play in place of Copps as a provider and he may score more but centre midfield player he is not as Chris says he is not a high press performer

In which case why did the manager wanting to play that way give him a contract? Makes you wonder.

[selby]

Cbcb, not many of the team that played yesterday looked anything but a natural fit to play a high pressing game, if that is what we were supposed to be playing that is.
  At least the lad can pass a ball 10 yards from what I have seen of him, that looked very difficult to do for quite a few of our players on the pitch yesterday.

[GazLaz]

I disagree with “he can’t press” remarks. It’s up the the manager to instil that into the players. It’s not as if he hasn’t got the legs to get around the pitch.

[Chris Black come back]

Looks and plays like a long line of players from Ian Clark to Dean Shiels and Kyle Bennett. Skilful but too lightweight and unable to impose themselves onto a game. I am sceptical he will ever be a regular.

[pib]

I've only seen him a couple of times, but we've looked really overrun in central midfield when he plays in that 3.

Not sure it's that he "can't do pressing", think he might just not be enough of an all-rounder to play in there as he doesn't give us enough defensively. Looks to me like he'd be better suited further forward. Agree he's definitely got something about him though.

[keith79]

The team never did much pressing yesterday.

[drfchound]

Cbcb, not many of the team that played yesterday looked anything but a natural fit to play a high pressing game, if that is what we were supposed to be playing that is.
  At least the lad can pass a ball 10 yards from what I have seen of him, that looked very difficult to do for quite a few of our players on the pitch yesterday.

I think that it has been well documented that the whole team was off it yesterday so to say “at least he can pass the ball ten yards” is a bit disparaging to our  players who often can pass the ball ten yards.
Maybe if Crawford had played yesterday he could have slipped into the can’t pass it ten yards group as well.

I agree with other posters that Crawford looks a bit lightweight at times, a bit like Mandeville actually come to think of it, and think he will find it difficult to hold down a regular place in our team.

[selby]

  Hound, I have watched us play every game for three seasons, and quite a few friendlies and development games, and I can assure you that one or two of our players passing the ball ten yards to another of our players in red hooped shirts is in the lap of the gods. On many occasions it is a fifty fifty bet.

[drfchound]

  Hound, I have watched us play every game for three seasons, and quite a few friendlies and development games, and I can assure you that one or two of our players passing the ball ten yards to another of our players in red hooped shirts is in the lap of the gods. On many occasions it is a fifty fifty bet.

I haven’t been to too many of the away games selby but I go to all the home games.
I can assure you that you are grossly exaggerating when you insinuate that our players can’t pass the ball ten yards to each other on a regular basis.
Which “ one or two” players are you referring to?

[mpc123]

I disagree with “he can’t press” remarks. It’s up the the manager to instil that into the players. It’s not as if he hasn’t got the legs to get around the pitch.

Me too he can press , people are just over thinking everything now. Every team has a little run every now and again where they struggle. All the squad can play, it is just if they play on the day together.

It's up to GM and the team now to get it right again.

Overall we have looked very good, it seems we are in a little bad patch, keep behind them they can with additions in Jan too be I  the top 6 at the end.

[RoversAlias]

  Hound, I have watched us play every game for three seasons, and quite a few friendlies and development games, and I can assure you that one or two of our players passing the ball ten yards to another of our players in red hooped shirts is in the lap of the gods. On many occasions it is a fifty fifty bet.

Absolute nonsense. An exaggeration that beggars belief. You go to every game yet think none of our players can pass the ball properly?

[selby]

  RA, the only nonsense is your exaggerating of my statement one or two to none, well done there.
   To answer your question Hound, the worst exponent is Blair, I think he is a good player by the way in a wide attacking position, and when played there is a potential game changer.
 As a midfielder or wing back, to my mind he has never got to grips with those positions either positionally or has the required skills defensively.
   He gives the ball away regularly with a poor pass, not always when under pressure when there looks no real reason for it, and personally I would not put him in a position where he has defensive responsibilities other than tracking back, or keeping the wing back pegged back in his own half.
   Other players who can be sloppy, but in most cases have improved  to their credit as they have got more experience are Mason, especially when cought on his left foot, Wright at Accrington especially  was giving passes to their forwards when not under pressure, Marosi's distribution leaves a lot to be desired, Whiteman and Butler both having brain surges at different times giving really silly goals away.
   I have and am enjoying this season, can see an improvement in the team, but the fact is we can improve immeasurably in certain aspects of our game, ball retention the most important, that is why Kane and Coppinger stand out, they have that ability. On the subject of Crawford, I rate him, and what I like about him he tries to play positively, going for forward passes trying to play someone in, instead of the safe square ball, and he plays with his head up aware of the players around him, Coppinger and Kane could play off him. 
   

   
 

[RedJ]

Blair has already scored several times playing from midfield and a number of people commented on how well he was filling in for Rowe.

[selby]

  RedJ, that is why I would play him further forward, he can't defend, I have not said he is a bad player, I have said his distribution is poor, and I would not give him defensive responsibilities, and he is a dangerous player in the oppositions half of the field. Hound asked me a question which deserved an answer, people  of course can disagree.
   If you have watched our games this season, allow me to ask you a question, just how many sloppy goals by silly mistakes have we been presented with this season? Not as many as we have given away I bet.

[RoversAlias]

Selby, I didn't exaggerate your statement at all. You said that whether or not any of our players can pass more than ten yards is in the lap of the gods, which suggests you think we're pretty poor at passing and it's up to chance whether or not a pass comes off. That makes us sound like a maligned Sunday league team, whereas in reality we're a more than competent League One side. We've some very talented players in this squad and your description does them a disservice in my opinion.

[NickDRFC]

To be fair, RoversAlias, selby said “ I can assure you that one or two of our players passing the ball ten yards to another of our players in red hooped shirts is in the lap of the gods”. Only one or two players.

Sent, re Blair - if you’ve watched every game this season you’ll have seen him play as part of the middle 3 in every game that he’s played, where for the most part he’s been much improved this season and played well.

[Bezza]

Blair has had some good games this season, his problem is consistency.

[RoversAlias]

To be fair, RoversAlias, selby said “ I can assure you that one or two of our players passing the ball ten yards to another of our players in red hooped shirts is in the lap of the gods”. Only one or two players.

Sent, re Blair - if you’ve watched every game this season you’ll have seen him play as part of the middle 3 in every game that he’s played, where for the most part he’s been much improved this season and played well.

This is true, Nick. I still don't think any of our first teamers are as bad at passing as is being made out, mind.

And Blair has definitely stepped up well into the role vacated by Rowe. He proved the doubters wrong with some excellent performances and has scored a good amount of goals from the position.

[selby]

  Charlton like him playing there, the home game last season, and again last Saturday they won the games in that area.

[Campsall rover]

I have got to back up Selby ( Brian ) on what he has said.
Yes i think Blair has had some good games this season, no doubt about it.
The problem is and the point being made is all our midfielders are attacking offensive players better with the ball going forward than they are without the ball defending. Blair is the stand out player in that summery. He gives the ball away in defensive areas far too much as do some of the others also. I am not picking on him but without doubt he would be better in a 4 in midfield out wide than in a 3 playing narrower.
I know some of you are going to disagree but we are crying out for a Luke McCullough type player at the moment.
Not saying he should start every game, far from it but he would be such an asset for us in our squad.
Unless we tighten up in midfield we are in trouble.
This has been proved because it is impossible to score 2/3 goals every match. Nobody does do they?
Promotion teams keep clean sheets. Fact not fiction.

[scawsby steve]

I have got to back up Selby ( Brian ) on what he has said.
Yes i think Blair has had some good games this season, no doubt about it.
The problem is and the point being made is all our midfielders are attacking offensive players better with the ball going forward than they are without the ball defending. Blair is the stand out player in that summery. He gives the ball away in defensive areas far too much as do some of the others also. I am not picking on him but without doubt he would be better in a 4 in midfield out wide than in a 3 playing narrower.
I know some of you are going to disagree but we are crying out for a Luke McCullough type player at the moment.
Not saying he should start every game, far from it but he would be such an asset for us in our squad.
Unless we tighten up in midfield we are in trouble.
This has been proved because it is impossible to score 2/3 goals every match. Nobody does do they?
Promotion teams keep clean sheets. Fact not fiction.

Forget about McCullough, he's at Tranmere for the whole season. In January, we need recruitment, and in more than one area.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Not too long ago, all our players were defending as a team and attacking as a team. Kane particularly along with Whiteman were snapping like terriers, forcing the opposition in to mistakes and counter attacking with purpose and pace.

For some reason, that has stopped happening and we've become more hesitant and standing off. I don't accept we need to bring in specifically defensive midfield players to remove that responsibility from the rest of the players.

The answer is within those already within the team. They've shown they are capable so it's up to the manger to bring it out of them again.

[selby]

  DBR, your right, we were, and it coincided with a new manager to impress, the start of a new season, and no thoughts of if their contract would be renewed ( in our case an unusual number of players at the end of this season) and everyone thinking they had a chance to be in the limelight and the managers plans, and basically no injuries.
  Now some have dropped down the pecking order, we have picked up injuries and suspensions, Kane and Coppinger are getting clattered and more attention every week, because of their importance to the way we play, and we have fringe players who's future at Doncaster Rovers is uncertain, and a transfer window coming up with talk only this morning of potential signings from Ireland coming in to take someone's place, quite a big change in circumstances over a short period there.

[selby]

 Scawsby, the last thing we want to do is forget about McCullough or Mandeville, especially if we are spending £250k bringing players in as rumoured, we need to offer them a contract before January equal to the one they have, they are the only two fringe players who could be released we can hope to get a fee for, and a sell on clause.
  We have been daft in the past, it remains to be seen if clubs fall over themselves to take any of the other fringe players we have in the next transfer window, I have my doubts myself.

[scawsby steve]

Scawsby, the last thing we want to do is forget about McCullough or Mandeville, especially if we are spending £250k bringing players in as rumoured, we need to offer them a contract before January equal to the one they have, they are the only two fringe players who could be released we can hope to get a fee for, and a sell on clause.
  We have been daft in the past, it remains to be seen if clubs fall over themselves to take any of the other fringe players we have in the next transfer window, I have my doubts myself.

Personally, I can't see anyone paying a fee for those two. When their contracts are up in the Summer, they need to be off the payroll, with a good few others.

We need to be looking forwards, not backwards; it's time for some new blood in the squad, and according to today's news, that's what GM's thinking.

[selby]

   Time will tell.

[RedJ]

Scawsby, the last thing we want to do is forget about McCullough or Mandeville, especially if we are spending £250k bringing players in as rumoured, we need to offer them a contract before January equal to the one they have, they are the only two fringe players who could be released we can hope to get a fee for, and a sell on clause.
  We have been daft in the past, it remains to be seen if clubs fall over themselves to take any of the other fringe players we have in the next transfer window, I have my doubts myself.

Personally, I can't see anyone paying a fee for those two. When their contracts are up in the Summer, they need to be off the payroll, with a good few others.

We need to be looking forwards, not backwards; it's time for some new blood in the squad, and according to today's news, that's what GM's thinking.

If we offer them a contract on equal terms and they turn it down, their next employers will have no choice but to pay a fee.