Clifton

[Spud]

Lots of positive chat on here, quite rightly, after a great win again yesterday.
I've seen humble pie being eaten regarding Broadbent lately, & now Gibbo, anyone trusting Grant on Clifton yet?
Fantastic yesterday, & important to the way Grant wants us to play, maybe not the most eye catching & some are gonna come back with the couple of half chances he had, but I'll go with Grant's judgement.
Anyway, back to YouTube to go through Rob's list, up the Rovers.

[Cramby10]

Nope. Just imagine how good we could be with 11 quality players out there. The sky is the limit.

[Chris Black come back]

Gotts out injured and Crew on international duty. Didn’t struggle at all yesterday. Close was good in his limited spell.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Clifton was superb yesterday. Time and again he won his little physical battles. Things like that often go unnoticed but it is absolutely crucial to the way we play.

[Chris Black come back]

Sbarra and Westbrooke fit but didn’t make squad. Assume Nixon and Sterry must both have been injured to not even make squad. Gotts injured and both Crew and Grehan on international duty.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Clifton was superb yesterday. Time and again he won his little physical battles. Things like that often go unnoticed but it is absolutely crucial to the way we play.

Absolutely. Four of us, before the game went for our preferred line up, and Clifton was in all four or our selections for those reasons. Plus, he keeps sneaking into those goalscoring positions too.

[Padge_DRFC]

Depends what you want. Run run run run Clifton is your man. Create chances keep the ball in tight spaces, then probably the last person in the league you'd pick. Thought he had one of his better games yesterday. I get why some don't like my criticism as he does give everything.

Personally Gibson is suited to the 10 position more. He knicks the ball and intercepts it more than any of the other front players.

[Reg of the Rovers]

I thought he did really well, exactly what we needed yesterday against a big physical middle of the park - ran his socks off, harried and hurried, made good challenges and stopped us getting bullied. Thought Grant got that spot on, then when their legs went added the ball playing quality and pace to try and put them to bed. Can’t fault the lad for his effort and performance yesterday.

[Jimmydee]

From my angle from the South stand and by the route that the ball went, I was convinced that the Bradford defender knocked the ball from Clifton’s toes and we should have been awarded a corner.
Clifton will get more goals for us.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Depends what you want. Run run run run Clifton is your man. Create chances keep the ball in tight spaces, then probably the last person in the league you'd pick. Thought he had one of his better games yesterday. I get why some don't like my criticism as he does give everything.

Personally Gibson is suited to the 10 position more. He knicks the ball and intercepts it more than any of the other front players.

He was excellent at coming out of tight spaces with the ball yesterday.

Much, much more than that, his relentless in-yer-face approach is exactly the thing that makes opportunities for the more gifted players.

He's not really the same as Ricky Raven hill, but his effect is similar. We had better technical players in that squad, but Ravenhill's work rate and aggression complemented them perfectly.

[curley]

Interesting to know much ground   Clifton covers during a game because he never stops running even when he has not got the ball.

[Dutch Uncle]

Depends what you want. Run run run run Clifton is your man. Create chances keep the ball in tight spaces, then probably the last person in the league you'd pick. Thought he had one of his better games yesterday. I get why some don't like my criticism as he does give everything.

Personally Gibson is suited to the 10 position more. He knicks the ball and intercepts it more than any of the other front players.

He was excellent at coming out of tight spaces with the ball yesterday.

Much, much more than that, his relentless in-yer-face approach is exactly the thing that makes opportunities for the more gifted players.

He's not really the same as Ricky Raven hill, but his effect is similar. We had better technical players in that squad, but Ravenhill's work rate and aggression complemented them perfectly.

I was just about to post that I was thinking that Clifton is a better version of Ricky Ravenhill

[andyst79]

Depends what you want. Run run run run Clifton is your man. Create chances keep the ball in tight spaces, then probably the last person in the league you'd pick. Thought he had one of his better games yesterday. I get why some don't like my criticism as he does give everything.

Personally Gibson is suited to the 10 position more. He knicks the ball and intercepts it more than any of the other front players.

Unfortunately for Clifton he does have a footballing brain and you can see what he's trying to do when in possession but his body & speed of movement limits him with the ball at his feet.

[graingrover]

Clifton was great yesterday and epitomises what being a DRFC workacholic is all about and that is not a pejorative comment far from it .

[Herbert Anchovy]

Clifton did nothing wrong at all yesterday.

[IDM]

From my angle from the South stand and by the route that the ball went, I was convinced that the Bradford defender knocked the ball from Clifton’s toes and we should have been awarded a corner.
Clifton will get more goals for us.

This.. looked the same from the far north end of the east stand too..

[danumdon]

The whole is an amalgamation of its constituent parts. Clifton fits that role well for us as currently we don't have anyone else who completes that role to the same level, some parts but not all.

The most important thing is that GM believes in him, he can have no better endorsement.

[Spud]

From my angle from the South stand and by the route that the ball went, I was convinced that the Bradford defender knocked the ball from Clifton’s toes and we should have been awarded a corner.
Clifton will get more goals for us.

This.. looked the same from the far north end of the east stand too..

I thought the same, West Stand.

[sedwardsdrfc]

Every good team needs his type of player. When we were struggling under Schofield/McSheffery what we’d have given for 11 Clifton’s on the pitch! Were a bit spoilt at the moment.

That said I think our best 3 would have Gotts ahead of Clifton but it’s his shirt. Bradford suited Clifton because they came to play. Against a team who just want to sit back and hit us on the break maybe he struggles a bit more and a Close type would look better. But he’s never let us down imo

[RoversInSpain]

Mentioned on another thread he played really well. Glad he’s got his own more positive thread. Let Grant and the coaching team do their work. They’ve got the best out of many players including some loans too, now, what ever happened to Adelukan, Craig etc? Same with Sbarra and Westbrooke, they will be needed and will contribute. We don’t need to be losing any players from our squad.

[drfchound]

Every good team needs his type of player. When we were struggling under Schofield/McSheffery what we’d have given for 11 Clifton’s on the pitch! Were a bit spoilt at the moment.

That said I think our best 3 would have Gotts ahead of Clifton but it’s his shirt. Bradford suited Clifton because they came to play. Against a team who just want to sit back and hit us on the break maybe he struggles a bit more and a Close type would look better. But he’s never let us down imo

Well Sedwards, we have got all three of those players available and I feel sure that Grant knows which ones he will pick to start certain games, and then which ones to bring on when the time is right.

[StocksArmy]

His work rate off the ball is awesome and often goes unnoticed. Also will chip in with goals as the season goes on.

[steve@dcfd]

Every good team needs his type of player. When we were struggling under Schofield/McSheffery what we’d have given for 11 Clifton’s on the pitch! Were a bit spoilt at the moment.

That said I think our best 3 would have Gotts ahead of Clifton but it’s his shirt. Bradford suited Clifton because they came to play. Against a team who just want to sit back and hit us on the break maybe he struggles a bit more and a Close type would look better. But he’s never let us down imo

Gotts was recovering from injury so therefore Grant chose Clifton
But although Gotts will get back in the side judgement on whether he will be the best only come with consistent games which at the moment he’s not had.

[rich1471]

Clifton did nothing wrong at all yesterday.

He is underrated, brakes up play and chips in with the odd goals Deschamps did this very well for France and was also under rated

[PDX_Rover]

Excellent yesterday. He’s with us for a reason.

[In the box]

Nope. Just imagine how good we could be with 11 quality players out there. The sky is the limit.

Its reminiscent of O’Driscoll days when we played teams off the park and with a little fat guy up front !!

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Just seen Yorkshire Posts player ratings which support ours.
 
Clifton: An intelligent, workaholic performance. Under-rated player, not by his manager. 8

[Chris Black come back]

Out injured for six weeks now.

[Alan Southstand]

Hamstring tear, so not ideal. But, a chance for someone in the squad.

Gotts trained all week. Close and Westbrooke both ok. Then there’s also Charlie Crew. Plenty of choice.

[philsky]

Hamstring tear, so not ideal. But, a chance for someone in the squad.

Gotts trained all week. Close and Westbrooke both ok. Then there’s also Charlie Crew. Plenty of choice.

Close for me as he deserves a crack.

Or keep him for spurs and give Gotts a run