Hanlan

[steve@dcfd]

Was signed on Two year contract yet he’s not been in the squad for last 3 games.
In Grants interview yesterday he said no player was injured.
So if he’s been training why can’t he get in the 18 or today 20.

[Chris Black come back]

Who knows and there are plenty of players that McCann has forgotten about for months and then brought into the fold, but I am always reminded of that pre-season game when Cliff shouted at him to “run”. If that’s what your management team is asking for you to do and you are not, there is something fundamentally wrong.

[GazLaz]

Who knows and there are plenty of players that McCann has forgotten about for months and then brought into the fold, but I am always reminded of that pre-season game when Cliff shouted at him to “run”. If that’s what your management team is asking for you to do and you are not, there is something fundamentally wrong.

Did they not know what they were signing though?

[andyst79]

Must still be getting used to our style of play!

[keith79]

Big squad. Can't play everyone

[In the box]

Was signed on Two year contract yet he’s not been in the squad for last 3 games.
In Grants interview yesterday he said no player was injured.
So if he’s been training why can’t he get in the 18 or today 20.

Needs to go out on loan to get his fitness up , none of preseason forwards has contributed anything so far and  its embarrassing that at 39 Billy is still showing how to be a professional at any level

[Ian Nimmo]

Clearly he is not up to L1, so we need to aim to get rid asap.

[Ryaldinhio]

Clearly he is not up to L1, so we need to aim to get rid asap.

I think it was clear he wasn't up to L1 level before we signed him.

I think the same was clear for Olasanya.

I think Ajai was a calculated risk.

But I also don't know what people want when we are signing people for free or loan. Some big forwards in this league for big money, Alfie, N.Lowe etc.

I don't care what anyone says we have a low budget for this league and once that is accepted then our league position will be understood.

There are teams below us with bigger budgets IMO. So we are currently over achieving.

[mpc123]

If it wasn't Hanlan, it would have been someone else, would you have asked the same question of them?

Its strange as if you watch That David Vlog of thr game, Hanlans shirt is hung up on the peg, pre the game

[colincramb]

It’s pretty obvious McCann thinks it was a mistake in signing him. The problem is he’s on a 2 year contract and he won’t be easy to shift. Can’t see another league 1 team taking him off our hands so a loan to a team in league 2 is the best we could hope for. It’s not Hanlan’s fault, but something has gone drastically wrong in our recruitment process.

[CJK]

Lee Glover transitioned into the recruitment role at some point over the last six months, taking over the Copps. Whatever the circumstances, it seems we've got it badly wrong up top. You have to wonder in the case of Olasunya, with him in the U.S, did anyone watch him in the flesh? Or was it based on videos?

With Hanlon, I was underwhelmed at the time we announced it from previous sightings of him.

[bobbymax]

Lee Glover transitioned into the recruitment role at some point over the last six months, taking over the Copps. Whatever the circumstances, it seems we've got it badly wrong up top. You have to wonder in the case of Olasunya, with him in the U.S, did anyone watch him in the flesh? Or was it based on videos?

With Hanlon, I was underwhelmed at the time we announced it from previous sightings of him.

I also warned against it at the time of signing. I've seen him a few times down the years and thought it plainly obvious that he has poor instincts for a striker at any level. He's not looked fit since he's been here.

[Chris Black come back]

Within the realms of what is realistic, in January you would think we will be moving on Lasagne, Westbrooke, and perhaps Crew or Ajayi in the window. Potential maybe for some of the five lads we have loaned out to come back in to the squad. Then the only focus needs to be a striker who can play right down the middle, to support Sharp and Hanlan. No good fantasising about Hanlan being moved on. He is less than six months into a two year deal. He is staying and will have to find a place, at least until the summer.

[jmt23]

From the outside looking in, it’s just odd.

He hasn’t been afforded any game time in comparison to others ( not that he’s looked great in that time)
I do feel he’s looked better each time he’s been involved though, not what we can say about some of the others.

[Ian Nimmo]

Totally disagree, he was given game time at the start, and I have seen no improvement from him at all.

[mushRTID]

Who knows and there are plenty of players that McCann has forgotten about for months and then brought into the fold, but I am always reminded of that pre-season game when Cliff shouted at him to “run”. If that’s what your management team is asking for you to do and you are not, there is something fundamentally wrong.

The pre season “run” thing is what I keep thinking of.
I honestly think Hanlan here could be done already.
Very odd.
Lots of work to do in January and the summer.

[TonySoprano]

No making a 9 man bench in the fa cup first round says it all.

He's done

[GazLaz]

Totally disagree, he was given game time at the start, and I have seen no improvement from him at all.

He played an hour in the first two league games and hasn’t started a league game since. He’s played 240 mins total in the league. That’s not being given a run is it.

Sharp has got one goal every 350 minutes in the league. That’s not good.

[TonySoprano]

Totally disagree, he was given game time at the start, and I have seen no improvement from him at all.

He played an hour in the first two league games and hasn’t started a league game since. He’s played 240 mins total in the league. That’s not being given a run is it.

Sharp has got one goal every 350 minutes in the league. That’s not good.

Other than Bailey sharp has been our best player this season so far.

Ridiculous comment

[sedwardsdrfc]

McCann has form for offering contracts and binning players shortly after.

It is something we have to accept with the model of manager runs the club that we have. Concern that whoever is next isn’t as good as McCann and gets more wrong than right…. We’ve seen how quickly that spirals before

[andyst79]

Totally disagree, he was given game time at the start, and I have seen no improvement from him at all.

He played an hour in the first two league games and hasn’t started a league game since. He’s played 240 mins total in the league. That’s not being given a run is it.

Sharp has got one goal every 350 minutes in the league. That’s not good.

Not Sharps fault though is it, he's not a lone striker & is feeding of scraps.

[ncRover]

Totally disagree, he was given game time at the start, and I have seen no improvement from him at all.

He played an hour in the first two league games and hasn’t started a league game since. He’s played 240 mins total in the league. That’s not being given a run is it.

Sharp has got one goal every 350 minutes in the league. That’s not good.

Not Sharps fault though is it, he's not a lone striker & is feeding of scraps.

Again I’m here to question this narrative.

If Billy had the aerial presence to get on the end of Middleton’s crosses or the pace to get in behind defences then he would all of a sudden get more service.

More of either of these would help the team in build up too.

He’s doing his best, but we need better.

[GazLaz]

Totally disagree, he was given game time at the start, and I have seen no improvement from him at all.

He played an hour in the first two league games and hasn’t started a league game since. He’s played 240 mins total in the league. That’s not being given a run is it.

Sharp has got one goal every 350 minutes in the league. That’s not good.

Other than Bailey sharp has been our best player this season so far.

Ridiculous comment

He hasn’t. He does his best and his effort for the cause can’t be questioned. He’s just completely the wrong profile for our team.

[andyst79]

Totally disagree, he was given game time at the start, and I have seen no improvement from him at all.

He played an hour in the first two league games and hasn’t started a league game since. He’s played 240 mins total in the league. That’s not being given a run is it.

Sharp has got one goal every 350 minutes in the league. That’s not good.

Other than Bailey sharp has been our best player this season so far.

Ridiculous comment

He hasn’t. He does his best and his effort for the cause can’t be questioned. He’s just completely the wrong profile for our team.

Everyone can see it apart from the manager, surely we change our formation & style of play to suit the players we have at our disposal?

[GazLaz]

Totally disagree, he was given game time at the start, and I have seen no improvement from him at all.

He played an hour in the first two league games and hasn’t started a league game since. He’s played 240 mins total in the league. That’s not being given a run is it.

Sharp has got one goal every 350 minutes in the league. That’s not good.

Other than Bailey sharp has been our best player this season so far.

Ridiculous comment

He hasn’t. He does his best and his effort for the cause can’t be questioned. He’s just completely the wrong profile for our team.

Everyone can see it apart from the manager, surely we change our formation & style of play to suit the players we have at our disposal?

We needed a different profile of striker. He signed one, just happens he isn’t very good. Not sure how you outperform poor recruitment.

[Ian Nimmo]

Totally disagree, he was given game time at the start, and I have seen no improvement from him at all.

He played an hour in the first two league games and hasn’t started a league game since. He’s played 240 mins total in the league. That’s not being given a run is it.

Sharp has got one goal every 350 minutes in the league. That’s not good.

It’s time you accept that Hanlan is completely useless, his stats before he joined us were very poor, and stop trying to shift the blame onto Billy.
I can’t remember anytime in Bills career where he was expected to play regularly has a lone striker (which he is not and never has been).
Throughout his career he’s always thrived on receiving decent balls to hi in and around the box and at present this is not happening, with too many high crosses into the box.
I don’t think even Billy himself would have excepted at the start of the season that he would leading the line so much has he is having to do now, purely because others who were brought in to do that job have proved to be totally unable to do so.
So please don’t make Billy the scapegoat and direct your comments elsewhere.

[Chris Black come back]

Sharp is 40 in February. He is being asked not only to play 90 or close to 90 minutes pretty much every game, and play as the only striker, a role he hasn't really played in his career. There is only so much you can do against that reality. He's doing his very best but this is a far from optimal situation for him and for us. We've made a real mess of that central position really pretty much since McCann arrived. Street was a brief relief and Joe did well for much of the first McCann season but it's been a real issue for us.

[GazLaz]

Totally disagree, he was given game time at the start, and I have seen no improvement from him at all.

He played an hour in the first two league games and hasn’t started a league game since. He’s played 240 mins total in the league. That’s not being given a run is it.

Sharp has got one goal every 350 minutes in the league. That’s not good.

It’s time you accept that Hanlan is completely useless, his stats before he joined us were very poor, and stop trying to shift the blame onto Billy.
I can’t remember anytime in Bills career where he was expected to play regularly has a lone striker (which he is not and never has been).
Throughout his career he’s always thrived on receiving decent balls to hi in and around the box and at present this is not happening, with too many high crosses into the box.
I don’t think even Billy himself would have excepted at the start of the season that he would leading the line so much has he is having to do now, purely because others who were brought in to do that job have proved to be totally unable to do so.
So please don’t make Billy the scapegoat and direct your comments elsewhere.

The three strikers we have haven’t been good enough imo.

My gripe is at the recruitment. Signing two strikers, one that starts the first two games and basically isn’t seen again and another that’s just miles off it, isn’t good enough is it.

It’s not being pro anyone or anti anyone.

The fact Billy has played more minutes than we all expected doesn’t mean he’s exempt from having his performances/ output critiqued. Do we create enough chances as a group? I don’t think so. Would we create more with a more mobile striker? I think so.

[andyst79]

Getting rid of Ironside was criminal, not suggesting he'd be a starter but for what he lacks in goals he has a presence up the pitch by holding the ball up .

[Alan Southstand]

There’s a very valid point about the front 3 and, we should add the attacking midfielder (who isn’t really Bailey).

Gibson, Molyneux, Middleton, Gotts, Clifton and Sharp. How many goals between the lot of them? Not many - clue - Billy is on 3 league goals.

Something has to be done in January. Notice I havn’t even mentioned Hanlan, Olusanya or Ajayi. And for good reason.