Who's party.....

[Ryaldinhio]

Was Hanlan at last night?

Can you have a look around I think he left his first touch there and his short pass aswell

 

[DRNaith]

I thought he put in a solid shift. I'm not saying he didn't make mistakes, but he worked hard

[Reg of the Rovers]

It wasn’t his best day, but he’s becoming a solid signing, he works hard and has shown some great quality in front of goal.

Sharp on the other hand has completely gone, he’s been an incredible pro and a legend of our club, but his time is unfortunately up.

[drfchound]

Hanlan did a good job today.
Yes his first touch wasn’t particularly great but he put himself about and was a handful for the Bolton defence.

[Butchers Red]

Accepted football is all about opinions, mine today was Hanlan was simply awful, never got near winning any headers, when the ball was played into him it either bounced off or he mis controlled it, as a result we found it difficult to get out of our half and exert any pressure. That total miskick in the first half when in a great area was laughable.

An old boy near us asked " Is Hanlan one of them false 9's??"

In second half he managed to get even worse and it was obvious he needed to come off but the change never came and their goal came from him again failing to hold ono the ball.

As for Billy being "gone" well he won the first aerial ball and generally created mayhem when he came on 20 minutes too late.

Sorry but for me Grant cost us the win today persisting for far too long with Hanlan

[donnievic]

His 1st tough is never brilliant anyway no worse really today than any other game but definitely put a shift in again today with his work rate

[monkeytennis]

Accepted football is all about opinions, mine today was Hanlan was simply awful, never got near winning any headers, when the ball was played into him it either bounced off or he mis controlled it, as a result we found it difficult to get out of our half and exert any pressure. That total miskick in the first half when in a great area was laughable.

An old boy near us asked " Is Hanlan one of them false 9's??"

In second half he managed to get even worse and it was obvious he needed to come off but the change never came and their goal came from him again failing to hold ono the ball.

As for Billy being "gone" well he won the first aerial ball and generally created mayhem when he came on 20 minutes too late.

Sorry but for me Grant cost us the win today persisting for far too long with Hanlan

I’m in this camp too. Did a few fancy moves but added nothing really.

[drfcsteve]

He’s decent, would have scored more than Ironside if we’d have had him in league 2. Don’t think he was fit at the start of the season.

[jmt23]

I also agree today, he’s been great for 5-6 games but today he wasn’t at his best.
I have to say when he’s not being fouled he controls and lays the ball of superbly well! Thought he should have had a penalty as his shirt was nearly ripped clean off in the second half. Identical to Wootens.

He got nothing out of the ref or the big number 5 who won everything in the air - point being if you can see someone who is that dominant in the air why play it high? Surely we had them watched?

Have to repeat, lumping it up and expecting Hanlan to control or head it is not his game - look at his goals

[GazLaz]

He wasn’t at his best today but he’s been ok of late. Playing every 3 days isn’t easy, bound to be some players that are leggy and injuries picked up (Broadbent).

[Copps is Magic]

Sorry, but not for me. Hanlan is an average player. Ball bounces off him like a goat on a trampoline. Doesn't have that strikers' instinct - had the ball right in front of him in the first half - looked down at it and didn't know what to do.

He'll get 5/7 goals by virtue of being in the position but otherwise a disaster signing.

[donnyguy]

Fot mob no shots on or off target by hanlan and. Brandon Hanlan lost the most duels (13) in the match

[Petche]

Let's not kid ourselves he's been an awful signing - not good enough.

[Canadian Rover]

Downgrade on Ironside

[sedwardsdrfc]

He’s alright imo. Would prefer it if he was a squad player and we had better but he’s not awful. We’ve weaker players across the 11 that should be addressed first imo.

He did a lovely touch for Bailey running into the box in the 1st half which produced a chance that normally should be a goal (think is was Middleton who missed in the end)

[Ryaldinhio]

He has improved last 5/6 games but today was absolutely awful.

Every ball that went to him he either didnt win or it was like bouncing off a wall, first touch was terrible.

2nd half GM was pulling his hair out with him.

Billy came on for 20mins, should have been 45, and gave a lot more IMO with his control and bringing others into play.

As above, he has been improving, but today was really bad......hence the tongue in cheek reference to a NYE party!!!!

[ncRover]

He’s just a different type of player. He’s probably an upgrade and is far more mobile than Joe who was on the decline.

I just don’t think Hanlan is a target man but he’s being tasked with being that.

Looking at data, Hanlan has won around 30% of his aerial duels this season. A true target man like Ironside routinely averages around 50% for example.

[Chris Black come back]

He’s clearly a player who wants to run on to the ball. We make him try and hold it up or receive it with his back to goal. Keep doing that and of course he’s not going to look good. You can’t make him something he is not. Try adjusting the play to accommodate his strengths rather than hoping he’s going to become Drogba c.2008.

[ForsolongaRover]

I thought he put in a solid shift. I'm not saying he didn't make mistakes, but he worked hard

How is jogging around half-heartedly “working hard”? My expectations of a half decent 9 are a good deal higher than anything Hanlan has ever produced. He gives central defenders an easy ride, timing his arrival to be just too late to seriously challenge for the ball.

[BillyStubbsTears]

He’s clearly a player who wants to run on to the ball. We make him try and hold it up or receive it with his back to goal. Keep doing that and of course he’s not going to look good. You can’t make him something he is not. Try adjusting the play to accommodate his strengths rather than hoping he’s going to become Drogba c.2008.

This.

We have to get him running AT defenders (like that excellent run down the right flank) or in the channels between them.

It's all very well saying "He's shit at the stuff he's shit at" but then why do we spend 90% of the game feeding him that ball?

[BillyStubbsTears]

I thought he put in a solid shift. I'm not saying he didn't make mistakes, but he worked hard

How is jogging around half-heartedly “working hard”? My expectations of a half decent 9 are a good deal higher than anything Hanlan has ever produced. He gives central defenders an easy ride, timing his arrival to be just too late to seriously challenge for the ball.

I thought he did that shift very intelligently today.

A couple of bell ends behind me were screaming from the first minute "f**king WORK Hanley" (sic) when they had the ball at the back. Without realising that he had a keeper and 2 centre backs to cover. Run flat out at one and you simply use all your energy up while they roll it to the free man at their side.

I thought Hanlon actually kept good positions in those circumstances, and by not selling himself, forced them frequently into unproductive long balls. Those who think he should be clattering centre backs or keepers when they are making those long balls have a strange understanding of how the game works. If you go through a player like that, you'll not last 20 mins. What Hanlon was doing was waiting until they'd decided which centre back was going to launch an attack, then pressing him into lumping it forward.

As a tactic I thought it worked spectacularly well and was a major part of what I think was our most solid defensive performance of the season.

[GazLaz]

I thought he put in a solid shift. I'm not saying he didn't make mistakes, but he worked hard

How is jogging around half-heartedly “working hard”? My expectations of a half decent 9 are a good deal higher than anything Hanlan has ever produced. He gives central defenders an easy ride, timing his arrival to be just too late to seriously challenge for the ball.

I thought he did that shift very intelligently today.

A couple of bell ends behind me were screaming from the first minute "f**king WORK Hanley" (sic) when they had the ball at the back. Without realising that he had a keeper and 2 centre backs to cover. Run flat out at one and you simply use all your energy up while they roll it to the free man at their side.

I thought Hanlon actually kept good positions in those circumstances, and by not selling himself, forced them frequently into unproductive long balls. Those who think he should be clattering centre backs or keepers when they are making those long balls have a strange understanding of how the game works. If you go through a player like that, you'll not last 20 mins. What Hanlon was doing was waiting until they'd decided which centre back was going to launch an attack, then pressing him into lumping it forward.

As a tactic I thought it worked spectacularly well and was a major part of what I think was our most solid defensive performance of the season.

No point chasing players on your own is there. Hanlan issue is that he should be one of three functioning strikers in the squad. That would mean less of a spotlight on him.  He’s currently one of one.

[Ian Nimmo]

   I just can’t see anything in Hanlan at all, and can’t see where he will improve.
He is not a young lad, he’s 28 and prior to joining us scored 42 goals in 279 appearances.
There seems to be a huge difference of opinion on here about his capabilities, but time will tell!

[Barmby Rover]

The funniest bit was when he fell in a tackle in front of us in the West stand, ran down the wing, couldn't get past his man and passed it straight out backwards to give Bolton a throw in. Absolute garbage, the only headers he won (2 0r 3 times) were with the back of his head when their player headed it straight into him, when he jumps for a header his head tends to be down for some reason, no chance of connecting.

[Ian Nimmo]

Yes, even a lady who doesn’t really say anything during games, was laughing loudly at that incident.

[NickDRFC]

Just seen that incident on Twitter and it’s nowhere near as bad as I thought it would be based on what I’d read on here. It’s a poor pass over less than 10 yards but we’ve seen all of our other players do it without that level of criticism. I think that people have made their mind up and nothing he does will make them change it.

https://x.com/nocontextrovers/status/2007000938528256187?s=46

[Spud]

He had a bad day yesterday, a shame after his recent performances. Did he not know he had man on when Bails slipped him in?
Still the best option we have at number 9 as it stands, he's not the best but not as bad as some are making out.

[BillyStubbsTears]

I know I'm shouting at a brick wall, but the two best pieces of intelligent play in and around their box both came from Hanlan yesterday.

1) The touch that sent Bailey down the line for the cross that Clifton and Middleton both missed was sumptuous.

2) For our goal, he made an intelligent run to the near post, drew a defender across then stepped over the ball, knowing we had better options at the back post.

Is he the best we've ever had? Nope.

Is he the best option we currently have? By miles.

I get that we are in an era where most folk will never change their minds once made up. But equally, I will never, ever understand what someone gets out of going to watch THEIR team and doing f**k all but moan vociferously about one player for 90 minutes.

You have to wonder what psychological baggage they are carrying around. Although I preferred yesterday just to kindly suggest that they shut the f**k up moaning.

[pib]

I know I'm shouting at a brick wall, but the two best pieces of intelligent play in and around their box both came from Hanlan yesterday.

1) The touch that sent Bailey down the line for the cross that Clifton and Middleton both missed was sumptuous.

2) For our goal, he made an intelligent run to the near post, drew a defender across then stepped over the ball, knowing we had better options at the back post.

Is he the best we've ever had? Nope.

Is he the best option we currently have? By miles.

I get that we are in an era where most folk will never change their minds once made up. But equally, I will never, ever understand what someone gets out of going to watch THEIR team and doing f**k all but moan vociferously about one player for 90 minutes.

You have to wonder what psychological baggage they are carrying around. Although I preferred yesterday just to kindly suggest that they shut the f**k up moaning.

People feel the need to trot out extremes.

Hanlan's clearly not a bad player and caught unnecessary flak early in the season when he started 2 games and then wasn't given another proper chance for ages.

We're clearly better with him in the team than without atm, but need more options around him, that's the issue. I think we'd probably have more points in the bag than we have now if he'd played more between mid-August and the end of November.

Here are the minutes he played in L1 between the start of the season and Stevenage (a) on 22nd November (his first start since the second game of the season)...

64 (from start)
62 (from start)
13
14
0 (unused sub)
6
0 (unused sub)
0 (not in squad)
0 (not in squad)
22
15
45
0 (not in squad)
0 (not in squad)
12
32

Criminally underused (IMO) given he's the only striker that seems to somewhat fit our style of play, and very harshly written off having been given very limited opportunities to prove himself and get used to playing in a new team.

[sedwardsdrfc]

We’d have a few more points if he’d been played earlier in the season imo. Was a bit like the Bogle situation with Grant sticking with Billy to the detriment of the team at that time.

No slight on Billy he just shouldn’t be leading the line on his own. Never really did that for the Blades so he’s not going to do it now