Bobby Faulkner

[steve@dcfd]

Article in the free press says Bobby is improving quickly and it looks like he will be available to play in February. Grant says he will be going back to Harrogate to complete his loan until the end of the season.
Quote
"Speaking recently, McCann admitted that Faulkner wasn't "too far away from returning" and has effectively confirmed that the expectation is that he'll return to Harrogate to complete his loan stay there once he's back to full fitness".

[Ryaldinhio]

I hope anyone who thinks this lad shouldn't be in and around our first team squad has changed their mind tonight.

This lad was class 2yrs ago when he broke through. He is 10times the player Grehan is.

I reckon if he was called Bobby O'Faulkner he'd be wearing armband by now! 

Joking aside, in my opinion he is better than atleast two CBs in our squad and should be here playing games like tonight, and every previous round.

[Usher wide.]

Said as much on another thread.

Grehan shouldn’t be anywhere near this squad at this time.

It’s hurting both his & our development.

[steve@dcfd]

I've got to say what I saw from Grehan tonight  he was poor had no pace no strength. Unfortunately we may never know whether Bobby will play for us unless we get relegated. If we stay up we need a far superior CH or maybe two if we can afford it than what we have now in the squad.

[Scooter]

I think Bobby is way ahead of Grehan

[selby]

 All he has to do is what he did the first half of the season at Harrogate where he was attracting scouts and clubs about next season.
  If he does he will be a first choice here if we have any sense, but not holding my breath on that one, if he is released he will be ok and lined up,  He needs a good finish to the season at Harrogate to possibly go higher with clubs watching him before he was injured.

[mpc123]

He needs to impress Mccann, to fit in the way we play, simple as that. I don't know why people moan about Faulkner being on loan, it will be alot better for him there than here sat on the bench with no game time. Its probably why Grehan is so rusty, as he looked top class initially.

Mccann is doing the best thing for Faulkner and if Faulkner does get a club or does stay with us, improves and gets in the side. It will be because of one thing.. ..  Mccann doing exactly what Bobby needed to improve, thats why Mccann is a manager in football and we are not.

[ncRover]

All 4 of our central defenders are slow. Bobby isn’t.

[Rupee92ONLY]

Another player being crap doesn’t make another player better. None of the centre backs on our books are up to this level, that much is obvious.

[steve@dcfd]

Let's hope Bobby can get back in the Harrogate first team and play for the rest of the season could be hard after his injury.
I say again if we stay in league one we need better CHs.

[i_ateallthepies]

McCann doesn't appear to have much interest in defensive football

[DonnyBazR0ver]

He needs to impress Mccann, to fit in the way we play, simple as that. I don't know why people moan about Faulkner being on loan, it will be alot better for him there than here sat on the bench with no game time. Its probably why Grehan is so rusty, as he looked top class initially.

Mccann is doing the best thing for Faulkner and if Faulkner does get a club or does stay with us, improves and gets in the side. It will be because of one thing.. ..  Mccann doing exactly what Bobby needed to improve, thats why Mccann is a manager in football and we are not.

Well said. A good balanced view on things.  There's no way we can judge Grehan fairly on the crumbs he's being fed on and, not many of us have seen much of Faulkener when he's played this season for Harrogate, once again, interrupted by a long injury.

Definitely the better move for Bobby, being on loan getting more game time.

[selby]

  Bobby has had more MOM's here as a youngster than some have had  just decent games here and have had every chance here and was better than them at 17 yrs old. and never given a chance here since McCann arrived.
  Not the only one either Flint is better than Grehan and technically one of our best defenders and has played better for the first team than him and others and  is now out of sight and mind when both of them could have improved our chances of stopping up as make no mistake we are in the thick of it down at the bottom part of the division and the central defensive positions and the general back four are where other sides see as our weakness playing as much of the game in the oppositions half our best defence but leaves us open and room for fast attackers to take us on and slow defenders can't play a high line really.
  With our own we have been poor and put faith in players from bigger profile clubs who are miles off it, and got close to the point where these two lads are an embarrassment to the club.

[Draytonian III]

I honestly believe that Bobby is not going to make it as a League Two centre half/defender, it’s not exactly a big feather in his cap that he regularly M.O.M in a team that’s bottom of League Two, also he does spend a lot of time injured one way or another. I genuinely hope I’m wrong but I just can’t see it happening

[selby]

  It's just a lack of vision, don't worry lots suffer from it.
  And I don't  agree most of our defenders are finding it difficult to do well in one of the worst defences in league one, so ne did well at Harrogate to be a top defender in division 2 by your analysis.
  A reminder our best central defender currently available to play is our best central mid fielder.

[Draytonian III]

We are both entitled to own opinions, they don’t have to be the same, it’s all injuries he receives is one the reasons he hasn’t progressed

[selby]

  Yes I agree to a point but it has been the timing of the injuries just as he was doing well that has held him back as much as the injuries, and he has had no luck.
  As a comparison McGrath got injured at Chesterfield on the 6th of February last season and missed games well into the start of this season but included all the closed season so not as noticeable,
and Close has missed a good chunk of every season he has been at the club.. the same with Sterry, Maxwell, Anderson, Olowu and that cost us, the same as it could cost us with Bobby.
  None of them were parked off out just a couple of days after getting back, partly because other clubs were not as keen, but two days into pre season smacked of desperation for a few quid or a total lack of knowledge of his ability especially when we bring Grehan in at the same time and filter him in straight away and treat Flint in similar fashion to Bobby.
 I have to ask the question why? and who thinks Grehan is an answer and is anywhere near good enough?

[Ldr]

  Bobby has had more MOM's here as a youngster than some have had  just decent games here and have had every chance here and was better than them at 17 yrs old. and never given a chance here since McCann arrived.
  Not the only one either Flint is better than Grehan and technically one of our best defenders and has played better for the first team than him and others and  is now out of sight and mind when both of them could have improved our chances of stopping up as make no mistake we are in the thick of it down at the bottom part of the division and the central defensive positions and the general back four are where other sides see as our weakness playing as much of the game in the oppositions half our best defence but leaves us open and room for fast attackers to take us on and slow defenders can't play a high line really.
  With our own we have been poor and put faith in players from bigger profile clubs who are miles off it, and got close to the point where these two lads are an embarrassment to the club.

Why would a manager, who has played international football, farm him out on loan if he’s that good?

[selby]

  Gaza, Rooney, and lots of top top international players have had some really funny ideas about other players, while other managers like Clop, the special one, Wenger, never played at the top level and built teams they could only dream of.
 What difference does that make when your wrong and can't see the wood for the trees.

[Ldr]

Doesn’t really answer the question Selby

[selby]

 It does, I think he was wrong and stick by it, and could yet cost him his job if we get relegated, hopefully not, as I think overall he has done a lot for the club while here to drive it forward, but don't agree with everything he does and am entitled to my own opinion.

[Rupee92ONLY]

If McCann loses his job it isn’t going to be because he didn’t play Bobby Faulkner he isn’t the difference between staying up and going down, even if you have much better vision than the rest of us.

Hopefully you turn out right but the chances of that are very very slim aren’t they.

[BessieBlue]

Its laudible that someone spends so much time promoting the prospects of the club academy but the reality of the situation is that there is minimal likelihood of anyone graduating into the first team. We'd all like to see progress in this regard but as has been said the hard yards have to be served through loans at other clubs lower down the pyramid. Darren Ferguson once observed that someone was advising the academy players against being loaned out and i guess we are seeing indications of that. In Faulkeners case perhaps Mr Weaver senior might be persuaded to invest in the player!

[selby]

Bessie, higher.

[Rupee92ONLY]

Why hasn’t he been sold if higher clubs are sniffing? What’s put them off bidding?

[Fal]

It does, I think he was wrong and stick by it, and could yet cost him his job if we get relegated, hopefully not, as I think overall he has done a lot for the club while here to drive it forward, but don't agree with everything he does and am entitled to my own opinion.

2022   → Frickley Athletic (loan)   7   (0)
2023   → Worksop Town (loan)   2   (0)
2023   → Spennymoor Town (loan)   5   (0)
2024   → Dundalk (loan)   4   (0)
2025   → Buxton (loan)  22 appearances

So selby you think a defender who has absolutely zero experience in League One, Roughly 30 plus games in League Two and the rest spent in the national league north and below (dundalk aside) is going to cost a manager his job as he hasn't played him?

Sorry but i trust a league one and two winning manager who also have Championship experience to know whether or not a player is good enough or better than the other players we have.

[selby]

Time will tell Fal, whether here or not, It's not the Manager that I don't trust, I do, I don't trust the class of the other central defenders, and with Bobby out of the equation its now one hundred per cent their responsibility the rest of the season or we turn to Bailey again.

[jmt23]

The loaning out of him gives both parties the chance to see where he is and what his potential is in league football.

Nobody is wanting him to fail.

[DMnumber4]

I have no idea what to make of Bobby based on what I've seen to date so making predictions about his career trajectory seem premature.

However, one thing to consider would be the fact that he is just 21 years old and very rarely are careers defined by that age - especially not at centre back.

Only a handful of defenders younger than him have played more minutes in L2 this season, which shows just how hard it is for lads in that age bracket to cut their teeth at that level.

Is he ready for Rovers first team right now? Probably not. It could well be at least another 18 months before he's even remotely close.