Well done Hanlan

[i_ateallthepies]

Funny isn’t it, I thought Hanlan played well, but the bloke behind me didn’t stop saying how bad he was all night.

That was probably me, he's never won a header, the ball just bounces off him, but he's lethal from 5 yards

The number of times the player behind him gets an unexpected header and bounces it off the back of his head is amazing, he ducks. Too late to get onto Mols cross, he is great from 5 yards as you say. so long as it is erved up on a plate as Bails did last night. Once we get a proper CF is when we start winning regularly and he can go and play in National league.

Unwilling to give due credit under any circumstances makes your opinion totally worthless.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Funny isn’t it, I thought Hanlan played well, but the bloke behind me didn’t stop saying how bad he was all night.

That was probably me, he's never won a header, the ball just bounces off him, but he's lethal from 5 yards

The number of times the player behind him gets an unexpected header and bounces it off the back of his head is amazing, he ducks. Too late to get onto Mols cross, he is great from 5 yards as you say. so long as it is erved up on a plate as Bails did last night. Once we get a proper CF is when we start winning regularly and he can go and play in National league.

I know the Zeitgeist is that once you've taken up a position, you never, ever back down.

But THIS?!? How in the name of God above could someone watch that performance by Hanlan last night and dive in to slag him off?

[drfchound]

Funny isn’t it, I thought Hanlan played well, but the bloke behind me didn’t stop saying how bad he was all night.

That was probably me, he's never won a header, the ball just bounces off him, but he's lethal from 5 yards

The number of times the player behind him gets an unexpected header and bounces it off the back of his head is amazing, he ducks. Too late to get onto Mols cross, he is great from 5 yards as you say. so long as it is erved up on a plate as Bails did last night. Once we get a proper CF is when we start winning regularly and he can go and play in National league.

I’m assuming you mean the Mols “cross” in the first half that went across the face of goal and out for a goal kick.
Well that was a shot by Mols and he should have cut the ball back to Hanlan who was in a great position for a tap in.

[selby]

  Nobody can complain about his commitment to the cause and the effort he puts in, if he had the ball control and first touch of Ironside with his own mobility he would be playing a lot higher than with us.

[mpc123]

  Nobody can complain about his commitment to the cause and the effort he pus in, if he had the ball control and first touch of Ironside with his own mobility he wound be playing a lot higher than with us.

I think thats the whole point. We arent going to have world beaters here but people are treating them like they all are.

[ncRover]

Hanlan has become less confusing to me since I realised he is a small striker trapped in a big striker’s body.

He’d be good alongside a more traditional goalscoring no.9 who could hold the ball up, win headers and stay central so that BH could focus on his strengths of running towards goal, running the channels and drifting wide at times.

That’s essentially what happened for the goal last night, with Bailey being the target man for him in that phase of play.

[Chris Black come back]

He’s going to get injured isn’t he.

[Alan Southstand]

I just don’t get the love in. Yes, he worked his nads off last night, but isn’t that the minimum requirement for a striker in GM’s system?

We need far better next season, that’s for sure. He’s a back-up striker next season, for me.

I also get that there were a few others that were sorely lacking in the goalscoring last night, but none of them were strikers! Another night where we wasted the first 45 minutes by having no intensity at all. Different gravy second half and Luton were pinned back, but only the one positive finish.

Ah well, onto the next one.

[moses]

I just don’t get the love in. Yes, he worked his nads off last night, but isn’t that the minimum requirement for a striker in GM’s system?

We need far better next season, that’s for sure. He’s a back-up striker next season, for me.

I also get that there were a few others that were sorely lacking in the goalscoring last night, but none of them were strikers! Another night where we wasted the first 45 minutes by having no intensity at all. Different gravy second half and Luton were pinned back, but only the one positive finish.

Ah well, onto the next one.

To be fair Alan I think backup striker has been his role for a while now in GMs mind.

Frankie was the main striker and following his injury BH has stepped in.

If GM thought BH was main striker material with Billy as back up, he would not have brought Frankie in during the January transfer window.

When we stay up, GM will be after a main striker.

[jmt23]

Firstly the players now understand where and when he needs the ball, he has also built some trust.

Secondly, he has worked hard from game one, and I was shocked with the way Grant seemingly cut him out of the squad. He wasn’t scoring, but he wasn’t getting the service to score. You will not see the best of any striker by limiting their game time.

Several highly experienced ex pro defenders have told me, they would hate to be up against him, he just doesn’t give them a minute!

This doesn’t mean he is a world beater, but he is more than good enough at this level.

Moly is a bit of a problem this year, his lack of goals in comparison to previous seasons is hurting us. He seems to have lost all confidence in shooting. Given the stock Grant puts on his wide men scoring, it’s am big issue.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

I just don’t get the love in. Yes, he worked his nads off last night, but isn’t that the minimum requirement for a striker in GM’s system?

We need far better next season, that’s for sure. He’s a back-up striker next season, for me.

I also get that there were a few others that were sorely lacking in the goalscoring last night, but none of them were strikers! Another night where we wasted the first 45 minutes by having no intensity at all. Different gravy second half and Luton were pinned back, but only the one positive finish.

Ah well, onto the next one.

You are right of course Alan. It's evident he isn't completely useless but it's a mystery why it's taken so long for him to get up to last night's speed. Which of course you rightly point out, is the minimum standard we would expect.

[mpc123]

I just don’t get the love in. Yes, he worked his nads off last night, but isn’t that the minimum requirement for a striker in GM’s system?

We need far better next season, that’s for sure. He’s a back-up striker next season, for me.

I also get that there were a few others that were sorely lacking in the goalscoring last night, but none of them were strikers! Another night where we wasted the first 45 minutes by having no intensity at all. Different gravy second half and Luton were pinned back, but only the one positive finish.

Ah well, onto the next one.

You are right of course Alan. It's evident he isn't completely useless but it's a mystery why it's taken so long for him to get up to last night's speed. Which of course you rightly point out, is the minimum standard we would expect.

It could be lots of things of which are normal in football, settling in, finding form, others in front of him at that point so no run of games. It happens constantly, if not everybody would be messi, everybody would win the league

[i_ateallthepies]

And expecting him to play a system that doesn't suit his attributes.

[BillyStubbsTears]

How many minutes was he given on the pitch in the first half of the season?

[GazLaz]

How many minutes was he given on the pitch in the first half of the season?

473 in the first 19 games I think. About that anyway. About 25% of the minutes.

[Barmby Rover]

The quick turn and shoot that Clifton produced last night was more of what I would expect of a striker, he didn't score, but it was instinctive and not unlike the sort of movement that Billy used to be able to do. If Hanlan could do that sort of thing regularly I would accept him more as a number 9, but he doesn't.

[knockers]

He needs to be played as a winger and we need a new no.9

[DD]

Hanlan seems to me to get better game on game.
Another thought…….in hindsight, I just wonder if, somehow, McCann could have found a way to get Billy on? We had so much pressure - so many goalmouth scrambles…….Billy is the man for those - its about the only reason you would play him nowadays!

[grayx]

He’s going to get injured isn’t he.

We are knackered if he does

[ncRover]

Hanlan seems to me to get better game on game.
Another thought…….in hindsight, I just wonder if, somehow, McCann could have found a way to get Billy on? We had so much pressure - so many goalmouth scrambles…….Billy is the man for those - its about the only reason you would play him nowadays!

He hasn’t scored coming off the bench since that Bradford win to clinch it nearly a year ago.

[GazLaz]

Hanlan seems to me to get better game on game.
Another thought…….in hindsight, I just wonder if, somehow, McCann could have found a way to get Billy on? We had so much pressure - so many goalmouth scrambles…….Billy is the man for those - its about the only reason you would play him nowadays!

It did feel if ever there was a game playing out in a way that would suit Billy, it was last night. Pretty controlled, sustained attacks second half and really pushing for a winner last on.

[monkeytennis]

I’ll admit to calling him a donkey in the first half but he did do better after the break. I still think he is often not where he needs to be, he backs away from challenges and doesn’t try hard enough to win headers. 

Nobody was happier than me to be eating a slice of humble pie when he scored, maybe I’ll yell at him again on Saturday and see if it works again lol.

[BillyStubbsTears]

How many minutes was he given on the pitch in the first half of the season?

473 in the first 19 games I think. About that anyway. About 25% of the minutes.

Mostly coming on late in games we were already losing, I assume?

[BillyStubbsTears]

I’ll admit to calling him a donkey in the first half but he did do better after the break. I still think he is often not where he needs to be, he backs away from challenges and doesn’t try hard enough to win headers. 

Nobody was happier than me to be eating a slice of humble pie when he scored, maybe I’ll yell at him again on Saturday and see if it works again lol.

It wasn't just that he scored. He was in the defenders' faces from the first minute when he won the ball on the right wing and barellled through about three challenges.

[DMnumber4]

Hanlan has spent a lot of his career playing with - or off - a target man e.g. Vokes, Eaves, Mandron, Akinfenwa.

Reasonable assumption to suggest he'd do better playing alongside Ironside, but that would not suit McCann's preferred formation.

Bit of a mystery why we / he thought this would be a good move.

*From August.

[Bills view]

He’s not really a hold the ball up and bring others into the game striker although he’s improved on that front. To me he looks like he would benefit playing off one of them himself a bit like the goal.

Running towards goal and at defenders he looks most dangerous. He needs to have the confidence to do it more with support getting up alongside him. We also need to play in a way that allows him to do it.

[Chris Black come back]

He’s 100 per cent not a lone #9. Either in a front three out wide or playing off someone more centrally.

[mpc123]

All the top scorers this year in the league arent from teams that are up at the top of the table.

[grayx]

Hanlan seems to me to get better game on game.
Another thought…….in hindsight, I just wonder if, somehow, McCann could have found a way to get Billy on? We had so much pressure - so many goalmouth scrambles…….Billy is the man for those - its about the only reason you would play him nowadays!

Please NO.
We need to accept Billys days have gone. Hes offered nothing when hes been brought on recently

[Usher wide.]

If we are ‘serious’ about competing for a top six place next season we have to say, thanks & bye Billy.
Hanlan, you’re a trier but trier’s aren’t enough in Lg1.

And that’s basically your forward line sorted….or done with & let’s be clear, rightly so.

We need a good permanent or at least an excellent loan keeper.

Defensively we need a ‘big mesters ’ in the Rob Jones style. No messing, what you get is what you see & if we can sign that type then McGrath/Faulkner would come on leaps & bounds.

We need a midfielder who can determine play. Broadbent has fallen short in that role & Close has suffered with injuries & should be at best a squad player.

Full backs. A George Friend wouldn’t come amiss but in the abscent of whom I like Sterry when Luke is playing in front of him (they interact well) & out on the left I personally think that Senior offers us more defensively.

Apart from that (& a fire in my flat) I think we should be ok.