Neil Byrne

[Branton Rover]

Has brought experience, stability and know how to our back line & has brought out the best in Matty Pearson. It shows there’s no substitute for experience. The question it poses is simple, should we sign Neil in the summer or an alternative of similar ilk? My answer would be yes we should which leave us with two experienced defenders with two younger players at the back.

[The Dav]

I see him as the Tom Anderson replacement, which I don’t think we replaced! He’s steady, dependable which is exactly what we need, so it’d be a yes from me for next season.

[Goole Rover]

I see him as the Tom Anderson replacement, which I don’t think we replaced! He’s steady, dependable which is exactly what we need, so it’d be a yes from me for next season.

I agree Dav. Tom Anderson has received criticism on this forum over his time with us this was totally unjustified and why, because he was direct and a no nonsense defender. Pearson and Byrne are similar they do their job effectively but simple.





.

[tommy toes]

Sign him up, he’s been great since he came. It’s no coincidence that we’re now keeping clean sheets

[selby]

  Two things, his club who loaned him to us will be monitoring his form with us and are not forced to want him to come to us.
  The price will have gone up. forgot his agent will want a fee.

[Move DRFC]

He's been excellent. A calming influence and know-how which we needed. Pearson a lot more comfortable next to him than JM too. But he's 33. If we want to mount a promotion push next year surely we could do better?

[Ryaldinhio]

  Two things, his club who loaned him to us will be monitoring his form with us and are not forced to want him to come to us.
  The price will have gone up. forgot his agent will want a fee.

I thought he was out of contract this summer?

[Dagenham Rover]

We needed a gobby  twot

[mpc123]

Been great since joining, probably made a little harder by all the talk about him being rubbish pre kicking a ball and frankly quite embarrassing and probably difficult when trying to bring in the best players.

Just a little thought before creating silly reactions like that.

The club is investing and building on things to entice players and the fans then do that pre kicking a ball, it really doesn't help at all.

I suppose just grow up and wait before making silly assumptions.

[Blue Green Algae]

If we're serious about progressing there's no argument for signing Byrne. He's 33. We've already got Pearson. Yes he's done a good job, but if we can't find a better, ball playing, centre half the right side of 30 then our recruitment is dire.

[GazLaz]

If we're serious about progressing there's no argument for signing Byrne. He's 33. We've already got Pearson. Yes he's done a good job, but if we can't find a better, ball playing, centre half the right side of 30 then our recruitment is dire.

A another takeaway from the Lee Glover interview for me was that there appears to be no real criteria to the recruitment. No real mention of profiles, be that age, skillset, or physical etc. Do we not work within any hard and fast parameters when identifying players based on position? The striker recruitment highlights that I suppose, Sharp, Street, Hanlan, FO, all part of the group recently and all very different. What does optimal look like?

The same could be said for the center half position. Byrne replaced CO'R, very different profiles.

Another interesting summer coming up.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

If we're serious about progressing there's no argument for signing Byrne. He's 33. We've already got Pearson. Yes he's done a good job, but if we can't find a better, ball playing, centre half the right side of 30 then our recruitment is dire.

A another takeaway from the Lee Glover interview for me was that there appears to be no real criteria to the recruitment. No real mention of profiles, be that age, skillset, or physical etc. Do we not work within any hard and fast parameters when identifying players based on position? The striker recruitment highlights that I suppose, Sharp, Street, Hanlan, FO, all part of the group recently and all very different. What does optimal look like?

The same could be said for the center half position. Byrne replaced CO'R, very different profiles.

Another interesting summer coming up.

It's a broad interview about the man rather than the detail of the job, working from the same format of all the previous 'A Coffee with...' series. 

[jmt23]

I like Byrne, he has added that bit of knowledge and leadership. He has certainly been the best performer in that centre back position. Obviously COR was a great player with every attribute you would want, but I very much doubts we have the money to buy that calibre, it does show the club know what to look for, but I would also imagine every other club are looking for these attributes too.

[selby]

  There is only one way to look at it for me and going way back, when have we been the most successful as a club.
     Foster, the Sarge, Moore, Jones, Wilcox, Butler McCombe etc, etc, uncompromising big defenders who knew when to play a bit and when to tough it out and get rid, and in many cases the first names on the team sheet of the managers of the time who didn't do fancy dans.
   Throughout those times Barnsley and Rotherham were to a point even more successful embracing the same outlook and had some pretty hard lumps down the middle.

[Rupee92ONLY]

We’ve had some fantastic ‘footballers’ play centre back for us too. Some that piss all over the some of the names you have mentioned there.

[colfromdonny]

Sign him up, he’s been great since he came. It’s no coincidence that we’re now keeping clean sheets

Probably more to do with dropping McGrath

[Ian Nimmo]

Clearly some of the best centre backs were in our time in the championship, however we are not really really in a position at present time to be able to recruit such quality.
What’s clear is that our current pairing of Byrne and Pearson are capable at this level, they appear to have steadied the ship a little, and think senior has also contributed to this.
I like Maxwell, but consider senior is a better defensively.

[Rupee92ONLY]

In a full season, Pearson has had an handful of games where he looks like he still has it. That’s not good enough.

[Usher wide.]

He’s been ok, but if we’re wanting real progression next season we want someone (two) in the O’Riordan class.

He’s too old to offer a contract to & he’d want at least two years. Not for me next season.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

I'd be quite happy if we signed him. Given the disappointment of O'Riordon going back, Byrne has proven an ideal replacement not only with his ability but his calming influence. Although we're always on the look out for good players who might be able to step up even further, let's not look a gifthorse  in the mouth when it's likely he wouldn't cost the earth.

I remember his response when asked about a permanent deal at the end of this interview. 7mins 30secs in.

https://youtu.be/qFEcyGoKXyM?si=sJQW7pSaWTHtGb6w

[Blue Green Algae]

  There is only one way to look at it for me and going way back, when have we been the most successful as a club.
     Foster, the Sarge, Moore, Jones, Wilcox, Butler McCombe etc, etc, uncompromising big defenders who knew when to play a bit and when to tough it out and get rid, and in many cases the first names on the team sheet of the managers of the time who didn't do fancy dans.
   Throughout those times Barnsley and Rotherham were to a point even more successful embracing the same outlook and had some pretty hard lumps down the middle.

Is that the only way to look at it? Not one of those players was part of an established Championship side under Sean O'Driscoll.

[wing commander]

He’s been ok, but if we’re wanting real progression next season we want someone (two) in the O’Riordan class.

He’s too old to offer a contract to & he’d want at least two years. Not for me next season.

I'm in agreement with that. He has been just what we needed.Shored us up and is one of the main reasons why we arnt already nailed on for relegation.

However at the age he is i think it would be folly to hand him a contract. He's not the quickest as it is and there will be no progression with him now. If our ambition is to be a mid to lower table survivor then ok but if we are looking above that we need recruitment to find someone younger,quicker and progressive.

[scawsby steve]

  There is only one way to look at it for me and going way back, when have we been the most successful as a club.
     Foster, the Sarge, Moore, Jones, Wilcox, Butler McCombe etc, etc, uncompromising big defenders who knew when to play a bit and when to tough it out and get rid, and in many cases the first names on the team sheet of the managers of the time who didn't do fancy dans.
   Throughout those times Barnsley and Rotherham were to a point even more successful embracing the same outlook and had some pretty hard lumps down the middle.

Is that the only way to look at it? Not one of those players was part of an established Championship side under Sean O'Driscoll.

We'll not get the kind of budget now that we had then, BGA.

[Blue Green Algae]

Agreed the budget nowadays will be somewhat more conservative, but the point remains that our best defenders (Hird, Mills, Lockwood) were not the bruisers that some people automatically assume make the best defenders.

[StocksArmy]

I’d be happy for us to offer Byrne something but, we will still need to sign 2 others and for me move Pearson on. Send Grehan out on loan to league 2 also.

[DonnyOsmond]

Some defenders are aggressive tacklers, some are more about positioning, think Ferdinand and Vidic pairing.

[Bessie Red]

I’d be happy for us to offer Byrne something but, we will still need to sign 2 others and for me move Pearson on. Send Grehan out on loan to league 2 also.

I agree with offering Byrne something, but I'd try and move McGrath on rather than Pearson.

[Sammy Chung was King]

At this level or any other, you need two central defenders who do the simple things well, who rarely get injured so they can build a partnership. We seem to have that now, Byrne don’t forget will want stability for his family, even if Bradford don’t want him as seems the case, we would have to offer a two year contract I would think. Most clubs don’t like doing that when players get to thirty plus.

Yes we want young players, but if you don’t have a mix of experience in there you will struggle. At the back personally I think you can get away with two experienced centre backs, if you have quick, youthful players at wing or full back, and a midfield who can cover the ground. I still think McGrath has a long term future at the side of one of these guys or in a three with wing backs. Giving him two years plus is a gamble, experienced player  can deteriorate in what seems over night. See how the season finishes and where that leaves us and him.

[Usher wide.]

I’d be happy for us to offer Byrne something but, we will still need to sign 2 others and for me move Pearson on. Send Grehan out on loan to league 2 also.

I agree with offering Byrne something, but I'd try and move McGrath on rather than Pearson.

Byrne is not worth throwing money away on a two year contract (which is what he’ll want to sign).

McGrath will improve, Pearson won’t so we need better.

We have Senior, Sterry, Maxwell & Nixon who as my brother pointed out are our best covered positions in the squad. We have McGrath, Grehan & Faulkner who can all improve but we need two more ‘proven’ centre backs.

Gotts is a heck of a player in that deep midfield role. Alongside Bailey, Clifton, Elliot & Close (not sure where we stand with Ben’s contract but if it’s up I’d give him another year) we have options in midfield. Sbarra, Broadbent, Westbrooke we don’t give a look in to.

Mols, Haks & if Middleton’s contract runs another year then keep him as back up but Gibson only comes ‘alive’ with the sun on his back. He’s had more chances than most, time to ditch him & look out for another pacey wide man who has a goal in him.

We currently have nothing up front. Hanlan I believe has a year to run so keep him as back up & sign at least two front men so that Hanlan might never have to be called upon again to jog & wrestle around. He’s miles behind what Joe Ironside offered us…..& Joe never jogged.

[mpc123]

If your stsndard is joe ironside, your asking to sign a league 2 struggler.

He had a good season.

Hanlan is better than him in so many ways and probably still learning the hold up role, being what seems more of a converted winger.

There is a real possibility Hanlan ends up with double figures goals wise.

That goal scoring table currently in this league, shows top goal scorers arent a reflection of league position.