Simon Dawkins

[TheDeadlySaul]

Probably the player who is most similar to Hughes in our side, but isn't getting any game time.

He is exactly what we need a creative midfielder who can link up player with out attack. It frustrates me that he isn't getting game time when players like Hendrick and Weimann who haven't played above average this season are getting a hell a lot more game time then him.

[cloughandtaylor]

Wow does he still play for us?

[Papahet]

Clearly isn't in Clements plans.

Surely you'd have brought Him on yesterday instead of sticking Baird at CM otherwise 

[Sexydadbod]

Rather he played than the disappearing act that is named hendrick

[TheDeadlySaul]

Clearly isn't in Clements plans.

Surely you'd have brought Him on yesterday instead of sticking Baird at CM otherwise 

Exactly, I have no idea why we seem to be subbing on Ryan Shotton in the time where we need a goal rather than an attacking player like Dawkins. 

[Bris Vegas]

When there is no link between the defence and front three, and you have a player of Dawkins' quality sitting on the bench and you don't use him and instead bring on Shotton... Well that's just a little idiotic don't you think?

He's massively undervalued and underused at this club. I hope he's getting paid well to compensate for us messing him about.

 

[McMuffin]

Shotton's in his plans 

[davenportram]

Rather he played than the disappearing act that is named hendrick

Whe he was instructed to push on at the start of the second hal Hendrick was far from missing. However in the first half when he was told to sit back he was anonymous, and again when Hanson when asked to pla in the 4-4-2 ormation at the end in a less advanced role. Maybe its down to the formation being played.

 

[TheDeadlySaul]

Whe he was instructed to push on at the start of the second hal Hendrick was far from missing. However in the first half when he was told to sit back he was anonymous, and again when Hanson when asked to pla in the 4-4-2 ormation at the end in a less advanced role. Maybe its down to the formation being played.

Hendrick annoys me to end, he obviously has quality, but when watching him he looks like he doesn't know that he is on a pitch. He reacts so slow when given the ball and the drifts in and out of games. 

And when we switched to the 4-2-4 we needed some link up player with the forwards. Sol Bamba was man marking Martin all game and he struggled to bring in other players into the game. 

[Gypsy Ram]

Rather he played than the disappearing act that is named hendrick

Enough of this Hendrick bashing. We only played well when he was pushed further up. He was okay yesterday. In regards to Dawks, he played really well in his cameo role and was one of the better player until substituted. 

[Animal is a Ram]

I don't think Clement sees him as a central midfielder.

Listening to his postmatch comments yesterday, he made a remark (to some effect) that he had to bring Shotton on because there were no natural midfielders left on the bench.

[Bris Vegas]

If anyone doesn't think Dawkins can do the defensive side of the game, watch our 1-1 draw with Forest last season.

[McMuffin]

I don't think Clement sees him as a central midfielder.

Listening to his postmatch comments yesterday, he made a remark (to some effect) that he had to bring Shotton on because there were no natural midfielders left on the bench.

Yet he think's Weimann is left winger.

And Shotton's a super sub and the go to man to bring on when chasing a game!

Baffling

Amateur

Rookie

Were fooked!

[Gypsy Ram]

If anyone doesn't think Dawkins can do the defensive side of the game, watch our 1-1 draw with Forest last season.

he was a beast that game.

[cannable]

he was a beast that game.

Didn't he end up having to play both full-back and centre-mid once Bucko got sent off? 

[Bridgford Ram]

He's not on his own in not rating Dawkins.  He may have talent or skills but he is not an effective footballer.

[ronnieronalde]

In the thread that took a silly turn, at no point was I saying Dawkins was poor, my surprise was the he was listed  as a "special" type of footballer the likes of which are rarely seen at Derby or exactly this...

 "A player whose skill and touch transcends the hectic power and athleticism of the modern game. We have been lucky in recent years to have a few of these special players at the club.".

I perhaps wrongly thought that quote was waxing lyrical about him a little too much and lifting Dawkins above his true level.

I don't think he's bad at all and never have, I think he's a good squad player and someone who can do a job.

Now looking at his "stats" from last year what I wasn't expecting to see was this.

He got on the pitch 42 times in all competitions for Derby and out of those 42 appearances 25 wins, 10 draws and just 7 losses. They are some pretty impressive stats.

I don't and won't rate him as highly as some do on here but I don't for one minute see how he doesn't get on the pitch when every other one of our central midfielders apart from Hendrick are either injured or have been taken off.

To bring on Shotton ans switch Baird into the centre under those circumstances was truly worrying and for those saying Shotton did ok, if you get a chance to watch the game back, have a look at how many times he gave the ball away whether that was a 5 yard ball or an attempted ball into the box when he was advanced. 

I can only think the Portsmouth game did for Dawkins. Let's not forget he started that and we were so poor collectively he was subbed after the hour mark. Clement spoke of players been given their opportunity and blowing it, I can only assume Dawks was the scapegoat for that loss, there had to be one and it was him.

I can only think that Clement doesn't trust him at all and I know that once a manager has lost trust in a player, the player is done.

I really think it's a poor decision and it's another reason I'm struggling to get my head around Paul's way of thinking.

I don't think Dawks is even close to being a Hughes replacement but he's plenty good enough to bring on in a game where we've got no midfield and have totally lost the shape and are being overrun in the centre of the park.

I think he's got to move if he wants game time. Baffling from Paul though,

[DRBee]

You don't need an essay to state what Dawkins provides - he keeps the ball well and has the technical ability to make good passes and move the ball quickly. He is not good at contributing to winning the ball or helping the full backs defensively and that has limited his appearances.He is as skillful as Hughes but not as influential. i agree with that original post that he could be a delight to watch in a way few players are, though to be fair his best was often shown against inferior opposition rather than the key games against the top teams. But Dawkins ability to keep the ball will always be useful.

 

Unfortunately Clement seems to  be one of those managers where caution rules and his choices in midfield show this. MacClaren has the  best win rate / lowest loss rate of any Derby manager  ( by far ) and he gained this by being adventurous , even reckless. Clement will have seen Dawkins in training but he has hardly had any game time since he came back from international duty.

[angieram]

Ronnie:

Now looking at his "stats" from last year what I wasn't expecting to see was this.

He got on the pitch 42 times in all competitions for Derby and out of those 42 appearances 25 wins, 10 draws and just 7 losses. They are some pretty impressive stats.

Thanks for those stats.

Opinion on Dawkins has always been divided on here. However, we'll only know whether he can or can't deliver for Clement if he gets some time on the pitch and it seemed to me to be a missed opportunity to try this yesterday with a further two forced midfield substitutions.

[Bris Vegas]

He's not on his own in not rating Dawkins.  He may have talent or skills but he is not an effective footballer.

Define effective...

Would you say Andres Iniesta is effective? If so, label what he's effective at. The same applies for Will Hughes. What exactly is Will Hughes effective at?

The simple fact is, in a possession-based team, you need midfielders who can create space, offer movement, pick the ball off defenders and move the ball forwards.

Can Craig Bryson, Jeff Hendrick or Jamie Hanson do that? IMO, no where near well enough. Dawkins, on the other hand, has all the attributes necessary to do that and Hughes himself labelled him the best technical player at the club.

Now, as 4-3-3 evidently suits or team and gets the best out of the majority of the players, I cannot fathom the idea of not having a ball-playing midfielder who is capable of providing passes to our dangerous front three.

Dawkins is so vastly underrused it's actually painful. 

I also cannot understand why people label him as ineffective or poor. How many chances has he been given in a cental midfield spot? How many? Two? Both times he played there last year he was MOTM.

People are still rating him as a winger, or an attacking midfielder. Rate him as a central midfielder, as a controlling possession-based midfielder in the role of Iniesta/Cazorla and you'll soon see how he clearly has the ability to play there.

If we were a long-ball, direct team who just pumps it into the channels, then I could understand your ineffective comments. But we're a possession-based team who is struggling to get the ball from...

A (the defence)  ---------------------------------------------------> B (the strikers).

And we leave our best ball-playing player available on the bench. It's utterly ludicrous.