Footballers

[Day]

Oh, I'm gay for Dawkins but I don't write for HITC. Somebody hasn't heard of the #DMLB

Makings of a chant right there, just need to find a YouTube video now

[SSD]

I'm delighted at how the academy runs now choosing footballers compared to what it used to be ten years ago.

 

I remember going for a trial at Moor Farm when I was just about to finish primary school. Little skinny kid with no physical presences but could get stuck in and could pass the ball to feet. Some technical ability. Not good enough to be a professional footballer but a good indicator for my parents to decide if it was right for me. I remember playing a game with Callum Ball and he was a much bigger kid than the rest of the other lads. He could barge me over no problem and scored goals for fun just using his strength. But could he pass the ball better than most? Not really. Did he have what the pundits would call "a footballing brain?" Not particularly. He was just a big strong kid who had filled out quicker than most and could hit the football pretty hard.

 

One of my best friends went and did the trial with me. I always knew he was a good footballer. Like me not particularly big in stature but his ball retention was brilliant, he worked tirelessly and he could control the ball and pick a pass effortlessly. He had potential. But the coach who talked to his parents told him he wouldn't be able to cope with the physicality of the game because of his size. And that sentence sums up why English football fails at tournaments. He's 12 years old, what do you expect to be built like??? 

 

So anyway he didn't get in the academy either and sadly his parents were that fed up with the "professional football coaches" he played cricket instead. And where's the big lad Callum Ball nowadays? Recently released by St. Mirren. Could you imagine David Silva as a young lad coming to the academy only to be told he wasn't physically big enough?          

[Alph]

Makings of a chant right there, just need to find a YouTube video now

It was more the beginings of a rap.

I'm looking to rap battle the Dawkins haterz. 

[Day]

It was more the beginings of a rap.

I'm looking to rap battle the Dawkins haterz. 

Am I classed as being in the haterz if I say it's strange how McClaren, Clement and Schäfer have all not spotted that Dawkins best position is centre midfield? despite working with him for hours on the training pitch and and watching all his performances yet a handful on here think it's glaringly obvious?

I don't feel like a Dawkin's hater, i like the guy but I can see why he's not getting in the team right now because we have better attacking players already on the pitch but a great backup option to have.

Found a piece on Dawkins by Robert Jonas, covers the San Jose Earthquakes where Dawkins has played the most games in his career, and scored the most goals (it is the MLS tho) was asked by the Birmingham Mail after he joined Villa 

What is his best position on the field?

"Dawkins is not a natural No.10, but does better as a withdrawn forward or winger. He was most effective playing on the left side, but he also looked comfortable when he found himself on the right. As I mentioned above, he was most effective cutting from the touchline to the inside, where he was able to link consistently with the attacking midfielder and forwards. Also, by cutting inside with regularity, the Quakes left fullback had space to make overlapping runs into the opponent’s half, an integral component to San Jose’s tactics."

A look on Spurs forums and they have him down as a winger or number 10 that they can't agree on. Apparently he played on the left for Villa so you could throw Lambert into the mix as well that didn't spot his best position.

 

[sage]

Am I classed as being in the haterz if I say it's strange how McClaren, Clement and Schäfer have all not spotted that Dawkins best position is centre midfield? despite working with him for hours on the training pitch and and watching all his performances yet a handful on here think it's glaringly obvious?

I don't feel like a Dawkin's hater, i like the guy but I can see why he's not getting in the team right now because we have better attacking players already on the pitch but a great backup option to have.

Found a piece on Dawkins by Robert Jonas, covers the San Jose Earthquakes where Dawkins has played the most games in his career, and scored the most goals (it is the MLS tho) was asked by the Birmingham Mail after he joined Villa 

What is his best position on the field?

"Dawkins is not a natural No.10, but does better as a withdrawn forward or winger. He was most effective playing on the left side, but he also looked comfortable when he found himself on the right. As I mentioned above, he was most effective cutting from the touchline to the inside, where he was able to link consistently with the attacking midfielder and forwards. Also, by cutting inside with regularity, the Quakes left fullback had space to make overlapping runs into the opponent’s half, an integral component to San Jose’s tactics."

A look on Spurs forums and they have him down as a winger or number 10 that they can't agree on. Apparently he played on the left for Villa so you could throw Lambert into the mix as well that didn't spot his best position.

 

You will note that none of those managers were good enough to write for HITC 

[trevor1946]

Ronnieronaide does not think Dawkins is a top player.no end product.And brings stats into the post to prove a point,

We all enjoy the flair players,but a lot fall by the wayside if they fail to provide a end product.

Some people admire the stoppers in a side ,as we know both are needed to make a succesfull squad

[sage]

We were one 'footballer' short yesterday, two short after 70 minutes and after the 80th minute none in the centre of the pitch. That's why we lost.

 

[Curtains]

We were one 'footballer' short yesterday, two short after 70 minutes and after the 80th minute none in the centre of the pitch. That's why we lost.

 

Agreed .

So what needs to be done about it. 

[RiddingsRam]

Although in the agreement I really enjoy watching "footballers" play , I still think a blend of athletism and dynamism is required . 

Regarding Dawkins I still go back to the Blackpool game at home last season , and yeah I no it was blackpool but Dawkins absolutely ran the show , his vision was fantastic , why he's not in the team as a direct replacement for will I'll never no because it just makes sense .

[RiddingsRam]

Agreed .

So what needs to be done about it. 

easy ! Dawkins requires some game time !

[valleyram]

He probably won't make the bench next game as it looks like Bryson will be back , he will go straight in and Hanson be on the bench 

[sage]

Agreed .

So what needs to be done about it. 

Buy one, loan one or play 4231 and pick Dawkins

[eddie]

He probably won't make the bench next game as it looks like Bryson will be back , he will go straight in and Hanson be on the bench 

I think he will be in the team - but somebody else's, not Derby's.

I guess he just doesn't fit into Clement's 'plans' (for want of a better word) - despite the fact that on Saturday, after Thorne's injury, it was screaming out for some creativity, someone a little bit 'different', because for the last 20 minutes, Leeds completely overran midfield and we had no presence there at all.

[Ramos]

If dawkins does leave, I will be very disappointed, I feel like he was never utilised properly and with a little kick up the back side he could be  greater midfielder for us. His touch and control is probably better than any other derby player along with hughes, if he took games by the scruff of the neck he would be a top championship midfielder.

But there must be a reason why he isn't getting a look in, he can't be doing enough in training to persuade Clement to put him in. Or maybe its Kinkladze under John Gregory all over again, I seem to remember him basically never playing kinky, then burley came in and kinkladze was straight into the team and he basically kept us up from what I remember. 

[Day]

He probably won't make the bench next game as it looks like Bryson will be back , he will go straight in and Hanson be on the bench 

Great news, tell Craig we need him back and at his best asap  

[sage]

Reflecting on the transfer window and yesterday's game I thought I'd revisit the footballer's debate again. 

We brought in 2 midfield players, one of which Butterfield is very much a footballer and Johnson less so, more of an athlete. With Hughes out for such a long time and Thorne still fragile, Butterfield's purchase was essential to our chances. Johnson's was a good purchase but as he is effectively an upgrade on Hendrick, he isn't a season changer for me.

This was evident during yesterday's game. Both players were effective but you could see the footballers in the team gravitating towards Butterfield and when he was substituted for Hendrick the team failed to keep possession and Prestom created 3 chances.

The lack of control was intensified when Ince was replaced by Weimann, further lessening the footballer to athlete ratio. I know it's an old argument, but we could have done with Dawkins on the pitch instead.

[RIMBAUD]

sage, do you mean dawkins as the ince sub?

[sage]

sage, do you mean dawkins as the ince sub?

Yes

[RIMBAUD]

My concern is there can be an overstating of the importance of pace, power physicality and so on. Yes you need to compete but there's something to be said for keeping the ball when you're two nil up.

I fear that Dawkins is not really in PCs thoughts and that's a shame imo.

[sage]

It's interesting that we now (to some extent) have footballers down the right hand side of our team who like to keep possession and are able to do so in tight spaces. I am relating to Butterfield and Ince and it's interesting to now see Martin spend more time in and inside right position to link up with them. 

Our left hand side tend to be more athletic and good strong runners such as Forsyth, Johnson and Russell, though the latter isn't a bad footballer. 

Though of us old enough to remember Derby under Arthur Cox will remember Derby playing tight little triangles of play down the left and side centred around McMinn, sucking the opposition defence and midfield towards them in an atempt to win possession, then we would switch the ball to the right to Micklewhite who would have space to run at the full back one on one. 

It will be interesting if Derby develop a similar pattern of play this season with build up play concentrated down our right hand side before switching to Forsyth and Russell to run at an exposed flank. As our RB position is arguably our weakest position (in terms of quality not quantity) it would be interesting to see us buy or loan a good footballing RB to further accentuate our possession dominated right hand side and develop this parry and thrust. right/left pattern of play.