Dudfield

[The General]

Where's HK Blue when you need him? This is about the only matter i agree with him about. Put the point across please Matt.

 

[Dreams]

Personally I feel all three strikers bring something to the side, but to say Freddy and Lawrie do not play well I think is not fair. Dudfield likes to hold the ball up and brings players into the action, this allows Freddy to sit a bit deeper allowing him to search the ball out! Play off final prime example in extra time, lawrie lead man, ball pumped his way, puts in hard graft, holds up ball and allows feddy to come into the frame. Just my view anyway!!!

 

[Welsh_Shrimperz]

Dudfield agent keep ringing Mark Wright 7 time to push the deal through, which is clear that Dudfield not prepared to stay and be an hero if he score the winner agasint Col Ewes - if he want to move to Peterboro, let him go there - after all, he is free agent and have right to move anywhere he like. Getting 2 forward is an MUST for next season, included an winger and an left back.

 

[Beefy]

I can't see Duds staying. the common theme running through tonight's Echo article is that he wants to play first team football and that isn't going to happen here. whenever we were up against it last season tilly went back to Freddy & Gray, and with a new striker the number one priority I doubt Duds will even play as often next year as he did this, barring injuries.

Shame as personally I think he's the best goalscorer at the club.

 

[Hambone]

Yeah I think Dudders is a decent player, it would be a shame to see him go. But if he doesn't want to play for the club, then we can't make him. Tilly and Brush must get the strikers in that we need for next season.

 

[Beefy]

I think he does want to play for the lub. "Play" being the opperative word. Thats the problem.

 

[Matt the Shrimp]

Quote[/b] (Spaceman Spiff @ July 01 2005,15:27)]He also got countless assists for Freddy's goals last year...

Yep, watch the goals from last season folks. You will be surprised - perhaps even amazed - at how key a player Wayne Gray was last season.

He set up Freddy far more times, and looked a far more capable player, than I (or many on here) have ever given him credit for.

It's lucky that Tilly & Brush are the management team, rather than us lot.

 

[Matt the Shrimp]

Quote[/b] (Beefy @ July 02 2005,09:50)]I think he does want to play for the lub. "Play" being the opperative word. Thats the problem.

Spot on. Unfortunately, if Lawrie is lacking in one thing, it's a little bit of self-belief at the moment. Injuries, and things not working out at Hull & Leicester have done that to him.

If he really backed himself, he'd be thinking "I can dislodge Wayne Gray and in the process become the perfect strike-partner for Freddy". Alas, I don't think he backs himself enough at the moment; although it's perhaps an illusion to think he'll get it much easier anywhere else.

I hope he stays. It's up to Tilly & Brush to give him enough confidence and hope that he's capable of breaking into the side.

The rest is up to Lawrie...

Matt

 

[Hong Kong Blue]

Quote[/b] (The General @ July 01 2005,19:09)]Where's HK Blue when you need him? This is about the only matter i agree with him about. Put the point across please Matt.

C'mon Kev, you know I'm always right!

I was quite keen to see how Dudfield and Eastwood play together, as both are intelligent players who have the potential to link well. However having seen them alongside each other it was obvious that if that pairing is to work both they and the team will have to put a lot of work in on the training field in order to make the necessary adjustments.

For a start they need to co-ordinate their runs better and ensure that there is always someone in the middle. Eastwood's inclination is to drop deep and Dudfield is to run the channels meaning they play too far apart to play the quick interchanges which is the main attraction of picking both.

It would also require the rest of the team to change their delivery to the forwards. This for me is the big stumbling block. I think we need someone up front who is big and mobile. A more consistent Tes Bramble would be ideal, but such a player would be beyond our wage structure. Gray can be great, be too often frustrates as his touch is erratic and his passing is woeful. He remains our best option at present, but is when off form our biggest weakness in the team. Having seen him play for a season, I'm convinced we need at least a viable alternative to cover for him when out of form. Dudfield is more of an alternative for Eastwood if - heaven forbid - he got injured.

 

[sufcintheprem]

Just an insight in to Dudfield that my mate from Leicester told me a little while back. Apparently, the main reason he didn't make it there was because he was too weak on the ball. This really surprised me cos I've always thought of him as a pretty solid player for holding the ball up.

I do wonder how much the step up to League 1 will be in terms of physical state of the players. Whilst I wasn't too keen on us signing Akinfenwa, I know he would be an absolute handful for Barrett and Prior. If people thought Parkin was difficult to play against then try taking off some of the height and putting in a lot more pace.

 

[Angell Delight]

Quote[/b] (sufcintheprem @ July 03 2005,17:28)]I do wonder how much the step up to League 1 will be in terms of physical state of the players.

The physical side isn't an issue as it will be no more physical in L1 than L2. The only real difference is we should get slightly more time on the ball, which will suit our key players down to the ground IMHO (Gower, Maher, Eastwood etc).

 

[sufcintheprem]

I'm not sure about that at all. I think Parkin was the most dominating physical presence I saw against us in League 2 last year but, off the top of my head, I can think of Fletcher of Bournemouth, Howard of Luton and Akinfenwa of Torquay who were all playing at various levels in League 2 who are also bigger/stronger than Parkin and Howard aside, more mobile.

Also seems there are a lot more pacey strikers about. Still, if we defend as well as last year then we should be ok but I feel that we'll get punished more in games like Rochdale at home where we could easily have been 1-0 down at the break if Bertos hadn't decided Row Z was better than the open net.