Question Blair Sturrock and the rat tail

[Stats]

My first game of the season yesterday so first chance to see the great pretender.

Question?

What on earth is going on with that Rat Tail?

He looks like he should be working on a pikey fairground than wandring around a football pitch.

Perhaps the club can use this as a marketing tool and start selling clip on pony tails in the club shop like Rodney once wore in Only Fools & Horses.

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

My first game of the season yesterday so first chance to see the great pretender.

Question?

What on earth is going on with that Rat Tail?



He looks like he should be working on a pikey fairground than wandring around a football pitch.

Perhaps the club can use this as a marketing tool and start selling clip on pony tails in the club shop like Rodney once wore in Only Fools & Horses.

Hi Stats.
We covered this a little while back in the thead called 'Hello', ironically started by SturrocksPonyTail.


Hi SturrocksPonyTail. Welcome to the Zone.
I think you're right about recognising Blair's birthday, as he has already scored one goal and keeps holding the ball up well. Last game, he even managed a shot at goal. I was thinking that we could club together for this;
http://www.onlinejokeshop.co.uk/fan...other_gents_wigs/black_ross_ponytail_wig.html
and I think this colour would make him look a younger, fitter striker. He will be well chuffed. ''Happy Birthday Blair''.

 

[Stats]

Great minds eh :cool:

 

[Angell Delight]

I'm not one to slag off anyone who gives 100% for the club and I can only commend Blair for his effort and also his ability to bring others into play but one thing I said to Stats at the game yesterday was that Sturrock looks about as dangerous as a homosexual in a brothel. We need a striker who knows where the net is, if we get one we've got a great chance of promotion.

Oh and that rat's tail HAS to go...... :)

 

[Ozzer]

I understand PS has him in the team to do a 'job'. Well I can't see what Blair is providing to the team, apart from backing into defenders and committing fouls, turning circles and regularly giving the ball to the opposition. He's not tall or strong enough to win and hold the ball up front. I can't question his effort and I'm all for a father looking after his son but to avoid calls of nepotism the son should be exceptional. I haven't seen it yet.

 

[* ORM *]

I think the real point here is that in a 4-5-1 striker role Daddy's boy is NO use to us whatsover and his selection has to be questioned. In any other tactical combination I can see where he adds value.

 

[Beefy]

He can play that role in that formation but he needs support from other players. At least one of the centre-midfielders needs to start making runs beyond him and the two widemen need to look to play off of him too. If we're playing 4-5-1 then the whole team need to learn how to play that way. Chelsea have been playing that formation for years with great effect and that's not just down to having possibly the best striker in the World, it's because of the way that Essien, Lampard & Malouda and Joe Cole, Robben and Duff before them understood exactly what they are supposed to be doing.

If we're expecting Sturrock (or Corr for that matter) to score the goals himself then we're in trouble

 

[Cricko]

He is cack.

That is all.

 

[EastStandBlue]

He can play that role in that formation but he needs support from other players. At least one of the centre-midfielders needs to start making runs beyond him and the two widemen need to look to play off of him too. If we're playing 4-5-1 then the whole team need to learn how to play that way. Chelsea have been playing that formation for years with great effect and that's not just down to having possibly the best striker in the World, it's because of the way that Essien, Lampard & Malouda and Joe Cole, Robben and Duff before them understood exactly what they are supposed to be doing.

If we're expecting Sturrock (or Corr for that matter) to score the goals himself then we're in trouble

Absolutely... Drogba is probably one of the best, if not only, prolific targetmen in world football, but his presence and ability in holding the ball up allow Malouda, Lampard, Essien and Kalou the time and space to get their shots off and score. In this system, we will need Hall, Grant, Simpson and Soares to pitch in with their fair share of goals.

 

[Roxy]

He can play that role in that formation but he needs support from other players. At least one of the centre-midfielders needs to start making runs beyond him and the two widemen need to look to play off of him too. If we're playing 4-5-1 then the whole team need to learn how to play that way. Chelsea have been playing that formation for years with great effect and that's not just down to having possibly the best striker in the World, it's because of the way that Essien, Lampard & Malouda and Joe Cole, Robben and Duff before them understood exactly what they are supposed to be doing.

If we're expecting Sturrock (or Corr for that matter) to score the goals himself then we're in trouble

I agree that others have to pitch in with the goals to make this system work, and Granty has done this with good effect.
But what I can't understand is why Screech is not getting a fair crack of the whip?
He has pace and knows where the goal is. I don't see (so far) what Soares offers that Screech does'nt.

Think Sturrock or Corr on their own would work well with Spencer's pace - but I think with Sturrock and Corr together the goals will be sparse at best imo.

 

[Beefy]

Absolutely... Drogba is probably one of the best, if not only, prolific targetmen in world football, but his presence and ability in holding the ball up allow Malouda, Lampard, Essien and Kalou the time and space to get their shots off and score. In this system, we will need Hall, Grant, Simpson and Soares to pitch in with their fair share of goals.

Yep. Ideally the targetman would chip in with 20 as well but how many goalscoring 'big men' are there in the bottom two divisions? Lambert is the only one I can think of and he cost £1m. Grant Holt last year too.

I actually think Alex Revell would have been as good as we could have had in that role in that he does the donkey work and will chip in with a dozen goals along the way. Corr and Sturrock won't get that many. Hopefully their build-up play can make up for it though.

 

[Beefy]

I agree that others have to pitch in with the goals to make this system work, and Granty has done this with good effect.
But what I can't understand is why Screech is not getting a fair crack of the whip?
He has pace and knows where the goal is. I don't see (so far) what Soares offers that Screech does'nt.

Think Sturrock or Corr on their own would work well with Spencer's pace - but I think with Sturrock and Corr together the goals will be sparse at best imo.

Has Spencer got pace? I've never really seen it although I'll be honest and say that I've not watched him many times.

Soares looks lost at the moment (although Hall looks a cracking find) so hopefully Spencer gets a chance there.

 

[EastStandBlue]

I agree that others have to pitch in with the goals to make this system work, and Granty has done this with good effect.
But what I can't understand is why Screech is not getting a fair crack of the whip?
He has pace and knows where the goal is. I don't see (so far) what Soares offers that Screech does'nt.

Think Sturrock or Corr on their own would work well with Spencer's pace - but I think with Sturrock and Corr together the goals will be sparse at best imo.

Probably Soares' ability as a natural winger, rather than a striker playing out wide.... I haven't seen enough from Spencer in this role to convince me that he can be responsible for the defensive aspect as well as getting forward, and his exclusion would indicate that Sturrock hasn't either. Taking the Chelsea example again, Anelka took a fair while to get used to this particular tactic and is considerably lucky to have the best left-back in the world behind him, covering for his lack of defensive presence.

 

[Pubey]

Has Spencer got pace? I've never really seen it although I'll be honest and say that I've not watched him many times.

Soares looks lost at the moment (although Hall looks a cracking find) so hopefully Spencer gets a chance there.

He's no slouch, but he isn't lightning quick.

 

[Roxy]

Probably Soares' ability as a natural winger, rather than a striker playing out wide.... I haven't seen enough from Spencer in this role to convince me that he can be responsible for the defensive aspect as well as getting forward, and his exclusion would indicate that Sturrock hasn't either. Taking the Chelsea example again, Anelka took a fair while to get used to this particular tactic and is considerably lucky to have the best left-back in the world behind him, covering for his lack of defensive presence.

I agree that Spencer is not a winger and that out on the wing is definitely not his best positon, however, the point yourself and Beefy were making re Blair is that for the system to work we need more goals from elsewhere and my feeling is that we have more chance of Spencer scoring than Soares (from what I have seen so far). Or for that matter Paterson?

I can't help thinking that they are just not 'fancied' by PS as they were not his choices, that's life and it happens in football all the time. Spencer/Paterson will probably be shipped out on loan and score 20 + goals in this League.

 

[Southend Neil]

Drogba and Sturrock in the same thread, blimey what a contrast!

My view is that he has to be put on the bench as soon as possible, more so if we are playing 4-5-1. I appreciate scoring goals isn't everything but to at least look like scoring would be nice especially if you are the only striker. He has no pace, poor in the air and basically is very limited. If we want someone to play that role then Corr is far, far superior in every department I think. Better in the air, can lay off just as well as Blair and whilst not prolific, looks more of a goal threat than Blair. Playing an impotent front man is costing us and will continue to do so in my view, cant rely on Grant every week.

The one thing I dont think is fair is to criticise him for being the managers son, I think that is a cheap shot and if anything I think PS would treat him tougher than the others to avoid the calls of nepotism and it is his job on the line if we lose games.

Would also like to see Soares relegated to the bench and Evans given a go in goal. Morris doesn't convince me.

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

Been saying it from day one, as a striker, he's as poor as they come.But he holds the ball up well, and brings others into play. Great.
That back to goal thing is pathetic, away from home it's even worse. He's hardly had a shot since his first game goal.
It is a father/son thing, don't care what anyone says. No other manager would have started him every game, and the three that he is picked ahead of, Corr, Paterson and Spencer aren't great themselves, but are more of a threat and much more likely to score, and are all a little faster.

 

[Beefy]

That 'back to goal thing' is how a target man is supposed to play, especially away from home. He's in the side to hold the ball up thirty yards from goal and bring others into play. He's not in the side to sprint past three defenders and rifle one in from twenty yards and frankly if that is what he was doing every time he got the ball then he wouldn't be playing his role correctly (although I doubt any of us would be complaining).

I've only seen Sturrock twice and haven't been overly impressed either time, but until the players behind him learn how to play off of him to make this formation work then his is a thankless task.

 

[Beefy]

Drogba and Sturrock in the same thread, blimey what a contrast!

My view is that he has to be put on the bench as soon as possible, more so if we are playing 4-5-1. I appreciate scoring goals isn't everything but to at least look like scoring would be nice especially if you are the only striker. He has no pace, poor in the air and basically is very limited. If we want someone to play that role then Corr is far, far superior in every department I think. Better in the air, can lay off just as well as Blair and whilst not prolific, looks more of a goal threat than Blair.

Is Barry Corr is a more potent striker than Blair Sturrock? They both have around a 1 in 3 career record if you look at starts, and both scored the same number of goals last season (3) although Corr played far more games.

Neither Corr nor Sturrock will get a significant number of goals and changing one for the other isn't suddenly going to make the formation work. It's the midfielders and the two wide forwards who are going to need to be the main goal threats.

 

[Onion_Bag_Dave]

That 'back to goal thing' is how a target man is supposed to play, especially away from home. He's in the side to hold the ball up and bring others into play. He's not in the side to sprint past three defenders and rifle one in from twenty yards and frankly if that is what he was doing every time he got the ball then he wouldn't be playing his role correctly (although I doubt any of us would be complaining).

I've only seen Sturrock twice and haven't been overly impressed either time, but until the players behind him learn how to play off of him to make this formation work then his is a thankless task.

Correctooo, and it did work against Bradford and Torquay.
It almost worked against Norfumptan aswell, but we forgot how to defend.