Howard to Saints

[brendywendy]

dont care- the set up for that team was the same- they were predominantly defensive in set up in the middle of the park, with instructions to play the ball quickly to the wingers when they got it. and thats the system he was moaning about.
i think ledge can play box to box as well as sidwell, play simple passes like harper, but crucially also has the ability to tackle.
if only we had two of him.

As you seem to acknowledge, Sidwell was a box to box midfielder, not a holding midfielder. He certainly wasn't "predominantly defensive".

that was the set up, and those were the directions given to them.
one of them would sit while the other supported from around the box when we had teh ball. when we didnt they were both sat in front of the back 4.

[brendywendy]

dont care- the set up for that team was the same- they were predominantly defensive in set up in the middle of the park, with instructions to play the ball quickly to the wingers when they got it. and thats the system he was moaning about.
i think ledge can play box to box as well as sidwell, play simple passes like harper, but crucially also has the ability to tackle.
if only we had two of him.

As you seem to acknowledge, Sidwell was a box to box midfielder, not a holding midfielder. He certainly wasn't "predominantly defensive".

Absolutely. Sidwell made runs into the box supporting the strikers whilst Harper 'starfished' in the holding role. Also, Murty and Shorey were deployed alongside the wingers. Our current full backs don't quite do the same thing.

Whilst it's 4-4-2 now, it's totally different from out current midfield 4 and how the full backs supplement the midfield...ergo, not the same as the 106 team. Our midfield was very 'offensive', not defensive, as is now.

the only difference is the full backs.put in cummings and bertrand and bingo!

[Maguire]

Little = best player EVER

ORLY?

Even we didn't see the best of Glen but that's a very bold statement Mags.

OKay, RFC's best ever player is probably Steve Sidwell or Nicky Shorey etc but I honestly don't think i've ever seen a Reading player do things with the football that Glen Little could. Pure talent, despite his physical disadvantages (eg. he ran like he was injured all the time).

Remember sitting in the East Stand for the Man Utd cup replay when we lost 3-2. He came on and absolutely murdered Gabriel Heinze with his close control. At one point he megged him and Heinze ended up looking the wrong way, doubtless thinking "hang on a minute, how the hell am i getting done by this pub player?"

[Ian Royal]

He takes free-kicks and corners

So do McAnuff and Harte.

Your post said "McAnuff or Kebe"

Yes, as a comparison of the number of assists he gets. You said he takes corners and free kicks as if that somehow countered claims of his creativity, despite half his assists coming from open play, and I pointed out that McAnuff & Harte take them as well. It certainly hasn't helped Harte get assists a great deal. And actually he's only one assist behind Kebe if you take out the free kicks & corners.

So thank you for highlighting another way in which we'll miss him.

[brendywendy]

i would happily watch glen little play in that mode forever.
worth 10 sidwells entertainment wise, and better close control than any player ive ever seen live- including ronaldo.
maybe that is amplified slightly by the shock that such a slow player could take it past any number of players and gain a couple of yards, simply through the power of his footballing brain

[Ian Royal]

i would happily watch glen little play in that mode forever.
worth 10 sidwells entertainment wise, and better close control than any player ive ever seen live- including ronaldo.
maybe that is amplified slightly by the shock that such a slow player could take it past any number of players and gain a couple of yards, simply through the power of his footballing brain

Little >> form Kebe >> form Convey >> McAnuff >> normal Kebe >> normal Convey.

[brendywendy]

i would happily watch glen little play in that mode forever.
worth 10 sidwells entertainment wise, and better close control than any player ive ever seen live- including ronaldo.
maybe that is amplified slightly by the shock that such a slow player could take it past any number of players and gain a couple of yards, simply through the power of his footballing brain

Little >> form Kebe >> form Convey >> McAnuff >> normal Kebe >> normal Convey.

ok, ill give you that, except the use of normal kebe to signify the old one.
im hopelessly biased about jimmy, and my brain wont let me think of him as anything other than consistently brilliant

[Maguire]

Your post said "McAnuff or Kebe"

Yes, as a comparison of the number of assists he gets. You said he takes corners and free kicks as if that somehow countered claims of his creativity

It's a pretty obvious advantage in the assist stakes over Kebe, one of the players you're comparing his assisting too. Surely it's not hard to grasp that, is it?

despite half his assists coming from open play

He has five assists - which one was half open-play and half set-piece?

[Ian Royal]

Just my opinion. Kebe always looks dangerous, he just doesn't produce nearly as much as he looks like he ought to, or could, most of the time.

[Elmer Park]

Since Glen Little was referred to in this thread I will mention as a point of information that he played as a trialist for Wrexham Reserves last night.

[Ian Royal]

Your post said "McAnuff or Kebe"

Yes, as a comparison of the number of assists he gets. You said he takes corners and free kicks as if that somehow countered claims of his creativity

It's a pretty obvious advantage in the assist stakes over Kebe, one of the players you're comparing his assisting too. Surely it's not hard to grasp that, is it?

despite half his assists coming from open play

He has five assists - which one was half open-play and half set-piece?

1) Corner against Leicester (A) for Mills
2) Ball into space against Palace (H) for Kebe
3) 1-2 with Kebe against Boro (A)
4) Through ball against Burnley (A) for Church
5) Corner Loach doesn't get hold of properly against Watford (H) for Hunt - you could argue that wasn't an assist
6) Corner against Ipswich (A) for Long

Then of course there's the factor that McAnuff and Kebe (& Long) have played at least half as many games again as him.

It is quite easy to grasp as a concept, it's simply not relevant though given the starts advantage Kebe has counters it easily. And of course we all know how rare it is to score from a corner let alone direct from one, so it can't be much of an advantage unless he's particularly good at delivering corners, in which case it's another reason to keep him, as I may have mentioned earlier.

[RoyalBlue]

IMO this is a really bad move by the club. It's not as though we are overloaded with talent on the bench. The guy is a much, much, better footballer than many on here give him credit for and I reckon he will go on and prove that at Southampton.
I like Tabb but personally would prefer to see Howard in the team. I agree with the others on here who say that this illustrates McDermott's preferred style of footballer and play and that it's not pretty. OK if it serves its purpose and gets us promoted but I don't think it will so would prefer to see a more cultured style of football.

[Royal Marine]

I don't think Howard's that bad a player really. He's very much a mid-table Championship player and we are very much a mid-table Championship team. I wonder what the gaffer has up his sleeve as a possible replacement?

[Snowball]

Glen Little

05 (03) 00 Assists
00 (02) 00 Assists
20 (08) 10 Assists
34 (04) 14 Assists
33 (06) 08 Assists

77 (23) 32 Assists

[TedBundy89]

Glen Little

05 (03) 00 Assists
00 (02) 00 Assists
20 (08) 10 Assists
34 (04) 14 Assists
33 (06) 08 Assists

77 (23) 32 Assists

Can i have instructions for this please?

[Ian Royal]

Probably:
starts (subs) assists

For each season he was with us, until he left for Pompey

But it's just an educated guess given presentation isn't snowy's forte.

[Snowball]

Jesus I've been presenting appearances as 32 (15) for about three years now
and that's the first time someone has said "Huh?"

[Ian Royal]

Jesus I've been presenting appearances as 32 (15) for about three years now
and that's the first time someone has said "Huh?"

No people regularly tell you it's difficult to understand the figures you put up. The board membership is hardly fixed, and you are hardly important enough for the majority to take note of your conventions.

[TedBundy89]

Probably:
starts (subs) assists

For each season he was with us, until he left for Pompey

But it's just an educated guess given presentation isn't snowy's forte.

Not sure if i believe it. Unless he's going backwards, i think he might be. This is almost as confusing as calling someone Elwood!

[Ian Royal]

Probably:
starts (subs) assists

For each season he was with us, until he left for Pompey

But it's just an educated guess given presentation isn't snowy's forte.

Not sure if i believe it. Unless he's going backwards, i think he might be. This is almost as confusing as calling someone Elwood!

Assists are actually quite hard to come by and bare in mind our best so far this season is about 6.