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Post by Deleted on Jun 22, 2019 21:54:30 GMT
I get depressed when nichols plays,most of the time he is half hearted,he never goes anywhere near the goal and gets pushed of the ball like a little kid. He had a spell where he put some effort in but then went back to his normal invisible style again and got dropped. Its all about opinions but i think he is terrible.
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Post by gasstrictband on Jun 22, 2019 22:04:20 GMT
Top post.
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Post by Topper Gas on Jun 22, 2019 22:12:10 GMT
I get depressed when nichols plays,most of the time he is half hearted,he never goes anywhere near the goal and gets pushed of the ball like a little kid. He had a spell where he put some effort in but then went back to his normal invisible style again and got dropped. Its all about opinions but i think he is terrible. Which in some ways is even more irritating as when he puts the effort in he can play at this level, even if he can't score.
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Post by socrates on Jun 22, 2019 23:43:37 GMT
Good to hear from you again mate, you’ve not be on here much lately. No I haven't Sam it was too depressing! Hope you and your family are ok. Can't wait for the new season under GC. Are you going to the Open Day? Yeah illl be there will the little one, she really enjoyed the last one. She was only three then and very shy but sincs and Ellis were brilliant with her and it really brought her out of her shell and they signed her shirt it was great. It doesn’t feel the same since DC , sincs, Ellis locks browner etc have left , even though I’d never met them in person before meeting up with them and talking to them it felt like chatting to friends I’d known years. Although don’t get me wrong Cogs got the job done and I’m very grateful of that I think we all are. Hopefully this new squad will be successful and connect with the fans the way our squad have over the last few years. It’s a transition period for our club and footballs changing , I remember meeting the 1990 squad after promotion as a kid and it was great , hopefully our club can stay up and build a squad that connects with its fans. We are up against it with so much money in the game and we seem to have little of it to spend but you never know I’m looking forward to the new season with each day. Hopefully we’ll get the 82ers in the Cup do them and make top six. I’d settle for mid table though.
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Post by socrates on Jun 22, 2019 23:50:56 GMT
I know Tom isn’t the most popular player on the terraces and imo is unfairly made a scapegoat on the forums at times, but I honestly believe he is one of if not the most technically gifted players at the club. I do understand why some don’t rate him because as a striker who came to the club with a high transfer fee attached (by Bristol Rovers standards) people expected goals. I see him more as a creative player and I don’t think he has always been utilised to his strengths either by the role he has been asked to do, or by the way the team has been set up to play. If what GC has stated in terms of how he wants Rovers to play this season is correct I can see Tom having more of an impact this season. He has already had 2 seasons here to prove himself so this will be his last chance, which I’m hopeful he will take Now lines has left definitely our most creative player without a shadow of a doubt. Lines hardly played last season and Nichols created more goals than any other player so the stats back it up. I don’t want him gone on loan. If he leaves then we don’t only have to replace lines ( which we didn’t do last season and it cost us creativity and nearly our league 1 status) but we also have to find someone who can create in our final third. Losing your midfield creator and not replacing him nearly cost us last season , sending Nichols on loan or selling him , and we’re going down . Unless we bring in a midfield playmaker as good as lines and a forward playmaker as good as Nichols. Can’t see that happening.
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Post by socrates on Jun 23, 2019 1:02:04 GMT
Over the last four years our best midfield partnership has been olly and lines , I would have kept that this coming season in a 4-2-3-1 with Nichols as the number 10 behind JCH and brought in a couple of class wingers/ inside forwards..ogogo to rotate with Clarke and upson to rotate with lines. That’s my take on it , plenty of creativity , plenty of width and pace we would be challenging for top 6 if we’d get the right wingers in. As it stands we’ve lost our creative midfielder , our best centre half , we’ve got no wingers except Rodman who’s had his problems whatever they are. Tom Nichols is currently our only creative central player in the squad , our top assists last season - and people want him gone. Be careful for that you wish for.
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Post by mariobalotelli on Jun 23, 2019 2:27:32 GMT
Most creative player at the club. By creative you mean 2 goals in 2 seasons yeah? Does creative mean goals scored yeah?
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Post by peterhooper57 on Jun 23, 2019 8:18:48 GMT
Personally, happy to give Tommy another chance during preseason, not as a centre forward, but front of a diamond, we all know he is not a natural finisher, for **** sake he is unable to find any space, but he has a good touch and good probably join up the play and create opportunities for JCH.
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Post by stevek192 on Jun 23, 2019 9:15:06 GMT
A natural finisher is always striving to get into goalscoring positions. Jamie Cureton when 55 will still get into goalscoring positions and if you do that you will ALWAYS score more than TN manages in a season. Tom seems to make every effort to be as far away from the goal as possible but this could also be down to the way we have played with no pace and no creativity in the side. I feel we have to hit our problems from three areas wide players,central midfield player and Strikers. Four signings minimum being either 1 central attacking midfielder, 1 winger and 2 strikers OR 1 central attacking midfielder, 2 wingers and 1 striker. Somehow we have to get rid of the rubbish which DC brought in as soon as we can Mensah, Matthews, Bennett, Payne probably in that order. If we can do that then there may be scope for an extra player signing too. We must not forget that we probably need another keeper as well.
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Post by stuartcampbell on Jun 23, 2019 9:48:14 GMT
If we could get decent money for him would I sell? Yes. But I think there's bigger fish to fry in the striking department, people are talking like goals are the be all and end all, and they are, but you can't honestly tell me Reilly was better than Nichols last season. Reilly was awful. And in my opinion so was Jakubiak for large parts of it, and in fact I'd say Nichols was our best striker up until Clarke-Harris came in. Goals are important, and the work ethic part is of course big too, but there's a reason Luke James flopped in League 2 too and we failed to sign him, largely in the striking department I think Clarke had awful judgement in his later years, in fact I see it as almost miraculous he managed to find some of these players. So would I be for Nichols going? Yes. But I'd also want Reilly to go too and I'd want Jakubiak to not be signed as well. And then I'd leave the new striking quartet to be decided by Widdrington and Coughlan. Because I do think there are options out there and I think we could shoot up the table if we actually find strikers who can score.
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Post by burnthewitch on Jun 23, 2019 10:21:05 GMT
Wow. 4 pages discussing the merits of a "striker" who last scored from open play on October 28th 2017. (Two thousand and seventeen). 75 league appearances and 2 goals, 1 a pen.
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Post by markczgas on Jun 23, 2019 10:21:42 GMT
It's always best if we get right behind all our players - that's what I do every time watching them play. But in the cold light of day Nichols is not a L1 striker ........ or midfielder ........ or winger
He doesn't have the power to score from outside the box. He can't head the ball to score - not sure I've seen him do it much generally.
Inside the box, he snatches at chances - using power rarely placement - and as we know been very unsuccessful.
His redeeming features are that he has good movement, can keep the ball close to him and pass quite well, but surely that's not enough ?
I'm sure that if we didn't have the burden of Payne, Mensah and to some extent Reilly there would probably be just a very few voices saying keep Nichols.
If does play next season, I will cheer every one of his goals wildly .....................it ain't gonna happen much though !
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Post by Kingswood Polak on Jun 23, 2019 10:25:10 GMT
I’ve heard within the game and this is common with a lot of players and clubs, we are happy to keep Tom but his agent has been told if he find another club he can leave. Clubs have been made aware Nichols can leave us and he’s been told this because he won’t be first choice next season. Payne, Bennett and Craig have been told the same. You are looking at approximately £12k plus here a week in wages and you can argue none of the 4 mentioned warrants a starting place in a top half Div1 side week in week out. I think 3 of these players are actually of Div2 standard, Craig is getting older, Nichols can’t score Div1 goals let alone consistently, Payne is fodder and only Bennett who plays for himself maybe able to muster a Div1 career. craig thing is rubbish, GC triggered a Extension in his contract, if he wants a fee, who is going to pay for a 34 y/o mate? I hope it’s true for Nichols/Payne/Bennett tho. GC is also on record as having Craig in the running for captain, along with O Clarke.
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Post by Jomo on Jun 23, 2019 10:33:14 GMT
A natural finisher is always striving to get into goalscoring positions. Jamie Cureton when 55 will still get into goalscoring positions and if you do that you will ALWAYS score more than TN manages in a season. Tom seems to make every effort to be as far away from the goal as possible but this could also be down to the way we have played with no pace and no creativity in the side. I feel we have to hit our problems from three areas wide players,central midfield player and Strikers. Four signings minimum being either 1 central attacking midfielder, 1 winger and 2 strikers OR 1 central attacking midfielder, 2 wingers and 1 striker. Somehow we have to get rid of the rubbish which DC brought in as soon as we can Mensah, Matthews, Bennett, Payne probably in that order. If we can do that then there may be scope for an extra player signing too. We must not forget that we probably need another keeper as well. I can't disagree with your comments about TN, but just my two pennies worth, I personally feel Nichols also spends so much time coming deep rather than getting into goalscoring positions, because he's gone so long without scoring that his confidence in front of goal has been completely shot to pieces. He therefore makes up for what would be a horror show performance of trying to score and failing, with making himself more of the creator and relieving himself of the embarrassment of missing chances himself. Of course this is only a personal theory and I could be way off the mark.
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Post by wertongas on Jun 23, 2019 10:42:42 GMT
I was told by a director when I was at the club last week that JCH likes playing alongside Nichols, Nichols lacks confidence so has I think given up on scoring and seems to be content on creating chances for other players which suits JCH down to the ground. So the two may play alongside side each other at some point again this season.
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Post by Topper Gas on Jun 23, 2019 10:53:35 GMT
A natural finisher is always striving to get into goalscoring positions. Jamie Cureton when 55 will still get into goalscoring positions and if you do that you will ALWAYS score more than TN manages in a season. Tom seems to make every effort to be as far away from the goal as possible but this could also be down to the way we have played with no pace and no creativity in the side. I feel we have to hit our problems from three areas wide players,central midfield player and Strikers. Four signings minimum being either 1 central attacking midfielder, 1 winger and 2 strikers OR 1 central attacking midfielder, 2 wingers and 1 striker. Somehow we have to get rid of the rubbish which DC brought in as soon as we can Mensah, Matthews, Bennett, Payne probably in that order. If we can do that then there may be scope for an extra player signing too. We must not forget that we probably need another keeper as well. I can't disagree with your comments about TN, but just my two pennies worth, I personally feel Nichols also spends so much time coming deep rather than getting into goalscoring positions, because he's gone so long without scoring that his confidence in front of goal has been completely shot to pieces. He therefore makes up for what would be a horror show performance of trying to score and failing, with making himself more of the creator and relieving himself of the embarrassment of missing chances himself. Of course this is only a personal theory and I could be way off the mark. Surely TN comes deep to collect the ball, as JCH also became guilty of towards the end of the season, if we played a higher pressing game then perhaps TN would get in more goalscoring positions, don't forget MT use to miss plenty of chances before converting one, TN gets one a game on a good day. I just can't see we can afford to contribute towards Payne's, Bennett's, Mensah's, Nichols' and now also Craig's wages just to move them on, as I can't see any other club matching their Rovers contracts (what happened to DC's prudence approach!). I still don't understand why GC is trying to get Jakubiak to return, as we could be stuck again with 3 non scoring, below average, No 10's again next season if GC's not careful.
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Post by stuartcampbell on Jun 23, 2019 14:35:54 GMT
A good point has been made. I think Clarke-Harris looked half as good a player when Nichols wasn't next to him
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Post by Deleted on Jun 23, 2019 15:13:53 GMT
A good point has been made. I think Clarke-Harris looked half as good a player when Nichols wasn't next to him so we settle for that then do we? Not for me - I’m not saying he’s completely useless - I think I’m more saying - he’s had his chance and WE NEED BETTER! (Not shouting but I think this is more my point in hindsight) If the club can’t see that and address it then we will continue to struggle each week imo! We need a striker who can score goals!
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Post by socrates on Jun 23, 2019 15:18:32 GMT
A good point has been made. I think Clarke-Harris looked half as good a player when Nichols wasn't next to him so we settle for that then do we? Not for me - I’m not saying he’s completely useless - I think I’m more saying - he’s had his chance and WE NEED BETTER! (Not shouting but I think this is more my point in hindsight) If the club can’t see that and address it then we will continue to struggle each week imo! We need a striker who can score goals! Going on the second half of last season we have one who can score and one who can create as our first choice front two. I think the need for a couple of wide players with pace and a creative midfielder is a more pressing issue.
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Post by Congas on Jun 23, 2019 15:18:40 GMT
He's been coming good since he came to us so I see no reason why he couldn't be given yet another season to come good. Personally I'd loan him to a National League club to see if he's got what it takes to come good at that level. He'll come good one day I'm sure of it...
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