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Post by Gashead73 on Jul 27, 2014 13:56:11 GMT
My hopes for this coming season are now gradually beginning to increase... DC talked the talk & now Im beginning to have more Faith & belief in him. Higgins & Turley now please!
We should have the best defence & keeper outside the FL
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Post by Gas Go Marching In on Jul 27, 2014 14:02:14 GMT
My hopes for this coming season are now gradually beginning to increase... DC talked the talk & now Im beginning to have more Faith & belief in him. Higgins & Turley now please! We should have the best defence & keeper outside the FL Higgins not signing.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 27, 2014 14:07:03 GMT
Not signing, or not offered a contract?
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Post by Gas Go Marching In on Jul 27, 2014 14:07:44 GMT
Not signing, or not offered a contract? Not signing I believe. He won't be a Bristol Rovers player either way.
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Post by gretschgas on Jul 27, 2014 14:11:40 GMT
Very unusual to sign a player on a Sunday! So do we assume Leadbitter was the player we were led to believe would sign tomorrow or will we sign someone else (Turley) tomorrow in addition?
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Post by Deleted on Jul 27, 2014 14:13:14 GMT
As much as it's a shame not to see Higgins here, he looked a decent player, but at just a few years older Leadbitter has a lot more experience, particularly at this level. Hearing some good things about him online, particularly going forward, he's very fast and tricky apparently, key for the wingback position.
James McNamara believes Leadbitter trialed here in the first week back from preseason before going to Southend on trial. So Clarke has seen both up close and personal.
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Post by fanboy on Jul 27, 2014 14:50:16 GMT
Darrell said today that he rates Higgins but believes he'd need work 'mentally' to be able to handle the expectation and crowd etc. He believes that Leadbitter is a top quality addition. Higgins definitely not coming, this is Smudges replacement.
We are front runners in the Turley chase too, I can see that deal happening shortly.
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Post by Gas Go Marching In on Jul 27, 2014 15:04:06 GMT
Darrell said today that he rates Higgins but believes he'd need work 'mentally' to be able to handle the expectation and crowd etc. He believes that Leadbitter is a top quality addition. Higgins definitely not coming, this is Smudges replacement. We are front runners in the Turley chase too, I can see that deal happening shortly. No sh**! LOL!
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Post by UpTheGas on Jul 27, 2014 15:05:34 GMT
Pleasing to hear Darrell rates Leadbitter so highly and he is clearly pleased with the acquisition. At the SC EGM last month he told me most players would sign a 1 year deal with a 12 month option in the club's favour so I assume that's what has been done here and thus why Phil Brown thinks it's a 2 year contract.
Disappointed for Higgins but DC was always non-committal when asked about his future. He has his number 1 target now for the RB/RWB spot I think.
FanBoy, I gathered the same in regards to Turley and hope we can tie up a deal for him soon. The longer it goes on the more I worry but the club have to be sure he's recovering from his broken arm. Fingers crossed all goes well.
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Post by Gas Go Marching In on Jul 27, 2014 15:09:46 GMT
The most encouraging thing for me with Clarke is that he seems to be comparing quite a few players rather than just going out and getting one with the best CV. He is giving lots of young players who are hungry and on the fringes of a professional career in the game, a chance to prove themselves and then cherry picking the best one. The polar opposite of last summer where we just seemed to make do with what we had.
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Post by Centenary Gas on Jul 27, 2014 15:15:07 GMT
Hereford view:
Leadbitter - Showed Blistering pace, best Wing back type player since young Greener.
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Ironic that if we sign Turley, the weak link in our back 6 (wing backs...) will likely be Brown. JT signing means we will have the best defense in the Conference. And a big man up top, Brunty stay fit and the forward line will be to a similar standard.
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Post by hanham on Jul 27, 2014 15:28:01 GMT
I know nothing of Leadbitter and will give him the benefit until I have seen him play. However, although I have firmly backed on the forums DC after watching all the friendlies (bar Cirencester), I will have my first faltering doubts about him as a manager if Leadbitter is not something special. Higgins has bust a gut and played his heart out trialling for Rovers and has already become a favourite with the consistent 250 or so Gas heads at the friendlies. If Fanboy is right and DC did say it was because of his ability to handle the 'psychology' of playing for Rovers then that makes me want to vomit a little. Probably the weakest excuse for not signing a decent player I have heard in years and smacks of a poor reason in the face of knowing fans who could not fault Higgins performance and that neither should DC.
I for one will not forgive this decision if it backfires.
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Post by BishopstonBRFC on Jul 27, 2014 15:33:37 GMT
Have to say I really feel for Higgins if he doesn't end up signing. Has spent all pre season here and looked a dead cert to be signing then out of nowhere someone else signs in his position!
Anyways, welcome to the club Danny!
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Post by fanboy on Jul 27, 2014 15:35:22 GMT
I know nothing of Leadbitter and will give him the benefit until I have seen him play. However, although I have firmly backed on the forums DC after watching all the friendlies (bar Cirencester), I will have my first faltering doubts about him as a manager if Leadbitter is not something special. Higgins has bust a gut and played his heart out trialling for Rovers and has already become a favourite with the consistent 250 or so Gas heads at the friendlies. If Fanboy is right and DC did say it was because of his ability to handle the 'psychology' of playing for Rovers then that makes me want to vomit a little. Probably the weakest excuse for not signing a decent player I have heard in years and smacks of a poor reason in the face of knowing fans who could not fault Higgins performance and that neither should DC. I for one will not forgive this decision if it backfires. Does it not fill you with a little confidence knowing that he has such high standards that even Higgins wasn't given a deal? In previous seasons Higgins would have been signed before even trialling. Clarke has got his man, wanted him from the start it seems, and the kids been on trial at Southend since the start of pre season. Sounds like he's got something about him and the fact Higgins was praised by fans and looked decent shouldn't stop us taking the best player we possibly can. I wish Higgins the best of luck but being ruthless like this is not a negative in my opinion.
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Post by UpTheGas on Jul 27, 2014 15:36:05 GMT
I know nothing of Leadbitter and will give him the benefit until I have seen him play. However, although I have firmly backed on the forums DC after watching all the friendlies (bar Cirencester), I will have my first faltering doubts about him as a manager if Leadbitter is not something special. Higgins has bust a gut and played his heart out trialling for Rovers and has already become a favourite with the consistent 250 or so Gas heads at the friendlies. If Fanboy is right and DC did say it was because of his ability to handle the 'psychology' of playing for Rovers then that makes me want to vomit a little. Probably the weakest excuse for not signing a decent player I have heard in years and smacks of a poor reason in the face of knowing fans who could not fault Higgins performance and that neither should DC. I for one will not forgive this decision if it backfires. I think that's very harsh. I haven't watched any of the friendlies so far as I don't enjoy them and I have heard that Higgins has played well in most, if not all, of them. However, from the very start DC was non-committal over whether he would offer him a contract even if Smith left. That suggests to me that he had his eye on someone else who he feels is better suited to the right-wing-back role. If he was led to believe signing that player was unlikely he probably kept Higgins on to give him the opportunity to impress sufficiently to earn a deal with us or put himself in the shop window to get an offer from elsewhere. Higgins is clearly a likeable character and has, by all accounts, worked hard in pre-season but football is ruthless and there is no point signing him if our manager is in any way unsure about whether he has what it takes. If DC prefers Leadbitter than that's fine by me. I think people get too wrapped up and attached to trialists, which seems premature to say the least until they are signed up. DC said at the SC EGM that he didn't go for players like Elliott Frear from Salisbury because he didn't think he'd be up to the task mentally, so this isn't an excuse he has trotted out in isolation. He clearly feels it's a valid point and has used it as a key factor when deciding what players to sign. We may look back on this decision and say 'it's a shame we didn't go for Higgins' but we may also be saying 'Leadbitter is a bl**dy good player' etc. Football is all about opinions and decisions and this is one of many DC has to make. To say you wouldn't forgive him is ridiculous in my opinion.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 27, 2014 15:39:39 GMT
I know nothing of Leadbitter and will give him the benefit until I have seen him play. However, although I have firmly backed on the forums DC after watching all the friendlies (bar Cirencester), I will have my first faltering doubts about him as a manager if Leadbitter is not something special. Higgins has bust a gut and played his heart out trialling for Rovers and has already become a favourite with the consistent 250 or so Gas heads at the friendlies. If Fanboy is right and DC did say it was because of his ability to handle the 'psychology' of playing for Rovers then that makes me want to vomit a little. Probably the weakest excuse for not signing a decent player I have heard in years and smacks of a poor reason in the face of knowing fans who could not fault Higgins performance and that neither should DC. I for one will not forgive this decision if it backfires. I've got to say I disagree with that. I'm not saying that Higgins couldn't handle it, I don't know the bloke and I don't know his mental state. That being said, many Bristol Rovers players in even just the last couple of years have crumbled under the atmosphere at the Mem that can become very sour, particularly young players.
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Post by hanham on Jul 27, 2014 15:54:24 GMT
I know nothing of Leadbitter and will give him the benefit until I have seen him play. However, although I have firmly backed on the forums DC after watching all the friendlies (bar Cirencester), I will have my first faltering doubts about him as a manager if Leadbitter is not something special. Higgins has bust a gut and played his heart out trialling for Rovers and has already become a favourite with the consistent 250 or so Gas heads at the friendlies. If Fanboy is right and DC did say it was because of his ability to handle the 'psychology' of playing for Rovers then that makes me want to vomit a little. Probably the weakest excuse for not signing a decent player I have heard in years and smacks of a poor reason in the face of knowing fans who could not fault Higgins performance and that neither should DC. I for one will not forgive this decision if it backfires. I think that's very harsh. I haven't watched any of the friendlies so far as I don't enjoy them and I have heard that Higgins has played well in most, if not all, of them. However, from the very start DC was non-committal over whether he would offer him a contract even if Smith left. That suggests to me that he had his eye on someone else who he feels is better suited to the right-wing-back role. If he was led to believe signing that player was unlikely he probably kept Higgins on to give him the opportunity to impress sufficiently to earn a deal with us or put himself in the shop window to get an offer from elsewhere. Higgins is clearly a likeable character and has, by all accounts, worked hard in pre-season but football is ruthless and there is no point signing him if our manager is in any way unsure about whether he has what it takes. If DC prefers Leadbitter than that's fine by me. I think people get too wrapped up and attached to trialists, which seems premature to say the least until they are signed up. DC said at the SC EGM that he didn't go for players like Elliott Frear from Salisbury because he didn't think he'd be up to the task mentally, so this isn't an excuse he has trotted out in isolation. He clearly feels it's a valid point and has used it as a key factor when deciding what players to sign. We may look back on this decision and say 'it's a shame we didn't go for Higgins' but we may also be saying 'Leadbitter is a bl**dy good player' etc. Football is all about opinions and decisions and this is one of many DC has to make. To say you wouldn't forgive him is ridiculous in my opinion. Not harsh or ridiculous in my opinion, though I totally accept yours may be different and you are very much entitled to it. I stand by the view that if Leadbitter does not fulfil the promise that many are pronouncing, despite him not having played a game for the Gas yet, I think it will be an atrocious decision. I did not say I would not get behind DC but I could not forgive letting the better option go to bring in a better player 'on paper'. Higgins showed flair, pace and the ability to beat players at Gloucester yesterday, he did not shy away at any point and in fact was probably our most entertaining player alongside Sinclair.
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Post by UpTheGas on Jul 27, 2014 16:00:46 GMT
I think that's very harsh. I haven't watched any of the friendlies so far as I don't enjoy them and I have heard that Higgins has played well in most, if not all, of them. However, from the very start DC was non-committal over whether he would offer him a contract even if Smith left. That suggests to me that he had his eye on someone else who he feels is better suited to the right-wing-back role. If he was led to believe signing that player was unlikely he probably kept Higgins on to give him the opportunity to impress sufficiently to earn a deal with us or put himself in the shop window to get an offer from elsewhere. Higgins is clearly a likeable character and has, by all accounts, worked hard in pre-season but football is ruthless and there is no point signing him if our manager is in any way unsure about whether he has what it takes. If DC prefers Leadbitter than that's fine by me. I think people get too wrapped up and attached to trialists, which seems premature to say the least until they are signed up. DC said at the SC EGM that he didn't go for players like Elliott Frear from Salisbury because he didn't think he'd be up to the task mentally, so this isn't an excuse he has trotted out in isolation. He clearly feels it's a valid point and has used it as a key factor when deciding what players to sign. We may look back on this decision and say 'it's a shame we didn't go for Higgins' but we may also be saying 'Leadbitter is a bl**dy good player' etc. Football is all about opinions and decisions and this is one of many DC has to make. To say you wouldn't forgive him is ridiculous in my opinion. Not harsh or ridiculous in my opinion, though I totally accept yours may be different and you are very much entitled to it. I stand by the view that if Leadbitter does not fulfil the promise that many are pronouncing, despite him not having played a game for the Gas yet, I think it will be an atrocious decision. I did not say I would not get behind DC but I could not forgive letting the better option go to bring in a better player 'on paper'. Higgins showed flair, pace and the ability to beat players at Gloucester yesterday, he did not shy away at any point and in fact was probably our most entertaining player alongside Sinclair. I absolutely don't disagree with you on Higgins or the fact DC has to live by his decisions but I think people are putting a negative slant on it when we could just as easily say 'he's signed someone who he thinks is better than Higgins, which is good news'. Like every signing, we can only judge players on what they do in the quarters in competitive action; friendlies and everything that has happened before counts for nothing. Fingers crossed we get off to the positive start we all hope for.
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Post by hanham on Jul 27, 2014 16:03:15 GMT
I know nothing of Leadbitter and will give him the benefit until I have seen him play. However, although I have firmly backed on the forums DC after watching all the friendlies (bar Cirencester), I will have my first faltering doubts about him as a manager if Leadbitter is not something special. Higgins has bust a gut and played his heart out trialling for Rovers and has already become a favourite with the consistent 250 or so Gas heads at the friendlies. If Fanboy is right and DC did say it was because of his ability to handle the 'psychology' of playing for Rovers then that makes me want to vomit a little. Probably the weakest excuse for not signing a decent player I have heard in years and smacks of a poor reason in the face of knowing fans who could not fault Higgins performance and that neither should DC. I for one will not forgive this decision if it backfires. Does it not fill you with a little confidence knowing that he has such high standards that even Higgins wasn't given a deal? In previous seasons Higgins would have been signed before even trialling. Clarke has got his man, wanted him from the start it seems, and the kids been on trial at Southend since the start of pre season. Sounds like he's got something about him and the fact Higgins was praised by fans and looked decent shouldn't stop us taking the best player we possibly can. I wish Higgins the best of luck but being ruthless like this is not a negative in my opinion. I appreciate what you are saying , but unfortunately it does not fill me with confidence. After the last couple of seasons I think the best and most truthful assessments of Rovers have come from the fans, we have known the truth and witnessed the Mem burn while those in power fiddled. However I did say I was not pre-judging Leadbitter and I will be the first to agree that DC was correct if proven right on his performances. What I can judge is the players and team I have seen play over the last couple of weeks (at not an insignificant cost in both time and money) and place faith in a player who has featured heavily, shown good commitment and performed very well. I cannot dismiss them and go for the better option on paper. We did that with Richards and brought in Gow. Look where that got us.
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Post by hanham on Jul 27, 2014 16:07:35 GMT
Not harsh or ridiculous in my opinion, though I totally accept yours may be different and you are very much entitled to it. I stand by the view that if Leadbitter does not fulfil the promise that many are pronouncing, despite him not having played a game for the Gas yet, I think it will be an atrocious decision. I did not say I would not get behind DC but I could not forgive letting the better option go to bring in a better player 'on paper'. Higgins showed flair, pace and the ability to beat players at Gloucester yesterday, he did not shy away at any point and in fact was probably our most entertaining player alongside Sinclair. I absolutely don't disagree with you on Higgins or the fact DC has to live by his decisions but I think people are putting a negative slant on it when we could just as easily say 'he's signed someone who he thinks is better than Higgins, which is good news'. Like every signing, we can only judge players on what they do in the quarters in competitive action; friendlies and everything that has happened before counts for nothing. Fingers crossed we get off to the positive start we all hope for. Thats a fair point and you make a valid point about not being negative. I just have been feeling really positive about the upcoming season based upon the much improved and, dare I say it, more exciting and attractive style of Bristol Rovers football. Higgins has been a key part of that. I would nothing more than to find out my worries were unfounded. UTG Gas.
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