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Post by UpTheGas on Jul 30, 2014 9:37:40 GMT
Some good names so far. I also thought PipeDream was a very good poster and I tended to agree with most of the things he said. Is he around?
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Post by UpTheGas on Jul 29, 2014 11:50:37 GMT
Very good move by the club and I hope everyone takes the opportunity to bring their kids along.
I like the advertising for this one and if it can be branched out so it reaches a wider audience then that would be terrific. It's all well and good having it on our website and putting it out on Twitter but perhaps we can get announcements made on Radio Bristol and the local television news? That would help spread the word.
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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 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 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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