Day 1: Garry Richards - Player-a-day

[Pubey]

I posted in another thread about having a thread a day dedicated to one of our squad players (not a player on loan). The idea would be to focus on that player, how they are doing this season, their career, funny stories/pics about them etc etc. SZ is a little bit quiet at the moment, especially southend related now the Public Enquiry is finished, and the transfer window is shut so this might give us 3 weeks of entertainment:minger:

The Josh-o-matic random player selector has been used and the schedule of the players in the "player a day" idea has been drawn up.

The Schedule looks like this:

1 Garry Richards (D)
2 Nick Bailey (M)
3 Charlie MacDonald (F)
4 Steve Collis (G)
5 Mark Gower (M)
6 Simon Francis (D)
7 Kevin Maher (M)
8 Che Wilson (D)
9 Steven Hammell (D)
10 Ritchie Foran (F)
11 Tommy Black (M)
12 Charles Ademeno (F)
13 Alan McCormack (M)
14 Lewis Hunt (M)
15 Franck Moussa (M)
16 Gary Hooper (M)
17 Peter Clarke (D)
18 Darryl Flahavan (G)
19 Peggy Lokando (M)
20 Matt Harrold (F)
21 Zoltan Liptak (D)
22 Adam Barrett (D)

And so todays player is GARRY RICHARDS. The ex col-ewe youngster who already has put in impresssive performances at the back. How have people rated him so far after a short but impressive start for the blues!?

(i doubt i can be up early enough every day to start the thread for the next player so if someone else does it then feel freee.. just stick to the schedule and make the thread title clear)


++++it will also only be a monday-friday things as well

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

Was worried when we signed him, but looked solid in the 40 minutes I've seen him play live at Oldham.

As other people have said, something that was missing from our defending last season was someone to just punt the ball as far away from trouble as possible and I don't necessarily see why that's a bad thing.

Hopefully with a bit of fine tuning he can be one for the future!

Good thread idea by the way, is it purely a Monday to Friday thing in terms of days, you never made that clear. Weekends vary in busyness on here depending on where we're playing!

 

[NZamba Legend]

What a hunk!

 

[Mr. Benedict]

He's a solid player and gives us much needed height in the defensive line - I always worry when Clarke and Barrett are paired together as I don't feel they can cope effectively with aerial threats. I also like his uncomplicated approach to defending - if there's danger then hoof it out.

However.... sometimes his positioning can be a bit awry and certainly his distribution (i.e. long ball style) doesn't always fit in with our style of play - which is based largely on the deck.

 

[Pubey]

yeah good idea glasgow i'll keep it to monday-friday.

the main thing for richards is that i never knew until recently that he is only 21! he does seems pretty strong, quick and smart and so we have a rough-diamond that can really be worked with over the next couple of years. he also has championship experience and the only problem will be fitting him in and splitting barrett and clarke up.

 

[DTS]

I think he clearly has spent too long at Col Ewe as he seems to delight in laucnhing the ball 70 yards at big men like McDonald and Eric.

That said he is good in the air,fairly fast over the ground and does a good basic job. I am not really sure he could cut it at the next level but on the whole I am very happy with him

 

[Mr. Benedict]

I am not really sure he could cut it at the next level but on the whole I am very happy with him

Neither were Col Ewe it would seem as they wouldn't have let him go if he had potential to succeed at Championship level IMO.
He's a solid CB at this level though, and a valuable member of the squad.

 

[Kent Shrimper]

Gary Richards according to google images

 

[eastwood shrimper]

Garry Richards is a solid player, the only thing that worries me about him is he does seem to grapple with the opposition strikers alot. It's not very well hidden which is worrying because if he comes up against a clever striker he's going to give a lot of freekicks away.

 

[MK Shrimper]

When Tilly signed Gary, he made sure that he'd read the below from cover to cover.... difficult questions WERE asked.....

 

[MK Shrimper]

His girlfriend wasn't impressed when he signed for the best team in Essex....

 

[Mr. Benedict]

His girlfriend wasn't impressed when he signed for the best team in Essex....

:hilarious:

Gotta watch those killer sheep, y'know!

 

[Pubey]

His girlfriend wasn't impressed when he signed for the best team in Essex....

haha brilliant!

 

[Shrimper2thecore]

I have been really impressed with him so far. I like his style of defending, he is very solid, and when needed he just ****ing gets rid of it. Was very worried with us signing someone from Col Ewe, but he has done enough for me to ignore that already, which is impressive!! Good signing, very pleased to have him on board, think he gives us the centre back option we were lacking.

 

[fatshrimp]

I think this is an excellent idea for a thread!

I like richards from what I've seen. Personally, I think he'll settle in to our style of play sooner or later. Gives us a good strong presence too.

 

[Kent Shrimper]

Got to agree i like Richards, he is a no nonesense Tony Adams type player. OK alot what he does isnt pretty but the outcome is generally pleasing. He doesnt mind getting stuck in to win a ball.

 

[Pubey]

glad people are liking this thread, and the concept... im also please people seem to be in agreement about richards. he seems happy to be here and shares the banter with the rest of the team, also with liptak a long way off IMO he is a more than adequate deputy to clarke and barrett

 

[Ailsa Road Shrimper]

I think Richards has been excellent for us. I was disappointed he didn't play on Saturday, I was more concerned about his adsence than Maher's. I hope we don't continue with Hunt/Clarke/Barrett/Hammell, we'll get undone in the air without Richards. I'm not concerned about Richards' distribution, I'd rather he puts the ball in the stands or the other end of the pitch than play himself into trouble

 

[SUFC_Al]

A good, old fashioned centre-half. Exactly what we needed after last seasons defence woes. His distribution is probably the most talked about attribute but hopefully once he's properly settled in to our style of play that'll improve, although having said that there's nowt wrong with mammoth clearances when the opposition are attacking!

 

[Beefy]

Good player. I don't even mind his distribution - I'd sooner have Richards on the ball than someone like Peter Clarke because Richards knows his limitations and will always look to launch it long down the pitch or safely into the stands. There's nothnig wrong with some good, old fashioned defending.

If and when everyone is fit I'd have Richards in the first team alongside Barrett with Hammell on the left and Francis on the right.