Let's get off Harry's back !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[The Flying Scotsman]

Tilly Out! ;-)

 

[steveo]

regardless of his own tally, has anyone worked out how many goals the team scores when he plays as opposed to when he doesnt?

There are other factors to take into account from the team point of view because its important to remember that we should play as a team not a group of individuals.

 

[Taunton_Shrimper]

I've seen harrold play over a few years now during his yeovil days and during his time with us and he is at best a lower league 1 level striker.

Even worse news is that during this period I have seen very little bordering on no improvment in his game at all, and his threat in front of goal has never increased and as a striker he is on the pitch to score/create goals.

Yeovil fans were laughing all the way to the bank when they found we had actually paid money for him and that he is now actually playing regular football for us.

That said he is a 100% player but when you are punching above your weight what else can you do other than give 100%?

 

[Mr. Benedict]

regardless of his own tally, has anyone worked out how many goals the team scores when he plays as opposed to when he doesnt?

There are other factors to take into account from the team point of view because its important to remember that we should play as a team not a group of individuals.

Having a quick look (based on starting lineups):

With Harrold starting we've scored 23 times in 14 games. (1.6 goals per game)
Without him we've scored 13 goals in 7 games (1.8 goals per game - but this includes the 3 extra time goals in the Cheltenham cup game)

 

[Cliff Pavilion]

He is lacking in pace, dosent look like scoring from open play and seems to me to be a bit slow of foot.

Exactly the same could be said of Lee Bradbury, but certain ShrimperZoners were up in arms when we let him go.

I don't think anyone is claiming Matt Harrold is a world-beater, it's the double standards of some supporters and the abuse that is hurled his way that people find totally unacceptable.

 

[GNH]

The sad thing is that he's going to be a good player at this level. In fact he's already a good player at this level, but with experience he's going to be even better.


If he returns with another club to Roots Hall he'll give our defence a torrid time, but our fans will no doubt reckon that he played **** despite the fact that he'll inevitably guide his new team to victory.

No he won't, and......er..........no he won't.

How on earth he's kept his place in the starting line up is beyond me. Yes he gives 100% every game and tries his best, with that I cannot argue, however I would also give 100% if I was picked to play up front next week, (which may be on the cards at the moment!) but would undoubtedly be a cack as Harrold is. It's not Harrold that the critisism should be aimed at, it's Tilson for continuing to pick him ahead of others

 

[Yer Blues]

It's not Harrold that the critisism should be aimed at, it's Tilson for continuing to pick him ahead of others

thats the best point made all day

 

[Blues Ladies]

looks like prince harry and has done many inch perfect through balls, well done Matty, see we do love you!

 

[londonblue]

I'd love to know if any of the players lurk on here and witness some of the absolute drivel some people speak about them, particularly those more brainless posters who've not kicked a ball in anger in their lives.

I was reading an interesting article about Morecambe's preparation for their first game as a league club & their coach (ex Man City striker Mark Lillis) got them to write on a flipchart, the things they could control about their own performance & the things that were out of their hands. One of the items written down about things they can't control was "Internet Message Boards", therefore I'd suggest they do check sites like here from time to time.

Other than this thread, probably the last positive things said about Matty Harrold were when the girl he took to the Centenary Ball was analysed!

That is a very good management technique. I always tell my people to "control the controllables". There simply is no point worrying about things you have no control over, it can only be destructive.

 

[londonblue]

It's not Harrold that the critisism should be aimed at, it's Tilson for continuing to pick him ahead of others

thats the best point made all day

No it's not. We're in the play off places and haven't failed to score for heaven knows how long. The management must therefore be doing something right.

Maybe, just maybe, they know more about football than we do?

The criticism should be firmly laid at the door of people who believe they are right and our management duo are wrong.

 

[Shrimper James]

Where were these clowns sitting James? Totally unacceptable behavior.

They're clearly not true supporters.

East Blacks. Right next to me. I couldn't believe it.

I mean, fair enough, i was being quite mouthy back to them, but don't dish it out if you can't take it.

And certainly don't 'offer me out'.

Pathetic.

 

[sufccolchester]

Perhaps if people got off Harry's back he'd be able to jump!

Don't really mean that. I got bad rep last time I said this but it was true then and it's still true now. He is a big guy. He is the target man for goal kicks, he gets fouled as soon as he tries to jump. He is always marked by 2 defenders, he draws them away from the others. No he doesn't score goals in open play but he does show some good touches laying the ball off for other people. Yes he probably should score them himself but he doesn't deserve being abused every time he touches the ball.

 

[WestRoadShrimper]

Perhaps if people got off Harry's back he'd be able to jump!

Don't really mean that. I got bad rep last time I said this but it was true then and it's still true now. He is a big guy. He is the target man for goal kicks, he gets fouled as soon as he tries to jump. He is always marked by 2 defenders, he draws them away from the others. No he doesn't score goals in open play but he does show some good touches laying the ball off for other people. Yes he probably should score them himself but he doesn't deserve being abused every time he touches the ball.

Been here time and time again.

Matty is a good old fashioned Centre Forward, not a striker. Yes, it would be nice if he scored more, but if he's winning the headers/getting in defenders way/etc then he's doing his job. As long as there's someone to get on the end of his flicks etc then there's no problem.

As a slightly different arguement, take Alan Smith of ex-Arsenal fame. He started off by banging goals in left, right, and centre (ok, so Harrold hasn't done this), but when Ian Wright joinned he changed his game to that of an out and out target man. Scored VERY FEW by comparison after this.

Did the Arsenal (pah!) supporters complain? No. They saw that he was playing a vital role in the supply chain to Wrighty, who was scoring for fun.

At a lower level, I see Harrold-Clarke as comparable to Smith-Wright.

 

[steveo]

At a lower level, I see Harrold-Clarke as comparable to Smith-Wright

Fully agree. Leon said in the programme he is NOT a target man. A quick look shows they have started 6 games together in which Clarke has scored 4. In the 5 games Leon has started and Harrold hasnt, he has scored 2.

dont think we wil get a chance to seethem both play much longer as Clarke/Morgan wil probably be Tillys choice.

 

[Beefy]

I don't know what to make of the whole Matt Harrold debate. I find myself defending him a lot because I can see what he can add to the side when he's playing well (and whether he's scored or not he's gone through a run of games this season of playing very well). But I'm not blind to the obvious flaws in his game and he doesn't help himself by occasionally having very, very bad games. Like he did on saturday.

I wouldn't compare Matt Harrold to Alan Smith but I would compare him to Peter Crouch. Harrold has been ridiculed both at Southend and at Yeovil just as Crouch was for many years. To a certain extent he still is to this day but what got him accepted was when he started to score goals. He was still doing the things that made people like Graham Taylor rave about him but he was also doing the one thing that most fans want to see and will judge a striker solely by. I think the same is going to be true of Matt Harrold, ultimately it isn't going to matter how many goals he sets up or how many runs into the box he enables Bailey or McCormack to make, if he doesn't score himself then he isn't going to be given any real amount of goodwill from the stands.

Either way, what shouldn't happen is the embarassing sight of his own 'supporters' calling for his substitution and cheering ironically when he wins headers. That is absolutely disgraceful behaviour.

 

[Cliff Pavilion]

Either way, what shouldn't happen is the embarassing sight of his own 'supporters' calling for his substitution and cheering ironically when he wins headers. That is absolutely disgraceful behaviour.

Absolutely Beefy. Having not gone to the game on Saturday I can't comment on his performance but have been disturbed and overwhelmed by the vitriol against him...

Even stranger to then see the goals for the first time last night and witness an excellent and skilfull chested lay-off by Harrold for our second goal.

Funny old game!

 

[Firestorm]

Just out of interest has anyone seen the first team stats on the OS

Leading the assists is ............Matt Harrold

 

[Cricko]

I thought this thread was about Canveyshrimper .....I wondered what mischief he had been upto now ..:confused:

 

[SUFC_Al]

Matt is like a modern day Ian Benjamin. Benjamin was a master at bringing the ball down and laying the ball off to other players, mainly Andy Ansah or whoever was on the right-hand side of midfield. Benji was never a prolific forward and would often blaze shots over the North Bank from 6 yards, Matt is very similar to that, better outside the box than he is inside but I think Matt can improve his penalty box play.

Here's a scenario; We're away at Carlisle on the 19th April needing a point for promotion. Matt Harrold, still much maligned, scores the equalising goal. Would he get the same cult status as Benji attained from scoring at Bury?

With some of our fans at the moment, they'd say, "yeah, but he's still ****"

:thump: :thump:

 

[Mr. Benedict]

Matt is like a modern day Ian Benjamin. Benjamin was a master at bringing the ball down and laying the ball off to other players, mainly Andy Ansah or whoever was on the right-hand side of midfield. Benji was never a prolific forward and would often blaze shots over the North Bank from 6 yards, Matt is very similar to that, better outside the box than he is inside but I think Matt can improve his penalty box play.

Here's a scenario; We're away at Carlisle on the 19th April needing a point for promotion. Matt Harrold, still much maligned, scores the equalising goal. Would he get the same cult status as Benji attained from scoring at Bury?

With some of our fans at the moment, they'd say, "yeah, but he's still ****"

:thump: :thump:

I don't thnk Harrold will ever be a fan favourite, whatever he does.