Maher

[Yorkshire Blue]

I see it as a positive thing that Franck Moussa, with his best years ahead of him, is making it into the team ahead of Kevin Maher, whose legs are beginning to go after years of service.

 

[palexander]

I see it as a positive thing that Franck Moussa, with his best years ahead of him, is making it into the team ahead of Kevin Maher, whose legs are beginning to go after years of service.

Is this Maher who was (arguably) our best player in the Championship last season?

Nah, there is something more in it...

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Is this Maher who was (arguably) our best player in the Championship last season?

Nah, there is something more in it...

Arguably our best player out of:

Flahavan - dropped
Francis - dropped
Hammell - only just regained position after injury
Prior - retired
Sodje - gone
Guttridge - sold as not performing
McCormack - outperformed Maher for half season they were together
Gower - I think was awarded our POTY ahead of Maher
JCR - sold as not performing
Eastwood - sold for profit as wanted out
Bradbury - sold as not performing

 

[Macca71]

Whatever is going on behind closed doors with Maher we will probably never know. Sometimes we can be shocked with some of the decisions that Tilly can make but I think we need to respect his decisions as Tilly is the one that sees the players everyday and has to make his decsion upon what he sees/hears at training. I can't imagine Maher having the best of attitudes if he is dropped (unlike Flavs who has apparently been an absolute gem about it) because I think Maher thinks he has a right to be in the team regardless. Hopefully this is a wake up call to all players who have been favourites in the past. I don't think we should be dropping either Macca or Bailey for Maher as they are a great partnership. I personally prefer Barrett as Captain, he has all the qualities for a great captain and I personally don't miss Maher. A lot of people were saying that Gower should be dropped but Tilly perservered and now Gower has much improved over the last 2 games and scoring in the last, so let's hope that Gower is getting back on form as he is one of our best players.

 

[Beefy]

Is this Maher who was (arguably) our best player in the Championship last season?

Arguably. But I would (and have) strongly argue against it :)

I also note the Leon's goals have dried up since Maher isn't there pulling the strings. It may be coincidence, but it is rather telling.

Clarke has stopped scoring since he stopped playing as the goalscorer and started playing as the targetman.

 

[mattytheshrimper]

still think gower is the mr undroppable!

 

[davewebbsbrain]

still think gower is the mr undroppable!

Except that he has been dropped this season:confused:

 

[bigmolt]

Too many times.

If Maher came into the side we'd still be playing a centre-midfielder in a wide-right position.

We are playing a central midfielder on the right Moose, and he doesn't give ball away as much as others. IMO he gives us time and makes space to recieve the ball from others. His vision is superb too.

 

[overseas shrimper]

Personally, I am struggling to see what all the fuss is about?

Maher was dropped because he didnt play particularly well against Tranmere, since then, our midfield duo of Bailey and McCormack has been outstanding, so why would you possibly drop either of them just to accomodate Maher? Moussa was brought in to play on the right because Tilly did not want to disrupt the centre of midfield which has been performing so well, again, I don't see any big shock with that?

This isn't a public slap in the face, it is doing the very thing that most of you guys on here wanted - playing the people in form as opposed to playing his favourites! I have lost count of the amount of posts on here bemoaning the fact Maher never got dropped and he was untouchable, and now that Tilly has proved he is man enough to make big decisions, people are straight on his back calling for Maher to be recalled!

Maher has to earn his place back in the side, and with the impending suspension of both Macca and Bailey, no doubt he will do, and then it will be upto either of them to win their place back, thats how football is.

I didnt go last night, but from what I heard listening to the commentary, it didnt sound like we missed him too much at all? We led for most of the first half, and sounded very comfortable, and in the second half, before being undone by a dodgy offside decision and a referee intent on being the star in front of 26,000 people, we were again comfortable, and creating openings.

I think Moussa will be a wonderful talent for us, and I have to ask, why is he not ready yet? The only way he will get ready is by playing matches, and his age has nothing to do with it if he is good enough, which I believe he is.

Maher being out of the team will only do him good, and it will make him realise he has to maintain very high standards, otherwise he will be dropped. If he has the right reaction to it, which as Captain, should be a given, then he will be a better player for it - if he sulks and gets his head down, then that isnt the kind of person you want captaining your side.

Top post. Like Beefy, you saved me a lot of bother as well.

 

[londonblue]

Whatever is going on behind closed doors with Maher we will probably never know. Sometimes we can be shocked with some of the decisions that Tilly can make but I think we need to respect his decisions as Tilly is the one that sees the players everyday and has to make his decsion upon what he sees/hears at training. I can't imagine Maher having the best of attitudes if he is dropped (unlike Flavs who has apparently been an absolute gem about it) because I think Maher thinks he has a right to be in the team regardless. Hopefully this is a wake up call to all players who have been favourites in the past. I don't think we should be dropping either Macca or Bailey for Maher as they are a great partnership. I personally prefer Barrett as Captain, he has all the qualities for a great captain and I personally don't miss Maher. A lot of people were saying that Gower should be dropped but Tilly perservered and now Gower has much improved over the last 2 games and scoring in the last, so let's hope that Gower is getting back on form as he is one of our best players.

So you say we will never know what goes on behind closed doors and then make the assumption that Maher has a bad attitude even though Tilly said the opposite in the press? The same press that reported how well Flahavan has taken it.

 

[londonblue]

Arguably our best player out of:

Flahavan - dropped
Francis - dropped
Hammell - only just regained position after injury
Prior - retired
Sodje - gone
Guttridge - sold as not performing
McCormack - outperformed Maher for half season they were together
Gower - I think was awarded our POTY ahead of Maher
JCR - sold as not performing
Eastwood - sold for profit as wanted out
Bradbury - sold as not performing

Flahavan had a good season last year
Hammell had a good season last year
Prior had a good season (when he played) last year.
Sodje was immense until he went off the rails.
MacCormack didn't outperform Maher in my opinion. I think they complimented eachother.
Gower was indeed superb last year
JCR was not sold because he was not performing. He was sold because he wanted to stay in the Championship. If he wasn't performing at that level then a team currently 8th in that division wouldn't have bought him
Eastwood actually had a poor second half of the season, but was still one of our better players
Bradbury, I agree with you.

And in my opinion Maher was indeed arguably better than all of them. He never once in the whole season allowed our poor form to affect his personal form, and he never once gave up on a match when other players around him seemed to have done. It didn't matter if it was the last two minutes and we were two goals down, he was still putting in the tackles and spraying the passes around in the hope it might lead to someting.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

LB, my point was more to show how things can change in a year.

I'm fully aware of what Maher can bring to the side and last season he was one of our best players, but I'm also aware of his limitations. Without Maher we lose the control he brings to a game, but with Bailey and McCormack in central midfield our midfield is that much more dynamic. We lose in some areas, we gain in others. Whilst he may be one of our better players, we might be a better team without him. I suspect we're a better team with him in it, but its a case of balance.

I think it would have been more of a snub for Maher if Moussa was playing centrally, but its perhaps understandable if Tilly doesn't want to split the Bailey-McCormack central partnership.

I also have my doubts about Maher's long term fitness. He never use to miss games, but from the tailend of last season and now this season he's struggling to be fit. I suspect he has a long term problem with his knees or whatever it was that was keeping him out and that he hasn't been able to train as fully as he (and Tilly) would like, but that is speculation on my part.

 

[palexander]

For me, its about a bit more than balance. Maher is the most experienced player in the squad - without him, we seem to lack some nous and composure.

For all Maccas gung-ho approach, Bailey is still learning the game at this level. Maher has been there and done it and knows when to put his foot on the ball and when to play a pass.

Maher always wants the ball too and rarely goes missing (thought Bailey was very annonymous Tuesday) - meaning that Barret and Clarke always have an out-ball to start an attack. Without Maher, we seem to loose a bit of forward emphasis and kinda just hope an attack opens up.

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

Bradbury wasn't sold as he wasn't performing.
He was released to go to Bournemouth as he could no longer face the regular commute from Hampshire to Essex as it was causing him & his family problems!

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Dont disagree with that PB. But then we win more ball with Bailey and McCormack in the team and we win it higher up the pitch (which makes our attack more dangerous).

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Bradbury wasn't sold as he wasn't performing.
He was released to go to Bournemouth as he could no longer face the regular commute from Hampshire to Essex as it was causing him & his family problems!

He didn't have problems with the commuting when he was in the side and we'd have encouraged him to move houses if he was in our long term plans.

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

He didn't have problems with the commuting when he was in the side and we'd have encouraged him to move houses if he was in our long term plans.

Possibly, but you don't know that for definite. Maybe his domestic circumstances had changed and he was getting it in the neck from his Mrs?

 

[Beefy]

Besides, Bradbury WAS in the side at that stage.

 

[Pubey]

special....

 

[stevie_G_G_G]

don't his ankles look thin lol