Matt Harrold - Why all the slating?

[CC51DAS]

Why are people coming on here and the radio and slating the poor guy again ?

Thought he played jolly well yesterday , won many balls in the air , caused alot of problems for their defenders , brought the midfield into the game , gave the team shape and laid off a sublime pass to tee up Deano's crucial equaliser - all of which has been missing in recent weeks .

His substitution was predictable - after a long period without first team action he was bound to be feeling it after the effort he had put in

C'mon give the guy a break

 

[OldBlueLady]

I don't think he played well. His height made a bit of difference, and meant Charlie had a bit more space but apart from one excellent pass, it was mostly poor. I give him credit for defensive work though, his headed clearances were better than some the actual defenders were doing! Maybe he should try a change of position?!

 

[A Century United]

Why are people coming on here and the radio and slating the poor guy again ?

Thought he played jolly well yesterday , won many balls in the air , caused alot of problems for their defenders , brought the midfield into the game , gave the team shape and laid off a sublime pass to tee up Deano's crucial equaliser - all of which has been missing in recent weeks .

His substitution was predictable - after a long period without first team action he was bound to be feeling it after the effort he had put in

C'mon give the guy a break

Give a dog a bad name.... People now watch him and pick up on every error, real or percieved, in a way that they don't for other players. But by doing that they are missing what his presence brings to the shape of the team, and how it allows others to play.

 

[CC51DAS]

I don't think he played well. His height made a bit of difference, and meant Charlie had a bit more space but apart from one excellent pass, it was mostly poor. I give him credit for defensive work though, his headed clearances were better than some the actual defenders were doing! Maybe he should try a change of position?!

Good point - he also found time to do some very useful defensive work - busy afternoon for the lad really wasn't it ?

 

[CC51DAS]

Give a dog a bad name.... People now watch him and pick up on every error, real or percieved, in a way that they don't for other players. But by doing that they are missing what his presence brings to the shape of the team, and how it allows others to play.

Yearp , Spot on !

 

[OldBlueLady]

Good point - he also found time to do some very useful defensive work - busy afternoon for the lad really wasn't it ?

I don't dispute his work rate and effort, it's always pretty high, it's just the end product that's lacking although loads of the old guys round where I was sitting yesterday were on at him non stop about not being able to jump. Can't say I've noticed that to be an issue, like I say, it's end product every time and for a striker that's vital.

 

[CC51DAS]

I don't dispute his work rate and effort, it's always pretty high, it's just the end product that's lacking although loads of the old guys round where I was sitting yesterday were on at him non stop about not being able to jump. Can't say I've noticed that to be an issue, like I say, it's end product every time and for a striker that's vital.

OK , Dagenham are a league below us , but his input created more openings and opportunities than we had had for weeks

 

[derek duvall]

Didn't think he played particularly well but for some reason the long balls were being pumped into MacDonald instead of Harrold. If we don't use Harrold as the target man then i can't see the point in playing him. MacDonald needs the ball in the 6 yard box not 40 yards out on the wing.

 

[Southminster_Shrimper]

OK , Dagenham are a league below us , but his input created more openings and opportunities than we had had for weeks

Nothing to do with Morgan finally waking up then.

I thought Harrold did ok. Nothing special but with no real goal scorer up front, or atleast not one that gives me faith we will get goals, he will struggle. He cleared quite a number of crosses from our own box as said above and won a decent amount of headers. Some good lay offs but no real goal scoring chances for him.

Hoops looked more lively but then his finishing is not great either. How much of an open goal does he need.....even tho it would not have counted cos all the action was at the other end at the time!

 

[OldBlueLady]

Didn't think he played particularly well but for some reason the long balls were being pumped into MacDonald instead of Harrold. If we don't use Harrold as the target man then i can't see the point in playing him. MacDonald needs the ball in the 6 yard box not 40 yards out on the wing.

For a little chap it always surprises me how high Charlie Mac does jump and how often he does win headers - he's really developing well, one of Tilly's better buys in recent times.

 

[CC51DAS]

For a little chap it always surprises me how high Charlie Mac does jump and how often he does win headers - he's really developing well, one of Tilly's better buys in recent times.

Yeah he reminds me of Michael Owen - there are a lot of similarities - he is short , male , has two legs and wears shorts on a Saturday afternoon

 

[OldBlueLady]

Slight difference in the salary though doncha think?

 

[CC51DAS]

Slight difference in the salary though doncha think?

Yeah and if Matt Harrold was world class as many seem to expect him to be - he wouldn't be playing for us

S'funny how we can make allowances for some and not others

 

[OldBlueLady]

Personally I think Harrold's been given lots of opportunities and not made the most of them. I do think his confidence is largely shot, and what he needs is to go out on loan and rebuild it away from the boo boys (hasten to add I have never and will never boo one of our own despite comments I make on sites like this). A personal opinion, that's all.

 

[steveo]

Personally I think Harrold's been given lots of opportunities and not made the most of them

But when he played Leon looked better, and as a previous poster said Macdonald had more space. Is it a coincidence?

Unfortunately Harrold is the first scapegoat for a lot of fans when things are going badly. If he had missed the open goal Leon missed against Oldham he would have been slaughtered, but Clarke wasnt.

If I had time I would compare our goals scored record when Harrold plays with when he doesnt and would expect it to be vavourable when he plays.

 

[fbm]

I am not in the habit of slating players generally and am always prepared to say if someone has played well or not based on the game rather than their previous.

Earlier in the season I thought Harrold was a touch unlucky. He did create some openings and was unlucky not to score a couple in the first few games, which may have meant his season would have panned out differently.

However, I have to say yesterday I thought he was extremely poor. I'm not doing the "official" SZ report for yesterdays game, but if I was I would be giving him a 4.

It is a stretching the point a bit when we say a striker did ok because of his defensive headers. He is a striker for Gods sake! Did Harrold have one solitary goal attempt yesterday? I can't remember one.

There was an incident in the first half where Macdonald chased a lost cause down into the North East corner. He won the ball, held off the defenders and put over a cross. Harrold was still 5 yards outside the penalty area and had made no attempt to get into the box. That was very poor.

Am I right in thinking that in the time he has been with us he has scored more penalties than goals from open play? That is the scoring record of a full back, not a main striker.

The lad has had some bad luck, he has been (unfairly IMHO) given stick when it hasn't been due... but I cannot, even with the bluest tint of glasses I can find, see how anyone thought his performance yesterday AS A STRIKER was anything near what is needed.

 

[smudgster]

Yeah he reminds me of Michael Owen - there are a lot of similarities - he is short , male , has two legs and wears shorts on a Saturday afternoon

I was likening him to Tony Cottee, same sort of build and style of play.

Back to Harrold, are those enviouse eyes looking at Morgan celebrating his goal. Take a look at the official site pics.

 

[Kristof]

I thought Matty played reasonably well today, it was his first game in weeks and once again gave 100%.

Nice to see the Roots Halls crowd give a chance, first "for f***ks sake, Harrold", 9 mins into the game!!!!!!!!! :thump:

 

[OldBlueLady]

It is a stretching the point a bit when we say a striker did ok because of his defensive headers. He is a striker for Gods sake! Did Harrold have one solitary goal attempt yesterday? I can't remember one.

There was an incident in the first half where Macdonald chased a lost cause down into the North East corner. He won the ball, held off the defenders and put over a cross. Harrold was still 5 yards outside the penalty area and had made no attempt to get into the box. That was very poor.

Am I right in thinking that in the time he has been with us he has scored more penalties than goals from open play? That is the scoring record of a full back, not a main striker.

The lad has had some bad luck, he has been (unfairly IMHO) given stick when it hasn't been due... but I cannot, even with the bluest tint of glasses I can find, see how anyone thought his performance yesterday AS A STRIKER was anything near what is needed.

I didn't say he was good because of the defensive cover but that that was, for me, the ONLY real plus point about his performance. I've made my views on him quite clear I think on many occasions.

 

[Sherif H]

Can't see what games people are watching (or what parts they appear to choose to highlight). Matt Harrold had a good game yesterday...was consistent with his short passing and clever little flick ons and had a part in most of the goals.
Yes he doesn't score many goals, but he warrants his place in the team on assists alone. The stats back this up.