Matt Harrold - Why all the slating?

[A Century United]

Simple really, If he plays well, fans will support him. If he does'nt, fans will get on his back. Not rocket science, just human nature.

Sad, but true.:(

What utter tosh. One fan's "MoM performance" is another fans "Nightmare display". Peter Clarke is a good example of this - just read the Player of the Year thread. There are a multitude of factors involved in whether a player is a fans favourite or a terrace boo boy target.

 

[Beefy]

What utter tosh. One fan's "MoM performance" is another fans "Nightmare display". Peter Clarke is a good example of this - just read the Player of the Year thread. There are a multitude of factors involved in whether a player is a fans favourite or a terrace boo boy target.

Indeed. Matt Harrold was a target for the booboys even when he was playing well.

Fallon's style of play isn't that of your traditional fan favourite so I'd expect him to get a fair bit of stick if he doesn't score a lot of goals. And I don't think he will score a lot of goals as that isn't his game. That said, Drewe was a bit of a terrace hero so who knows...?

 

[biffo]

What utter tosh. One fan's "MoM performance" is another fans "Nightmare display". Peter Clarke is a good example of this - just read the Player of the Year thread. There are a multitude of factors involved in whether a player is a fans favourite or a terrace boo boy target.

A multitude of factors? are you sure? Whilst fully understanding the 'one mans meat is another mans poison' arguement, I also think it is easy to over elaborate these things. Despite your protestations, The majority of onlookers will generally be of a similar opinion. A prime example is Matt Harrold..Whilst a minority argue his merits, the overwhelming opinion from posters is that he is a heart on sleeve player with insufficient skill for this level of competition. Hence the bad press. Che wilson is another. You can dress it up as much as you like but it really aint that complicated.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Indeed. Matt Harrold was a target for the booboys even when he was playing well.

Fallon's style of play isn't that of your traditional fan favourite so I'd expect him to get a fair bit of stick if he doesn't score a lot of goals. And I don't think he will score a lot of goals as that isn't his game. That said, Drewe was a bit of a terrace hero so who knows...?

Fallon will need a song or a chant.

That was Drewe's secret, much like Mark Rawle* was worshipped by the under 16s because he had a song they could sing everytime he got the ball.



*Apologies to Mark Rawle if you are reading this for even mentioning you in the same sentence as donkey Broughton. You weren't great but you weren't that bad.

 

[biffo]

Indeed. Matt Harrold was a target for the booboys even when he was playing well.

Fallon's style of play isn't that of your traditional fan favourite so I'd expect him to get a fair bit of stick if he doesn't score a lot of goals. And I don't think he will score a lot of goals as that isn't his game. That said, Drewe was a bit of a terrace hero so who knows...?

With all due respect Beefy, your term 'playing well' is itself pretty subjective. I really dont understand this pre-occupance with new players getting stick from 'boo boys'. They wont get stick if they show their worth. Be it as a scorer or provider.

 

[Beefy]

Matt Harrold proved his worth in that he fulfilled the role that the manager asked of him but because he didn't score goals along the way (and because he's lanky and ginger IMO) he has taken a huge amount of stick. Yesterday he wasn't exactly brilliant but he was involved in two of the three goals we scored with him on the pitch and yet all people wanted to talk about on the way out of the ground is why does Tilly keep playing Matt Harrold.

The bottom line, rightly or wrongly, is that the ONLY thing that most football supporters judge their strikers on is the number of goals that they score. Leon Clarke, Freddy Eastwood, Shaun Goater and most other strikers we've had were brilliant when they scored and sh!te when they didn't. Rory Fallon isn't a big goalscorer and with the way that we play I don't see that changing if he comes to Roots Hall so I expect him to be a described as a "donkey" and a "waste of money" sooner rather than later.

 

[A Century United]

A multitude of factors? are you sure? Whilst fully understanding the 'one mans meat is another mans poison' arguement, I also think it is easy to over elaborate these things. Despite your protestations, The majority of onlookers will generally be of a similar opinion. A prime example is Matt Harrold..Whilst a minority argue his merits, the overwhelming opinion from posters is that he is a heart on sleeve player with insufficient skill for this level of competition. Hence the bad press. Che wilson is another. You can dress it up as much as you like but it really aint that complicated.

Once people have formed an opinion about a player it takes an awful lot to change their mind - THAT'S human nature. Harrold was being ridiculed, and I use the advisedly, before he had even signed. And it only takes the vocal few to make a lot of noise and sound like more than there is. When there was a poll about Harrold on SZ, the majority didn't think him a good player - but it was a very slim majority, certainly not the overwhelming view of him that you imagine.

http://www.shrimperzone.com/vb/showthread.php?t=32567&highlight=Harrold

Further more, just because a majority of fans hold an opinion doesn't automatically make them correct. The statistics this season suggest that having Matt in the team improves our results and numbers of goals scored - but this is always ignored because it doesn't suit people to consider the facts in emotive arguements. That's human nature too.

 

[A Century United]

With all due respect Beefy, your term 'playing well' is itself pretty subjective. I really dont understand this pre-occupance with new players getting stick from 'boo boys'. They wont get stick if they show their worth. Be it as a scorer or provider.

But Matt Harrold is one of our top providers according to the stats... It really is more complicated than you want to believe, Biffo.

 

[OldBlueLady]

Matt Harrold proved his worth in that he fulfilled the role that the manager asked of him but because he didn't score goals along the way (and because he's lanky and ginger IMO) he has taken a huge amount of stick. Yesterday he wasn't exactly brilliant but he was involved in two of the three goals we scored with him on the pitch and yet all people wanted to talk about on the way out of the ground is why does Tilly keep playing Matt Harrold.

Don't believe there are many of us that are gingerist or heightest, indeed isn't Bailey of the sandy variety? No, Harrold just isn't very good, simple really.

 

[Beefy]

A multitude of factors? are you sure? Whilst fully understanding the 'one mans meat is another mans poison' arguement, I also think it is easy to over elaborate these things. Despite your protestations, The majority of onlookers will generally be of a similar opinion. A prime example is Matt Harrold..Whilst a minority argue his merits, the overwhelming opinion from posters is that he is a heart on sleeve player with insufficient skill for this level of competition. Hence the bad press. Che wilson is another. You can dress it up as much as you like but it really aint that complicated.

You bring up Che but Che Wilson very rarely gets a huge amount of stick despite being the most limited footballer in the squad. Drewe Broughton is the same - a very poor footballer but one who rarely had anything other than the support of the crowd. Both have their games ripped apart by us wannabe-pundits in the pub and on here but when they were wearing the Blue shirt they are and were supported.

I don't think you'd find many people willing to argue that Matt Harrold is an especially talented footballer, but there's a big leap from that to saying that the stick he gets during matches is justified.

 

[Beefy]

Don't believe there are many of us that are gingerist or heightest, indeed isn't Bailey of the sandy variety? No, Harrold just isn't very good, simple really.

Wait until Bailey's form drops ;)

If there's anything in the gingerist argument I think it's subconcious. Be honest, if your sister was going out with someone who looked like Matt Harrold you wouldn't be happy!

 

[OldBlueLady]

Wait until Bailey's form drops ;)

If there's anything in the gingerist argument I think it's subconcious. Be honest, if your sister was going out with someone who looked like Matt Harrold you wouldn't be happy!

But think of the potential earnings as a Royal stand in! Besides which my sister's 40 and happily married so don't think she'd be interested thank you!

 

[biffo]

But Matt Harrold is one of our top providers according to the stats... It really is more complicated than you want to believe, Biffo.

I understand your view point but disagree with it. Stats, as we all know can be manipulated and/or interpreted in ways to suit all points of an arguement. Nope, i prefer to be old fashioned and accept that for all our limitations, The joe soap fan base can, given time, tell if a player cuts the mustard or not. So i stand my ground on this and revel in the joys of footbal forum chats!;)

 

[mattytheshrimper]

ok the main point from this thread is people think harrolds game doesn't include many goals because he brings over players into the game. i don't entirely agree with this but heh. if this is the case it doesn't stop him scoring goals from free-kicks and corners. he's a big bloke who really should get on the end of set pieces but he doesn't. if we score a set piece its usually ab or clarke who scores it. i don't think harrold is good in the air as he misses half his headers. but i deffinately think he needs to start scoring or we should let him go. no one can argue he hasn't had his chance because he has had more of a chance than any other striker that we have signed in the past 2 seasons.

 

[biffo]

You bring up Che but Che Wilson very rarely gets a huge amount of stick despite being the most limited footballer in the squad. Drewe Broughton is the same - a very poor footballer but one who rarely had anything other than the support of the crowd. Both have their games ripped apart by us wannabe-pundits in the pub and on here but when they were wearing the Blue shirt they are and were supported.

I don't think you'd find many people willing to argue that Matt Harrold is an especially talented footballer, but there's a big leap from that to saying that the stick he gets during matches is justified.

I wasn't justifying it. In fact i think i was suggesting that bar the odd occasion, this perceived 'stick' is hard to hear (apart from the individual outbursts from passionate fans). But lets face it, All players are subject to that at times.

 

[sufcintheprem]

We'll get Fallon or someone with physical presence in and then I imagine Harrold will either play a bit part role or will be passed on. Good games or bad games, he never seems to get credit but he's been an earnest worker for the club. Can't really ask much more than that from a player who is clearly not naturally gifted in the ways of others.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

I wasn't justifying it. In fact i think i was suggesting that bar the odd occasion, this perceived 'stick' is hard to hear (apart from the individual outbursts from passionate fans). But lets face it, All players are subject to that at times.

So you think Harrold is unaware that most of our fans seem to think he is a ****?

 

[biffo]

So you think Harrold is unaware that most of our fans seem to think he is a ****?

Hmm, cant say. Depends what you typed. If i hazard a guess that you typed **** i would say not. I would think that most of our fans think he is limited in ability. Nothing more..nothing less.

 

[Shrimp Shady]

One player certainly doesn't make a team!!!

Looking at the majority of our results this season we have won most and scored more goals with Matt Harrold in the line-up........I don't think it is any coincidence that when he was left out of the side we became too predictable and results started to go against us!

I wish people would see past his goalscoring credentials and look at what else he offers to the team. He created two of the goals yesterday, had an important flick on in the box for Francis' goal and set up Morgan for his 1st.

If we were to go up this season with Harrold having scored only a few goals would anyone really be bothered???

Admittedly he isn't the best striker SUFC have ever had........I just get a bit pi$$ed off with the majority of fans scrutinising his every move and decision and following it up by constantly abusing him.

 

[londonblue]

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.

I remember that. However, what you're ignoring is that it started from us defending a set piece in our own area. Harrold was in our six yard box and Charlie Mac was on the half way line. It's not really a surprise MacDonald had to hold the ball up. More to the point, Harrold was the first player to get within touching distance of Charlie, so give him some credit for being the only player to make an effort.