Ricketts

J · Sep 30, 2006

I think he is going to be a major force to reckon with.. his' touches are immense.. and he knows what he is doing,

as Mcnasty said tonight in the pub:

"there is a touch of goater-esq" about him..

Crabby Shrimper · Sep 30, 2006

Hopefully his experience will have a Goateresque benefit on the team too.

When he signed a lot was mde of his size, has he trimmed down a bit, or is he still carrying a bit of excess?

Pubey · Sep 30, 2006

saw him against wakering and then against northampton for the stiffs and against cardiff. he has lost a considerable amount of weight, he looks lean, just needs to get that sharpness and match fitness together more than anything now

Angell Delight · Oct 1, 2006

Hopefully Ricko will have the same effect on Freddy that Goater had last season, with any luck he'll shed a little more weight get himself match fit and we'll have a top quality and complementary strike-pairing on our hands. If we can shore up the back-line too we'll definitely get ourselves out of trouble at the bottom and into relative comfort.

Beefy · Oct 1, 2006

I've been very impressed with Ricketts. To be honest when he signed I thought that he was going to be a different player to the one he has turned out to be. I didn't think he'd have the sort of vision and touch that he's got. If he can stay fit then we've got one hell of a player there.

Mr. Benedict · Oct 1, 2006

From the little I've seen of him he looks good, he's a class above our other strikers (save Freddy) at the moment. Hopefully he can stay fit and avoid the problems that have plagued him since he left Bolton.

palexander · Oct 1, 2006

He has looked literally a different class and if he can stay fit then he will be a real assett.

Also, anyone doubting his commitment would have been pleased to see him chase all the way back to our byline yesterday and slide the ball out for a corner - when we were 3-0 down...

Angell Delight · Oct 1, 2006

I wasn't there yesterday but the reports on Ricko's fitness and (as I saw for myself at the game last week) touch and vision look extremely promising indeed.

I really did think the biggest problems we'd have with him would be attitude and fitness. Well from what I hear neither look likely to be big problems. He's definitely a confidence player though from recent history at other clubs so we should really get behind him and let him know he's wanted at this club cos it will only be to our benefit and to Freddy's.

Has a terrace chant been adopted for him yet? Would Freddy mind if we borrowed his? Seems to fit nicely

Draft Shrimper · Oct 1, 2006

I just posted as part on another thread that Ricketts made all the difference when he came on. He gave the Derby center backs problems when he came on that was for sure. Hooper was always going to struggle against there big center back but you could see him complaining to ref when Ricketts was holding the ball up and getting in his face.

He does have similar qualities to the goat. I think the ball stuck to him everytime it came to him, got above the defender most if not all of the time and plays intellegent passes to set things going in attack. Can't wait until he is fully fit and see him in full flow running at defenders!

Angell Delight · Oct 1, 2006

[b said:
Quote[/b] (Draft Shrimper @ Oct. 01 2006,11:35)]I just posted as part on another thread that Ricketts made all the difference when he came on. He gave the Derby center backs problems when he came on that was for sure. Hooper was always going to struggle against there big center back but you could see him complaining to ref when Ricketts was holding the ball up and getting in his face.

He does have similar qualities to the goat. I think the ball stuck to him everytime it came to him, got above the defender most if not all of the time and plays intellegent passes to set things going in attack. Can't wait until he is fully fit and see him in full flow running at defenders!

He's like a Goat with "legs" really and his experience like the Goat's last season should also help Freddy a lot. When you take into account his excellent vision, great strength and hold-up play, great first touch, the fact he never gives the ball away, good in the air and an eye for goal it's pretty clear he has a bit of everything. Just what we need to complement Freddy and if we can get them both together soon for 90mins we'll see the benefit - they'll be one of the best pairings in the Championship.

Just gotta sort out the defence.......

ozzy-shrimper · Oct 1, 2006

Surely it's time for Ricketts to make a start against Coventry?

Pubey · Oct 1, 2006

good shout ozzy, thats what im hoping for.. would rather have ricketts on for the first 60-70 than the last 20... thats what players like hooper and harrold can really do as we have already seen, turn the game and run at tired defenders (which im sure they will be after having to deal with ricko for an hr!)

MrB · Oct 1, 2006

It's a shame there's no game for two weeks, he needs to get match fit asap. Can't see him starting against Coventry as he's not had enough games under his belt.

RobM. · Oct 1, 2006

I'd risk it, personally. Ricko has 2 weeks to get the cardio-vascular system in full working order. I'd put Harrold on the bench, maybe for the last 20 mins to give the Cov' defence a different problem to tackle.

Fiftyone · Oct 1, 2006

[b said:
Quote[/b] (MrB @ Oct. 01 2006,15:28)]It's a shame there's no game for two weeks, he needs to get match fit asap. Can't see him starting against Coventry as he's not had enough games under his belt.

The reserves have got a game at Ipswich on the 9th October - give him 70 - 80 minutes in that game and start him against Coventry. I don't think we've got time to wait for him to get fully match fit, we need him to start and play the majority of the game against Coventry to give ourselves any chance of scoring and putting the opposition under any sort of pressure.

MrB · Oct 1, 2006

You're probably right. Thinking back to last season Goater wasn't match fit but was forced in by Freddy's 4 game suspension and it didn't take him long to pick up the pace (Col******r at home springs to mind!).

Alex · Oct 1, 2006

Ricketts will only get match fit by playing games now. The fact that other strikers are not doing the business is more of a reason to play him. A half fit ricketts is better than a 100 percent fit paynter/harrold/hooper/bradbury/lawson. Ricketts should play most of the next reserve game and then start the next 2 league games and play a good 70 minutes then he can go off for a rest and hopefully he would have grabbed a goal or 2. Then he will miss leeds away both games and then should be 100 percent fit to play the next game for the whole 90 minutes.

Bucks_blue · Oct 1, 2006

Thing is, having a player like Ricketts playing immediately gives Freddy that little bit more room too.

Ricketts coming on was about the only positive I took away from yesterday.

That and the fact that 4 years ago we would have been being beaten by Shrewsbury....

Hong Kong Blue · Oct 1, 2006

What was interesting was how all the players looked to Ricketts as soon as he came on. He was always the ball that everyone was looking to play. I suppose we did that to the Goat on occasions last season, when no-one knows what to do they just looked to him to do something, but last season there was more often than not something on. On one occasion Gower was in a great position to shoot but instead laid it off to Ricketts who was probably in a worse position.

Whilst its a positive that the team seem to respect Ricketts' ability, the lack of confidence that they didn't feel able to have a go themselves was a worry. To have already lost the momentum from last season is a big loss.