The merits (or otherwise) of Tom Hopper

[Ipswhrimp]

Similar in style to Dalby. Never going to score you 20 goals a season but once you accept that’s not really his game, you start appreciating his overall contribution a lot more.

Mind you, Dalby bagged 15 for Dundee Utd this season. Not too shabby.

 

[Shrimper4lifeCBS]

Roy McDonough 186 appearances and 30 goals in his second spell with us. Ask David Crown 61 goals in 113 appearances whether the fault lies in Hopper’s goal scoring prowess or elsewhere. Hopper’s signing was one of the many reasons we scraped into the play offs and then made Wembley.

I have just looked at the results after we signed Hopper and not sure if it is a coincidence but we only lost 3 league games between 28th January and end of season. My memory might be playing me tricks (I am 68!) but seem to remember we couldn't defend a Corner or set pieces if our lives depended on it until Hopper and Goodliffe arrived. Think he brings that to the team

Possible! But also the football(if that’s what you can call it) was tripe, the crowd was booing Maher & ridiculous subs!! Shouting “you don’t know what you’re doing” I’m just glad we have vocal fans!! So a change of formation & more forward passing helped!!

 

[Shrimp and two veg]

I know Yorkshire Blue likes to say we attack from the back and defend from the front, but in my book if one striker bangs in goals for fun and the others dont, i make that he is a better striker.
Herr Kane scored loads for Spurs, but Son just isn't as good is he? Proved that this season. A good striker can hold the ball up to let the team come up the pitch, bang one in from 30yrds or lose his marker to nod home from 1yard.

The rest of it is just what level of defender youre up against. Its non league, not that hard really. I reckon i coulda notched 10 mimimum for Southend upfront in my prime, and i was a centre back ! Seriously, there's better out there.

 

[Napster]

I like Hopper's work.























Especially Nighthawks

 

[leeblue]

Excellent in defending set pieces.
Is a physical handful for opposining CBs
Holds the ball up ok at times.
Works hard/presses
Doesn't score enough goals.
Has no pace.

 

[davewebbsbrain]

Mind you, Dalby bagged 15 for Dundee Utd this season. Not too shabby.

My nan would have scored 15 goals in Scotland this season and she's been dead 30 years

 

[Jai]

Possible! But also the football(if that’s what you can call it) was tripe, the crowd was booing Maher & ridiculous subs!! Shouting “you don’t know what you’re doing” I’m just glad we have vocal fans!! So a change of formation & more forward passing helped!!

Only idiots were booing Maher. I very much doubt the people doing the booing were qualified to UEFA Pro Licence level.

 

[united we stand]

Hopper has a similar profile to a Cardwell/ MAF/ Corr - a mobile target man - the difference is Cardwell and Corr scored reasonably regularly and MAF had played at a much higher level and his cleverness was there - Hopper does not pose either of those threats - he's good at helping defend set pieces, that's about it.

We badly need an upgrade on him and Bonne

I would be VERY happy if we could get someone with Corr’s ‘reasonably regularly’ scoring rate of 50 in 155 or 1 in 3

 

[RHB]

Hopper is not a prolific goal scorer but he has a lot of other attributes which is why Maher bought him to the Club. As he has a contract until next year the question of whether we should keep him is simple. He's contracted and the coaching team rate him so he sees his contract out. Where he will feature in our next squad is currently unknown. I suspect he will be a support act though, and rightly so, if we get more prolific goal scorers in. Did he deserve the quantity of criticism he received in the Transfer thread? no he didn't, hence my earlier post. It wasn't a response to just one poster, it was addressed to them all.

 

[Leigh_Seasider]

Tovide got 7 for them last season and he was linked with a move to the championship. Hopper has good all round attributes so 10 would be a good return. I still think it’s more about the team getting better at creating chances will make the difference.

Agreed, was just pointing out that Tom hasn’t ever really been what you’d call a regular goal scorer. I think some look back to the season he was with us in league 1 but he’s a totally different player now.

 

[Chairman Trigg]

Just the goal in the play off quarter-final and play off final for Parillion when out wide. We must have different definitions of ineffective.

When in the middle running at people he creates a completely different threat .I don't dispute the goals which were more positional on crosses than wide play

 

[Strykr]

Scapegoat...Whipping boy...Witch Hunt...

can we not do that this season....

If 1 poster thinks hoppers crap, and another thinks he's amazing can we just leave it at that. Have some healthy debate etc.

There are 4 or 5 in this squad that imo should be shipped out if we want to gain promotion. Thats not a witch hunt its an opinion.

 

[bazzashrimper]

Do you know the veracity of your source? If not, then I would argue it sums you up more than Maher.

At the same time we were conceding around 2 a match from set pieces when he signed, and that cut to around 1 in 5 or 6.

So a bit of maths. 2 goals * 46 = 96 goals saved
46/5 (or 6) is about 9 goals still conceded

So over a season that’s 87 goals he’s prevented. Assume he’d score 3 goals and he’s worth 90 goals to us.

I’m bored, but let’s not under appreciate the good defensive work he did. We had Cards doing that role early on, and Bonne proved he couldn’t do it anywhere near as well.

 

[Leigh_Seasider]

So over a season that’s 87 goals he’s prevented.

Outrageous! Surely with stats like that he should be playing CB rather than up top.

 

[OldBlueLady]

Tom Hopper was the player Tom Lawrence used to show us during a liaison meeting, how the new analysis system would work. He measured up very favourably to Harry Cardwell using the system, outperforming him in some areas. Obviously he doesn't score as many goals, but it's undoubtedly his all round contribution to the game that made him an attractive prospect.

I do wonder whether he might drop into a more defensive role over time, it does happen to some more forward players as they get older.

 

[Maldon Shrimper]

As many have said Hopper is good team player both as a forward and defensive player but he isnt a prolific goal scorer which we definitely need to get us out of this league.If we can get a goalscorer in and Hopper acts a foil for others to produce the goals so all well and good

 

[rigsby]

I watched Hopper make some great unmarked runs into the box.....Then we would have needles touches or go backwards or square.

Towards the end of the season we looked to play the ball much earlier in the final third. Our 2 goals at Wembley were a result of this.

People should watch the highlights v Ebsfleet . Kendal gets nice early ball over the top for the 1st. Bonne and Walker scored from "blind' crosses (someone delivering without looking up to the right area). Goodliffe got us on the way v Wealdstone with that sort of cross.

When Leon came on v Rochdale, with virtually his first touch. He shifts it and crosses it with out fuss. Hopper makes it 3-2 in exactly the right area he has been many times without reward. Then Bonne has look up and crosses on his first touch and again Hopper is on the end of it. Great save from their keeper but Leon has done what JB failed to do all season. Gambled at the back left post and its 3-3.

We can still sign 2 forwards better than we have. More direct in the final third, suited to the NL where defenders make mistakes. Would see all our forwards scoring more goals.

 

[Billy Bests boot laces]

I do wonder whether he might drop into a more defensive role over time, it does happen to some more forward players as they get older.

Billy Best for example, during his final spell at Northampton?.

 

[SeldomSeenShrimper]

Tom Hopper is class at what he does ...

Plus he's versatile, In Umbrella Academy, he plays an absolute idiot with a good heart, but in Black Sails, he plays a hardened pirate.

 

[in the know]

He plays because not only on the pitch and behind the scenes is he a very positive influence, but his stats support what we see.
The cameras now installed at the ground and new training pitches that feed the stats along with stat vests they wear for training and games pick up every run, pass, hesder, assist, goal, distance, etc. It's unbelievable how much info is produced and can be analysed in different ways.