The South Bank Hank method

[South Bank Hank]

Since it's silly season and all the talk is about who should stay and who should go, I thought I'd share the personal approach I take to thinking about players...

Take for instance the following who have always seemed to be the subject of mixed opinions:
* Maher
* Flahavan
* Constantine

Imagine they leave and in 2 years time you're sitting with a group of SUFC fans and someone says:
"Do you remember Flahavan?" (for instance)

We should always be looking to improve so if your response isn't "Oh yeaaah!  HE was QUALITY!" then whether they stay or go is probably neither here nor there.

I like Flahavan but I doubt whether, if someone asked me in two years if I remembered him, I'd be that enthusiastic.

For example, ask yourself (and I've purposely left out the likes of Collymore, Powell, etc)
* Do you remember Mike Marsh?
* Do you remember Martin Carruthers?
* Do you remember Paul Sansome?

In contrast:
* Do you remember Gordon Connolly?
* Do you remember Dominic Iorfa?
* Do you remember Mark Hone?


So, what would you say about Maher, Flahavan and Constantine in 2 years time - and should we keep them or can we improve in their position?

For me:
"I always thought he was really good"
"He was okay but didn't command his area"
"He certainly knew where the back of the net was"

I think it keeps it simple.

 

[Banksy]

Quote[/b] (South Bank Hank @ May 21 2004,11:09)]So, what would you say about Maher, Flahavan and Constantine in 2 years time - and should we keep them?

For me:
"I always thought he was really good"
"He was okay but didn't command his area"
"He certainly knew where the back of the net was"

I think it keeps it simple.

That sums it up !

 

[Banksy]

Quote[/b] (Banksy @ May 21 2004,11:12)]

Quote[/b] (South Bank Hank @ May 21 2004,11:09)]So, what would you say about Maher, Flahavan and Constantine in 2 years time - and should we keep them?

For me:
"I always thought he was really good"
"He was okay but didn't command his area"
"He certainly knew where the back of the net was"

I think it keeps it simple.

That sums it up !

Sorry. And kep em !

 

[South Bank Hank]

Now you see that's where I would disagree. I don't think "He was okay but didn't command his area" is what we should be aiming for.

I like Darryl - but "okay" isn't what's going to get this club into the first division.

 

[Fat Bastid]

I think of the three you mention only Constantine will stand any chance of being remembered!

Personally, going back over the years there are very few players who I remember in this fashion, namely.

Derek Spence - Those gangly runs into the box and never say die attitude in the box.

Steve Phillips - Pure evil when it came to scoring goals and a real box fox.

Mervyn Cawston - IMHO the best keeper I have seen!  Did everything he should do with style!

Alan Moody - No nonsense defender who scored from the spot and in the box regularly.

Are there any players in the current squad who will hold this kind of lasting memory?  Simple answer is NO!

 

[Vange Shrimper]

Quote[/b] (Prophet of Doom! @ May 21 2004,11:18)]Are there any players in the current sqaud who will hold this kind of lasting memory?  Simple answer is NO!

Yes!

Drewe, who's goal took us to Cardiff, i find will be remembered in years to come as it was our first ever cup final.

 

[Banksy]

Quote[/b] (South Bank Hank @ May 21 2004,11:15)]Now you see that's where I would disagree.  I don't think "He was okay but didn't command his area" is what we should be aiming for.

I like Darryl - but "okay" isn't what's going to get this club into the first division.

We ain't even in the second - Yet !

 

[South Bank Hank]

Re-reading what I wrote, I can see why you talked about people being "remembered".  What I intended was that you speculate around WHAT you would remember if someone asked you about a player in question (not DO you remember).

After all, I am sure you can remember Melvyn Capleton for instance.

Taking the other example, we will always remember Drewe, but we'll also always remember Flahavan. It's WHAT will remember that often gives a good summary of whether it's the sort of player we should be keeping.

 

[Fat Bastid]

Quote[/b] (South Bank Hank @ May 21 2004,12:10)]Re-reading what I wrote, I can see why you talked about people being "remembered".  What I intended was that you speculate around WHAT you would remember if someone asked you about a player in question (not DO you remember).

Ok!

Darryl Flahavan - I remember would not sign his contract until the very last minute last year!  Not a lot else worth remembering!

Kevin Maher - Ummmm, Errrrrr! Wait, it will come to me.....ZZZzzzzzzzz, ZZZzzzzzzzzz, ZZZzzzzzzz.......

Leon Constantine - He scored a lot of goals in a season and could have scored more!

Is that better?  

 

[South Bank Hank]

Not better or worse. Just an opinion.

 

[steveh1510]

Quote[/b] (Prophet of Doom! @ May 21 2004,12:17)]Darryl Flahavan - I remember would not sign his contract until the very last minute last year!  Not a lot else worth remembering!

And not even then....

I remember Darryl for not signing a contract because he thought he was to good for us, only to spend the whole of the pre-season 2003 training with various other clubs but not getting offered contracts, and so returning to us a couple of months later.

I remember that he couldn't command his area, at all and I remember thinking at the time that if he could learn this then he would be a very good, albeit also very arrogant, 'keeper. Unfortunately he was the best available to us at the time until the summer of 2004, when we signed ...... who was much better than Flavs and went onto obtain legendary status with the fans of the club. Darryl left, in a sulk, the next summer.

And thats what I remember of Darryl Flahavan.

 

[sufcintheprem]

Quote[/b] (Prophet of Doom! @ May 21 2004,11:18)]Are there any players in the current sqaud who will hold this kind of lasting memory?  Simple answer is YES!

How about that Constantine who finished top scorer for us in the league before going on to bag 20 for Hull in the second division after we offered him nothing.

I swear I play the memory game differently.

Williamson - little muppet who enteratined me by squaring up to Jimmy Aggrey
Carruthers - missed chance to send us to LDV final
Campbell - HEY YOUUU GUYYYS
Abbey - Late sub for useless Webb
Webb - useless

 

[Napster]

Quote[/b] (sufcintheprem @ May 21 2004,12:50)]Carruthers - missed chance to send us to LDV final

Exactly.

The only player I'll remember from the current squad will be Leon Cort for scoring a hat-trick as a defender.

Oh and Drewe for that goal

I'm sorry but for all good he undoubtedly is, until Leon C does it again next season, he is nothing compared to Cadette, Crown and Angell.

 

[Durera]

<span style='font-family:comic sans ms'>I&#39;d remember Gower.</span>

 

[Matt the Shrimp]

I&#39;d agree with most of those, sufcintheprem - apart from Campbell, who for me was &quot;ugly and cr@p&quot;.

How about:

David Lee - ah, that goal against Brighton...
Bramble - SOOOO frustrating.
Belgrave - talked the talk, walked like Joey Deacon.
Whelan - Chinny&#33;&#33;
Jupp - hard working nutter&#33;
Gower - class, but arrogant?
Maher - the lynchpin, we flounder without him
Conny - back of the net
Carruthers - Gandhi, class, but became a &quot;want-away&quot;.
Connelly - the worst I&#39;ve ever seen in a Blues shirt
Livett - the second worst I&#39;ve ever seen in a Blues shirt
Hodges - why didn&#39;t he stay?
Newman - to infinity... and beyond&#33;
Clark - headless chicken
Smith - class, but sicknote?
Wilson - nice bloke, but not good enough
Drroooo - donkey, but got us to Cardiff
Roget - from trials with PSV to Barnet&#39;s stereo... what might have been.
Rawle - Judas Bambi
Sutch - XXL16 and his Sutchy infatuation
McSweeney - bah, should have kept Broady.
Cort - could be brilliant, but is flawed...
Warren - Wozzaaaaa&#33;&#33;&#33;
Gay - Sheeeeep&#33;
Searle - that goal against Rushden...
Flavs - poser... bring back Sammy.

Hey, quite enjoy this game... just putting down the first thing that comes to mind when I think about the players. I&#39;ll wait until I&#39;ve seen more of Dudders (legend in waiting, IMHO), Nicolau (sweetest left foot since Sir Chrissy) and Bentley (our answer to Vieira) before committing my initail views to that list.

Matt

 

[steveh1510]

* Do you remember Sada N&#39;Diaye?
* Do you remember Regis Coulboult?
* Do you remember Robert Codner?

Comments please.

 

[Matt the Shrimp]

The only players we&#39;ve had recently who have been truly memorable are those who will pass into legend for their sheer awfulness; namely:

*Gordon Connelly
*Graeme Jones
*Simon Livett
*Neil Campbell

Of those, Connelly almost deserves a special award... perhaps we can have a &quot;Wall of Shame&quot; in the Shrimpers, above the urinals in the Gents loos...?

Matt

 

[steveh1510]

Quote[/b] (Matt the Shrimp @ May 21 2004,13:14)]Of those, Connelly almost deserves a special award... perhaps we can have a &quot;Wall of Shame&quot; in the Shrimpers, above the urinals in the Gents loos...?

Surely the pictures would be better IN the urinals?

 

[sufcintheprem]

Quote[/b] (Matt the Shrimp @ May 21 2004,13:14)]... perhaps we can have a "Wall of Shame" in the Shrimpers, above the urinals in the Gents loos...?

How about constituting the urinals.  Get photos of them at their worst.


Not wanting to single out Campbell, but I was gutted when I bought a programme (normally reserved for special occasions) and the centre page spread was none other than Clam scoring one of his many memorable goals.

Talking of his memorable goals, I recall one he scored when I was in the lower South.  The defender was trying to jockey him but looked genuinely scared and backed off to his six yard box where he stumbled.  Unconcerned by this, the keeper stayed rooted to his line til the last minute and Campbell completed his 40 yard straight line run with a shot in the same line.  Awful defending but Clam looked well chuffed.

 

[South Bank Hank]

Quote[/b] ]* Do you remember Regis Coulboult?

I actually had Regis in mind earlier when I first posted.  I thought he was great, exactly the sort of player we should be looking to sign.

(And thank you Matt the Shrimp and Steve - finally, someone understands how it works)