[Archived] 5m

[Hughesy]

Against Chelsea i think we should give him 45 minutes and if he isnt doing great then give Peter 45 minutes and therefore hopefully help Pedersen rest for the weekend game.

I dont think dropping him will do his confidence any good and trust me he will come good soon. His set pieces have improved lately, it will only be a matter of time before the rest of his game begins to click again.

Like i say - Form is temporary, class is permanent.

Man United & Tottenham wouldnt get linked to a poor player so often!

[Jan]

Against Chelsea i think we should give him 45 minutes and if he isnt doing great then give Peter 45 minutes and therefore hopefully help Pedersen rest for the weekend game.

Like i say - Form is temporary, class is permanent.

I don't think any more time should be wasted on him. He was useful only when contributing goals. When he wasn't last season, he was utter toss and he's continued that form this season. I agree with the second though, he has no class, but he had some good form last season (a la Jon Stead).

Give him a rest, give him some weight training and teach him how to tackle (clue- running away crying isn't a very good method)

I don't even think (unlike Emerton) that he'd make a particularly good left back. (well, he'd be good at being left back in the dressing room)

[Al]

Does anyone know why Gamst no longer takes throw ins? Is he carrying an injury?

[Perth_Rover]

Does anyone know why Gamst no longer takes throw ins? Is he carrying an injury?

Neill always took the throw ins on the right, now he is at left back i presume thats why he is taking the left sided throws instead of gamst.

[92er]

Pedersen put in some amazing corners yesterday.

I thought his being substituted in Poland was going to cost us the match as there were a couple of times they had 2 players against Neill as nobody tracked back once Pedersen went off and one of their players put in a really good shot.

I also thought we lost our shape although I appreciate we went on to win!

[Blue blood]

Ok Pedersen isn't playing his best - and in these situations he should be rested to recuperate. Note rested rather than dropped, as others have said form is temporary class is permenant. His attitude is second to none and certain aspects of his game have improved - e.g. defensively and corners - although not to the desired level so it's not all doom and gloom.

We had a reminder of the definition of waste of space on Sunday - Davies. There was a player who showed no promise, was consitently poor and couldn't care less about short changing the club. Pedersen is a million miles from that. Hell, he's a million miles from where Ward was let alone the ultimate flop that is Davies. Remember 6 months ago Peds was blasting them in, and is still doing pretty well from set pieces.

What fans need to do is encourage the guy - like Liverpool did with Crouch. They didn't get on his back but kept on encouraging him despite his shocking start to his Liverpool career. I reckon a more positive attitude from the fans towards Pedersen would go a long way to helping the guy sort out his form.

[FourLaneBlue]

(well, he'd be good at being left back in the dressing room)

Oldest football joke ever. Well, alongside "if he isn't interfering with play then why is he on the pitch" at least.

Not giving Sergio Peter many chances is hardly going to help him become a member of the first team squad; as opposed to him being on the fringes. We have a player showing potential yet aren't giving him a chance. Hopefully he will get a run-out on Wednesday. Apart from anything else it looks like MGP could do with a rest.

[Drunx2002]

Seem to remember us resting MGP last year and he came back on fire for the next few games. He may have been injured - not sure.

Regardless I say give Peter a chance for the next few games, he's always looked handy when I've seen him and it will hopefully make him think he's good enough for the first team whilst showing MGP he has to fight for his place.

I think a lot of the comments on here are undeserved.

MGP's free kicks/corners have led to countless goals over the last few seasons. He scored both goals in our away win at OT for many years, scored a stunner and set up Tugay's stunner against Fulham last year, finished off the dingles in the cup replay etc etc etc.

He reminds me a bit of David Platt playing for England. You start wondering what he adds to the side, and bang, he's won you 3 points with a goal and suddenly you forget all about it. I, for one, was scathing about David Bentley's contribution to the team for a while and all of a sudden, a few goals and a few decent crosses and we're touting him for England.

Discussion and opinion is part of football, booing your own players is not. Especially when they have pulled the team out of the mire on numerous occasions.

[Neil Weaver]

Agree with Mr Blood. OK, his tackling might not be fearsome (name me a wide midfielder you can say that about) but he does a lot of running to be in the right place defensively. With the benefit of hindsight, he did well for about a season, and for the last 15 games or so has gone off the boil. I wonder how much of this is a comparison of current form vs the excellent form of (say) a year ago. It would be great if he could recapture the form of a year ago but maybe, now opposition have got a bit more familiar with his strengths, a return to decent form is more realistic. And to achieve that a bit more support and less derision might just help.

[den]

am I the only one who sees no difference in his form?

I said quite a while ago, that once he stops scoring, he will have very little to offer. It's the same MGP without the goals.

[ihateburnley]

I agree with others on the lines that maybe it is time to give young Sergio a chance. I'm not under any illusions that Pedersen will be replaced immediately by Sergio as our regular left winger, but giving the lad a chance will only help him develop, as would resting MGP.

At the end of the day, we threw Duff in at a young age (18 I think) when Jason Wilcox was our regular number 11, and to be quite honest we never looked back. I'm not saying Sergio is as good as Damien, but I guess we will never know if he isn't playing!

I do think Hughes often leaves substitutions a bit too late though. I feel had we brought Peter on ten minutes earlier, we may have had slightly more of a chance of getting something from the game.

[Anti Euro Smiths Fan]

I said quite a while ago, that once he stops scoring, he will have very little to offer.

That's very true Den. At the moment we are carrying a passenger in the team. MGP is a liability to Rovers when he's not scoring, because he simply doesn't offer enough other qualities to the team.

An effective wide midfield player has to either attack the full-back with pace and deliver quality balls into the box or if pace isn't his strong point, then he has to be able to cut inside and influence play from a slightly more central position. MGP is doing neither of these things at present and games seem to be drifting him by without him making a positive enough contribution.

Watching highlights of the Man United V Liverpool game on Sunday, it's noticeable that even at 32, Ryan Giggs still oozes class. He can dribble with the ball at speed, use both feet well and is able to cut inside and have a great influence on what happens in the middle of the pitch through his excellent vision and ability to play the incisive pass. In other words he can do everything that MGP can't do. I think I'd rather have Giggs with one leg than MGP on both legs with us at the moment.

Last season some of the goals that Pedersen scored tended to mask some highly ineffective displays from him in other games. His delivery from corners is erratic and his passing and crossing can be wayward. That's when he actually gets into good crossing positions - which doesn't happen nearly enough for my liking.

I think Sparky needs to seriously consider giving Sergio Peter a few games in the team. It's possible that MGP might come up with a goal at Upton Park on Sunday - but that shouldn't deflect attention away from some of his woeful displays. The odd goal followed by 89 minutes of crap isn't good enough at the top level in the Premiership.

This time last year you were all wanting him to spunk in your face.

I don't think I've ever wanted him to go quite that far Billy...

One or two of his team-mates might be up for a bit of "action" though...

[Fife Rover]

Moppy, Paul and Dave have got it right; the lad needs resting NOT dropping. His confidence is completely gone and this is very largely down to the disgraceful and insensitive comments coming across to him from the posters on here and elswhere. I hope that none of the culprits are managers of a workforce because with man management skills like they have it wont be long before they have a riot on their hands.

[den]

Moppy, Paul and Dave have got it right; the lad needs resting NOT dropping. His confidence is completely gone and this is very largely down to the disgraceful and insensitive comments coming across to him from the posters on here and elswhere. I hope that none of the culprits are managers of a workforce because with man management skills like they have it wont be long before they have a riot on their hands.

I'd be amazed if anything on this site were to explain his need for "resting". He's not playing well Fife, I doubt he would argue otherwise.

You really think, that without his goals, he's good enough to hold down a regular starting position? If the goals weren't to return - and I think they will, at some stage and in some unknown number, but if they weren't, then the left wing would soon become one of the weaker positions that need strengthening.

[Fife Rover]

I'd be amazed if anything on this site were to explain his need for "resting". He's not playing well Fife, I doubt he would argue otherwise.

You really think, that without his goals, he's good enough to hold down a regular starting position? If the goals weren't to return - and I think they will, at some stage and in some unknown number, but if they weren't, then the left wing would soon become one of the weaker positions that need strengthening.

Den, you only have to look at and listen to him in any of his recent interviews on the TV. It is as plain as the nose on your face; the lad's confidence is absolutely shot. He is not fit to play in any of Rovers games at present, and by this I mean phsycologicaly unfit. The signs are all there to those that can recognise them. He is a sensitive lad and you can see that he is desperate to please, but the harder he tries the more he fails to achieve and the effect on him is devastating. Although he may not even recognise this himself. He needs help and that must come from an understanding manager which I am sure MH is. It would also help tremendously if the fans would wish him well and encourage him instead of compounding the problem by all this barracking.

[den]

Den, you only have to look at and listen to him in any of his recent interviews on the TV. It is as plain as the nose on your face; the lad's confidence is absolutely shot. He is not fit to play in any of Rovers games at present, and by this I mean phsycologicaly unfit. The signs are all there to those that can recognise them. He is a sensitive lad and you can see that he is desperate to please, but the harder he tries the more he fails to achieve and the effect on him is devastating. Although he may not even recognise this himself. He needs help and that must come from an understanding manager which I am sure MH is. It would also help tremendously if the fans would wish him well and encourage him instead of compounding the problem by all this barracking.

I don't know if his confidence is shot, but IF it is then you must ask why? I would think every other players' confidence is as high as it gets at the moment. So MGP's problem is that he isn't playing at all well and it's probably been pointed out to him. He hasn't got goals to hide behind this season - his form is the same. That's why he's worried [if he is].

Anyway, I don't want to pillory the lad too much, he doesn't deserve that. Can't criticise anyone who's doing their best.

[Fife Rover]

I don't know if his confidence is shot, but IF it is then you must ask why? I would think every other players' confidence is as high as it gets at the moment. So MGP's problem is that he isn't playing at all well and it's probably been pointed out to him. He hasn't got goals to hide behind this season - his form is the same. That's why he's worried [if he is].

Anyway, I don't want to pillory the lad too much, he doesn't deserve that. Can't criticise anyone who's doing their best.

You've got it in one there Den. I know he is not playing well, that is not the issue. As you quite rightly asked; why is he not confident and playing well? My answer would be that he is not like your average footballer. He is a sensitive and somewhat nervous type. He will sub-conciously take on board every little bit of criticism and it will worry him out of all proportion. In other words he is unusually conscientious; certainly for the pro-football environment, and will be very anxious to conceal this fact for fear of ridicule from his team mates and others (including us the fans). This type of personality needs careful handling, and treating with understanding, kindness and encouragement. The very last thing they need is ridicule or plain brutality.

As I said before he needs resting, and the way I would do it if I were MH would be to call him in for a friendly chat about things in general and form in particular. I would explain to him that I think it would help him if he had a rest for a short while. Maybe go home to Norway for a week or two and just relax. Then when he returns have another friendly chat and see how he feels then. If OK, then resume full training and gradually build up to getting back to the first team via the reserves or the bench and wait to see the signs of hunger for action returning.

[roversmum]

I read on another board I believe from a reliable source that there were problems back home. Don't know any more than that but we need to get behind the lad and support him. 'Nough said.

[Ozz]

Surely he just needs to change his name back to Pedersen.

[joey_big_nose]

Isn't part of being a footballer, like being any public figure, taking criticism? Expecting fans to not pointlessly barrack and abuse their own players is like expecting the sun not to rise. We are collectively not really known for our deep sensitivity.

If MGP is going to improve his confidence the only way to achieve that is for him to ignore us and believe in himself, it is impossible to expect 20,000 tongues to be held.

Any great footballer, like any genius, needs arrogance in his ability- otherwise they will always doubt themselves, stopping them from using the full extent of their talent.

[OhmiBRFC]

I read on another board I believe from a reliable source that there were problems back home. Don't know any more than that but we need to get behind the lad and support him. 'Nough said.

i've heard stuff about that aswell, by a source I'd also class as reliable

[AxesFirstTouch]

Must be Record label troubles.

[SuperStella]

I doubt United would want someone who sh**s out of tackles and passes to the opposition

[Perth_Rover]

I read on another board I believe from a reliable source that there were problems back home. Don't know any more than that but we need to get behind the lad and support him. 'Nough said.

Surely he just needs to change his name back to Pedersen.

Maybe that is the reason why its gamst now, not pedersen???

[pksrover]

I read on another board I believe from a reliable source that there were problems back home. Don't know any more than that but we need to get behind the lad and support him. 'Nough said.

Maybe that is the reason why its gamst now, not pedersen???

his father is his advisor if I remember right, and his name is Pedersen...