[Archived] Jordan Rhodes

[Stuart]

Who's going to overlap him when we're away from home, under pressure and ten players are behind the ball? You suggesting he plays on his own up front, but his team mates shouldn't pass to him?

Strange viewpoint, when not passing to him is playing to his strengths. Wouldn't a better option be to have someone up front who you could pass to?

Yes, get Jason Roberts back.

And no, stop being obtuse. The suggestion was don't give him they ball with his back to goal.

[den]

Yes, get Jason Roberts back.

And no, stop being obtuse. The suggestion was don't give him they ball with his back to goal.

All front men have to play with their back to goal Stuart. All you're doing here, is highlighting his weaknesses.

[LDRover]

Shane Long has just shown exactly how to play the lone role up front there.

Nothing overly physical just great movement, touch and finishing. The first goal was from a good old hoof as well.

[arbitro]

Shane Long has just shown exactly how to play the lone role up front there.

Nothing overly physical just great movement, touch and finishing. The first goal was from a good old hoof as well.

And a great finish for his second. The first came from a great diagonal ball from back to front. It's a really under used ball if delivered correctly and can dissect centre backs and get them turning. How I wish we had a player who could deliver this type of pass.

[Stuart]

All front men have to play with their back to goal Stuart. All you're doing here, is highlighting his weaknesses.

I've never said he doesn't have weaknesses. Just that:

1) We have other players and positions whose weaknesses need addressing first

2) That we should play to his strengths and reap the rewards

We seem to have changed our playing style recently, with barely any quality service to Rhodes. Yet all we seem to talk about is how Rhodes is the problem.

[RevidgeBlue]

Rhodes forte is playing on the shoulder of the defender and running onto balls that are slid through. Lack of pace or otherwise doesn't come inro it because if Rhodes times his run right and the ball is played right the defender is on his heels with his back to goal and there's nothing he can do about it.

However half the time we don't even spot the runs Rhodes is making, let alone slide a suitable ball through to him.

[den]

He'll be in the PL before Rovers are, den.

He will. There's no doubt about that.

[den]

Rhodes forte is playing on the shoulder of the defender and running onto balls that are slid through. Lack of pace or otherwise doesn't come inro it because if Rhodes times his run right and the ball is played right the defender is on his heels with his back to goal and there's nothing he can do about it.

However half the time we don't even spot the runs Rhodes is making, let alone slide a suitable ball through to him.

Our problem isn't in getting Rhodes to score more goals Simon. Our problem is that Shebby Singh believed that spending £8m on one player, when the rest of the team were well below par, would be enough to get us promoted. He was wrong, and if everyone's truthful that £8m hasn't made the TEAM any better at all. It's been wasted.

The only justification for spending that kind of money on any player, especially in this crap league, is if it improves team performances and thus, results. If we are a better team now, than we were last season - and I'm not sure there's much in it, it's more to do with the influence of having a steady manager and other players in the squad putting a bit more in, than it has to do with the £8m that SS spent. Let's be honest here, Jordan Rhodes's performances have never added anything to the team.

Just my opinion.

[RevidgeBlue]

I've never said he doesn't have weaknesses.

.

Nevertheless Stu I think the Rhodes detractors are vastly overplaying his weaknesses Play a decent quality ball up to him and he will generally lay it off competently. If we play a poor quality ball up to him he can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear in the way a Shearer or a Sutton might have done but I'll gladly take that in exchange for 25 to 30 goals a season in an average side. Like you say we have a lot more obvious deficiencies in the side to sort out than that one.

The debate's been done to death but people are still moaning about the cherry on top of the cake when we haven't got the cake right yet.

[RevidgeBlue]

Our problem isn't in getting Rhodes to score more goals Simon. Our problem is that Shebby Singh believed that spending £8m on one player, when the rest of the team were well below par, would be enough to get us promoted. He was wrong, and if everyone's truthful that £8m hasn't made the TEAM any better at all. It's been wasted.

The only justification for spending that kind of money on any player, especially in this crap league, is if it improves team performances and thus, results. If we are a better team now, than we were last season - and I'm not sure there's much in it, it's more to do with the influence of having a steady manager and other players in the squad putting a bit more in, than it has to do with the £8m that SS spent. Let's be honest here, Jordan Rhodes's performances have never added anything to the team.

Just my opinion.

I don't understand your line of reasoning here Den. Are you trying to argue that if hypothetically Best had never got injured, and therefore Rodes had never been signed that that would have been the answer to all our problems?

[Stuart]

The debate's been done to death but people are still moaning about the cherry on top of the cake when we haven't got the cake right yet.

Brilliant analogy. That's our situation... in a buncase.

[Tom]

It's not that great an analogy as he also needs to be one of the vital ingredients in the cake, something less glamorous than a cherry, maybe an egg.

The cherry makes a good cake even better but forget the egg and the cake itself will be substandard

Then again all our ingredients are either out of date or tesco value, the chef has never cooked before and the oven is just a metal box with a candle in it

[chaddyrovers]

Which is why we didn't use Rhodes as a target man and played 4-2-3-1 instead.

*for some reason I can't paste a link to YouTube on my ipad, goto YouTube and type Jordan Rhodes, there is a video of his goals from last season. Enjoy.

Plenty of goals from the ball over the top, through balls, crosses, and strikes from the edge of the area.

here are Rhodes goals from last season http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZ4bYtDBA3U

Just a thought what if palace offerd us dwight gayle in return? Personally would keep rhodes over gayle but just a thought

in today's Pulis press conference he was asked about Rhodes interest and he didn't deny his interest in Rhodes.

If Rhodes did go which I REALLY HOPE HE DOESNT but if he did tho then I would like to see us going for Beechio from Norwich or Vaughan from Huddersfield.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Any good team will mix it up Simon. Two instances from this weekends MoTD spring to mind .... that daft Soton keeper who chose to play some fancy football rather than to put his foot through the ball with predictably disastrous consequences v Man City's sweeping 6th goal.

Don't get fixated by long ball / short ball think instead good ball / bad ball. Every striker of any note needs to be able to play with his back to goal for large parts of every match because ALL strikers spend 90% + of the match facing backward rather than forward.

Correct, when I played up front I turned my shin pads around to protect the backs of my legs. Running onto well directed through balls is only part of the game at any level.

[thenodrog]

He will. There's no doubt about that.

We wont be but there is still a big doubt.

[thenodrog]

Most centre forwards don't even try to turn on an opponent. They keep possession until the midfielders get into good positions, it's called hold up play. As for JR chasing diagonal balls down the channel ... lets be honest he doesn't really have either the pace or the strength for that does he?

In a nutshell if we dont play him in clear on goal at which he does excel then he's a bit of a liability to the team. I may be wrong but recent form suggests that other teams have learned how best to play against him.

I've never said he doesn't have weaknesses. Just that:

We seem to have changed our playing style recently, with barely any quality service to Rhodes. Yet all we seem to talk about is how Rhodes is the problem.

Apart from the obvious and crucial fact (to Rhodes performance) that Dunny has been out I believe that I pointed out the nub of it above Stuart.

[West Yorks Rover]

here are Rhodes goals from last season http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZ4bYtDBA3U

in today's Pulis press conference he was asked about Rhodes interest and he didn't deny his interest in Rhodes.

If Rhodes did go which I REALLY HOPE HE DOESNT but if he did tho then I would like to see us going for Beechio from Norwich or Vaughan from Huddersfield.

Do you really think there will be any money to sign either of those Chaddy ?

I think Palace will be making the cheque out to HTAFC, if it's around £6m.

[somersetrover]

Can't see Rhodes going to Palace, as he would be back in the Championship by May.

[roversfan99]

Still half a season of Premier League football more than he will ever get here.

[West Yorks Rover]

Can't see Rhodes going to Palace, as he would be back in the Championship by May.

Quite possibly and I doubt he will fancy them anyway, unless it's for a big pay rise which would put him on massive wages and Palace

would have that round their necks in the Championship.

I think Mark Hughes would get the best out of him at Stoke, they're playing some good passing football now by

all accounts, Hughes will do well there IMO.

[Ricky]

It's Becchio Chaddy. If you're going to keep on about him you can at least spell his name correctly.

I remember having a really good twitter debate with Glen Mullan last year about Rhodes. My argument was that we would never make a profit on him and glen's view was that he was worth double what we paid for him. I still think I'll be right on this one.

[davulsukur]

Should be starting for Scotland at the very least then, as well as being at a top PL club. Guess Readings centre half is a world beater as well.

what tripe.

Lets be clear, I didn't say he had lightning pace or he was as strong as an Ox, nor did i say he had skills akin to the maestro. I merely point out the fact that on a few occasions, he used some of those attributes to score goals last season.

But thanks for the reply anyway.

[beatrix]

Rhodes is a proven goalscorer in this league, some of the goals he has scored prove he is an exceptional finisher that's a fact.

The main problem with our team is that we cant get the ball to him in and around the box where he is most effective on a regular basis.

Our defence is decent at this level but our midfield play is not good enough to get the ball to him.

If you have an exceptional finisher surely the main tactic needs to be to play to his strengths and bust a gut to get the ball to him in and around

the box. It is obvious he cant hold the ball , run the channels etc he is no shearer but Bowyer needs to find a way to get the ball to him, without service he

cant score and we cant win. The problem is not rocket science Bowyer needs to concentrate on organising the team to create chances for him.

[cesus]

Can't see Rhodes going to Palace, as he would be back in the Championship by May.

I don't think Rhodes will have a choice, if Palace come up with the fee the club want he will go.

[thenodrog]

Rhodes is a proven goalscorer in this league, some of the goals he has scored prove he is an exceptional finisher that's a fact.

The main problem with our team is that we cant get the ball to him in and around the box where he is most effective on a regular basis.

Our defence is decent at this level but our midfield play is not good enough to get the ball to him.

If you have an exceptional finisher surely the main tactic needs to be to play to his strengths and bust a gut to get the ball to him in and around

the box. It is obvious he cant hold the ball , run the channels etc he is no shearer but Bowyer needs to find a way to get the ball to him, without service he

cant score and we cant win. The problem is not rocket science Bowyer needs to concentrate on organising the team to create chances for him.

Bowyer has the answer now with Dunny/Rochina supplying JR and King...... for as long as Dunny's fitness lasts