Rich Evans wrote:just to add a few thoughts to KC's
Player by player:
Davies: Felt for him with the slip, and had done well until then. However, if he's going to take a knock every game, he's no use to us.the reason for taking these knocks is that he doesnt shy away from the tackle what would you rather have in place instead, someone who isn't commited
Macken: Worked hard, took his goal well. Must wonder what he's doing here.take the knocks like a man and stop whinging to the ref and the linesman. Your a one time 5 million pound player you should expect the treatment the refs dont protect you in league one
I think that's harsh on Macken, Rich The ref was poor and provided neither team with any protection from some potentially dangerous fouls that were coming in. I think he had every right to complain to the ref about some poor decisions. Having had his say (which never looked like earning him a card for dissent), he carried on about his business.
With regard to Davies, I acknowledge he takes knocks because he makes tackles, but so do other centre halves for other teams, and so did our own in recent memory. If he limps off after 70 minutes, when we're chasing the game, he reduces our attacking options (which are pretty limited anyway) because we need to make a non-tactical substitution.
Your analysis appears to suggest that so long as players "take the knocks like a man" and "don't shy away" then all is well. All you need is the occasional reference to "a contact sport", "man's game", "taking no prisoners" and "running through brick walls for the team" and your homo-erotic eulogy is complete. I notice your criticism of Richards relates to his refusal to permit an on-pitch amputation at the studs of Ian Thomas-Moore. Shame on him!
You didn't teach PE on Merseyside in the mid-1980s by any chance? :wink: