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Post by champair79 on Oct 24, 2021 11:14:33 GMT
From what I’ve seen, I’m sorry to say at the moment I don’t rate him. He has pace and can beat a man but his final product is so poor. Every time he gets the ball, I’m really willing him to do well but it so rarely seems to happen.
Tracey to me seems to have improved massively since last season. I thought last season he was a bit of a one trick pony but he seems more composed on the ball and stronger. Obviously he isn’t the finished article and his defending could do with some work but I’ve been pleasantly surprised by him.
I’d play Harrison and Iredale on the left (they can swap and cover for each other depending on how the game is going and whether we’re attacking or defending). I think Dunk is a more reliable player. Brophy could be a decent impact sub with his pace against a tiring opposition. I’d file him under decent L2 but not quite L1 quality (yet!). Hopefully he comes good as the season wears on.
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imp566
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Post by imp566 on Oct 24, 2021 12:18:07 GMT
Not defending them, but were there people in the box to take advantage of the cross? All too often Iron Joe is the only one in there and the odds are against him getting on the end of a cross in front of 3 or 4 defenders. If that is the case the smart option is to keep possession and build again. I would put the blame more on those not getting up in support, rather than the wide men not delivering a pointless cross.
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vanni
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Post by vanni on Oct 24, 2021 13:10:29 GMT
Slow? Vanni must have missed how quick he is on iFollow. Odd that Brophy has the finger pointed at him when we get beat. He was our best threat against Gillingham and was very good against Ipswich and Sheffield Wednesday. Ah time for SVH to pop up again with the usual ifollow comment which quite frankly is getting boring now. How's Darling getting on in the National League?
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vanni
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Post by vanni on Oct 24, 2021 13:34:36 GMT
I thought I had made it clear I was not slating Brophy on yesterday's showing but rather over the course of 13 league games. Nobody had a good game at Shrews bar Mitov and May (who was having an excellent game before that silly red card). I thought I had also made myself clear about giving him more time as it's too early to come to a definite conclusion and therefore unfair as well. The odd thing is that a couple other U's players were only afforded two or three games before people on here started judging them.
I stand by my comment on his pace though that could well be because apparently he was brought in as a winger. The only time he's quick is when he's going backwards and that's something he does a lot.
This is a fans forum and fairness dictates that if we're showering praise on Jones, Iredale and Mitov then it's only fair we say what we really think about those players that we expected more from. It's not like myself and a few others are saying we don't want to see Brophy in a U's shirt ever again ffs.
Otoh I'm not seeing anybody rushing to defend Masterson. I wonder why........no not really.
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Andrewlang
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Post by Andrewlang on Oct 24, 2021 13:50:29 GMT
"The odd thing is that a couple other U's players were only afforded two or three games before people on here started judging them"
Brophy was being weighed up after a few games too. It happens with every single player - often it's an evolving story (The Kevin Roberts journey for example where he's garbage at the start and then becomes immense) sometimes they're always good (The Dunk route) sometimes they're always garbage (Jake Carroll way) and sometimes they're somewhere along the road (James Brophy avenue)...either way players are constantly being appraised one way or the other.
You mentioned Masterson...he was the second coming in his first two games but it seems generally agreed he hasn't met those standards since. He's a great example of the evolving narrative.
Andrew
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Post by El Goodo on Oct 24, 2021 14:02:14 GMT
I think you're being fairly reasonable Vanni... aside from calling Brophy "not quick enough" for a forward/winger, as it is just demonstrably untrue. He is incredibly fast. I think I'd probably fancy him in a footrace against Tracey actually. It's certainly between those 2 for the fastest at the club anyway.
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Andrewlang
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Post by Andrewlang on Oct 24, 2021 14:11:10 GMT
Oooh, fun.
I reckon Brophy is the more explosive out of the traps but over the length of the pitch Tracey might squeak it.
Both are faster than a devils whisper though. It was something Bonner wanted to add this season and he's definitely pulled it off.
Andrew
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Post by svh on Oct 25, 2021 9:01:43 GMT
Slow? Vanni must have missed how quick he is on iFollow. Odd that Brophy has the finger pointed at him when we get beat. He was our best threat against Gillingham and was very good against Ipswich and Sheffield Wednesday. Ah time for SVH to pop up again with the usual ifollow comment which quite frankly is getting boring now. How's Darling getting on in the National League? The boy is rapid and has done just fine so far. Just remember your mask if for your nose and mouth, not your eyes. As for Darling did I ever say he was only good enough for non league? Anyways he was very very average for us and made a lot of mistakes which were punished. Fair play to MK and and Russell Martin spotting the boy would be much better playing in a 3-5-2 which suits his game much better. Excellent on the ball and can bring it out but still suspect at defending.
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tojo
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Post by tojo on Oct 25, 2021 9:33:53 GMT
Plenty of others in the squad, who are v clearly nowhere near L1 level. I would be more concerned with the Goalkeeper situation and signing the likes of Lancester, than a fairly average looking Brophy.
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Post by fatherjhackett on Oct 25, 2021 9:47:08 GMT
Oooh, fun. I reckon Brophy is the more explosive out of the traps but over the length of the pitch Tracey might squeak it. Both are faster than a devils whisper though. It was something Bonner wanted to add this season and he's definitely pulled it off. Andrew Interesting. Who do you think would win in a fight?
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tojo
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Post by tojo on Oct 25, 2021 9:50:45 GMT
Oooh, fun. I reckon Brophy is the more explosive out of the traps but over the length of the pitch Tracey might squeak it. Both are faster than a devils whisper though. It was something Bonner wanted to add this season and he's definitely pulled it off. Andrew Interesting. Who do you think would win in a fight? Tracey, with a kung foo kick to the swede
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cambsno
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Post by cambsno on Oct 25, 2021 11:58:06 GMT
I am unsure on him. He gives us more protection than Tracey gives and for me is a left mid. He doesn't beat men that often and when he does the final ball is often lacking. Tracey has an air of unpredictability about him and will (and has) develop more. He also cannot use his right foot at all. He is though a solid player, 7/10 type who Bonner seems to like.
I think he is a decent squad player but if fit would rather see Lankaster in his place, or even Smith.
But then, I love the idea of a 352 formation which would do away with him.
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Post by artvandelay on Oct 25, 2021 13:10:57 GMT
I am unsure on him. He gives us more protection than Tracey gives and for me is a left mid. He doesn't beat men that often and when he does the final ball is often lacking. Tracey has an air of unpredictability about him and will (and has) develop more. He also cannot use his right foot at all. He is though a solid player, 7/10 type who Bonner seems to like. I think he is a decent squad player but if fit would rather see Lankaster in his place, or even Smith. But then, I love the idea of a 352 formation which would do away with him. That scenario seems like it would be incredibly harsh, unlikely and very Sporanos. I assume, were it to happen, he would be just dropped to the bench.
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Andrewlang
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Post by Andrewlang on Oct 25, 2021 13:42:24 GMT
3-5-2 is a formation pretty much tailor made for rapid hardworking players who are versatile enough to play left back or left midfield isn't it?
Granted he's not Jack Iredale - and I genuinely hope somebody digs up his signing thread so we can discuss what an unexpectedly superb league 1 player he's become - but he'd definitely be a very handy player to have in pretty much any formation. It's very easy to see why Bonner likes him in the side.
Andrew
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Post by El Goodo on Oct 25, 2021 14:00:30 GMT
I don't think people quite understand the role Brophy's in the team to play. He's there to pick up the ball & get us up the pitch with it – Bonner said as much when we signed him by citing Brophy's "final-third entry" numbers – to stretch the pitch & allow us to attack teams with pace that was notable by its absence last year. We want him to carry the ball & launch counter-attacks. That's why we generally leave him further up when defending corners & also generally why he's a little deeper and tucked in than Tracey on the right.
He takes on & beats players plenty. I don't really understand where the myth that he doesn't has come from.
He is prone to stopping and coming back or cutting inside but more often than not that's because we have a maximum of 1 player in the box to aim at. He also generally delays his crosses in favour of trying to go past the man by the byline so he can get into the box, which can sometimes be frustrating but is also clearly his style and, for all we know, something he's been asked by the coaching staff to prioritise.
In general, his decision-making is what lets him down (as well as some erratic crossing) & is likely why he never has and never will play above L1 level (and don't forget he played more than 50 games at this level with Swindon).
He came into pro football through a very unusual route, and the lack of proper coaching when he was learning the game is very easily detected in how he plays now: purely on instinct.
There's no question we'd have been hoping for a bit more from him in terms of quantifiable output at this point, & he is always going to be a frustrating player to a degree because that's generally what that type of player is when you're in the lower leagues, but if you can't see "what he offers" the team then I don't think you're really watching.
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